JP3969413B2 - Liquid ejection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus, and more particularly, to a liquid ejecting apparatus that removes a foreign substance from a collected liquid and reuses it.

  As the number of nozzles of the ink ejection head increases, the amount of waste ink generated by recovery operations such as idle ejection and suction increases. On the other hand, when waste ink is collected and reused, waste ink contains foreign matter such as thickened ink lump and paper dust. If ink is reused while containing such foreign matter, ink ejection The nozzles of the head are clogged, causing ink ejection failure. Therefore, conventionally, an ink jet recording apparatus provided with a filter for removing foreign matter from waste ink has been proposed.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228561 describes an ink cartridge that is divided into a supply ink chamber and a recovery ink chamber, and a filter is disposed at a communication portion between the two ink chambers.

  In Patent Document 2, a filter is provided on a flow path for collecting waste ink discharged from an ink discharge head into an ink cartridge, and a pump for removing foreign matter accumulated in the filter is provided upstream or downstream of the filter. Are listed. The foreign matter removed from the filter by driving the pump is discharged together with the waste ink.

  Patent Document 3 has a tank (sub tank) that supplies ink to the ink discharge head and a tank (waste ink tank) that collects ink discharged from the ink discharge head, and a filter is provided at a communication portion between the two tanks. Further, there is described a pump provided with a pump for discharging waste ink mixed with foreign matters from a waste ink tank.

  In Patent Document 4, a filter is provided on a flow path for collecting ink discharged from an ink discharge head into an ink cartridge, and a means for relaxing ink thickening in the flow path is provided upstream of the filter. Is described.

In Patent Document 5, a filter is provided on a flow path for collecting ink discharged from an ink discharge head to an ink storage tank, and when the flow rate of ink on the flow path is lower than a predetermined threshold, replacement of the filter is urged. What is made is described.
JP-A-2-281960 JP 2001-315357 A JP 2002-200771 A JP 2001-315358 A JP 2002-240318 A

  Foreign matter mixed in the waste ink is captured by the filter, but the filter is clogged by the captured foreign matter, so the filter must be replaced.

  In the device described in Patent Document 1, a filter is disposed between the recovery ink chamber and the supply ink chamber in the ink cartridge, and even if the ink cartridge can be replaced, only the filter cannot be replaced. . Further, even if usable ink remains in the ink cartridge, if the filter is clogged, the ink cartridge must be replaced.

  Since the inks described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 are also discharged when the foreign matter is removed, the ink consumption increases.

  Patent Documents 4 and 5 do not describe how to replace the filter specifically.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of extending the operating time of each filter and reducing the frequency of filter replacement without wasting ink. Objective.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is directed to a liquid discharge section that discharges liquid, a liquid storage section that stores liquid supplied to the liquid discharge section, and a plurality of flows that cause liquid to flow. A switching unit that holds a detachable filter that removes foreign matter and switches the position of the filter so that the filter is sequentially connected to the plurality of flow paths, and the switching unit includes the liquid A liquid supply flow path for supplying the liquid stored in the storage section to the liquid discharge section, a liquid recovery flow path for recovering the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge section so as to be reused in the liquid discharge section, and The configuration is such that the position of the filter is switched with at least two or more of the cleaning channels that remove foreign substances accumulated in the filter as connection targets .

The present invention includes a mode in which a filter is connected with a liquid supply channel and a liquid recovery channel as a connection target, a mode in which a filter is connected with a liquid recovery channel and a cleaning channel as a connection target, a liquid supply channel and a cleaning A mode in which the filter is connected with the flow path as the connection target is included .

  With such a configuration, the position of the detachable filter is switched, and the filter is sequentially connected to the plurality of flow paths. Therefore, each filter is compared with the case where the filter is discarded every time it is used in one flow path. It is possible to extend the operating time of the filter and reduce the frequency of filter replacement.

Invention according to claim 2, in the invention described in claim 1, wherein the switching unit, the filters used in connection with the liquid supply passage, and is configured to be connected to the liquid recovery flow passage Yes.

  With this configuration, since the filter is used in the liquid recovery flow path after being used in the liquid supply flow path, the operating time of each filter is extended while maintaining the discharge performance of the liquid discharge section, and the filter replacement frequency is increased. Can be reduced.

The invention according to claim 3, in the invention described in claim 1, wherein the switching unit, after connecting the filter to the cleaning flow passage, the washed the filter, the liquid supply passage, and, It has been configured to connect to at least one of the flow path of said liquid collection channels.

  With this configuration, the filters are washed and reused, so that the operating time of each filter can be extended and the frequency of filter replacement can be reduced.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, the switching unit is configured to be able to hold a greater number of filters than the number of flow paths to be connected. ing.

  With this configuration, even if a waste filter occurs, a filter that has been in a disconnected state can be connected to the flow path, and the operation of the apparatus can be continued.

The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein a reading unit that reads identification information indicating a type of the filter from a storage unit provided in the filter, and the identification information Whether or not the filter is usable is identified based on the filter, and the filter that is identified as not usable is configured to include a switching control unit that performs control so that the filter is not connected to the flow path.

  With this configuration, even if an inappropriate filter is attached, the inappropriate filter is prevented from being used based on the identification information.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is the invention according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, further comprising a waste filter storage portion for storing a used waste filter.

  With this configuration, the waste filter can be stored in the waste filter storage unit, and the waste filter can be disposed of in a lump.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect of the present invention, a usable filter or a waste filter is discriminated based on a flow velocity of a flow path to which the filter is connected or a use time of the filter. The filter storage control unit controls the filter to be stored in the waste filter storage unit.

  With this configuration, it is determined whether or not the filter is a waste filter, and the filter is automatically stored in the waste filter storage unit. Therefore, it is easy to replace the filter.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the invention of the sixth aspect , the use history information of the filter is created, a usable filter or a waste filter is determined based on the use history information, and the waste filter Is provided with a filter storage control unit that controls the waste filter storage unit to be stored in the waste filter storage unit.

  Note that the usage history information is stored in an IC tag provided in the filter, a memory provided in the apparatus, or the like.

  With this configuration, it is determined whether or not the filter is a waste filter, and the filter is automatically stored in the waste filter storage unit. Therefore, it is easy to replace the filter.

The invention according to claim 9 is the invention according to any one of claims 6 to 8 , wherein the waste filter storage portion is partitioned together with the liquid storage portion in a cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body. It has a formed configuration.

  With this configuration, when the cartridge is replaced when there is no available liquid, the waste filter is also carried away from the apparatus as the cartridge is removed.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the ninth aspect of the invention, the waste filter storage portion is in an open state so as to be able to store a filter when the cartridge is attached to the apparatus main body. When the filter is removed from the apparatus main body, an open / close section is provided that is closed so that the stored filter does not come out.

  With this configuration, when the cartridge is attached to the apparatus main body, the opening / closing part is opened, and when the available liquid disappears and the cartridge is removed from the apparatus main body, the opening / closing part is closed. There is no worry about getting dirty.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to extend the operating time of each filter and reduce the frequency of filter replacement.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an outline of an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

  In FIG. 1, an ink jet recording apparatus 10 includes a print unit 12 having a plurality of print heads 12K, 12C, 12M, and 12Y provided for each ink color, and ink supplied to each print head 12K, 12C, 12M, and 12Y. An ink storage / loading unit 14 for storing the recording paper, a paper feeding unit 18 for supplying the recording paper 16, a decurling unit 20 for removing curling of the recording paper 16, and a nozzle surface (ink ejection surface) of the printing unit 12 A suction belt conveyance unit 22 that conveys the recording paper 16 while maintaining the flatness of the recording paper 16, a print detection unit 24 that reads a result of printing by the printing unit 12, and a printed recording paper And a paper discharge unit 26 for discharging (printed matter) to the outside.

  In FIG. 1, a magazine for rolled paper (continuous paper) is shown as an example of the paper supply unit 18, but a plurality of magazines having different paper widths, paper quality, and the like may be provided side by side. Further, instead of or in combination with the roll paper magazine, the paper may be supplied by a cassette in which cut papers are stacked and loaded.

  In the case of an apparatus configuration using roll paper, a cutter 28 is provided as shown in FIG. 1, and the roll paper is cut into a desired size by the cutter 28. The cutter 28 includes a fixed blade 28A having a length equal to or greater than the conveyance path width of the recording paper 16, and a round blade 28B that moves along the fixed blade 28A. Note that the cutter 28 is not necessary when cut paper is used.

  When multiple types of recording paper are used, an information recording body such as a barcode or wireless tag that records paper type information is attached to the magazine, and the information on the information recording body is read by a predetermined reader. Therefore, it is preferable to automatically determine the type of paper to be used and perform ink ejection control so as to realize appropriate ink ejection according to the type of paper.

  The recording paper 16 delivered from the paper supply unit 18 retains curl due to having been loaded in the magazine. In order to remove this curl, heat is applied to the recording paper 16 by the heating drum 30 in the direction opposite to the curl direction of the magazine in the decurling unit 20. At this time, it is more preferable to control the heating temperature so that the printed surface is slightly curled outward.

  After the decurling process, the cut recording paper 16 is sent to the suction belt conveyance unit 22. The suction belt conveyance unit 22 has a structure in which an endless belt 33 is wound between rollers 31 and 32, and at least portions facing the nozzle surface of the printing unit 12 and the sensor surface of the printing detection unit 24 are flat ( Flat surface).

  The belt 33 has a width that is wider than the width of the recording paper 16, and a plurality of suction holes (not shown) are formed on the belt surface. As shown in FIG. 1, a suction chamber 34 is provided at a position facing the nozzle surface of the print unit 12 and the sensor surface of the print detection unit 24 inside the belt 33 spanned between the rollers 31 and 32. Then, the suction chamber 34 is sucked by the fan 35 to make a negative pressure, whereby the recording paper 16 on the belt is sucked and held.

  The power of a motor (not shown) is transmitted to at least one of the rollers 31 and 32 around which the belt 33 is wound, so that the belt 33 is driven in the clockwise direction in FIG. The recording paper 16 is conveyed from left to right in FIG.

  Since ink adheres to the belt 33 when a borderless print or the like is printed, the belt cleaning unit 36 is provided at a predetermined position outside the belt 33 (an appropriate position other than the print area). Although details of the configuration of the belt cleaning unit 36 are not illustrated, for example, there are a method of nipping a brush roll, a water supply roll, etc., an air blow method of spraying cleaning air, or a combination thereof. In the case of the system in which the cleaning roll is nipped, the cleaning effect is great if the belt linear velocity is changed to the roller linear velocity.

  Although a mode using a roller / nip conveyance mechanism instead of the suction belt conveyance unit 22 is also conceivable, if the roller / nip conveyance is performed in the printing area, the roller comes into contact with the printing surface of the paper immediately after printing, so that the image blurs. There is a problem that it is easy. Therefore, it is preferable to carry the suction belt so that it does not come into contact with the image surface in the printing area as in this example.

  A heating fan 40 is provided on the upstream side of the printing unit 12 on the paper conveyance path formed by the suction belt conveyance unit 22. The heating fan 40 heats the recording paper 16 by blowing heated air onto the recording paper 16 before printing. Heating the recording paper 16 immediately before printing makes it easier for the ink to dry after landing.

  The printing unit 12 is a so-called full-line type head in which line-type heads having a length corresponding to the maximum paper width are arranged in a direction (main scanning direction) orthogonal to the paper transport direction (sub-scanning direction) ( (See FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 2, each of the print heads 12K, 12C, 12M, and 12Y has a plurality of ink discharge ports (nozzles) over a length exceeding at least one side of the recording paper 16 of the maximum size targeted by the inkjet recording apparatus 10. It is composed of arranged line type heads.

  Along the transport direction (paper transport direction) of the recording paper 16, the inks correspond to the respective color inks in the order of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) from the upstream side (left side in FIG. 1). Print heads 12K, 12C, 12M, and 12Y are arranged. A color image can be formed on the recording paper 16 by ejecting the color inks from the print heads 12K, 12C, 12M, and 12Y while conveying the recording paper 16, respectively.

  Thus, according to the printing unit 12 in which the full line head that covers the entire width of the paper is provided for each ink color, the recording paper 16 and the printing unit 12 are relatively moved in the paper transport direction (sub-scanning direction). It is possible to record an image on the entire surface of the recording paper 16 by performing this operation only once (that is, by one sub-scan). Accordingly, high-speed printing is possible as compared with a shuttle type head in which the print head reciprocates in a direction (main scanning direction) orthogonal to the paper transport direction, and productivity can be improved.

  Here, the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction are used in the following meaning. That is, when driving the nozzles with a full line head having a nozzle row corresponding to the full width of the recording paper, (1) whether all the nozzles are driven simultaneously or (2) whether the nozzles are driven sequentially from one side to the other (3) The nozzles are divided into blocks, and each nozzle is driven sequentially from one side to the other for each block, and the width direction of the paper (perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording paper) Nozzle driving that prints one line (a line made up of a single row of dots or a line made up of a plurality of rows of dots) in the direction of scanning is defined as main scanning. A direction indicated by one line (longitudinal direction of the belt-like region) recorded by the main scanning is called a main scanning direction.

  On the other hand, by relatively moving the above-described full line head and the recording paper, printing of one line (a line formed by a single line of dots or a line composed of a plurality of lines) formed by the above-described main scanning is repeatedly performed. Is defined as sub-scanning. A direction in which sub-scanning is performed is referred to as a sub-scanning direction. After all, the conveyance direction of the recording paper is the sub-scanning direction, and the direction orthogonal to it is the main scanning direction.

  In the present embodiment, the configuration of KCMY standard colors (four colors) is exemplified, but the number of ink colors and combinations are not limited to the present embodiment, and light ink and dark ink are used as necessary. May be added. For example, it is possible to add a print head that discharges light ink such as light cyan and light magenta.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ink storage / loading unit 14 has tanks that store inks of colors corresponding to the print heads 12K, 12C, 12M, and 12Y, and each tank has a pipeline that is not shown. The print heads 12K, 12C, 12M, and 12Y communicate with each other. Further, the ink storage / loading unit 14 includes notifying means (display means, warning sound generating means, etc.) for notifying when the ink remaining amount is low, and has a mechanism for preventing erroneous loading between colors. is doing.

  The print detection unit 24 includes an image sensor (line sensor or the like) for imaging the droplet ejection result of the print unit 12, and means for checking nozzle clogging and other ejection defects from the droplet ejection image read by the image sensor. Function as.

  The print detection unit 24 of the present embodiment is composed of a line sensor having a light receiving element array that is wider than at least the ink ejection width (image recording width) by the print heads 12K, 12C, 12M, and 12Y. The line sensor includes an R sensor row in which photoelectric conversion elements (pixels) provided with red (R) color filters are arranged in a line, a G sensor row provided with green (G) color filters, The color separation line CCD sensor includes a B sensor array provided with a blue (B) color filter. Instead of the line sensor, an area sensor in which the light receiving elements are two-dimensionally arranged can be used.

  The print detection unit 24 reads the test patterns printed by the heads 12K, 12C, 12M, and 12Y for each color, and detects the ejection of each head. The determination of ejection includes the presence / absence of ejection, determination of dot size, measurement of dot landing position, and the like.

  A post-drying unit 42 is provided following the print detection unit 24. The post-drying unit 42 is means for drying the printed image surface, and for example, a heating fan is used. Since it is preferable to avoid contact with the printing surface until the ink after printing is dried, a method of blowing hot air is preferred.

  When printing on porous paper with dye-based ink, the weather resistance of the image is prevented by blocking the paper holes by pressurization and preventing contact with ozone or other substances that cause dye molecules to break. There is an effect to improve.

  A heating / pressurizing unit 44 is provided following the post-drying unit 42. The heating / pressurizing unit 44 is a means for controlling the glossiness of the image surface, and pressurizes with a pressure roller 45 having a predetermined surface uneven shape while heating the image surface to transfer the uneven shape to the image surface. To do.

  The printed matter generated in this manner is outputted from the paper output unit 26. It is preferable that the original image to be printed (printed target image) and the test print are discharged separately. The ink jet recording apparatus 10 is provided with a selecting means (not shown) for switching the paper discharge path in order to select the printed matter of the main image and the printed matter of the test print and send them to the respective discharge portions 26A and 26B. ing. When the main image and the test print are simultaneously formed on a large sheet of paper in parallel, the test print portion is separated by a cutter (second cutter) 48. The cutter 48 is provided immediately before the paper discharge unit 26, and cuts the main image and the test print unit when the test print is performed on the image margin. The structure of the cutter 48 is the same as that of the first cutter 28 described above, and includes a fixed blade 48A and a round blade 48B.

  Although not shown, the paper output unit 26A for the target prints is provided with a sorter for collecting prints according to print orders.

  Next, the print head (liquid ejection unit) will be described. Since the structures of the print heads 12K, 12C, 12M, and 12Y provided for each ink color are common, the print head is represented by the reference numeral 50 in the following, and the print head 50 is shown in FIG. The plane perspective view of is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the print head 50 according to the present embodiment supplies ink to a nozzle 51 that ejects ink as droplets, a pressure chamber 52 that applies pressure to the ink when the ink is ejected, and a pressure chamber 52. The pressure chamber units 54 configured to include the ink supply ports 53 are arranged in a staggered two-dimensional matrix to increase the density of the nozzles 51.

  As shown in FIG. 3, each pressure chamber 52 has a substantially square shape when viewed from above. A nozzle 51 is formed at one end of the diagonal line, and an ink supply port 53 is provided at the other end. Yes.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the pressure chamber unit 54 is formed by a pressure chamber 52 that communicates with a nozzle 51 that discharges ink, and the pressure chamber 52 has a common flow channel 55 that supplies ink through a supply port 53. While communicating, one surface (top surface in the figure) of the pressure chamber 52 is constituted by a diaphragm 56, and a piezoelectric element 58 that applies pressure to the diaphragm 56 to deform the diaphragm is joined to the upper portion of the diaphragm. An individual electrode 57 is formed on the upper surface of the element 58. The diaphragm 56 also serves as a common electrode.

  The piezoelectric element 58 is sandwiched between a common electrode (diaphragm 56) and an individual electrode 57, and is deformed by applying a driving voltage to these two electrodes 56 and 57. The diaphragm 56 is pushed by the deformation of the piezoelectric element 58, the volume of the pressure chamber 52 is reduced, and ink is ejected from the nozzle 51. When the voltage application between the two electrodes 56 and 57 is released, the piezoelectric element 58 returns to the original state, the volume of the pressure chamber 52 is restored to the original size, and the head common channel 55 passes through the supply port 53. Thus, new ink is supplied to the pressure chamber 52.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the ink circulation system in the inkjet recording apparatus 10.

  In FIG. 5, in order to simplify the display, the common flow path 55, the supply port 53, and the pressure chamber 52 shown in FIG. 4 in the print head 50 are collectively represented by one square 59.

  The ink jet recording apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 5 is a member that prevents drying of the nozzle 51 of the print head 50 and prevents ink thickening in the vicinity of the nozzle 51 and receives ink from the print head 50 (specifically, the nozzle 51). As shown, a cap 920 is provided. During printing or standby, a purge that forcibly ejects ink from the print head 50 toward the cap 920 in order to discharge the thickened ink in the vicinity of the nozzle 51 (note that the purge is “preliminary ejection”, “empty” (Sometimes referred to as “discharging”). Further, a cap 920 is applied to the print head 50, and ink in the print head 50 (ink mixed with bubbles) is sucked toward the cap 920. Such a suction operation toward the cap 920 is performed when the ink cartridge 60 is loaded or when the ink cartridge 60 starts to be used after being stopped for a long time, and the ink in the print head 50 is sucked out toward the cap 920. That is, even if bubbles mixed in the ink in the print head 50 increase or the viscosity increase of the ink in the nozzle 51 exceeds a certain level and the ink cannot be ejected by the purge, the cap 920 is attached to the print head. By adhering to the nozzle 50 and performing a suction operation, unnecessary ink of the print head 50 can be delivered to the cap 920 side. The ink delivered from the print head 50 to the cap 920 by purging or suction is reused as ink ejected from the print head 50.

  The ink delivered from the print head 50 to the cap 920 contains a lump of ink that has been thickened and solidified (thickened ink lump) and foreign matters such as paper dust. In order to prevent defects and perform high-quality printing, it is necessary to supply ink to the print head 50 after removing such foreign matters. Hereinafter, a configuration for removing foreign substances and circulating ink will be described in detail.

  The ink cartridge 60 is a unit that can be attached to and detached from (removable from) the main body of the inkjet recording apparatus 10, and constitutes the ink storage / loading unit 14 of FIG. 1. The ink cartridge 60 includes a supply ink chamber 61 for storing ink supplied to the print head 50, a recovery ink chamber 62 for temporarily storing ink recovered from the print head 50 via the cap 920, and a recovery ink chamber 62. A diluting solution chamber 63 for storing a diluting solution for diluting the ink and a waste filter housing chamber 65 for storing the used filter 70 are partitioned. In the present embodiment, the dilution liquid also serves as a cleaning liquid for removing foreign substances accumulated in the filter 70, and the dilution liquid chamber 63 also serves as a cleaning liquid chamber 63 that stores the cleaning liquid.

  A pipe line from the supply ink chamber 61 to the print head 50 via the first pump 111 (ink supply pump) is an ink supply flow path 91. The ink stored in the supply ink chamber 61 is supplied to the print head 50 through the ink supply channel 91 by driving the first pump 111 (ink supply pump), and formed on the nozzle surface 50 </ b> A of the print head 50. It is discharged from the nozzle 51. Excess ink that has not been ejected from the nozzles 51 is a non-ejection ink flow path 95 (a flow path that directly reaches the supply ink chamber 61 from the print head 50 without passing through the cap 920) except when it is delivered to the cap 920. ) To the supply ink chamber 61.

  A pipe line from the cap 920 to the recovered ink chamber 62 via the second pump 112 (ink recovery pump) is an ink recovery flow path 92. The ink recovery channel 92 includes a common channel 9294 with a later-described dilution channel 94. The ink ejected from the print head 50 toward the cap 920 by purging or the like, or the ink sucked from the print head 50 to the cap 920 is driven by the second pump 112 (ink recovery pump), and the ink recovery flow path 92. Then, the ink is recovered in the recovery ink chamber 62. The ink collected in the collected ink chamber 62 is diluted with the diluting liquid in the diluting liquid chamber 63 in accordance with the ink characteristics (ink density, viscosity, specific gravity, etc.), and then the collected ink chamber 62 and the supply ink chamber. The ink drops into the supply ink chamber 61 through a communication portion 621 formed between the ink supply 61 and the ink supply chamber 61. That is, the ink that has been reduced to a characteristic that can be ejected by the print head 50 returns to the supply ink chamber 61.

  A conduit that cleans the filter 70 at the filter cleaning position through the third pump 113 from the diluent chamber 63 (also serving as the cleaning fluid chamber) and reaches the diluent chamber 63 again is the cleaning channel 93, and the first channel from the diluent chamber 63 A pipe line that reaches the recovered ink chamber 62 through the three pumps 113 is a dilution flow path 94. The cleaning channel 93 includes a common channel 9394 with the dilution channel 94, and the dilution channel 94 includes a common channel 9394 with the cleaning channel 93 and a common channel 9294 with the ink recovery channel 92. When the dilution flow path valve 121 (valve 1) is open and the cleaning flow path valve 122 (valve 2) is closed, the dilution liquid stored in the dilution liquid chamber 63 is diluted by driving the third pump 113. The collected ink chamber 62 is introduced through the flow path 94. As a result, the ink in the collected ink chamber 62 is diluted. On the other hand, when the dilution flow path valve 121 (valve 1) is closed and the cleaning flow path valve 122 (valve 2) is open, the dilution liquid (cleaning liquid) stored in the dilution liquid chamber 63 (also serving as the cleaning liquid chamber). Is also returned to the diluent chamber 63 through the cleaning flow path 93 as the cleaning liquid of the filter (70d shown in FIG. 5) disposed at the filter cleaning position by driving the third pump 113. Foreign substances accumulated in the filter 70 are removed by the flow of such a diluted solution (also serving as a cleaning solution).

  Filters 70 (70b, 70c, 70d) are detachably connected to the ink supply channel 91, the ink recovery channel 92, and the cleaning channel 93 one by one. The filter 70b connected to the ink supply path 91 passes the ink supplied from the supply ink chamber 61 to the print head 50 and captures foreign matter contained in the ink. The filter 70c connected to the ink recovery flow path 92 passes the ink recovered from the cap 920 into the recovered ink chamber 62 and captures foreign matters contained in the ink. Foreign matter is removed from the filter 70d connected to the cleaning channel 93 by a diluent (also serving as a cleaning solution) flowing through the cleaning channel 93. The foreign matter removed from the filter 70d flows into the diluent chamber 63 (also serving as the cleaning solution chamber) together with the diluent.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the flow path and the liquid chamber in the ink cartridge 60 are shared. In order to facilitate understanding of the configuration of such an ink circulation system, FIG. 6 shows a logical configuration.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the same filter 70 is attached to the filter 70, the ink supply position connected to the ink supply channel 91, and the ink recovery position connected to the ink recovery channel 92. When the foreign substance of the filter 70 is sufficiently removed by cleaning, the mounting position, the ink supply position, the ink recovery position, and the cleaning position are moved again in this order. It has become. That is, the state of the filter 70 is repeatedly switched in the order of a disconnected state (standby state), a connected state to the ink supply flow path 91, a connected state to the ink recovery flow path 92, and a connected state to the cleaning flow path 93. The filter 70 is reused. The filter 70 from which foreign matter has not been sufficiently removed by washing is put into a waste filter storage chamber 65 in the ink cartridge 60.

  A folder 80 shown in FIG. 5 holds a plurality of filters 70 and switches the positions of the filters 70 so that each filter 70 is sequentially connected to a plurality of flow paths. The folder 80 is mainly composed of a rotating unit 81 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and a fixing unit 82 shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11.

  A front view of the rotating unit 81 of the folder 80 is shown in FIG. 7, and a side view is shown in FIG. 7 and 8, the folder rotation unit 81 removably holds a plurality of filters 70 (70 a, 70 b, 70 c, 70 d) and rotates about the axis of the rotation shaft 810. The rotating shaft 810 is rotationally driven by a driving unit (not shown). By such rotation of the rotating unit 81, the position of each filter 70 is switched in the order of the mounting position, the ink supply position, the ink recovery position, and the cleaning position, and returns to the mounting position. Again, the ink supply position, the ink recovery position, and the cleaning are performed. The position is switched in the order of the position. The filter 70 circulates around each position by circling on the circumference around the rotation shaft 81 until it is determined as a waste filter at the attachment position that also serves as the discard position.

  The attachment position is a position where the filter 70 can be attached to the folder 80. The filter 70a arranged at the attachment position is in a state of being detached from each flow path. In this embodiment, the attachment position also serves as a disposal position, and is a position where the filter 70 can be removed from the folder 80. The ink supply position is a position where the filter 70 is connected to the ink supply channel 91. The filter 70 b disposed at the ink supply position removes foreign matters contained in the ink supplied from the supply ink chamber 61 to the print head 50. The ink recovery position is a position where the filter 70 is connected to the ink recovery flow path 92. The filter 70c disposed at the ink collection position removes foreign matters contained in the ink collected from the cap 920 to the collected ink chamber 62. The cleaning position is a position where the filter 70 is connected to the cleaning flow path 93. The filter 70d disposed at the cleaning position removes foreign matters using the diluted solution sucked from the diluted solution chamber 63 by the driving of the third pump 113 as a cleaning solution.

  FIG. 9 shows a front view of the fixing portion 82 of the folder 50, FIG. 10 shows its AA cross-sectional view, and FIG. 11 shows its BB cross-sectional view.

  In FIG. 11, a bearing portion 821 having a bearing 822 is formed on the fixed portion 82 of the folder 80. The fixing portion 82 surrounds the rotating portion 81 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, and supports the rotating portion 81 rotatably by the bearing portion 821 via the rotating shaft 810 of the rotating portion 81.

  Further, the fixing portion 82 has through holes (first through holes 831 and second through holes 832) constituting a part of the ink supply flow path 91 and through holes (first holes constituting a part of the ink recovery flow path 92). 3 through-holes 833, 4th through-holes 834), and through-holes (fifth through-hole 835, sixth through-hole 836) constituting part of the cleaning flow path 93 are formed, and each through-hole 831 is further formed. On-off valves 841, 842, 843, 844, 845, and 846 (through-hole on-off valves) are provided for the through-holes 836, respectively. That is, in the fixed portion 82, on-off valves 841 to 846 are provided upstream and downstream of the filter 70b at the ink supply position, the filter 70c at the ink recovery position, and the filter 70d at the cleaning position. When the rotating part 81 of the folder 80 is rotated, that is, when the filter 70 is circulated, the on-off valves 841 to 846 of all the through holes 831 to 836 are set in a closed state so as to prevent liquid leakage. On the other hand, when the rotating portion 81 of the folder 80 is stopped, that is, in a state where the filter 70 is connected to the flow path, all the through-holes 831 can flow so that ink or dilution liquid (also serving as cleaning liquid) in the flow path can flow. The open / close valves 841 to 846 of 8 to 836 are set to the open state.

  Specifically, the filter 70b disposed at the ink supply position is connected to the first through-hole 831 and the second through-hole 832, and the on-off valves 841 and 842 of these through-holes are set to an open state, and further By driving the first pump 111, the ink in the supply ink chamber 61 is removed from the foreign matter by the filter 70b at the ink supply position and supplied to the print head 50. Further, the filter 70c disposed at the ink recovery position is connected to the third through hole 833 and the fourth through hole 834, and the on / off valves 843 and 844 of these through holes are set in the open state, and further the second pump By driving 112, the ink delivered to the cap 920 is removed by the filter 70 c at the ink collection position and collected in the collected ink chamber 62. The filter 70d disposed at the cleaning position is connected to the fifth through-hole 835 and the sixth through-hole 836, and the on-off valves 845 and 846 of these through-holes are set in the open state. Is driven, the foreign matter accumulated in the filter 70d is separated from the filter 70d along with the flow of the diluent (also serving as the cleaning liquid) sucked from the diluent chamber 63 (also serving as the cleaning liquid chamber). Then, it flows into the diluent chamber 63 and precipitates.

  In the present embodiment, in order to prevent liquid leakage, in addition to providing the on-off valves 841 to 846 in the respective through holes 831 to 836, the seal portion 823 is provided on the bearing portion 821 and the members constituting the fixing portion 82 are connected to each other. Liquid leakage countermeasures such as providing an O-ring 824 on the joint surface are taken.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, flow rate sensors 851, 852, and 853 (flow channel resistance detection means) that measure the flow rate of each flow channel are respectively provided in the through holes 831, 833, and 836 on the downstream side of the fixed portion 82. Is provided. Specifically, a first flow rate sensor 851 for measuring the flow velocity V1 of the ink supply channel 91 is disposed in the first through hole 831 on the downstream side with respect to the filter 70b at the ink supply position, and the ink is supplied. A second flow rate sensor 852 for measuring the flow velocity V2 of the ink collection flow path 92 is disposed in the third through hole 833 on the downstream side with respect to the filter 70c at the collection position. A third flow velocity sensor 853 for measuring the flow velocity V3 of the cleaning flow path 93 is disposed in the sixth through hole 836 on the downstream side.

  When it is detected by the first flow rate sensor 851 that the flow rate V1 of the ink supply channel 91 has become equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, or the flow rate V2 of the ink recovery channel 92 is determined by the second flow rate sensor 852. When it is detected that the following has been reached, it is determined that a predetermined amount or more of foreign matter has accumulated in the filter 70, and the filter 70 is circulated. Specifically, when the flow velocity V1 of the ink supply flow channel 91 is equal to or lower than “k1 × initial flow velocity” with respect to the flow velocity (initial flow velocity) when there is no foreign matter, the flow velocity V2 of the ink recovery flow channel 92 is “ When the temperature becomes equal to or lower than “k2 × initial flow velocity”, the filter 70 is circulated by rotating the folder rotating portion 82.

  Further, when the flow rate V3 of the cleaning flow path 93 becomes larger than a predetermined threshold by the third flow rate sensor 853, it is determined that the filter 70 has been successfully cleaned. Specifically, when the flow velocity V3 of the cleaning flow path 93 is larger than “k3 × initial flow velocity” after performing predetermined cleaning, it is determined that the filter 70 has been successfully cleaned, and is less than “k3 × initial flow velocity”. At some point, it is determined that the cleaning of the filter 70 has failed.

  Here, the coefficients k1, k2, and k3 are numerical values of 0 to 1.00, and the magnitude relationship is k3> k1> k2. For example, k1 = 0.90 (corresponding to 10% reduction in the initial flow velocity of the ink supply flow channel 91), k2 = 0.80 (corresponding to 20% reduction in the initial flow velocity of the ink recovery flow channel 92), k3 = 0. 95 (corresponding to a 5% reduction in the initial flow rate of the cleaning channel 93).

  As shown in FIG. 12 (a) and a cross-sectional view in FIG. 12 (b), the filter 70 mainly allows ink (or a diluting liquid) to pass therethrough and is used to increase the viscosity of a thickened ink lump or paper dust. It consists of a mesh material 71 for capturing foreign matter and a frame body 72 to which the mesh material 71 is attached.

  In this embodiment, the external shape of the mesh material 71 and the frame 72 is a disk shape.

  As shown in FIG. 12 (b), the frame body 72 is bent at a right angle inward from the holding portion 723 formed of an annular plate that holds the outer periphery of the mesh material 71 and the holding portion 723 so as to surround the mesh material 71. It has an edge 724 that extends to form both end faces 721 and 722.

  Both end surfaces 721 and 722 are formed with openings 725 for allowing liquid to pass through the central portion thereof. In addition, the diameter d of the opening 725 is larger than the diameter of the through holes 831, 832, 833, 834, 835, and 836 of the fixing portion 82, while the diameter of the human finger is prevented from entering the human fingertip. It is formed sufficiently smaller than that. That is, the opening 725 allows the liquid to pass through, but prevents the human oil from attaching to the mesh material 71 when the human fingertip touches the mesh material 71, thereby reducing the filtering performance.

  Further, the cross-sectional shape of the frame body 72 is a shape in which two “co” s are opposed to each other as shown in FIG. That is, even if the liquid does not remain inside the frame body 72 by the pump, even if the liquid remains, the remaining liquid is held by the edge portion 724 so as not to spill.

  In a state where both end surfaces 721 and 722 of the frame body 72 are in contact with the inner wall surface 820 of the fixing portion 82 of the folder 80, the filter 70 has through holes (831 and 832, 833 and 834, 835 and 836) of the fixing portion 820 of the folder 80. ) To connect.

  Further, the fixing portion 82 is provided with a notch portion 825 at an attachment position where the filter 70 is attached and detached.

  An IC tag (also referred to as RFID: Radio Frequency Identification) 73 capable of writing and reading information without contact is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the frame 72 of the filter 70. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the fixed portion 82 of the folder 80 is provided with an IC tag reading portion 861 at the mounting position and an IC tag writing / reading portion 862 at the cleaning position.

  The identification information (which may be a serial number) indicating the type of the filter 70 is read from the IC tag 73 of the filter 70 by the IC tag reading unit 861 provided at the mounting position, and an appropriate filter 70 usable in the inkjet recording apparatus 10 is read. Or not. When it is detected that an inappropriate filter 70 is attached based on the identification information, the inkjet recording apparatus 10 issues a warning by a buzzer, a display, or the like.

  Using the IC tag writing / reading unit 862 provided at the cleaning position, the usage history information of the filter 70 (the usage frequency of the filter, the number of times of cleaning, the flow rate history of the flow path, etc.) is created and recorded in the IC tag 73, The recorded use history information is read from the IC tag 73, and the filter 70 at the cleaning position is stored in the waste filter storage chamber 65, or is connected again to the ink supply channel 91 and the ink recovery channel 92 for reuse. Judge whether to do. Note that the IC tag writing / reading unit 862 for the cleaning position is omitted, and instead, the usage status of the filter 70 is recorded in association with the identification information of the filter 70 in the memory (not shown) of the apparatus body. Also good.

  In this embodiment, the case where the IC tag 73 is attached to the filter 70 will be described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to the aspect in which the IC tag 73 is attached to the filter 70, and the identification information of the filter 70 by other methods. May be read. For example, the identification information of the filter 70 may be read by magnetic reading or optical reading.

  Next, the opening / closing of the door 651 (opening / closing part) of the waste filter storage chamber 65 formed in the ink cartridge 60 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 13A, the door 651 is closed before the ink cartridge 60 is attached to the main body of the ink jet recording apparatus 10, and when the ink cartridge 60 is attached to the main body of the ink jet recording apparatus 10, FIG. As shown in b), the door 651 is opened, and the door 651 is closed when the ink cartridge 60 is removed from the main body of the inkjet recording apparatus 10.

  Specifically, the door 651 is closed by a biasing means (for example, a torsion spring, a leaf spring, etc.) (not shown), and a contact portion 652 constituting a part of the door 651 is ink jet recording. The device 10 comes into contact with a contact partner (convex portion 659) on the main body side, and the door 651 rotates around the pin 653 on the door 651 side, whereby the door 651 is opened. On the other hand, the ink cartridge 60 is detached from the main body of the inkjet recording apparatus 10, and the contact between the contact portion 652 of the door 651 and the contact partner (convex portion 659) on the main body side of the inkjet recording apparatus 10 is released. By the urging of the urging means (not shown), the pin 653 on the door 651 side is rotated as an axis, so that the door 651 is closed.

  Further, the ink jet recording apparatus 10 is provided with a filter discarding unit (not shown) that removes the filter 70 that is no longer needed from the rotating unit 82 of the folder 80 and discards it in the waste filter storage chamber 65 of the ink cartridge 60. As shown by the arrows in FIG. 14, the filter 70 a arranged at the attachment position (also serving as the disposal position) is dropped into the waste filter storage chamber 65.

  In another example folder 800 shown in FIG. 15, a filter discard unit 892 is provided in the fixed unit 82. By pushing out the filter 70a at the mounting position (also serving as a discarding position) by the push pin 893 of the filter discarding part 892 and separating it from the rotating part 81, and dropping the filter 70a as shown by the arrow in FIG. As shown in b), the filter 70 is stored in the waste filter storage chamber 65 with the door 651 open.

  When the waste filter stored in the waste filter storage chamber 65 of the ink cartridge 60 is out of ink that can be supplied into the ink cartridge 60, the ink cartridge 60 becomes unnecessary, and the ink cartridge 60 is removed from the main body of the inkjet recording apparatus 10. As described above, the door 651 of the waste filter storage chamber 65 is closed, and the ink cartridge 60 is collected by a contractor or the like. Therefore, the user of the inkjet recording apparatus 10 does not need to be particularly aware of the disposal of the filter 70 and does not get his hands dirty.

  FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of the ink cartridge 60 shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 16, a communication portion 621 formed between the collected ink chamber 62 and the supply ink chamber 61 includes a valve 123 (communication portion opening / closing means) for opening and closing the communication portion 621, and one for blocking the passage of foreign matter. An ink transmission filter 622 that allows liquid ink to pass therethrough is provided.

  Undissolved foreign matter such as thickened ink lumps and paper powder that have fallen into the collection ink chamber 62 settles and accumulates (precipitates) on the bottom surface of the collection ink chamber 62.

  On the bottom surface of the recovery ink chamber 62, a porous member 623 (foreign material capturing body) having a large number of minute holes is disposed so as to capture the foreign material that has settled and accumulated.

  Typical examples of the porous member 623 include a porous material made of vegetable fibers such as cotton, hemp, and pulp, a porous material made of animal fibers such as wool, and a sponge-like synthetic material having bubbles such as polyurethane. The porous material which consists of resin etc. can be mentioned.

  With respect to the positional relationship between the communication portion 621 that connects the recovery liquid chamber 62 to the supply liquid chamber 61 and the porous member 623, the opening of the communication portion 621 is disposed at a position higher than the bottom surface of the recovery ink chamber 62. A porous member 623 is disposed at a height between the height of the bottom surface and the height of the opening of the communication portion 621.

  In addition, a barrier 624 (weir) having a height hb is provided between the lower end of the opening of the communicating portion 621 and the upper end of the porous member 623 so as to block the uncaptured foreign matter by the porous member 623. By such a barrier 624, even a foreign substance not captured by the porous member 623 is blocked by the barrier 624 having a height hb. In the example shown in FIG. 16, the height h of the communication portion 621 with respect to the bottom surface of the collected ink chamber 62, the thickness d of the porous member 623, and the height hb of the barrier 624 (the porous member 623) The relationship between the upper end and the upper end of the barrier 624 is h> (hb + d).

  Further, a liquid level sensor 625 (liquid amount detection sensor) for detecting the amount of ink in the collected ink chamber 62 and ink characteristics (concentration, viscosity or specific gravity) in the collected ink chamber 62 are provided on the side wall surface of the collected ink chamber 62. Ink characteristic sensor 626 (liquid physical property detection sensor) used for measurement of) is provided.

  The liquid level sensor 625 is provided at a position higher than the communication unit 621 and detects the amount of ink in the collected ink chamber 62 based on an on / off state.

  The ink characteristic sensor 626 is provided at a position higher than the upper end of the porous member 623 (for example, the height of the upper end of the barrier 624) and lower than the communication portion 621.

  Typical examples of the ink characteristic sensor 626 include an optical sensor and a pressure sensor.

  It should be noted that it is preferable to put ink in the collected ink chamber 62 in the initial state so that the ink characteristic sensor 626 is below the ink level even if the communication portion opening / closing valve 123 is set to the open state.

  Foreign matter in the collected ink chamber 62 is prevented from entering the supply ink chamber 61 by the ink permeation filter 622, settles and is captured by the porous member 623. The foreign member is captured by the porous member 623. In this state, the characteristics (physical properties) of the ink in the collected ink chamber 62 are measured using the ink characteristic sensor 626, and based on the measured characteristics of the ink in the collected ink chamber 62, The amount of diluent injected is determined.

  By diluting the diluted liquid in the diluted liquid chamber 63 into the collected ink chamber 62 through the dilution flow path 94 by driving the third pump 113 shown in FIG. 5, the ink in the collected ink chamber 62 is diluted. At the time of such dilution, the rotation speed and driving time of the third pump 113 are determined based on the ink characteristics measured using the ink characteristic sensor 626. That is, based on the measured ink characteristics, the injection amount of the dilution liquid is determined so that the characteristics (density, viscosity, or specific gravity) of the ink in the collected ink chamber 62 can be reused by the print head 50.

  After the ink in the collected ink chamber 62 is converted into ink that can be reused by the print head 50 by precipitation of foreign matter, trapping of foreign matter, and dilution, the communication section opening / closing valve 123 is opened. The ink passes through the ink transmission filter 622 and falls into the supply ink chamber 61 by gravity from the communication portion 621.

  The recovered ink chamber 62 is defined on the waste filter storage chamber 65 and the communication portion 621 is provided so as to be higher than the position of the ink liquid level in the supply ink chamber 61. That is, the communication portion 621 is provided at a position where the ink in the supply ink chamber 61 is agitated by the ink falling into the supply ink chamber 61.

  The supply port 631 of the dilution liquid chamber 63 (also serving as a cleaning liquid chamber) is provided with a dilution liquid permeable filter 632 (cleaning liquid permeable filter) that allows passage of a liquid dilution liquid (also serving as a cleaning liquid) while preventing passage of foreign substances. Yes. In this embodiment, when the filter 70 in the folder 80 is cleaned, the diluent used for cleaning is collected in the diluent chamber 63. Therefore, the diluted liquid that has returned to the diluted liquid chamber 63 after cleaning the filter 70 includes foreign substances accumulated in the filter 70 in the folder 80. Diluent permeation filter 632 prevents foreign matter contained in the diluent from flowing into cleaning channel 93 and dilution channel 94.

  As the diluent, for example, a mixed liquid of a solvent such as isopropyl alcohol capable of dissolving the thickened ink mass and pure water, or pure water is used.

  The ink cartridge 60 includes a signal terminal to which a control signal for controlling the opening / closing of the communication portion opening / closing valve 123 is input, a signal terminal for outputting a detection result of the liquid level sensor 625, and a detection result of the ink characteristic sensor 626. A signal terminal for output is provided. That is, from the main body side of the ink jet recording apparatus 10, the opening / closing of the communication portion opening / closing valve 123 is controlled, the amount of ink in the collected ink chamber 62 is recognized, and the physical properties of the ink in the collected ink chamber 62 are recognized. Can be done.

  FIG. 17 is a principal block diagram showing the system configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus 10. The ink jet recording apparatus 10 includes a communication interface 101, a system controller 102, an image memory 1031, a motor driver 1032, a heater driver 1033, a print control unit 105, an image buffer memory 1052, a head driver 1054, an ink supply control unit 1061, and an ink collection control unit. 1062, a cleaning control unit 1063, an ink reduction control unit 1064, a filter storage control unit 1065, a switching control unit 1066, a display unit 1067, and the like.

  The communication interface 101 is an interface unit that receives image data sent from the host computer 2. A communication interface such as USB, IEEE 1394, Ethernet, or wireless network can be applied to the communication interface 101. Image data sent from the host computer 2 is taken into the inkjet recording apparatus 10 via the communication interface 101 and temporarily stored in the image memory 1031. The image memory 1031 is a storage unit that temporarily stores an image input via the communication interface 101, and data is read and written through the system controller 102. The image memory 1031 is not limited to a memory composed of semiconductor elements, and a magnetic medium such as a hard disk may be used.

  The system controller 102 is a control unit that controls each unit of the inkjet recording apparatus 10. The system controller 102 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and other peripheral circuits. The system controller 102 performs communication control with the host computer 2, read / write control of the image memory 1031, and the like, and a transport system motor 1042 and heater 1043. A control signal for controlling is generated.

  The motor driver 1032 is a driver (drive circuit) that drives the motor 1042 in accordance with an instruction from the system controller 102. The heater driver 1033 generates a control signal for controlling the heater 1043 such as the post-drying unit 42 in accordance with an instruction from the system controller 102.

  The print control unit 105 has a signal processing function for performing various processes and corrections for generating a print control signal from image data in the image memory 1031 according to the control of the system controller 102, and the generated print A control signal (print data) is supplied to the head driver 1054. Necessary signal processing is performed in the print control unit 105, and the ejection amount and ejection timing of the ink droplets of the print head 50 are controlled via the head driver based on the image data. Thereby, a desired dot size and dot arrangement are realized. The print control unit 105 includes an image buffer memory 1052, and image data, parameters, and other data are temporarily stored in the image buffer memory 1052 when image data is processed in the print control unit 105. The head driver 1054 drives the actuator of the print head 50 for each color based on the print data provided from the print control unit 105.

  The ink supply control unit 1061 controls the supply of ink from the supply ink chamber 61 to the print head 50 by driving the first pump 111.

  The ink recovery control unit 1062 controls the recovery of ink from the print head 50 to the recovery ink chamber 62 via the cap 920 driven by the second pump 112.

  The cleaning control unit 1063 controls the cleaning of the filter 70 using the diluent (also serving as the cleaning liquid) in the diluent chamber 63 by driving the third pump 113. The cleaning of the filter 70 by the cleaning control unit 1063 is performed independently of the ink supply by the ink supply control unit 1061 and the ink recovery by the ink recovery control unit 1062.

  The ink reduction control unit 1064 (dilution control unit) dilutes the ink in the recovered ink chamber 62 using the diluted liquid in the diluted liquid chamber 63 by driving the third pump 113, and thereby the ink in the recovered ink chamber 62. Is controlled by the print head 50 to reusable ink.

  Specifically, based on the output signal of the ink characteristic sensor 626 of the ink cartridge 60, the determination of the timing for supplying the diluent and the injection amount of the diluent are determined, the timing for driving the third pump 113, the number of rotations, and the driving time. To control. In other words, the time and the injection amount of the diluent are controlled.

  Further, the ink reduction control unit 1064 performs control to drop the ink in the recovered ink chamber 62 that has been appropriately diluted to the supply ink chamber 61. Specifically, the opening / closing of the communication portion opening / closing valve 123 in the ink cartridge 60 is controlled based on the output signal of the liquid level sensor 625 of the ink cartridge 60. That is, the timing and amount of the ink in the recovered ink chamber 62 mixed with the ink in the supply ink chamber 61 are controlled.

  The filter storage control unit 1065 performs control for storing the used filter in the waste filter storage chamber 65. In the present embodiment, based on the output signal of the flow rate sensor 853 for the cleaning flow path of the folder 80 and the created use history information of the filter 70, it is determined whether the filter 70 is to be reused or discarded as a waste filter. . The filter storage control unit 1065 creates usage history information of the filter 70. Further, the usage time of the filter 70 may be measured by a timer (not shown), and it may be determined whether the filter is a waste filter based on the measured usage time of the filter 70. The waste filter is put into the waste filter storage chamber 65 of the ink cartridge 60.

  The switching control unit 1066 performs control to cyclically switch the position of the filter 70 by rotating the rotating unit 81 of the folder 80. Further, the switching control unit 1066 determines whether or not the filter 70 can be used based on the identification information of the filter 70 read from the IC tag 73 of the filter 70, and the filter 70 that has been identified as unusable is placed in the flow path. Control not to connect. When there is a filter 70 that is identified as being unusable, a warning is notified by a buzzer or the like (not shown) under the control of the system controller 102 and a warning message is displayed on the display unit 1067.

  In this embodiment, the ink supply control unit 1061, the ink collection control unit 1062, the cleaning control unit 1063, the ink reduction control unit 1064, the filter storage control unit 1065, and the switching control unit 1066 are configured by a microprocessor.

  With reference to FIG. 18, an example of filter switching control processing for sequentially switching the filter 70 connected to each of the ink supply channel 91, the ink recovery channel 92, and the cleaning channel 93 by the rotation of the rotating unit 81 of the folder 80 will be described. explain. This filter switching control process is executed by the switching control unit 1066 independently of the ink supply sequence controlled by the ink supply control unit 1061 and the ink recovery sequence performed by the ink recovery control unit 1062.

  In FIG. 18, initialization is performed in advance (S102). The initial flow rates of the ink supply channel 91, the ink recovery channel 92, and the cleaning channel 93 are all assumed to be V0 in order to simplify the description. Here, the initial flow rate is a flow rate when there is no foreign substance in the filter 70 in each flow path. The dilution flow path valve 121 (valve 1) is set in a closed state.

  When the initialization is completed, the system waits for a predetermined time (S104), determines whether ink is being supplied from the supply ink chamber 61 to the print head 50 by driving the first pump 111 (S106), and supplies ink. If medium, the flow velocity V1 of the ink supply channel 91 is measured by the flow velocity sensor 851 (S108). Further, it is determined whether or not the ink of the print head 50 is being collected in the collected ink chamber 62 through the cap 920 by driving the second pump 112 (S110). The flow velocity V2 of the path 92 is measured by the flow velocity sensor 852 (S112).

  Whether the connection between the filter 70 held in the folder 80 and each flow path is switched based on the measured flow speeds (flow speed V1 of the ink supply flow path 91, flow speed V2 of the ink recovery flow path 92) and the initial flow speed V0. It is determined whether or not (S114). Specifically, when foreign matter accumulates in the filter 70 connected to the ink supply channel 91 and the flow velocity V1 of the ink supply channel 91 decreases to become the initial flow velocity V0 × 0.9 or less, the filter 70 is switched. Judge as necessary. When the flow rate V2 of the ink recovery flow path 92 decreases to the initial flow speed V0 × 0.8 or less as a result of the accumulation of foreign matter in the filter 70 connected to the ink recovery flow path 92, it is determined that the filter 70 needs to be switched. To do. That is, when the flow velocity V1 of the ink supply channel 91 is decreased by 10% or more from the initial flow velocity V0, or when the flow velocity V2 of the ink recovery channel 92 is decreased by 20% or more from the initial flow velocity V0, the filter 70 needs to be switched. Is determined.

  When it is determined that the filter 70 needs to be switched, it is determined whether or not the cleaning of the filter 70 connected to the cleaning channel 93 has been completed (S116). If the filter 70 is being cleaned, the completion of the filter 70 is waited. If the filter 70 has been cleaned, the filter 70 is switched by rotating the rotating portion 81 of the folder 80 (S112). Specifically, the rotating part of the folder 80 is rotated 45 degrees clockwise as indicated by an arrow in FIG. By this rotation, the filter 70a arranged at the attachment position is arranged at the ink supply position and connected to the ink supply channel 91, and the filter 70b arranged at the ink supply position and connected to the ink supply channel 91 is obtained. The filter 70c disposed at the ink recovery position and connected to the ink recovery flow path 92, and disposed at the ink recovery position and connected to the ink recovery flow path 92 is disposed at the cleaning position and connected to the cleaning flow path 93. The filter 70d disposed at the cleaning position and connected to the cleaning flow path 93 is disposed at the mounting position (also serving as the discarding position).

  In order to prevent ink leakage due to the switching of the filter 70, all the through-holes 831 to 836 formed in the fixing portion 82 of the folder 80 shown in FIGS. The opening / closing valves 841 and 842 of the through holes 831 and 832 constituting the part, the opening / closing valves 843 and 844 of the through holes 833 and 834 constituting a part of the ink recovery passage 92, and the part of the cleaning passage 93 are constituted. After the opening / closing valves 845 and 846) of the through holes 835 and 836 are set to the closed state, the rotating portion 81 of the folder 80 is rotated. After the position of the filter 70 is switched by the rotation of the rotating portion 81, the on-off valves 841 to 846 of all the through holes 831 to 836 formed in the fixing portion 82 of the folder 80 are set to the open state.

  Next, filter cleaning control will be described. FIG. 19 shows an outline of the flow of a processing example of cleaning control mainly performed when the filter 70 is connected to the cleaning flow path 93 by the rotation of the folder 80. This cleaning control is executed by the cleaning control unit 93.

  In FIG. 19, when the filter 70 is disposed at the cleaning position, the cleaning count t of the filter 70 is set to an initial value “0” (S202). In addition, the dilution flow path valve 121 (valve 1) is set to a closed state, and the cleaning flow path valve 122 (valve 2) is set to an open state (S204). As a result, all the cleaning flow paths 93 from the dilution liquid chamber 63 (also serving as the cleaning liquid chamber) to the dilution liquid chamber 63 again through the filter 70 at the filter cleaning position are in communication.

  By driving the third pump 113, suction of the diluent (also serving as a cleaning solution) is started (S210). Suction is performed for a predetermined time (S212), the flow velocity V3 of the washing flow path 93 is measured by the flow velocity sensor 853 (S214), the driving of the third pump 113 is stopped (S216), and “1” is added to the washing frequency t. (S218).

  Based on the measured flow velocity V3 and initial flow velocity V0, it is determined whether or not the foreign matter accumulated in the filter 70 at the cleaning position has been removed until the filter 70 is reused (S220). Specifically, when the flow velocity V3 of the cleaning flow channel 93 exceeds the initial flow velocity V0 × 0.95, it is determined that the foreign matter of the filter 70 has been sufficiently removed until the filter 70 can be reused. On the other hand, when the flow velocity V3 of the cleaning flow path 93 is equal to or lower than the initial flow velocity V0 × 0.95, it is determined that the foreign matter of the filter 70 has not been sufficiently removed until the filter 70 can be reused.

  If it is determined that the foreign matter in the filter 70 has been sufficiently removed, use history information (such as the number of times the filter 70 is used, the number of times t of washing, the flow rate V3 of the washing channel 93 when the washing is completed) as shown in FIG. Recording is performed (S222). The “use count” is set to an initial value “1” in advance when the filter 70 is attached to the rotating unit 81 of the folder 80, and is incremented and recorded in step S224. Further, as the number of cleanings t and the flow velocity V3, values when it is determined that the filter 70 has been sufficiently cleaned are recorded.

  If it is determined that the foreign matter in the filter 70 has not been sufficiently removed, the cleaning number t is compared with a predetermined allowable maximum number tmax (S224), and when the allowable maximum number tmax is reached, the waste filter storage chamber 95 is returned to. The filter 70 is instructed to be stored (S226). The storage of the filter 70 in the waste filter storage chamber 65 is actually performed at the next folder rotation. When the cleaning count t has not reached the allowable maximum count tmax, the filter usage history information is further read (S228), and it is determined whether or not to retry the filter cleaning based on the read usage history information (S230). ). This determination is comprehensively performed based on the number of times of use, the number of times of cleaning t, and the flow velocity V3 of the cleaning channel 93. There is also a method of determining based on only the number of times of use.

  Next, an example of dilution control processing will be described with reference to FIG. This dilution control is performed by the ink reduction control unit 1964.

  In FIG. 21, first, initialization is performed (S302). Here, the communication section opening / closing valve 123 (valve 3) provided in the communication section 621 between the recovered ink chamber 62 and the supply ink chamber 61 is set in a closed state.

  The end of the predetermined ink collection sequence is monitored (S304), and it is determined whether the liquid level sensor 625 for detecting the amount of ink in the collected ink chamber 62 is in an on state or an off state (S306), and off. When it is in a state (that is, when a sufficient amount of ink to be dropped into the supply ink chamber 61 via the communication portion 621 is not yet stored in the recovery ink chamber 62), the end of the ink recovery sequence is monitored (S304). On the other hand, when the ink is in the ON state (that is, when a sufficient amount of ink to be dropped into the supply ink chamber 61 through the communication portion 621 is stored in the recovery ink chamber 62), the following processing is performed.

  In the configuration example shown in FIG. 5, since a part of the dilution channel 94 is shared with the ink recovery channel 92, the ink recovery process is inhibited from starting until the dilution process is completed (S308). If the dilution channel 94 is separated from the ink recovery channel 92, ink dilution can be performed in parallel with the ink recovery.

  In the configuration example shown in FIG. 5, since a part of the dilution channel 94 is shared with the cleaning channel 93, the flow velocity V3 of the cleaning channel 93 at the time of filter cleaning using the diluent (also serving as the cleaning solution) is It is determined whether it is within the allowable range or out of the allowable range (S310). Specifically, when the flow velocity V3 is equal to or less than the initial flow velocity V0 × 0.95, it is determined that it is outside the allowable range, and the cleaning process shown in FIG. 19 is performed (S312). It is also possible to configure the dilution channel 94 separately from the cleaning channel 93.

  Next, the ink characteristic (density, viscosity, or specific gravity) is measured using the ink characteristic sensor 626 in the collected ink chamber 62 (S314), and the measurement result is compared with a predetermined condition to determine the ink in the collected ink chamber 62. It is determined whether or not it is necessary to dilute (S316). For example, when the viscosity of the ink exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is determined that dilution is necessary.

  When diluting, the cleaning flow path valve 122 (valve 2) is set to the closed state, and the dilution flow path valve 121 (valve 1) is set to the open state (S318). As a result, the diluting flow path 94 from the diluting liquid chamber 63 to the recovered ink chamber 62 is fully communicated. Dilution liquid suction is started by driving the third pump 113 (S320). Suction is performed for a predetermined time calculated based on the output signal of the ink characteristic sensor 626 (S322), and the driving of the third pump 113 is stopped (S324). As a result, a predetermined amount of diluent is injected into the recovered ink chamber 62 for a predetermined time.

  In this way, after injecting a predetermined amount of diluent into the recovered ink chamber 62 for a predetermined time, the ink characteristics are measured, and it is determined whether or not the measurement result satisfies a predetermined condition (S314). When the ink characteristics of the collected ink chamber 62 satisfy a predetermined condition, the communication section opening / closing valve 123 (valve 3) between the collected ink chamber 62 and the supply ink chamber 61 is set to an open state (S326). Then, moderately diluted ink falls into the supply ink chamber 61 via the ink transmission filter 622 disposed in the communication portion 621.

  As described above, the case where the filter 70 that can be attached to and detached from the flow path through which the liquid containing the foreign material flows is cyclically connected in the order of the ink supply flow path 91, the ink recovery flow path 92, and the cleaning flow path 93 has been described as an example. Depending on the configuration of the flow path of the inkjet recording apparatus 10 and the necessity of cleaning of the filter 70, the combination of the flow paths for connecting the filter 70 and the connection order may differ from those in the above-described embodiment. For example, the filter 70 may not be connected to the ink supply channel 91, but the filter 70 may be alternately connected to the two channels of the ink recovery channel 92 and the cleaning channel 93. Further, for example, the filter 70 may not be connected to the ink recovery flow path 92 but may be connected alternately to the ink supply flow path 91 and the cleaning flow path 93. In some cases, the cleaning of the filter 70 is omitted, and the ink supply channel 91 and the ink recovery channel 92 are connected in this order and stored in the waste filter storage chamber 65.

  In addition, the filter 70 is described as four positions: an attachment position (also serving as a disposal position), an ink supply position, an ink collection position, and a cleaning position (also serving as a writing / reading position for use history information to the IC tag 73). However, five or more positions may be provided. For example, the attachment position and the disposal position may be provided separately, the cleaning position and the writing / reading position may be provided separately, and the writing position and the reading position may be provided separately. Good.

  Moreover, although the case where the filter 70 is rotated and moved by the rotation of the rotating unit 82 of the folder 80 has been described as an example, the present invention is not limited to the case where the filter 70 is rotated and moved. For example, the filter 70 may be moved linearly.

  Further, the number of filters 70 that the folder 80 can hold is not limited to four. Preferably, the number of filters 70 is larger than the number of flow paths to which the filters 70 are connected. That is, it is preferable to provide a filter 70 in a standby state even if a waste filter is generated.

  Further, the case where the usage history information of the filter 70 is written in the IC tag 73 provided in the filter 70 has been described as an example. However, the IC tag writing / reading unit 862 is not provided, and is used for the memory in the inkjet recording apparatus 10. History information may be stored.

  Further, although the case where the ink characteristic sensor 626 is provided in the collected ink chamber 62 and the injection timing and the injection amount of the dilution liquid are determined based on the characteristics of the ink in the collected ink chamber 61 has been described as an example, The characteristics of the ink may also be measured, and the diluting liquid supply timing and injection amount may be determined based on both the characteristics of the ink in the supply ink chamber 61 and the characteristics of the ink in the recovered ink chamber 62.

  Further, the filter 70 is based on the measurement results of the flow rate sensor 851 provided in the ink supply flow channel 91 and the flow rate sensor 852 such as the flow rate sensor 852 provided in the ink recovery flow channel 92 (flow channel resistance detection unit). However, the filter 70 may be switched based on the usage time of the filter 70 measured by a timer without providing the flow velocity resistance detection means. Moreover, although the case where it was discriminate | determined whether it is a waste filter based on the measurement result of the means to detect flow-path resistance, such as the flow velocity sensor 853 provided in the washing | cleaning flow path 93 was demonstrated to the example, of the filter 70 measured by the timer It may be determined whether the filter is a waste filter based on the usage time and stored in the waste filter storage chamber 65.

  Further, the case where the recovery ink chamber 62 is partitioned and formed on the waste filter storage chamber 65 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. It includes a form in which a compartment is formed on the liquid chamber 61. In any case, it is configured such that the ink fed from the recovered ink chamber 62 to the supply ink chamber 61 falls into the supply ink chamber 61 and the ink in the supply ink chamber 61 is agitated.

  In addition, it goes without saying that design changes and improvements may be made as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention.

1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an outline of an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part around a printing unit of the ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a plan perspective view illustrating a structural example of a print head. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3 illustrating a structural example of a pressure chamber of the print head. It is a block diagram which shows the specific example of the ink circulation system of an inkjet recording device. It is explanatory drawing which shows the logical example of the ink circulation system of an inkjet recording device. It is a front view which shows the example of the rotation part of the folder of an inkjet recording device. It is a side view which shows the example of the rotation part of the folder of an inkjet recording device. It is a front view which shows the example of the fixing | fixed part of the folder of an inkjet recording device. It is sectional drawing along the AA in FIG. 9, which shows the example of the fixing | fixed part of the folder of an inkjet recording device. It is sectional drawing along the BB line in FIG. 9 which shows the example of the fixing | fixed part of the folder of an inkjet recording device. It is a perspective view which shows the example of a filter. It is explanatory drawing used for description of opening and closing of the door of the waste filter storage chamber provided in the ink cartridge. It is explanatory drawing used for description of discard of a filter. It is sectional drawing which shows the example of the folder which provided the means to push out and discard a folder. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an internal configuration of an example of an ink cartridge. It is a block diagram which shows the system structural example of an inkjet recording device. It is a schematic flowchart which shows the process example of filter switching control. It is a schematic flowchart which shows the process example of washing | cleaning control. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of filter usage log information. It is a schematic flowchart which shows the process example of dilution control.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Inkjet recording device, 50 ... Print head, 51 ... Print head nozzle, 60, 600 ... Ink cartridge (liquid tank), 61 ... Supply ink chamber, 62 ... Collected ink chamber, 63 ... Dilution liquid chamber (cleaning liquid chamber) , 65 ... Waste filter storage chamber, 70 ... Filter, 71 ... Filter mesh material, 72 ... Filter frame, 73 ... IC tag, 91 ... Ink supply channel, 92 ... Ink recovery channel, 93 ... Cleaning channel , 94 ... Dilution channel, 111 ... First pump (ink supply pump), 112 ... Second pump (ink recovery pump), 113 ... Third pump (dilution liquid suction pump, cleaning liquid suction pump), 121 ... Dilution channel Valve (Valve 1), 122 ... Cleaning flow path valve (Valve 2), 123 ... Communication unit on-off valve (Valve 3), 70 (70a, 70b, 70c, 70d) ... Filter, 73 ... IC tag (Fi 80 ... folder, 81 ... folder rotation part, 82 ... folder fixing part, 621 ... communication part, 623 ... porous member (foreign material capturing body), 624 ... barrier (weir), 625 ... liquid Surface sensor (liquid amount detection sensor), 626 ... Ink characteristic sensor (liquid physical property detection sensor), 651 ... Waste filter storage chamber door, 851, 852, 853 ... Flow rate sensor, 861 ... IC tag reader, 862 ... IC tag Write / read unit, 920 ... cap, 1061 ... ink supply control unit, 1062 ... ink recovery control unit, 1063 ... cleaning control unit, 1064 ... ink reduction control unit (dilution control unit), 1065 ... filter storage control unit, 1066 ... Switch control unit, 9294 ... Common flow path for ink recovery flow path and dilution flow path, 9394 ... Common flow path for washing flow path and dilution flow path

Claims (10)

A liquid discharge section for discharging liquid;
A liquid storage section for storing the liquid supplied to the liquid ejection section;
A plurality of flow paths for flowing liquid;
A switching unit that holds a detachable filter that removes foreign matter, and switches the position of the filter so that the filter is sequentially connected to the plurality of flow paths;
Equipped with a,
The switching unit collects the liquid stored in the liquid storage unit to supply the liquid discharge channel to the liquid discharge unit, and recovers the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge unit to be reused by the liquid discharge unit. A liquid ejection apparatus , wherein the position of the filter is switched with at least two or more of a liquid recovery channel and a cleaning channel for removing foreign matter accumulated in the filter as a connection target . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit connects the filter used by being connected to the liquid supply flow path to the liquid recovery flow path . The switching unit connects the filter to the cleaning channel, and then connects the cleaned filter to at least one of the liquid supply channel and the liquid recovery channel. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1. The switching unit, a liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is capable of holding the filter number greater than the number of channels to be connected. A reading unit that reads identification information indicating a type of the filter from a storage unit provided in the filter;
A switching control unit that identifies whether or not the filter is usable based on the identification information, and controls the filter that is identified as not usable to be connected to the flow path;
Liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a waste filter storage unit that stores a used waste filter . A filter storage control unit that determines whether the filter is a usable filter or a waste filter based on the flow velocity of the flow path to which the filter is connected or the usage time of the filter, and controls the waste filter to be stored in the waste filter storage unit the liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that with a. A filter storage control unit that creates use history information of the filter, determines whether the filter is a usable filter or a waste filter based on the use history information, and controls the waste filter to be stored in the waste filter storage unit; the liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the waste filter storage section is partitioned with the liquid storage section in a cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body. . The waste filter storage unit is opened so that the filter can be stored when the cartridge is attached to the apparatus main body, while the stored filter does not come out from the inside when the cartridge is removed from the apparatus main body. The liquid ejection device according to claim 9 , further comprising an opening / closing portion that is in a closed state .

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