Printing system and method for determining heater capacity in a printing system

Abstract

To provide a printing system capable of objectively grasping the capability of a heater mounted on each of a plurality of printers, and a heater capacity determination method.SOLUTION: A printing system 10 comprises: a plurality of printers 30 including a temperature sensor 36 for measuring an object to be heated by a heater 34 or the temperature of the heater; and information processing means 20 communicable with the printers. Each of the printers includes: a measurement part 42 for measuring an initial temperature T0 and a preparation time t from a heating start until reaching a target temperature; and a transmission part 31A for transmitting the initial temperature and the preparation time to the information processing means. The information processing means includes a calculation part for calculating a table about the initial temperature and a standard preparation time on the basis of received data. The printer or the information processing means includes a determination part 44 for determining whether a difference between the preparation time and the standard preparation time is larger than a prescribed value on the basis of the table and the newly acquired initial temperature and preparation time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing system and a method for controlling a printing system, and more particularly to a printing system comprising a plurality of printers equipped with heaters and a method for determining the heater capacity in said printing system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, inkjet printers that print by ejecting ink from an ink head onto a medium are known to be equipped with heaters for heating the ink and the medium being printed on.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes an inkjet printer equipped with a heater inside the ink head that ejects ink. In this inkjet printer, the ink is heated by the heater to reduce its viscosity, so that the ink is properly ejected from the nozzles of the ink head. A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the ink is provided inside the ink head, and the output of the heater is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-168243 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] In printers equipped with heaters, the heater's performance varies depending on the operating environment, such as ambient temperature and humidity. Furthermore, the heater's performance deteriorates with age. In conventional printers, the operator would judge the heater's heating capacity from the printed image and adjust the heater's performance based on their subjective judgment, for example, by increasing the heater output if the heating capacity was low.

[0006] However, because the subjective judgment of the operators varied from one operator to another, it was not possible to objectively grasp the heater capacity. In particular, it was difficult to objectively grasp the variation in heater capacity for each printer when using multiple printers in different environments, which could lead to variations in print quality from printer to printer.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a printing system that can objectively determine the capacity of each heater installed in a printing system equipped with multiple printers, and a method for determining the capacity of heaters in a printing system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a printing system comprising: a plurality of printers each equipped with a heater and a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of an object to be heated by the heater or the temperature of the heater; and an information processing means capable of communicating with the plurality of printers, wherein each printer includes a measurement unit for measuring an initial temperature which is the temperature of the object to be heated or the heater when heating by the heater is started, and a preparation time from the start of heating by the heater until the temperature measured by the temperature sensor reaches a preset target temperature; a transmission unit for transmitting the initial temperature and the preparation time measured by the measurement unit to the information processing means; the information processing means includes a calculation unit for calculating a table relating to initial temperature and standard preparation time, which calculates a standard preparation time for each initial temperature based on the initial temperature and preparation time data received from the plurality of printers; and the printer or the information processing means includes a determination unit for determining whether the difference between the preparation time and the standard preparation time at the acquired initial temperature is greater than a predetermined value, based on the data in the table and the initial temperature and preparation time newly acquired from the printer.

[0009] Furthermore, the heater capacity determination method according to the present invention is a heater capacity determination method in a printing system comprising a heater, a plurality of printers each equipped with a heater and a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of an object to be heated by the heater or the temperature of the heater, and an information processing means capable of communicating with the plurality of printers, characterized in that the method includes: a measurement step in which the printer measures an initial temperature, which is the temperature of the object to be heated or the heater when heating by the heater is started, and a preparation time from the start of heating by the heater until the temperature measured by the temperature sensor reaches a preset target temperature; a transmission step in which the printer transmits the initial temperature and the preparation time to the information processing means; a calculation step in which the information processing means calculates a table relating to initial temperature and standard preparation time, which calculates a standard preparation time for each initial temperature based on the initial temperature and preparation time data received from the plurality of printers; and a determination step in which the printer or the information processing means determines, based on the data in the table and the initial temperature and preparation time newly acquired from the printer, whether the difference between the preparation time at the acquired initial temperature and the standard preparation time is greater than a predetermined value.

[0010] According to the above-described printing system and heater capacity determination method in the printing system, initial temperature and preparation time data from multiple printers are collected by an information processing means, and the information processing means calculates a table of initial temperature and standard preparation time for each initial temperature. From the difference between this calculated standard preparation time and the preparation time newly acquired from the printer, it is possible to determine whether the heater capacity is within the range of standard capacity. This makes it possible to objectively understand the variation in heater capacity across multiple printers with different operating environments, thereby suppressing variations in print quality from printer to printer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the printing system and the method for determining the capacity of a heater in the printing system according to the present invention, in a printing system including a plurality of printers each equipped with a heater, the capacity of the heater mounted on each printer can be objectively grasped respectively.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] [Figure 1] It is a schematic explanatory diagram of a printing system which is an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram of the printing system. [Figure 3] It is a front view of a printer constituting the printing system. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the lower surface of a carriage provided in the printer. [Figure 5] It is a partial cross-sectional view of the carriage shown in FIG. 4 as viewed from the direction of arrow A. [Figure 6] It is a partial cross-sectional view of the carriage shown in FIG. 4 as viewed from the direction of arrow B. [Figure 7] It is a schematic diagram for explaining the internal structure of an ink head. [Figure 8] It is a graph showing the relationship between the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor and time. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an example of a table. [Figure 10A] It is a graph showing the relationship between the applied voltage and time before adjusting the output value of the heater. [Figure 10B] It is a graph showing the relationship between the applied voltage and time after adjusting the output value of the heater. [Figure 11] It is a graph for explaining the method for predicting the failure of the heater. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart showing the procedure of the table data creation process performed by the printing system. [Figure 13] It is a flowchart showing the procedure of the heater capacity determination process performed by the printing system.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the printing system 10 and the heater capacity determination method in the printing system 10 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a printing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. The printing system 10 comprises a plurality of printers 30-1 to 30-n (where n is an integer) and a server device 20, which is an information processing means capable of communicating with each printer 30-1 to 30-n via a network 12. The communication mode of the network 12 connecting each printer 30 and the server device 20 may be wired or wireless.

[0014] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the printing system 10, showing the components of the server device 20 and one printer 30-1. Note that the other printers 30-2 to 30-n that make up the printing system 10 and can communicate with the server device 20 have the same components as printer 30-1 shown in Figure 2; therefore, the following description will focus on one printer 30. As an example of printer 30, this embodiment describes an inkjet printer that ejects ink from an ink head 52.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the server device 20 includes a communication unit 22, a storage unit 24, and a calculation unit 26. The printer 30 includes a communication unit 31, an operation panel 32, a heater 34, a heater drive unit 35, a first temperature sensor 36 for measuring the temperature of an object heated by the heater 34, a second temperature sensor 38 capable of measuring the ambient temperature, and a control device 40. The operation panel 32 and the heater drive unit 35 are electrically connected to the control device 40. The communication units 22 and 31 of the server device 20 and the printer 30 are connected to the network 12, and each includes a transmission unit 22A and 31A capable of sending data to the outside, and a reception unit 22B and 31B capable of receiving data from the outside. The heater 34 and the first temperature sensor 36 are mounted on the ink head 52 of the printer 30, and the second temperature sensor 38 is provided on the carriage 50 that transports the ink head 52. The printer 30 will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 2 and 3.

[0016] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a printer 30, and shows a front view of the printer 30. In Figure 3, the symbols U and D indicate up and down, and the symbols L and R indicate left and right. The front and back sides of the paper in Figure 3 indicate the front and back. Here, front and back mean the direction toward the operator and the direction away from the operator, respectively, as viewed from the operator in front of the printer 30. Left and right mean the left and right directions, respectively, as viewed from the operator in front of the printer 30. In this embodiment, the direction of movement of the ink head 52 of the printer 30 is called the main scanning direction Y, and the direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction Y in a plan view is called the sub-scanning direction. In this embodiment, the main scanning direction Y coincides with the left-right direction, and the sub-scanning direction coincides with the front-back direction.

[0017] The printer 30 comprises a printer body 30A and legs 30B that support the printer body 30A. The printer body 30A extends long in the left-right direction, and an operation panel 32 for the operator to operate the printer 30 is provided on the front of the printer body 30A. The operation panel 32 has a display unit 32A that can display the printing status, ink level, etc. The control device 40 is built into the printer body 30A. The printer body 30A comprises a guide rail 70 extending in the main scanning direction Y, a carriage 50 engaged with the guide rail 70, and a mounting table 78 on which the media 5, which is the object to be printed, is placed. The ink head 52 is mounted on the carriage 50.

[0018] The guide rail 70 guides the movement of the carriage 50 in the main scanning direction Y. The carriage 50 is fixed to an endless belt 72, which is wrapped around a pulley 73A located on the left side of the guide rail 70 and a pulley 73B located on the right side. A carriage motor 74 is connected to the pulley 73B on the right side. The carriage motor 74 is electrically connected to a control device 40, and its drive is controlled by the control device 40. When the carriage motor 74 is driven, the pulley 73B rotates, and the belt 72 moves. As a result, the carriage 50 and the ink head 52 mounted on it move along the guide rail 70 in the main scanning direction Y.

[0019] The mounting table 78 is located below the carriage 50 and extends long in the left-right direction. The media 5 is placed on the mounting table 78. The media 5 can be, for example, paper such as recording paper, or a resin sheet. Above the mounting table 78, there is a pinch roller 76 that presses down on the media 5 from above. The pinch roller 76 is located behind the carriage 50. The mounting table 78 is also provided with a grid roller 77. The grid roller 77 and the pinch roller 76 are positioned opposite each other, with the grid roller 77 located below the pinch roller 76. The grid roller 77 is connected to a roller motor (not shown), and the drive of this roller motor is controlled by a control device 40. When the media 5 is sandwiched between the pinch roller 76 and the grid roller 77, the roller motor is driven and the grid roller 77 rotates, and the media 5 is transported forward on the mounting table 78.

[0020] Next, the carriage 50 and the ink head 52 will be described. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the lower surface of the carriage 50, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the carriage 50 viewed from the direction of arrow A in Figure 4, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the carriage 50 viewed from the direction of arrow B in Figure 4, and Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the internal structure of the ink head 52. The carriage 50 includes a carriage plate 51 that forms the lower surface of the carriage 50. The ink head 52 is fixed to the carriage plate 51. Note that the ink head 52 and the carriage plate 51 may be formed as a single unit.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, the ink head 52 has a nozzle surface 56 on its lower surface with numerous nozzle holes 55 formed therein. The ink head 52 is fixed to the carriage plate 51 with this nozzle surface 56 exposed through an opening 51a formed in the carriage plate 51. In Figure 4, eight nozzle holes 55 are arranged vertically and four rows are formed horizontally, but the number and arrangement of the nozzle holes 55 are not limited to this and can be set as appropriate. In Figures 5 and 6, the extent of the nozzle surface 56 on the ink head 52 is shown by a thick dashed line.

[0022] As shown in Figure 7, ink is supplied to the ink head 52 from an ink cartridge 60 that stores ink via an ink supply passage 62. The ink cartridge 60 is detachably mounted on the printer body 30A. The ink head 52 has a hollow case body 52A, an ink inlet 53 that communicates with the ink supply passage 62, an ink flow path 54a, a pressure chamber 54b located downstream of the ink flow path 54a where a predetermined amount of ink is stored, an actuator 54c equipped with a pressure element, a diaphragm 54d, and nozzle holes 55. Note that an ink flow path 54a is provided for each nozzle hole 55, but in Figure 7, one ink flow path 54a and one nozzle hole 55 are shown for ease of understanding. In Figure 7, the white arrows indicate the direction of ink flow. The pressure chamber 54b is located downstream of the ink flow path 54a, the diaphragm 54d forms part of the pressure chamber 54b, and the actuator 54c is connected to the diaphragm 54d. The actuator 54c is electrically connected to the control device 40 shown in Figure 3, and expands or contracts upon receiving a drive signal from the control device 40, thereby deforming the diaphragm 54d. In this ink head 52, the pressure chamber 54b expands or contracts due to the deformation of the diaphragm 54d, causing the ink in the pressure chamber 54b to be ejected from the nozzle hole 55.

[0023] As shown in Figure 7, the heater 34 is located inside the ink head 52 above the ink channel 54a, and heats the ink passing through the ink channel 54a by heating the ink channel 54a. The first temperature sensor 36 is positioned inside the ink head 52 so as to be able to measure the temperature of the ink heated by the heater 34, and in this embodiment, it is positioned below the heater 34 and near the nozzle hole 55. The first temperature sensor may also be positioned so as to be able to directly measure the temperature of the heater 34.

[0024] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the second temperature sensor 38 is mounted outside the ink head 52 and inside the carriage 50 so that it can measure the temperature around the heated ink. In this embodiment, the second temperature sensor 38 is fixedly installed on the carriage plate 51. The second temperature sensor 38 may also be fixed to the outer circumference of the carriage 50. Alternatively, the second temperature sensor 38 may be fixed to a component other than the carriage 50 inside the printer body 30A. In this embodiment, thermistors are used as examples of the first temperature sensor 36 and the second temperature sensor 38.

[0025] Next, the control device 40 of the printer 30 will be described. The control device 40 is composed of, for example, an information processing unit such as a CPU, and a storage unit such as RAM or ROM. As shown in Figure 2, the control device 40 includes a storage unit 41, a measurement unit 42, a determination unit 44, an output adjustment unit 46, and a failure timing prediction unit 48. The storage unit 41 contains a program for calculating the initial temperature T0 and preparation time t, which will be described later, and the target temperature T of the object to be heated by the heater 34. tgt It stores information such as a predetermined value pt which serves as the basis for the determination made by the determination unit 44, and output values ​​for predicting the timing of heater 34 failure.

[0026] The measurement unit 42 measures the initial temperature T0, which is the temperature of the ink (object to be heated) when heating by the heater 34 begins, based on the measurement result of the first temperature sensor 36. Here, "when heating begins" is a concept that includes the time when heating by the heater 34 begins and the time before heating begins. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the initial temperature T0 is measured by the first temperature sensor 36 at a time t0 slightly before the time t1 when heating by the heater 34 begins (for example, a few seconds before the time t1 when heating begins). The measurement unit 42 also measures the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor 36 from the start of heating by the heater 34 until it reaches a preset target temperature T tgt Measure the preparation time t until the target is reached.

[0027] In this embodiment, when the initial temperature T0 is measured by the first temperature sensor 36, at the same time, the ambient temperature AT is measured by the second temperature sensor 38, and the measurement unit 42 calculates the difference between the initial temperature T0 and the ambient temperature AT. The measurement unit 42 measures the preparation time t when the difference between the initial temperature T0 and the ambient temperature AT is within a predetermined range. In this embodiment, a reference temperature difference value T X is provided, and when |T0 - AT| ≤ T X , the preparation time t is measured. The temperature difference value T X can be, for example, 1°C.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the measurement unit 42 measures the elapsed time from the start of the first use of the printer 30. When the measured elapsed time is within a predetermined period, the printer 30 transmits the measured initial temperature T0 and the preparation time t to the server device 20 by the transmission unit 31A. As an example, when the predetermined period is set to 100 days, the measurement unit 42 measures the elapsed time from the start of the first use of the printer 30, and when the elapsed time is within 100 days, the control device 40 transmits the data of the initial temperature T0 and the preparation time t to the server device 20 via the transmission unit 31A.

[0029] The determination unit 44 is based on the data of the table (see FIG. 9) regarding the initial temperature T0 and the standard preparation time t std described later acquired from the server device 20, and the newly acquired initial temperature T0 and the preparation time t from the printer 30, and determines whether the difference between the preparation time t at the newly acquired initial temperature T0 and the standard preparation time t std of the table at this initial time T0 is greater than a preset predetermined value. In this embodiment, a predetermined value pt serving as a determination criterion is provided, and the determination unit 44 determines whether |t - t std | > pt.

[0030] The output adjustment unit 46 adjusts the standard preparation time t according to the determination result of the determination unit 44 described above stdIf the difference between the standard preparation time t and the newly acquired preparation time t is greater than a predetermined value pt, the output value of the heater 34 is adjusted so that the difference becomes less than or equal to the predetermined value pt. For example, the output adjustment unit 46 adjusts the output value of the heater 34 if the difference is greater than a predetermined value pt and the standard preparation time t std If the value of the preparation time t is greater than the standard preparation time t, the output of the heater 34 is adjusted to be higher, and the difference is greater than a predetermined value pt, and the standard preparation time t std When the preparation time t is smaller than the specified value, the output of the heater 34 is adjusted to be lower. As shown in Figure 10A, in this embodiment, the output of the heater 34 is adjusted by PWM control, which changes the duty cycle of the pulse width at a constant period, and as shown in Figure 10B, the output value can be increased by increasing the duty cycle.

[0031] The failure timing prediction unit 48 predicts the timing of heater 34 failure based on the history of output values ​​of heater 34 adjusted by the output adjustment unit 46. For example, as shown in Figure 11, in the PWM control of heater 34, if the history of output values ​​by the output adjustment unit 46 shows a duty cycle of 20% at the start of use of the printer 30, 40% six months after the start of use, and 60% one year after the start of use, the unit can calculate the average increase in output over the elapsed period and predict that the duty cycle will reach 80% after one and a half years. In this way, the failure timing prediction unit 48 can predict when the heater 34 will reach a preset output value (duty cycle) at which failure is predicted to occur by predicting future output values ​​from the history of output values. Furthermore, the failure timing prediction unit 48 can display this prediction result on the display unit 32A of the operation panel 32 of the printer 30, as shown in Figure 3. For example, if the failure timing prediction unit 48 determines that the period from the current time to the predicted failure time falls within a preset period, it can display the predicted period until failure on the display unit 32A. For instance, if the preset period is two months, and the period from the current time to the predicted failure time of the heater 34, as predicted by the failure timing prediction unit 48, falls below two months, the display unit 32A can display information prompting the replacement of the heater 34. In this embodiment, if the heater 34 is built into the ink head 52, the display unit 32A can display the time for replacing the ink head 52.

[0032] Next, the server device 20 will be described. The server device 20 is composed of, for example, an information processing unit such as a CPU, a storage unit such as RAM or ROM, an input / output interface, etc. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the server device 20 includes a communication unit 22 connected to the network 12, and the communication unit 22 includes a transmission unit 22A that transmits data to the printer 30 and a reception unit 22B that receives data from the printer 30. The server device 20 further includes a storage unit 24 and a calculation unit 26. The storage unit 24 stores the standard preparation time t, which will be described later. std It stores information such as programs used to calculate [the value].

[0033] The calculation unit 26 calculates a standard preparation time for each initial temperature T0 based on the initial temperature T0 and preparation time t received from each printer 30-1 to 30-n. std A table relating to this is calculated. Figure 9 is an example of a table calculated by the calculation unit 26. The calculation unit 26 calculates the standard preparation time t for each category of the preset initial temperature T0. std The standard preparation time t can be calculated by dividing the temperature range into 5°C intervals and calculating the average value of the preparation time t obtained from multiple printers 30-1 to 30-n in each temperature range. std For example, in the table shown in Figure 9, when the initial temperature T0 is 10°C, the standard preparation time t std is t B (S)

[0034] Next, the heater capacity determination method in the printing system 10 described above will be explained using Figures 12 and 13. First, the printing system 10 creates table data based on the initial temperature T0 and preparation time t from each printer 30. Then, based on the created table data, the printing system 10 can determine the capacity of the heater 34 and adjust the output of the heater 34 based on the determination result.

[0035] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the table data creation process performed by the printing system 10. In the table data creation process, first, the initial temperature T0 and ambient temperature AT are obtained by the first temperature sensor 36 and the second temperature sensor 38 of the printer 30 (step S11). Next, the control device 40 of the printer 30 determines that the absolute value of the difference between the initial temperature T0 and the ambient temperature AT is the reference temperature difference value T X Determine whether the following is true (step S12), and the temperature difference value T X If the following conditions are met, the measurement unit 42 measures the initial temperature T0 and the preparation time t (step S13). Temperature difference value T X If it exceeds (Step S12: No), the process is terminated.

[0036] Next, the measurement unit 42 measures the elapsed time since the initial use of the printer 30 and determines whether the elapsed usage period is within a predetermined period (step S14). If the elapsed usage period of the printer 30 exceeds the predetermined period (step S14: No), the process is terminated. If the elapsed usage period is within the predetermined period, the transmission unit 31A of the printer 30 transmits the initial temperature T0 and preparation time t data to the server device 20 (step S15).

[0037] The processes described in steps S11 to S15 are performed on each printer 30 connected to the network 12.

[0038] When the server device 20 receives initial temperature T0 and preparation time t data from each printer 30 via the receiving unit 22B, the calculation unit 22 calculates the initial temperature T0 and standard preparation time t based on this data. std A table relating to this is calculated (step S16). The table data calculated by the calculation unit 22 is transmitted to each printer 30 by the transmission unit 22A of the server device 20 (step S17). The calculation unit 22 updates the table data each time it receives initial temperature T0 and preparation time t data from the printer 30, and the server device 20 transmits the updated table data to each printer 30. Note that the transmission of table data from the server device 20 may be configured to transmit only to the printer 30 that requested table data when a request signal for table data is received from the printer 30. For example, the printer 30 can send a request signal for table data to the server device 20 when it starts up.

[0039] Next, the procedure for determining the heater capacity based on the table data created by the server device 20 will be described. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the heater capacity determination process performed by the printing system 10. In this embodiment, the control device 40 of each printer 30 determines the capacity of the installed heater 34, and Figure 13 shows the procedure for the process performed by each printer 30.

[0040] First, the printer 30 receives the initial temperature T0 and standard preparation time t from the server device 20. std The printer receives data from a table relating to the first temperature sensor 36 and the second temperature sensor 38 when the printer 30 starts heating the ink with the heater 34 (step S22). Next, the measuring unit 42 of the control device 40 determines that the absolute value of the difference between the initial temperature T0 and the ambient temperature AT is a preset reference temperature difference value T X Determine whether the following is true (step S23), and the temperature difference value T X If the following conditions are met, the initial temperature T0 and preparation time t are measured (step S24): the difference is the temperature difference value T. X If it exceeds (Step S23: No), the process is terminated.

[0041] In step S24, when the initial temperature T0 and preparation time t are newly measured, the determination unit 44 of the control device 40 determines, based on the table data acquired in step S21, the preparation time t at the measured initial temperature T0 and the standard preparation time t for the table at this initial temperature T0. std Step S25 determines whether the difference is greater than a predetermined value pt. If the difference is greater than the predetermined value pt (Step S25: Yes), the control device 40 adjusts the output value of the heater 34 using the output adjustment unit 46 so that the difference is less than or equal to the predetermined value pt (Step S26), and stores the adjusted output value of the heater 34 as history information in the storage unit 41 (Step S27). If the difference is less than or equal to the predetermined value pt (Step S25: No), the control device 40 stores the output value of the heater 34 as history information in the storage unit 41 without performing output adjustment (Step S27).

[0042] Next, the control device 40 predicts the failure time of the heater 34 using the failure time prediction unit 48 based on the history information of the output values ​​stored in the memory unit 41 (step S28). After that, it determines whether the predicted failure period is within a predetermined period (step S29), and if it is within the predetermined period, it displays the failure time prediction result on the display unit 32A of the printer 30 (step S30). If it is determined in step S29 that it is not within the predetermined period, the process ends without displaying anything.

[0043] As described above, in the printing system 10 of this embodiment, data of initial temperature T0 and preparation time t is collected from multiple printers 30 and sent to the server device 20, and the server device 20 processes the initial temperature T0 and standard preparation time t std A table can be calculated regarding this, and this calculated standard preparation time t std By comparing this with the newly acquired preparation time t from the printer 30, it is possible to determine whether the capacity of the heater 34 installed in the printer 30 is within the range of standard capacity. This makes it possible to objectively understand variations in the capacity of the heater 34 and any decrease in the capacity of the heater 34 in multiple printers 30 operating in different environments.

[0044] Furthermore, in the printing system 10 of this embodiment, if the determination unit 44 determines that the difference is greater than a predetermined value, for example, if the preparation time t is greater than the standard preparation time t std This situation occurs when the heater 34's capacity is reduced for a longer period than the standard preparation time t. std If the output of the heater 34 is shorter than necessary and the output is higher than required, the output adjustment unit 46 of the printer 30 adjusts the output of the heater 34 to a standard output, thereby suppressing variations in the capacity of the heater 34 in each printer 30. This suppresses variations in print quality from one printer 30 to the next.

[0045] Furthermore, in the printing system 10 of this embodiment, the failure timing prediction unit 48 predicts the failure timing of the heater 34, thereby predicting the replacement time of the ink head 52 due to the lifespan of the heater 34. In addition, by displaying this prediction result on the display unit 32A, the replacement time of the heater 34 and ink head 52 can be notified to the user.

[0046] Furthermore, in the printing system 10 of this embodiment, the initial temperature T0 and preparation time t are measured using the temperatures measured by the first temperature sensor 36 and the second temperature sensor 38, when the difference between the initial temperature T0 and the ambient temperature AT is within a predetermined range. This improves the accuracy of determining the capacity of the heater 34. Specifically, for example, in the printer 30, if the heater 34 is started again immediately after being stopped from use, the ink temperature will be in a state where the initial temperature T0 is higher than the ambient temperature AT due to residual heat from the previous use of the heater 34, i.e., the difference is large. Therefore, excluding such situations, the initial temperature T0 and preparation time t are measured only when the difference between the initial ink temperature T0 and the ambient temperature AT is within a predetermined range and the initial temperature T0 is approximately equal to the ambient temperature AT, and the standard preparation time t is determined based on this data. std This involves calculating the temperature and determining the capacity of heater 34. This eliminates situations where the initial ink temperature T0 is affected by preheating, thereby improving the accuracy of determining the capacity of heater 34.

[0047] Furthermore, in the printing system 10 of this embodiment, when creating table data, the table is calculated based on data from printers 30 where the elapsed time since the initial use of the printer 30 is within a predetermined period and the possibility of deterioration or failure of the heater 34 is low. This makes it possible to further improve the accuracy of determining the capacity of the heater 34.

[0048] In the embodiment described above, the heater 34 heats the ink in the ink head 52, and the first temperature sensor 36 and the second temperature sensor 38 measure the ink temperature in the ink head 52 and the ambient temperature around the ink head 52. However, the heater 34 may also heat the ink in the ink supply passage 62 that connects the ink cartridge 60 to the ink head 52, and the first temperature sensor 36 and the second temperature sensor 38 measure the ink temperature in the ink supply passage 62 and the ambient temperature around the ink supply passage 62. Furthermore, the object heated by the heater 34 is not limited to ink. For example, the object heated by the heater 34 may be the media 5. In this case, the first temperature sensor 36 is positioned in a location where the temperature of the media 5 can be measured (for example, on the mounting table 78 on which the media 5 is placed), and the second temperature sensor 38 is positioned in the printer body 30A in a location where the ambient temperature around the media 5 can be measured. In addition, the printer 30 may be equipped with a combination of heaters 34 that heat the ink in the ink head 52, the ink in the ink supply passage 62, and the media 5, respectively. Similarly, a first temperature sensor 36 and a second temperature sensor 38, which measure the temperature of the ink in the ink head 52, the ink in the ink supply path 62, the media 5, and the ambient temperature, may be combined and mounted on the printer 30. When the printing system 10 is applied to the ink heater 34 mounted on the ink head 52, as in this embodiment, the print quality of the printer 30 can be improved by understanding the capacity of the heater 34, which affects the ink ejection accuracy. For example, by understanding the heater capacity and adjusting the output of the heater 34, the temperature of the ink ejected from the ink head 52 can be kept nearly uniform in each printer 30, and variations in print quality between printers 30 can be suppressed.

[0049] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0050] For example, the determination unit 44 is located in the server device 20, not the printer 30, and when the server device 20 receives the initial temperature T0 and preparation time t from each printer 30, it determines the initial temperature T0 and standard preparation time t that have already been calculated. std Based on the data in the table, preparation time t and standard preparation time t std The configuration may also involve calculating the difference and making a determination. In this case, the determination result can be transmitted to the printer 30 via the communication units 22 and 31.

[0051] Alternatively, the history of the output values ​​of the heater 34 may be stored in the storage unit 24 of the server device 20, and the failure timing prediction unit 48 may be located in the server device 20 instead of the printer 30. In this case, information on the output values ​​of the heater 34 is transmitted from the printer 30 to the server device 20 via the communication units 22 and 31, and the failure timing prediction result is transmitted from the server device 20 to the printer 30 via the communication units 22 and 31.

[0052] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, each printer 30 determines whether the elapsed time since the initial use is within a predetermined period, and if it is within the predetermined period, it sends data for the initial temperature T0 and preparation time t for table creation to the server device 20. However, the server device 20 may determine whether the elapsed time of use of each printer 30 is within a predetermined period based on the data sent from each printer 30. For example, each printer 30 may send data regarding the elapsed time since the initial use, along with the initial temperature T0 and preparation time t, to the server device 20, and if the server device 20 determines that the elapsed time of use of the printer 30 is within the predetermined period, it may calculate the table based on the initial temperature T0 and preparation time t data received at the same time.

[0053] Furthermore, the printer 30 in the above-described embodiment was a so-called roll-to-roll type printer, in which the media 5 placed on the mounting table 78 is transported while being held between pinch rollers 76 and grid rollers 77, but it is not limited to this. For example, it may be a so-called flatbed type printer, in which the mounting section 78 on which the media 5 is placed is moved in the sub-scanning direction relative to the ink head 52. Alternatively, it may be a so-called gantry type printer, in which the mounting section 78 on which the media 5 is placed is not moved, but the carriage 50 is moved in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction relative to the media. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10 Printing Systems 12 Networks 20 Server device (information processing means) 22A Transmitter 22B Receiver 26 Calculation Section 30 Printers 31A Transmitter 31B Receiver 32 Control Panel 35 Heater drive unit 36. First temperature sensor 38. Second temperature sensor (ambient temperature sensor) 40 Control device 42 Measurement section 44 Judgment section 46 Output adjustment section 48 Failure Timing Prediction Unit 50 Carriage 52 Inkheads

Claims

1. A plurality of printers, each equipped with a heater and a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of an object to be heated by the heater or the temperature of the heater, Information processing means capable of communicating with the aforementioned multiple printers, In a printing system, The aforementioned printer is A measuring unit that measures the initial temperature, which is the temperature of the object to be heated or the heater when heating by the heater begins, and the preparation time from the start of heating by the heater until the temperature measured by the temperature sensor reaches a preset target temperature. The system includes a transmitting unit that transmits the initial temperature and preparation time measured by the measuring unit to the information processing unit, The aforementioned information processing means is The system includes a calculation unit that calculates a table relating to initial temperature and standard preparation time, based on the initial temperature and preparation time data received from the aforementioned multiple printers, by calculating a standard preparation time for each initial temperature. A printing system characterized in that the printer or the information processing means includes a determination unit that determines whether the difference between the preparation time at the acquired initial temperature and the standard preparation time is greater than a predetermined value, based on the data in the table and the initial temperature and preparation time newly acquired from the printer.

2. The printing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the printer obtains data from the information processing means, and the determination unit determines whether the difference between the newly obtained preparation time at the initial temperature and the standard preparation time is greater than a predetermined value.

3. The printer is equipped with an ambient temperature sensor capable of measuring the temperature around the object to be heated. The printing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the measurement unit measures the preparation time when heating is started by the heater, provided that the difference between the initial temperature and the ambient temperature measured by the ambient temperature sensor is within a predetermined range.

4. The printing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the information processing means calculates the table based on the initial temperature and preparation time data received from a printer whose elapsed time since the first use of the printer is within a predetermined period.

5. The printing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the standard preparation time is the average value of the preparation time for each initial temperature.

6. The printing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the printer is provided with an output adjustment unit that adjusts the output value of the heater so that the difference between the standard preparation time and the newly acquired preparation time is less than or equal to the predetermined value when the difference is greater than the predetermined value.

7. The printing system according to claim 6, characterized in that the printer includes a failure timing prediction unit that predicts the timing of a heater failure based on the history of the output value of the heater adjusted by the output adjustment unit.

8. The aforementioned printer is Equipped with an ink head that ejects ink onto the object to be printed, The printing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the heater and the temperature sensor are mounted on the ink head.

9. The aforementioned printer is A carriage configured to be movable relative to the printer body, The carriage is equipped with an ink head that ejects ink onto the object to be printed, The heater and the temperature sensor are mounted on the ink head. The printing system according to claim 3, characterized in that the ambient temperature sensor is mounted on the carriage and located outside the ink head.

10. A plurality of printers, each equipped with a heater and a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of an object to be heated by the heater or the temperature of the heater, Information processing means capable of communicating with the aforementioned multiple printers, A method for determining heater capacity in a printing system equipped with the following: The printer includes a measurement step of measuring the initial temperature, which is the temperature of the object to be heated or the heater when heating by the heater begins, and the preparation time from the start of heating by the heater until the temperature measured by the temperature sensor reaches a preset target temperature. A transmission step of transmitting the initial temperature and the preparation time to the information processing means, The information processing means performs a calculation step of calculating a table relating to initial temperature and standard preparation time, which calculates a standard preparation time for each initial temperature based on the initial temperature and preparation time data received from the plurality of printers. A method for determining heater capacity in a printing system, characterized in that the printer or the information processing means determines, based on the data in the table and the initial temperature and preparation time newly acquired from the printer, whether the difference between the preparation time at the acquired initial temperature and the standard preparation time is greater than a predetermined value.

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