JPH0822597B2 - Ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus, and particularly to an improvement of an ink supply apparatus thereof.

[Prior Art] As a conventional ink jet recording apparatus, there is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 58-244131 by the present applicant.
This is provided with a first tank as an ink supply source for a head for ejecting ink for recording and a second tank as an ink supply source for the first tank, and further in the middle of the ink supply path. Is provided with three opening / closing means and a pump capable of operating in both forward and reverse directions. In addition to the print mode in which the opening / closing state and the operating state of the opening / closing means and the pump are appropriately switched to perform recording, the first tank from the second tank is used. Supply mode for supplying ink to the tank, pressurizing mode for removing clogging of the nozzle portion of the head, circulation mode for performing removing process of bubbles in the supply path, and saving ink The ink supply device is configured so that it can also be set in the storage mode.

In the pressurization mode and the circulation mode among the respective modes, since the head is interposed in the flow path formed by the pump operation, the ink leaks from the nozzle portion.

Here, in the pressure mode, the ink is made to flow out from the nozzle portion of the head in order to remove the clogging, but in the circulation mode, only the removal of the bubbles and the refresh of the ink are performed, and the leakage of the ink is unnecessary. Is not desirable because it consumes.

[Purpose] According to the present invention, the amount of ink fed from the pump has a correlation with the voltage applied to the pump, and the viscosity of the ink changes depending on the temperature condition, and the ink circulation This is done based on the knowledge that the amount of ink leaking from the nozzle portion of the head also changes in the mode.

That is, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus that reduces the amount of ink leakage from the head in the ink circulation mode by driving the pump in consideration of the environmental temperature and reduces the amount of ink wasted.

The present invention aims to reduce the amount of ink leaked from the head in the circulation mode described above, and in the circulation mode, the ink by the pump is kept open with the opening / closing member in consideration of the ambient temperature. Only by reducing the feeding amount and reducing the pressure applied to the nozzle of the head, it is possible to cope with the problem.

That is, the present invention is directed to a head (head element 4 in the embodiment) that ejects ink for recording, and a tank (first tank 3 in the embodiment) that stores ink to be supplied to the head.
0), a first ink passage (in the embodiment, the pipes 68, 64, the DV joint 72, the distributor 6B, the pipe 8B, etc.) for connecting the head and the tank to transfer the ink, and the second
Ink passage (8A in the embodiment, distributors 6A, D
-V joint 70 and tube 60), a pump (pump 56 in the embodiment) provided in the first ink passage, an opening / closing means (opening / closing means 50A in the embodiment) provided in the second ink passage, A pressure mode in which the opening / closing means is closed to drive the pump so that the ink in the tank flows out of the head through the first ink passage; and the opening / closing means is opened to drive the pump. In the ink jet recording apparatus, it is possible to set at least a circulation mode in which ink in the tank is circulated through the first ink passage, the head, the second ink passage, and the tank. In order to reduce the amount of ink leaked from the printer, it is only necessary to reduce the ink feed amount by the pump in the circulation mode. Mode control section (steps of the controller 90 to seventh diagram of a controller of Figure 6 in the exemplary S
2) and a temperature sensor (in the embodiment, the temperature sensor 400 shown in FIGS. 1 and 6) is provided, and the drive of the pump is adjusted according to the temperature condition detected by the temperature sensor (in the embodiment, The processing of step SB-1 in FIG. 8 (B)).

When the amount of ink fed from the pump is large, the flow of ink in the ink flow path is so vigorous that air bubbles existing in the head or the ink flow path rather stay due to the formation of vortices, and good transfer is performed. There are cases where you are not denied. On the other hand, by reducing the ink supply amount from the pump, the flow velocity of the ink in the ink flow path is reduced. On the other hand, the pressure acting on the head is reduced and the ink leakage amount is reduced. You can Further, the viscosity of the ink changes due to the influence of temperature, and the amount of leakage of the ink from the nozzle also changes depending on the viscosity of the ink. Therefore, it is possible to further reduce the ink leakage by adjusting the ink feeding amount in consideration of the temperature.

Furthermore, if the flow of ink is reduced and the flow of ink is stabilized regardless of temperature, the bubbles existing in the ink flow path are satisfactorily pushed in the direction of ink flow along with the gentle flow of ink. Can be made to act.

Also, with respect to the ink flow direction, it is only necessary to reduce the flow of ink from the pump on the upstream side of the head, and on the downstream side of the head, a constant flow path resistance is maintained with the opening / closing means left open. Therefore, unlike the case of controlling the ink flow by adjusting the opening degree of the opening / closing means on the downstream side, the ink pressure fluctuation or backflow state due to the fluctuation of the flow path resistance does not occur, and the pressure fluctuation with respect to the head And the amount of ink leakage can be reduced, and a favorable ink flow can be formed, so that it is possible to reliably eliminate bubbles.

[Examples] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of the main part of an inkjet recording apparatus to which the present invention can be applied. That is, in the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to, for example, a color ink jet printer of four colors, and the ink jet printer has a plurality of print heads in the width direction of the recording paper and prints by the on-demand method. Shall be performed.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 denotes a unit plate made of, for example, aluminum.
The individual head elements 4 are provided. Each head element 4 faces the recording paper and has 128 ink ejection nozzles in the width direction. Those head elements 4
Are appropriately arranged on both sides of the unit plate 2, and the recording area by the nozzle of the head element 4 arranged on the front side of the unit plate 2 and the recording area by the nozzle of the head element 4 arranged on the back side are One line can be printed without overlapping in the width direction of the recording paper. That is, at the time of recording, the head element 4 on the back side is first driven to perform recording, and the head element 4 on the front side is driven when the recorded portion faces the head on the front side as the recording paper moves. By doing 1
Line recording can be performed.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a distributor, which may be, for example, the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 58-244138 by the present applicant. The distributor 6 has a forward-side distributor 6A that supplies ink to the head element 4 via the supply pipe 8A, and a return-side distributor 6B that collects ink from the head element 4 via the supply pipe 8B. 7 is a distributor 6 and a supply pipe 8
A joint (hereinafter, referred to as a D-T joint) for connecting to and, for example, the joint disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 58-244132 by the present applicant can be used. Each of these parts is a head unit 10 associated with one predetermined color of ink, and in the present embodiment, four head units 10 are provided corresponding to the number of colors of ink.

Reference numeral 20 is a mother board, and 22 is a guide member for mounting the head unit 10 on the mother board 20 while guiding the unit plate 2.

The first tank 30 stores ink and serves as an ink supply source for the head element 4.
Is provided on the side opposite to the head unit 10. 40 is a second tank as an ink cartridge tank,
The guide member 24 provided on the mother board 20 guides it so that it can be mounted on the mother board 20. The first tank 20 has a liquid level sensor, and when the liquid level sensor detects that the amount of ink in the first tank 30 is less than or equal to a predetermined amount, the second tank 40 changes to the first tank 30. Supply ink. Reference numerals 32 and 34 denote arm portions of the first tank 30, and the arm portions 32 have opening / closing means 50 such as a solenoid valve.
And 52 are attached, and an opening / closing means 54 such as a solenoid valve and a pump 56 are attached to the arm portion 34. Opening / closing means 50, 52
As 54 and 54, in addition to an electromagnetic valve, an opening / closing throttle, a gate valve or the like can be used.

The solenoid valve 50 includes a conduit 60 that is formed in the arm portion 32 and extends to the ink storage portion in the first tank 30, and a joint portion (hereinafter, D-V) that extends to the distributor 6A via the motherboard 20.
And a valve section 50A for connecting 70),
The solenoid 50B is opened in response to the urging of the solenoid 50B to form an ink flow path. The solenoid valve 52 has a valve portion 52A that connects the air chamber in the first tank 30 to the outside air, and is opened in response to the urging of the solenoid 52B to open the air chamber in the first tank 30 to the atmosphere. Note that, for example, the dustproof filter 53 may be provided on the atmosphere side of the valve portion 52A.

The solenoid valve 54 is formed in the arm portion 34, and has a joint 72 connecting a pipe 64 leading to the pump 56 and a pipe 66 leading to the second tank 40, and a DV joint 74 passing through the motherboard and leading to the distributor 6B. Has a valve portion 54A for connecting the. The valve portion 54A opens in response to the urging of the solenoid 54B to form an ink flow path between the pump 56 and the distributor 6B. Reference numeral 76 is a joint that connects the pipe 66 and the second tank 40 (hereinafter, referred to as TC joint).
Is.

The pump 56 is connected to the second tank via a pipe 64 leading to the valve portion 54, a pipe 68 leading to the first tank 30 and a check valve or the like to prevent backflow, and is used for forward and reverse operation. In response, ink is supplied from the valve section 54A and the second tank 40 to the first tank 30 and ink is sent to the valve section 54A.

These parts 30, 40, 50, 52, 54, 56 etc. are connected to the head unit 10
In this embodiment, four stages are provided according to the color type of the ink. In FIG. 1, only one stage is shown. This ink supply stage connects them to the head unit 10 via DV joints 70 and 74, as described above. This connection will be described later.

Further, in FIG. 1, reference numeral 80 denotes a connector to a control unit (not shown), which is attached to the mother board 20. Reference numeral 82 is an interface board, and 84 is a flexible wiring board for transmitting a print control signal supplied from the control unit via the connector 80 and the interface board 82 to the head element 4 and the like. 300 and 400 are unit plates 2 respectively
And a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the ink liquid and a heater for keeping the temperature of the ink. In addition, 50
Reference numeral 0 denotes a cap portion which is positioned at the position shown in the drawing when performing the ejection recovery of the nozzle portion and which caps the nozzle portion. The cap portion 500 may be positioned, for example, in the lower part in the drawing at the time of recording, and may be positioned as shown in the drawing along the guide rail by the driving means (not shown), for example, when the ejection recovery is performed.

Next, the liquid level measuring device provided in the first tank 30 will be described.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of the first tank having a liquid level sensor, respectively. In this embodiment, the first
The tank 30 has a shape having a concave portion 36 and a protruding portion 37 rising from the concave portion. 1 on the outer wall of the protrusion
A pair of sensors, for example, electrode plates 38 are arranged so as to face each other, and the capacitance between the electrode plates is detected to measure the height of the ink surface in the first tank 30 or the presence or absence of ink. As the sensor, a photocoupler can be used if the discharge part 37 is made of a transparent member.

In addition, the inner wall 37A of the protrusion, that is, the partition wall 37A of the sensor 38
Has a shape that extends further downward than the position where the sensor 38 is provided.

In a structure such as the tank 30 'without the extending portion of the partition wall 37A, as shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B),
As the liquid surface of the ink I is lowered, ink drops remain on the sensor-provided portion of the inner wall of the protrusion 37 ′ due to the surface tension of the ink, and the sensor 38 causes erroneous detection. On the other hand, according to the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the ink droplets do not remain on the sensor-provided portion of the inner wall 37A of the protrusion, so that the decrease in the ink surface can be accurately detected.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2 (A), this sensor is
It is preferable to form the concave portion 36 and the protruding portion 37 so as to be arranged near the center of the tank 30 so that the correct liquid level height can be detected even when the tank 30 is slightly inclined.

FIG. 4 schematically shows an ink supply system including a head unit and an ink supply stage. Here, 58 is the second tank 40
Is a check valve provided in the TC joint 76 that connects the pipe 66 with the pipe 66, and restricts the flow of ink only in the direction in which it flows out from the second tank 40. Arrows F and R indicate the directions of ink flow according to the forward and reverse operation of the pump 56, respectively. Further, I and A are respectively the first
3 shows an air chamber and an ink storage portion in the tank 30.

By configuring the ink supply system in this way, the operating state of the pump 56 and the open / closed states of the valves 50, 52 and 54 can be appropriately switched as shown in Table 1, and the ink supply device can be operated in the following modes. Can be set.

Here, each mode and the ink flow path corresponding to the mode will be described.

(1) Print mode Ink necessary for printing is supplied to the head element 4 from the first tank 30 side. Since this embodiment is applied to an on-demand type ink jet printer, pressure is not applied to ink during printing, and therefore the pump 56 is not driven.

In this mode, as the ink is ejected from the head 4, the ink flows through the tube 60, the valve 50A, the DV joint 70,
Head 4 through distributor 6A and supply pipe 8A
Is supplied to.

(2) Supply Mode This is a mode in which ink is supplied from the cartridge tank 40 to the first tank 30, and this mode can be used at the start of use of the inkjet printer and when the amount of ink in the first tank 30 has decreased.

In this mode, the valve 52A is open, the valve 54A is closed, and the pump 56 is operating in the forward direction, so ink flows from the second tank 40 through the check valve, the pipe 64, the pump 56 and the pipe 68. F
The liquid flows in the direction and is supplied to the first tank 30, and the liquid level in the first tank 30 rises.

(3) Circulation mode When ink is supplied to each head during initial use of the apparatus by circulating ink, or when air bubbles in the head or the supply path are removed and ink inside them is refreshed at the same time. This mode is used and is set when the inkjet printer is left for a long time.

In this mode, the valves 50, 52, 54 are all opened and the pump 56 is operated in the reverse direction, so that the ink flows in the R direction to the first tank 30, the pipe 68, the pump 56, the pipe 64, the valves 54A, D. -V joint 72, distributor 6B, tube 8B, head 4,
Reflux to the first tank 30 via the pipe 8A, the DV joint 70, the valve 50A and the pipe 60. Bubbles in the head 4 or the supply passage are collected in the first tank 30 and discharged from the air chamber A into the atmosphere through the valve 52A.

(4) Pressurization mode In this mode, when the nozzles of the head 4 are dried or when the nozzles are clogged, pressure is applied to the ink and the ink is pushed out from the nozzle to remove them.

In this mode, the valve 50A is closed, the valves 52A and 54A are open, and the pump 56 is operating in the reverse direction, so that ink flows from the first tank 30 in the R direction to the pipe 68, the pump 56, and the pipe 6.
4, valve 54A, DV joint 72, distributor 6
B is supplied to the head 4 through the pipe 8B.

(5) Storage mode In addition to preventing ink evaporation and deterioration in the first tank 30,
This mode prevents ink leakage and is used when the inkjet printer is not printing or during transportation.

In this mode valves 50A, 52A and 54A are closed and pump 56
Since it is also stopped, there is no ink flow in the supply path,
Moreover, the ink does not leak from the device. Further, since all the valves are closed, ink in the tank does not leak from the head portion due to ambient atmospheric conditions, for example, temperature changes, and air, dust, etc. do not enter the supply passage.

Next, a mode in which the supply system is set to each of these modes will be described.

5 (A) and 5 (B) respectively show the applied voltage V [volt] to the pump drive motor and the pump discharge flow rate Q [cc.
/ sec] and the value L / Q [%] obtained by dividing the pump discharge flow rate Q [cc / sec] and the leakage amount L [cc / sec] from the nozzle per unit time by Q in the circulation mode. FIG. 4 is a characteristic curve diagram showing the relationship of the above, and these characteristics have been confirmed by the applicant through experiments.

In order to carry out the removal of bubbles in the head or the supply passage by the circulation mode of the apparatus of this example, as described above, the valve 5
Fix all 0, 52, 54 open. And pump 5
Only 6 is operated in the reverse direction to feed the ink in the R direction.

At this time, a predetermined amount of ink to be fed at this time is Q ₀ [cc], a leakage amount from the nozzle through the circulation mode is L _out [cc], and an operation time of the pump 56 required for the circulation mode is t [sec]. . At this time, the required discharge amount of the pump 56 is (Q _o + L _out )
Since it is [cc], operating time t = (Q _o + L _out ) / Q [sec] Leakage amount L _out [cc] = L [cc / sec] × t [sec] = (L / Q) × (Q _o + L _out ). From this formula, L _out = (L / Q) × Q _o / (1-L / Q) = {L / Q) / (1-L / Q)} × Q _o , so it is necessary to remove bubbles If the ink replacement amount Q _o is constant, the smaller the L / Q, the more the leakage amount L _out [cc]
Becomes smaller. Therefore, as is clear from FIG. 5 (B) of the present application showing the relationship between Q / L and Q, the leakage amount L _out is smaller when the pump is operated in the state where Q is small. Based on FIG. 5A of the present application, it can be said that the lower the pump drive voltage V is, the smaller the leakage amount L _out is.

In other words, the amount of ink leaked from the nozzle portion of the head can be reduced by lowering the pressure applied by the ink flow acting on the head or by reducing the ink flow rate per unit time. .

Here, for example, the case where the ink discharge flow rate from the pump, that is, the ink supply amount is large means that the flow velocity of the ink flowing in the ink flow path is high. There may be a phenomenon in which bubbles existing in the passage do not ride on the flow of ink and are rather caught by the vortex generated in the passage and stay there.

On the other hand, when the ink supply amount from the pump is reduced, the flow velocity of the ink in the ink flow path becomes slower, so that the generation of turbulent flow or vortex can be reduced, and the flow rate of the ink existing in the head or the ink flow path is reduced. The air bubbles can be effectively taken into the ink flow and can be satisfactorily discharged to the outside with a relatively gentle ink flow.
As described above, since the pressure acting on the head is reduced, the amount of ink leaked from the nozzle of the head is also reduced. It should be noted that the viscosity of the ink is affected by the temperature and changes, and the amount of ink leaked from the nozzle and the state of the flow in the flow path change depending on the viscosity of the ink. However, in the apparatus of this example, the ink feed amount is adjusted by considering the temperature condition. As a result, ink leakage can be further reduced regardless of changes in temperature conditions, and bubbles can be effectively removed while maintaining a stable flow state in the flow path.

Further, in the apparatus configuration of the present example, only by reducing the flow of ink from the pump on the upstream side of the head in the ink flow direction, the pressure acting on the head is reduced and the amount of ink leakage is reduced. On the downstream side of the head, a constant flow path resistance is maintained while keeping the valve 50A, which is the opening / closing means, in a predetermined open state. Therefore, unlike the case of controlling the ink flow by adjusting the opening degree of the opening / closing means on the downstream side, the ink pressure or the backflow state due to the fluctuation of the flow path resistance does not occur, and a good ink flow is formed. Therefore, the bubbles can be more reliably eliminated.

In addition, although FIG. 5 was obtained at a constant temperature,
Since the slope of the curve changes with the temperature-dependent viscosity as a parameter, the output of the temperature sensor 400 can be used to set the drive voltage V appropriately according to the temperature conditions. Even in the pressurizing mode, the outflow amount from the nozzle fluctuates depending on the viscosity depending on the temperature condition.
It is possible to prevent the outflow of ink more than necessary by controlling the.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the configuration of a mode control unit for performing mode setting. Here, 90 is a controller that performs mode control, and includes a CPU in the form of a microprocessor, a mode control procedure to be described later, and an RO that stores a table relating to a pump drive voltage V in a pressurization mode and a circulation mode according to temperature.
Has M etc. A bubble sensor 92 detects the generation of bubbles in the supply path and transmits the signal SSI to the controller 90. The bubble sensor 92 can be, for example, a pair of optical sensors provided outside the supply tube 8A made of a transparent member.

Reference numeral 94 denotes a recording controller, such as a head drive controller,
It may have an operation unit and a display unit provided with a power-on key, a print start command key, a pressure mode setting key, and the like. The recording control unit 94 outputs signals PS1, PS2, and PS3 to the controller 90 in response to pressing of a power-on key, a print start key, and a pressure mode setting key, respectively.
Supply to. Further, the controller 90 can also position the cap portion 500 at the position shown in the first figure in response to the input of the signal PS3.

The signals DS0, DS2 and DS4 generated by the controller 90 are
These are drive signals for the solenoids 50B, 52B and 54B, respectively, and the valves 50A, 52A and 54A are opened according to the drive signals. Signal DS6 is the drive voltage signal for pump 56,
The pump 56 is operated or stopped according to the set mode and temperature conditions. The signal CS is an information signal to the recording control unit 94.

7 and 8 show an example of the mode control procedure.
First, when the power of the inkjet printer is turned on,
The supply mode is set in step S1 according to the signal PS1. In the supply mode, as shown in FIG. 8 (A), first, at step SA-1, the valves 50A and 52A are opened by the signals DS0 and DS2, the valve 54A is closed by the signal DS4, and the pump is started by the signal DS6. Drive 56 in the forward direction. This operation can be performed by applying to the pump 56, for example, a voltage having a polarity opposite to those in the circulation mode and the pressurization mode. Next, in step SA-2, when it is determined from the signal SS2 that the ink remaining amount in the first tank 30 is sufficient, the procedure returns to the procedure of FIG. 7, and when the ink remaining amount is insufficient, the second tank is returned. 40
To supply the ink from the first tank 30 to the first tank 30. Here, if the liquid level sensor 38 does not detect the increase in the ink in the first tank 30 even after a lapse of a certain time after the setting in this mode, it is determined that there is no ink remaining in the second tank 40.
The information to that effect is sent to the recording control unit 94 through the signal line CS,
It may be displayed.

In step S2, the circulation mode is set. In this circulation mode, as shown in FIG. 8 (B), first, at step SB-1, the temperature information signal SS0 generated by the temperature sensor 400 is used to develop the drive voltage V corresponding to the temperature in the ROM. Read from the table related to the mode. Then
At step SB-2, the valve is activated by the signals DS0, DS2 and DS4.
50A, 52A and 54A are all opened and signal DS6 reverses pump 56. This operation can be performed, for example, by applying a drive voltage corresponding to the temperature. Further, in step SB-3, if it is determined by the signal SS1 that bubbles are present, the circulation is continued, and if no bubbles are detected, the procedure returns to the procedure of FIG.

 In step S3, the save mode is set.

In the storage mode, as shown in FIG. 8 (D), at step SD-1, all the valves 50A, 52A and 52A are closed by the signals DS0, DS2 and DS4, and the pump 56 is stopped by the signal DS6. Return to the procedure shown.

In step S4, the print start command signal PS22
Wait, and if the signal is not supplied, hold the save mode.

In step S5, the first tank 30 is activated by the signal SS2.
The remaining amount of ink is detected, and if the remaining amount is sufficient, the process proceeds to step S6, and if not, the process proceeds to step S6 via the supply mode (FIG. 7A) in step S7.

In step S6, the generation of bubbles is detected by the signal SS1, and if there are no bubbles, the process proceeds to step S8, and if there is, the circulation mode of step S9 (FIG. 7 (B)) is followed and the process proceeds to step S8.

In step S8, the press of the pressurizing button is detected by the signal PS3, and if not pressed, the process proceeds to step S10, and if pressed, the process proceeds to the pressurizing mode of step S11. In the pressurizing mode, as shown in FIG. 8 (C), first, in step SC-1, according to the temperature information SS0,
The driving voltage V corresponding to the temperature is read from the table relating to the pressurizing mode developed in the ROM. Then, step SC-
2, the signal DS0 closes the valve 50A, the signals DS2 and DS4 open the valves 52A and 54A, and the signal DS6 reverses the pump 56 to eject ink from the nozzle of the head 4, dry the nozzle, and After the clogging is removed, the process returns to step S10 in FIG. This operation can be performed by applying a drive voltage corresponding to the temperature.

In step S10, the print mode is set.
In print mode, as shown in FIG.
Valves 50A and 52A are opened by DS0 and DS2, and valve 54A by signal DS4.
Is closed, and the pump 56 is stopped by the signal DS6. Then, the controller 90 transmits the fact that the print mode has been set to the recording control unit 94 by the signal CS, and waits for information indicating that the predetermined amount of recording has been completed by the signal PS1 from the recording control unit 94 in step SE-2. To do. After the print mode ends, the process proceeds to step S3 to prepare for the next recording.

Next, the DV joint 74 that connects the valve 54 and the distributor 6 via the mother board 20 will be described.

FIG. 9 shows the relative position between the members where such a connection is made. Here, the distributor 6 fixed to the unit plate 2 and the tank arm 34 of the first tank, in which the valve portion 54A of the solenoid valve 54 is mounted in the ink passage extending from the second tank 40 (not shown) to the pump 56, are connected to the motherboard 20. Therefore, the connecting member 165 of the distributor 6 and the solenoid valve 54 attached to the tank arm 34 are both held on the motherboard 20 and the two flow paths must be connected to each other. There is.

FIG. 10 shows an example of the structure of the connecting portion (DV joint) 74. Here, 64 is an ink passage formed in the tank arm 34, and ink from a second tank (not shown in the drawing) can be supplied to the first tank by a pump through the ink passage 64. 54A ′ is a valve portion of the solenoid valve 54 mounted in the ink passage 64,
A is the valve body. In the open state of the valve portion 54A ', the valve body 54A is kept in the position as shown by the spring force of the holding spring 167.

Further, 168 is a packing and 169 is an O-ring. In this figure, the valve body 54A is pushed from below into this position of the tank arm 34 so that the packing 168 and the O-ring 169 maintain liquid tightness with the outside. Be done.

Reference numeral 170 denotes an intermediate connector that is held by the motherboard 20, the details of which are shown in FIG. Only the right half of the connector 170 is shown here. Here, 171 is a bellows type seal member, 172 is a tubular plug member having a tip portion 172A, 173 is a plug holding member, and the plug member 172
An ink passage 174 is provided at the center of the plug holding member 173.

Then, in a state where these seal member 171, plug member 172 and plug holding member 173 are combined as shown in the figure, between the plug member 172 and the plug holding member 173 and between the plug holding member 173 and the mother board 20. In addition, between the pressing member 175 and the sealing member 171 for holding these connecting members 170 on the mother board 20, a sheet packing 176 formed of a material such as Teflon that can slide on the contact surfaces, respectively. Intervene.

Reference numeral 177 is a coil spring provided between the pressing member 175 and the spring holding member 178. The spring force of the spring 177 causes the plug member 172 to be seat-packed 176 via the seal member 171.
Can be pressed against. Reference numeral 179 is a mounting screw for fixing the pressing member 175 to the motherboard 20.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG.
An adsorbent 180 made of a water-absorbing porous material is fitted along the inner peripheral surface of the device to prevent ink from dripping from the passage 192A and removing the stain on the inside of the apparatus when the distributor 6 is removed.

The intermediate connector 170 is attached to the motherboard 20 in such a state, and a ring groove 173A is provided around the projecting end of the plug holding member 173 on which the tank arm 34 is mounted. Tank arm with 54 attached
When connecting 34 with this intermediate connector 170, by pushing the protruding end of the holding member 173 into the valve portion 54A of the solenoid valve 54,
It is possible to fit the ring groove 173A or keep the liquid-tightness of the mounting portion through the O-ring.

Next, the connecting member 165 on the distributor 6 side to be connected to the intermediate connecting tool 170 will be described. Connection member 1
Reference numeral 65 denotes an outer shell member 191 having a guide path 191A for guiding the plug member 172 of the intermediate connector 170 at the time of connection, and a poppet passage 192A screwed inside the outer shell member 191 and serving as an ink passage at the center thereof. Perforated poppet holding member 192
A poppet member 193 vertically fitted in the passage 192A of the holding member 192; and a compression coil spring 195 that biases the poppet member 193 toward the packing 194.

As shown in FIGS. 12 (A) and 12 (B), the poppet member 193 has a spring holding portion 193B surrounded by three holding walls 193A, a valve portion 193C, and the valve portion 193C.
It has a cylindrical ink passage portion 193D protruding from 193C to the plug member 172 side, and a communication hole 193E formed around the ink passage portion 193D.

Therefore, when the distributor 6 is attached to the intermediate connector 170, the connector 170 is connected to the guide passage 191A of the connecting member 165.
By guiding the plug member tip portion 172A, the tip of the ink passage portion 193D of the poppet member 193 is retracted by the tip portion 172A, and the ink passage is brought into a conductive state as shown in the left half of FIG. You can Reference numeral 196 is an O-ring provided on the outer shell member 191.

Further, when removing the distributor 6 from the intermediate connector 170, the distributor 6 and its connecting member 16 are connected together.
5 may be pulled out from the plug member 172. By doing so, the plug member 172 is advanced along the guide path 191A, the valve portion 193C of the poppet portion 193 is pressed against the packing 194 by the spring 195, and by this packing 194 as shown in the right half of FIG. Liquid tightness can be maintained.

In addition, such an intermediate connector of the distributor 6
The communication hole 193E provided in the ink passage portion 193D of the poppet portion 193 does not cross the O-ring 196 regardless of whether the O-ring 196 is attached to or removed from the 170. It won't be spoiled by the 193E.

In addition, the connection between the valve 50 and the distributor 6 (D-
V joint) 70, in this case, the second tank
If the ink passage up to 40 is not provided, it can be constructed in the same manner as in FIG. 10, and therefore its explanation is omitted.

FIG. 13 shows an example of the structure of the joint portion 76 for connecting the second tank. Here, 201 and 202 are symmetrical leaf spring members, and the leaf spring members 201 and 202 in this example each have two bent portions so that the bending angle obtained by the two bending is a right angle. It is formed on.

That is, the flat plate portions 201A and 201B, and the flat plate portions 202A and 202B.
And so as to be orthogonal to each other, and further flat plate portion 201A and
202A is provided with mounting seats 201C and 202C formed by bending, and these mounting seats 201C and 202C are fixed to the mother board 20 with screws 203.

Here, the flat plate portions 201B and 202B are supported by the flat plate portions 201A and 202A so as to be displaceable via the arm portions 204A and 204B, respectively, and these flat plate portions 201B and 202B are supported.
And the connection part 205A
It can be elastically held in the state shown in FIG.

206 is a fixing screw for attaching the leaf spring members 201 and 202 to the connecting portion 205 via the flat plate portions 201B and 202B,
In this example, the connection member 20 attached to the ink supply pipe 66
A screw mounting seat 206A is provided on the 5A side, and this mounting seat 206A
The flat plate portions 201B and 202B are fixed by screwing a fixing screw 206 to the.

 Further, 230A is a free hole that is oval in the connecting direction.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the joint portion 76, showing a state in which the second tank 40 is attached. 205B is a connection member provided in the second tank 40, and the connection member 205B has its ink passage when detached.
A valve body 208B and a spring 209B for cutting off 207B are provided. Further, the valve member 208B is pushed toward the connecting member 205A in the connected state as shown in the drawing, and the ink passage 22 of its own is formed.
A plug member 228A for allowing the 7A and the ink passage 207B on the member 205B side to communicate with each other is slidably fitted to the inner cylindrical portion thereof. Note that 228A 'is a slot formed at the tip of the member 228A, and in the connected state, the ink passages 227A and 207B communicate with each other through this slot 228A'.

209A is a coil spring that biases the plug member 228A toward the inner cylinder locking portion 205A 'of the connection member 205A.
210B is an O-ring that maintains liquid tightness in the connected state.

Further, the plug member 228A is provided with an ink passage 227A bored along its center and an ink passage 237A bored from the ink passage 227A toward the sliding surface 229A of the member 228A. For example, a flexible ink supply pipe 66 is connected to the end portion on the surface 229A side.

When the plug member 228A is slid along the sliding surface 229A of the outer shell 231A, the free hole 230A provided in the outer shell 231A of the connecting member 205A allows the connecting portion of the flexible supply pipe to pass through the free hole 230A. Be free to move.

In the connecting member 205A configured as described above, the spring holding space 232A in which the return spring 209A is held is provided in the ink passage 227A.
And 237A, it is not necessary to keep the sliding surface 229A liquid-tight, and the sliding surface 229A sticks and the plug member 205A does not return due to deterioration of ink or the O-ring. Never.

Further, the connection member 205A of the ink supply pipe 66 is fixed to the mother board 20 as shown in FIG.
Therefore, the connecting member 205A is allowed to be displaced in a plane including the XX direction and the YY direction in FIG. 13 because the spring force of the leaf spring members 201 and 202 is held.

Next, a mounting member of the head element 4 to the unit plate 2 will be described.

FIG. 15 shows an example of the structure of the head element 4 and its mounting member. Here, 250 is a head portion in which a hard material such as Si or glass is laminated on a portion of the substrate 252 such as SiC facing the recording paper and nozzles are formed, and 254 is an overhang portion of the substrate 252.

260 is a pin press-fitted into a predetermined position in contact with the head side surface 250A on the unit plate 2 and the overhanging side surface 254A. The pin 260 contacts only the upper portion of the head side surface 250A and the overhanging side surface 254A. A notch 261 is provided so as not to contact the lower portion of the side surface 250A. 262 is a pin press-fitted into a predetermined position on the unit plate 2.

Here, the reason why the notch 261 is provided in the pin 260 is as follows. Since the head part 250 is formed by cutting the above-mentioned hard material laminate with a cutter to form the illustrated shape, the cutter bends during the cutting process, and the lower part does not have an accurate dimension, or so-called flash. May occur. On the other hand, there is almost no bending of the cutter at the upper portion, and the cutter is formed to have an accurate size. Therefore, the pin 260 abuts on the upper part of the recording head side surface 250A, and the notch 26
This is because the mounting accuracy of the head element 4 can be further improved by making 1 to face each other so as to make escape from a portion or a flash whose dimension is inaccurate.

In this example, when the head element 4 is pressed toward the pins 260 and 262 in the W direction in the drawing and abuts against this,
The head element 4 is positioned in the recording paper width direction. Further, the head element 4 is pressed toward the pin 260 in the F direction in the drawing, and the side surface 254A of the overhanging portion is pinned.
When contacted with 260, positioning is performed in a direction orthogonal to the recording surface on a plane. Further, by pressing the lower surface of the head element against the surface of the unit plate 2 in the V direction, the head element 4 is positioned in the vertical direction.

270 is a fixing member for positioning the head element 4 in the F and V directions, 274 is a small screw for attaching the fixing member 270 to the unit plate 2, and 276 is a fixing member 2.
Pins protruding from the unit plate 2 for positioning the 70 and preventing rotation. Side surface 254 of overhang portion 254
A portion 27 of the fixing member 270 facing the side surface 254B opposite to A
1 is formed in a shape having an angle with respect to the upper surface of the overhanging portion 254, and this portion is brought into contact with the upper side of the side surface 254B. Further, the portion fixed by the machine screw 274 and the portion 271 are notched, and the portion 271 is elastically pressed by the springiness of the notched portion.

Then, by fixing the fixing member 270 to the unit plate 2 with the machine screw 274, the portion 271 becomes the side surface 2 of the overhanging portion.
Since it is pressed against the upper side of 54B and as a result component forces in the F direction and the V direction act on the overhanging portion 254, the overhanging portion 254 is in close contact with the surface of the pin 260 and the unit plate 2 and the head element 4 in those directions. Positioning can be performed.

Next, 280 is a fixing member for positioning the head element 4 in the W and V directions, 284 is a small screw for attaching the fixing member 280 to the unit plate 2, and 286 is a unit for positioning the fixing member 280. Plate 2
It is a pin protruding from. 281 is a portion that can swing in the W direction due to the springiness of the cutout portion 282.
Further, a head element pressing cam 290 rotatable about a cam rotation shaft 288 is provided.

FIG. 16 shows an example of the cam rotating shaft 288 and the pressing cam 290. In this manner, the pressing cam 290 is formed into a cylindrical shape having a sliding surface 292 on the bottom surface side so as to form an angle with the upper surface of the substrate 252, and further, its central axis 290A is the center of the rotating shaft 288, that is, The pressing cam 290 is configured to be eccentric from the rotating shaft 288A.

When the head element 4 is fixed by such a fixing member 280, first, the pressing cam 290 is attached to the sliding surface 292.
The fixing member 280 is attached to the unit plate 2 by the small screw 284 so that the fixing member 280 is rotated around the rotation shaft 288 so as not to face the substrate 252. Then, by rotating the presser cam 290 to bring the sliding surface 292 into contact with the upper side of the head element 252,
From the contact portion, component forces in the W direction and the V direction act on the head element 252. As a result, the head part side
250A top and substrate 252 have pins 260 and 26, respectively.
2 and the lower surface of the substrate 252 is the unit plate 2
Close to the surface of the head element 4 in the W direction and V
Directional positioning can be performed.

Next, a description will be given of the cap portion 500 that is positioned at a position facing the head element 4 and wipes the ink flowing out from the nozzle when the inkjet printer is set to the pressure mode, for example.

FIG. 17 shows an example of the configuration of the diaphragm mechanism arranged in the cap portion 500. Here, 510 is a housing, 512A, 512B and 514A, 514B are plates 516 fixed to the housing ceiling 511.
It is a pin protruding from. 520A and 520B are pushing members having bending portions 521A and 521B, respectively. By stretching a spring 526 between these pushing members 520A and 520B, bending portions centering around pins 512A and 512B, respectively.
521A and 521B give a turning tendency such that they move to the head element 4 side in the figure. Also, the pushing members 520A and 52
0B is provided with guide holes 522A and 522B, respectively, and by engaging the pins 514A and 514B, the pushing member 52
The rotation range of 0A and 520B is restricted.

530 is a cam shaft 5 that is driven to rotate by a drive unit (not shown).
Eccentric cam attached to 32. Reference numeral 534 is a driven member that extends in the W direction in the figure and has a transmission member 536 that transmits the displacement of the cam 530, and reciprocates in the F direction in the figure as the cam 530 rotates. Reference numeral 538 is a spring biased in a direction of pressing the driven member 534 to bring the transmission member 536 and the cam surface into contact with each other, and 539 is inserted into a guide hole 537 provided in the driven member 534 to guide the driven member 534 during reciprocating movement. It is a guide pin.

Reference numeral 540 denotes an absorber mounting base fixed to the driven member 534 with screws 541, and reciprocates integrally with the driven member 534 in the F direction in the drawing. 542 is a liquid-absorbent porous body whose flexibility changes according to the amount of absorbed liquid, and in this example, it exhibits strong elasticity in a dry state and becomes small in flexibility, and weak elasticity in a wet state. The absorbent body is made of a water-absorbing porous material having high flexibility. As shown in the figure, the absorbent body 542 has a U-shaped cross section, and its concave portion is pressed by a pressing member.
It is held down by 544 and attached to the mounting base 540 by, for example, a screw. This makes it extremely easy to attach and detach the absorber. Also, the spring 526 is selected in relation to the elastic force of the absorber 542.

550A and 550B are diaphragm members, and a shaft 546 that is supported by a support member 543 provided on the mounting base 540 and extends in the W direction in the drawing.
It can be rotated around. Aperture members 550A and 550B
Respectively have bent portions 551A and 551B engageable with the bent portions 521A and 521B, and in the engaged state thereof, the shaft 546
It is possible to rotate around.

Further, between the throttle members 550A and 550B, a throttle rod 554 which is rotatable around the shaft 552 and cooperates with the pressing member 544 to throttle the absorber 542 is arranged. That is, as the diaphragm members 550A and 550B rotate, the diaphragm bar 554 moves toward the pressing member 544 while uniformly compressing the absorber.

FIG. 18 is a plan view of a diaphragm unit including these movable parts, and the upper half and the lower half in the drawing respectively show a state when the pushing member 520 is rotated and a state when the pushing member 520 is not rotated. Here, as the spring 526, when the throttle unit is in the retracted position and the bent portions 521 and 551 are in an engagement state where they exert forces on each other, when the absorber 542 is dried and hardly compressed, As shown in the upper half,
When the pressing member 520B does not rotate due to the retraction of the diaphragm member 550B but the pressing member 520B rotates, and when the absorber 542 is wet and compressed, as shown in the lower half of FIG. A member having a pulling force that causes the pressing member 520A to rotate without causing the pressing member 520A to rotate as the member 550A retracts is selected.

In the case where the pushing member is held at the position shown in the lower half of the figure, even if the bent portions 521 and 551 come into contact with each other, the absorbing member 542 does not exert a force that causes the turning. The position where the original shape is retained is set as the home position of the diaphragm unit, and the diaphragm unit is positioned at this home position when the cap portion 500 is not operated. From this home position, the diaphragm unit moves forward and backward with respect to the head 4, and in the process, the waste ink is absorbed from the head 4 and the absorbed waste ink is discarded.

In this embodiment, the driven member 534, the mounting base 540, the absorber 542, the pressing member 544, and the shaft 546 are extended in the W direction in the figure,
Pushing members 520A, 520B, diaphragm members 550A, 550 against them
By providing a plurality of assemblies each including B, the spring 526, the diaphragm rod 554, and the like in the W direction, even if the absorber 542 is partially wet, the absorber can be squeezed only in that portion. Further, they are provided in four stages according to the number of ink colors so that the waste ink can be absorbed from the four-stage unit shown in the first figure.

19 (A) to (D) show sequential states of the diaphragm unit moving forward and backward. Here, 560 is a flow path for guiding the waste ink flowing out from each stage to the waste ink recovery tank 570 shown in the twentieth illustrated below the diaphragm unit.

First, (A) in the figure shows a state in which the diaphragm unit is in the home position. At this time, the members 520 and 550 do not exert a force on each other, and the absorber 542 maintains the original shape. When the mounting base 540 advances from this position and is positioned at a position where the nozzle portion of the head element 4 and the absorber 542 come into contact with each other as shown in FIG.
20 disengaged. At this time, the pressure causes the ink to flow out from the nozzle portion and is absorbed by the absorber 542.

When the mounting base 540 moves backward with the rotation of the cam 530, first, the pushing member bending portion 521 and the throttle member bending portion 551 come into contact with each other at the home position. Here, when the absorber 542 is wet and exhibits a large flexibility, the spring force of the spring 526 exceeds the compressive force of the absorber 542, and as shown in FIG. By retracting from the diaphragm member 550
Rotates about the shaft 546 in the clockwise direction in the figure, the absorber 542 is compressed by the squeeze bar 554, and the absorbed ink flows through the flow path 560.
It is collected in the waste ink tank 570 via. In addition, the diaphragm rod 554 can freely rotate around the axis 552,
A uniform compression of 542 is made.

When the absorber 542 is dry and has high elasticity, even if the members 520 and 550 are engaged with each other, the member 550 is retracted from the home position as shown in FIG. Does not rotate, and the member 520 is rotated against the spring force of the spring 526. That is, in this case, the force generated with the retraction of the aperture unit can be allowed by the spring 526, and each part is not damaged.

20A and 20B show a waste ink recovery tank 570.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view and a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of FIG. In this embodiment, two absorbers 572 arranged in the tank at intervals are provided. A sensor including, for example, a pair of electrode plates 574 is vertically arranged in the gap portion to detect the conduction state between them. Reference numeral 576 is a port for guiding the waste ink flowing through the flow path 560 to the absorber 572 in the tank.

With this configuration, when the inflow amount of the waste ink exceeds the absorption capacity of the absorber 572 and the ink is accumulated in the gap and the liquid level rises, the sensor 574 can reliably and promptly detect that fact. become.

[Effects] As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, in the circulation mode, the ink flow rate in the ink flow path is reduced by reducing the ink supply amount from the pump, and therefore, in the head. The applied pressure is reduced, the ink leaked from the nozzle is reduced, and the ink waste amount can be reduced. In addition, an ink jet recording apparatus is provided in which bubbles existing in the ink flow path do not stay in place, and the ink is favorably transferred along with the ink flow in the ink flow direction and reliably discharged to the outside. it can.

Further, the viscosity of the ink is affected by the temperature and changes, and the amount of the ink leaked from the nozzle and the state of the flow in the flow path change depending on the viscosity of the ink. However, in the present invention, the ink supply amount is adjusted in consideration of the temperature condition, whereby the ink leakage can be further reduced regardless of the change of the temperature condition, and the stable flow state in the flow path can be maintained. Then, the bubbles can be effectively removed.

Further, in the circulation mode, without adopting the configuration and control of the opening / closing means that causes the backflow state of the ink on the downstream side,
By reducing the flow of ink from the pump on the upstream side of the head with respect to the direction of flow of ink, the opening / closing means is correspondingly opened to maintain a constant flow resistance, and fluctuations in pressure to the head Therefore, it is possible to provide an inkjet recording apparatus that can reliably reduce the amount of ink leakage and can form a good ink flow, and thus can reliably eliminate bubbles.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 (A) and 2 (B) are perspective views showing an example of the configuration of an ink storage apparatus in the inkjet recording apparatus. 3A and 3B are sectional views showing a conventional ink storage device for comparison with the ink storage device shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is ink in the inkjet recording device shown in FIG. A fluid circuit diagram showing an example of the configuration of the supply system is shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, respectively, showing the relationship between the voltage applied to the motor driving the pump and the discharge flow rate of the pump, and the discharge flow rate of the pump and the nozzle. 6 is a characteristic curve diagram showing the relationship with the ink outflow rate from the ink, FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mode control unit for performing mode setting of the inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. FIG. 8 and FIG. 8 are flowcharts showing an example of the mode control procedure, and FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are perspective views showing an example of the configuration of the joint between the distributor and the valve in the inkjet recording apparatus shown in FIG. Sectional drawing, FIG. 11 is an enlarged sectional view showing a part of the joint portion, and FIGS. 12 (A) and (B) are front views showing an example of the configuration of the poppet portion in the joint portion, respectively. FIG. 13 is a side view, FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 are perspective views and cross-sectional views showing an example of the structure of the joint portion of the second tank in the inkjet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 15 is the inkjet recording shown in FIG. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a head element and its mounting member in the apparatus, FIG. 16 is a front view showing an example of a mounting part used for the mounting member, and FIGS. Each is a perspective view and a plan view showing a configuration example of a diaphragm mechanism as a main part of a cap portion in the inkjet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 19 (A) to (D) show sequential operations of the diaphragm mechanism. FIG. 20 (A) and FIG. 20 (B) are explanatory views for explaining the state. FIG. 20 (A) and FIG. 20 (B) are a perspective view and a sectional view showing a configuration example of the waste ink tank provided in the cap portion. 2 …… Unit plate, 4 …… Head element, 6A, 6B …… Distributor, 7 …… DT joint, 8A, 8B …… Ink supply tube, 10 …… Head unit, 20 …… Motherboard, 30 …… 1st tank, 37 ... projection part, 37A ... protrusion part inner wall, 38 ... sensor, 40 ... second tank, 50,52,54 ... solenoid valve, 56 ... pump, 58 ... check valve , 70,74 …… D-V joint, 76 …… CT joint, 90 …… Controller, 143 …… Occlusion member, 144 …… Spring, 149 …… Connector, 175 …… Pressing member, 176 …… Sheet packing, 193 ... Poppet, 194 ... Packing, 195 ... Spring, 201,202 ... Leaf spring, 205 ... Connection part, 205A, 205B ... Connection member, 207B, 227A, 237A ... Ink passage, 209A, 209B ... Spring, 228A ... Plug member, 230 ... Free hole, 250 ... Head part, 252 ... Substrate, 254 ... Overhang Opening part, 270, 280 ... Fixing member, 260 ... Notched pin, 400 ... Temperature sensor, 500 ... Cap part, 520 ... Pushing member, 526 ... Spring, 530 ... Cam, 542 ... Absorber, 544 ... Absorber retainer, 554 ... Iris bar, 560 ... Waste ink flow path, 570 ... Tank.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Hiroo Hitotsubashi 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Taku Nakamura 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Kya Non-Incorporated (72) Inventor Shunichi Uzawa 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Shigeru Yoshimura 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (56) References JP-A-54-159227 (JP, A) JP-A-56-75866 (JP, A)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A head for ejecting and recording ink, a tank for storing ink to be supplied to the head, a first ink passage and a second ink passage for connecting the head and the tank and transferring the ink, A pump provided in the first ink passage and an opening / closing unit provided in the second ink passage are provided, and the ink in the tank is removed by driving the pump with the opening / closing unit closed. A pressurizing mode in which the ink flows out of the head through a passage, and the ink in the tank is driven by driving the pump by opening the opening / closing means.
In an inkjet recording apparatus capable of setting at least a circulation mode in which the second ink passage and the tank are circulated, in order to reduce the amount of ink leaked from the head in the circulation mode, the ink is recorded in the circulation mode. The present invention is characterized by including a mode control unit that responds only by reducing the ink supply amount by the pump, and by including a temperature sensor, and adjusting the drive of the pump according to the temperature condition detected by the temperature sensor. Inkjet recording device. 2. A method for reducing the amount of ink fed from the pump is
The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink jet recording apparatus is made by reducing the pump drive voltage.