JPH06969A - Detector for remaining quantity of liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To flatten an ink bag uniformly by applying sufficient pressure when a remaining quantity of ink is detected. CONSTITUTION:When a current is not made to flow through a coil 8, since a permanent magnet 7 and a permanent magnet 6 attract each other since different poles face each other, and pressure is not applied to an ink bag. When a remaining quantity of ink is detected, a current is made to flow through coil 8 to release attraction to the permanent magnet 6. Then, the ink bag 2 is pressed by empty weight of the permanent magnet 6. When the remaining quantity of the ink decreases and the ink bag 2 withers, the permanent magnet 6 descends to a bottom of an ink cartridge 1, and a flag 9 is so constructed as to intercept a photointerruptor 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid remaining amount detecting device, and more particularly, to an ink jet printer, and more particularly, to a remaining amount detecting device for a printer using sealed ink. For example, it is applied to a copying machine using an inkjet printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional ink jet recording apparatus has a problem that even if the ink in an ink cartridge is used up, there is no means for detecting or displaying the ink, and the ink jet recording apparatus is operated without ink, which causes a problem in recording. In order to solve this problem, it is possible to easily detect the end of ink in an ink cartridge that supplies ink to an inkjet recording device and to know the proper ink cartridge replacement time. An "ink end detection device" has been proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication. This publication is equipped with a member for pressing the ink bag and a detector for detecting that the ink bag pressing member has reached a predetermined position.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional ink remaining amount detecting device. In the figure, 11 is an ink cartridge, 12 is an ink bag, 13 is ink, 14 is a flat plate, 15 is a micro switch, and 16 is a hollow needle. , 17 are tubes. When the ink bag 12 is filled with ink, the flat plate 14 faces obliquely upward and is separated from the micro switch 15. As the ink decreases, the flat plate 14 gradually descends downward, and when it becomes approximately horizontal, the micro switch 15
I will switch it on. At this time, the ink in the ink bag 12 is almost empty, and the display device connected to the microswitch 15 operates to notify the outside of the end of the ink.

However, especially when no pressure is applied,
As the ink is consumed, the ink bag 12 is deflated, but the deflation is not uniform, and some parts are empty, but some parts are left with irregular ink. Therefore, even if it tried to detect the remaining amount, it could not be detected accurately. For this reason, it has been considered that the ink bag 12 is pressed by using the pressing member 14 so as to be uniformly deflated. However, if the pressure is too strong, the ink does not exude from the orifice of the head or does not exude. If the pressure was lightened, the remaining amount could not be detected accurately.

[0005]

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and when the remaining ink amount is detected, it is possible to apply a sufficient pressure, and when it is desired to further increase the pressure, for example, at the time of ink filling or a recovery operation. The present invention has been made for the purpose of providing a liquid remaining amount detecting device capable of further increasing the pressure when ink is ejected in the mode.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides (1)
A flexible liquid bag for containing the liquid, a plate-like member for pressing the liquid bag, and a switching means for controlling a pressurizing state of the liquid bag by the plate-like member, and at least the remaining amount of the liquid. When detecting, the plate-shaped member is pressed, and further, (2) the liquid is ink of an inkjet printer, and (3) the pressurizing means is plate-shaped. (4) When the ink is ejected in the recovery operation mode of the inkjet printer head, or when the ink is sent to the head by a pump or the like, Apply pressure, and (5)
When applied to an inkjet printer, when the power switch is turned off or the power outlet is disconnected, no operation is possible with the pressure released, and further,
(6) Applying to an inkjet printer, applying pressure in multiple stages, and (7) In the above (6), 1
The pressure is applied to the stage to detect the remaining amount of the ink, the pressure is applied to the two stages, and the ink is ejected in the recovery operation mode of the inkjet printer head. Further, (8)
In the above (6), the pressure is applied in one step to detect the remaining ink amount, and the pressure is applied in two steps to fill the ink into the inkjet printer head. Hereinafter, description will be given based on examples of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining one embodiment of a liquid remaining amount detecting device according to the present invention, in which 1 is an ink cartridge, 2 is an ink bag, 3 is ink, and 4 is a hollow needle. 5 is a tube, 6 is a permanent magnet (movable), 7 is a permanent magnet (fixed), 8 is a coil, 9 is a flag, and 10 is a photo interrupter.

There are various types of ink jet printers, such as ejecting ink by the pressure of PZT (piezo) or the pressure of steam generated by heating. In any case, air is mixed in the head. Then, the energy originally used for ejecting ink is wasted in compressing the air, and the ink is not ejected. To prevent this, the ink cartridge may be replaced early, but this is uneconomical for the user. For this reason, it is very important to accurately detect the remaining amount of ink and stop the printing operation before the ink is completely emptied and the head sucks air.

The ink cartridge 1 is usually made of plastic, and the ink cartridge 1 in which the ink 3 is contained in the ink bag 2 is mounted on the main body of the ink jet printer. When the hollow needle 4 pierces the ink bag 2, the ink can be supplied to the head via the tube 5. The plate-shaped permanent magnet (movable) 6 also serves as a pressing member, and flags 9 are attached to both left and right ends. When no current is applied to the coil 8, the permanent magnet (fixed) 7 and the permanent magnet (movable) 6 have different poles facing each other, and therefore attract each other and no pressure is applied to the ink bag 2.

To detect the remaining amount of ink, first, the magnetic force of the permanent magnet (fixed) 7 is made zero or negative by passing a current through the coil 8 in the direction of the arrow, and the permanent magnet (movable) 6 is attracted. Is released, and the ink bag 2 is pressed by the weight of the permanent magnet (movable) 6 itself. At this time, if there is ink in the ink bag 2, the permanent magnet (movable) 6 becomes as shown in the figure, and the flag 9 does not block the photointerrupter 10. However, as the ink is printed, the ink 3 becomes a hollow needle 4 Then, it is sent to the head via the tube 5 and consumed there, so that the remaining amount gradually decreases. As a result, when the ink bag 2 shrinks, the permanent magnet (movable) 6 almost descends to the bottom of the ink cartridge 1, and the flag 9 blocks the photointerrupter 10. The signal of the photo interrupter 10 is input to a microcomputer that controls the entire inkjet printer. When the microcomputer receives this signal, when the processing for the page currently being printed is completed, the microcomputer indicates that the ink has run out and stops the operation. In this embodiment, the plate-shaped permanent magnet 6 itself was used as the pressing member, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a plate made of any material may be attached with the magnet.

[0011]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention has the following effects. (1) In the liquid remaining amount detecting device according to claim 1, it is possible to apply pressure by sandwiching a flexible bag containing a liquid with a plurality of plate-shaped members, or to switch to a state in which the pressure is released. . When the remaining amount of the liquid is detected, the remaining amount can be detected in a state where the pressure is applied sufficiently and the ink bag is evenly flattened. Therefore, the accurate remaining amount of the liquid can be detected. (2) In the liquid remaining amount detecting device according to claim 2, the pressure can be applied by sandwiching a flexible bag, or the pressure can be switched to a released state, so that the pressure is simply changed to the liquid remaining amount. Not only for accurate detection, but also as an auxiliary means for applying pressure when ejecting ink in the recovery operation mode of the head of an inkjet printer, or when filling the head with ink such as a pump Therefore, the pump can be downsized. (3) In the liquid remaining amount detecting device according to claim 3, not only during normal printing stop, but also when the power switch is turned off, or
Since the pressure is always released when the power supply is pulled out or in the event of a power failure, ink will seep out from the orifices of the head when stopped, and stain the paper, the area around the head, or the inside of the inkjet printer. There is no such thing. (4) The liquid remaining amount detection device according to claim 4 detects the ink remaining amount by applying pressure in one step by applying pressure in multiple steps, and recovers the inkjet printer head by applying pressure in two steps. Since the optimum pressure can be obtained according to the purpose of pressurization, such as performing ink ejection in the operation mode, a pump for filling the head with ink becomes unnecessary.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram for explaining an embodiment of a liquid remaining amount detecting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a conventional ink remaining amount detection device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Ink cartridge, 2 ... Ink bag, 3 ... Ink,
4 ... Hollow needle, 5 ... Tube, 6 ... Permanent magnet (movable),
7 ... Permanent magnet (fixed), 8 ... Coil, 9 ... Flag, 10
…Photo-interrupter.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A flexible liquid bag for containing a liquid,
It comprises a plate-shaped member for pressing the liquid bag and a switching means for controlling the pressurization state of the liquid bag by the plate-shaped member, and applies a pressure to the plate-shaped member at least when detecting the remaining amount of the liquid. A liquid remaining amount detecting device characterized in that the operation is performed in a state where the liquid is added. 2. The liquid remaining amount detection according to claim 1, wherein a pressure is applied when ink is ejected in a recovery operation mode of the ink jet printer head or when ink is sent to the head by a pump or the like. apparatus. 3. The liquid according to claim 1, which is applied to an inkjet printer, and when the power switch is turned off or the power outlet is pulled out, no operation is possible in a state where pressure is released. Remaining amount detection device. 4. The liquid remaining amount detecting device for an ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein the device is applied to an ink jet printer and pressure is applied in multiple stages.