Patent ID: 7245756
Filing Date: 2007-07-17
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A liquid ejection inspecting method for an ejection nozzle array including plural ejection nozzles comprising a printhead for ejecting liquid wherein said plural ejection nozzles extend in a first scan direction, said liquid ejection inspecting method comprising the steps of: photographing said ejection nozzles in said ejection nozzle array, to output image data; analyzing said image data to output analysis result information; judging whether an ejecting state of said ejection nozzles is acceptable or unacceptable according to said analysis result information; moving one of said printhead and said recording material relative to a remaining one thereof at a small adjusting shifted amount in said first scan direction, said adjusting shifted amount being equal to a pitch between an unacceptable nozzle of which said unacceptable state is judged and an acceptable nozzle close thereto and of which said acceptable state is judged among said ejection nozzles, and causing said acceptable nozzle to eject said ink instead of said unacceptable nozzle, so as to compensate for lowering of image quality due to said unacceptable state; and recording images to recording material based on whether an object which prevents said liquid from passing through a discharging port of said ejection nozzle is stuck on said ejection nozzle.