Patent ID: 7490931
Filing Date: 2009-02-17
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An image recording apparatus, comprising: a conveyance device for conveying a recording medium; a printing head including a plurality of unit heads provided in a direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording medium for jetting ink drops having a photo-setting property toward the recording medium; a plurality of light radiation devices, each of the light radiation devices having a light source arranged downstream from a position corresponding to each of the plurality of unit heads for radiating light emitted from the light source onto the ink drops on the recording medium; a plurality of light transmitting protection members replaceably arranged between each of the plurality of light radiation devices and the recording medium; a plurality of light amount measurement sensors arranged farther than the recording medium with respect to the light transmitting protection members; a storage section for storing a target light amount value for each of the plurality of light radiation devices; a notification section for notifying an operator of a state of each of the plurality of light radiation devices; and a controller for controlling a light amount of each of the plurality of light radiation devices and the notification section on the basis of values measured by the light amount measurement sensors and the target light amount value output from the storage section, wherein the controller compares each of the measured values from each of the light radiation devices with the target light amount value prior to an image recording operation, and when each of the measured values is less than the target light amount value, the controller increases a light amount of the corresponding light radiation device until the light amount is greater than or equal to the target light amount, and wherein after the light amount of the corresponding light radiation device increases, the controller controls the notification section to notify the operator to replace the protection member if the measured value of the corresponding light radiation device does not reach the target light amount.