JP2003094686A - Inkjet printer and maintenance method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inkjet printer which prevents empty suction by preventing ink to be sucked in from running out midway through the suction of the ink, and efficiently performs maintenance of a head. SOLUTION: This inkjet printer has an ink storage part for storing the ink, the head which has a nozzle for the ink, and a suction means for performing the maintenance of the head by sucking in the ink from the nozzle. When the remaining quantity of the ink in the ink storage part before the start of the suction of the ink by the suction means is smaller than a prescribed quantity, the suction is inhibited without being started by the suction means.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet printer for sucking ink from an ejection port of a head for maintenance and a maintenance method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an inkjet printer, ink nozzles for ejecting ink onto a recording sheet are provided on one surface (nozzle surface) of a recording head. In order to recover the increase in the viscosity of the ink, the clogging of the ink nozzle due to the sticking of the ink, or the clogging due to the bubbles or dust generated in the liquid passage leading to the ink nozzle, the recording head nozzle The surface is covered with a cap member so as to be hermetically sealed, and a suction pump is used to suck through the cap member to remove air bubbles remaining in the ink nozzle together with the ink, and to remove dust and the like adhering to the nozzle surface. Maintenance such as removal is performed.

If the maintenance of the recording head is performed in a state where the residual amount of ink is small, there is a risk that the ink will be exhausted during suction and empty suction will be performed. If this idle suction is performed, bubbles may be mixed in the ink nozzles, which may obscure printing. In order to prevent this idle suction, if the remaining ink is detected during the suction and the ink runs out,
We have developed a device that stops suction and a device that detects the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge before maintenance and, if the amount is low, instructs the user to replace the ink cartridge before performing maintenance. It had been.

[0004]

However, in the case where the suction is stopped in the middle of the suction performed at the time of maintenance as described above, the suction is not sufficient as it is, and therefore, after the ink cartridge is replaced, Is configured to perform suction again from the beginning. In other words, the suction required for maintenance will be duplicated,
Ink and time are wasted. In addition, before the maintenance, if the user is instructed to replace the ink cartridge and then perform the maintenance, the user must pay attention to the instruction to replace the ink cartridge, which burdens the user. It was something that ended up.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printer which prevents empty ink from being exhausted during the ink suction, thereby preventing idle suction and efficiently performing head maintenance. And

[0006]

The invention according to claim 1 is
What is claimed is: 1. An inkjet printer comprising: an ink storage unit for storing ink; a head having an ink ejection port; and a suction unit that suctions ink from the ejection port to perform maintenance of the head. When the remaining amount of ink in the ink storage unit before the start is smaller than a predetermined amount, suction is prohibited without starting suction by the suction unit.

According to the first aspect of the invention, when the remaining amount of ink in the ink storage portion before the suction is started is smaller than the predetermined amount, the suction by the suction means is not started,
Since the suction is prohibited, if the predetermined amount is set to be larger than the amount of ink sucked by the suction, it is possible to prevent the ink from being exhausted during the suction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent empty suction. And with this configuration,
The suction is not stopped during the suction. In other words, it is possible to prevent duplication of suction, such as performing suction from the beginning again after replacing the ink cartridge, like the conventional one in which the suction is stopped halfway. Maintenance can be performed.

Further, if the remaining amount of ink in the ink storage portion is less than a predetermined amount, the suction is prohibited without starting the suction. Therefore, even if the user does not care about the remaining amount of the ink, the ink is stopped when the ink is stopped. It suffices to replace the cartridge, which can reduce the burden on the user.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink jet system having an ink storage section for storing ink, a head having an ink discharge port, and a suction means for sucking ink from the discharge port to perform maintenance of the head. In the printer, the suction by the suction unit is started or the suction by the suction unit is started based on information about the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank storage unit before the suction by the suction unit is started. It is characterized by making a selection as to whether or not suction is prohibited.

According to the invention described in claim 2, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the invention described in claim 1.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink containing portion for containing ink, an ink remaining amount detecting means for detecting information about the remaining amount of ink contained in the ink containing portion, and a head having an ink ejection port. In an ink jet printer having a suction means for sucking ink from the ejection port to perform maintenance of the head, and a suction control means for controlling suction by the suction means, the suction control means is configured to perform suction by the suction means. Before starting, the suction by the suction means is started based on the information about the ink remaining amount detected by the ink remaining amount detection means, or the suction is performed without starting the suction by the suction means. The feature is to control whether to prohibit.

According to the invention described in claim 3, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the invention described in claim 1.

The information on the remaining ink amount is not only the information based on the result of the direct measurement of the remaining ink amount in the ink storage portion but also the information that can indirectly detect the remaining ink amount (for example, the weight of the ink storage portion). And the number of ink ejections).

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet printer according to any one of the first to third aspects, the ink storage portion is a sub-tank provided between the ink cartridge and the head, which are exchangeable. It is characterized by being.

According to the invention described in claim 4, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the invention described in claim 1.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink jet system having an ink storage section for storing ink, a head having an ink ejection port, and a suction means for suctioning ink from the ejection port to perform maintenance of the head. In the printer maintenance method, when the remaining amount of ink in the ink storage unit before the suction by the suction unit is smaller than a predetermined amount, the suction is prohibited without starting the suction by the suction unit. A method for maintaining an ink jet printer characterized by the above.

According to the invention of claim 5, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the invention of claim 1.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings of FIGS.

The ink jet printer 1 illustrated in the present embodiment is for ejecting ink on a recording paper to perform printing, and the main configuration of the portion for performing the printing is as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. Conveying means (not shown) that conveys the recording paper P forward during printing, a recording head (head) 2 that ejects ink onto the recording paper P, and an ink supply unit 3 that supplies ink to the recording head 2. An ink supply path 12 for flowing ink from the ink supply section 3 to the recording head 2;
A carriage 4 for accommodating the recording heads 2 for each of a plurality of colors, a maintenance unit 5 for maintaining the recording heads 2, and a guide rail for guiding the carriage 4 along the horizontal direction (arrow A) during printing or maintenance. 6, a home position 7 serving as a waiting place for the carriage 4, and a control section (suction control means) 30 (FIG. 3) for controlling these sections.

At the time of printing, the conveying means conveys the recording paper P on the printing area 9 in synchronism with the operation of the carriage 4, and the recording paper P is moved downward from the printing area 9 according to the end of printing. It is conveyed toward (arrow B).

The recording head 2 is provided with a plurality of ejection openings of ink nozzles for ejecting ink on the surface (nozzle surface 16: FIG. 2) facing the recording paper P.

The ink supply section 3 is supplied with the replaceable ink cartridge 8, a supply valve 10 for regulating the amount of ink flowing out from the ink cartridge 8, and the ink cartridge 8 via the supply valve 10. A sub-tank (ink storage portion) 11 that supplies ink to the ejection port of the recording head 2 through the ink supply path 12 is provided, and the ink cartridge 8, the supply valve 10, and the sub-tank 11 are formed by the ink flow path 13. It is in communication.
Then, each of these parts corresponds to the inkjet printer 1
Types of ink used in (Y: yellow, LY: light yellow, M: magenta, LM: light magenta,
C: cyan, LC: light cyan, K: black, L
(K: light black).

As shown in FIG. 4, the ink cartridge 8 is supported by a residual ink detecting section 23 which detects whether or not the ink remaining amount in the ink cartridge 8 is more than a predetermined amount.

The residual ink detector 23 may have any structure as long as it detects the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge 8 and outputs the detection result to the controller 30. The residual ink detecting unit 23 exemplified in this embodiment is
The base 24 that supports the ink cartridge 8 and the lift 25 that keeps one end of the ink cartridge 8 up and tilted by the elasticity of the spring 29 when the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 8 becomes less than a predetermined amount. And a cartridge sensor 8a for detecting whether or not the lift portion 25 has lifted the ink cartridge 8.

The base 24 has a U-shaped cross section, and holds the ink cartridge 8 in the recess. The ink flow path 13 is connected to the back surface of the base portion 24, and the ink in the ink cartridge 8 is stored in the base portion 2.
It is configured to flow into the ink flow path 13 via 4.

The lift portion 25 is a body portion 2 which is L-shaped in a side view.
6, an extension portion 27 extending substantially vertically from one end of the body portion 26, and a protrusion portion 28 protruding downward from the back surface of the extension portion 27. And the main body 2
6 is supported by a spring 29 from below and has the other end pivotally supported. Further, the extending portion 27 is in contact with the lower surface of the ink cartridge 8 supported by the base portion.

The cartridge sensor 8a is electrically connected to the controller 30 as shown in FIG. And
As shown in FIG. 4, the cartridge sensor 8a is provided with an insertion portion 8b into which the protrusion portion 28 of the lift portion 25 is inserted, and a control unit that determines whether or not the protrusion portion 28 is inserted into the insertion portion 8b. Output to 30.

The operation of the residual ink detector 23 will be described below.

The amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge 8 is
When the amount is larger than the predetermined amount, as shown in FIG.
The ink cartridge 8 presses the lift portion 25 with its weight and contracts the spring 29. At this time, the lift section 25
Of the cartridge sensor 8a
It is in a state of being inserted through b. In this state, the cartridge sensor 8a outputs to the control unit 30 a state in which the protrusion 28 is inserted in the insertion portion 8b, that is, a state in which the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge 8 is larger than a predetermined amount. .

After that, when the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 8 becomes smaller than a predetermined amount, the spring 29 extends and pushes the lift portion 25 upward, as shown in FIG. 4B. The lift portion 25 pivots upward about an end portion that is pivotally supported, and pushes up the ink cartridge 8 and tilts it. At this time, the protruding portion 28 of the lift portion 25 is
The cartridge sensor 8a has come out of the insertion portion 8b. In this state, the cartridge sensor 8a is in a state in which the protrusion 28 is not inserted into the insertion portion 8b of the control unit 30, that is, the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge 8 is less than a predetermined amount. Is output.

As shown in FIG. 3, the supply valve 10 is electrically connected to the control unit 30 and causes a predetermined amount of ink to flow into the sub tank 11 under the control of the control unit 30.

The sub tank 11 is an ink cartridge 8
And the recording head 2, the ink from the ink cartridge 8 is temporarily stored at a position lower than the ink cartridge 8 and then supplied to the recording head 2.
The pressure of the ink supplied to the recording head 2 is regulated. As shown in FIG. 5, the sub-tank 11 includes an accommodating portion 20 for accommodating ink, and an accommodating ink detecting portion (ink residual amount) for detecting whether or not the residual ink amount in the accommodating portion 20 is greater than a predetermined amount. Detection means) 21.

Here, the predetermined amount refers to the amount of ink that is sucked in by one suction, but it may be a larger amount than this amount.

The storage section 20 is made of a flexible container and changes its shape according to the amount of ink stored. Then, the storage portion 20 is connected to the supply valve 1 from the ink cartridge 8.
The ink supplied via 0 is once stored and then poured into the ink supply path 12. The ink that has flowed into the ink supply path 12 flows into the ink nozzles of the recording head 2 and reaches the ejection port. That is, the ink supply path 12 and the ink nozzle form a flow path from the sub tank 11 to the ejection port.

The stored ink detector 21 is provided in the sub tank 11
Any configuration may be used as long as it detects the remaining amount of ink inside and outputs the detection result to the control unit 30. The stored ink detecting section 21 exemplified in the present embodiment includes a pin section 22 that operates according to a change in the shape of the storing section 20, and a sub-tank sensor 11a that detects whether or not the pin section 22 is at a predetermined position. Is equipped with.

One end of the pin portion 22 is rotatably supported, and the other end is in contact with the storage portion 20. That is, the pin portion 22 rotates about one end pivotally supported by the change in the shape of the storage portion 20.

The sub-tank sensor 11a is electrically connected to the control unit 30, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the sub-tank sensor 11a is provided with an insertion portion 11b through which the tip end portion of the pin portion 22 is inserted, and whether the tip end portion of the pin portion 22 is inserted into the insertion portion 11b. It is output to the control unit 30.

The operation of the stored ink detector 21 will be described.

When the amount of ink remaining in the sub-tank 11 is larger than a predetermined amount, the shape of the storage portion 20 can be increased as shown in FIG. 5 (a). Based on the change in the shape of the storage portion 20, the pin portion 22 rotates and is inserted into the insertion portion 11b of the sub tank sensor 11a.
In this state, the sub tank sensor 11a is in a state in which the tip of the pin portion 22 is inserted into the control unit 30, that is,
It is output that the ink remaining amount in the sub tank 11 is larger than a predetermined amount.

After that, when the remaining amount of ink in the sub tank 11 becomes smaller than a predetermined amount, the shape of the storage portion 20 is made smaller as shown in FIG. 5 (b). Based on the change in the shape of the storage portion 20, the pin portion 22 rotates and comes out of the insertion portion 11b of the sub tank sensor 11a. In this state, sub tank sensor 1
1a outputs to the control unit 30 that the tip of the pin portion 22 is not inserted, that is, the amount of ink remaining in the sub tank 11 is less than a predetermined amount.

As shown in FIG. 1, the carriage 4 is provided with a plurality of recording heads 2 for each color (yellow, light yellow, magenta, light magenta, cyan, light cyan, black, light black).

As shown in FIG. 1 or 2, the maintenance unit 5 covers the nozzle surface 16 of the recording head 2 and seals it, and a suction cap 14 for sucking ink from the ejection port, and the suction cap 14. The blade 15 is provided for wiping off the ink remaining on the nozzle surface 16 after the ink is sucked.

A plurality of (two in the present embodiment) suction caps 14 are provided side by side, and it is possible to suck a plurality of recording heads 2 at a time during maintenance. A suction pump (suction means) 18 for suctioning the inside of the space formed by the suction cap 14 and the nozzle surface 16 and an atmosphere communication valve 17 are connected to the back surface of the suction cap 14. The suction of the suction pump 18 is controlled by the control unit 30. That is, the suction pump 18 sucks the discharge port covered with the suction cap 14 through the suction cap 14. And
The ink sucked from the discharge port by the suction pump 18 is discharged to the waste ink tank 19.

Although the suction pump 16 is exemplified as the suction means in the present embodiment, any suction pump may be used as long as it sucks ink from the ejection port of the ink nozzle, for example, a piston or a cylinder. Is mentioned.

As shown in FIG. 1, the home position 7 is provided with the same number of moisturizing caps 7a as the moisturizing surfaces of the nozzle surface 16, and the nozzles of the recording head 2 while the carriage 4 is on standby. The surface 16 is covered and hermetically sealed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 30 includes an interface 31, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 32, and an R.
AM (Random Access Memory) 33, CPU (Central
Processing Unit) 34 and the like, and controls various devices connected to the interface 31 in accordance with control programs and control data written in the ROM 32.

The interface 31 includes a display section 34 for displaying an error and a state of each section, a supply valve 10, a cartridge sensor 8a, a sub tank sensor 11a,
The suction pump 18 and the like are electrically connected.

Various control programs and control data relating to the operation of each section of the ink jet printer are written in the ROM 32.

The RAM 33 is capable of storing a plurality of data input only while power is being supplied, and is provided with a storage area for various data and a work area for the CPU 34.

The CPU 34 reads out a program designated from various programs stored in the ROM 32 from the R program.
It is developed in the work area in the AM 33, and various processes according to the program are executed according to the input signal from each sensor.

The control unit 30 controls the entire operation of the ink jet printer 1. Here, a control procedure performed at the time of maintenance of the recording head 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, when the suction cap 14 is hermetically sealed so as to cover the nozzle surface 16 of the recording head 2 and the maintenance is started, the remaining amount of ink in the sub tank 11 is set to a predetermined amount based on the input signal from the sub tank sensor 11a. Determine if there is. (Step S1) If the ink remaining amount is less than the predetermined amount, the process proceeds to step S2, and if it is equal to or more than the predetermined amount, the process proceeds to step S7.

In step S2, the supply valve 10 is opened (step S3), while the ink is being poured into the sub-tank 11, the process proceeds to step S1 again, and it is judged whether or not the ink remaining amount in the sub-tank 11 is a predetermined amount (normal time). Judgment). If the remaining amount of ink in the sub tank 11 is less than the predetermined amount even after the lapse of a predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S4. On the other hand, if the remaining amount of ink in the sub-tank 11 reaches or exceeds the predetermined amount within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S5.

In step S4, the ink cartridge 8
It is determined based on the input signal from the cartridge sensor 8a whether or not the remaining amount of ink is a predetermined amount. If the result of the determination is that the amount of residual ink is less than the predetermined amount, the display unit 34 displays that the residual ink in the ink cartridge 8 is empty, prompts replacement of the cartridge 8, and performs operations related to maintenance. To stop. (Step S6) Then, the maintenance is completed. On the other hand, if there is more residual ink than the predetermined amount, the display unit 34 displays a message indicating an abnormality and stops the system. (Step S7) And maintenance is completed.

In step S5, the judgment of the normal state is made while the ink is being sucked, and the judgment of the remaining amount in the normal state is stopped so that the maintenance is not completed, and the process proceeds to step S8. . That is, while the ink is being sucked, the ink remaining amount in the sub-tank 11 may become smaller than a predetermined amount, but if the determination in the normal state is made at this time, it is possible to suck once in advance. However, the suction is stopped and the maintenance ends. In this step S5, the suction is prevented from being stopped during the suction.

In step S8, a suction mode such as continuous strong suction or intermittent weak suction is set according to the state of the recording head 2 during maintenance. At that time, the suction time, the number of suctions in the case of intermittent suction, and the like are also set, and the process proceeds to step S9. When the empty ink is detected at the time of the previous maintenance, the maintenance is stopped halfway, and the ink cartridge 8 is replaced while maintaining the state, the maintenance is restarted. The suction mode set at that time is used.

In step S9, the sub tank sensor 1
Based on the input signal from 1a, it is determined whether the amount of ink stored in the sub tank 11 is smaller or larger than a predetermined amount. If the ink storage amount is less than the predetermined amount, the process proceeds to step S10, and if it is equal to or more than the predetermined amount, the process proceeds to step S11.

In step S10, the remaining amount determination at the normal time is restored, and the process proceeds to step S12. Step S1
In 2, the supply valve 10 is opened (step S13), and while the ink is being poured into the sub tank 11, the process proceeds to step S9 again, and it is determined whether or not the ink remaining amount in the sub tank 11 is a predetermined amount. If the remaining amount of ink in the sub tank 11 is less than the predetermined amount even after the lapse of a predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S14. On the other hand, within a predetermined time, the sub tank 1
When the remaining ink amount of 1 is equal to or more than the predetermined amount, the process proceeds to Sup S11.

In step S14, it is determined whether or not the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge 8 is a predetermined amount based on the input signal from the cartridge sensor 8a.
If the result of the determination is that the residual ink is less than the predetermined amount, the display unit 34 displays that the residual ink in the ink cartridge 8 is empty and stops the operation related to maintenance. The maintenance state at the time of stop (suction mode set in step S8, the number of intermittent suctions performed before the stop, etc.) is stored. Then, the maintenance is ended. In this way, since the maintenance state before the replacement of the ink cartridge 8 is stored, when the maintenance is restarted after the replacement, it is possible to continuously recover from the stopped maintenance state. That is, it is possible to prevent the suction before the replacement and the suction after the replacement from being duplicated, and it is possible to efficiently perform the maintenance without unnecessarily consuming time and ink at the time of restoration.

On the other hand, if the amount of residual ink is greater than the predetermined amount, the display unit 34 displays that there is an abnormality (step S7) and stops the system. Then, the maintenance is ended.

In step S11, the suction pump 18 is operated to start sucking ink in the ink nozzles, and the process proceeds to step S17. In step S17, it is determined based on the input signal from the sub tank sensor 11a whether or not the amount of ink stored in the sub tank 11 is a predetermined amount. If the amount of ink stored is less than the predetermined amount, the supply valve 10 is opened, and ink is flown into the sub tank 11 (step S18), and the process proceeds to step S20. On the other hand, if the ink storage amount is equal to or larger than the predetermined amount, the process proceeds to step S20 with the supply valve 10 closed (step S19).

In step S20, the elapsed time of suction performed by the suction pump 18 is counted. If the elapsed time has not reached the suction time set in step S8, the process proceeds to step S17, and if the elapsed time reaches the suction time, the process proceeds to step S21. In step S21, the operation of the suction pump 18 is stopped, suction is stopped, and step S22
Move to.

In step S22, the number of times of suction performed by the suction pump 18 is counted. If the number of times of execution has not reached the number of times of suction set in step S8, the process proceeds to step S9, the remaining ink amount is detected before starting suction of the next time, and it is determined whether or not suction is started. To do. When the number of executions reaches the number of suctions, the process proceeds to step S23. In step S23, the suction cap 14 is separated from the nozzle surface 16 of the recording head 2, the blade 15 wipes ink remaining on the nozzle surface 16, and the process proceeds to step S24. In step S24, the remaining amount determination at the normal time is returned to end the maintenance.

As described above, the control unit 30 starts the suction of the suction pump 18 based on the information regarding the remaining ink amount from the stored ink detection unit 21 before the suction is started, or the suction pump 18 operates. The user selects whether to prohibit suction without starting suction.

As described above, according to the ink jet printer of the present embodiment, the control unit 30 controls the suction pump 18 when the remaining amount of ink in the sub tank 11 is smaller than a predetermined amount during maintenance. Since the suction is prohibited without starting the suction, it is possible to prevent the ink from being exhausted during the suction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent empty suction. Further, with this configuration, the suction is not stopped during the suction. In other words, conventional
It is possible to prevent duplication of suction, such as sucking from the beginning again after replacing the ink cartridge so that suction is stopped halfway, so that time for recovery and ink are not wasted and efficient maintenance is performed. It can be performed.

Further, if the ink remaining in the sub tank 11 is less than the predetermined amount, the suction is prohibited before starting the suction, so that the user can stop the ink without worrying about the remaining ink amount. At that time, the ink cartridge 8 may be replaced, and the burden on the user can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, the sub tank 11
It is configured to detect whether or not the remaining amount of ink is equal to or more than a predetermined amount and to select whether to prohibit the start of suction based on the detection. However, based on the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 8, It may be configured to select whether or not to prohibit the start of suction. In this case, the residual ink detecting portion 23 of the ink cartridge 8 may be made to function as the remaining ink amount detecting means. Further, in the present embodiment, when intermittent suction is selected in the suction mode, the amount of ink remaining in the sub-tank 11 is smaller than the amount of ink sucked in one time before each suction is started. Although it is configured to detect whether the amount is large or small, whether the remaining amount of ink in the sub tank 11 is larger or smaller than the amount of ink sucked in all the suctions performed by the intermittent suction before the intermittent suction is started. May be detected.

In the present embodiment, the residual ink detector 23 and the stored ink detector 21 are configured to detect whether the amount of residual ink is larger or smaller than the predetermined amount. It may be configured to perform detection. In particular,
When the residual ink detection unit 23 and the stored ink detection unit 21 are configured to measure the residual ink amount, the measurement data is output to the control unit 30, and the control unit 30 determines the location based on the measurement data. Detects whether there is more or less residual ink than a fixed amount.

It should be understood that the embodiments disclosed this time are exemplifications in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description but by the claims, and is intended to include meanings equivalent to the claims and all modifications within the scope.

[0070]

According to the first aspect of the invention, when the remaining amount of ink in the ink storage portion before the start of suction is smaller than a predetermined amount, suction is started without starting suction by the suction means. Since it is prohibited, if the predetermined amount is set to be larger than the amount of ink sucked, it is possible to prevent the ink from running out during the suction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent empty suction. With this configuration, the suction is not stopped during the suction. In other words, it is possible to prevent duplication of suction, such as performing suction from the beginning again after replacing the ink cartridge, like the conventional one in which the suction is stopped halfway. Maintenance can be performed.

Further, if the remaining amount of ink in the ink storage portion is less than the predetermined amount, the suction is prohibited without starting the suction, so that the user does not have to worry about the remaining amount of the ink and the ink will not be generated when the ink is stopped. It suffices to replace the cartridge, which can reduce the burden on the user.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a main part of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a main part of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a main control block diagram of a control unit included in the inkjet printer of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a weight detection mechanism of an ink cartridge provided in the inkjet printer of FIG.

5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an ink remaining amount detection mechanism of a sub tank included in the inkjet printer of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a maintenance procedure of a recording head included in the inkjet printer of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 inkjet printer 2 Recording head (head) 11 Sub tank (ink storage part) 18 Suction pump (suction means) 21 Storage ink detector (ink remaining amount detector) 30 control unit (suction control means)

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F-term (reference) 2C056 EA14 EA27 EA29 EB20 EB21                       EB56 EC24 EC26 EC36 EC39                       EC57 JA03 JC06 JC13 JC20                       KB04 KB37 KC02 KC14

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An ink jet printer comprising: an ink storage unit for storing ink; a head having an ink discharge port; and a suction unit for sucking ink from the discharge port to perform maintenance on the head. An inkjet printer, wherein when the remaining amount of ink in the ink storage unit before starting the suction by the suction unit is smaller than a predetermined amount, the suction is prohibited without starting the suction by the suction unit. 2. An ink jet printer having an ink storage unit for storing ink, a head having an ink discharge port, and a suction unit for sucking ink from the discharge port to perform maintenance of the head, Suction is prohibited without starting suction by the suction means or without starting suction by the suction means, based on information about the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank storage portion before starting suction by the suction means. An inkjet printer characterized in that it is selected whether or not to perform. 3. An ink containing portion for containing ink, an ink remaining amount detecting means for detecting information about an ink remaining amount contained in the ink containing portion, a head having an ink ejecting port, and the ejecting port. In an inkjet printer having suction means for sucking ink to perform maintenance of the head, and suction control means for controlling suction by the suction means, the suction control means, before starting suction by the suction means, Based on the information regarding the remaining ink amount detected by the remaining ink amount detecting means, control is performed to start suction by the suction means or prohibit suction without starting suction by the suction means. An ink jet printer characterized by performing. 4. The ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein the ink storage portion is a sub-tank provided between an ink cartridge that is exchangeably provided and the head. 5. A maintenance method for an ink jet printer, comprising: an ink storage unit for storing ink; a head having an ink ejection port; and a suction means for sucking ink from the ejection port to perform maintenance on the head. When the remaining amount of ink in the ink storage unit before the suction by the suction unit is smaller than a predetermined amount, the suction is prohibited without starting the suction by the suction unit. Maintenance method.