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EP0878772A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Printing system and method of printing

Assignee: Seiko Epson Corp
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Filing: 1998-05-13
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2018-05-13
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Abstract

Abstract The present invention provides a printing system in which a print head (17a) of each color has a plurality of nozzle groups (A,B) arranged in parallel in a main scanning direction. The number of nozzle groups (A,B) is equal to N1, and each nozzle group (A,B) includes a plurality of nozzles aligned in a sub-scanning direction. An interval between the adjoining nozzle groups (A,B) in the main scanning direction is set equal to a pitch of kl dots, which is prime to the number of nozzle groups N1. The print head (17a) is scanned in the main scanning direction and drives the plurality of nozzle groups (A,B) simultaneously on the print head (17a) to record dots every time that the print head (17a) shifts by N1 pixels in the main scanning direction. This structure enables each raster line in the main scanning direction to be recorded by different nozzles (A,B) in one main scan. The nozzle groups (A,B) may be shifted relative to one another in the sub-scanning direction to provide raster lines (L1,L2) formed from more than one main scan.

Inventors

  • 👤 Masahiko Yoshida

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 14:56
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/485; B41J2/505; B41J2/5056; G; G06; G06K; G06K15/00; G06K15/02; G06K15/10; G06K15/102; G06K15/105

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 70 words
A printing system that carries out a main scan, which reciprocates a print head relative to a printing medium, and forms a raster line, which is a row of dots aligned in a main scanning direction, so as to print an image on said printing medium, wherein said print head comprises a plurality of nozzles which form an identical type of dots on a raster line in one main scan.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 42 words
A printing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of nozzles are arranged at a predetermined interval k1 in the main scanning direction, said predetermined interval being an integral multiple of a pitch of pixels in the main scanning direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 42 words
A printing system in accordance with claim 1 or 2, said printing system further comprising: a drive unit which controls actuation of said plurality of nozzles and causes said plurality of nozzles to record dots at different positions on said raster line.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 66 words
A printing system in accordance with claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said plurality of nozzles are arranged to satisfy a relationship in which a predetermined interval k1 of said plurality of nozzles in the main scanning direction expressed as the pitch of pixels in the main scanning direction is prime to a number of said plurality of nozzles N1 aligned in the main scanning direction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 36 words
A printing system in accordance with claim 3 and 4, wherein said drive unit drives said plurality of nozzles simultaneously at a specific timing to record dots in every N1-th pixel in the main scanning direction.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 56 words
A printing system in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein said print head comprises plural sets of said plurality of nozzles, said plural sets being arranged at a given interval in a predetermined direction crossing the main scanning direction, said given interval being an integral multiple k2 of a pitch of pixels in the predetermined direction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 47 words
A printing system in accordance with claim 6, wherein said print head comprises said plural sets of said plurality of nozzles that are arranged to satisfy a relationship in which the integral multiple k2 and a number of said plural sets N2 are prime to each other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 75 words
A printing system in accordance with claim 7, said printing system further comprising: a sub-scanning unit that carries out a sub-scan, which shifts said printing medium relative to said print head by a predetermined amount of feed in a sub-scanning direction or in the predetermined direction crossing the main scanning direction every time when one raster line is formed, said predetermined amount of feed being N2 times the pitch of pixels in the sub-scanning direction.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 160 words
A method of carrying out a main scan, which reciprocates a print head relative to a printing medium, and forms a raster line, which is a row of dots aligned in a main scanning direction, so as to print an image on said printing medium, wherein said print head comprises a plurality of nozzles which form an identical type of dots on a raster line in one main scan and are arranged to satisfy a relationship in which a predetermined interval k1 of said plurality of nozzles in the main scanning direction expressed as a pitch of pixels in the main scanning direction is prime to a number of said plurality of nozzles N1 aligned in the main scanning direction, said method comprising the steps of: (a) driving said print head in the main scanning direction; and (b) driving said plurality of nozzles simultaneously at a specific timing to record dots in every N1-th pixel in the main scanning direction.

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