Patent ID: 6561622
Filing Date: 2003-05-13
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:a recording head having a plurality of nozzles, said plurality of nozzles comprising a first class of nozzles and a second class of nozzles; a driver for jetting ink from said nozzles so as to perform a flushing operation; a capping unit for sealing said nozzles; a capping time measuring device for measuring a capping time during which said nozzles are sealed by said capping unit; a setting unit for determining a volume of ink to be jetted from said nozzles during the flushing operation, wherein said setting unit determines a volume of ink to be jetted from said first class of nozzles based on an actual rate of increasing viscosity of the ink to be jetted from said first class of nozzles, said setting unit being adapted to calculate the actual rate of increasing viscosity of the ink to be jetted from said first class of nozzles based on a type of the ink to be jetted from said first class of nozzles and on the capping time measured by said capping time measuring device, and wherein said setting unit determines a volume of ink to be jetted from said second class of nozzles based on an actual rate of increasing viscosity of the ink to be jetted from said second class of nozzles, said setting unit being adapted to calculate the actual rate of increasing viscosity of the ink to be jetted from said second class of nozzles based on a type of the ink to be jetted from said second class of nozzles and on the capping time measured by said capping time measuring device; and a flushing operation controller for controlling said driver during the flushing operation such that a volume of ink actually jetted from said first class of nozzles and said second class of nozzles will be coincident with the volumes of ink separately determined by said setting unit to be jetted from said first class of nozzles and said second class of nozzles, respectively.