US 11,872,810 B2
Ink discharge apparatus, ink discharge method, and medium storing ink discharge program
Takashi Kanzaki, Nagoya (JP); and Shuhei Suzuki, Nagoya (JP)
Assigned to BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Nagoya (JP)
Filed by BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Nagoya (JP)
Filed on Nov. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/527,924.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-190083 (JP), filed on Nov. 16, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0153019 A1, May 19, 2022
Int. Cl. B41J 2/045 (2006.01); B41J 2/21 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 2/04505 (2013.01) [B41J 2/04551 (2013.01); B41J 2/04573 (2013.01); B41J 2/2117 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ink discharge apparatus comprising:
a discharge head having a plurality of nozzle rows arranged in a first direction, each of the nozzle rows including a plurality of nozzles aligned in a second direction intersecting with the first direction; and
a controller,
wherein the controller is configured to execute:
a mode determining process to receive a print job and to determine whether a print mode is a low gap print mode or a high gap print mode based on the print job, the low gap print mode being a print mode where a distance between the nozzles and a discharge target medium is low gap, the high gap print mode being a print mode where the distance between the nozzles and the discharge target medium is high gap larger than the low gap; and
a number of discharge reducing process to reduce a total number of discharging ink per unit time from the nozzles as compared with the case of the low gap print mode, if the print mode is determined as the high gap print mode,
if the print mode is determined as the low gap print mode, the controller is configured to set a discharge frequency for each of the mozzles at a first discharge frequency, such that each of the nozzles discharges a first number of ink droplet per the unit time,
if the print mode is determined as the high gap print mode, the controller is configured to change the discharge frequency for at least one of the nozzles to a second discharge frequency, such that the at least one of the nozzles discharges a second number of ink droplets per the unit time, and
the second number is larger than zero and smaller than the first number.