Ink-jet printing apparatus

Claim 2

An ink-jet printing apparatus performs a printing process by discharging at least one of a number of separate inks from an ink discharge portion having a plurality of orifices at predetermined orifice positions and discharging a liquid that includes at least a substance making coloring material in said ink insoluble or coherent from a liquid discharge portion onto a printing medium, comprising: a number of discharge data memories for storing discharge data for the ink discharge portion, the number of discharge data memories being equal to the number of the separate inks; a discharge data former for forming discharge data of the liquid based on the discharge data stored in said discharge data memories; a number of ink discharge buffers for storing the ink discharge data for the ink discharge portion transferred from said discharge data memories, the number of said ink discharge buffers being equal to the number of the separate inks; a liquid discharge buffer for storing the discharge data of the liquid formed by said discharge data former; and a controller for driving the ink discharge portion to discharge ink and the liquid discharge portion to discharge the liquid according to the discharge data stored in said ink discharge buffers and said liquid discharge buffer, respectively, wherein no discharge data memory for storing the discharge data for the liquid is provided and the discharge data for the liquid is formed by said discharge data former in real time based on the discharge data for the ink discharge portion stored in said discharge data memories.

Claim 3

An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller further comprises a resolution converting circuit for converting a resolution of the discharge data transmitted to said ink discharge buffers.

Claim 4

An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said resolution converting circuit performs a conversion by which a resolution of the discharge data is increased.

Claim 5

An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said controller further comprises a data-amplification circuit for increasing the amount of the discharge data formed by said discharge data former and transmitting the increased discharge data to said liquid discharge buffer.

Claim 6

An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said liquid comprises cationic substances of a low-molecular weight ingredient and a high-molecular weight ingredient, while said ink comprises an anionic dyestuff.

Claim 7

An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said liquid comprises cationic substances of a low-molecular weight ingredient and a high-molecular weight ingredient, while said ink comprises an anionic compound and a pigment.

Claim 8

An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ink discharge portion and said liquid discharge portion each comprise a thermal energy generating element for discharging the ink or the liquid by utilizing thermal energy.

Claim 9

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for connecting to a computer.

Claim 10

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a reader for effecting copying.

Claim 11

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for transmitting and receiving image signals.

Claim 12

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller comprises a data-transfer switch circuit for switching a transmission of the discharge data stored in said discharge data memory to said discharge data former and said ink discharge buffer.

Claim 13

An ink-jet printing apparatus for performing a printing process by discharging at least one of a number of separate inks on a printing medium from a plurality of color ink discharge heads, each having a plurality of orifices at predetermined orifice positions, and discharging a liquid having at least a substance which makes coloring material in the ink insoluble or coherent from at least one liquid discharge head, comprising: a number of discharge data memory portions for storing discharge data for the plurality of the color ink discharge heads, respectively, the number of discharge data memory portions being equal to the number of the separate inks; a discharge data former for forming discharge data for said liquid discharge head based on the predetermined amount of discharge data stored in said number of discharge data memory portions; a liquid discharge buffer for storing the discharge data for the liquid discharge portion formed by said discharge data former; a number of color ink discharge buffers for storing the discharge data for each of the number of color ink discharge heads, respectively, transferred from said discharge data memory portions, the number of said color ink discharge buffers being equal to the number of the separate inks; a data-transfer switch for switching a transmission of the discharge data stored in said number of discharge data memory portions to said discharge data former and the respective number of the color ink discharge buffers; and a controller for driving said at least one liquid discharge portion and said plurality of color ink discharge portions according to the discharge data stored in said liquid discharge buffer and said number of color ink discharge buffers, respectively, wherein no discharge data memory portion for storing the discharge data for the liquid is provided and the discharge data for the liquid is formed by said discharge data former in real time based on the discharge data for the color ink discharge heads stored in said discharge data memory portions.

Claim 14

An ink-jet printing apparatus for performing a printing process by discharging at least one of a number of separate inks on a printing medium from a plurality of color ink discharge heads, each having a plurality of orifices at predetermined orifice positions, and discharging a liquid having at least a substance which makes coloring material in the ink insoluble or coherent from at least one liquid discharge head, comprising: a number of discharge data memory portions for storing discharge data for the plurality of the color ink discharge heads, respectively, the number of discharge data memory portions being equal to the number of the separate inks; a discharge data former for forming discharge data for said liquid discharge head based on the predetermined amount of discharge data stored in said number of discharge data memory portions; a liquid discharge buffer for storing the discharge data for the liquid discharge portion formed by said discharge data former; a number of color ink discharge buffers for storing the discharge data for each of the number of color ink discharge heads, respectively, transferred from said discharge data memory portions, the number of said color ink discharge buffers being equal to the number of the separate inks; a data-transfer switch for switching a transmission of the discharge data stored in said number of discharge data memory portions to said discharge data former and the respective number of the color ink discharge buffers; and a controller for driving said at least one liquid discharge portion and said plurality of color ink discharge portions according to the discharge data stored in said liquid discharge buffer and said number of color ink discharge buffers, respectively, wherein no discharge data memory portion for storing the discharge data for the liquid is provided and the discharge data for the liquid is formed by said discharge data former in real time based on the discharge data for the color ink discharge heads stored in said discharge data memory portions.

Claim 15

An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said controller drives said at least one liquid discharge portion and said plurality of color discharge portions at discharge timings and said data transfer switch switches said transmission every discharge timing.

Claim 16

An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said discharge data former forms discharge data of the liquid by performing a logical OR of the discharge data stored in the number of the discharge data memory portions at every discharge timing.

Claim 17

An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising means for connecting to a computer.

Claim 18

An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a reader for effecting copying.

Claim 19

An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising means for transmitting and receiving image signals.

Claim 20

An ink-jet printing method which performs a printing process by discharging at least one of a number of separate inks and discharging a liquid that includes at least a substance making coloring material in said ink insoluble or coherent, said method comprising the steps of: providing a number of discharge data memories for storing discharge data for the ink discharge portion, the number of the discharge data memories being equal to the number of the separate inks; forming discharge data of the liquid based on the discharge data stored in the discharge data memories; providing a number of ink discharge buffers for storing the ink discharge data for the ink discharge portion transferred from the discharge data memories, the number of the ink discharge buffers being equal to the number of the inks; providing a liquid discharge buffer for storing the discharge data of the liquid formed in said liquid discharge data forming step; and discharging ink and the liquid according to the discharge data stored in the ink discharge buffers and the liquid discharge buffer, respectively, wherein no discharge data memory for storing discharge data for the liquid is provided and the discharge data of the liquid is formed in said liquid discharge data forming step in real time based on the discharge data for the ink discharge portion stored in the discharge data memories.

Claim 21

An ink-jet printing method which performs a printing process by discharging at least one of a number of separate inks and discharging a liquid that includes at least a substance making coloring material in said ink insoluble or coherent, said method comprising the steps of: providing a number of discharge data memories for storing discharge data for the ink discharge portion, the number of the discharge data memories being equal to the number of the separate inks; forming discharge data of the liquid based on the discharge data stored in the discharge data memories; providing a number of ink discharge buffers for storing the ink discharge data for the ink discharge portion transferred from the discharge data memories, the number of the ink discharge buffers being equal to the number of the inks; providing a liquid discharge buffer for storing the discharge data of the liquid formed in said liquid discharge data forming step; and discharging ink and the liquid according to the discharge data stored in the ink discharge buffers and the liquid discharge buffer, respectively, wherein no discharge data memory for storing discharge data for the liquid is provided and the discharge data of the liquid is formed in said liquid discharge data forming step in real time based on the discharge data for the ink discharge portion stored in the discharge data memories.