JPH046552B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an inkjet device such as an inkjet printer that performs printing by reciprocating a carriage, and is intended to improve usability, especially in recovery operations performed when ink is not ejected or is incompletely ejected. It is something.

FIG. 1 shows an example of an inkjet printer. Here, CA is a carriage, and the carriage CA is equipped with a nozzle N having a piezo element (not shown) and a closed sub-tank ST, and is reciprocated on a sliding axis YZ by a linear motor. OS
is an optical slit with many slits,
A photocoupler having a light-emitting diode as a light-emitting element (not shown) and a phototransistor as a light-receiving element, and this optical slit OS make a carriage.
Perform CA position detection. The home position of the carriage CA is detected when the light shielding plate SB arrives within the photocoupler having a light emitting diode LB and a phototransistor PB. The sub tank ST is connected to the main tank MT through a supply pipe T1. The supply pipe T1 is fixed at one point by a fixing plate P. As a result, the supply pipe T1 between the fixed plate P and the sub-tank ST performs a kind of centrifugal movement around the fixed plate P every time the carriage CA moves back and forth. This centrifugal movement causes
Ink supply pressure is generated in the supply pipe T1, and ink in the main tank MT is supplied into the sub tank ST. PL is a platen that loads printing paper, and is driven by a pulse motor PMT. Ink is ejected from the nozzle N by detecting the position of the carriage CA using the aforementioned optical slit OS and photocoupler (not shown), and at a predetermined position via the flexible cable FL to the piezo element (not shown) of the nozzle N. This is done by applying a voltage to .

If the inkjet printer fails to eject ink or ejects incompletely due to the influence of temperature or humidity, the impact of air bubbles, etc., resulting in defective printing such as satellites or splashes,
When the stop operation is performed, the light shielding plate SB attached to the carriage CA will turn into a light emitting diode.
It stops at a position that blocks the light irradiated from LB to phototransistor PB. At this position, the cap KP is placed over the nozzle N mounted on the carriage CA, as will be described later, and an ink recovery operation is performed.

FIG. 2 schematically shows the ink supply mechanism and recovery mechanism. Ink is supplied from the main tank MT through the supply pipe T1 into the closed sub-tank ST by the ink supply pressure generated by the centrifugal movement of the supply pipe T1, and at this time, the space under positive pressure is
AI1 pushes down the ink level in the sub tank,
Thereby, ink is guided to the nozzle N via the supply pipe T2 having the filter IF. On the other hand, with the nozzle N covered with the cap KP, the ink recovery mechanism pushes down the lever RB that moves the piston PST of the pump PN up and down, and
2 to negative pressure, and the ink in the sub tank ST is transferred to the supply pipe T2, nozzle N, cap KP and supply pipe T.
3 into the pump PN to restore the ink supply. In addition, the ink sucked into the pump PN passes through the valve BN to the bottom of the pump.
It flows down into the PNB and is discharged through the outlet HK.

In this ink recovery mechanism, as described above, when the lever RB is pushed down, the space AI2 in the pump PN becomes negative pressure, and when the pressure returns to atmospheric pressure, the ink in the sub-tank ST flows through the supply pipe T2, the nozzle N, It is sucked into the pump PN through the cap KP and the supply pipe T3, and thereby the sub-tank
Space AI1 in ST becomes negative pressure. Even if the lever RB of the pump PN is returned and the space AI2 inside the pump PN returns to its original pressure, the space AI1 inside the sub-tank ST is still under negative pressure, and the air is pumped into the sub-tank ST through the supply pipe T1 and the supply pipe T2. Attempting to suck ink. Here, the diameter of the discharge port at the tip of the nozzle N is sufficiently small compared to the diameter of the supply pipe T1,
In addition, since the main tank MT is flexible, ink is not sucked from the supply pipe T2, and the main tank MT is flexible.
The ink in the MT passes through the supply pipe T1 to the sub tank.
Aspirated into ST. Sufficient ink is supplied from the main tank MT to the sub tank ST, and the space AI
1 returns to the original pressure, it becomes possible to remove the cap KP and print. but,
If the cap KP is removed when the ink supply from the main tank MT to the sub tank ST is insufficient and the space AI1 is still under negative pressure, air will be sucked from the tip of the nozzle N, and printing will be performed in this condition. This results in non-ejection or incomplete ejection of ink again. Therefore, after the ink recovery operation, it is necessary to wait for the space AI1 in the sub-tank ST to return from negative pressure to the original atmospheric pressure and to be able to print normally. It was necessary to count this waiting time and judge the recovery state.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet device which eliminates such drawbacks and which notifies the user of the elapsed waiting time after a recovery operation by means of a means for notifying the user.

The inkjet device of the present invention that achieves the above object includes a cap for covering an ejection port for ejecting ink, and a suction device for sucking ink from the ejection port through the cap when the cap covers the ejection port. The present invention is characterized by comprising: means for notifying that suction by the suction means is continuing.

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a control unit for controlling the waiting time display and the automatic start of printing after the waiting time has elapsed in an inkjet printer as an inkjet device of the present invention. Here, SW1 and SW2 are respectively placed at the positions shown in the second figure. A switch with contacts S1-S2 and S3-S4, FF1 is a flip-flop that sets on falling, FF2 is a flip-flop that sets on rising, CPU is a central processing unit,
TM is an oscillator, AG1 is an AND gate, CNT is a counter, I1 is an inverter, AGG is an AND gate group, and DSP is a display that displays waiting time.
CM is the print character memory, PTC is the printer control section, and after the waiting time elapses, the printer
Arranged to start printing of PRT.

When the cap KP is placed over the nozzle N while the carriage CA is stopped at a predetermined position, the contacts S1 and S2 come into contact, the switch SW1 is closed, and a signal indicating that the cap P is placed is output. line
It is supplied to the central processing unit CPU via _IS1 .
As a result, the central processing unit CPU detects that the cap KP is placed over the nozzle N of the printer, and sends a segment signal indicating this state to the signal line _lSG1.
is supplied to the AND gate group AGG via. At this point, switch SW2 is still open,
The output signal "0" of the AND gate AG1, which is closed by the reset signal "0" of the flip-flop FF2, is inverted by the inverter I1, and a signal "1" is supplied to the AND gate group AGG. Therefore, the segment signal supplied to the AND gate group AGG is supplied to the display DSP via the signal line _lSG2 , and it is displayed that the cap KP is placed over the nozzle N of the printer.

After cap KP is placed over printer nozzle N and preparations for ink recovery operation are completed, pump PN is
When lever RB is pushed down to the lowest position, contact S
3 and S4 come into contact, and switch SW2 is closed. As a result, flip-flops FF1, FF2
The signal supplied to FF changes from ``1'' to ``0'', flip-flop FF1, which is set at the falling edge, is set, and the set signal ``1'' is sent to central processing unit CPU and R of counter CNT via signal line _lF1 .
Supplied to the terminal. This results in a central processing unit
The CPU detects that pump PN is pressed down and sends a segment signal indicating this state to signal line l _SG1
is supplied to the AND gate group AGG via. At this point, the flip-flop FF2, which is set at the rising edge, is still reset, and the output signal "0" of the AND gate AG1, which is closed by this reset signal "0", is inverted by the inverter I1, and the AND gate group Signal "1" is supplied to AGG. Therefore, as in the case of switch SW1, the segment signal supplied to the AND gate group AGG is supplied to the display DSP via the signal line l _SG2 , and it is displayed that the lever RB of the pump PN has been pressed down. . Further, the counter CNT becomes operational.

Next, when the operation of the suction means is completed and the suction through the cap is completed, when the lever RB that has been pushed down to the lowest end is returned, contacts 3 and 4 are brought out of contact and switch SW2 is opened. According to
The signal supplied to flip-flops FF1 and FF2 changes from "0" to "1", and flip-flop FF1, which is set at the falling edge, maintains the previous set state.
Flip-flop FF2, which is set at the rising edge, is set, and the set signal "1" is sent to the central processing unit CPU and the AND gate AG via the signal line _lF2 .
1 and the L terminal of the counter CNT.
As a result, the counter CNT is set to the initial value. Also, the AND gate AG1 starts a counter every time a pulse with a period of 1 second is supplied from the oscillator TM.
Supply signal "1" to the CK terminal of CNT. Counter CNT is a subtraction counter, and gate AG
Each time the signal "1" is supplied, it is subtracted from the initial value, and the numerical signal and borrow signal are sent to the central processing unit via the signal lines l _CT and I _BR , respectively.
Supply to CPU. The central processing unit CPU supplies the signal supplied from the counter CNT to the display via the signal line _lSG1 , the AND gate group AGG, and the signal line _lSG2 .

By setting the period of the output pulse of the oscillator TM to 1 second, the counter CNT subtracts 1 second from the initial value. Further, by setting the duty of the pulse to 50%, the AND gate AG1 and the AND gate group AGG connected thereto are alternately opened and closed at 0.5 second intervals. As a result, the segment signal supplied to the display DSP turns on and off alternately at 0.5 second intervals, and the display on the display DSP blinks. In addition, the signal supplied from AND gate AG1 to AND gate group AGG is inverted via inverter I1, and the counter
The timing between CNT subtraction and display DSP display is shifted.

The counter CNT sends a borrow signal to the central processing unit via the signal line l _BR at the point when it finishes subtracting.
Supply to CPU. The central processing unit CPU detects that the waiting time after the ink recovery operation has elapsed and supplies a reset signal "0" to the flip-flops FF1 and FF2 via the signal _lRS . As a result, flip-flops FF1 and FF2 are reset, and counter CNT, AND gate AG1 and AND gate group AGG are placed in the initial state.

When the waiting time after the ink recovery operation is over, remove the nozzle N from the cap KP and the switch will be activated.
SW1 is opened. The central processing unit CPU detects this state and supplies a print data signal such as "CLEAR" to the print character memory CM, and also supplies a print command signal PO to the printer control unit PTC, so that the printer outputs "CLEAR". Perform printing.

As a result, after the ejection recovery process, it is not possible to judge whether or not the print is good just by performing preliminary ejection at the home position, etc., but in this example, the specified print after the recovery operation is actually performed on the recording paper, etc. It becomes possible to judge whether or not a good ejection state has been restored.

It has been experimentally confirmed that after the ink recovery operation, the waiting time for the space AI1 in the sub-tank ST to return from negative pressure to the original pressure is about 10 seconds, and based on this, the counter CNT Set initial values.

As explained above, according to the inkjet device of the present invention, since the ink recovery completion state is notified, the ink recovery state can be easily confirmed and the reliability of recovery can be measured. Furthermore, since the operator starts printing by removing the cap after the waiting time has elapsed, it is possible to reduce the effort required to confirm the recovery of the printer.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the inkjet device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a mechanical diagram showing the ink supply mechanism and recovery mechanism, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the waiting time display and automatic printing start of the inkjet device of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram for controlling. CA...carriage, N...nozzle, ST...subtank, OS...optical slit, LB...light emitting diode, PB...phototransistor, SB...light shielding plate, T1...supply pipe, MT...main Tank, P... fixed plate, PL... platen,
PMT...Pulse motor, FL...Flexible cable, KP...Cap, AI1...Space, IF...
…filter, T2…supply pipe, PN…pump,
PST...piston, RB...lever, AI2...space, T3...supply pipe, BN...valve, PNB...bottom of pump, HK...discharge port, SW1, SW2...switch, FF1, FF2... flipflop, CPU
... Central processing unit, TM ... Oscillator, AG1
...and gate, CNT...counter, I1...
...Inverter, AGG...AND gate group, DSP
...Display unit, CM ...Printer character memory, PTC
...Printer control unit, PRT...Printer, YZ...Sliding axis.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A cap for covering an ejection port for ejecting ink, a suction means for sucking ink from the ejection port through the cap when the cap covers the ejection port, and a method by the suction means. An inkjet device comprising: a notification means for notifying that suction is continuing; and an inkjet device. 2. The ink jet device according to claim 1, wherein the notification means determines that the suction is continuing and performs the notification until the negative pressure in the ejection port returns to the original atmospheric pressure. 3. The inkjet device according to claim 1, wherein printing is started by separating the cap from the ejection port after the suction ends. 4. The inkjet device according to claim 1, wherein the notification means is a lamp, and the notification is made by blinking the lamp.