JP7615643B2 - Liquid ejection device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid ejection device.

As image forming devices such as printers, facsimiles, copiers, plotters, and combination machines thereof, there are known image forming devices (such as inkjet recording devices) that use a liquid ejection head (droplet ejection head) that ejects liquid droplets as a recording head.

Inkjet recording devices mainly use ink cartridges as a means for supplying the liquid (ink) to be ejected. In addition, when the ink in the ink cartridge falls below a certain amount (empty), a message urging replacement is displayed on the built-in display (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Heavy pigment inks settle quickly and are prone to clogging the nozzles of the recording head, so frequent maintenance operations (such as blank ejection) are necessary. However, when the ink runs out, blank ejection is not performed, which can cause damage to the nozzles.

The present invention aims to provide a liquid ejection device that can suppress adverse effects on the liquid ejection performance of the droplet ejection head (recording head) and the nozzles of the droplet ejection head.

The above problem is solved by providing a liquid droplet ejection head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid, a head tank for temporarily storing liquid to be supplied to the liquid droplet ejection head, at least one liquid cartridge for storing liquid to be supplied to the head tank, a liquid detection unit for detecting the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge, a maintenance and recovery mechanism for performing a cleaning operation to discharge liquid from the plurality of nozzles of the liquid droplet ejection head, and an alarm unit for issuing a sensory signal to a user,
(1) if the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, the liquid cartridge is placed in a printable state;
(2) In a liquid ejection device which, when the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is less than a predetermined amount, renders the device into a state in which printing is not possible, and when the device is in a state in which printing is not possible, issues a notification that the liquid cartridge is empty or a notification that prompts the user to replace the liquid cartridge, thereby enabling the cleaning operation to be performed, the problem is solved by a liquid ejection device which is characterized in that the notification that the liquid cartridge is empty or a notification that prompts the user to replace the liquid cartridge when the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is zero is the same as the notification that the liquid cartridge is empty or a notification that prompts the user to replace the liquid cartridge when the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is less than a predetermined amount .

When the amount of liquid remaining in the liquid cartridge is less than a predetermined amount, the liquid ejection device of the present invention enters a state in which printing is not possible, prompting the user to replace the liquid cartridge and enabling a cleaning operation to be performed. This makes it possible to suppress adverse effects on the liquid ejection performance of the droplet ejection head and the nozzles of the droplet ejection head.

1 is a perspective view of a liquid ejection apparatus (inkjet recording apparatus) according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front. FIG. 2 is a side view showing an outline of a mechanism of the device shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part of a mechanism of the device shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is an overall block diagram showing an example of a control unit of the device shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a structure of a head tank according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the discharge of ink from the head tank shown in FIG. 5 . FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an ink supply pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a tube pump. 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating changes in the liquid level in the head tank and film behavior. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an automatic maintenance mechanism in the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the white ink cartridge is left without being shaken. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams illustrating ink concentrations when the white ink cartridge is in use. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which ink has solidified in the nozzle portion of the recording head. 10 is a flowchart showing a cleaning operation for improving the nozzle condition. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a screen display displayed on a display of a notification unit. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a warning displayed on a display of a notification unit; FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a second cleaning operation for improving the nozzle condition without supplying ink. 13 is a schematic diagram (part 1) showing an example of a screen display at the first end displayed on the display of the notification unit; FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram (part 2) showing an example of a screen display at the first end displayed on the display of the notification unit. FIG.

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a liquid ejection device (inkjet recording device) according to one embodiment of the present invention. The inkjet recording device 100 comprises a device main body 1, a paper feed tray 2 for loading paper that is attached to the device main body 1, and a paper output tray 3 that is detachably attached to the device main body 1 and for storing paper on which an image has been recorded (formed).

A cartridge loading section 4 for loading an ink cartridge 10, which is a liquid cartridge, is provided on one side of the front surface of the device main body 1, adjacent to the paper feed/eject tray section. An alarm section 5 that issues a sensory signal to the user is provided on the upper surface of this cartridge loading section 4.

Ink cartridges 10 are set in the cartridge loading section 4. Each ink cartridge 10 contains a recording liquid (ink) of a different color, such as black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and white (W). These ink cartridges 10 can be loaded by inserting them from the front side of the device main body 1 toward the rear side, and are configured to be loaded by lining up the ink cartridges 10 horizontally in a vertically placed state. A front cover (cartridge cover) 6 is provided on the front side of the cartridge loading section 4 in an openable and closable manner, which opens when the ink cartridge 10 is attached or detached.

The notification unit 5 is composed of a display and a speaker, and can display messages such as the remaining ink level of each ink cartridge 10 and issue warnings with a buzzer sound. In addition, below the notification unit 5, a power button 12, a paper feed/print resume button 13, and a cancel button 14 are also located.

Next, the mechanical part of the inkjet recording device 100 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a side view showing an overview of the mechanical part, and Figure 3 is a plan view of the main part.

In the mechanical section of the inkjet recording device 100, a guide rod 31 and a stay 32, which are guide members, are horizontally supported on the left and right side plates 21A and 21B that constitute the frame 21, and these hold a carriage 33 so that it can slide freely in the main scanning direction. The carriage 33 is moved and scanned in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 3 (the carriage main scanning direction) via a timing belt by a main scanning motor.

The inkjet recording device 100 of this embodiment is a serial type image forming device in which the recording head 34 ejects ink while moving in the main scanning direction to form an image.

A recording head 34 consisting of four droplet ejection heads that eject ink droplets of each color as described above is mounted on this carriage 33 with multiple ink ejection ports (multiple nozzles) arranged in a direction that intersects the main scanning direction (paper feed direction) and with the ink droplet ejection direction facing downward. It is also possible to adopt a single or multiple head configuration having a nozzle row that ejects droplets of each color.

The inkjet head constituting the recording head 34 can be one equipped with a piezoelectric actuator, such as a piezoelectric element, as a pressure generating means for ejecting droplets.

The carriage 33 also carries head tanks 35 for each color for supplying ink of each color to each recording head 34. As described above, ink of each color is replenished and supplied to the head tanks 35 for each color from the ink cartridges 10 of each color mounted in the cartridge loading section 4 via the ink supply tubes 36 for each color. The cartridge loading section 4 is provided with a liquid delivery pump 24, which is a liquid delivery means for delivering ink in the ink cartridges 10.

On the other hand, the paper feed section for feeding the paper 42 loaded on the paper loading section (pressure plate) 41 of the paper feed tray 2 includes a half-moon roller (paper feed roller) 43 that separates and feeds the paper 42 one sheet at a time from the paper loading section 41, and a separation pad 44 that faces the paper feed roller 43. The separation pad 44 is made of a material with a large coefficient of friction and is biased toward the paper feed roller 43.

In order to feed the paper 42 fed from this paper feed section to the lower side of the recording head 34, a guide member 45 for guiding the paper 42, a counter roller 46, a transport guide member 47, and a pressing member 48 having a tip pressure roller 49 are provided. In addition, a transport belt 51 is provided as a transport means for electrostatically adsorbing the fed paper 42 and transporting it to a position facing the recording head 34.

The conveyor belt 51 is an endless belt that is stretched between a conveyor roller 52 and a tension roller 53 and is configured to rotate in the belt conveying direction (sub-scanning direction). It is also provided with a charging roller 56, which is a charging means for charging the surface of the conveyor belt 51. The charging roller 56 is arranged to contact the surface of the conveyor belt 51 and rotate in response to the rotation of the conveyor belt 51. Furthermore, a guide member 57 is arranged on the back side of the conveyor belt 51 in correspondence with the printing area by the recording head 34.

The conveyor belt 51 moves in a circular motion in the sub-scanning direction (belt conveying direction) indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3 by the conveyor roller 52 being rotated and driven by the sub-scanning motor via timing.

In addition, a separation claw 61 for separating the paper 42 from the conveyor belt 51, a paper discharge roller 62, and a paper discharge roller 63 are provided as a paper discharge section for discharging the paper 42 recorded by the recording head 34. Below the paper discharge roller 62, a paper discharge tray 3 is provided.

A duplex unit 71 is detachably attached to the rear of the device body 1. This duplex unit 71 takes in the paper 42 returned by the reverse rotation of the conveyor belt 51, inverts it, and feeds it again between the counter roller 46 and the conveyor belt 51. The top surface of this duplex unit 71 serves as a manual feed tray 72.

As shown in FIG. 3, a maintenance and recovery mechanism 81 is disposed in the non-printing area on one side of the carriage 33 in the scanning direction, which includes a recovery means for maintaining and recovering the state of the nozzles of the recording head 34.

This maintenance and recovery mechanism 81 includes cap members (hereafter referred to as "caps") 82a to 82d (referred to as "caps 82" when no distinction is made) for capping each nozzle surface of the recording head 34, a wiper blade 83 which is a blade member for wiping the nozzle surface, and an empty discharge receiver 84 which receives droplets when empty discharge is performed to discharge droplets that do not contribute to recording in order to expel thickened recording liquid. Here, cap 82a is used as a suction and moisturizing cap, and the other caps 82b to 82d are used as moisturizing caps.

Waste recording liquid generated by the maintenance and recovery operation by the maintenance and recovery mechanism 81 is discharged and stored in the waste liquid tank 23 (see FIG. 6). Ink discharged into the cap 82, ink adhering to the wiper blade 83 and removed by the wiper cleaner, and ink discharged into the empty discharge receiver 84 are also discharged and stored in the waste liquid tank 23 (see FIG. 6).

As shown in FIG. 3, in the non-printing area on the other side of the scanning direction of the carriage 33, an empty discharge receiver 88 is arranged to receive droplets when empty discharge is performed to discharge droplets that do not contribute to recording in order to discharge recording liquid that has thickened during recording, etc. This empty discharge receiver 88 is provided with an opening 89 aligned with the nozzle row direction of the recording head 34.

In the inkjet recording device 100 of the present invention configured in this way, the paper 42 is separated and fed one by one from the paper feed tray 2, and the paper 42 fed approximately vertically upward is guided by the guide member 45. The paper 42 is then sandwiched between the conveyor belt 51 and the counter roller 46 and conveyed, and the leading edge is further guided by the conveyor guide member 47 and pressed against the conveyor belt 51 by the leading edge pressure roller 49, changing the conveying direction by approximately 90 degrees.

At this time, an alternating voltage is applied to the charging roller 56 from the AC bias supply unit of the control unit, which will be described later, so that positive and negative outputs are alternately repeated. As a result, the conveyor belt 51 is charged with an alternating charging voltage pattern, that is, in the sub-scanning direction, which is the rotation direction, with positive and negative charges alternating in strips of a specified width. When paper 42 is fed onto this conveyor belt 51 that is alternately charged with positive and negative charges, the paper 42 is attracted to the conveyor belt 51, and the paper 42 is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction by the rotation of the conveyor belt 51.

Next, while moving the carriage 33 in the main scanning direction, the recording head 34 is driven in response to an image signal. The recording head 34 ejects ink droplets onto the stationary paper 42 to record one line, and after transporting the paper 42 a specified distance, records the next line. Upon receiving a recording end signal or a signal indicating that the rear end of the paper 42 has reached the recording area, the recording operation ends and the paper 42 is discharged to the paper discharge tray 3.

In addition, while waiting to print (record), the carriage 33 is moved to the maintenance and recovery mechanism 81 side, and the recording head 34 is capped with a cap 82, and by keeping the nozzles wet, ejection failures due to dried ink are prevented. In addition, with the recording head 34 capped with the cap 82, the suction pump 22 (see Figure 6) sucks the recording liquid from the nozzles (called "nozzle suction" or "head suction"), performing a recovery operation to expel thickened recording liquid and air bubbles. In addition, before the start of recording or during recording, a blank ejection operation is performed to eject ink unrelated to recording. These operations allow the recording head 34 to maintain stable ejection performance.

Figure 4 is an overall block diagram showing an example of a control unit of a liquid ejection device. This control unit includes a main control unit 301 that controls the entire inkjet recording device, and a print control unit 302 that controls printing. The main control unit 301 and the print control unit 302 are configured with microcomputers.

The main control unit 301 forms an image on the paper 42 based on the printing process information input from the communication circuit 300. Specifically, it drives and controls the main scanning motor via the main scanning motor drive circuit 303 to move the carriage 33 in the main scanning direction, and drives and controls the sub-scanning motor via the sub-scanning motor drive circuit 304 to transport the paper 42. It also sends printing data to the print control unit 302.

The main control unit 301 also receives a detection signal from a carriage position detection circuit 305 that detects the position of the carriage 33, and the main control unit 301 controls the movement position and movement speed of the carriage 33 based on this detection signal. The carriage position detection circuit 305 detects the position of the carriage 33, for example, by reading and counting the number of slits in an encoder sheet arranged in the scanning direction of the carriage 33 with a photosensor mounted on the carriage 33. The main scanning motor drive circuit 303 rotates and drives the main scanning motor according to the carriage movement amount input from the main control unit 301, and moves the carriage 33 to a predetermined position at a predetermined speed.

Furthermore, the main control unit 301 receives a detection signal from a transport amount detection circuit 306 that detects the amount of movement of the transport belt 51, and the main control unit 301 controls the amount of movement and the speed of movement of the transport belt 51 based on this detection signal. The transport amount detection circuit 306 detects the amount of transport, for example, by reading and counting the number of slits in a rotary encoder sheet attached to the rotating shaft of the transport roller 52 with a photosensor. The sub-scanning motor drive circuit 304 rotates and drives the sub-scanning motor according to the amount of transport input from the main control unit 301, and rotates and drives the transport roller 52 to move the transport belt 51 to a predetermined position at a predetermined speed.

The main control unit 301 rotates the paper feed roller 43 once by issuing a paper feed roller drive command to the paper feed roller drive circuit 307. The main control unit 301 drives the motor of the maintenance and recovery mechanism 81 via the maintenance and recovery mechanism drive motor drive circuit 308, thereby raising and lowering the cap 82, raising and lowering the wiper blade 83, driving the suction pump 22, and the like, as described above.

The main control unit 301 controls the drive motor (supply motor) for driving the pump of the liquid delivery pump 24 via the supply pump drive circuit 311, and refills (fills) the head tank 35 with ink from the ink cartridge 10 loaded in the cartridge loading unit 4. At this time, the main control unit 301 controls the refill supply (filling operation) based on a detection signal from a head tank full sensor 312 that detects that the head tank 35 is full. In this case, there is atmospheric open filling, in which filling is performed with the atmospheric open part (atmospheric open valve 94) of the head tank 35 in an open state, and normal filling, in which filling is performed with the atmospheric open part closed.

The main control unit 301 also retrieves information stored in the non-volatile memory 316, which is an information storage element provided in each ink cartridge 10 mounted in the cartridge loading unit 4, via the cartridge communication circuit 314. It then performs the required processing and stores and holds the information in the non-volatile memory (e.g., EEPROM) 315, which is the main body information storage element.

The main control unit 301 also receives detection signals from an environmental sensor 313 that detects the environmental temperature and humidity.

The print control unit 302 generates data for driving a pressure generating means for ejecting droplets from the recording head 34 based on signals from the main control unit 301 and carriage position and transport amount from the carriage position detection circuit 305 and transport amount detection circuit 306. The print control unit 302 also transfers the above-mentioned image data to the head drive circuit 310 as serial data, and outputs to the head drive circuit 310 transfer clocks, latch signals, droplet control signals (mask signals), and other signals required for transferring and confirming the transfer of this image data.

The print control unit 302 also includes a drive waveform generation unit consisting of a D/A converter that performs D/A conversion of the drive signal pattern data stored in the ROM, a voltage amplifier, a current amplifier, etc., and a drive waveform selection means that provides the drive waveform to the head driver. The print control unit 302 then generates a drive waveform consisting of one drive pulse (drive signal) or multiple drive pulses (drive signals) and outputs it to the head drive circuit 310.

The head drive circuit 310 selectively applies drive signals constituting a drive waveform provided by the print control unit 302 based on image data corresponding to one line of the recording head 34, which is serially input, to the drive elements of the recording head 34, thereby driving the recording head 34. Here, the drive elements are, for example, piezoelectric elements as described above, and generate energy to eject droplets from the recording head 34.

At this time, by selecting the drive pulses that make up the drive waveform, it is possible to print dots of different sizes, such as large droplets (large dots), medium droplets (medium dots), and small droplets (small dots).

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the structure of a head tank according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a film 92 provided inside the head tank 35 is biased by a spring to generate negative pressure, and is displaced according to the consumption of ink stored in the head tank. In addition, a negative pressure lever 91 is a lever that moves in accordance with the film 92.

The supply port 93 is a supply port through which ink is supplied from the ink cartridge 10 via the ink supply tube 36 (see Figures 1 and 3). The air release valve 94 is a pin that opens the inside of the head tank 35 to the atmosphere as necessary. Furthermore, below the head tank 35, a recording head 34 that ejects ink droplets is attached. Furthermore, a detection mechanism 95 that detects ink or air is provided.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the discharge of ink from the head tank. As shown in Figure 6, when the nozzle surface of the recording head 34 is covered with the cap 82 and suction is performed with the suction pump 22, the ink in the head tank 35 can be discharged (head suction) to the waste liquid tank 23. This head suction can remove thickened ink from the nozzles.

Here, by sucking the head while blocking off the atmosphere, the pressure inside the head tank 35 can be lowered and negative pressure can be created (negative pressure lever 91 is closed). On the other hand, by sucking the head while opening it to the atmosphere, the liquid level inside the head tank 35 can be lowered (negative pressure lever 91 is left open).

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the ink supply piping according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7, the inkjet recording device 100 of this embodiment is equipped with a liquid delivery pump 24 that can forward and reverse transfer liquid between the head tank 35 and the ink cartridge 10. That is, the liquid delivery pump 24 delivers liquid from the ink cartridge 10 to the head tank 35 during "forward rotation," and returns liquid from the head tank 35 to the ink cartridge 10 during "reverse rotation" (circulation of liquid).

The inkjet recording device 100 of this embodiment forward transfers liquid using the liquid delivery pump 24 while opening the liquid to the atmosphere using the air release valve 94, and detects the liquid level in the head tank 35 with an electrode pin (detection mechanism 95). By stopping the liquid delivery pump 24 when the liquid level is detected, the head tank 35 can be filled to the brim with liquid.

The liquid delivery pump 24 used in the present invention employs a tube pump 30 as shown in FIG. 8, which does not have a complex pump structure and can deliver ink forward and backward by changing the rotation direction of the drive motor. A rubber tube 25 for delivering liquid runs through the inside of this tube pump 30. The rubber tube 25 is locally crushed by a pump rotor 27 built into the pump, and the pump rotor 27 is rotated to move the crushed point in the rotation direction, thereby delivering ink in the direction of rotation of the pump rotor 27.

Specifically, when transferring ink forward from the ink cartridge 10 to the head tank 35, the pump rotor 27 is rotated in the direction of arrow A. On the other hand, when transferring ink backward from the head tank 35 to the ink cartridge 10, the pump rotor 27 is rotated in the direction of arrow B. Here, the rotation of the pump rotor 27 in the direction of arrow A is referred to as forward rotation, and the rotation in the direction of arrow B is referred to as reverse rotation. Therefore, by controlling the rotation of the pump rotor 27 forward and reverse, the ink transfer direction can be controlled.

In addition, by using a tube pump 30 with a simple structure for the liquid delivery pump 24, the pump configuration requires a small space. Furthermore, the liquid delivery direction can be controlled by controlling the forward and reverse rotation of the pump drive motor, which simplifies the piping. Note that the structure of the tube pump 30 is not limited to the rotating roller type shown in Figure 8, and may be a vari-center cam type, etc.

Figure 9 is a schematic diagram explaining the change in the liquid level in the head tank and the film behavior. Figure 9(a) shows the full tank state, Figure 9(b) shows the state where negative pressure is generated, and Figure 9(c) shows the state where the tank is open to the atmosphere and the liquid level is lowered.

As shown in Figure 9(a), when the head tank 35 is full and the air release valve 94 (see Figure 5) is closed, suction by the suction pump 22 (see Figure 6) causes the film 92 (see Figure 5) to close, generating negative pressure in the head tank, resulting in a transition to the state shown in Figure 9(b). At this time, the height of the liquid surface hardly changes. This is also the case with the reverse transfer liquid by the liquid feed pump 24 (see Figure 7) or the ink ejection by the recording head 34.

In addition, in the head tank 35 shown in FIG. 9(b), when the air release valve 94 is opened, the film 92 opens and the liquid level drops, transitioning to the state shown in FIG. 9(c). Note that the greater the negative pressure, the greater the degree to which the liquid level drops and the degree to which the film 92 opens.

Furthermore, in the head tank 35 shown in FIG. 9(c), when the air release valve 94 is closed and the liquid is forward transferred by the liquid transfer pump 24, the liquid level rises and transitions to the state shown in FIG. 9(a). Note that when the detection mechanism 95 (see FIG. 5) detects the liquid level, the forward transfer of liquid by the liquid transfer pump 24 stops.

In the head tank 35 shown in Figures 9(a) and (b), when the air release valve 94 is closed and the liquid is transferred forward by the liquid transfer pump 24, the liquid level hardly changes, but the degree to which the film 92 opens increases.

The ink end detection for the ink cartridge 10 is performed as follows. With reference to Figures 5 and 7, when the ink cartridge 10 is empty, if ink is consumed by ink ejection, head suction, etc., the pressure inside the film 92 decreases. When the pressure inside the film 92 decreases, the negative pressure lever 91, which is the pressure detection means, is displaced, and when it crosses the negative pressure lever sensor, the ink cartridge 10 is determined to be empty (ink end detection).

In addition, in this embodiment, remaining liquid amount data is stored (memorized) in the information storage element provided in the ink cartridge 10 of each color, and the remaining ink amount can be found by subtracting the amount consumed from that. The cumulative ink consumption amount in the ink cartridge 10 of each color is the sum of the ink amount due to head suction and ejection. In other words, it can be calculated as (remaining ink amount) = (ink volume) - (ink consumption amount).

The negative pressure lever 91, the negative pressure lever sensor, and the information storage element provided in the ink cartridge 10 are examples of a liquid detection unit that detects the amount of liquid remaining in the ink cartridge 10.

Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the automatic maintenance mechanism in the device shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 10, the automatic maintenance mechanism includes an ink cartridge 10, a liquid delivery pump 24, a head tank 35, a recording head 34, a cap 82, a suction pump 22, a waste liquid tank 23, a wiper blade 83, and an empty discharge receiver 84. Here, the ink cartridge 10 contains inks of the following colors from the left in the figure: white (W1, W2), black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y).

Next, we will explain the characteristic features of the present invention.

First Embodiment
Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a white ink cartridge left without shaking, and Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram explaining the ink density when the white ink cartridge is in use. In an ink cartridge filled with heavy pigment ink such as white ink, the ink with a high density collects at the bottom of the container, and the ink density at the top of the container is low. In addition, even when the ink cartridge is mounted in an inkjet recording device and ink is discharged, the ink density increases as the actual remaining amount of ink decreases.

As shown in Figure 13, experiments have confirmed that this thick ink is prone to solidifying in the nozzle area of the recording head 34, which can lead to nozzle non-ejection and poor nozzle recovery.

In response to these issues, this embodiment prompts the user to replace the ink cartridge before the ink in the ink cartridge becomes too thick, and performs automatic maintenance.

First, Table 1 shows the terms and their definitions that describe the status of the ink cartridge (amount of ink remaining), and whether printing is possible (whether printing is possible or not).

As shown in Table 1, when the ink cartridge state is "normal" to "near end", printing is possible (printing is possible), but when it is at "first end" or "second end", printing is not possible (printing is not possible). Note that the values in Table 1 are just examples. They may be set arbitrarily depending on the specifications of the actual device.

The ink cartridge is in the "second end" state when (a) the liquid level in the head tank 35 is not detected by the electrode pin (detection mechanism 95) even if the ink in the ink cartridge 10 is forward-transferred by the liquid feed pump 24. Also, "zero" here means that the amount of ink in the ink cartridge is below the detectable limit from zero.

In addition, the inkjet recording device 100 of this embodiment sets whether or not automatic maintenance can be performed depending on the state of the ink cartridge. Table 2 shows whether printing is possible, whether automatic maintenance can be performed, and user actions depending on the state of the ink cartridge.

Here, automatic maintenance consists of (1) an "ink circulation operation" that is performed every hour, (2) a "cleaning operation" that is performed every three hours, and (3) an "ink agitation alert" that is performed every 12 hours. The contents of each operation are explained below in order.

(Ink circulation operation)
The ink circulation operation will be described with reference to Fig. 7 shown above. The main control unit 301 of the inkjet recording device 100 rotates the liquid feed pump 24 in the forward and reverse directions to circulate the ink in the supply path (head tank 35 - ink supply tube 36 - ink cartridge 10) without discharging the ink. This series of operations is called the ink circulation operation. Note that in this embodiment, it is performed every hour, but this may be determined arbitrarily according to the device specifications.

This ink circulation operation eliminates the imbalance of the components of inks with high sedimentation properties (especially white ink), making it easier to eliminate "image color differences," "nozzle failure," and/or "poor nozzle recovery."

The ink circulation operation may be performed by including the recording head 34 in the supply path.

(Cleaning operation)
14 is a flow chart showing the cleaning operation for improving the nozzle condition. The cleaning operation will be described with reference to this flow chart.

First, in step S01, the main control unit 301 of the inkjet recording device 100 drives the liquid supply pump 24 to supply ink from the ink cartridge 10 to the head tank 35. Next, the process moves to step S02, where the main control unit 301 drives the suction pump 22 to suck the head. This causes the ink to be discharged and ink to be supplied to the head tank 35.

Then, the process proceeds to step S03, where the wiping operation is performed. That is, the main control unit 301 drives the suction pump 22 to lower the cap 82, and drives the main scanning motor to move the carriage 33 to the wiping start position. Then, the suction pump 22 drives the wiper blade 83 to rise, and drives the main scanning motor to move the carriage 33 to the wiping end position.

Then, the process moves to step S04, where the main control unit 301 drives the main scanning motor to move the carriage 33 to the capping position and causes each recording head 34 to eject ink (empty ejection/preliminary ejection). This makes it possible to eliminate mixed ink in the vicinity of the nozzles. The process then moves to step S05, where the main control unit 301 drives the suction pump 22 to suck ink from inside the cap. By eliminating the ink from inside the cap, it is possible to prevent ink from mixing during capping. The process then moves to step S06, where the main control unit 301 drives the suction pump 22 to perform capping, and the cleaning operation is completed.

In the above flow chart, head suction (step S02) is performed, but instead, ink may be discharged by applying pressure to each recording head 34.

(Ink stir alert)
The ink stirring alert is, for example, to display a screen such as that shown in Fig. 15 on the notification unit 5 of the device main body 1 to prompt the user to shake (stir) the white ink cartridge. Also, when the corresponding white ink cartridge is removed and then re-installed, the above screen disappears.

By stirring the affected cartridge, the uneven distribution of ink components with high settling properties (especially white ink) can be eliminated, making it easier to resolve "image color differences," "nozzle failure," and/or "poor nozzle recovery."

The inkjet recording device 100 of this embodiment configured as described above operates as follows.

(1) When the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge is "normal" (liquid remaining amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount), the inkjet recording apparatus 100 is placed in a printable state.
(2) When the ink remaining in the ink cartridge is at the "first end" (less than a predetermined amount of liquid remaining), the inkjet recording device 100 is placed in a state in which printing is not possible (printing is not possible). The notification unit 5 issues a notification that the ink cartridge is empty or a notification urging the user to replace the ink cartridge. Furthermore, the inkjet recording device 100 (its automatic maintenance mechanism) is placed in a state in which "automatic maintenance" can be performed.
(3) When the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge is “second end” (no remaining liquid amount), the inkjet recording apparatus 100 enters a state in which “automatic maintenance” cannot be performed.

When the inkjet recording device 100 is in a state where printing is not possible, it is preferable to continue "automatic maintenance (cleaning operation)" as long as the remaining ink level can be detected.

The above information is shown in Table 3.

In this way, the inkjet recording device 100 of this embodiment becomes unable to print when the ink remaining in the ink cartridge reaches the "first end", and prompts the user to replace the ink cartridge. This makes it possible to suppress quality changes such as an increase in the density of the printed matter. In addition, automatic maintenance can be performed, so adverse effects on the liquid ejection performance and nozzles can be suppressed.

(Variation 1)
In the case of inks with relatively little pigment sedimentation, such as black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y), the ink concentration does not change much over time, so the ink cartridge can be used up until it is empty. Therefore, the inkjet recording device 100 of the modified example performs the following operation.

(A) For ink cartridges containing specific inks (inks with heavy pigments such as white ink),
(1) When the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge is "normal" (liquid remaining amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount), the inkjet recording apparatus 100 is placed in a printable state.
(2) When the ink remaining in the ink cartridge is at the "first end" (less than a predetermined amount of liquid remaining), the inkjet recording device 100 is placed in a state in which printing is not possible. The notification unit 5 issues a notification that the ink cartridge is empty or a notification urging the user to replace the ink cartridge. Furthermore, the inkjet recording device 100 (its automatic maintenance mechanism) is placed in a state in which "automatic maintenance" can be performed.
(3) When the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge is “second end” (liquid remaining amount is zero), the inkjet recording apparatus 100 enters a state in which “automatic maintenance” cannot be performed.

(B) For ink cartridges that contain ink other than the specified ink (black, cyan, magenta, yellow, etc.),
(1) When the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge is "normal" (liquid remaining amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount), the inkjet recording apparatus 100 is placed in a printable state.
(2) When the ink remaining in the ink cartridge is at the "second end" (no liquid remaining), the inkjet recording device 100 is placed in a state in which printing is not possible. The notification unit 5 notifies the user that the ink cartridge is empty or prompts the user to replace the ink cartridge.
However, "automatic maintenance" will not be possible.

When the inkjet recording device 100 is in a state where printing is not possible, it is preferable to continue "automatic maintenance (cleaning operation)" as long as the remaining ink level can be detected.

The above information is shown in Table 4.

This makes it possible to use up inks with relatively little pigment sedimentation, such as black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y), while minimizing adverse effects on the liquid ejection performance and nozzles of the recording head that ejects a specific ink (e.g., white ink).

Next, we will explain the advantageous configuration of the present invention.

(Configuration 1)
When the ink level in the ink cartridge reaches the "second end" (no liquid level remaining), the notification unit 5 issues a notification that the ink cartridge 10 is empty or a notification that prompts the user to replace the ink cartridge 10. Also, when the ink level in the ink cartridge reaches the "first end" (less than a predetermined amount of liquid remaining), the notification unit 5 issues a notification that the ink cartridge 10 is empty or a notification that prompts the user to replace the ink cartridge 10.

It is desirable that the notification when the ink level in the ink cartridge reaches the "second end" (no liquid remaining) is the same as the notification when the ink level in the ink cartridge reaches the "first end" (less than a predetermined amount of liquid remaining). At the "first end" point (less than a predetermined amount of liquid remaining), the user can be notified that the ink is out and be prompted to replace the ink cartridge, thereby reducing the risk of adverse effects on the liquid ejection performance and nozzles.

(Configuration 2)
If the power is turned off when there is very little ink remaining in the ink cartridge, the inkjet recording apparatus 100 will be unable to carry out "automatic maintenance."

Therefore, when the ink remaining in the ink cartridge is at the "first end" (less than a predetermined amount of liquid remaining) and the inkjet recording device 100 is in a state in which "automatic maintenance" can be performed, if a user inputs an instruction to turn off the power to the device main body 1, it is desirable for the notification unit 5 to notify the user of a warning.

Figure 16 shows an example of a warning that is displayed on the display of the notification unit 5. This reduces the risk that the device main body 1 will be left in a powered off state.

(Configuration 3)
It is desirable that the amount of ink (amount of liquid) actually contained in the ink cartridge 10 be greater than the amount of liquid marked on the ink cartridge 10 (a value that can be visually recognized by the user).

For example, for a white ink cartridge with an actual ink volume of 250 ml, the indication (label, etc.) is 200 ml, and the remaining liquid volume data written to the information storage element section of the ink cartridge 10 is 200 ml. In this way, when the liquid detection section detects the first end (remaining ink volume is 1% or less of the total volume), the actual ink volume is approximately 50 ml, and an increase in ink concentration can be suppressed. This further suppresses adverse effects on liquid ejection performance and nozzles. Also, since the indicated ink volume can be used reliably, no disadvantage is caused to the user.

Second Embodiment
Specific inks (e.g., white ink, metallic ink, etc.) are generally used less frequently than normal inks (black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), etc.). Therefore, when the remaining amount of a specific ink falls below a predetermined amount, it is desirable to make the specific ink unprintable (unprintable) and make the normal ink printable. This can improve the convenience of the inkjet recording device 100.

The above information is shown in Table 5.

Third Embodiment
As described above, the cleaning operation, which is one type of automatic maintenance, is performed by supplying ink in the ink cartridge 10 to the recording head 34 (see FIG. 14). In this embodiment, as the second cleaning operation, the nozzle surface of the recording head 34 is cleaned without using ink (that is, it is possible to switch between the first cleaning and the second cleaning).

Figure 17 is a flowchart showing a second cleaning operation that improves the nozzle condition without supplying ink. This flowchart will be used to explain the cleaning operation that does not use ink.

First, in step S01-1, the main control unit 301 of the inkjet recording device 100 opens the atmosphere release valve 94, opening the head tank 35 to the atmosphere. Next, the process moves to step S01-2, where the main control unit 301 opens the atmosphere release valve 94. This makes the internal pressure of the head tank 35 equal to atmospheric pressure. Next, the process moves to step S02, where the main control unit 301 drives the suction pump 22 to suck the head. This allows residual ink to be discharged from the head tank 35.

Then, the process proceeds to step S03, where the wiping operation is performed. That is, the main control unit 301 drives the suction pump 22 to lower the cap 82, and drives the main scanning motor to move the carriage 33 to the wiping start position. Then, the suction pump 22 drives the wiper blade 83 to rise, and drives the main scanning motor to move the carriage 33 to the wiping end position.

Then, the process moves to step S04, where the main control unit 301 drives the main scanning motor to move the carriage 33 to the capping position and causes each recording head 34 to eject ink (empty ejection/preliminary ejection). This makes it possible to eliminate mixed ink in the vicinity of the nozzles. The process then moves to step S05, where the main control unit 301 drives the suction pump 22 to suck ink from inside the cap. By eliminating the ink from inside the cap, it is possible to prevent ink from mixing during capping. The process then moves to step S06, where the main control unit 301 drives the suction pump 22 to perform capping, and the cleaning operation is completed.

In the above flow chart, head suction (step S02) is performed, but instead, ink may be discharged by applying pressure to each recording head 34.

In the inkjet recording apparatus 100 of this embodiment configured as above, in addition to the operations of the above-described embodiment,
(3) When the ink remaining in the ink cartridge is at the "second end" (no liquid remaining), the head tank is opened to the atmosphere and then the second cleaning operation can be performed.

By doing this, cleaning can be performed even when there is no ink in the ink cartridge, further reducing adverse effects on liquid ejection performance and nozzles.

Fourth Embodiment
As explained above, the ink circulation operation, which is one of the automatic maintenance operations, is an operation in which ink is circulated between the supply path (the head tank 35 to the ink cartridge 10) by the liquid feed pump 24 (FIG. 7). In this embodiment, even if the ink is used up, the liquid feed pump 24 is kept in an operable state, and thick ink is prevented from remaining in the supply path.

That is, in the inkjet recording apparatus 100 of this embodiment, in addition to the operations of the above-described embodiment,
(3) When the ink remaining in the ink cartridge reaches the “second end” (no liquid remaining), the liquid feed pump 24 is enabled to operate.

By doing this, it becomes difficult for thick ink to accumulate in the supply path (head tank 35 to ink cartridge 10), which helps prevent problems caused by ink solidification.

Fifth Embodiment
In the first embodiment, it has been described that the cleaning operation can be performed until the ink cartridge 10 is empty. In the present embodiment, in addition to that configuration, even if the ink cartridge 10 is empty, if there is ink in the head tank 35, the cleaning operation is performed using that ink.

That is, in the inkjet recording apparatus 100 of this embodiment, in addition to the operation of the first embodiment described above,
(3) The cleaning operation can be performed until the remaining amount of ink in the head tank 35 becomes zero.

This is advantageous in that it can suppress adverse effects on liquid ejection performance and nozzles for a longer period of time.

Sixth Embodiment
In the present invention, even if the ink cartridge is in a state where printing is not possible (printing is not possible), there is still enough ink remaining in the ink cartridge to allow maintenance (see Tables 1 and 2). Therefore, in this embodiment, the inkjet recording device is temporarily changed to a state where printing is possible at the user's instruction, making it possible to print.

Specifically, the inkjet recording device 100 of this embodiment operates as follows.

(1) When the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge is "normal" (liquid remaining amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount), the inkjet recording apparatus 100 is placed in a printable state.
(2) When the ink remaining in the ink cartridge is at the "first end" (less than a predetermined amount of liquid remaining), the inkjet recording device 100 is placed in a state in which printing is not possible (printing is not possible). The notification unit 5 issues a notification that the ink cartridge is empty or a notification urging the user to replace the ink cartridge. Furthermore, the inkjet recording device 100 (its automatic maintenance mechanism) is placed in a state in which "automatic maintenance" can be performed.
(2a) Here, when a print instruction is received from the user, the inkjet recording apparatus 100 changes to a printable state and performs printing. Note that the print instruction from the user is given, for example, by pressing the paper feed/print resume button 13 (see FIG. 1).
(2b) When printing is completed, the inkjet recording device 100 is again placed in a state where printing is not possible. The notification unit 5 notifies the user that the ink cartridge is empty or prompts the user to replace the ink cartridge. Furthermore, the inkjet recording device 100 (its automatic maintenance mechanism) is placed in a state where "automatic maintenance" can be performed.
(3) When the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge is “second end” (liquid remaining amount is zero), the inkjet recording apparatus 100 enters a state in which “automatic maintenance” cannot be performed.

When the inkjet recording device 100 is in a state where printing is not possible, it is preferable to continue "automatic maintenance (cleaning operation)" as long as the remaining ink level can be detected.

The above information is shown in Table 6.

In this way, the inkjet recording device 100 of this embodiment enters a printing-unavailable state when the ink remaining in the ink cartridge reaches the "first end," but changes to a printing-enabled state when a print instruction is received. Therefore, even if printing is no longer possible when there is little time left until printing is complete, printing can be temporarily resumed and completed, improving user convenience.

In particular, if the user has prepared replacement ink cartridges in advance, they can replace the ink cartridges after using up the ink in the current ink cartridge, which is more economical.

(Modification)
In the case of inks with relatively little pigment sedimentation, such as black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y), the ink concentration does not change much over time, so the ink cartridge is used up until it is empty. Then, for ink cartridges that contain a specific ink (e.g., white ink), the ink cartridge may be set to a non-printable state when the ink level reaches the "first end," and may be changed to a printable state when a print instruction is received from the user.

The above information is shown in Table 7.

In this way, when the ink level reaches the "first end" for a specific ink (e.g. white ink) only, the user is prompted to replace the cartridge, and the inkjet recording device is temporarily put into a printable state at the user's instruction, allowing printing to be completed.

Seventh Embodiment
Continuing printing when the ink remaining amount is less than the "first end" is merely a temporary measure, and cartridge replacement is required to prevent malfunctions. Therefore, when the inkjet recording apparatus 100 of this embodiment receives a print command and changes to a printable state, it notifies the user of this and calls their attention.

Figures 18 and 19 are schematic diagrams showing an example of a screen display at the first end, which is displayed on the display of the notification unit. At the "first end", the inkjet recording device 100 displays the screen shown in Figure 18 on the notification unit 5 of the device main body 1, and notifies the user to confirm whether or not to change to a printable state.

When the "Print/No Print Change Button" shown in the center of Figure 18 is pressed (touched), the screen shown in Figure 19(a) is displayed on the notification unit 5. This is intended to inform the user that the ink cartridge is low on ink and that image defects or ejection defects are likely to occur unless the ink cartridge is replaced.

Here, if the user presses (touches) "YES", the inkjet recording device 100 will change from a non-printable state to a printable state. On the other hand, if the user presses (touches) "NO", the inkjet recording device 100 will remain in a non-printable state.

As an alternative example, as shown in FIG. 19(b), a screen for repeatedly calling the user's attention may be displayed on the notification unit 5. When the user presses (touches) "YES" shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 19(b), the notification unit 5 then displays the screen shown in the lower diagram. This is intended to inform the user that image defects or ejection defects are more likely to occur if printing is resumed (urgent printing).

If the user further presses (touches) "YES" here, the inkjet recording device 100 changes from a non-printable state to a printable state. On the other hand, if the user presses (touches) "NO", the inkjet recording device 100 remains in a non-printable state.

In this way, this embodiment notifies the user that there is a risk in continuing to print after the remaining ink level has reached the "first end," and changes the state to one where printing is possible after obtaining the user's confirmation. This makes it possible to strongly encourage the user to replace the ink cartridge, and reduces the risk of poor image quality or poor ejection.

Next, we provide clear definitions of the terms used in this application.

The "printable state" and "unprintable state" refer to the liquid ejection device being able to accept or not able to accept a new print job, respectively, and/or displaying on the device (e.g., notification unit 5) that printing is possible or not possible. This can be achieved, for example, by the control unit (Figure 4) having internal information (parameters) for control.

In addition, these "printable" and "unprintable" states can be determined by whether or not the device starts printing when a print job is instructed (by a user, etc.).

A "liquid ejection device" is a device that has a liquid ejection head or a liquid ejection unit, and ejects liquid by driving the liquid ejection head. Devices that eject liquid include not only devices that can eject liquid onto objects to which the liquid can adhere, but also devices that eject liquid into air or liquid.

This "liquid ejection device" can also include means for feeding, transporting, and discharging items onto which liquid can be attached, as well as pre-processing devices and post-processing devices.

Examples of "liquid ejection devices" include image forming devices that eject ink to form an image on paper, and three-dimensional modeling devices that eject modeling liquid onto a powder layer formed from powder in order to create a three-dimensional object.

Furthermore, a "liquid ejection device" is not limited to devices that use ejected liquid to visualize meaningful images such as letters and figures. For example, it also includes devices that form patterns that have no meaning in themselves, and devices that create three-dimensional images.

The above phrase "something to which liquid can adhere" refers to something to which liquid can adhere at least temporarily, and to which the liquid adheres and sticks, or adheres and penetrates. Specific examples include media such as paper, recording paper, film, and cloth, electronic circuit boards, electronic components such as piezoelectric elements, powder layers, organ models, and test cells, and unless otherwise specified, includes all things to which liquid can adhere.

The above-mentioned "materials to which liquid can adhere" include paper, thread, fiber, cloth, leather, metal, plastic, glass, wood, ceramics, building materials such as wallpaper and flooring, and textiles for clothing, as long as the liquid can adhere even temporarily.

The "liquid" may be any liquid having a viscosity and surface tension that allows it to be discharged from the head, and is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the viscosity is 30 mPa·s or less at room temperature and pressure, or by heating or cooling. More specifically, it is a solution, suspension, emulsion, etc. that contains a solvent such as water or an organic solvent, a colorant such as a dye or pigment, a functionalizing material such as a polymerizable compound, a resin, or a surfactant, a biocompatible material such as DNA, amino acids, proteins, or calcium, an edible material such as a natural dye, etc. These can be used, for example, in applications such as inkjet ink, surface treatment liquid, a liquid for forming a component of an electronic element or a light-emitting element, an electronic circuit resist pattern, and a material liquid for three-dimensional modeling.

In addition, the term "liquid ejection device" includes devices in which a liquid ejection head and an object to which liquid can be attached move relatively, but is not limited to this. Specific examples include serial type devices in which the liquid ejection head moves, and line type devices in which the liquid ejection head does not move.

Other examples of "liquid ejection devices" include treatment liquid application devices that eject treatment liquid onto paper to apply the treatment liquid to the surface of the paper for purposes such as modifying the surface of the paper. There are also jet granulation devices that eject a composition liquid in which raw materials are dispersed through a nozzle to granulate the raw material into fine particles.

A "liquid ejection unit" is a collection of components related to ejecting liquid, integrating functional parts and mechanisms with a liquid ejection head. For example, a "liquid ejection unit" includes a combination of at least one of the following components with a liquid ejection head: a head tank, a carriage, a supply mechanism, a maintenance and recovery mechanism, and a main scanning movement mechanism.

Here, integration includes, for example, the liquid ejection head, functional parts, and mechanism being fixed to each other by fastening, bonding, engagement, etc., and one being held movably relative to the other. The liquid ejection head, functional parts, and mechanism may also be configured to be detachable from each other.

The main scanning movement mechanism includes the guide member alone. The supply mechanism also includes the tube alone and the loading section alone.

A "liquid ejection head" is a functional device that ejects and sprays liquid from a nozzle. Energy sources that eject liquid include piezoelectric actuators (laminated piezoelectric elements or thin-film piezoelectric elements), thermal actuators that use electrothermal conversion elements such as heating resistors, and electrostatic actuators that consist of a vibration plate and an opposing electrode.

In this specification, "paper" does not mean the material to be paper, but includes overhead projectors, cloth, glass, substrates, etc., and means anything onto which ink droplets or other liquids can be attached, including things called recording media, recording media, recording paper, and recording paper. In addition, image formation, recording, printing, copying, and printing are all synonymous terms.

Unless otherwise specified, "ink" is used as a general term for all liquids capable of forming images, including not only those called ink, but also those called recording liquid, fixing treatment liquid, liquid, etc., and also includes, for example, DNA samples, resists, pattern materials, resins, etc.

"Image" does not only refer to flat objects, but also includes images attached to objects formed in a three-dimensional form, and images formed by modeling the object itself in three dimensions.

The present invention has been described in detail above using an embodiment. This embodiment is merely an example, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, multiple embodiments may be combined with each other.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1 Device body 2 Paper feed tray 3 Paper discharge tray 4 Cartridge loading section 5 Notification section 10 Ink cartridge 12 Power button 13 Paper feed/print resume button 14 Cancel button 21 Frame 21A, 21B Side plate 22 Suction pump 23 Waste liquid tank 24 Liquid supply pump 25 Rubber tube 27 Pump rotor 30 Tube pump 31 Guide rod 32 Stay 33 Carriage 34 Recording head 35 Head tank 36 Ink supply tube 41 Paper stacking section 42 Paper 43 Paper feed roller 44 Separation pad 45 Guide member 46 Counter roller 47 Transport guide member 48 Press member 49 Tip pressure roller 51 Transport belt 52 Transport roller 53 Tension roller 56 Charging roller 57 Guide member 61 Separation claw 62 Discharge roller 63 Discharge roller 71 Double-sided unit 72 Manual feed tray 81 Maintenance and recovery mechanism 82 Cap 83 Wiper blade 84, 88 Empty discharge receiver 89 Opening 91 Negative pressure lever 92 Film 93 Supply port 94 Atmospheric release valve 95 Detection mechanism 100 Inkjet recording device 300 Communication circuit 301 Main control unit 302 Print control unit 303 Main scanning motor drive circuit 304 Sub-scanning motor drive circuit 305 Carriage position detection circuit 306 Transport amount detection circuit 307 Paper feed roller drive circuit 308 Maintenance and recovery mechanism drive motor drive circuit 310 Head drive circuit 311 Supply pump drive circuit 312 Head tank full sensor 313 Environment sensor 314 Cartridge communication circuit 316 Non-volatile memory

JP 2010-155446 A

Claims (12)

A droplet ejection head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid;
a head tank for temporarily storing liquid to be supplied to the droplet ejection head;
At least one liquid cartridge that contains liquid to be supplied to the head tank;
a liquid detection unit that detects the amount of liquid remaining in the liquid cartridge;
a maintenance and recovery mechanism that performs a cleaning operation to discharge liquid from the plurality of nozzles of the droplet ejection head;
An alarm unit that issues a sensory signal to a user;
Equipped with
(1) if the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, the liquid cartridge is placed in a printable state;
(2) If the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is less than a predetermined amount, printing is disabled;
A liquid ejection device that, when a printing is not possible, issues a notification that the liquid cartridge is empty or a notification that urges a user to replace the liquid cartridge, and is capable of carrying out the cleaning operation,
When the detected remaining amount of liquid becomes zero, a notification that the liquid cartridge is empty or a notification that prompts replacement of the liquid cartridge is issued;
A liquid ejection device characterized in that, when the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is less than a predetermined amount, a notification that the liquid cartridge is empty or a notification urging the user to replace the liquid cartridge is issued in the same manner. A droplet ejection head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid;
a head tank for temporarily storing liquid to be supplied to the droplet ejection head;
At least one liquid cartridge that contains liquid to be supplied to the head tank;
a liquid detection unit that detects the amount of liquid remaining in the liquid cartridge;
a maintenance and recovery mechanism that performs a cleaning operation to discharge liquid from the plurality of nozzles of the droplet ejection head;
An alarm unit that issues a sensory signal to a user;
Equipped with
(1) if the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, the liquid cartridge is placed in a printable state;
(2) If the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is less than a predetermined amount, printing is disabled;
A liquid ejection device that, when a printing is not possible, issues a notification that the liquid cartridge is empty or a notification that urges a user to replace the liquid cartridge, and is capable of carrying out the cleaning operation,
A liquid ejection device characterized in that when the detected remaining amount of liquid is less than a predetermined amount and the maintenance and recovery mechanism is in a state where the cleaning operation can be performed, when a user inputs an instruction to turn off the power to the device main body, the notification unit notifies the user of a warning. A droplet ejection head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid;
a head tank for temporarily storing liquid to be supplied to the droplet ejection head;
At least one liquid cartridge that contains liquid to be supplied to the head tank;
a liquid detection unit that detects the amount of liquid remaining in the liquid cartridge;
a maintenance and recovery mechanism that performs a cleaning operation to discharge liquid from the plurality of nozzles of the droplet ejection head;
An alarm unit that issues a sensory signal to a user;
Equipped with
(1) if the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, the liquid cartridge is placed in a printable state;
(2) If the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is less than a predetermined amount, printing is disabled;
A liquid ejection device that, when a printing is not possible, issues a notification that the liquid cartridge is empty or a notification that urges a user to replace the liquid cartridge, and is capable of carrying out the cleaning operation,
A liquid ejection device, wherein the amount of liquid actually contained in the liquid cartridge is greater than the amount of liquid indicated on the liquid cartridge. 4. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid cartridge has an information storage element portion, and data on the remaining amount of liquid is stored in the information storage element portion. A droplet ejection head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid;
a head tank for temporarily storing liquid to be supplied to the droplet ejection head;
an atmosphere opening portion that opens the inside of the head tank to the atmosphere;
At least one liquid cartridge that contains liquid to be supplied to the head tank;
a liquid detection unit that detects the amount of liquid remaining in the liquid cartridge;
a maintenance and recovery mechanism for maintaining and recovering the plurality of nozzles of the droplet ejection head;
Equipped with
the maintenance and recovery mechanism is capable of switching between a cleaning operation for discharging liquid from the plurality of nozzles of the droplet ejection head and a second cleaning operation for maintaining and recovering the plurality of nozzles of the droplet ejection head without supplying liquid;
When the detected liquid level drops to zero,
The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second cleaning operation can be performed after the head tank is opened to the atmosphere. A notification unit that issues a sensory signal to a user,
(1) if the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, the liquid cartridge is placed in a printable state;
(2) If the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is less than a predetermined amount, printing is disabled;
The liquid ejection device according to claim 5 , wherein when the liquid ejection device is in a state where printing is not possible, a notification is given that the liquid cartridge is empty, or a notification is given to encourage replacement of the liquid cartridge, and the cleaning operation can be performed. A droplet ejection head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid;
a head tank for temporarily storing liquid to be supplied to the droplet ejection head;
At least one liquid cartridge that contains liquid to be supplied to the head tank;
a liquid detection unit that detects the amount of liquid remaining in the liquid cartridge;
a liquid supplying means for circulating the liquid between the liquid cartridge and the head tank,
A liquid ejection device, characterized in that the liquid delivery means can be operated even when the detected remaining amount of liquid becomes zero. 8. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the liquid delivery means is capable of forward and reverse liquid transfer. a maintenance and recovery mechanism that performs a cleaning operation to discharge liquid from the plurality of nozzles of the droplet ejection head;
An alarm unit that issues a sensory signal to a user;
Equipped with
(1) if the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, the liquid cartridge is placed in a printable state;
(2) If the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is less than a predetermined amount, printing is disabled;
9. The liquid ejection device according to claim 7, wherein when the liquid ejection device is in a state where printing is not possible, a notification is given that the liquid cartridge is empty, or a notification is given to encourage replacement of the liquid cartridge, and the cleaning operation can be performed. A droplet ejection head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid;
a head tank for temporarily storing liquid to be supplied to the droplet ejection head;
At least one liquid cartridge that contains liquid to be supplied to the head tank;
a liquid detection unit that detects the amount of liquid remaining in the liquid cartridge;
a maintenance and recovery mechanism that performs a cleaning operation to discharge liquid from the plurality of nozzles of the droplet ejection head;
An alarm unit that issues a sensory signal to a user;
Equipped with
(1) if the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, the liquid cartridge is placed in a printable state;
(2) If the detected remaining amount of liquid in the liquid cartridge is less than a predetermined amount, printing is disabled;
When the liquid cartridge is in a state where printing is not possible, a notification is given that the liquid cartridge is empty or a notification is given to prompt the user to replace the liquid cartridge;
The liquid ejection apparatus is characterized in that the cleaning operation can be carried out until the remaining amount of liquid in the head tank becomes zero. When the printing is not possible, a notification is given that the liquid cartridge is empty or a notification is given that prompts the user to replace the liquid cartridge.
11. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid ejection device is changed to a printable state when a print command is received. When the printing is not possible, a notification is given that the liquid cartridge is empty or a notification is given that prompts the user to replace the liquid cartridge.
The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a notification for confirming whether or not to change to a printable state.

Images