JP2020059134A - Recording device and method for controlling control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To normally perform recording even when a member of an ink of a recording head accumulates heat.SOLUTION: A recording device, which includes a recording head that includes a discharge port discharging an ink and a pressure chamber filled with the ink discharged from the discharge port and discharges the ink from the discharge port and performs a recording operation, and circulation means that circulates the ink on a circulation path including the pressure chamber when the recording operation is performed, includes first acquisition means that acquires information on a temperature of the recording head, and control means which allows the circulation means to circulate the ink when the temperature of the recording head is higher than a predetermined temperature on the basis of the acquisition result by the first acquisition means after the end of the recording operation, and controls the circulation means that the circulation means does not circulate the ink when the temperature of the recording head is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording head and a recording apparatus for circulating ink in a circulation path including the recording head, and a control method for the recording apparatus.

  In the ink jet, there is a problem that the viscosity of the ink near the ejection port increases due to the evaporation of volatile components in the ink from the ejection port of the recording head. As one of measures against this problem, a method of circulating ink to be supplied to the recording head in a circulation path is known. However, as the ink is circulated, fresh ink is always supplied to the ink ejection port, so that water vapor evaporates from the ejection port and the concentration of ink in the entire circulation path gradually increases.

  In order to prevent the concentration of ink in the entire circulation path from rising and the evaporation of volatile components in the ink in the vicinity of the ejection port, Patent Document 1 describes a technique of stopping the circulation of ink when recording is completed. Has been done.

JP, 2017-121784, A

  The recording head may be equipped with a heating heater for raising the temperature of the recording head and keeping it at a high stop. Further, the recording head may be provided with a heating element as a recording element in order to foam ink with thermal energy. For this reason, when the printing operation is performed for a long time, the temperature of the print head does not decrease and the temperature near the discharge port continues to be high due to the effect of the heat accumulated by the print head members due to the effect of the heating heater and print element. Is assumed. In such a case, if the circulation of the ink is stopped after the recording is finished as in Patent Document 1, the ink in the vicinity of the ejection port may be thickened and the ejection may be affected.

  A recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a discharge port that discharges ink, and a pressure chamber that fills ink discharged from the discharge port, and a recording head that discharges ink from the discharge port and performs a recording operation. A recording apparatus having a circulation unit that circulates ink in a circulation path including the pressure chamber when a recording operation is performed, the first acquisition unit acquiring information about the temperature of the recording head, and the recording unit. After the operation is completed, if the temperature of the recording head is higher than a predetermined temperature based on the acquisition result by the first acquisition unit, the ink is circulated in the circulation unit, and the temperature of the recording head is set to the predetermined value. And a control means for controlling the circulation means so as not to circulate the ink by the circulation means when the temperature is equal to or lower than the temperature.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the influence of the thickening of ink on the ejection port, and to perform normal recording.

It is a diagram when the recording device is in a standby state. It is a control block diagram of a recording device. It is a figure when a recording device is in a recording state. FIG. 6 is a diagram when the recording apparatus is in a maintenance state. (A) And (b) is a perspective view which shows the structure of a maintenance unit. It is a figure explaining the flow path structure of an ink circulation system. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a recording head. It is the figure which showed one discharge module. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a recording element substrate. It is a figure explaining a discharge port and a pressure chamber. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a temperature change of a recording head due to a recording operation. 6 is a flowchart showing a process of performing all-color circulation according to the temperature of the recording head. It is a figure which shows the relationship between environmental temperature and (alpha). 6 is a flowchart showing a process of performing all-color circulation according to the temperature of the recording head. 6 is a flowchart showing a process of performing all color circulation according to the time of a recording operation. It is a figure which shows the relationship between recording operation time and wait time. 6 is a flowchart showing a process of performing all color circulation according to the time of a recording operation.

<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 is an internal configuration diagram of an inkjet recording apparatus 1 (hereinafter referred to as recording apparatus 1) used in this embodiment. In the figure, the x-direction is the horizontal direction, the y-direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface) is the direction in which the ejection openings are arranged in the recording head 8 described later, and the z-direction is the vertical direction.

  The recording device 1 is a multi-function peripheral including a printing unit 2 and a scanner unit 3, and various processes regarding a recording operation and a reading operation can be executed individually or in conjunction with each other by the printing unit 2 and the scanner unit 3. The scanner unit 3 includes an ADF (auto document feeder) and an FBS (flatbed scanner), and scans a document that is automatically fed by the ADF and a document that is placed on the document table of the FBS by a user (scan). )It can be performed. Although the present embodiment is a multi-function peripheral having both the print unit 2 and the scanner unit 3, the scanner unit 3 may not be provided. FIG. 1 shows the recording apparatus 1 in a standby state in which neither recording operation nor reading operation is performed.

  In the print unit 2, a first cassette 5A and a second cassette 5B for accommodating a recording medium (cut sheet) S are removably installed at the bottom of the housing 4 in the vertically lower direction. The first cassette 5A accommodates relatively small recording media up to A4 size, and the second cassette 5B accommodates relatively large recording media up to A3 size in a flat stack. In the vicinity of the first cassette 5A, a first feeding unit 6A for separating and feeding the contained recording media one by one is provided. Similarly, a second feeding unit 6B is provided near the second cassette 5B. When the recording operation is performed, the recording medium S is selectively fed from one of the cassettes.

  The transport roller 7, the discharge roller 12, the pinch roller 7a, the spur 7b, the guide 18, the inner guide 19 and the flapper 11 are transport mechanisms for guiding the recording medium S in a predetermined direction. The transport roller 7 is a drive roller that is arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side of the recording head 8 and is driven by a transport motor (not shown). The pinch roller 7a is a driven roller that nips and rotates the recording medium S together with the transport roller 7. The discharge roller 12 is a drive roller that is arranged on the downstream side of the transport roller 7 and is driven by a transport motor (not shown). The spur 7b nips and conveys the recording medium S together with the conveying roller 7 and the discharge roller 12 arranged on the downstream side of the recording head 8.

  The guide 18 is provided on the conveyance path of the recording medium S and guides the recording medium S in a predetermined direction. The inner guide 19 has a curved side surface with a member extending in the y direction, and guides the recording medium S along the side surface. The flapper 11 is a member for switching the direction in which the recording medium S is conveyed during the double-sided recording operation. The ejection tray 13 is a tray for stacking and holding the recording medium S ejected by the ejection roller 12 after the recording operation is completed.

  The recording head 8 of the present embodiment is a full-line type color inkjet recording head, and has a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting ink according to the recording data, corresponding to the width of the recording medium S along the y direction in FIG. It is arranged. That is, the recording head 8 is configured to be able to eject ink for a plurality of ink types. In this embodiment, the inks of multiple colors can be ejected. When the recording head 8 is at the standby position, the ejection port surface 8a of the recording head 8 faces vertically downward as shown in FIG. 1 and is capped by the cap unit 10. When performing the printing operation, the print controller 202, which will be described later, changes the orientation of the print head 8 so that the ejection opening surface 8 a faces the platen 9. The platen 9 is composed of a flat plate extending in the y direction, and supports the recording medium S on which the recording operation is performed by the recording head 8 from the back surface. The movement of the recording head 8 from the standby position to the recording position will be described in detail later.

  The ink tank units 14 store the four color inks supplied to the recording head 8, respectively. The ink supply unit 15 is provided in the middle of the flow path connecting the ink tank unit 14 and the recording head 8, and adjusts the pressure and flow rate of the ink in the recording head 8 to an appropriate range. In the present embodiment, a circulation type ink supply system is adopted, and the ink supply unit 15 adjusts the pressure of the ink supplied to the recording head 8 and the flow rate of the ink collected from the recording head 8 within an appropriate range.

  The maintenance unit 16 includes a cap unit 10 and a wiping unit 17, which are operated at a predetermined timing to perform a maintenance operation on the recording head 8. The maintenance operation will be described later in detail.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration in the recording apparatus 1. The control configuration mainly includes a print engine unit 200 that controls the print unit 2, a scanner engine unit 300 that controls the scanner unit 3, and a controller unit 100 that controls the entire recording device 1. The print controller 202 controls various mechanisms of the print engine unit 200 according to an instruction from the main controller 101 of the controller unit 100. Various mechanisms of the scanner engine unit 300 are controlled by the main controller 101 of the controller unit 100. Details of the control configuration will be described below.

  In the controller unit 100, the main controller 101 including a CPU controls the entire recording apparatus 1 while using the RAM 106 as a work area in accordance with programs and various parameters stored in the ROM 107. For example, when a print job is input from the host device 400 via the host I / F 102 or the wireless I / F 103, the image processing unit 108 performs predetermined image processing according to an instruction from the main controller 101. Give. Then, the main controller 101 transmits the image-processed image data to the print engine unit 200 via the print engine I / F 105.

  The recording device 1 may acquire image data from the host device 400 via wireless communication or wired communication, or may acquire image data from an external storage device (USB memory or the like) connected to the recording device 1. Is also good. The communication method used for wireless communication or wired communication is not limited. For example, as a communication method used for wireless communication, Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be applied. A USB (Universal Serial Bus) or the like is applicable as a communication method used for wired communication. Further, for example, when a read command is input from the host device 400, the main controller 101 transmits this command to the scanner unit 3 via the scanner engine I / F 109.

  The operation panel 104 is a mechanism for a user to input / output to / from the recording device 1. The user can instruct operations such as copying and scanning through the operation panel 104, set a print mode, and recognize information of the recording device 1.

  In the print engine unit 200, the print controller 202 including a CPU controls various mechanisms included in the printing unit 2 according to programs and various parameters stored in the ROM 203 while using the RAM 204 as a work area. When various commands and image data are received via the controller I / F 201, the print controller 202 temporarily stores them in the RAM 204. The print controller 202 causes the image processing controller 205 to convert the stored image data into print data so that the print head 8 can use the print operation. When the print data is generated, the print controller 202 causes the print head 8 to perform a print operation based on the print data via the head I / F 206. At this time, the print controller 202 drives the feeding units 6A and 6B, the transport roller 7, the discharge roller 12, and the flapper 11 shown in FIG. 1 via the transport control unit 207 to transport the recording medium S. According to an instruction from the print controller 202, the recording operation by the recording head 8 is executed in association with the conveyance operation of the recording medium S, and the printing process is performed.

  The head carriage control unit 208 changes the orientation and position of the recording head 8 in accordance with the operating state of the recording apparatus 1 such as the maintenance state and the recording state. The ink supply controller 209 controls the ink supply unit 15 so that the pressure of the ink supplied to the recording head 8 falls within an appropriate range. The maintenance control unit 210 controls the operations of the cap unit 10 and the wiping unit 17 in the maintenance unit 16 when performing the maintenance operation on the recording head 8.

  In the scanner engine unit 300, the main controller 101 controls the hardware resources of the scanner controller 302 according to the programs and various parameters stored in the ROM 107 while using the RAM 106 as a work area. As a result, various mechanisms included in the scanner unit 3 are controlled. For example, the main controller 101 controls the hardware resources in the scanner controller 302 via the controller I / F 301, so that the document loaded in the ADF by the user is transported via the transport control unit 304 and read by the sensor 305. . Then, the scanner controller 302 stores the read image data in the RAM 303. Note that the print controller 202 can cause the recording head 8 to execute a recording operation based on the image data read by the scanner controller 302 by converting the image data acquired as described above into recording data. .

  FIG. 3 shows the recording apparatus 1 in the recording state. Compared to the standby state shown in FIG. 1, the cap unit 10 is separated from the ejection port surface 8 a of the recording head 8, and the ejection port surface 8 a faces the platen 9. In the present embodiment, the plane of the platen 9 is inclined by about 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction, and the ejection port surface 8a of the recording head 8 at the recording position is also horizontal so that the distance from the platen 9 is maintained constant. It is tilted about 45 degrees.

  When the recording head 8 is moved from the standby position shown in FIG. 1 to the recording position shown in FIG. 3, the print controller 202 uses the maintenance control unit 210 to lower the cap unit 10 to the retracted position shown in FIG. As a result, the ejection port surface 8a of the recording head 8 is separated from the cap member 10a. Then, the print controller 202 rotates the recording head 8 by 45 degrees while adjusting the vertical height of the recording head 8 using the head carriage control unit 208 so that the ejection port surface 8 a faces the platen 9. When the recording operation is completed and the recording head 8 moves from the recording position to the standby position, the print controller 202 performs a process reverse to the above.

  Next, the conveyance path of the recording medium S in the printing unit 2 will be described. When the print command is input, the print controller 202 first uses the maintenance control unit 210 and the head carriage control unit 208 to move the print head 8 to the print position shown in FIG. After that, the print controller 202 uses the conveyance control unit 207 to drive either the first feeding unit 6A or the second feeding unit 6B according to the recording command to feed the recording medium S.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram when the recording apparatus 1 is in the maintenance state. When the recording head 8 is moved from the standby position shown in FIG. 1 to the maintenance position shown in FIG. 4, the print controller 202 moves the recording head 8 upward in the vertical direction and moves the cap unit 10 downward in the vertical direction. Then, the print controller 202 moves the wiping unit 17 from the retracted position to the right in FIG. After that, the print controller 202 moves the recording head 8 downward in the vertical direction to a maintenance position where a maintenance operation is possible.

  On the other hand, when the recording head 8 is moved from the recording position shown in FIG. 3 to the maintenance position shown in FIG. 4, the print controller 202 rotates the recording head 8 45 degrees and moves it vertically upward. Then, the print controller 202 moves the wiping unit 17 rightward from the retracted position. After that, the print controller 202 moves the recording head 8 downward in the vertical direction and moves it to a maintenance position where the maintenance operation by the maintenance unit 16 is possible.

  FIG. 5A is a perspective view showing a state in which the maintenance unit 16 is in the standby position, and FIG. 5B is a perspective view showing a state in which the maintenance unit 16 is in the maintenance position. FIG. 5A corresponds to FIG. 1, and FIG. 5B corresponds to FIG. When the recording head 8 is at the standby position, the maintenance unit 16 is at the standby position shown in FIG. 5A, the cap unit 10 is moving vertically upward, and the wiping unit 17 is stored inside the maintenance unit 16. Has been done. The cap unit 10 has a box-shaped cap member 10a extending in the y direction, and by bringing this into close contact with the ejection port surface 8a of the recording head 8, evaporation of ink from the ejection port can be suppressed. The cap unit 10 also has a function of collecting the ink ejected by the preliminary ejection or the like to the cap member 10a, and causing the suction pump (not shown) to suck the collected ink.

  On the other hand, at the maintenance position shown in FIG. 5B, the cap unit 10 is moving vertically downward, and the wiping unit 17 is pulled out from the maintenance unit 16. The wiping unit 17 includes two wiper units, a blade wiper unit 171 and a vacuum wiper unit 172.

  The blade wiper unit 171 is provided with a blade wiper 171a for wiping the ejection port surface 8a along the x direction in the y direction by a length corresponding to an array region of the ejection ports. When performing the wiping operation using the blade wiper unit 171, the wiping unit 17 moves the blade wiper unit 171 in the x direction in a state where the recording head 8 is positioned at a height at which it can abut the blade wiper 171a. By this movement, the ink or the like adhering to the ejection port surface 8a is wiped off by the blade wiper 171a.

  A wet wiper cleaner 16a for removing ink adhering to the blade wiper 171a and applying a wetting liquid to the blade wiper 171a is arranged at the entrance of the maintenance unit 16 when the blade wiper 171a is stored. Every time the blade wiper 171a is housed in the maintenance unit 16, the wet wiper cleaner 16a removes the adhered matter and applies the wetting liquid. Then, when the ejection port surface 8a is wiped next, the wet liquid is transferred to the ejection port surface 8a to improve the slipperiness between the ejection port surface 8a and the blade wiper 171a.

  On the other hand, the vacuum wiper unit 172 includes a flat plate 172a having an opening extending in the y direction, a carriage 172b movable in the opening in the y direction, and a vacuum wiper 172c mounted on the carriage 172b. The vacuum wiper 172c is arranged so that the ejection port surface 8a can be wiped in the y direction as the carriage 172b moves. A suction port connected to a suction pump (not shown) is formed at the tip of the vacuum wiper 172c. Therefore, when the carriage 172b is moved in the y direction while operating the suction pump, the ink and the like adhering to the ejection port surface 8a of the recording head 8 is sucked into the suction port while being wiped by the vacuum wiper 172c. At this time, the flat plate 172a and the positioning pins 172d provided at both ends of the opening are used to align the ejection port surface 8a with the vacuum wiper 172c.

  In the present embodiment, it is possible to perform a first wiping process in which the wiping operation by the blade wiper unit 171 is performed and the wiping operation by the vacuum wiper unit 172 is not performed, and a second wiping process in which both the wiping processes are performed in order. . When performing the first wiping process, the print controller 202 first withdraws the wiping unit 17 from the maintenance unit 16 in a state where the recording head 8 is retracted vertically above the maintenance position in FIG. Then, the print controller 202 moves the recording head 8 vertically downward to a position where it can contact the blade wiper 171a, and then moves the wiping unit 17 into the maintenance unit 16. By this movement, the ink or the like adhering to the ejection port surface 8a is wiped off by the blade wiper 171a. That is, the blade wiper 171a wipes the discharge port surface 8a when moving from the position pulled out from the maintenance unit 16 into the maintenance unit 16.

  When the blade wiper unit 171 is stored, the print controller 202 then moves the cap unit 10 vertically upward to bring the cap member 10a into close contact with the ejection port surface 8a of the recording head 8. Then, the print controller 202 drives the recording head 8 in that state to perform preliminary ejection, and sucks the ink collected in the cap member 10a by the suction pump.

  On the other hand, when performing the second wiping process, the print controller 202 first slides the wiping unit 17 from the maintenance unit 16 with the recording head 8 retracted vertically above the maintenance position in FIG. Withdraw. Then, the print controller 202 moves the recording head 8 vertically downward to a position where it can contact the blade wiper 171a, and then moves the wiping unit 17 into the maintenance unit 16. As a result, the wiping operation by the blade wiper 171a is performed on the ejection port surface 8a. Next, the print controller 202 slides the wiping unit 17 from the maintenance unit 16 and pulls it out to a predetermined position while the recording head 8 is retracted vertically above the maintenance position in FIG. Subsequently, the print controller 202 positions the ejection port surface 8a and the vacuum wiper unit 172 using the flat plate 172a and the positioning pin 172d while lowering the recording head 8 to the wiping position shown in FIG. After that, the print controller 202 executes the wiping operation by the vacuum wiper unit 172 described above. The print controller 202 retracts the recording head 8 upward in the vertical direction and stores the wiping unit 17, and then, similarly to the first wiping process, preliminary ejection into the cap member by the cap unit 10 and suction of the collected ink. Take action.

[Ink supply unit]
FIG. 6 is a diagram including the ink supply unit 15 adopted in the inkjet recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. The flow path configuration of the ink circulation system of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The ink supply unit 15 supplies the ink supplied from the ink tank unit 14 to the recording head 8 (head unit). In reality, such a configuration is prepared for each of a plurality of types of ink. In this embodiment, such a configuration is prepared for each ink color. That is, although FIG. 6 shows the configuration for one color of ink, such a flow channel configuration is actually prepared for each ink color. The ink supply unit 15 is basically controlled by the ink supply control unit 209 shown in FIG. Hereinafter, each component of the ink supply unit 15 will be described.

  The ink mainly circulates between the sub tank 151 and the recording head 8. In the recording head 8, the ink ejection operation is performed based on the image data, and the ink that has not been ejected is collected again in the sub tank 151.

  The sub-tank 151, which stores a predetermined amount of ink, is connected to a supply channel C2 for supplying ink to the recording head 8 and a recovery channel C4 for recovering ink from the recording head 8. That is, the sub-tank 151, the supply flow path C2, the recording head 8, and the recovery flow path C4 form a circulation flow path (circulation path) through which ink circulates. Further, the sub tank 151 is connected to the flow path C0 through which air flows.

  The sub-tank 151 is provided with a liquid level detecting means 151a composed of a plurality of electrode pins. The ink supply controller 209 can detect the height of the ink surface, that is, the amount of ink remaining in the sub tank 151, by detecting the presence or absence of a conduction current between the plurality of pins. The decompression pump P0 (in-tank decompression pump) is a negative pressure generation source for decompressing the inside of the sub tank 151. The atmosphere opening valve V0 is a valve for switching whether or not the inside of the sub tank 151 is communicated with the atmosphere.

  The main tank 141 is a tank that stores ink to be supplied to the sub tank 151. The main tank 141 is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the recording apparatus main body. A tank supply valve V1 for switching the connection between the sub tank 151 and the main tank 141 is arranged in the middle of the tank connection flow path C1 that connects the sub tank 151 and the main tank 141.

  The ink supply control unit 209 closes the atmosphere opening valve V0, the supply valve V2, the recovery valve V4, and the head exchange valve V5 when the liquid level detection unit 151a detects that the amount of ink in the sub tank 151 has become less than a predetermined amount. . Further, the ink supply controller 209 opens the tank supply valve V1. In this state, the ink supply control unit 209 operates the decompression pump P0. Then, the inside of the sub tank 151 has a negative pressure, and ink is supplied from the main tank 141 to the sub tank 151. When the liquid level detection unit 151a detects that the amount of ink in the sub tank 151 has exceeded the predetermined amount, the ink supply control unit 209 closes the tank supply valve V1 and stops the decompression pump P0.

  The supply flow path C2 is a flow path for supplying ink from the sub-tank 151 to the recording head 8, and a supply pump P1 and a supply valve V2 are arranged in the middle thereof. During the recording operation, by driving the supply pump P1 with the supply valve V2 opened, it is possible to circulate the ink in the circulation path while supplying the ink to the recording head 8. The amount of ink ejected by the recording head 8 per unit time varies depending on the image data. The flow rate of the supply pump P1 is determined so as to be applicable even when the recording head 8 performs the ejection operation that maximizes the ink consumption amount per unit time.

  The relief flow path C3 is a flow path that is on the upstream side of the supply valve V2 and that connects the upstream side and the downstream side of the supply pump P1. A relief valve V3, which is a differential pressure valve, is arranged in the middle of the relief flow path C3. The relief valve is not biased by a drive mechanism but is spring-biased so that the valve is opened when a predetermined pressure is reached. For example, when the ink supply amount per unit time from the supply pump P1 is larger than the total value of the ejection amount per unit time of the recording head 8 and the flow rate per unit time (ink drawing amount) of the recovery pump P2. The relief valve V3 is opened according to the pressure acting on the relief valve V3. As a result, a circulating flow channel formed by a part of the supply flow channel C2 and the relief flow channel C3 is formed. By providing the configuration of the relief flow path C3, the ink supply amount to the recording head 8 is adjusted according to the ink consumption amount in the recording head 8, and the pressure in the circulation path can be stabilized regardless of the image data. .

  The recovery flow path C4 is a flow path for recovering ink from the recording head 8 to the sub tank 151, and a recovery pump P2 and a recovery valve V4 are arranged in the middle thereof. The recovery pump P2 serves as a negative pressure generation source and sucks ink from the recording head 8 when circulating the ink in the circulation path. By driving the recovery pump P2, an appropriate pressure difference is generated between the IN flow passage 211 and the OUT flow passage 212 in the recording head 8, and ink can be circulated between the IN flow passage 211 and the OUT flow passage 212. .

  The recovery valve V4 is also a valve for preventing backflow when the recording operation is not performed, that is, when the ink is not circulated in the circulation path. In the circulation path of the present embodiment, the sub tank 151 is arranged above the recording head 8 in the vertical direction (see FIG. 1). Therefore, when the supply pump P1 and the recovery pump P2 are not driven, ink may flow backward from the sub tank 151 to the recording head 8 due to the head difference between the sub tank 151 and the recording head 8. In order to prevent such a reverse flow, a recovery valve V4 is provided in the recovery channel C4 in this embodiment.

  The supply valve V2 also functions as a valve for preventing ink supply from the sub tank 151 to the recording head 8 when the recording operation is not performed, that is, when the ink is not circulated in the circulation path. .

  The head replacement flow path C5 is a flow path that connects the supply flow path C2 and the air chamber (space in which ink is not stored) of the sub tank 151, and a head replacement valve V5 is arranged in the middle thereof. One end of the head exchange channel C5 is connected to the upstream side of the recording head 8 in the supply channel C2, and is connected to the downstream side of the supply valve V2. The other end of the head exchange channel C5 is connected to the upper side of the sub tank 151 and communicates with the air chamber inside the sub tank 151. The head replacement channel C5 is used when ink is drawn from the recording head 8 in use, such as when the recording head 8 is replaced or when the recording apparatus 1 is transported. The head replacement valve V5 is controlled by the ink supply control unit 209 so as to be closed except when the recording head 8 is filled with ink and when the ink is collected from the recording head 8.

  Next, the flow path configuration in the recording head 8 will be described. The ink supplied from the supply channel C2 to the recording head 8 passes through the filter 830 and then is supplied to the first negative pressure control unit 810 and the second negative pressure control unit 820. In the first negative pressure control unit 810, the control pressure is set to a weak negative pressure (negative pressure having a small pressure difference from the atmospheric pressure). In the second negative pressure control unit 820, the control pressure is set to a strong negative pressure (negative pressure having a large pressure difference from the atmospheric pressure). The pressures in the first negative pressure control unit 810 and the second negative pressure control unit 820 are generated in an appropriate range by driving the recovery pump P2.

  In the ink ejection unit 800, a plurality of recording element substrates 115 in which a plurality of ejection ports are arranged are arranged, and a long ejection port array is formed. A common supply channel 211 (IN channel) for guiding the ink supplied from the first negative pressure control unit 810 and a common recovery channel for guiding the ink supplied from the second negative pressure control unit 820. 212 (OUT flow path) also extends in the arrangement direction of the recording element substrates 115. Further, each recording element substrate 115 is formed with an individual supply channel connected to the common supply channel 211 and an individual recovery channel connected to the common recovery channel 212. For this reason, in each of the recording element substrates 115, there is an ink flow that flows in from the common supply channel 211 having a relatively low negative pressure and flows out to the common recovery channel 212 having a relatively negative pressure. Is generated. A pressure chamber, which communicates with each ejection port and is filled with ink, is provided in the path between the individual supply channel and the individual recovery channel, and the ink flows even in the ejection port and pressure chamber that are not recording. Occurs. When the ejection operation is performed on the recording element substrate 115, a part of the ink that moves from the common supply channel 211 to the common recovery channel 212 is consumed by being ejected from the ejection port, but the ink that is not ejected is It moves to the recovery channel C4 via the common recovery channel 212.

[Description of recording head configuration]
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the recording head 8 according to this embodiment. In the recording head 8, fifteen recording element substrates 115 capable of ejecting four color inks of cyan C / magenta M / yellow Y / black K on one recording element substrate 115 are arranged in a straight line (inline). It is a line type recording head. As shown in FIG. 7, the recording head 8 includes each recording element substrate 115, a signal input terminal 91 and a power supply terminal 92 that are electrically connected via the flexible wiring substrate 40 and the electric wiring substrate 90. The signal input terminal 91 and the power supply terminal 92 are electrically connected to the control unit of the printing apparatus 1, and respectively supply an ejection drive signal and electric power required for ejection to the printing element substrate 115. The number of signal input terminals 91 and power supply terminals 92 can be reduced as compared with the number of recording element boards 115 by integrating the wirings by the electric circuits in the electric wiring board 90. This makes it possible to reduce the number of electrical connections that need to be removed when the recording head 8 is assembled to the recording apparatus 1 or when the recording head is replaced.

  FIG. 8A is a perspective view showing one of the ejection modules 240, which is a component including the recording element substrate 115 and the flexible wiring substrate 40, and FIG. 12B is an exploded view thereof. As a method of manufacturing the ejection module 240, first, the recording element substrate 115 and the flexible wiring substrate 40 are adhered to the support member 30 provided with the liquid communication port 31 in advance. After that, the terminals 161 on the recording element substrate 115 and the terminals 41 on the flexible wiring substrate 40 are electrically connected by wire bonding, and then the wire bonding portion (electrical connection portion) is covered with the sealing member 110 and sealed. . The terminal 42 of the flexible wiring board 40 on the opposite side of the recording element substrate 115 is electrically connected to the connection terminal (not shown) of the electric wiring board 90. The support member 30 is a support member that supports the recording element substrate 115, and is a member that fluidly connects the recording element substrate 115 and the flow path member that distributes the liquid to the recording element substrate 115. For this reason, it is preferable that the flatness is high, and the flatness is high enough to be bonded to the recording element substrate with high reliability. As the material, for example, alumina or resin material is preferable.

  FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the recording element substrate 115 of the recording head 8. The recording element substrate 115 includes a substrate 112 and an ejection port forming member 120 that faces the substrate 112 and is joined to the substrate 112. A recording element 160 (see FIG. 10B) for ejecting ink is provided on the substrate 112. The ejection port forming member 120 is provided with an ejection port 132 as an opening on the side facing the recording medium, and ink is ejected from the ejection port onto the recording medium. Further, the recording element substrate 115 is provided with a heating heater 113 which is a heating element. The description of the heating heater 113 will be given later. The surface of the ejection port forming member 120 where the ejection port 132 is opened (the surface facing the recording medium) may be referred to as an ejection port forming surface (ejection port surface) 8a.

[Explanation of Circulation in Print Element Substrate]
10A is an enlarged schematic plan view of a part of the recording element substrate 115, and FIG. 10B is a schematic sectional view taken along a sectional line Xb-Xb in FIG. 10A. The recording element substrate 115 is provided with a pressure chamber 23 filled with ink and an ejection port 132 for ejecting ink. In the pressure chamber 23, a recording element 160 is provided at a position facing the ejection port 132. Further, in the recording element substrate 115, a plurality of individual supply channels 180 connected to the common supply channel 211 and individual recovery channels 190 connected to the common recovery channel 212 are formed for each ejection port 132.

  With the above-described configuration, in the printing element substrate 115, the negative pressure is relatively weak (the absolute value of the pressure is high) from the common supply channel 211, and the negative pressure is relatively high (the absolute value of the pressure is low). A flow of ink is generated that flows out to the common recovery channel 212. More specifically, the ink flows in the order of the common supply channel 211, the individual supply channel 180, the pressure chamber 23, the individual recovery channel 190, and the common recovery channel 212. When ink is ejected by the recording element 160, a part of the ink that moves from the common supply channel 211 to the common recovery channel 212 is ejected from the ejection port 132 to be ejected to the outside of the recording head 8. On the other hand, the ink not ejected from the ejection port 132 is recovered to the recovery channel C4 via the common recovery channel 212.

  With the above configuration, when performing the recording operation, the ink supply control unit 209 closes the tank supply valve V1 and the head replacement valve V5, opens the atmosphere opening valve V0, the supply valve V2, and the recovery valve V4 to supply the ink. The pump P1 and the recovery pump P2 are driven. As a result, the circulation path of the sub tank 151 → the supply flow path C2 → the recording head 8 → the recovery flow path C4 → the sub tank 151 is established. When the ink supply amount per unit time from the supply pump P1 is larger than the total value of the discharge amount per unit time of the recording head 8 and the flow rate per unit time of the recovery pump P2, the supply flow passage C2 to the relief flow passage Ink flows into C3. As a result, the flow rate of the ink flowing from the supply channel C2 into the recording head 8 is adjusted.

  When the recording operation is not performed, the ink supply control unit 209 stops the supply pump P1 and the recovery pump P2, and closes the atmosphere opening valve V0, the supply valve V2, and the recovery valve V4. As a result, the ink flow in the recording head 8 is stopped, and the backflow due to the water head difference between the sub tank 151 and the recording head 8 is also suppressed. Further, by closing the atmosphere release valve V0, ink leakage from the sub tank 151 and ink evaporation are suppressed.

  When recovering ink from the recording head 8, the ink supply control unit 209 closes the atmosphere opening valve V0, the tank supply valve V1, the supply valve V2, and the recovery valve V4, opens the head replacement valve V5, and drives the pressure reducing pump P0. To do. As a result, the inside of the sub-tank 151 is in a negative pressure state, and the ink in the recording head 8 is collected in the sub-tank 151 via the head replacement channel C5. As described above, the head replacement valve V5 is a valve that is closed during the normal recording operation or standby and is opened when the ink is collected from the recording head 8. The head replacement valve V5 is also opened when the head replacement channel C5 is filled with ink when the recording head 8 is filled.

[Effect of heat storage after long-time recording operation]
The printing apparatus 1 includes a heating heater 113 for raising the temperature of the printing element substrate 115. The temperature of the recording element substrate 115 may rise during the ejection of ink for high-duty recording in which a large amount of ink is ejected per unit area. In the present embodiment, in order to deal with the deterioration of image quality caused by the temperature rise of the printing element substrate 115, the temperature of the printing element substrate 115 is changed by using the heating heater 113 before the printing operation by ink ejection. Is kept at a high level by keeping the temperature at 40 ° C. As a result, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the recording element substrate 115 from rising during recording due to ink ejection, and prevent deterioration of image quality.

  As described above, the recording element substrate 115 is bonded onto the support member 30. During the printing operation, the heater 113 for heating adjusts the temperature so that the temperature of the printing element substrate 115 becomes 40 ° C. In order to allow the temperature of the recording element substrate 115 to escape, the recording element substrate 115 is formed of a material having a relatively high thermal conductivity as compared with other members forming the recording head 8. The supporting member 30 in contact with the recording element substrate 115 is made of alumina or the like and has a lower thermal conductivity than that of the recording element substrate 115. For this reason, if the printing operation continues for a long time, the support member 30 in contact with the printing element substrate 115 accumulates heat due to the heat generated to adjust the temperature of the printing element substrate 115 or the heat of the printing element 160.

  In FIG. 11A, as a comparative example, the temperature is adjusted so that the temperature of the recording element substrate 115 of the recording head 8 is 40 ° C. in an environment where the room temperature is 30 ° C., and the recording operation is continuously performed for 160 seconds. 7 is a graph showing a change in temperature of the recording element substrate 115 when the recording element substrate 115 is broken. In this example, when the recording operation is completed, the temperature adjustment of the recording element substrate 115 of the recording head 8 is completed, the circulation of ink is also stopped, and the ejection port surface 8a is closed. The value on the vertical axis after the elapsed time of 160 seconds in the curve of FIG. 11A indicates the temperature change of the printing element substrate 115 after the printing operation is completed. It can be seen that the temperature of the recording element substrate 115 is less likely to drop due to the effect of heat storage of the support member 30 even after the elapsed time of 160 seconds, and is maintained at a temperature higher than 30 ° C. which is room temperature. In such a state, the water content of the ink is evaporated from the ejection port 132 and the ink near the ejection port 132 is thickened. Therefore, if the recording operation is performed after a few minutes in such a state, there is a risk of ejection failure.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, after the printing operation is completed, if the temperature of the printing element substrate 115 of the printing head 8 is higher than a predetermined temperature, the temperature of the printing element substrate 115 is lowered by circulating the ink. is there. FIG. 11B is a graph showing the time change and the temperature change of the printing element substrate 115 when the printing operation is performed according to this embodiment under the same conditions as FIG. 11A. The value on the vertical axis in the curve of the graph after the elapsed time of 160 seconds indicates the temperature change of the printing element substrate 115 after the printing operation is completed. In this embodiment, the ink is circulated in the circulation path including the recording head 8 even after the recording operation is completed. Therefore, it is found that the ink at room temperature is supplied from the supply path side into the recording head 8 to cool the recording element substrate 115, and the temperature of the recording element substrate 115 after 160 seconds approaches room temperature. . As described above, in the present embodiment, the temperature of the recording head 8 drops faster than that in the comparative example of FIG. 11A, so that it is possible to suppress the thickening of the ink due to the evaporation of the ink near the ejection port, It is possible to suppress the ejection failure.

[flowchart]
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the details of the process of circulating the ink in order to lower the temperature of the print head 8 when the temperature of the print head 8 is higher than the predetermined temperature. The symbol “S” in the description of each process means a step in the flowchart. This flowchart is started after the recording operation is completed by the recording head 8.

  In step S1201, the print controller 202 stops the circulation of ink as the recording operation ends. In the present embodiment, ink is circulated in the circulation path including the recording head 8 during the recording operation. After the printing operation is completed, the circulation of the ink is stopped at the timing of ending the printing operation in order to prevent the ink in the circulation path from being concentrated.

  In step S1202, the print controller 202 stops the heating heater 113 for heating the recording element substrate 115 and stops the temperature adjustment of the recording head 8.

  In step S1203, the print controller 202 brings the cap member 10a into contact with the ejection opening surface 8a of the recording head 8 to bring the cap closed state. After the recording operation, the processes of S1201, S1202 and S1203 are performed in parallel, and when the processes of S1201, S1202 and S1203 are completed, the process proceeds to S1204.

  In step S1204, the print controller 202 acquires information regarding the temperature of the recording head 8 and the environmental temperature. The printing apparatus 1 is equipped with a thermometer sensor (not shown) for measuring the temperature of each printing element substrate 115, and the print controller 202 acquires the temperature of the printing element substrate 115 at an arbitrary timing. It is possible. The sensor is formed of, for example, a semiconductor, and the temperature is detected here by using the resistance value of the sensor as an acquisition result as information about the temperature of the print head. In the present embodiment, the print controller 202 determines the highest temperature as the temperature of the recording head 8 from the temperature of the recording element substrate 115 indicated by the acquired information.

  The method of determining the temperature of the recording head 8 is not limited to the above method. The temperature of the recording head 8 may be determined using a mathematical formula for obtaining an average value based on the temperature of the recording element substrate 115, or the temperature of the recording head 8 may be determined from the temperatures of other members constituting the recording head 8. The temperature may be determined.

  The recording apparatus 1 also includes a thermometer (not shown) for measuring the environmental temperature, and the print controller 202 can acquire the environmental temperature at any timing. The location of the sensor of the thermometer for measuring the environmental temperature may be any location where the temperature equivalent to the room temperature of the installation location of the recording apparatus 1 can be measured without being affected by the temperature rise inside the recording apparatus 1. For example, in the present embodiment, a sensor for measuring the environmental temperature is arranged at the sensor arrangement place 165 of the maintenance unit 16 of FIG.

  In step S1205, the print controller 202 determines whether the acquired temperature of the recording head 8 is higher than the “determination temperature” obtained by adding a predetermined value α to the acquired environmental temperature. In the subsequent processing, the ink is circulated until the temperature of the recording head 8 becomes equal to or lower than the determination temperature. That is, the determination temperature is a reference temperature for determining whether to circulate the ink after the recording operation is completed. If the temperature of the recording head 8 is equal to or lower than the determination temperature (NO in S1205), the process ends. If the temperature of the recording head 8 is higher than the determination temperature (YES in S1205), the process proceeds to S1206.

  Here, regarding α for determining the determination temperature, a table as shown in FIG. 13 is referred to, and α corresponding to the acquired environmental temperature is determined. Note that the table in FIG. 13 is merely an example, and another table in which the environmental temperature corresponds to α may be used. As shown in FIG. 13, the table is generally a table in which α becomes smaller as the environmental temperature becomes higher. The higher the temperature, the greater the amount of saturated water vapor, and the greater the effect of water evaporation of ink after the cap is closed. Therefore, when the environmental temperature is high, it is preferable to lower the temperature of the recording head 8 to near the environmental temperature which is the limit temperature at which the temperature of the recording head 8 can be lowered by circulating the ink. Therefore, when the environmental temperature is high, the determination temperature is set to be a temperature close to the environmental temperature, and α is set to be a smaller value as the environmental temperature is higher.

  In order to determine the determination temperature, the determination temperature may be determined using a mathematical expression substituting the ambient temperature instead of the table. The table of FIG. 13 is stored in advance in the ROM 203, and the print controller 202 can refer to the table at any timing.

  In step S1206, the print controller 202 starts circulation of ink. In this embodiment, there is a circulation path for each ink color, and circulation is possible for each ink color. It is desirable that the ink to be circulated here be circulated in a circulation mode in which all colors of ink, which are all types of ink, are circulated. The ejection ports 132 for each ink color are arranged on the same recording element substrate 115, and there is a possibility that the heat storage effect may occur over the ejection ports 132 of all colors. Therefore, in order to lower the temperature of the printing element substrate 115, it is desirable that the circulation is performed not only by the ink colors circulated in the recording operation of the previous job but also by the circulation mode of all-color circulation.

  In step S1207, the print controller 202 waits the recording device 1 for 1 second. The weight means maintaining a state in which ink circulation is performed without performing a recording operation. That is, here, the ink is circulated for 1 second in order to cool the recording head 8.

  In step S1208, the print controller 202 again acquires the current temperature of the print head 8 and the current environmental temperature.

  The process of S1209 is the same as the process of S1205, and the print controller 202 determines whether the temperature of the recording head 8 is higher than the determination temperature. If the temperature of the recording head 8 is equal to or lower than the determination temperature (NO in S1209), the process advances to S1210, and the print controller 202 ends the ink circulation and ends the process.

  If the temperature of the recording head 8 is higher than the determination temperature (YES in S1209), the process returns to S1207. Therefore, the processes of S1207 to S1209 are repeatedly performed about every one second until the temperature of the recording head 8 becomes equal to or lower than the determination temperature. That is, the ink is circulated until the temperature of the recording head 8 becomes equal to or lower than the determination temperature.

  The wait time of 1 second in S1207 is an example, and is not limited to 1 second. It may be longer than 1 second in order to reduce the processing in the print controller 202. On the contrary, if it is desired to stop the ink circulation more timely, the wait time in S1207 may be shorter than 1 second.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, when the recording head 8 is maintained at a high temperature even after the recording operation is completed, the temperature of the recording head 8 can be lowered by circulating the ink. As a result, it is possible to suppress the increase in the viscosity of the ink near the ejection port. Further, according to the present embodiment, even if the viscosity of the ink has increased in the vicinity of the ejection port after the end of the recording operation, it is possible to collect the thickened ink by performing the entire color circulation. In this way, it is possible to prevent ejection failure due to thickening of the ink. Further, since the temperature of the recording head 8 is determined every second, the time for circulating the ink after the recording operation can be set to a necessary length, and the ink is circulated for a long time. It is also possible to prevent the concentration of.

<Second embodiment>
In the description of the present embodiment, when the temperature of the recording head 8 is higher than a predetermined temperature, the ink is circulated in order to lower the temperature of the recording head 8. However, an embodiment different from the first embodiment is performed. The form will be described. The present embodiment will be described focusing on the difference from the first embodiment. The parts and processes not specified are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing details of the processing in this embodiment. This flowchart is started after the recording operation by the recording head 8 is completed.

  In the present embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the print controller 202 does not stop the circulation of ink with the end of the recording operation. Therefore, in the present embodiment, after the recording operation is completed, the print controller 202 stops the temperature adjustment of the recording head 8 in S1401 and brings the cap member 10a into contact with the ejection port surface 8a of the recording head 8 in S1401 to close the cap. To the state of. When the processes of S1401 and S1402 are performed in parallel and the processes of S1401 and S1402 are completed, the process proceeds to S1403.

  Since the processing of S1403 to S1404 is the same as the processing of S1204 to S1205, the description thereof will be omitted.

  When the temperature of the recording head 8 is equal to or lower than the determination temperature (NO in S1404), the print controller 202 stops the circulation of ink in S1408, and the process ends. When the temperature of the recording head 8 is higher than the determination temperature (YES in S1404), the print controller 202 waits the recording apparatus 1 for 1 second in S1405. That is, the ink is circulated to cool the recording head 8.

  Here, there is a possibility that the heat storage effect on the printing element substrate 115 may occur over the ejection ports of all color inks, so it is desirable to perform all color circulation in order to enhance the cooling effect. For this reason, since the job immediately before being processed by the recording apparatus 1 was the recording operation in the monochrome mode, the ink may be circulated in the circulation mode in which only the black ink is circulated. In this case, the print controller 202 may switch to the circulation mode of full color circulation here.

  Note that the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has a circulation path for each ink color and circulates for each ink color. In this case, however, a common motor drives a pump for circulating each color ink. is there. In such a mode, when the circulation mode in which only black ink is circulated is changed to the circulation mode in which all colors are circulated, the circulation mode is changed by changing the drive of the motor. Therefore, when changing from the circulation mode in which only the black ink is circulated to the circulation mode in which all the colors are circulated, the circulation of the black ink is temporarily stopped in order to change the driving of the motor.

  Since the processing of S1406 to S1408 is the same as the processing of S1208 to S1210, the description thereof will be omitted.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, when the recording head 8 is maintained at a high temperature even after the recording operation is completed, the temperature of the recording head 8 can be lowered by circulating the ink. As a result, it is possible to suppress the increase in the viscosity of the ink near the ejection port. In this way, it is possible to prevent ejection failure due to thickening of the ink. Further, since the temperature of the recording head 8 is determined every second, the time for circulating the ink after the recording operation can be set to a necessary length, and the ink is circulated for a long time. It is also possible to prevent the concentration of.

<Third embodiment>
In this embodiment, after the printing operation is completed, ink is circulated to lower the temperature of the print head 8 based on the time of the printing operation by the previous job. Therefore, in the present embodiment, even if the recording apparatus 1 is not provided with a device for measuring the temperature, if the recording head 8 is maintained at a high temperature after the recording operation, the temperature of the recording head 8 is increased. Can be lowered. The present embodiment will be described focusing on the difference from the first embodiment. The parts and processes not specified are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing details of the processing in this embodiment. This flowchart is started after the recording operation by the recording head 8 is completed.

  Since the processing of S1501 to S1503 is the same as the processing of S1201 to S1203, the description thereof will be omitted. After the recording operation, the processes of S1501, S1502 and S1503 are performed in parallel, and when the processes of S1501, S1502 and S1503 are completed, the process proceeds to S1504.

  In step S1504, the print controller 202 acquires information regarding the recording operation time from the start to the end of recording in the job processed before the start of this flowchart. The recording apparatus 1 includes a timer as a unit for counting the recording operation time, and the print controller 202 acquires the recording operation time of the job measured by the timer.

  In step S1505, the print controller 202 determines whether the acquired recording operation time exceeds a predetermined time. In this embodiment, the predetermined time is 30 seconds. When the acquired recording operation time is 30 seconds or less, which is the predetermined time or less (NO in S1505), the process ends. When the acquired recording operation time is longer than 30 seconds (YES in S1505), the process proceeds to S1506. Here, 30 seconds used for the determination is an example and is not limited to this numerical value.

  The process of S1506 is the same as the process of S1206, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  In step S1507, the print controller 202 waits the recording device 1 for a certain period of time. Specifically, the print controller 202 refers to the table as shown in FIG. 16, determines the wait time Tx corresponding to the recording operation time, and waits for Tx seconds. That is, normally, ink circulation is accompanied by ejection of ink which is a recording operation, but here, the print controller 202 does not perform the recording operation, and circulates the ink for Tx seconds according to the table of FIG. By doing so, the temperature of the ink circulation path of the recording head 8 including the vicinity of the ejection port can be lowered.

  Note that the table in FIG. 16 is merely an example, and another table in which the recording operation time and the wait time Tx correspond may be used. As shown in FIG. 16, the table is generally shown such that the longer the printing operation time is, the longer the wait time Tx indicating the time for the ink to circulate. In other words, the long recording time means that the heat accumulated in the supporting member 30 is large, and that the ink near the ejection port of the ink color that has not been circulated may have thickened when the recording time is long. For this reason, the table of FIG. 16 is set so that the circulation time can be extended as the recording operation time increases. The table of FIG. 16 is stored in the ROM 203 in advance, and the print controller 202 can refer to the table at any timing. Instead of the table of FIG. 16, the print controller 202 may determine the wait time Tx using a mathematical expression that substitutes the recording operation time.

  In step S1508, the print controller 202 ends the ink circulation and ends the process.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, even if the recording apparatus 1 is not provided with a temperature measuring device, the recording head 8 is maintained at a high temperature after the recording operation is completed. At this time, the temperature of the recording head 8 can be lowered. As a result, it is possible to suppress the increase in the viscosity of the ink near the ejection port. Further, according to the present embodiment, even when the viscosity of the ink is increased in the vicinity of the ejection port, it is possible to collect the thickened ink by circulating all colors of the ink. In this way, it is possible to prevent ejection failure due to thickening of the ink. Further, since the time for which the ink circulates after the recording operation is determined according to the length of the recording time, it is possible to prevent the ink from being concentrated due to the ink circulation being performed for an unnecessarily long time.

<Fourth Embodiment>
In the description of this embodiment, when the recording operation time is longer than the predetermined time, the ink is circulated to lower the temperature of the recording head 8, but it is different from the third embodiment. An embodiment will be described. The present embodiment will be described focusing on the difference from the first embodiment. The parts and processes not specified are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing details of the processing in this embodiment. This flowchart is started after the recording operation by the recording head 8 is completed.

  In the present embodiment, unlike the third embodiment, the print controller 202 does not stop the ink circulation with the end of the recording operation. Therefore, in the present embodiment, after the recording operation is completed, the print controller 202 stops the temperature adjustment of the recording head 8 in S1701 and brings the cap member 10a into contact with the ejection port surface 8a of the recording head 8 in S1702 to close the cap. To the state of. When the processes of S1701 and S1702 are performed in parallel and the processes of S1701 and S1702 are completed, the process proceeds to S1703.

  Since the processing of S1703 to S1704 is the same as the processing of S1504 to S1505, the description thereof will be omitted.

  If the recording operation time is longer than 30 seconds (YES in S1704), the print controller 202 waits for Tx seconds in S1705 according to the table of FIG. That is, the print controller 202 circulates the ink in a state where the recording operation is not performed in order to cool the recording head 8. Here, the job processed immediately before by the recording apparatus 1 is a circulation mode in which only black ink is circulated like a recording operation in a monochrome mode, and ink may be circulated in the circulation mode. In that case, the print controller 202 may switch the circulation mode to the circulation mode of full color circulation.

  In step S1706, the print controller 202 ends the circulation of ink and ends the processing.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the recording head 8 is maintained at a high temperature even after the recording operation is completed, even when the recording device 1 is not provided with a device for measuring the temperature. At this time, the temperature of the recording head 8 can be lowered by circulating the ink. As a result, it is possible to suppress the increase in the viscosity of the ink near the ejection port. In this way, it is possible to prevent ejection failure due to thickening of the ink. Further, since the time for circulating the ink after the recording operation is determined according to the length of the recording time, it is possible to prevent the ink from being concentrated due to the circulation of the ink for an unnecessarily long time.

<Other embodiments>
In the above-described embodiment, the print controller 202 performs the series of processes, but the main controller 101 may perform the processes.

  In the above-described embodiment, the mode in which the heating heater 113 is provided has been described, but the mode without the heating heater may be used.

  The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or apparatus read and execute the program. It can also be realized by the processing. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

1 Recording Device 8 Recording Head 23 Pressure Chamber 132 Ejection Port 202 Print Controller

Claims (17)

A recording head that includes an ejection port that ejects ink and a pressure chamber that fills the ink that is ejected from the ejection port, and that ejects ink from the ejection port to perform a recording operation;
When the recording operation is performed, circulation means for circulating ink in a circulation path including the pressure chamber,
A recording device having
A first acquisition means for acquiring information on the temperature of the recording head,
After the recording operation is completed, if the temperature of the recording head is higher than a predetermined temperature based on the acquisition result by the first acquisition unit, the ink is circulated through the circulation unit, and the temperature of the recording head becomes Control means for controlling the circulation means so as not to circulate ink by the circulation means when the temperature is below a predetermined temperature;
A recording apparatus having: The first acquisition means is
Obtaining information about the temperature of the recording head every predetermined time,
The control means is
Each time the information about the temperature of the recording head is acquired by the first acquisition unit, the predetermined temperature and the temperature of the recording head based on the acquisition result by the first acquisition unit are compared and compared. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein control is performed to circulate the ink by the circulation unit until the temperature of the recording head becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature. The control means is
When the ink circulation is terminated based on the end of the recording operation, and the temperature of the recording head based on the acquisition result by the first acquisition unit exceeds the predetermined temperature after the recording operation is terminated. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control is performed. The control means is
The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control is performed without ending the ink circulation even after the recording operation is completed. The control means is
The ink circulation is stopped when the temperature of the recording head based on the acquisition result by the first acquisition unit becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature. The recording device described. Further comprising a second acquisition means for acquiring the environmental temperature of the recording device,
The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the predetermined temperature is a temperature determined according to the environmental temperature acquired by the second acquisition unit. The recording head is
A plurality of substrates on which the discharge ports are formed,
The first acquisition means is
Obtaining information about the temperature of the substrate of each of the recording heads,
The control means is
7. The control is performed with the highest temperature among the temperatures of the respective substrates based on the acquisition result by the first acquisition unit as the temperature of the recording head. The recording device according to 1. A recording head that includes an ejection port that ejects ink and a pressure chamber that fills the ink that is ejected from the ejection port, and that ejects ink from the ejection port to perform a recording operation;
When the recording operation is performed, circulation means for circulating ink in a circulation path including the pressure chamber,
A recording device having
An acquisition unit that acquires information regarding a recording operation time from the start to the end of the recording operation by the recording head;
After the end of the recording operation, based on the information acquired by the acquisition means, when the recording operation time exceeds a predetermined time, a control means for controlling the ink circulation for a certain time,
A recording apparatus having: The control means is
The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control is performed after the circulation of ink is terminated based on the termination of the recording operation. The control means is
The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control is performed without ending the ink circulation even after the recording operation by the recording head is completed. The control means is
The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein when the recording operation time does not exceed the predetermined time, the ink circulation is terminated. The certain period of time is longer when the recording operation time based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit is a second time that is longer than the first time than when the recording time is the first time. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that it is time. Further comprising temperature adjusting means for adjusting the temperature of the recording head,
The control means is
The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the control is performed after the temperature adjustment by the temperature adjusting unit is ended based on the end of the recording operation. The circulation means is
It has a flow path configuration that circulates ink for each ink type,
The control means is
The circulation means is configured to circulate ink for each ink type,
The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein when the control is performed, all types of ink are circulated. The recording head is
A recording element substrate and a supporting member for supporting the recording element substrate,
The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the material of the supporting member is alumina. A recording head that includes an ejection port that ejects ink and a pressure chamber that fills the ink that is ejected from the ejection port, and that ejects ink from the ejection port to perform a recording operation;
When the recording operation is performed, circulation means for circulating ink in a circulation path including the pressure chamber,
In a recording device having
A first acquisition step of acquiring information about the temperature of the recording head,
After the end of the recording operation, based on the acquisition result of the first acquisition step, when the temperature of the recording head is higher than a predetermined temperature, the ink is circulated through the circulation unit, and the temperature of the recording head is the A control step of controlling the circulation means so as not to circulate the ink by the circulation means when the temperature is below a predetermined temperature;
A method for controlling a recording apparatus, comprising: A recording head that includes an ejection port that ejects ink and a pressure chamber that fills the ink that is ejected from the ejection port, and that ejects ink from the ejection port to perform a recording operation;
When the recording operation is performed, circulation means for circulating ink in a circulation path including the pressure chamber,
In a recording device having
An acquisition step of acquiring information on a recording operation time from the start to the end of the recording operation by the recording head;
After the end of the recording operation, based on the information acquired by the acquisition step, if the recording operation time exceeds a predetermined time, a control step of controlling the ink circulation for a certain time,
A method for controlling a recording apparatus, comprising:

Images