JP2002029065A - Ink-jet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To immediately grasp a quantity of waste liquid disposed of into a waste liquid cartridge and properly calculate the quantity of waste liquid in a constitution with the waste liquid cartridge made replaceable to a recording apparatus. SOLUTION: A storage element 27 is mounted to the waste liquid cartridge 25 in which a waste liquid absorber 26 is stored. The quantity of waste liquid disposed of by cleaning or the like operation is calculated by a waste liquid quantity-calculating means 47, whereby a waste liquid quantity-integrating counter 49 counts up. An integration-judging means 50 which monitors a counter value of the integrating counter 49 drives a display means 52 to display when a capacity of the waste liquid cartridge 25 becomes a value corresponding to a full capacity. Data such as the counter value by the integrating counter 49, etc., are written and read between the storage element 27 mounted to the waste liquid cartridge 25 and a read/write means 53.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus provided with a capping means for sucking and discharging ink from a nozzle opening of a recording head, and more particularly, to a waste liquid cartridge capable of replacing ink waste liquid stored in the capping means. The present invention relates to a technique for managing the amount of waste liquid when the liquid is discharged and stored.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A recording head in an ink jet recording apparatus performs printing by discharging ink pressurized in a pressure generating chamber as ink droplets from nozzles onto recording paper.
There is a problem in that an ejection failure occurs due to an increase in ink viscosity due to evaporation of a solvent from a nozzle opening, solidification of ink, adhesion of dust, and incorporation of bubbles, resulting in printing failure.

For this purpose, the ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a capping means for sealing the nozzle opening of the recording head during non-printing, and a wiping member for cleaning the nozzle forming surface as required. The capping means not only functions as a lid for preventing drying of the ink at the nozzle opening, but also seals the nozzle forming surface by the capping means when clogging or the like occurs in the nozzle opening, and sucks the ink. It also has a function of sucking and discharging ink from the nozzle openings by negative pressure from the pump to eliminate clogging of the nozzle openings.

[0004] Forcible suction and discharge processing of ink for eliminating clogging of the recording head is called a cleaning operation. For example, when printing is resumed after a long period of suspension of the recording apparatus, or when the user performs printing. This operation is performed when the cleaning switch is operated upon recognizing a state defect, and after the ink is discharged from the recording head, an operation of wiping the nozzle forming surface of the recording head with a wiping member made of an elastic plate such as rubber is involved. Will be

The waste liquid from the recording head stored in the capping means in accordance with the above-described cleaning operation can be disposed in a waste liquid tank by driving a suction pump. Further, the waste liquid tank generally contains a waste liquid absorbing material made of a porous material, and the waste liquid absorbing material absorbs the waste liquid and holds the waste liquid.

[0006]

By the way, the waste liquid tank containing the above-mentioned waste liquid absorbing material generally has a capacity to receive the entire amount of waste liquid discarded during the life of the recording apparatus. Therefore, the waste liquid tank has a relatively large capacity, and is arranged in a state of occupying a large volume, for example, at the lower bottom of the recording apparatus main body. Therefore, there is a problem that this type of recording apparatus that attempts to further reduce the size is restricted.

In view of the above, there has been proposed a method in which the waste liquid tank is reduced in size and is replaced during the life of the recording apparatus, thereby reducing the size of the entire recording apparatus. In such a recording apparatus, for example, a waste liquid tank is formed into a cartridge and can be supplied to a user as a service part. In the recording apparatus having such a configuration, it is necessary to manage the amount of waste liquid to be disposed of in the waste liquid cartridge. For example, when the capacity of the waste liquid cartridge becomes full, the driving operation of the recording apparatus is restricted. It is necessary to take measures. Further, even when the waste liquid cartridge is not mounted, for example, the same measures need to be taken.

On the other hand, in the used waste liquid cartridge, care must be taken to prevent the ink waste liquid from being inadvertently leaked, and when the cartridge is mounted on a recording apparatus, the discharge side of the suction pump is easily connected. It is desirable that the configuration is such that it can be obtained.

According to the present invention, in the configuration provided with the waste liquid cartridge formed so as to be replaceable with the recording apparatus as described above, the amount of waste liquid disposed in the waste liquid cartridge can be immediately grasped. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of appropriately counting a waste liquid amount.

Further, the present invention is configured to notify the user of the replacement time of the waste liquid cartridge and to notify the user of the replacement time, and to limit the driving operation of the recording apparatus at the time of replacement, thereby causing trouble. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus which can eliminate the problem.

Further, in the used waste liquid cartridge, the ink waste liquid is prevented from being inadvertently leaked, and when it is attached to the recording apparatus, the discharge side of the suction pump is easily connected to the waste liquid cartridge. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet type recording apparatus capable of performing the following.

[0012]

According to the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording apparatus which discharges ink droplets from nozzle openings based on print data; Capping means for sealing the nozzle forming surface of the recording head and sucking and discharging ink from the nozzle opening of the recording head by receiving a negative pressure from the suction pump, wherein waste liquid discharged to the capping means is supplied to the suction pump. An ink jet recording apparatus configured to be discarded into a waste liquid cartridge by driving, wherein the waste liquid cartridge is configured to be replaceable with respect to the recording apparatus, and the recording apparatus is mounted on the recording apparatus. In which a storage element capable of writing and reading information on the waste liquid generated in It is.

In this case, the waste liquid cartridge has a configuration in which an outer component is sealed, and a waste liquid introduction part for receiving a waste liquid from a recording device and an atmosphere communication hole are formed in a part of the outer component. It is desirable. The waste liquid introduction section is preferably configured so as to be opened when attached to the recording apparatus and closed when not attached to the recording apparatus.

In this case, in a preferred embodiment, a connection member formed of an elastic material is disposed at the waste liquid introduction part, and a waste liquid introduction pipe attached to the discharge side of the suction pump is connected to the connection part. It is configured to be. And it is desirable that a water-repellent film is disposed in the atmosphere communication hole formed in the waste liquid cartridge configured as described above, and further, in the waste liquid cartridge,
It is desirable that a waste liquid absorbing material that absorbs and holds the waste liquid is stored.

On the other hand, when the waste liquid cartridge is mounted on the recording apparatus, the recording apparatus electrically detects a connection with a storage element loaded in the waste liquid cartridge, thereby detecting a mounted state of the waste liquid cartridge. It is preferred to be constituted. In addition, the recording device is preferably configured such that the operation of the device is prohibited when the attachment of the waste liquid cartridge is not detected.

Preferably, a waste liquid amount counter for counting the amount of waste liquid discarded in the waste liquid cartridge is provided, and when the counter value of the waste liquid amount counter reaches a first predetermined value, a waste liquid full state is set. It is configured to make a determination and prohibit the operation of the device. Preferably, when the count value of the waste liquid amount integrating counter reaches a second predetermined value smaller than the first predetermined value, it is determined that the waste liquid is near full and the display means is driven. It is preferable that the ratio of the counter value of the waste liquid amount integration counter to the first predetermined value is displayed by a display unit.

In a preferred embodiment, a first temperature detecting element is disposed in a portion of the waste liquid cartridge that does not come into contact with the waste liquid absorbing material or in a recording apparatus main body other than the waste liquid cartridge. The first predetermined value and the second predetermined value are configured to be changed according to the temperature information obtained by the element. Further, preferably, in the waste liquid cartridge, a second temperature detecting element is arranged at a portion in contact with the waste liquid, and temperature information obtained by the first temperature detecting element and temperature information obtained by the second temperature detecting element And the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value are changed.

[0018] In addition, the storage element mounted on the waste liquid cartridge contains information on the waste liquid, such as the date on which the waste liquid cartridge is used, the date and time when the waste liquid is full, the number of suction operations,
The product ID, the number of pages printed, and the waste liquid amount counter
It is desirable to configure so that the data is written from the recording device.

According to the ink jet type recording apparatus constructed as described above, a storage element capable of writing information relating to the waste liquid generated in the recording apparatus is loaded in the waste liquid cartridge which is configured to be replaceable. Therefore, for example, when the waste liquid cartridge is removed and then loaded in the recording apparatus again, the remaining amount of the waste liquid can be easily recognized.

Further, when the waste liquid cartridge is mounted on the recording apparatus, the connection with the storage element loaded in the waste liquid cartridge can be electrically detected.
Accordingly, it is possible to recognize whether the waste liquid cartridge is mounted or not, and thus to solve the problem that, for example, the apparatus is driven to cause trouble in the state where the waste liquid cartridge is not mounted.

Further, the amount of waste liquid sent to the waste liquid cartridge can be counted by the waste liquid amount integration counter. When the counter value reaches a predetermined first predetermined value, it is determined that the waste liquid is full. it can. Further, when a second predetermined value smaller than the first predetermined value is reached, it is determined that the waste liquid is near full, and the display means is driven, so that the time to replace the waste cartridge is approaching. You can also report.

Further, it is possible to estimate the degree of evaporation of the waste liquid from the waste liquid absorbing material based on temperature information obtained by a first temperature detecting element disposed at a portion not in contact with the waste liquid absorbing material stored in the waste liquid cartridge. So you can
The remaining amount that can be received by the waste cartridge can be rationally set. Further, if the second temperature detecting element is arranged at a portion in contact with the waste liquid,
The ambient humidity can be estimated from the temperature information obtained from the first and second temperature detecting elements, and the degree of evaporation of the waste liquid from the waste liquid absorbing material can be more accurately estimated. Therefore, the more accurate life of the waste liquid cartridge can be determined, and the efficient use of the waste liquid cartridge can be achieved.

Further, as described above, the date on which the waste liquid cartridge is used, the date and time when the waste liquid is full, and the like are recorded as information on the waste liquid in the storage element mounted on the waste liquid cartridge, so that the used cartridge can be stored on the manufacturer side. The information can be easily read out when the information is retrieved. Therefore, it is easy to analyze the usage form of the recording device of each user, and it can be effectively used for the development and design of a new product.

On the other hand, in the waste liquid cartridge,
Since the outer shell member is in a sealed state, a part of the outer shell member is configured to have a waste liquid introduction section for receiving waste liquid from the recording device and an air communication hole, so that the used waste liquid cartridge The problem that the waste liquid leaks carelessly can be avoided. In addition, the waste liquid introduction section is configured to be opened when mounted on the recording apparatus and closed when not mounted on the recording apparatus, and to have a configuration in which a water-repellent film is disposed also in the air communication hole. This can further contribute to preventing careless leakage of the waste liquid.

A connecting member made of an elastic material is arranged at the waste liquid introducing portion, and a waste liquid introducing pipe attached to the discharge side of the suction pump is connected to the connecting member. By attaching the waste liquid cartridge to the recording apparatus, the operation of automatically connecting the discharge side of the suction pump to the cartridge can be achieved.

[0026]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main part of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied. In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a carriage. The carriage 1 is configured to be reciprocated in the axial direction of a platen 5 by being guided by a guide member 4 via a timing belt 3 that reciprocates by driving a carriage motor 2. I have.

An ink jet recording head, which will be described later, is mounted on a surface of the carriage 1 facing the recording paper 6, ie, a lower surface of the carriage 1, and a black ink cartridge 7 for supplying ink to the recording head is provided above the ink jet recording head. , And a color ink cartridge 8 are detachably mounted. Reference numeral 9 denotes capping means disposed at a home position outside the printing area.
A suction pump 1 for applying a negative pressure to the internal space of the capping means 9 is provided below the capping means 9.
0 is arranged.

The capping means 9 functions as a lid for sealing the nozzle forming surface of the recording head to prevent drying of the nozzle openings during the idle period of the recording apparatus, and also reduces the negative pressure from the suction pump 10. It also has a function as a cleaning unit that acts on the recording head to suck and discharge ink from the recording head. A wiping member 11 formed of an elastic material such as rubber in a strip shape is disposed in the vicinity of the printing area side of the capping means 9. It is configured so that dust such as paper powder and the like, ink and the like attached to the forming surface can be removed.

FIG. 2 shows a recording head from an ink cartridge mounted on an upper portion of a carriage, capping means for capping a nozzle forming surface of the recording head, and waste liquid sucked from the capping means by a suction pump into a waste liquid cartridge. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a supply and discharge path of ink to be discarded.

As shown in FIG. 2, a recording head 20 is formed on a lower surface of a head case 20a constituting the recording head 20.
The nozzle plate 20b which forms the nozzle forming surface is disposed, and a plurality of nozzle openings 20c are formed in the nozzle plate 20b. In addition, each nozzle opening 2
A pressure chamber is formed corresponding to Oc, and an actuator 20d of a piezoelectric vibrator disposed above the pressure chamber is disposed in the head case 20a. Further, an ink communication flow path 20e is formed in the head case 20a from the nozzle opening 20c and the pressure chamber portion to the upper side.

On the upper surface of the head case 20a, four hollow ink supply needles 21 are arranged in an upright state, and each ink communication flow passage 20e formed in the head case 20a has a The ink supply passage 21 communicates with the ink flow path. In the vicinity of the top of each supply needle 21,
Although not shown in the drawing, an ink introduction hole is formed, and the ink from the ink cartridge is introduced into the supply needle 21 through the ink introduction hole, and the recording head is moved through the ink communication flow path 20e. Is configured to be supplied to the pressure chamber portion of

The ink supply needle 21 at the left end in FIG.
The black ink cartridge 7 is mounted toward the ink supply needle 21 from above to supply the black ink. Most of the upper part of the black ink cartridge 7 has an ink storage chamber 7a.
In the ink storage chamber 7a, a porous member 7b is stored, and the porous member 7b is stored with the black ink impregnated.

An opening 7c is formed in the lower part of the ink storage chamber 7a, and a rubber sealing member 7d is fitted in the opening 7c, and the rubber sealing member 7d is supplied with ink. The cartridge 7 is in a loaded state by being joined around the needle 21. Thus, the ink is supplied from the ink cartridge 7 to the recording head through the ink introduction hole formed at the tip of the ink supply needle 21.

The color ink cartridge 8 includes
As shown in FIG. 2, ink storage chambers for individually storing the cyan, magenta, and yellow color inks are formed in order from the left, and these are integrally formed. Therefore, detailed description of each configuration is omitted. As shown in FIG. 2, this color ink cartridge 8 is also set in a mounted state by being pushed in from the upper portion thereof, through the remaining three ink supply needles 21 established on the head case 20a of the recording head. , And each color ink can be supplied to the recording head side.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the nozzle forming surface 20b of the recording head is sealed by the capping means 9. This capping means 9
A cap case 9a having a substantially square shape with an open upper surface, and a cap member 9b housed in the cap case 9a and formed of an elastic material such as rubber are provided. Are formed so as to slightly protrude from the cap case 9a, and constitute a sealing surface of the nozzle plate 20b.

An ink absorbing material 9c made of a porous material is accommodated in the inner bottom of the cap member 9b. A suction port 9d is formed in the lower bottom portion of the cap case 9a so as to penetrate the cap case 9a and the cap member 9b, respectively.

The cap case 9a is held on a slider 9e, and the slider 9e is rotatably supported by the other end of an arm 9f whose one end is supported by a pivot. Then, as the carriage moves to the home position side, the capping means 9 also moves in the same direction via the arm 9f, whereby the cap member 9b rises to the recording head side and the nozzle plate of the recording head Acts to seal 20b. When the carriage moves from the home position to the printing area, the capping means 9 acts to unseal the recording head and descend by the action of a spring member (not shown), contrary to the above operation. I do.

The suction port 9 in the capping means 9
d is connected to one end of a tube 22. This tube 22 is connected to a tube pump 10 as a suction pump.
Is part of. The tube pump 10 is configured such that rollers successively crush tubes arranged in an arc to generate a negative pressure. By this operation, the internal space of the capping unit 9 can be sucked to a negative pressure. A cleaning operation for sucking and discharging ink from the nozzle openings 20c of the recording head 20 can be executed.

The recording head nozzle plate 20b
In the state where the sealing of the capping means 9 is released,
By driving the suction pump 10 again, the ink waste liquid discharged into the capping unit 9 can be discharged to the waste liquid cartridge 25 via the tube 22.

The waste liquid cartridge 25 according to this embodiment is formed in a box shape having an open top as schematically shown in FIG. 2, and contains therein a waste liquid for absorbing and holding the ink waste liquid. The absorbing material 26 is stored. The waste liquid cartridge 25 is configured to be replaceable with respect to the recording device, and can write and read information on waste liquid generated in the recording device in a state where the waste liquid cartridge 25 is attached to the recording device. A storage element 27 such as an EEPROM, for example, is loaded.

Further, the waste liquid cartridge 25 is provided with a thermistor 28 (a second temperature sensor) as a temperature detecting element so as to come into contact with the waste ink discharged into the cartridge 25.
The thermistor 28 is in contact with the waste liquid absorbing material 26 accommodated in the waste liquid cartridge 25, so that the thermistor 28 can contact the ink waste liquid absorbed by the absorbing material 26. Has been made. The connection line leading to the storage element 27 and the connection line leading to the thermistor 28 are
5 is connected to, for example, a terminal plate 29 disposed on a side wall of the printer 5 so that the waste liquid cartridge 25 can be connected to the recording device via the terminal plate 29 when the waste liquid cartridge 25 is mounted on the recording device.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a waste liquid cartridge 25 having a box shape with an open top is used. Preferably employs a configuration in which a shell component is sealed, and a part of the shell component is provided with a waste liquid introduction part for receiving a waste liquid from a recording device and an air communication hole for water evaporation. be able to. Further, by arranging a water-repellent film in the air communication hole, it is possible to achieve a configuration in which water vapor is released without leaking the ink waste liquid itself.

Next, FIG. 3 shows the operation of calculating the amount of waste liquid discharged by the cleaning operation of the recording apparatus mounted on the above-mentioned recording apparatus, and the operation of the waste liquid cartridge mounted on the recording apparatus. 4 shows an example of a control circuit configured to be able to exchange information regarding ink waste liquid with the loaded storage element 27. Note that, in FIG. 3, portions corresponding to the respective portions described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and thus redundant description will be omitted.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 40 denotes print control means, which generates bitmap data based on print data from a host computer.
A function is provided in which a driving signal is generated by the head driving means 41 based on this data, and ink droplets are ejected from the recording head 20 mounted on the carriage 1. The head driving unit 41 is configured to receive a flushing command signal from the flushing control unit 42 and output a drive signal for a flushing operation to the recording head 20 in addition to a drive signal based on print data. .

Reference numeral 43 denotes cleaning control means.
The cleaning control unit 43 receives a control signal from the cleaning command detection unit 44 and
And the function of driving the suction pump 10 is provided. By operating a cleaning command switch 46 arranged on an operation panel or the like of the recording apparatus, the cleaning command detecting means 44 is operated, and a manual cleaning operation is performed. Further, the cleaning control unit 43 includes the print control unit 4.
It is also configured to receive a control signal from 0, thereby providing a periodic cleaning operation function for driving the suction pump 10 by similarly controlling the pump driving means 45.

On the other hand, a control signal is supplied from the cleaning control means 43 to the waste liquid amount calculating means 47. The waste liquid amount calculating means 47 has a function of calculating the amount of waste liquid discharged from the recording head and sent to the waste liquid cartridge 25 by the cleaning operation performed by the cleaning control means 43. Then, every time the cleaning operation is performed, the coefficient setting unit 48 is accessed according to the rank of the cleaning operation, and the waste liquid amount is calculated by multiplying the coefficient by the corresponding coefficient. The waste liquid amount is calculated based on the calculation result. It acts to count up (add) the integrating counter 49.

Although not shown in FIG. 3, in addition to the calculation of the amount of waste liquid by the above-described cleaning operation, the waste liquid amount calculation means 47 performs the flushing operation performed by the flushing control means 42. It is preferable to calculate the amount of ink ejected into the inside. In this case, the calculation of the amount of waste liquid by the flushing operation is performed by multiplying the number of ejected ink droplets from the print head received from the flushing control unit 42 by the coefficient accessed to the coefficient setting unit 48 corresponding to flushing. be able to. This allows
The numerical value of the waste liquid amount based on the calculation result generated by the above-mentioned flushing operation is sent to the waste liquid amount integration counter 49, and acts to count up the numerical value relating to the waste liquid amount.

On the other hand, the numerical value relating to the waste liquid amount counted up by the waste liquid amount integrating counter 49 is sent to the integration determining means 50. The integration determining means 50 is supplied with temperature information obtained by a thermistor 51 (which is also referred to as a first temperature detecting element) as a temperature detecting element which is disposed in the recording apparatus main body and detects the environmental temperature. It is configured. In addition, the integration determination means 50 is desirably supplied with temperature information from the second temperature detection element 28 arranged so as to be in contact with the waste liquid discharged into the cartridge 25.

Then, in the accumulation determining means 50, the counter value of the waste liquid amount integration counter 49 is monitored, and the mounted waste liquid cartridge 25 is in a full state (full state).
The ratio of the counter value by the waste liquid amount integration counter 49 to the value corresponding to is calculated. Then, a numerical value corresponding to the ratio is displayed on the display means 52, for example, a percentage when the full state of the waste liquid cartridge is set to "100". Therefore, the user can use the display means 52
The amount of waste liquid accumulated in the attached waste liquid cartridge 25 can be grasped by observing the numerical values displayed in.

When the accumulation determining means 50 detects that the counter value of the waste liquid accumulation counter 49 has reached the first value corresponding to the full state of the waste liquid cartridge (full state), This information is sent to the display means 52 to indicate that the installed waste liquid cartridge is full. The information is also sent to the write / read means 53 constituting the input / output device, and a control signal for inhibiting the operation of the print apparatus is supplied to the print apparatus via the write / read means 53.

The accumulation determining means 50 determines that the waste liquid is near full when the counter value of the waste liquid amount integration counter 49 reaches a second predetermined value smaller than the first predetermined value. Similarly, it is desirable that the display means 52 be configured to display that the waste liquid cartridge is almost full.

In this case, since the water in the waste liquid impregnated in the waste liquid absorbing material 26 in the waste liquid cartridge 25 evaporates gradually with the passage of time, the function of impregnating and holding the waste liquid is improved. The rate of this evaporation depends on the ambient temperature. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value are changed by using the temperature information obtained by the first temperature detecting element 51 described above. That is, when the environmental temperature is relatively high, the evaporation of water in the waste liquid impregnated in the waste liquid absorbing material 26 is promoted, so that the function of the waste liquid absorbing material 26 for impregnating and holding the waste liquid is enhanced. When the ambient temperature is relatively low, the reverse is true.

Therefore, the first temperature detecting element 51
Is controlled so that the settings of the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value are changed on the basis of the temperature information obtained by The amount of waste liquid can be set, whereby the maximum life of the waste liquid cartridge can be ensured. Further, as described above, in the case where the temperature information by the second temperature detecting element 28 arranged so as to be in contact with the waste liquid discharged into the cartridge 25 is also supplied to the integration determining means 50, Is the first
And controlling the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value to be changed in accordance with the temperature information obtained by the second temperature detection element and the temperature information obtained by the second temperature detection element. it can.

In the case of such a configuration, substantially accurate environmental humidity is calculated based on the difference between the temperature information obtained by the first temperature detecting element and the temperature information obtained by the second temperature detecting element. be able to. Therefore, by controlling the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value to be changed based on the information on the environmental humidity, the maximum amount of the waste liquid cartridge that can be accommodated by the waste liquid cartridge in consideration of the amount of water evaporation in the waste liquid is considered. The amount of waste liquid can be set more accurately.

When the waste liquid cartridge 25 is mounted on the recording apparatus, the writing / reading means 53 electrically detects the connection with the storage element 27 loaded in the waste liquid cartridge, thereby mounting the waste liquid cartridge. Acts to detect a condition. Then, the writing / reading unit 53 is configured to supply a control signal to the recording device to inhibit the operation of the recording device when the mounting of the waste liquid cartridge 25 is not detected.

The writing / reading means 53 comprises:
Further, the storage element 27 loaded in the waste liquid cartridge
Data transmission and reception are performed between and. That is, when the waste liquid cartridge 25 is mounted on the recording apparatus, the waste liquid amount integrated counter value written in the storage element 27 is read out, and the integrated counter value is stored in the waste liquid amount integrated counter 4.
Set to 9. Then, the value calculated by the waste liquid amount calculating means 47 with respect to the set value is continuously counted up (added).

Therefore, even when the waste liquid cartridge 25 is detached from the recording apparatus and remounted, the amount of waste liquid already discarded in the cartridge can be immediately grasped. In other words, the same operation is achieved even if the waste liquid cartridge 25 is mounted on another recording apparatus, and therefore, the waste liquid cartridge can be shared.

The writing / reading means 53 comprises:
While the waste liquid cartridge is attached, the storage element 27 of the waste liquid cartridge is used every time, and the date on which the waste liquid cartridge is used, the date and time when the waste liquid is full, the number of suction operations (the number of cleaning operations), the ID of the product (the waste liquid cartridge ID), the number of pages to be printed, and the waste liquid amount integrated counter value.

By recording the above-mentioned data as information relating to the waste liquid in the storage element mounted on the waste liquid cartridge, such information can be easily read out when the used cartridge is taken out by the manufacturer, for example. be able to. Therefore, it is easy to analyze the usage form of the recording device of each user, and it can be effectively used for the development and design of a new product.

Next, FIG. 4 to FIG. 10 show each constitution of a waste liquid cartridge which can be used by being attached to the above-mentioned recording apparatus. In each of the waste liquid cartridges described below, an outer component is sealed, and a part of the outer component is configured to receive a waste liquid from a recording apparatus, and a drain introduction unit is provided. This shows a configuration in which an air communication hole is formed. FIG.
In FIG. 10 to FIG. 10, the storage element 2 capable of writing and reading information on the above-mentioned ink waste liquid is described.
7, and the thermistor 28 as a temperature detecting element arranged so as to be in contact with the waste ink are omitted.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the waste liquid cartridge, and the waste liquid cartridge 25 shown in FIG.
Is a box-shaped case 25 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape and an open upper surface.
a and a lid 25b that covers the upper part and seals the case to form an outer component of the waste liquid cartridge. On the inner surface of the lid 25b, a plurality of ribs 25c are formed in a parallel state along the longitudinal direction of the lid, and this constitutes a holding member for holding the waste liquid absorbing material housed therein. I have. With this configuration, the movement of the plurality of waste liquid absorbing materials 26 in a stacked state is prevented.

The waste liquid cartridge 25 shown in FIG.
In the embodiment, an opening is formed in a part of the lid 25b as a waste liquid introduction part 31 and an air communication hole 32 for water evaporation. When the waste liquid cartridge 25 is mounted on the recording apparatus, the opening 31 (3
Through 2), the waste liquid introduction pipe 24 attached to the discharge side of the suction pump 10 is configured to be inserted.

The waste liquid introduction pipe 24 is connected to the discharge side of the tube 22 of the suction pump 10 shown in FIG. Although not shown in the figure, a waste liquid outlet is formed near the tip. Therefore, the ink waste liquid discharged by driving the suction pump 10 is
The waste liquid is discharged into the waste liquid cartridge 25 through the waste liquid introduction pipe 24, and is held in a state of being impregnated in the waste liquid absorbing material 26 housed therein.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the inner diameter of the opening formed in a part of the lid 25b is sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the waste liquid introduction pipe 24.
Therefore, the water in the ink waste liquid can evaporate from this opening. Then, the ink waste liquid discarded in the used waste liquid cartridge 25 is held in a state of being impregnated in the waste liquid absorbing material 26. Therefore, unless the cartridge is turned upside down and a considerable impact is applied, for example, There is no danger of ink waste being drained. However, preferably, the opening which also serves as the waste liquid introduction part and the air communication hole may be closed with an adhesive tape (not shown).

FIG. 5 also shows a waste liquid cartridge in a longitudinal sectional view. In this waste liquid cartridge 25, a large number of fine air communication holes 32 are formed on the entire surface of a lid 25b. By forming a large number of air communication holes 32 on the entire surface of the lid 25b, the evaporation of the water in the ink waste liquid can be promoted. Then, since the ink waste liquid discarded in the used waste liquid cartridge 25 is held in a state of being impregnated in the waste liquid absorbing material 26, for example, the cartridge is turned upside down similarly to the embodiment shown in FIG. As long as a considerable impact is not applied, there is no danger that the ink waste liquid inside is discharged. However, preferably, the waste liquid introduction part 31 and the air communication hole 32 may be closed by an unshown adhesive tape that is wide enough to cover the entire surface of the lid 25b.

Next, the waste liquid introduction part 31 of the waste liquid cartridge 25 shown in FIG. 6A is formed on the side wall of the box-shaped case 25a. When the waste liquid cartridge 25 is mounted on a recording apparatus, as shown in FIG. 6B, the waste liquid introduction pipe 2 disposed on the recording apparatus side is used.
4 is connected to the cartridge 2 via the waste liquid introduction section 31.
5.

As shown in FIG. 6C in an enlarged manner, a cover member 33 is disposed in the waste liquid introduction section 31. The lid member 33 is connected to the box-shaped case 25a via a hinge 33a.
And the return spring 33b
Accordingly, the waste liquid introduction section 31 is urged to close the waste liquid introduction section 31 from the inner surface. Therefore, when the waste liquid cartridge 25 is mounted on the recording apparatus, the lid member 33 is opened by the waste liquid introduction pipe 24 so that the waste ink can be introduced into the waste liquid cartridge 25 through the waste liquid introduction pipe 24.

When the waste liquid cartridge 25 is detached from the recording apparatus, the lid member 33 closes the waste liquid introduction section 31 from the inside thereof by the action of the return spring 33b. Therefore, from the waste liquid introduction part 31 formed on the side wall part of the cartridge 25,
Inadvertent leakage of the ink waste liquid can be prevented.

In the waste liquid introduction section 31 of the waste liquid cartridge 25 shown in FIG. 7, a connection member formed of an elastic material is disposed, and the waste liquid introduction pipe 24 is connected to the connection section. That is, FIG. 7A shows a state viewed from above, and FIG. 7B shows a vertical cross-sectional view. The configuration shown in FIG. 7 has a configuration in which a connection member 34 made of, for example, a rubber material is fitted into the opening as the waste liquid introduction unit 31 shown in FIG. 5 already described.

According to the waste liquid cartridge having this structure, the distal end of the waste liquid introduction pipe 24 is inserted into the cartridge 25 through the rubber-made connecting member 34 when it is mounted on the recording apparatus. In this case, the waste liquid introduction pipe 24
Is desirably formed at an acute angle. When the cartridge 25 is removed from the recording apparatus, the connecting member 34 can close the through hole formed by the waste liquid introduction pipe 24 by the restoring force. In this way, by disposing the connection member 34 formed of the elastic material in the waste liquid introduction part 31, it is possible to prevent the ink waste liquid from being carelessly leaked from the waste liquid introduction part of the used waste liquid cartridge. it can.

The waste liquid cartridge 25 shown in FIG.
A connection member 35 also formed of an elastic material is disposed in the waste liquid introduction section 31 in the above. The configuration of the connection member 35 is shown in a slightly enlarged manner in FIGS. 9A to 9C. That is, FIG.
FIG. 9B is a plan view showing the connection member 35 arranged in FIG. 1, and FIG. 9B is a longitudinal sectional view. FIG.
(C) is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the waste liquid introduction pipe is inserted.

The waste liquid introduction section 31 of the waste liquid cartridge 25 shown in FIG. 8 has a slit 35a formed in a rubber material formed in a disk shape as shown in an enlarged manner in FIGS. 9A and 9B. Is provided radially. Then, from the upper part of the connection member 35, an annularly formed fixing member 36 is fitted into the lid 25b on which the waste liquid introduction part 31 is formed. With this configuration, the annular connection member 35 is made of a rubber material. It is attached to the waste liquid introduction part 31 by a fixing member 36.

According to the waste liquid cartridge having this configuration, at the time of attachment to the recording apparatus, as shown in FIG. 9C, the distal end of the waste liquid introduction pipe 24 is connected to the connecting member 34 separated by the slit 35a. The cartridge is inserted into the cartridge 25 with its central portion deformed. And cartridge 2
When the recording member 5 is removed from the recording apparatus, the connecting member 34 is returned to a flat plate shape by the restoring force. By such an operation, it is possible to prevent the ink waste liquid from being inadvertently leaked from the waste liquid introduction section of the used waste liquid cartridge.

Next, the waste liquid cartridge 25 shown in FIG.
In the above, a relatively large 1 is located almost at the center of the lid 25b.
One air communication hole 32 is formed, and a water-repellent film 37 is arranged so as to cover the air communication hole 32. A connection member 34 made of a rubber material is fitted into the waste liquid introduction section 31 of the waste liquid cartridge 25 shown in FIG. 10 as shown in FIG. 7, and the waste liquid introduction pipe 24 is connected to the connection section 34. It is configured to be connected to.

As the water-repellent film 37, for example, Teflon (trade name of DuPont) fiber is used, and micropores are formed on the whole. The water-repellent film 37 is attached to the lid 25b from above the atmosphere communication hole 32 by an annular fixing member 38 fitted to the lid 25b.
With this configuration, it is possible to pass a volatile component generated from the ink waste liquid, for example, water vapor to the outside, and to prevent the ink waste liquid from leaking to the outside. Note that, as shown in FIG. 10, the configuration using the water-repellent film 37 made of, for example, Teflon fiber can be naturally applied to the embodiments shown in FIGS.

[0076]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, the waste liquid cartridge is configured to be replaceable with the recording apparatus and is mounted in the recording apparatus. Therefore, since the storage device capable of writing and reading information on the waste liquid generated in the recording device is mounted, the amount of waste liquid discarded in the waste liquid cartridge can be immediately grasped. . Then, since the connection state of the waste liquid cartridge is detected by electrically detecting the connection with the storage element loaded in the waste liquid cartridge, the recording device is configured to detect the mounting state of the waste liquid cartridge when the mounting of the waste liquid cartridge is not detected. In addition, it is possible to control so as to prohibit the operation of the apparatus, and it is possible to eliminate the occurrence of unnecessary trouble in using the recording apparatus.

On the other hand, the waste liquid cartridge has a structure in which an outer shell member is sealed, and a waste liquid inlet for receiving a waste liquid from a recording device and an atmosphere communication hole are formed in a part of the outer shell member. It is possible to avoid the problem that the waste liquid leaks carelessly from the used waste liquid cartridge.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main part of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an ink supply path and a waste liquid delivery path in the recording apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control circuit having a function of calculating a waste liquid amount discharged by a cleaning operation of the recording apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a first embodiment of a waste liquid cartridge that can be used in the recording apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a second embodiment of the waste liquid cartridge.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a third embodiment of the waste liquid cartridge.

FIG. 7 is a plan view and a vertical sectional view showing a fourth embodiment of the waste liquid cartridge.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a fifth embodiment of the waste liquid cartridge.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view showing a configuration of a waste liquid introduction unit in the waste liquid cartridge shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a plan view and a longitudinal sectional view showing a sixth embodiment of the waste liquid cartridge.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Carriage 2 Carriage motor 6 Recording paper 7 Black ink cartridge 8 Color ink cartridge 9 Capping means 10 Suction pump (tube pump) 11 Wiping member 20 Recording head 20a Head case 20b Nozzle plate (nozzle forming surface) 20c Nozzle opening 20d Actuator 21 ink Supply needle 22 Tube 24 Waste liquid introduction pipe 25 Waste liquid cartridge 25a Box-shaped case 25b Lid 26 Waste liquid absorbing material 27 Storage element 28 Temperature detection element (second temperature detection element) 31 Waste liquid introduction part 32 Atmospheric communication hole 33 Cover member 33a Hinge 33b Return springs 34, 35 Connecting member 35a Slit 36, 38 Fixing member 37 Water-repellent film 40 Printing control means 41 Head driving means 42 Flushing control means 43 Cleaning control means 45 pump driving means 47 waste liquid amount calculating means 48 coefficient setting means 49 waste liquid amount integrating counter 50 integration determining means 51 temperature detecting element (first temperature detecting element) 52 display means 53 writing / reading means

Claims (14)

[Claims] An ink jet recording head for ejecting ink droplets from nozzle openings based on print data; a nozzle forming surface of the recording head being sealed, and receiving a negative pressure from a suction pump to form a recording head. An ink-jet recording apparatus comprising: a capping unit for sucking and discharging ink; and a waste liquid discharged to the capping unit, which is disposed in a waste liquid cartridge by driving a suction pump. Ink jet recording configured to be replaceable with the apparatus, and mounted with a storage element capable of writing and reading information relating to waste liquid generated in the recording apparatus while being attached to the recording apparatus. apparatus. 2. The waste liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein an outer component member is sealed, and a waste liquid introduction portion for receiving a waste liquid from a recording device and an air communication hole are formed in a part of the outer component member. Item 2. An ink jet recording apparatus according to item 1. 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the waste liquid introduction section is configured to be opened when the apparatus is mounted on the recording apparatus and closed when the apparatus is not mounted on the recording apparatus. 4. A waste liquid introduction part, wherein a connection member formed of an elastic material is disposed, and a waste liquid introduction pipe attached to a discharge side of the suction pump is connected to the connection part. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2 or 3. 5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a water-repellent film is disposed in the air communication hole. 6. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the waste liquid cartridge contains a waste liquid absorbing material that absorbs and holds the waste liquid. 7. The recording device, when the waste liquid cartridge is mounted on the recording device, electrically detecting a connection with a storage element loaded in the waste liquid cartridge,
The ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the installed state of the waste liquid cartridge is detected. 8. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the recording apparatus is configured to prohibit the operation of the recording apparatus when the attachment of the waste liquid cartridge is not detected. 9. A waste liquid amount counter for counting a waste liquid amount discarded in the waste liquid cartridge, and when the waste liquid amount counter value of the waste liquid amount counter reaches a first predetermined value, a waste liquid full state is set. 9. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to determine and prohibit operation of the recording apparatus. 10. The system according to claim 9, wherein when the count value of the waste liquid amount integrating counter reaches a second predetermined value smaller than the first predetermined value, it is determined that the waste liquid is near full and the display means is driven. 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1. 11. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a ratio between the counter value of the waste liquid amount integration counter and the first predetermined value is displayed by a display unit. 12. A first temperature detecting element is disposed in a portion of the waste liquid cartridge that does not contact the waste liquid absorbing material or in a recording device main body other than the waste liquid cartridge, and the temperature information obtained by the first temperature detecting element is 12. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value are changed correspondingly. 13. The waste liquid cartridge further includes a second temperature detecting element disposed at a portion in contact with the waste liquid, wherein temperature information obtained by the first temperature detecting element and temperature information obtained by the second temperature detecting element are provided. The ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value are changed in accordance with the temperature information. 14. A storage element mounted on the waste liquid cartridge includes, as information relating to the waste liquid, a start date of use of the waste liquid cartridge, a date and time when the waste liquid is full, a number of suction operations, a product ID, a number of printed pages, and a waste liquid amount integration counter. 14. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the value is written by the recording apparatus.