Patent ID: 8014018
Filing Date: 2011-09-06
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A printing apparatus capable of forming images successively on a plurality of pieces of recording media, comprising: at least two medium holders including a first medium holder to hold a first recording medium and a second medium holder to hold a second recording medium; at least two print heads including a first print head, which is driven according to first print data to eject ink onto the first recording medium and the second recording medium, and a second print head, which is driven according to second print data to eject ink onto the first recording medium and the second recording medium; at least two print head drive units including a first print head drive unit, which drives the first print head in a main scanning direction, and a second print head drive unit, which drives the second print head in the main scanning direction; at least two holder drive units including a first holder drive unit to drive the first medium holder in an auxiliary direction, which is perpendicular to the main scanning direction, and a second holder drive unit to drive the second medium holder in the auxiliary direction; at least two ink cartridges including a first ink cartridge, which stores ink therein and supplies the ink to the first print head, and a second ink cartridge, which stores ink therein and supplies the ink to the second print head; and a cooperation controlling system to control printing operations in the printing apparatus, wherein the printing operations include: a first printing operation to print an image on one of the first recording medium and the second recording medium in cooperation with the first print head, the first print head drive unit, and one of the first holder drive unit and the second holder drive unit; a first pre-print operation including a moving behavior, by which the first print head is moved from a first maintenance position to a first starting position; a first after-print operation including a moving behavior, by which the first print head is moved from a first ending position to the first maintenance position; a second printing operation to print an image on one of the first recording medium and the second recording medium in cooperation with the second print head, the second print head drive unit, and one of the first holder drive unit and the second holder drive unit; a second pre-print operation including a moving behavior, by which the second print head is moved from a second maintenance position to a second starting position; and a second after-print operation including a moving behavior, by which the second print head is moved from a second ending position to the second maintenance position; and wherein the cooperation controlling system controls at least one of: the second print head and the second print head drive unit so that the second pre-print operation is conducted at least partially simultaneously with the first after-print operation when the first printing operation and the second printing operation are conducted successively to one of the first recording medium and the second recording medium; and the first print head and the first print head drive unit so that the first pre-print operation is conducted at least partially simultaneously with the second after-print operation when the first printing operation and the second printing operation are conducted successively to one of the first recording medium and the second recording medium.