JP2004181785A - Nozzle abnormality detecting device and nozzle abnormality judgment method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To more properly judge clogging of a nozzle in an inkjet printer. <P>SOLUTION: A deviation ▵Q between an ink remaining amount estimate Qest estimated on the basis of a theoretical jetting amount to be jetted from a nozzle at the time of printing or cleaning, and an ink remaining amount detection value Qdet detected by a physical method as remaining in an ink cartridge is obtained (S100-S120). When the deviation ▵Q is not smaller than a threshold Qref, it is judged as a nozzle clogging abnormality and a warning is outputted (S130 and S140). The fact that the nozzle clogging abnormality can be detected on the basis of the deviation ▵Q is based on that when the nozzle clogging takes place, the physically detected ink remaining amount detection value Qdet becomes larger than the ink remaining amount estimate Qest calculated on the assumption that the ink is jetted. Accordingly, the nozzle clogging can be judged properly. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a nozzle abnormality detection device and a nozzle abnormality determination method, and more particularly, to a nozzle abnormality detection device that detects an abnormality of a nozzle of an inkjet printer and a nozzle abnormality determination method that determines an abnormality of a nozzle of the inkjet printer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, inkjet printers that have become widespread include four colors of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K), or six colors obtained by adding low-density cyan and magenta, and even more. High-quality printing is possible using seven colors of ink to which high-density yellow is added. In order to perform such high-quality printing at high speed, it is proposed that a print head be provided with a plurality of nozzles in one or more rows for each color, so that the area that can be printed on one carriage is increased. (For example, see Patent Document 1).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-10-138485 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 5)
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in such an ink jet printer, nozzle clogging may occur depending on the use environment and use frequency of the printer, and high-quality printing may not be performed. Of these nozzle clogs, when most of the nozzles are clogged, the effect is apparent in the print result, so even a user without sufficient knowledge can easily determine the nozzle clogging. When only a part of the nozzles is clogged, the influence of the clogging is hardly shown on the print result, so that it is difficult to determine the clogging. If the nozzle clogging is not determined in this manner, the function of the printer itself may be determined to be low.
[0005]
An object of the nozzle abnormality detection device and the nozzle abnormality determination method of the present invention is to determine nozzle clogging more appropriately. Another object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle abnormality detection device and a nozzle abnormality determination method that can quickly determine clogging of some nozzles.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems and Their Functions and Effects]
The nozzle abnormality detection device and the nozzle abnormality determination method of the present invention employ the following means in order to achieve at least a part of the above object.
[0007]
The nozzle abnormality detection device of the present invention
A nozzle abnormality detection device that detects an abnormality of a nozzle of an inkjet printer,
Ink remaining amount estimating means for estimating a logical remaining amount of ink based on ejection of ink from the nozzles;
Ink remaining amount detecting means for detecting a physical ink remaining amount,
Abnormality determining means for determining an abnormality of the nozzle based on the logical ink remaining amount estimated by the ink remaining amount estimating means and the physical ink remaining amount detected by the ink remaining amount detecting means,
The gist is to provide
[0008]
In the nozzle abnormality detection device according to the present invention, the abnormality of the nozzle is determined based on the logical remaining amount of ink and the physical remaining amount of ink estimated based on the ejection of ink from the nozzle. Abnormalities such as nozzle clogging can be determined more appropriately and more quickly.
[0009]
In the nozzle abnormality detecting device according to the aspect of the invention, the abnormality determination unit determines the nozzle clogging when a deviation obtained by subtracting the logical remaining amount of ink from the physical remaining amount of ink reaches a predetermined amount. It can also be a means. This is based on the fact that the logical remaining amount of ink and the physical remaining amount of ink are different due to nozzle clogging.
[0010]
Further, in the nozzle abnormality detecting device according to the present invention, the ink remaining amount estimating means may be means for estimating the remaining ink amount based on the number of times of ink ejection from the nozzle, and The means may be means for detecting the remaining amount of ink based on the detection of the position of the ink surface.
[0011]
Furthermore, the nozzle abnormality detection device of the present invention may further include a warning output unit that outputs a predetermined warning when the abnormality determination unit determines that the nozzle is abnormal. By doing so, it is possible to inform the user that the abnormality of the nozzle has been detected.
[0012]
The nozzle abnormality determination method of the present invention includes:
A nozzle abnormality determination method for determining an abnormality of a nozzle of an inkjet printer,
(A) estimating a logical remaining amount of ink based on ejection of ink from a nozzle,
(B) detecting the physical ink remaining amount,
(C) The gist of the present invention is to judge a nozzle clogging abnormality when a deviation obtained by subtracting the estimated logical ink remaining amount from the detected physical ink remaining amount reaches a predetermined amount.
[0013]
According to the nozzle abnormality determination method of the present invention, when the deviation obtained by subtracting the logical ink remaining amount estimated based on the ink ejection from the nozzle from the physical ink remaining amount reaches the predetermined amount, Therefore, it is possible to determine the clogging abnormality of some of the nozzles more appropriately and more quickly. The determination of such an abnormality is based on the fact that the logical remaining amount of ink and the physical remaining amount of ink are different due to nozzle clogging.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described using examples. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing the configuration of an ink jet printer 20 that also functions as a nozzle abnormality detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The inkjet printer 20 according to the embodiment is connected to a computer 10 as shown in the figure, and is instructed to print by an application program or the like that operates on the computer 10, and uses a printer driver incorporated in an operation system to use each color of ink used in the inkjet printer 20. The image and the document are printed on the printing paper 12 based on the printing data such as the image and the document which are converted into the data and transferred.
[0015]
As shown, the ink jet printer 20 of the embodiment includes a carriage belt 32 and a carriage motor 34 for moving the carriage 22 guided by the guide member 28 to which the ink cartridges 46 and 48 are attached and moving in the horizontal direction in the drawing. A carriage mechanism 30, a paper feed mechanism 36 including a paper feed roller 38, etc., capable of moving the printing paper 12 in the front-rear direction in the drawing, and a nozzle of the print head 24 attached to the lower portion of the carriage 22 during the pause of the printing process A capping device 40 for sealing the opening, a wiping device 42 for wiping the ink residue and paper powder attached to the surface of the print head 24 by wiping the surface of the print head 24 with a blade or the like, and controlling the entire inkjet printer 20. And a controller 60 that performs the operation.
[0016]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the inkjet printer 20 of the embodiment by using functional blocks. The controller 60 is configured as a microprocessor mainly including a CPU 61, and includes a ROM 62 for storing a processing program and various data, a RAM 63 for temporarily storing data, a timer 64 for measuring time, and a peripheral device. A peripheral device input / output unit 65 for controlling input / output of signals, a drive buffer 66 serving as a buffer for supplying an on / off signal for dot formation to the print head 24, an oscillator 68 for outputting a drive waveform at a predetermined frequency, A distribution output device 67 for distributing the output from the oscillator 68 to the print head 24 at a predetermined timing. The CPU 61, the ROM 62, the RAM 63, the timer 64, and the peripheral device input / output unit 65 are connected by a bus 69. The peripheral device input / output unit 65 receives setting signals from an operation panel 50 (not shown) for performing various settings, control signals from the computer 10, and an ink remaining amount sensor 70 attached to the ink cartridges 46 and 48 for each ink. The remaining ink amount and the like are input, and a display signal to the operation panel 50, a drive signal to the carriage motor 34, a drive signal to the paper feed mechanism 36, and a control signal to the computer 10 are input from the peripheral device input / output unit 65. Is output.
[0017]
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of the ink remaining amount sensor 70 attached to the ink cartridges 46 and 48. As shown in the figure, the ink remaining amount sensor 70 has a plurality of liquid level detection monitors 72 formed of a highly conductive copper wire or the like mounted inside the ink cartridge, and detects the ink level based on the electrical resistance between the monitors. The liquid level is detected, and the remaining ink amount Qdet is output to the peripheral device input / output unit 65 of the controller 60 based on the position of the liquid level.
[0018]
Next, the operation of the ink jet printer 20 according to the embodiment configured as described above, particularly, the operation when detecting a nozzle abnormality will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the nozzle abnormality detection process performed by the controller 60 according to the embodiment. This nozzle abnormality detection processing is executed at a predetermined timing such as every time the power is turned on to the inkjet printer 20. When the nozzle abnormality detection process is executed, the CPU 61 of the controller 60 first executes a process of reading the estimated remaining ink value Qest (step S100). The estimated remaining ink value Qest is calculated based on the theoretical amount of ink ejected from the nozzles when printing or cleaning the print head 24. For example, as shown in an ink remaining amount estimation process illustrated in FIG. 5, the number of ejections C of ejecting ink from the nozzles is counted for each type (color) of ink (step S200), and the counted number of ejections C is theoretically calculated. The value can be calculated by subtracting the value obtained by multiplying the typical single ink ejection amount q from the estimated remaining ink amount Qest before the ejection for each type (color) of ink (step S210). The estimated remaining ink value Qest calculated in this way is written to a storage element (not shown) of each of the ink cartridges 46 and 48. Therefore, in the reading of the estimated remaining ink value Qest in step S100, the estimated remaining ink value Qest can be read from the storage elements (not shown) of the ink cartridges 46 and 48.
[0019]
Next, an ink remaining amount detection value Qdet for each ink type (color) detected by the ink remaining amount sensor 70 is read (step S110), and the ink remaining amount detection value Qdet is calculated from the ink remaining amount detection value Qdet for each ink type (color). The amount estimation value Qest is subtracted to calculate a deviation ΔQ thereof (step S120), and the calculated deviation ΔQ is compared with a threshold value Qref (step S130). Here, the threshold value Qref is set as an allowable range as a deviation between the remaining ink amount detection value Qdet and the remaining ink amount estimation value Qest. The liquid amount corresponding to the interval or a slightly larger amount was used. If the calculated deviation ΔQ is less than the threshold value Qref, it is determined that nozzle clogging or the like has not occurred, and this routine is terminated. If the deviation ΔQ is not less than the threshold value Qref, it is determined that a nozzle clogging abnormality has been detected and the operation panel 50 Then, an abnormality warning is output (step S140), for example, by turning on an abnormality warning lamp (not shown) or displaying a warning on the operation panel 50 (step S140), and then terminating the present routine. The reason that the nozzle clogging abnormality can be detected based on the deviation ΔQ between the remaining ink detection value Qdet and the estimated remaining ink value Qest is calculated as if the ink is ejected when the nozzle is clogged. This is based on the fact that the detected remaining ink value Qdet physically detected is larger than the estimated remaining ink value Qest.
[0020]
In the ink jet printer 20 of the embodiment described above, it is possible to detect a nozzle clogging abnormality based on the estimated remaining ink amount Qest that is logically estimated and the detected remaining ink amount Qdet that is physically detected. it can. Therefore, even if some of the plurality of nozzles are clogged, this nozzle clogging abnormality can be detected. Further, by narrowing the interval between the liquid level detection monitors 72, it is possible to quickly and accurately detect nozzle clogging abnormality. In addition, nozzle clogging abnormality can be detected for each type (color) of ink.
[0021]
Here, in the ink jet printer 20 of the embodiment, as the nozzle abnormality detecting device, the ink remaining amount estimating process illustrated in FIG. 5 executed at the time of printing or cleaning corresponds to an ink remaining amount estimating unit. The sensor 70 corresponds to an ink remaining amount detecting unit. Further, the processing of steps S100 to S130 of the nozzle abnormality detection processing illustrated in FIG. 4 corresponds to abnormality determination means, and the processing proceeds to step S140 of the processing and the abnormality warning light or the warning (not shown) of the operation panel 50 which is turned on accordingly. The displayed operation panel 50 corresponds to a warning output unit.
[0022]
In the ink jet printer 20 according to the embodiment, the ink remaining amount sensor 70 using the liquid level detection monitor 72 is used to physically detect the ink remaining amount. However, any device that can physically detect the ink remaining amount is used. It may be something. For example, a method of irradiating a sound wave or an ultrasonic wave from above the liquid surface and detecting the position of the liquid surface by the time until the reflected wave is detected, and detecting the remaining ink amount by the detected position of the liquid surface, A weight sensor that detects the weight of ink is attached to the bottom of the ink cartridges 46 and 48, and the remaining amount of ink is detected based on the detected weight.
[0023]
In the ink jet printer 20 according to the embodiment, when a nozzle clogging abnormality is detected, an abnormality warning lamp (not shown) of the operation panel 50 is turned on or a warning is displayed for the abnormality. It may be. In this case, the warning output may be accompanied by a display output or a sound output.
[0024]
As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described using the examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and may be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. Obviously you can get it.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of an ink jet printer.
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the inkjet printer 20.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an ink remaining amount sensor;
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a nozzle abnormality detection process.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an ink remaining amount estimation process.
[Explanation of symbols]
12 printing paper, 20 inkjet printer, 22 carriage, 24 print head, 30 carriage mechanism, 32 carriage belt, 34 carriage motor, 36 paper feed mechanism, 38 paper feed roller, 40 capping device, 42 wiping device, 46, 48 ink cartridge , 50 operation panel, 60 controller, 61 CPU, 62 ROM, 63 RAM, 64 timer, 65 peripheral device input / output unit, 66 drive buffer, 67 distribution output device, 68 oscillator, 69 bus, 70 ink remaining amount sensor, 72 liquids Surface detection monitor.

Claims (6)

A nozzle abnormality detection device that detects an abnormality of a nozzle of an inkjet printer,
Ink remaining amount estimating means for estimating a logical remaining amount of ink based on ejection of ink from the nozzles;
Ink remaining amount detecting means for detecting a physical ink remaining amount,
Abnormality determining means for determining an abnormality of the nozzle based on the logical ink remaining amount estimated by the ink remaining amount estimating means and the physical ink remaining amount detected by the ink remaining amount detecting means,
Nozzle abnormality detection device comprising: 2. The nozzle abnormality according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality determination unit determines a nozzle clogging when a deviation obtained by subtracting the logical remaining amount of ink from the physical remaining amount of ink reaches a predetermined amount. Detection device. The nozzle abnormality detection device according to claim 1, wherein the remaining ink amount estimating unit is a unit that estimates the remaining ink amount based on the number of times of ink ejection from the nozzle. 4. The nozzle abnormality detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the ink remaining amount detecting unit detects the ink remaining amount based on a detection of a position of a liquid surface of the ink. 5. The nozzle abnormality detection device according to claim 1, further comprising a warning output unit that outputs a predetermined warning when the abnormality determination unit determines that the nozzle is abnormal. A nozzle abnormality determination method for determining an abnormality of a nozzle of an inkjet printer,
(A) estimating a logical remaining amount of ink based on ejection of ink from a nozzle,
(B) detecting the physical ink remaining amount,
(C) A nozzle abnormality judging method for judging a nozzle clogging abnormality when a deviation obtained by subtracting the estimated logical ink remaining amount from the detected physical ink remaining amount reaches a predetermined amount.

Images