US 12,134,268 B2
Inkjet printing apparatus including printing unit and maintenance unit and printing method using the same
Dong Hyun Jun, Seongnam-si (KR); Woon Sang Baek, Seoul (KR); Sang Hyuk Yun, Hwaseong-si (KR); Keun Hwa Yang, Hwaseong-si (KR); Hyung Suk Lee, Yongin-si (KR); and Cheol Hyung Cho, Hwaseong-si (KR)
Assigned to SEMES CO., LTD., Chungcheongnam-Do (KR)
Filed by SEMES CO., LTD., Cheonan-si (KR)
Filed on Jul. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/868,080.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2021-0095579 (KR), filed on Jul. 21, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0035323 A1, Feb. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. B41J 2/045 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 2/0451 (2013.01) [B41J 2/04586 (2013.01)] 3 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An inkjet printing apparatus comprising:
a printing unit configured to perform a printing by discharging an ink on a substrate;
a maintenance unit being alongside the printing unit;
a head configured to be movable between the printing unit and the maintenance unit and having a plurality of nozzles thereon;
a measurement unit being at the maintenance unit and configured to measure a discharge performance of the nozzles; and
a controller configured to receive measured data measured by the measurement unit and configured to control the head based on the measured data, and
wherein the controller is configured to
determine the discharge performance of the nozzles based on the measured data,
select a nozzle having a grade lower than a reference grade among the nozzles as a non-use nozzle and remaining nozzles as use nozzles,
convert a specific nozzle having a recovery probability equal to or greater than a set probability among the nozzle selected as the non-use nozzle to a use nozzle based on a pre-stored reference data, wherein the recovery probability is a probability that the substrate will be printed with a quality equal to or greater than the reference grade if the nozzle selected as the non-use nozzle participates in printing the substrate, and
generate a control signal to cause the head to discharge the ink on the substrate using at least one nozzle among the use nozzles.