Recording apparatus and recording method

Abstract

To provide a technique useful to detect an influence of ink sticking to a roller on a recording result.SOLUTION: A recording device comprises a liquid discharge part which discharges liquid to a first surface of a medium carried in a carrying direction, a roller which is provided downstream from the liquid discharge part in the carrying direction, and rotates in contact with the first surface, and a control part. The control part controls discharging of the liquid by the liquid discharge part to form a first pattern of the liquid on the first surface, and also forms a detection region for the first pattern at a specific position on the first surface where the roller comes into contact when the angle of rotation of the roller reaches an angle of rotation of m+360° for an angle m° of rotation of the roller when the roller comes into contact with the first pattern.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that discharges a liquid onto a medium to perform recording, and a recording method using the recording apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In an inkjet printer that discharges ink onto a medium, a configuration is known in which a roller that rotates while contacting the medium and conveys the medium further downstream is provided downstream of the head that discharges the ink in the conveyance direction. When the roller contacts the medium after recording, a part of the ink on the medium may adhere to the roller, and the ink adhering to the roller may be transferred to the medium, resulting in soiling of the medium.

[0003] Note that a recording apparatus is disclosed in which a paper discharge roller and a conveyance flapper are arranged downstream of a recording head and a platen in the conveyance direction (see Patent Document 1). According to Document 1, the sheet after recording is conveyed along the conveyance direction while being sandwiched between the paper discharge roller and the conveyance flapper. Since the conveyance flapper has a toothed portion formed around it, the contact area with the surface of the sheet on which recording has been performed is small, and ink adhering to the rotating body for conveyance is suppressed to some extent from being transferred to the sheet.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] It is necessary to prevent a decrease in recording quality caused by ink adhesion to the roller. For this purpose, a technique that is useful for detecting the influence of ink adhesion to the roller on the recording result is required. Further, in the configuration of Document 1, there is a possibility that indentations caused by the toothed portion of the flapper biting into the medium may affect the recording quality.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] As one aspect, The recording device includes a liquid ejection unit that ejects liquid onto a first surface of a medium conveyed in a conveyance direction, a roller provided downstream of the liquid ejection unit in the conveyance direction and that rotates in contact with the first surface, and a control unit. The control unit forms a first pattern by the liquid on the first surface by controlling the ejection of the liquid by the liquid ejection unit, and forms a detection region for the first pattern at a specific position on the first surface where the roller contacts when the rotation angle of the roller becomes m° + 360° with respect to the rotation angle m° of the roller when the roller contacts the first pattern. and the control unit forms a plurality of the first patterns having different densities side by side in the width direction intersecting the conveyance direction. 。 As another aspect, a recording apparatus includes a liquid discharge unit that discharges liquid onto a first surface of a medium conveyed in a conveyance direction, a roller provided downstream of the liquid discharge unit in the conveyance direction and rotating in contact with the first surface, and a control unit. The control unit forms a first pattern of the liquid on the first surface by controlling the discharge of the liquid by the liquid discharge unit, and forms a detection region for the first pattern at a specific position on the first surface where the roller contacts when the rotation angle of the roller becomes m° + 360° with respect to the rotation angle m° of the roller when the roller contacts the first pattern. A second pattern of a color corresponding to the complementary color of the color of the first pattern is formed in the detection region by the liquid discharge unit. As another aspect, a recording apparatus includes a liquid discharge unit that discharges liquid onto a first surface of a medium conveyed in a conveyance direction, a roller provided downstream of the liquid discharge unit in the conveyance direction and rotating in contact with the first surface, and a control unit. The control unit forms a first pattern of the liquid on the first surface by controlling the discharge of the liquid by the liquid discharge unit, and forms a detection region for the first pattern at a specific position on the first surface where the roller contacts when the rotation angle of the roller becomes m° + 360° with respect to the rotation angle m° of the roller when the roller contacts the first pattern. The liquid discharge unit is capable of discharging white ink as the liquid, and the control unit forms a white image in the detection region by causing the liquid discharge unit to discharge the white ink.

[0007] As another aspect, A recording method by a recording device including a liquid ejection unit that ejects liquid onto a first surface of a medium conveyed in a conveyance direction, and a roller provided downstream of the liquid ejection unit in the conveyance direction and that rotates in contact with the first surface includes a pattern formation step of forming a first pattern by the liquid on the first surface by the liquid ejection unit, and forming a detection region for the first pattern at a specific position on the first surface where the roller contacts when the rotation angle of the roller becomes m° + 360° with respect to the rotation angle m° of the roller when the roller contacts the first pattern. , in the pattern forming step, a plurality of the first patterns having different densities are formed side by side in the width direction intersecting the conveyance direction. 。 As another aspect, a recording method by a recording apparatus including a liquid ejection unit that ejects liquid onto a first surface of a medium conveyed in a conveyance direction, and a roller provided downstream of the liquid ejection unit in the conveyance direction and rotating in contact with the first surface, includes a pattern forming step of forming, by the liquid ejection unit, a first pattern of the liquid on the first surface, and forming a detection region for the first pattern at a specific position on the first surface where the roller contacts when the rotation angle of the roller becomes m° + 360° with respect to the rotation angle m° of the roller when the roller contacts the first pattern. A second pattern of a color corresponding to the complementary color of the color of the first pattern is formed in the detection region by the liquid ejection unit. As another aspect, a recording method by a recording apparatus including a liquid ejection unit that ejects liquid onto a first surface of a medium conveyed in a conveyance direction, and a roller provided downstream of the liquid ejection unit in the conveyance direction and rotating in contact with the first surface, includes a pattern forming step of forming, by the liquid ejection unit, a first pattern of the liquid on the first surface, and forming a detection region for the first pattern at a specific position on the first surface where the roller contacts when the rotation angle of the roller becomes m° + 360° with respect to the rotation angle m° of the roller when the roller contacts the first pattern. The liquid ejection unit is capable of ejecting white ink as the liquid, and in the pattern forming step, a white image is formed in the detection region by ejecting the white ink from the liquid ejection unit.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the respective figures. Note that each figure is merely an exemplification for explaining the present embodiment. Since each figure is an exemplification, the ratio, shape, etc. may not be accurate, may not be consistent with each other, or a part may be omitted.

[0010] 1. Schematic Explanation of the Apparatus: FIG. 1 simply shows the configuration of the recording apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. The recording apparatus 10 includes a control unit 11, a display unit 13, an operation reception unit 14, a communication IF 15, a conveyance unit 16, a recording head 17, etc. IF is an abbreviation for interface. The recording method is realized by the recording apparatus 10.

[0011] The control unit 11 is composed of one or more ICs having a CPU 11a as a processor, a ROM 11b, a RAM 11c, etc., and other non-volatile memories, etc. In the control unit 11, the processor, that is, the CPU 11a, executes arithmetic processing according to the program 12 stored in the ROM 11b and other memories, etc., using the RAM 11c, etc. as a work area. By following the program 12, the control unit 11 realizes a plurality of functions such as a pattern formation unit 12a and a driving amount setting unit 12b. Note that the processor is not limited to one CPU, and may be configured to perform processing by a plurality of CPUs or a hardware circuit such as an ASIC, or may be configured such that the CPU and the hardware circuit cooperate to perform processing.

[0012] The display unit 13 is a means for displaying visual information, and is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like. The display unit 13 may have a configuration including a display and a drive circuit for driving the display. The operation reception unit 14 is a means for receiving operations by the user, and is realized by, for example, a physical button, a touch panel, a mouse, a keyboard, or the like. Of course, the touch panel may be realized as a function of the display unit 13. The display unit 13 and the operation reception unit 14 may be collectively referred to as the operation panel 10 of the recording apparatus.

[0013] The display unit 13 and the operation reception unit 14 may be a part of the configuration of the recording apparatus 10, or may be peripheral devices externally attached to the recording apparatus 10. The communication IF 15 is a general term for one or more IFs for the recording apparatus 10 to communicate with the outside by wire or wirelessly in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol including a known communication standard. The control unit 11 can communicate with, for example, a personal computer, a server, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, etc. (not shown) via the communication IF 15.

[0014] The conveyance unit 16 is a means for conveying a sheet-like medium along a predetermined conveyance direction under the control of the control unit 11, and includes a roller that rotates to convey the medium, a motor for driving the roller, and the like. The medium is typically paper, but may be a medium made of a material other than paper as long as it is a medium on which liquid recording is possible.

[0015] The recording head 17 has a plurality of nozzles (not shown), and discharges a liquid such as ink from each nozzle onto the medium conveyed by the conveyance unit 16 under the control of the control unit 11. The recording head 17 corresponds to the "liquid discharge unit". The recording head 17 may be referred to as a liquid discharge head, a printing head, a printing head, an inkjet head, or the like. The droplets discharged from the nozzles of the recording head 17 are also called dots.

[0016] As is known, the recording device 10 controls the application of drive signals to drive elements (not shown) provided in each nozzle according to recording data, thereby causing dots to be ejected or not ejected from each nozzle. The recording head 17 can perform recording by ejecting inks of various colors such as cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K), inks of colors other than these, and liquids other than ink.

[0017] FIG. 2 simply shows the relationship between the recording head 17 and the medium 30 and the like from a perspective in the width direction intersecting the conveyance direction D1. Here, the intersection of the conveyance direction D1 and the width direction means orthogonal or substantially orthogonal. The upstream and downstream in the conveyance direction D1 are simply referred to as upstream and downstream. In FIG. 3 described later, the width direction is shown as the width direction D2. Reference numeral 19 indicates a platen 19 as a part of the conveyance path of the medium 30. The platen 19 supports the medium 30 conveyed along the conveyance direction D1 from below. The recording head 17 is supported at an upper position opposite to the platen 19.

[0018] Upstream of the recording head 17, a first pair of rollers including a first roller 16a and a second roller 16b is disposed. Also, downstream of the recording head 17, a second pair of rollers including a third roller 16c and a fourth roller 16d is disposed. These pairs of rollers are part of the conveyance unit 16. The pairs of rollers convey the medium 30 downstream by rotating while sandwiching the medium 30 between the rollers constituting the pair. The rollers included in the conveyance unit 16 are not limited to those shown.

[0019] The lower surface of the recording head 17 facing the platen 19 is a nozzle surface 18 where a plurality of nozzles are open, and ink is ejected from each nozzle opening on the nozzle surface 18 onto the medium 30 supported by the platen 19. As can be understood from FIG. 2, among the first surface 30a of the medium 30 and the second surface 30b which is the back surface of the first surface 30a, recording is performed by ejecting ink onto the first surface 30a facing the nozzle surface 18. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 2, the third roller 16c constituting the second roller pair corresponds to "a roller provided downstream of the liquid ejection unit and rotating in contact with the first surface 30a".

[0020] FIG. 3 simply shows the relationship between the recording head 17 and the medium 30 from a top view. In FIG. 3, the description of the platen 19 is omitted. Although not described in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the example of FIG. 3, the recording head 17 is mounted on the carriage 20. The carriage 20 is capable of reciprocating along the width direction D2 under the power of a motor. That is, the recording head 17 moves along the width direction D2 together with the carriage 20 and ejects ink to perform recording on the first surface 30a of the medium 30. The control unit 11 realizes recording on the medium 30 by alternately executing ink ejection from the recording head 17 accompanying the movement of the carriage 20 and conveyance of the medium 30 by a certain distance by the conveyance unit 16.

[0021] However, the configuration in which the recording head 17 is moved by the carriage 20 is not essential. For example, the recording head 17 may have a length extending over the length (medium width) of the medium 30 in the width direction D2 and be fixed, and may be configured to eject ink onto the medium 30 being conveyed downstream at a predetermined speed to perform recording.

[0022] In the example of FIG. 3, a plurality of first rollers 16a are provided upstream of the recording head 17 along the width direction D2. The functions of the plurality of first rollers 16a are all the same, and they may be understood to rotate synchronously. Similarly, in the example of FIG. 3, a plurality of third rollers 16c are provided downstream of the recording head 17 along the width direction D2. The functions of the plurality of third rollers 16c are all the same, and they rotate synchronously. Although not shown in FIG. 3, of course, a plurality of second rollers 16b are provided at each position below the medium 30 corresponding to the plurality of first rollers 16a. Similarly, although not shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of fourth rollers 16d are provided at each position below the medium 30 corresponding to the plurality of third rollers 16c.

[0023] The recording device 10 may be realized not only by a single independent printer but also by a plurality of devices connected to be communicable with each other. For example, the recording device 10 may be realized by a system including an information processing device including the control unit 11 and a printer including the conveyance unit 16 and the recording head 17. The recording device 10 may be called a liquid ejection device, a printing device, an inkjet printer, or the like.

[0024] 2. Pattern formation: Next, the pattern formation process according to the present embodiment will be described. In the pattern formation process, the control unit 11 forms a "first pattern" of liquid on the first surface 30a of the medium 30 by controlling the ejection of the liquid by the recording head 17, and a "detection area" for the first pattern is formed at a specific position on the first surface 30a where the third roller 16c contacts when the rotation angle of the third roller 16c becomes m° + 360° with respect to the rotation angle m° of the third roller 16c when the third roller 16c contacts the first pattern. That is, in the pattern formation process, at least the first pattern and the detection area are formed on the first surface 30a.

[0025] Here, the "specific position where the third roller 16c contacts when the rotation angle of the third roller 16c becomes m° + 360° with respect to the rotation angle m° of the third roller 16c when the third roller 16c contacts the first pattern" can be rephrased as the position where the third roller 16c contacts when it makes one full rotation from the state where the third roller 16c contacts the first pattern. Therefore, it is not important in practice what reference angle the rotation angle m° is and what kind of angle it is. Also, since the rotation of the roller mentioned here is for transporting the medium 30 downstream, the detection area is located upstream of the first pattern corresponding to the detection area.

[0026] The pattern including the first pattern and the detection area is hereinafter referred to as the "dirt detection pattern". The pattern forming unit 12a of the control unit 11 records the dirt detection pattern on the first surface 30a of the medium 30 based on the recording data of the dirt detection pattern stored in advance in a predetermined memory by controlling the recording head 17 and the conveying unit 16.

[0027] First Embodiment: FIG. 4 shows a dirt detection pattern 40 according to the first embodiment recorded on the first surface 30a of the medium 30 by the pattern forming process. In FIG. 4, the correspondence between the medium 30 and the directions D1 and D2 is also shown. In the dirt detection pattern 40, a plurality of first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e are formed side by side with spaces between them in the conveying direction D1. Each of the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e is a solid pattern in the shape of a rectangle that is long in the width direction D2, and they may all be of the same size. The solid pattern may be understood as a pattern in which, for example, ink dots are arranged evenly or almost evenly so that there is no or almost no shading within one pattern.

[0028] Let the length of the first pattern in the conveying direction D1 be H. Let the length in the conveying direction D1 of the area secured between the first patterns in the conveying direction D1 also be the same H. Here, when the circumference of the third roller 16c is A, in the first embodiment, H = A / n. n is a positive integer, preferably an odd number. In the first embodiment, n = 3. Since the circumference A is known in the design of the product, the pattern forming unit 12a records the dirt detection pattern 40 on the medium 30 with one-third of the circumference A having a length H.

[0029] The distance of H×3 in the conveyance direction D1 on the medium 30 corresponds to the distance for one rotation of the third roller 16c. Therefore, according to FIG. 4, with respect to the first pattern 31a as a reference, the region adjacent upstream to the first pattern 31b is a specific position, and this specific position becomes the detection region 32a for the first pattern 31a. That is, when the ink of the first pattern 31a adheres to the third roller 16c, the ink is transferred to the detection region 32a when the third roller 16c makes one rotation. Thus, by detecting the dirt in the detection region 32a, it can be determined whether the density of the first pattern 31a is appropriate in terms of the recording quality.

[0030] As described above, the detection region for the first pattern is a region for detecting the transfer of the ink of the first pattern. Similarly, with respect to the first pattern 31b as a reference, the region adjacent upstream to the first pattern 31c is a specific position, and this specific position is the detection region 32b for the first pattern 31b. With respect to the first pattern 31c as a reference, the region adjacent upstream to the first pattern 31d is a specific position, and this specific position is the detection region 32c for the first pattern 31c. With respect to the first pattern 31d as a reference, the region adjacent upstream to the first pattern 31e is a specific position, and this specific position is the detection region 32d for the first pattern 31d. With respect to the first pattern 31e as a reference, the region at a distance of H×3 upstream is a specific position, and this specific position is the detection region 32e for the first pattern 31e.

[0031] According to the first embodiment, the detection regions 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e are "non-recording regions" where no liquid is ejected by the recording head 17. The non-recording region is the surface of the medium 30 itself and is also referred to as a "margin region". By making the detection region a margin region, it becomes easier to detect the presence or degree of transfer of the ink of the first pattern. In this embodiment, ensuring a margin region as a detection region between the first patterns is also referred to as forming a detection region. In FIG. 4, each of the detection regions 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e is shown enclosed by a dashed frame for easy viewing. However, in the actual stain detection pattern 40, such a frame may or may not be present.

[0032] As can be understood from FIG. 4, the plurality of first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e have different concentrations respectively. By recording a plurality of first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e with different concentrations, it is possible to determine at what concentration level no stain will occur due to ink adhesion to the third roller 16c.

[0033] Also, as can be understood from FIG. 4, the pattern forming unit 12a forms a plurality of first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e such that the concentration of the first pattern increases stepwise from downstream to upstream. According to FIG. 4, among the plurality of first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, the concentration of the lowermost first pattern 31a is the lowest, and the concentration of the uppermost first pattern 31e is the highest. If a high-concentration first pattern is recorded before a low-concentration first pattern, the ink adhering to the third roller 16c from the high-concentration first pattern may partially remain on the third roller 16c even after being transferred to the corresponding detection region, which may affect the detection of stains related to other first patterns. Therefore, in order to avoid such drawbacks, a plurality of first patterns are formed such that the concentration of the first pattern increases stepwise from downstream to upstream.

[0034] The recording data used by the pattern forming unit 12a to record the dirt detection pattern 40, of course, defines different densities for each of the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e. In the state of the recording data, one first pattern is expressed as a set area of pixels with the same density. Each pixel constituting the recording data has, for example, gradation values for each of CMYK. The gradation value is a value expressed in, for example, 256 gradations from 0 to 255, where 0 corresponds to a density of 0% and 255 corresponds to a density of 100%. Therefore, the pixel can take a maximum density of 400% when adding the gradation values of CMYK.

[0035] In the first embodiment, all of the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e are patterns recorded by mixing CMYK inks. Therefore, the density of the first pattern is the density of the pixels constituting the first pattern in the recording data. Of course, the pattern forming unit 12a performs so-called halftone processing or the like on the recording data to convert it into data that defines dot ejection (dot on) or dot non-ejection (dot off) for each pixel and for each ink color, and then supplies it to the recording head 17 to record the dirt detection pattern 40 on the recording head 17.

[0036] The pattern forming unit 12a records the dirt detection pattern 40 on the medium 30, including a first pattern having a maximum density predetermined among the plurality of first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e. In FIG. 4, the uppermost first pattern 31e corresponds to the first pattern with the maximum density. The maximum density mentioned here is the density that can be realized by the recording head 17, and is a density set in consideration of characteristics such as ink bleeding on the medium 30. If the recording head 17 can perform color printing by mixing CMYK inks as in the above example, the pixels of the recording data can take a maximum density of 400%, but the maximum density mentioned here is set to a lower value, for example, a value such as 300% or 250%.

[0037] According to such a first embodiment, the pattern forming unit 12a forms a plurality of first patterns having different densities, which are first patterns with a length corresponding to the circumference of the third roller 16c in the conveyance direction D1 of the medium 30, and the length obtained by dividing the circumference by a positive integer n is set as the length H per pattern in the conveyance direction D1, and arranges them in the conveyance direction D1. For example, the first pattern 31a and the first pattern 31b are formed in an area having a length corresponding to the circumference of the third roller 16c on the first surface 30a. Further, the pattern forming unit 12a forms a detection area corresponding to the length of the conveyance direction D1 to the length H of the first pattern at each of a plurality of specific positions corresponding to each of the plurality of first patterns. That the length of the conveyance direction D1 corresponds to the length H of the first pattern means that the length of the conveyance direction D1 is the same as or substantially the same as the length H of the first pattern. In this way, by arranging a plurality of first patterns in the area corresponding to the circumference of the third roller 16c, the stain detection pattern is compacted, contributing to the suppression of medium consumption and the reduction of the pattern reading time.

[0038] According to FIG. 4, the detection area 32d for the first pattern 31d and the detection area 32e for the first pattern 31e are located upstream of the most upstream first pattern 31e and are not sandwiched between the first patterns. Further, in the first embodiment, the first pattern is a margin area. Therefore, for the user, it is difficult to grasp the positions of the detection area 32d and the detection area 32e on the medium 30. In view of such circumstances, the pattern forming unit 12a may form a third pattern 33 in the area between the most upstream detection area 32e in the conveyance direction D1 of the first surface 30a and the detection area 32d located upstream next to the most upstream detection area 32e by causing the recording head 17 to eject ink.

[0039] That is, the pattern forming unit 12a may record the stain detection pattern 40 including the third pattern 33 on the first surface 30a of the medium 30. In FIG. 4, for the sake of convenience, the third pattern 33 is hatched so that it can be distinguished from the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, and 31e. By recording the third pattern 33, it becomes easier for the user to grasp the positions of the detection regions 32d and 32e, which are the blank regions. Note that the third pattern 33 does not necessarily have to be a solid pattern, and as long as it functions as a mark that makes it easier to understand the positions of the detection regions 32d and 32e, it may have any color, pattern, or shape.

[0040] 3. Processing after the pattern forming step: After the pattern forming step, a stain detection step and a driving amount setting step are performed. The stain detection step and the driving amount setting step will be briefly described.

[0041] In the stain detection step, by reading the first surface 30a of the medium 30 on which the stain detection pattern has been recorded by the recording device 10, stains due to ink transfer are detected. The medium 30 on which the stain detection pattern has been recorded by the recording device 10 is, of course, the medium 30 that has been discharged by the conveyance unit 16 after being recorded by the recording head 17, and there is a possibility that stains have occurred due to the adhesion of ink to the third roller 16c. The stain detection step may be a step performed visually by a person, or may be a step executed with the intervention of a reading device such as a scanner or a colorimeter. In the stain detection step, for example, the user visually detects the degree of stain in the detection region. Alternatively, in the stain detection step, for example, a scanner reads the first surface 30a of the medium 30, and detects the degree of stain in the detection region in the read data by comparing it with a predetermined threshold value.

[0042] In the injection amount setting step, the injection amount setting unit 12b of the control unit 11 acquires the detection result from the stain detection step. For example, the injection amount setting unit 12b acquires the detection result when the user operates the operation reception unit 14 to input the detection result. Alternatively, the injection amount setting unit 12b acquires the detection result from a scanner or the like connected to the recording device 10. Alternatively, the injection amount setting unit 12b may input the reading data of the first surface 30a of the medium 30 from a scanner or the like, analyze the reading data, and acquire the degree of stain in the detection area as the detection result.

[0043] The injection amount setting unit 12b sets the injection amount (discharge amount) of the ink according to the acquired detection result. For example, assume that the injection amount setting unit 12b obtains a detection result that there is no ink stain in the detection areas 32a, 32b, and 32c, and there is ink stain in the detection areas 32d and 32e. In this case, if a density equal to or higher than the density of the first pattern 31d is adopted, a decrease in the recording quality such as stain caused by ink adhesion to the third roller 16c will occur. Therefore, the injection amount setting unit 12b, for example, sets the upper limit of the density that the recording data for driving the recording head 17 can take to be the density of the first pattern 31c, or a density equal to or higher than the density of the first pattern 31c and lower than the density of the first pattern 31d, and then applies this setting when recording various images desired by the user. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the stain of the medium caused by ink due to ink adhesion to the third roller 16c. In addition, since the upper limit of the ink injection amount by the recording head 17 does not need to be made lower than necessary, a decrease in the color development property of the recording result can be suppressed, and the recording quality can be maintained.

[0044] 4. Other embodiments: Second embodiment: FIG. 5 shows a stain detection pattern 41 according to the second embodiment recorded on the first surface 30a of the medium 30 by the pattern formation step. In the second embodiment and the third and fourth embodiments described later, the differences between each stain detection pattern 41, 42, and 43 and the stain detection pattern 40 of the first embodiment will be described.

[0045] The detection area may be a second pattern formed by ejecting ink, rather than a non-recording area (margin area). That is, the pattern forming unit 12a may record a stain detection pattern 41 including the first pattern and the second pattern on the first surface 30a based on the recording data of the stain detection pattern 41 by controlling the recording head 17 and the conveyance unit 16. In the example of FIG. 5, the detection area 32a for the first pattern 31a is the second pattern 34a. Similarly, the detection area 32b for the first pattern 31b is the second pattern 34b, the detection area 32c for the first pattern 31c is the second pattern 34c, the detection area 32d for the first pattern 31d is the second pattern 34d, and the detection area 32e for the first pattern 31e is the second pattern 34e.

[0046] In FIG. 5, for the second patterns 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e, for the sake of convenience, different hatching is applied to represent them so that the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e and the second patterns 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e can be distinguished. Since the detection area is an area for detecting the presence or degree of adhesion of the ink of the first pattern, no matter what color the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e are formed in, the pattern forming unit 12a forms the second patterns 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e in a color different from that of the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e.

[0047] In order for the adhesion of the ink of the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e to be more noticeable, the pattern forming unit 12a may form the second patterns 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e in a color, for example, with a lower density than that of the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e. Also, in order for the adhesion of the ink of the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e to be more noticeable, the pattern forming unit 12a may form the second patterns 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e in a color, for example, corresponding to the complementary color of the color of the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e.

[0048] When the medium 30 is a transparent film, the recording apparatus 10 forms a base on the transparent film with white ink and performs recording with other color inks such as CMYK on this base. Therefore, the pattern forming unit 12a may form the second patterns 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e with white ink by causing the recording head 17 to eject white ink. That is, instead of making the detection area the color of the medium 30 itself as in the first embodiment, by making it a white image formed with white ink, the transfer of ink from the first pattern can be confirmed more clearly. Of course, whether the medium 30 is a transparent film or not, the detection area can be a white image formed with white ink. Although not shown in FIG. 5, the stain detection pattern 41 may include the third pattern 33 in the same manner as the stain detection pattern 40.

[0049] Third Embodiment: FIG. 6 shows a stain detection pattern 42 according to the third embodiment recorded on the first surface 30a of the medium 30 by the pattern forming process. The first pattern is recorded to come into contact with the third roller 16c. In other words, there is no need to record the first pattern at a position where it does not contact the third roller 16c. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of third rollers 16c are arranged at intervals along the width direction D2 at a position downstream of the recording head 17.

[0050] Therefore, the pattern forming unit 12a may control the recording head 17 to record the stain detection pattern 42 on the first surface 30a such that the first pattern is positioned corresponding to a plurality of predetermined positions where the third roller 16c exists in the width direction D2. When the stain detection pattern 42 is compared with the stain detection pattern 40, it is different in that each of the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e and the detection regions 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e is formed at intervals corresponding to a plurality of predetermined positions where the third roller 16c exists in the width direction D2. Of course, also in the third embodiment, the detection regions 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e may be the second pattern instead of the margin region. By recording the first pattern corresponding to a plurality of predetermined positions where the third roller 16c exists in the width direction D2 in this way, it is possible to suppress the consumption of ink when recording the stain detection pattern.

[0051] Furthermore, the pattern forming unit 12a may cause the recording head 17 to record the display of the density of the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e in a region of the first surface 30a that avoids the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e in the width direction D2 together with the recording of the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e. The region that avoids the first pattern in the width direction D2 is a region where the first pattern is not recorded and is a region adjacent to the first pattern in the width direction D2.

[0052] In the example of FIG. 6, in the region that avoids the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e in the width direction D2, the densities of the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e are recorded as numbers such as, for example, 100%, 150%, 200%, 250%, 300%. These densities are values defined as the densities of the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e respectively in the recording data of the stain detection pattern. By recording such densities on the first surface 30a, the user can more directly recognize the density of the first pattern. Of course, also in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the pattern forming unit 12a may record such a density display together with the first pattern on the first surface 30a.

[0053] Fourth Embodiment: FIG. 7 shows a stain detection pattern 43 according to the fourth embodiment recorded on the first surface 30a of the medium 30 by the pattern forming process. The pattern forming unit 12a may control the recording head 17 to form a plurality of first patterns having different densities side by side in the width direction D2. According to the stain detection pattern 43, the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c are arranged at intervals along the conveyance direction D1 as described so far, but the first pattern 31d is arranged side by side with the first pattern 31a in the width direction D2, and the first pattern 31e is arranged side by side with the first pattern 31b in the width direction D2. Also in the stain detection pattern 43, the relative positional relationship between the first pattern 31d and the detection region 32d for the first pattern 31d and the relative positional relationship between the first pattern 31e and the detection region 32e for the first pattern 31e are as described so far.

[0054] In this way, by forming a plurality of first patterns having different densities side by side in the width direction D2, it is possible to suppress the consumption of the medium 30 required for recording the stain detection pattern. Of course, also in the fourth embodiment, the pattern forming unit 12a may use the detection regions 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e as the second pattern instead of the margin region, or may record the density display together with the first pattern on the first surface 30a.

[0055] 5. Summary: According to this embodiment, the recording apparatus 10 includes a liquid ejection unit that ejects liquid onto the first surface 30a of the medium 30 conveyed in the conveyance direction D1, a roller (third roller 16c) provided downstream of the liquid ejection unit in the conveyance direction D1 and rotating in contact with the first surface 30a, and a control unit 11. The control unit 11 controls the ejection of the liquid by the liquid ejection unit to form a first pattern on the first surface 30a with the liquid, and forms a detection region for the first pattern at a specific position on the first surface 30a where the roller contacts when the rotation angle of the roller becomes m° + 360° with respect to the rotation angle m° of the roller when the roller contacts the first pattern.

[0056] According to the above configuration, when the liquid ejected onto the first surface 30a to form the first pattern adheres to the roller, the adhered liquid is transferred to the detection region when the roller makes one rotation. Therefore, by detecting the contamination of the detection region, it is possible to detect the influence on the recording result due to the adhesion of the liquid to the roller. Also, by using this detection result, it becomes easy to set the ejection amount of the liquid by the liquid ejection unit to an appropriate value. Further, by detecting the contamination of the detection region, the setting can be made so that such contamination does not occur, and thus it is not necessary to adopt a configuration in which the toothed portion of the impeller bites into the medium and indentations are generated as in the above-mentioned Document 1.

[0057] Also, according to this embodiment, the control unit 11 may cause the liquid ejection unit to record the display of the density of the first pattern in a region of the first surface 30a that avoids the first pattern in the width direction D2 intersecting the conveyance direction D1. According to the above configuration, by recording the display of the density of the first pattern using the region adjacent to the first pattern in the width direction D2, it is possible to make it easier for the user to recognize the density of the first pattern. Note that the region for recording the display of the density of the first pattern may basically be regarded as a part of the margin region, but for example, it may be a region where the background is recorded with white ink or the like to make the characters of the density display prominent.

[0058] Further, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 11 may form a plurality of first patterns having different concentrations arranged side by side in the width direction D2. According to the above configuration, compared with the case where a plurality of first patterns having different concentrations are arranged only in the conveyance direction D1, the plurality of first patterns can be recorded in a smaller area, and consumption of the medium 30 can be suppressed.

[0059] Further, according to the present embodiment, the detection area may be a non-recording area where no liquid is discharged by the liquid discharge unit. According to the above configuration, by making the detection area a non-recording area, that is, a margin area, it is possible to make it easier to detect dirt in the detection area.

[0060] Further, according to the present embodiment, a second pattern of a color corresponding to the complementary color of the color of the first pattern may be formed in the detection area by the liquid discharge unit. According to the above configuration, by making the detection area the second pattern of the complementary color of the color of the first pattern, it is possible to make it easier to detect dirt in the detection area.

[0061] Further, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 11 forms a plurality of first patterns having different concentrations, which are first patterns having a length corresponding to the circumference A of the roller in the conveyance direction D1 of the medium 30 and having a value obtained by dividing the circumference A by a positive integer n as the length H per pattern in the conveyance direction D1, arranged side by side in the conveyance direction D1, and forms a detection area corresponding to the length in the conveyance direction D1 to the length H of the first pattern at each of a plurality of specific positions corresponding to each of the plurality of first patterns. According to the above configuration, when a plurality of first patterns having different concentrations are arranged side by side in the conveyance direction D1, the plurality of first patterns can be recorded in a smaller area, and consumption of the medium 30 can be suppressed.

[0062] Further, according to the present embodiment, the integer n may be an odd number. By setting the integer n to an odd number such as 3 or 5, the first pattern and the detection area can be alternately arranged in an area having a length corresponding to the circumference A of the roller in the conveyance direction D1 of the medium 30.

[0063] However, the disclosure of the present embodiment does not deny setting the integer n to an even number. For example, if H = A / 4, on the first surface 30a, a first pattern having a length of H in the conveyance direction D1 may be formed, and a detection area having a length of H in the conveyance direction D1 may be formed at a specific position based on this first pattern.

[0064] Also, a configuration in which only one first pattern is formed in an area having a length corresponding to the circumference A of the roller in the conveyance direction D1 of the medium 30 is also conceivable. That is, if H = A, on the first surface 30a, a first pattern having a length of H in the conveyance direction D1 may be formed, and a detection area having a length of H in the conveyance direction D1 may be formed at a specific position based on this first pattern.

[0065] Further, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 11 may form a plurality of first patterns such that the density of the first pattern gradually increases from the downstream to the upstream in the conveyance direction D1. According to the above configuration, it is possible to avoid the ink adhering to the roller from the first pattern with a high density being transferred to other first patterns or other detection areas and affecting the detection of dirt even after being transferred to the corresponding detection area.

[0066] Further, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 11 may include a first pattern having a density set to a predetermined maximum value among the plurality of first patterns. According to the above configuration, by including a first pattern having a density set to a predetermined maximum value among the plurality of first patterns, it becomes possible to verify from the dirt of the detection area whether it is appropriate to adopt the density of the maximum value for recording.

[0067] Further, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 11 may form the third pattern 33 in the region between the most upstream detection region in the conveyance direction D1 of the first surface 30a and the detection region located upstream next to the most upstream detection region by controlling the discharge of the liquid by the liquid discharge unit. According to the above configuration, the user can easily recognize the positions of the most upstream detection region and the detection region located upstream next to the most upstream detection region by using the third pattern 33 as a landmark.

[0068] Further, according to the present embodiment, the first patterns 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e may be patterns recorded with single-color ink instead of patterns recorded by mixing CMYK inks. According to the above configuration, when recording with single-color ink, it is possible to detect ink stains on the medium caused by ink adhesion to the third roller 16c, and it is possible to make settings to eliminate such stains.

[0069] The present embodiment discloses inventions in various categories, not limited to recording apparatuses and systems, but also including methods executed by apparatuses and systems, and programs 12 that cause a processor to execute the methods. For example, a recording method by a recording apparatus 10 including a liquid discharge unit that discharges liquid onto the first surface 30a of a medium 30 conveyed in the conveyance direction D1, and a roller (third roller 16c) provided downstream of the liquid discharge unit in the conveyance direction D1 and rotating in contact with the first surface 30a, includes a pattern forming step of forming a first pattern by liquid on the first surface 30a by the liquid discharge unit, and forming a detection region for the first pattern at a specific position on the first surface 30a where the roller contacts when the rotation angle of the roller becomes m° + 360° with respect to the rotation angle m° of the roller when the roller contacts the first pattern.

[0070] The shapes of various patterns such as the first pattern, the second pattern, and the third pattern and the detection regions may be shapes other than rectangles, for example, circular, elliptical, or other shapes.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0071] 10…Recording device, 11…Control unit, 12…Program, 12a…Pattern formation unit, 12b…Drive amount setting unit, 13…Display unit, 14…Operation reception unit, 15…Communication IF, 16…Conveying unit, 16a…First roller, 16b…Second roller, 16c…Third roller, 16d…Fourth roller, 17…Recording head (liquid ejection unit), 19…Platen, 20…Carriage, 30…Medium, 30a…First surface, 30b…Second surface, 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e…First pattern, 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e…Detection area, 33…Third pattern, 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e…Second pattern, 40, 41, 42, 43…Dirt detection pattern

Claims

1. A liquid ejection unit that ejects liquid onto a first surface of a medium conveyed in a conveyance direction; A roller provided downstream of the liquid ejection unit in the conveyance direction and rotating in contact with the first surface; A control unit; and The control unit forms a first pattern of the liquid on the first surface by controlling the ejection of the liquid by the liquid ejection unit, and forms a detection region for the first pattern at a specific position on the first surface where the roller contacts when the rotation angle of the roller becomes m° + 360° with respect to the rotation angle m° of the roller when the roller contacts the first pattern. The control unit forms a plurality of the first patterns having different concentrations side by side in a width direction intersecting the conveyance direction. A recording apparatus characterized by this.

2. A liquid ejection unit that ejects liquid onto a first surface of a medium conveyed in a conveyance direction; A roller provided downstream of the liquid ejection unit in the conveyance direction and rotating in contact with the first surface; A control unit; and The control unit forms a first pattern of the liquid on the first surface by controlling the ejection of the liquid by the liquid ejection unit, and forms a detection region for the first pattern at a specific position on the first surface where the roller contacts when the rotation angle of the roller becomes m° + 360° with respect to the rotation angle m° of the roller when the roller contacts the first pattern. A second pattern of a color corresponding to the complementary color of the color of the first pattern is formed in the detection region by the liquid ejection unit. A recording apparatus characterized by this.

3. A liquid ejection unit that ejects liquid onto a first surface of a medium conveyed in a conveyance direction; A roller provided downstream of the liquid ejection unit in the conveyance direction and rotating in contact with the first surface; A control unit; and The control unit forms a first pattern of the liquid on the first surface by controlling the ejection of the liquid by the liquid ejection unit, and forms a detection region for the first pattern at a specific position on the first surface where the roller contacts when the rotation angle of the roller becomes m° + 360° with respect to the rotation angle m° of the roller when the roller contacts the first pattern. The liquid ejection unit is capable of ejecting white ink as the liquid. The recording apparatus is characterized in that the control unit forms a white image in the detection area by causing the liquid ejection unit to eject the white ink.

4. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit causes the liquid ejection unit to record the display of the density of the first pattern in an area of the first surface that avoids the first pattern in the width direction intersecting the conveyance direction.

5. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit forms a plurality of the first patterns having different densities, which are the first patterns with a length per pattern in the conveyance direction being a value obtained by dividing the circumference by a positive integer n, arranged side by side in the conveyance direction in an area having a length corresponding to the circumference of the roller in the conveyance direction of the medium, and forms the detection areas corresponding to the respective first patterns at the respective specific positions corresponding to the plurality of the first patterns, with the length in the conveyance direction corresponding to the length of the first pattern.

6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the integer n is an odd number.

7. The recording apparatus according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the control unit forms a plurality of the first patterns such that the density of the first pattern increases stepwise from downstream to upstream in the conveyance direction.

8. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the control unit forms a third pattern in an area between the most upstream detection area in the conveyance direction of the first surface and the detection area located upstream next to the most upstream detection area by controlling the ejection of the liquid by the liquid ejection unit.

9. A recording method using a recording apparatus including a liquid ejection unit that ejects liquid onto a first surface of a medium conveyed in a conveyance direction, and a roller provided downstream of the liquid ejection unit in the conveyance direction and rotating in contact with the first surface, the method comprising: a pattern forming step of forming a first pattern of the liquid on the first surface by the liquid ejection unit, and forming a detection area for the first pattern at a specific position on the first surface where the roller contacts when the rotation angle of the roller becomes m° + 360° with respect to the rotation angle m° of the roller when the roller contacts the first pattern. In the pattern forming step, a plurality of the first patterns having different concentrations are formed side by side in the width direction intersecting the conveyance direction. A recording method characterized by this.

10. A recording method by a recording apparatus including a liquid discharge unit that discharges liquid onto a first surface of a medium conveyed in a conveyance direction, and a roller provided downstream of the liquid discharge unit in the conveyance direction and rotating in contact with the first surface, wherein the liquid discharge unit forms a first pattern of the liquid on the first surface, and a detection region for the first pattern is formed at a specific position on the first surface where the roller contacts when the rotation angle of the roller becomes m° + 360° with respect to the rotation angle m° of the roller when the roller contacts the first pattern. The method includes a pattern forming step. In the detection region, a second pattern of a color corresponding to the complementary color of the color of the first pattern is formed by the liquid discharge unit. A recording method characterized by this.

11. A recording method by a recording apparatus including a liquid discharge unit that discharges liquid onto a first surface of a medium conveyed in a conveyance direction, and a roller provided downstream of the liquid discharge unit in the conveyance direction and rotating in contact with the first surface, wherein the liquid discharge unit forms a first pattern of the liquid on the first surface, and a detection region for the first pattern is formed at a specific position on the first surface where the roller contacts when the rotation angle of the roller becomes m° + 360° with respect to the rotation angle m° of the roller when the roller contacts the first pattern. The method includes a pattern forming step. The liquid discharge unit is capable of discharging white ink as the liquid. In the pattern forming step, a white image is formed in the detection region by discharging the white ink from the liquid discharge unit. A recording method characterized by this.

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