EP0622211A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method for ink jet printing on plastic recording media
Assignee: HP Inc
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Filing: 1994-04-28
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-04-28
Abstract
Abstract Images are printed using marks formed in pixel arrays by a scanning print head. Certain special techniques well-suited for plain-paper printing have been found undesirable for use with plastic media; these techniques include so-called "resolution-enhanced technology", bidirectional printing (particularly of black), and optical-density controlled printing speed. At top and bottom of each page or sheet of printing medium, where it is undesirable to operate with the pen partly off the edge of the sheet, and where also the printing medium is constrained from only one direction rather than being held taut beneath the pen, the print mask is rotated while the printing medium is held stationary -- thereby entirely avoiding reliance upon accuracy of print-medium advance.
Inventors
- 👤 Lance Cleveland
- 👤 Corrina A. E. Hall
- 👤 William C. Hilliard
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 14:25
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K15/00; G06K15/02; G06K15/10; G06K15/102; G06K15/105; G06K15/107; B; B41; B41J; B41J11/00; B41J11/36; B41J11/42; B41J19/00; B41J19/14; B41J19/142; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/21; B41J2/2132; G06K15/021; G06K15/023; G06K2215/00; G06K2215/0082; G06K2215/0097
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
166 words
A method of printing desired images on a low-liquid-absorption printing medium, by construction from individual marks formed in pixel column-and-row arrays by a scanning multiple-nozzle pen that operates in conjunction with a printing-medium advance mechanism; said method comprising the steps of: scanning the pen repeatedly along a pen-scanning axis across the medium, to place marks on the medium within a swath of pixel rows that is exposed to the multiple nozzles of the pen, each nozzle corresponding to one pixel row; periodically advancing the printing medium relative to the pen, along a printing-medium-advance axis that is substantially orthogonal to the pen-scanning axis, to bring a fresh portion of the medium within the swath that is exposed to the pen; and in each scanning of the head across the medium, firing at most one-third of the nozzles in each pixel-position column and thereby depositing, over the total number of scans at each pixel row, at least two drops of ink in each pixel position that is inked.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1, wherein: for portions of a desired image in which a mark is desired in every pixel position, the firing step comprises firing substantially one-third of the nozzles in substantially every pixel-position column.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 2, wherein: the medium-advancing step comprises advancing the medium between substantially every pair of scans of the pen.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein: the medium-advancing step comprises advancing the medium by a number of pixel rows equal to substantially one-sixth of the number of operating nozzles of the pen, between substantially every pair of scans of the pen.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 1, wherein: the medium-advancing step comprises advancing the medium by a number of pixel rows equal to an integral multiple of one-sixth of the number of operating nozzles of the pen, between substantially every pair of scans of the pen.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
140 words
A method of printing desired images on a low-liquid-absorption printing medium, by construction from individual marks formed in pixel column-and-row arrays by a scanning multiple-nozzle pen that operates in conjunction with a printing-medium advance mechanism; said method comprising the steps of: scanning the pen repeatedly along a pen-scanning axis across the medium, to place marks on the medium within a swath of pixel rows that is exposed to the multiple nozzles of the pen, each nozzle corresponding to one pixel row; periodically advancing the printing medium relative to the pen, along a printing-medium-advance axis that is substantially orthogonal to the pen-scanning axis, to bring a fresh portion of the medium within the swath that is exposed to the pen; and in each scanning of the head across the medium, firing at most one-sixth of the nozzles in each pixel-position column.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 6, wherein: for portions of a desired image in which a mark is desired in every pixel position, the firing step comprises firing substantially one-sixth of the nozzles in substantially every pixel-position column.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 7, wherein: the medium-advancing step comprises advancing the medium between substantially every pair of scans of the pen.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 6 or 7, wherein: the medium-advancing step comprises advancing the medium by a number of pixel rows equal to substantially one-sixth of the number of operating nozzles of the pen, between substantially every pair of scans of the pen.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 6, wherein: the medium-advancing step comprises advancing the medium by a number of pixel rows equal to an integral multiple of one-sixth of the number of operating nozzles of the pen, between substantially every pair of scans of the pen.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
273 words
A method of printing a desired image, which has two ends, on a printing medium by construction from individual marks formed in pixel column-and-row arrays by a scanning multiple-nozzle pen that operates in conjunction with a printing-medium advance mechanism; said printing medium being held taut beneath the pen between two sets of rollers except while printing near top and bottom edges of the printing medium, when it is constrained from only one direction by one of said sets of rollers; said method comprising the steps of: scanning the pen repeatedly along a pen-scanning axis across the medium, to place marks on the medium within a swath of pixel rows that is exposed to the multiple nozzles of the pen, each nozzle corresponding to one pixel row; when the pen is not substantially at either end of the desired image, and while the medium is held taut between two sets of rollers, periodically advancing the printing medium relative to the pen, along a printing-medium-advance axis that is substantially orthogonal to the pen-scanning axis, to bring a fresh portion of the medium within the swath that is exposed to the pen; whereby the pen moves stepwise from one end of the image to the other; and when the pen is substantially at either end of the desired image, at least if the medium is constrained from only one direction by one set of rollers and at least until completion of full inking for the swath of pixel rows that is exposed to the nozzles of the pen: holding the printing medium substantially stationary relative to the pen while performing a plurality of said scanning steps.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method of claim 11, wherein: during the holding-stationary step, said scanning steps comprise employing a sequence of print masks in rotation to progressively provide full inking for the swath of pixel rows that is exposed to the nozzles of the pen; and said sequence of masks is such as to compensate for absence of printing-medium advance.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 12, wherein: the mask-sequence-employing step comprises changing nozzle printing patterns between substantially every pair of scans of the pen.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 13, wherein: each said scanning step comprises firing at most one-third of the nozzles in each pixel-position column and thereby depositing, over the total number of scans at each pixel row, at least two drops of ink in each pixel position that is inked.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 13, wherein: each said scanning step comprises firing at most one-sixth of the nozzles in each pixel-position column.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 11, wherein: the periodically-advancing step comprises advancing the printing medium between substantially every pair of scans of the pen.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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