JP2004082628A - Ink jet recorder, its control method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink jet recorder which realizes stable and highly precise detection of an ink remaining amount, and to provide its control method and a program. <P>SOLUTION: The ink jet recorder has a setting mechanism which can set a guide member for transferring a tray on which a record medium is loaded to the inside of the recorder. An optical sensor which moves in an up-down direction in accordance with the presence/absence of setting of the guide member detects the ink remaining amount in an ink tank of a recording head. In the case where a distance between the ink tank and the optical sensor changes in the middle of detecting the ink remaining amount, the process of detecting the ink remaining amount by the optical sensor is carried out again. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus for detecting the remaining amount of ink in an ink tank that supplies ink to a recording head, a control method thereof, and a program.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, an ink jet printer that performs recording using ink has an ink remaining amount detection mechanism that detects the remaining amount of ink so that a user can be notified when ink runs out. Among them, a non-volatile memory is mounted in the ink tank itself for storing ink, the number of times of ejection of ink dots is stored, and a type that issues a warning when the total number of times of ejection exceeds a specified amount, or a physical type. There are various types such as a type in which light is transmitted through a liquid portion stored in an ink tank and the transmission state is detected by an optical sensor.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described conventional technique, in particular, when the remaining amount of ink is detected by an electrically driven optical sensor such as the latter, erroneous detection due to disturbance noise may occur. Further, if the distance between the ink tank and the optical sensor is not constant, a correct output value cannot be obtained.
[0004]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide an ink jet recording apparatus, a control method thereof, and a program that realize stable and accurate detection of the remaining amount of ink.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object has the following configuration. That is,
An ink jet recording apparatus for detecting the remaining amount of ink in an ink tank that supplies ink to a recording head,
A mounting mechanism capable of mounting a guide member for transporting a tray on which a recording medium is mounted to the inside of the recording apparatus,
Detecting means that moves vertically according to the presence or absence of the guide member, and optically detects the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank,
When the distance between the ink tank and the detection unit changes while the detection unit detects the remaining amount of ink, the control unit re-executes the remaining ink detection process by the detection unit.
[0006]
Further, preferably, a guide detecting means for detecting the mounting state of the guide member,
Moving means for moving a position of the recording head in a vertical direction based on a detection result of the guide detecting means.
[0007]
Further, preferably, when the guide detecting means detects that the guide member is mounted, the moving means moves the recording head to a first position,
When the distance between the ink tank and the detection unit changes due to the mounting of the guide member during the detection of the remaining amount of ink by the detection unit, the control unit moves the recording head to the second position. After being moved to one position, the detection of the remaining amount of ink by the detection means is executed again.
[0008]
Preferably, when the guide detecting unit detects that the guide member is attached or detached, the moving unit moves the recording head to a second position,
When the distance between the ink tank and the detection unit changes due to the attachment / detachment of the guide member during the detection of the remaining amount of ink by the detection unit, the control unit moves the recording head by the moving unit. After the movement to the two positions, the detection of the remaining amount of ink by the detection means is executed again.
[0009]
An inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object has the following configuration. That is,
An ink jet recording apparatus for detecting the remaining amount of ink in an ink tank that supplies ink to a recording head,
Cover open / close detection means for detecting the open / close of a cover attached to a part of the housing of the inkjet recording apparatus,
Detecting means for optically detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank based on a detection result of the cover opening / closing detecting means,
Measuring means for measuring a time from when the ink tank is moved to the ink tank replacement position by opening the cover to when the cover is closed,
And control means for executing again the remaining ink amount detection by the detecting means based on the detection result by the detecting means and the time measured by the measuring means.
[0010]
Preferably, when it is determined that the ink tank has been replaced by the detection result of the detection means, and the time measured by the measurement means is shorter than a specified time, the control means detects the remaining ink amount by the detection means. Execute again.
[0011]
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises operating means for instructing movement of the ink tank to the ink tank replacement position,
When the operation unit is operated again after one operation by the operation unit, the control unit executes the remaining ink amount detection by the detection unit again.
[0012]
A method for controlling an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object has the following configuration. That is,
Control of an ink jet recording apparatus having a mounting mechanism capable of mounting a guide member for transporting a tray on which a recording medium is mounted to the inside of the recording apparatus, and detecting the remaining amount of ink in an ink tank for supplying ink to a recording head The method,
A detecting step of moving in the up and down direction according to the presence or absence of the guide member, and detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank with an optical sensor;
A control step of, when the distance between the ink tank and the optical sensor changes during the detection of the remaining amount of ink in the detecting step, performing the remaining ink level detection processing in the detecting step again.
[0013]
A method for controlling an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object has the following configuration. That is,
A method for controlling an ink jet recording apparatus that detects an ink remaining amount of an ink tank that supplies ink to a recording head,
A cover opening / closing detection step of detecting opening / closing of a cover attached to a part of the housing of the inkjet recording apparatus,
Based on the detection result of the cover open / close detection step, a detection step of detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank with an optical sensor,
A measuring step of measuring the time from when the ink tank is moved to the ink tank replacement position by opening the cover to when the cover is closed,
A control step of performing again the remaining ink amount detection in the detection step based on the detection result in the detection step and the measurement time in the measurement step.
[0014]
A program according to the present invention for achieving the above object has the following configuration. That is,
Control of an ink jet recording apparatus having a mounting mechanism capable of mounting a guide member for transporting a tray on which a recording medium is mounted to the inside of the recording apparatus, and detecting the remaining amount of ink in an ink tank for supplying ink to a recording head Is a program that realizes
A program code for a detection step of moving in the vertical direction according to the presence or absence of the guide member and detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank with an optical sensor;
If the distance between the ink tank and the optical sensor changes during the detection of the remaining amount of ink in the detection step, the control step is to re-execute the remaining ink detection processing in the detection step.
[0015]
A program according to the present invention for achieving the above object has the following configuration. That is,
A program that realizes control of an ink jet recording apparatus that detects an ink remaining amount of an ink tank that supplies ink to a recording head,
A program code of a cover opening / closing detection step of detecting opening / closing of a cover attached to a part of the housing of the inkjet recording apparatus,
Based on a detection result of the cover open / close detection step, a program code of a detection step of detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank with an optical sensor,
A program code for a measuring step of measuring a time from when the cover is opened to move the ink tank to the ink tank replacement position until the cover is closed;
And a program code for a control step for executing again the remaining ink amount detection in the detection step based on the detection result in the detection step and the measurement time in the measurement step.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0017]
In the embodiment described below, an inkjet printer (hereinafter, abbreviated as a printer) will be described as an example of a recording apparatus using an inkjet recording method.
[0018]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0019]
In FIG. 1, an apparatus main body 1000 which forms the outer shell of the printer in this embodiment includes outer members of a lower case 1001, an upper case 1002, an access cover 1003, and a discharge tray 1004, and a chassis 17 ( 2). The chassis 17 is composed of a plurality of plate-like metal members having a predetermined rigidity, forms a skeleton of the printer 1000, and holds each recording operation mechanism described later.
[0020]
The lower case 1001 forms a substantially lower half of the apparatus main body 1000, and the upper case 1002 forms a substantially upper half of the apparatus upper main body 1000. Each of the mechanisms described later is housed inside the combination of the two cases. It has a hollow body structure having a storage space, and an opening is formed in each of an upper surface portion and a front surface portion thereof.
[0021]
Further, one end of the discharge tray 1004 is rotatably held by the lower case 1001 so that the opening 1014 formed on the front surface of the lower case 1001 can be opened and closed by the rotation. For this reason, when the recording operation is performed, the recording medium can be discharged from here by rotating the discharge tray 1004 to the front side to open the opening 1014, and the discharged recording media are sequentially stacked. It is possible to do.
[0022]
Also, two auxiliary trays 1004a and 1004b are stored in the paper discharge tray 1004. By pulling out each tray as needed, the paper support area can be expanded or reduced in three stages. It has become.
[0023]
One end of the access cover 1003 is rotatably held by the upper case 1002 so that an opening formed on the upper surface can be opened and closed. When the access cover 1003 is opened, the access cover 1003 is stored inside the main body. The replacement of the recording head 1 or the ink tank 7 that has been performed becomes possible at the replacement position.
[0024]
Although not shown here, when the access cover 1003 is opened and closed, a projection formed on the back surface rotates the cover opening / closing lever, and the rotation position of the lever is detected by a microswitch or the like. Thus, the open / closed state of the access cover can be detected.
[0025]
Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 4, a recording medium of various thicknesses (for example, a CD-R, a cartridge type storage medium (MO, DVD- A tray for mounting the RAM, etc.) and transporting it to the printer 1000, and a mounting mechanism capable of mounting a dedicated recording medium feed guide for guiding and supporting the tray into the printer 1000 from the front.
[0026]
Further, by arranging the guide detecting sensor 28 (FIG. 2) near the opening 1014, it is possible to detect whether or not the dedicated recording medium feed guide is attached.
[0027]
On the rear upper surface of the upper case 1002, a power key 18 and a resume key 19 are provided so as to be able to be pressed, and an LED 200 is provided. It informs the operator.
[0028]
Further, the LED 200 has various display functions such as changing a blinking manner and a color, and notifying an operator of a trouble of the printer 1000 by smoothing a buzzer.
[0029]
When the trouble or the like is solved, the recording is restarted by pressing the resume key 19.
[0030]
The display unit 1710 displays various states of the printer 1000.
[0031]
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which an exterior member of the printer according to the embodiment of the present invention is removed.
[0032]
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the recording head 1 is connected to an ink tank 7 for supplying ink to the recording head 1 and integrally forms an ink cartridge 20.
[0033]
In this embodiment, the ink cartridge 20 has a configuration in which the recording head 1 and the ink tank 7 can be separated, but an ink cartridge in which the recording head and the ink tank are integrated may be used. The ink cartridge 20 has a configuration in which four color inks of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black) are contained in one ink cartridge. In any case, the ink cartridge is detachable from the printer 1000 and is replaceable.
[0034]
In addition, a light reflecting surface or an optical prism for detecting the remaining amount of ink is provided on the bottom surface of the ink tank 7.
[0035]
In FIG. 2, a recording head 1 is mounted on a carriage 2 in a posture for ejecting ink downward in the drawing, and ejects ink droplets while moving the carriage 2 along a guide shaft 3 to form a recording paper 1 such as recording paper. An image is formed on a recording medium (not shown).
[0036]
The carriage 2 is moved left and right (reciprocated) via the timing belt 5 by the rotation of the carriage motor 4. An engagement claw 6 is provided on the carriage 2, and is engaged with an engagement hole 7 a of the ink tank, so that the ink tank 7 is fixed to the carriage 2.
[0037]
As a printing operation, when printing for one scan of the printing head 1 is completed, the printing operation is interrupted, the printing medium positioned on the platen 8 is conveyed by a predetermined amount by driving the feed motor 9, and then the carriage 2 is moved again. While moving along the guide shaft 3, image formation for the next one scan is performed.
[0038]
On the right side of the apparatus main body, a recovery unit 10 for performing a recovery operation for maintaining a good ink discharge state of the print head 1 is provided. The recovery unit 10 includes a cap 11 for capping the print head 1 and a print head. 1, a wiper 12 for wiping the ink ejection surface, a suction pump (not shown) for sucking ink from the ink ejection nozzles of the recording head 1, and the like.
[0039]
Further, the driving force of the feed motor 9 for conveying the recording medium is transmitted to the original recording medium conveying mechanism and also to the automatic paper feeder (ASF) 13.
[0040]
Therefore, when the recording of a recording medium, for example, one page of recording paper is completed, the feed motor 9 is driven to discharge the recording paper out of the recording apparatus, and the ASF 13 is also used when recording is performed on the next paper. When driven, the next sheet is fed from the recording sheet stacked on the ASF 13.
[0041]
Further, on the lateral side of the recovery unit 10, an optical sensor 14 that constitutes a reflective sensor for detecting the remaining amount of ink, which includes an infrared LED (light emitting element) 15 and a phototransistor (light receiving element) 16, is provided. I have. The light emitting element 15 and the light receiving element 16 are mounted so as to be arranged along the recording paper transport direction (the direction of arrow F).
[0042]
The optical sensor 14 is attached to a chassis 17 of the apparatus main body. When the ink cartridge 20 is mounted on the carriage 2 and moves rightward from the position shown in FIG. 2, the ink cartridge 20 comes to a position on the optical sensor 14 (a remaining ink amount detection position). Then, the state of ink can be detected by the optical sensor 14 from the bottom surface of the ink tank 7.
[0043]
The output from the optical sensor 14 is an analog output, and the output value may be directly output as the remaining ink amount, or a digital value obtained by A / D conversion may be output as the remaining ink amount.
[0044]
Next, a control circuit for executing the recording control of the above-described apparatus will be described.
[0045]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control circuit of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[0046]
In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1700 denotes an interface for inputting a recording signal from an external device such as a host computer, 1701 denotes an MPU, and 1702 denotes a control program executed by the MPU 1701 including a program for executing the flowcharts of FIGS. A ROM for storing character fonts (if necessary), and a DRAM 1703 for temporarily storing various data (such as the print signal and print data supplied to the print head 102). Reference numeral 1704 denotes a gate array (GA) for performing print control on the print head 1, and also controls data transfer between the interface 1700, the MPU 1701, and the RAM 1703.
[0047]
Reference numeral 4 denotes a carriage motor for moving the recording head 1 in the main scanning direction, and reference numeral 9 denotes a feed motor for conveying a recording medium or a tray. Reference numeral 1705 denotes a head driver for driving the recording head 1, and 1706 and 1707 denote motor drivers for driving the feed motor 9 and the carriage motor 4, respectively.
[0048]
An outline of the operation of the control circuit will be described. When a recording signal enters the interface 1700, the recording signal is converted between the gate array 1704 and the MPU 1701 into recording data for printing. Then, the motor drivers 1706 and 1707 are driven, and the printhead 1 is driven according to the print data sent to the head driver 1705 to perform printing.
[0049]
Reference numeral 1710 denotes an LCD 1711 for displaying various messages relating to the recording operation and the status of the printer 1000, an LED lamp 1712 of various colors for notifying the recording operation and the status of the printer 1000, and a buzzer (not shown) for issuing a warning sound. It is a display unit.
[0050]
The operation of the remaining ink amount detection unit 25 that detects the presence or absence of ink in the ink tank 7 integrated with the recording head 1 is controlled by the MPU 1701.
[0051]
Similarly, the operation of the dedicated recording medium feed guide detecting unit 26 for detecting the attached state of the dedicated recording medium feed guide and the operation of the cover open / close detecting unit 27 for detecting the open / closed state of the access cover 1003 are also performed by the guide detecting sensor 28. , MPU 1701.
[0052]
On the other hand, a host computer (hereinafter, referred to as a host) 201 is connected to a printer by an interface (I / F) cable. An application for generating print image data and a printer driver are installed in the host 201. In the application, data to be recorded is created and edited by a man-machine interface with a user, and the data is passed to a printer driver. The printer driver converts the data into a data format that can be received by the printer 1000, adds information necessary for controlling the printer 1000, and transmits the data to the printer 1000.
[0053]
From the printer 1000, the host 201 sends necessary information for recording control to the printer driver.
[0054]
The host 201 has standard components (for example, a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, a hard disk, an external storage device, a network interface, a display, a keyboard, and a mouse) mounted on a general-purpose computer.
[0055]
Next, a characteristic configuration of the printer according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
[0056]
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining features of the printer according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[0057]
The upper left side is a schematic front view of a recording processing portion of the printer 1000, and the upper right side is a corresponding schematic side view.
[0058]
A recording head 1 for recording is mounted on a carriage 2, moves in a direction (main scanning direction) orthogonal to a paper feeding direction (sub-scanning direction) of a recording medium, and performs recording control by discharging ink. Do. Further, as described above, a recording medium of various thicknesses (for example, a CD-R, a cartridge-type storage medium (MO, DVD-RAM, etc.)) is provided in the recording medium path area, which is a conveyance path of the recording medium. It has a mounting mechanism for mounting a dedicated recording medium feed guide for transporting the sheet to the printer 1000 from the front (lower right side in FIG. 4). When the dedicated recording medium is conveyed into the printer 1000, a dedicated recording medium tray on which the dedicated recording medium guided and supported by the dedicated recording medium feed guide is placed is used.
[0059]
In particular, when the dedicated recording medium feed guide is attached, the guide A mechanically moves upward, while when the dedicated recording medium feed guide is attached / detached, the guide A mechanically moves downward from the current position. It is configured to move to. By this movement, the distance between the optical sensor 14 mounted on the guide A and the ink tank 7 mounted on the recording head 1 changes.
[0060]
In this case, if the distance between the optical sensor 14 and the ink tank 7 changes, erroneous detection may occur in the remaining ink amount detection processing. Accordingly, in order to keep the distance between the optical sensor 14 and the ink tank 7 constant, the guide shaft 3 on which the carriage 2 on which the ink tank 7 is mounted is also moved up and down with the vertical movement of the guide A. It can be moved to.
[0061]
The movement of the guide shafts 3 is realized, for example, by a lift motor (not shown) capable of moving them up and down.
[0062]
Next, an ink remaining amount detection process executed by the printer according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
[0063]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the remaining ink amount detection processing according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[0064]
Note that the processing realized in FIG. 5 may be realized by executing a program stored in the ROM 1702 inside the printer 1000 by the MPU 1701, or may be realized by dedicated hardware.
[0065]
Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, by using the dedicated recording medium feed guide, not only recording paper used in a general printer but also recording media of various thicknesses (for example, CD-R, cartridge Type storage media (MO, DVD-RAM, etc.).
[0066]
Therefore, in the processing of FIG. 5, there are two types of processing, that is, processing when recording on recording paper and processing when recording on a recording medium other than recording paper (hereinafter, dedicated recording medium) using a dedicated recording medium feed guide. Run separately. This is because the distance between the ink tank 7 and the optical sensor 14 changes due to the difference between the thickness of the recording paper and the thickness of the dedicated recording medium, and it is necessary to execute processing according to the change in the distance. It is.
[0067]
First, before executing the remaining ink amount detection, the current mounting state of the dedicated recording medium feed guide is detected (step S21). Next, it is determined whether or not the dedicated recording medium feed guide is mounted based on the detection result. If the dedicated recording medium feed guide is not mounted (NO in step S21), the process proceeds to step S22. On the other hand, when the dedicated recording medium feed guide is mounted (YES in step S22), the process proceeds to step S23.
[0068]
When the dedicated recording medium feed guide is mounted, the lift motor is driven to move the guide shaft 3 to the first position (the dedicated recording medium position) in order to keep the distance between the ink tank 7 and the optical sensor 14 constant. ) (Step S23). When the guide shaft 3 moves to the first position, the recording head 1 is moved to the remaining ink amount detection position to execute the remaining ink amount detection process (step S25).
[0069]
In parallel with this, it is continuously determined whether or not the dedicated recording medium feed guide is removed during the remaining ink amount detection processing (step S27). If the dedicated recording medium feed guide is not removed (NO in step S27), the process ends.
[0070]
On the other hand, if the dedicated recording medium feed guide has been removed (YES in step S27), the process returns to step S21, where the state of the dedicated recording medium feed guide is acquired again, and the remaining ink amount detection process is performed again. That is, in this case, since the dedicated recording medium feed guide has been removed, the guide shaft 3 is moved to the second position (step S24), and the remaining ink amount detection process is performed again.
[0071]
On the other hand, if the result of the detection of the current state of mounting of the special recording medium feed guide indicates that the special recording medium feed guide is not mounted (NO in step S22), the distance between the ink tank 7 and the optical sensor 14 is kept constant. For this purpose, the lift motor is driven to move the guide shaft 3 to the second position (the position for recording paper) (step S24). When the guide shaft 3 moves to the second position, the recording head 1 is moved to the remaining ink detection position to execute the remaining ink detection process (step S26).
[0072]
In parallel with this, it is continuously determined whether or not the dedicated recording medium feed guide is attached during the detection of the remaining ink amount (step S28). If the dedicated recording medium feed guide is not attached (NO in step S28), the process ends.
[0073]
On the other hand, when the dedicated recording medium feed guide is attached (YES in step S28), the process returns to step S21, where the state of the dedicated recording medium feed guide is acquired again, and the remaining ink amount detection process is performed again. That is, in this case, since the dedicated recording medium feed guide is mounted, the guide shaft 3 is moved to the first position (step S23), and the remaining ink amount detection process is performed again.
[0074]
As described above, according to the processing in FIG. 5, the distance between the ink tank 7 and the optical sensor 14 is constant according to the thickness of the recording medium (recording paper or dedicated recording medium) used for recording. The position of the ink tank 7 and the optical sensor 14 are changed so that the ink remaining amount detection process is always performed in a state where the ink tank 7 and the optical sensor 14 are in an appropriate positional relationship. Can be.
[0075]
Further, when erroneous detection may occur in the remaining ink amount detection process, that is, the distance between the ink tank 7 and the optical sensor 14 is changed by attaching or detaching the dedicated recording medium feed guide during the remaining ink amount detection process. In the case where erroneous detection may occur in the ink remaining amount detection process, the positions of the ink tank 7 and the optical sensor 14 are adjusted so as to have an appropriate positional relationship in accordance with the change, and then the ink remaining amount is again determined. Perform the quantity detection process. Thus, stable and highly accurate remaining ink amount detection processing can be realized.
[0076]
Next, as another example of performing the remaining ink level detection processing again when erroneous detection may occur in the remaining ink level detection processing, an ink remaining level detection processing based on the replacement time of the ink tank 7 of the recording head 1 is described. Will be described with reference to FIG.
[0077]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing another ink remaining amount detecting process according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[0078]
Note that the processing realized in FIG. 6 may be realized by executing a program stored in the ROM 1702 inside the printer 1000 by the MPU 1701, or may be realized by dedicated hardware.
[0079]
In particular, in the process of FIG. 6, when the access cover 1003 is opened and the ink tank 7 of the recording head 1 is replaced, the remaining ink amount detection process according to the replacement time of the ink tank 7 is performed.
[0080]
First, the printer 1000 is in a state where the opening and closing of the access cover 1003 is always detected.
[0081]
Then, it is determined whether or not the access cover 1003 has been opened (step S31). If the access cover 1003 has not been opened (NO in step S31), the process waits until it is opened. On the other hand, when the access cover 1003 is opened (YES in step S31), the process proceeds to step S32.
[0082]
The recording head 1 is moved to the replacement position of the ink tank 7 (Step S32). Next, when the carriage motor 4 stops, a replacement time measurement timer (not shown) for measuring the time when the user replaces the cartridge is started (step S33). Next, it is determined whether the access cover 1003 is closed (step S34). If the access cover 1003 is not closed (NO in step S34), the process waits until the access cover 1003 is closed. On the other hand, when the access cover 1003 is closed (YES in step S34), the process proceeds to step S35.
[0083]
When the access cover 1003 is closed, the replacement time measurement timer is stopped, and the replacement time Tc required for replacing the ink tank 7 is obtained from the timer value (step S35). Next, since there is a possibility that the ink tank 7 has been replaced, an ink remaining amount detection process is performed (step S36).
[0084]
It is determined whether or not the ink tank 7 has been replaced based on the result of the remaining ink amount detection processing (step S37). If the ink tank 7 has not been replaced (NO in step S37), the process ends. On the other hand, if the ink tank 7 has been replaced (YES in step S37), the process proceeds to step S38.
[0085]
It should be noted that whether or not the ink tank 7 has been replaced is determined, for example, when the remaining ink amount obtained in the remaining ink amount detection process at that time is larger than the remaining ink amount obtained in the immediately preceding ink remaining amount detection process. It is determined that the ink tank 7 has been replaced.
[0086]
Next, it is determined whether or not the replacement time Tc is less than the specified time Td. If the replacement time Tc is longer than the specified time Td (NO in step S38), the process ends. On the other hand, if the replacement time Tc is shorter than the specified time Td (YES in step S38), it is determined that the optical sensor 14 is erroneously detected, and the remaining ink amount detection process is performed again (step S39).
[0087]
The specified time Td is a time required for replacing the ink tank 7 (for example, 5 seconds). The reason for performing the determination in step S38 using the specified time Td is that even if it is determined that the ink tank has been replaced based on the detection result of the optical sensor 14 in step S37, the replacement time Tc is set to the specified time Td. If the value is less than the above, the ink tank 7 is not actually replaced, and the detection of the optical sensor 14 may be erroneously detected.
[0088]
As described above, according to the process of FIG. 6, the possibility of erroneous detection of the remaining ink amount detection process is determined based on the replacement time of the ink tank 7 of the recording head 1, and based on the determination result, By executing the remaining ink amount detection process again, a stable and highly accurate remaining ink amount detection process can be realized.
[0089]
In this embodiment, FIGS. 5 and 6 are described as separate processes. However, these processes are combined to detect the remaining ink amount based on whether or not the dedicated recording medium feed guide is mounted and the replacement time Tc. The processing may be performed again.
[0090]
In addition, as an application example of the processing in FIG. 6, a dedicated button for performing the replacement of the ink tank 7 is separately provided, and when the dedicated button is pressed, the recording head 1 moves to the replacement position of the ink tank 7, and Alternatively, by pressing the dedicated button again, the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank 7 may be forcibly detected.
[0091]
In the above embodiment, the description has been made assuming that the droplets ejected from the recording head are ink, and that the liquid contained in the ink tank is ink, but the contained matter is limited to ink. Not something. For example, an ink tank may contain a processing liquid discharged to a recording medium in order to improve the fixability and water resistance of a recorded image or to improve the image quality.
[0092]
The above-described embodiment includes a means (for example, an electrothermal converter or a laser beam) for generating thermal energy as energy used for causing ink to be ejected, particularly in an ink jet recording system. By using a method that causes a change in the state, it is possible to achieve higher density and higher definition of recording.
[0093]
Regarding the typical configuration and principle, it is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740,796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and the continuous type. In particular, in the case of the on-demand type, it is arranged corresponding to the sheet or liquid path holding the liquid (ink). Applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the recording information and providing a rapid temperature rise exceeding the nucleate boiling, to generate heat energy in the electrothermal transducer, thereby causing the recording head to emit heat energy. This is effective in that film boiling occurs on the heat-acting surface of the liquid, and as a result, air bubbles in the liquid (ink) corresponding to the drive signal on a one-to-one basis can be formed. By discharging the liquid (ink) through the discharge opening by the growth and contraction of the bubble, at least one droplet is formed. When the drive signal is formed in a pulse shape, the growth and shrinkage of the bubble are performed immediately and appropriately, so that the ejection of the liquid (ink) having particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved, which is more preferable.
[0094]
As the pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable. Further, if the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 of the invention relating to the temperature rise rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.
[0095]
As the configuration of the recording head, in addition to the combination of the discharge port, the liquid path, and the electrothermal converter (the linear liquid flow path or the right-angled liquid flow path) as disclosed in each of the above-mentioned specifications, a heat acting surface A configuration using U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,600, which disclose a configuration in which is disposed in a bending region, is also included in the present invention. In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59-123670 discloses a configuration in which a common slot is used as a discharge portion of an electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters, or an opening for absorbing a pressure wave of thermal energy is discharged. A configuration based on JP-A-59-138461, which discloses a configuration corresponding to each unit, may be adopted.
[0096]
Further, as a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the width of the maximum recording medium that can be recorded by the recording apparatus, the length is satisfied by a combination of a plurality of recording heads as disclosed in the above specification. Either the configuration or the configuration as one recording head integrally formed may be used.
[0097]
In addition, not only the cartridge-type recording head in which the ink tank is provided integrally with the recording head itself described in the above embodiment, but also the electric connection with the apparatus main body by being attached to the apparatus main body. A replaceable chip-type recording head that can supply ink from the apparatus main body may be used.
[0098]
Further, the printing mode of the printing apparatus is not limited to a printing mode of only a mainstream color such as black, and may be a printing head integrally formed or a combination of a plurality of printing heads. The device may be provided with at least one of the full colors.
[0099]
In the above-described embodiment, the description has been made on the assumption that the ink is a liquid.However, even if the ink solidifies at room temperature or below, an ink that softens or liquefies at room temperature may be used. Alternatively, in the ink jet system, the temperature of the ink itself is controlled within a range of 30 ° C. or more and 70 ° C. or less to control the temperature so that the viscosity of the ink is in a stable ejection range. It is sufficient if the ink is sometimes in a liquid state.
[0100]
In addition, to prevent the temperature rise due to thermal energy from being used as the energy of the state change of the ink from the solid state to the liquid state, or to prevent the ink from evaporating, the ink solidifies in a standing state. Alternatively, ink that liquefies by heating may be used. In any case, the application of heat energy causes the ink to be liquefied by the application of the heat energy according to the recording signal and the liquid ink to be ejected, or to start solidifying when it reaches the recording medium. The present invention is also applicable to a case where an ink having a property of liquefying for the first time is used. In such a case, as described in JP-A-54-56847 or JP-A-60-71260, the ink is held in a liquid state or a solid state in the concave portion or through hole of the porous sheet. It is good also as a form which opposes an electrothermal transducer. In the present invention, the most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.
[0101]
In addition to the above, the recording apparatus according to the present invention may include, as an image output terminal of an information processing apparatus such as a computer, an integrated or separate apparatus, a copying apparatus combined with a reader or the like, and a transmission / reception function. It may take the form of a facsimile machine.
[0102]
According to the present invention, a software program (in the embodiment, a program corresponding to the flowchart shown in the drawings) for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied directly or remotely to a system or an apparatus, Is also achieved by reading and executing the supplied program code.
[0103]
Therefore, since the functions of the present invention are implemented by computer, the program code installed in the computer also implements the present invention. That is, the present invention includes the computer program itself for realizing the functional processing of the present invention.
[0104]
In this case, any form of the program, such as an object code, a program executed by an interpreter, and script data supplied to the OS, is applicable as long as the program has the function of the program.
[0105]
As a recording medium for supplying the program, for example, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, MO, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, magnetic tape, non-volatile memory card , ROM, DVD (DVD-ROM, DVD-R) and the like.
[0106]
Other methods of supplying the program include connecting to a homepage on the Internet using a browser of a client computer, and downloading the computer program itself of the present invention or a file containing a compressed automatic installation function from the homepage to a recording medium such as a hard disk. Can also be supplied. Further, the present invention can also be realized by dividing the program code constituting the program of the present invention into a plurality of files and downloading each file from a different homepage. That is, the present invention also includes a WWW server that allows a plurality of users to download a program file for implementing the functional processing of the present invention on a computer.
[0107]
In addition, the program of the present invention is encrypted, stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, distributed to users, and downloaded to a user who satisfies predetermined conditions from a homepage via the Internet to download key information for decryption. It is also possible to execute the encrypted program by using the key information and install the program on a computer to realize the program.
[0108]
The functions of the above-described embodiments are implemented when the computer executes the read program, and an OS or the like running on the computer executes a part of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program. Alternatively, all the operations are performed, and the functions of the above-described embodiments can be realized by the processing.
[0109]
Further, after the program read from the recording medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the function expansion board or the A CPU or the like provided in the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing also realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.
[0110]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ink jet recording apparatus that realizes stable and accurate detection of the remaining amount of ink, a control method thereof, and a program.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which an exterior member of the printer according to the embodiment of the present invention is removed.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control circuit of the printer according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining features of the printer according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an ink remaining amount detection process according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating another ink remaining amount detection process according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1000 Printer 1001 Lower case 1002 Upper case 1003 Access cover 1004 Eject trays 1004a, 1004b Auxiliary tray 1014 Opening 1 Recording head 2 Carriage 3 Guide shaft 4 Carriage motor 5 Timing belt 6 Engagement claw 7 Ink tank 7a Engagement hole 8 Platen 9 Feed motor 10 Recovery unit 11 Cap 12 Wiper 13 ASF
14 optical sensor 15 light emitting element 16 light receiving element 17 chassis 18 power key 19 resume key 20 LED

Claims (11)

An ink jet recording apparatus for detecting the remaining amount of ink in an ink tank that supplies ink to a recording head,
A mounting mechanism capable of mounting a guide member for transporting a tray on which a recording medium is mounted to the inside of the recording apparatus,
Detecting means that moves vertically according to the presence or absence of the guide member, and optically detects the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank,
An ink-jet apparatus comprising: a control unit that, when the distance between the ink tank and the detection unit changes while the detection unit detects the remaining amount of ink, executes the remaining ink amount detection process by the detection unit again. Recording device. Guide detection means for detecting the mounting state of the guide member,
2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising moving means for moving a position of the recording head in a vertical direction based on a detection result of the guide detecting means. When the guide detecting unit detects that the guide member is mounted, the moving unit moves the recording head to a first position,
When the distance between the ink tank and the detection unit changes due to the mounting of the guide member during the detection of the remaining amount of ink by the detection unit, the control unit moves the recording head to the second position. 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein after being moved to one position, the detection of the remaining amount of ink by the detection unit is performed again. When the guide detecting unit detects that the guide member is attached or detached, the moving unit moves the recording head to a second position,
When the distance between the ink tank and the detection unit changes due to the attachment / detachment of the guide member during the detection of the remaining amount of ink by the detection unit, the control unit moves the recording head by the moving unit. 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein after being moved to two positions, the detection of the remaining amount of ink by the detection unit is performed again. An ink jet recording apparatus for detecting the remaining amount of ink in an ink tank that supplies ink to a recording head,
Cover open / close detection means for detecting the open / close of a cover attached to a part of the housing of the inkjet recording apparatus,
Detecting means for optically detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank based on a detection result of the cover opening / closing detecting means,
Measuring means for measuring a time from when the ink tank is moved to the ink tank replacement position by opening the cover to when the cover is closed,
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a control unit that executes the remaining ink amount detection by the detection unit again based on a detection result by the detection unit and a measurement time by the measurement unit. If it is determined that the ink tank has been replaced by the detection result of the detection means, and the time measured by the measurement means is less than a specified time, the control means performs the detection of the remaining amount of ink by the detection means again. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: Operating means for instructing movement of the ink tank to the ink tank replacement position,
6. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when the operation unit is operated again after one operation by the operation unit, the control unit performs the remaining ink amount detection by the detection unit again. apparatus. Control of an ink jet recording apparatus having a mounting mechanism capable of mounting a guide member for transporting a tray on which a recording medium is mounted to the inside of the recording apparatus, and detecting the remaining amount of ink in an ink tank for supplying ink to a recording head The method
A detecting step of moving in the up and down direction according to the presence or absence of the guide member, and detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank with an optical sensor;
A control step of, when the distance between the ink tank and the optical sensor changes during the detection of the remaining amount of ink in the detection step, performing the remaining ink amount detection processing in the detection step again. A method for controlling an ink jet recording apparatus. A method for controlling an ink jet recording apparatus that detects an ink remaining amount of an ink tank that supplies ink to a recording head,
A cover opening / closing detection step of detecting opening / closing of a cover attached to a part of the housing of the inkjet recording apparatus,
Based on the detection result of the cover open / close detection step, a detection step of detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank with an optical sensor,
A measuring step of measuring the time from when the ink tank is moved to the ink tank replacement position by opening the cover to when the cover is closed,
A control method for an ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: a control step of performing again the remaining ink amount detection in the detection step based on a detection result in the detection step and a measurement time in the measurement step. Control of an ink jet recording apparatus having a mounting mechanism capable of mounting a guide member for transporting a tray on which a recording medium is mounted to the inside of the recording apparatus, and detecting the remaining amount of ink in an ink tank for supplying ink to a recording head Is a program that realizes
A program code for a detection step of moving in the vertical direction according to the presence or absence of the guide member and detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank with an optical sensor;
When the distance between the ink tank and the optical sensor changes during the detection of the remaining amount of ink in the detection step, the control section may further include a program code of a control step of performing the remaining ink detection processing in the detection step again. Features program. A program that realizes control of an ink jet recording apparatus that detects an ink remaining amount of an ink tank that supplies ink to a recording head,
A program code of a cover opening / closing detection step of detecting opening / closing of a cover attached to a part of the housing of the inkjet recording apparatus,
Based on a detection result of the cover open / close detection step, a program code of a detection step of detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank with an optical sensor,
A program code for a measuring step of measuring a time from when the cover is opened to move the ink tank to the ink tank replacement position until the cover is closed;
A program comprising a program code for a control step of performing again the remaining ink amount detection in the detection step based on a detection result in the detection step and a measurement time in the measurement step.

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