JP2005238832A - Liquid cartridge, printing apparatus, and method for controlling printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid cartridge, a printing apparatus, and a method for controlling a printing apparatus which does not require a program of the printing apparatus or a host apparatus to be changed according to the specifications of the liquid cartridge even if the specifications of the liquid cartridge are changed. <P>SOLUTION: The ink cartridge 10 is attached to an apparatus 1 and supplies a liquid to the apparatus 1, and has a containing unit for containing the liquid and a rewritable nonvolatile storage unit 15. The storage unit 15 stores the threshold of the volume of the liquid in the containing unit. The threshold indicates that the containing unit is almost empty. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid cartridge including an electrically rewritable storage unit, a printing apparatus, and a printing apparatus control method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an ink jet printing apparatus that discharges ink (liquid) from a head in a droplet state and prints on a printing material, a removable ink cartridge (liquid cartridge) that stores ink to be supplied to the head is stored. The ink amount information is stored in the storage unit (built-in memory) of the ink cartridge. Further, threshold information indicating that the amount of ink in the ink cartridge is nearly empty is stored in the printing apparatus main body.

  According to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-133620, information related to the amount of ink contained is stored in the storage unit of the ink cartridge. The printing apparatus reads information related to the ink built-in amount from the storage unit, and subtracts the ink consumption amount due to printing calculated by the printing apparatus from the read information to update the information related to the ink built-in amount. The updated information is overwritten in the storage unit of the ink cartridge.

  The printing apparatus compares the information regarding the latest built-in amount of ink with the threshold information indicating that the ink amount in the ink cartridge of the printing apparatus is nearly empty, and the ink amount in the ink cartridge is close to empty. It is determined whether or not. When the ink built-in amount reaches the threshold value, the printing apparatus displays that the ink amount is nearly empty and issues a warning to the user.

  According to Patent Document 2, the host device replaces the printing device and reads information from the storage unit of the ink cartridge and compares it with threshold information.

  In addition, in a conventional ink jet printing apparatus, the head is maintained at any time so that the head is kept clean and always reliable printing can be performed. As maintenance of the head, ink is ejected from the head to a predetermined portion other than the substrate, or ink is forcibly sucked from the head to prevent clogging or dirt of the head. The ink used for maintenance is stored in a waste liquid storage cartridge (liquid cartridge).

  According to Patent Document 3, the waste liquid storage cartridge includes a storage unit, and the storage unit stores a total amount obtained by adding the amount of stored waste liquid each time. The printing apparatus compares the total amount of waste liquid with a threshold value that is the amount of the corresponding waste liquid storage cartridge held by the printing apparatus to determine whether the waste liquid storage cartridge is full.

JP 2001-199081 A JP 2001-71533 A JP 2002-29065 A

  However, for example, in any conventional technology relating to an ink cartridge, the ink cartridge built-in memory only stores information relating to the amount of ink contained as a value. Therefore, in order to determine whether or not the ink built-in amount is close to empty from the information regarding the ink built-in amount, it is necessary to make a determination by comparing with a threshold value held by the printing apparatus or the host device. For this reason, the printing apparatus and the host apparatus need to have, as basic information, specification information of the ink cartridges that can be mounted and a threshold value for determining that the remaining amount of ink is low. In addition, when a new ink cartridge is added or a specification change such as the ink capacity of an existing ink cartridge is made, the program of the printing device is changed so that the ink built-in amount can be grasped correctly according to the change in the ink cartridge specification. Must-have.

  Further, in the conventional technology related to the waste liquid storage cartridge, the storage unit of the waste liquid storage cartridge only stores the built-in amount of the stored waste liquid as a value. Therefore, in order to determine whether or not the waste liquid storage cartridge is almost full from the information regarding the amount of waste liquid built in, it is necessary to make a determination in comparison with the threshold value held by the printing apparatus. Therefore, the printing apparatus needs to have, as basic information, a threshold value indicating the total amount of waste liquid and specification information of the mountable waste liquid storage cartridge. Furthermore, when a new waste liquid storage cartridge is added or a specification change such as the capacity of an existing waste liquid storage cartridge is made, the program of the printing device is changed, and the waste liquid storage capacity, You must be able to grasp the fullness.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and one of its purposes is to provide a program for a printing apparatus or a host apparatus even if the specifications of a liquid cartridge used as an ink cartridge or a waste liquid storage cartridge are changed. It is an object to provide a liquid cartridge, a printing apparatus, and a control method for the printing apparatus that do not need to be changed according to the specifications of the liquid cartridge.

  The liquid cartridge of the present invention is a liquid cartridge that is attached to the apparatus and supplies the liquid to the apparatus, and includes a storage unit that stores the liquid and a rewritable nonvolatile storage unit that stores the liquid in the storage unit. A storage unit that stores a threshold value of the volume, and the threshold value indicates that the storage unit is nearly empty.

  According to this liquid cartridge, the volume of the stored liquid is stored as a threshold value in the storage unit provided in the liquid cartridge. The threshold value is a value representing the volume when the liquid is supplied to the apparatus and the remaining amount is low. Therefore, by referring to the threshold value, it is possible to easily grasp whether or not the remaining amount of the liquid in the liquid cartridge is exhausted and the storage unit is nearly empty. That is, the replacement timing of the liquid cartridge can be clearly determined.

  The liquid cartridge according to the present invention is a liquid cartridge that is mounted on the apparatus and stores the liquid from the apparatus, and includes a storage section that stores the liquid, a rewritable nonvolatile storage section, and a volume of the liquid in the storage section And a storage unit for storing the threshold value, wherein the threshold value indicates that the storage unit is almost full.

  According to this liquid cartridge, the volume of the stored liquid is stored as a threshold value in the storage unit provided in the liquid cartridge. The threshold value is a value representing a volume when the liquid is contained in the liquid cartridge and the liquid cartridge becomes almost full. Therefore, referring to the threshold value, it is possible to easily grasp whether or not the liquid cartridge is almost full. That is, the replacement timing of the liquid cartridge can be clearly determined.

  In the case of these liquid cartridges, the storage unit further stores information on the amount of liquid contained in the storage unit, and the storage unit and the device are electrically connected when the liquid cartridge is attached to the device. Preferably, the storage unit provides information about the built-in amount and a threshold value to the device, and the information about the built-in amount in the storage unit is updated by the device each time the built-in amount of liquid changes.

  According to this configuration, in the storage unit of the liquid cartridge, in addition to the threshold value, the latest built-in amount regarding the built-in amount of liquid in the storage unit is always updated and stored. By comparing this latest built-in amount and the threshold value, the replacement timing of the liquid cartridge can be determined. Both the built-in amount and the threshold value for determination are stored in the storage unit of the liquid cartridge, and the replacement time can be determined only by information in the storage unit.

  In addition, it is preferable that the storage unit includes a plurality of tanks that store a plurality of types of liquids, and the storage unit individually stores information regarding the built-in amounts of the plurality of types of liquids.

  According to this configuration, the storage unit individually stores liquids having various functions and supplies appropriate liquids according to the requirements of the apparatus. The storage unit stores a built-in amount of each liquid, and the amount of each use can be confirmed at all times.

  In the case of the liquid cartridge of the present invention that supplies liquid to the apparatus, the liquid is preferably ink, and the liquid cartridge is preferably an ink cartridge.

  This configuration is suitable for use as a cartridge for supplying ink for printing to the apparatus.

  Further, in the case of the liquid cartridge of the present invention that accommodates liquid from the apparatus, the liquid is waste liquid from the apparatus, and the liquid cartridge is preferably a waste liquid storage cartridge.

  This configuration is suitable for use as a cartridge for collecting waste liquid that has not been used.

  A printing apparatus of the present invention is a printing apparatus that includes a head and a detachable ink cartridge, and that performs printing by discharging ink supplied from the ink cartridge onto a printing material from the head. And a storage unit that stores a threshold value of the volume of ink in the storage unit, and the threshold value indicates that the storage unit is nearly empty.

  According to this printing apparatus, the ink cartridge that stores ink to be used for printing includes a storage unit, and the volume of the stored ink is stored as a threshold value in the storage unit. The threshold value is a value representing the volume when ink is supplied to the printing apparatus and the remaining amount is low. Therefore, by referring to the threshold value, it is possible to easily grasp whether or not the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge is exhausted and the containing portion is nearly empty. That is, the replacement timing of the ink cartridge can be clearly determined.

  In this case, the storage unit further stores information regarding the amount of ink remaining in the storage unit, and the printing apparatus includes a writing / reading unit that reads information regarding the amount of ink stored in the storage unit, and ink consumption by the head. An ink consumption amount calculation unit that updates information indicating the ink built-in amount based on the information on the amount and the read built-in amount, and the writing / reading unit stores information on the updated built-in amount. It is preferable to write to.

  According to this configuration, the storage unit of the ink cartridge stores the built-in amount of ink in the storage unit in addition to the threshold value. The printing device reads the built-in amount from the storage unit, and updates the read built-in amount based on the ink amount consumed by the printing device for printing. Then, the updated built-in amount is written to the storage unit. The printing apparatus includes a writing / reading unit having such a function and an ink consumption calculating unit. With these functions, the storage unit of the ink cartridge always stores the latest ink built-in amount updated.

  The ink consumption amount calculation unit calculates an ink discharge amount from the head by printing, calculates an ink suction amount to the head when the ink cartridge is mounted, and an ink suction amount by cleaning the head, and printing. New calculation of the ink built-in amount based on the calculation to calculate the ink discharge amount by flushing to discharge the ink to the predetermined part other than the printing material to prevent clogging of the head, and the ink discharge amount and the suction amount by each result of the calculation It is preferable to calculate the consumption based on the calculation to be calculated.

  According to this configuration, the ink consumption calculation unit of the printing apparatus calculates the amount of ink used for printing and the amount of ink used for cleaning, flushing, etc. for maintaining the function of the head, respectively. Based on the calculation result, the amount of ink contained in the ink cartridge is newly calculated. The ink consumption calculation unit can calculate the ink consumption for each purpose, and can also grasp the amount of ink contained in the ink cartridge.

  In addition, when the ink cartridge is further mounted on the mounting unit, the storage unit is electrically connected to the writing / reading unit and writes / reads information and threshold values regarding the built-in amount. It is preferable that the information relating to the built-in amount stored in the storage unit is updated via the writing / reading unit every time the built-in amount of ink changes.

  According to this configuration, when the ink cartridge is attached to the printing apparatus, the printing apparatus reads out the ink built-in amount information and the threshold value from the storage unit of the ink cartridge. When ink is consumed by the printing device and the ink consumption is calculated by the ink consumption calculation unit, the remaining ink information in the storage unit of the ink cartridge is updated via the writing / reading unit of the printing device. In this way, the latest ink remaining amount information is always stored in the storage unit.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the storage unit includes a plurality of tanks that store a plurality of types of ink, and the storage unit individually stores information regarding the built-in amounts of the plurality of types of ink.

  According to this configuration, the storage unit can individually store, for example, a plurality of colors of ink for color printing, so that the print expression of the printing apparatus can be diversified. The storage unit stores a built-in amount of each ink, and the usage amount of each ink can be always confirmed.

  A method for controlling a printing apparatus according to the present invention is a method for controlling a printing apparatus that includes a head and a detachable ink cartridge, and that performs printing by discharging ink supplied from the ink cartridge onto a substrate to be printed. The step of reading the threshold value of the ink volume stored in the rewritable non-volatile storage unit of the ink cartridge and the built-in amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge reach the read threshold value. Performing a predetermined instruction.

  According to this control method of the printing apparatus, the storage unit of the ink cartridge has the volume of ink stored as a threshold value. When the built-in amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge reaches the threshold value read from the storage unit, the printing apparatus displays, for example, a display indicating that the ink is low on the display or a lamp display. Etc. to notify the user. The user can know that the remaining amount of ink has been reduced by the notification.

  In this case, based on the step of reading the information about the ink built-in amount from the storage unit, the step of calculating the ink consumption amount by the head, the ink consumption amount, and the read information on the built-in amount, the built-in amount A step of updating information regarding, a step of performing near-end determination when the information regarding the updated built-in amount reaches a threshold value, and a step of writing the information regarding the updated built-in amount into the storage unit. preferable.

  According to this configuration, the printing apparatus calculates the ink built-in amount based on the ink consumption consumed by the printing apparatus. Then, it is determined whether the calculated built-in amount reaches the threshold value and the ink built-in amount is in a state where the remaining amount is small. The calculated built-in amount is overwritten in the storage unit of the ink cartridge, and the latest built-in amount is always stored.

  In this case, the step of calculating the ink consumption amount includes the calculation step of calculating the ink discharge amount from the head by printing, the ink suction amount to the head when the ink cartridge is mounted, and the ink suction amount by cleaning the head. Based on the calculation step, the calculation step for calculating the ink discharge amount by flushing to prevent clogging of the head by discharging ink to a predetermined part other than the substrate at the time of printing, and the ink discharge amount and the suction amount by each result of the calculation It is preferable to include a calculation step for newly calculating the built-in amount of ink.

  According to this configuration, the step of calculating the ink consumption calculates the amount of ink used for printing and the amount of ink used for cleaning, flushing, etc. for maintaining the function of the head. Each step includes a step of newly calculating the amount of ink contained in the ink cartridge based on the calculation result. By each step, the ink consumption for each purpose can be calculated, and the amount of ink contained in the ink cartridge can also be grasped.

  The printing apparatus of the present invention includes an ink cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the head, discharges ink supplied from the ink cartridge onto a printing material from the head, performs printing, and stores waste ink that is not used for printing as waste liquid A printing apparatus further comprising a storage cartridge, wherein the waste liquid storage cartridge is a storage unit that stores the waste liquid and a rewritable nonvolatile storage unit that stores a threshold value of the volume of the waste liquid in the storage unit And the threshold value represents that the accommodating portion is almost full.

  According to this printing apparatus, the waste liquid storage cartridge that stores ink that is not used for printing as waste liquid includes a storage unit, and the storage unit stores the volume of waste liquid in the storage unit as a threshold value. The threshold value is a value representing the volume when the waste liquid is supplied to the waste liquid storage cartridge and becomes nearly full. Therefore, referring to the threshold value, it is possible to easily grasp whether or not the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid storage cartridge is almost full. That is, the replacement time of the waste liquid storage cartridge can be clearly determined.

  In this case, the storage unit further stores information indicating the built-in amount of the waste liquid stored in the storage unit, and the printing apparatus reads and writes the information indicating the built-in amount from the storage unit, the head A waste liquid amount calculation unit that updates information indicating the built-in amount of waste liquid based on information indicating the discharge amount corresponding to the waste liquid and the read built-in amount out of the ink discharge amount by Preferably writes information indicating the updated built-in amount in the storage unit.

  According to this configuration, in the storage unit of the waste liquid storage cartridge, the built-in amount of the waste liquid in the storage unit is stored in addition to the threshold value. The printing device reads the built-in amount from the storage unit, and updates the read built-in amount based on the amount of waste liquid that is the amount of ink consumed by the printing device other than printing. Then, the updated built-in amount is written to the storage unit. The printing apparatus includes a writing / reading unit having such a function and a waste liquid amount calculation unit. With these functions, the storage unit of the waste liquid storage cartridge always stores the latest updated waste liquid built-in amount. .

  In this case, the waste liquid amount calculation unit calculates the amount of ink sucked into the head when the ink cartridge is mounted, calculates the amount of ink sucked by cleaning the head, and applies ink to a predetermined portion other than the printed material during printing. Waste liquid based on the calculation to calculate the ink discharge amount by flushing to prevent clogging of the head and the calculation to newly calculate the built-in amount of waste liquid based on the ink discharge amount and the suction amount by each result of the calculation It is preferred to calculate the amount.

  According to this configuration, the waste liquid amount calculation unit of the printing apparatus calculates the amount of ink used for cleaning and flushing as the waste liquid amount, and newly calculates the built-in amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid storage cartridge based on the calculation result. To do. The latest waste liquid amount is always grasped by the waste liquid amount calculation unit.

  In this case, when the mounting unit is further provided and the waste liquid storage cartridge is mounted on the mounting unit, the storage unit is electrically connected to the writing / reading unit, and writes the information indicating the built-in amount and the threshold value. The information indicating the built-in amount provided to the loading / reading unit and stored in the storage unit is preferably updated via the writing / reading unit each time the built-in amount of the waste liquid changes.

  According to this configuration, when the waste liquid storage cartridge is attached to the printing apparatus, the printing apparatus reads out the built-in amount information of the waste liquid and the threshold value from the storage unit of the waste liquid storage cartridge. When ink is consumed by the printing apparatus and the amount of waste liquid is calculated by the waste liquid amount calculation unit, the waste liquid amount information in the storage unit of the waste liquid storage cartridge is updated via the writing / reading unit of the printing apparatus. Thus, the latest waste liquid amount information is always stored in the storage unit.

  In this case, the waste liquid storage cartridge is preferably integrated with the ink cartridge.

  According to this configuration, since the waste liquid and the ink are accommodated in an integrated cartridge, the mounting structure is simple, the storage unit can be integrated in one place, and the cartridge is easy to handle.

  A control method for a printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a head and a removable ink cartridge. The ink supplied from the ink cartridge is ejected from a head onto a substrate to be printed, and ink that is not used for printing is discarded. A method of controlling a printing apparatus further comprising a waste liquid storage cartridge including a storage unit for storing the waste liquid storage cartridge, the step of reading a threshold value of the volume of waste liquid stored in a rewritable nonvolatile storage unit of the waste liquid storage cartridge; And a step of giving a predetermined instruction when the built-in amount of the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid storage cartridge reaches the read threshold value.

  According to this control method of the printing apparatus, the storage unit of the waste liquid storage cartridge stores the volume of the waste liquid as a threshold value. When the built-in amount of waste liquid stored in the waste liquid storage cartridge reaches the threshold value read from the storage unit, the printing apparatus displays, for example, an indication that the waste liquid is almost full on the display, or Notify the user, for example, by displaying the lamp display. The user can know that the waste liquid is almost full by notification.

  In this case, the step of reading information indicating the amount of waste liquid built-in from the storage unit, the step of calculating the consumption amount corresponding to the waste liquid out of the ink consumption amount by the head, and the consumption amount corresponding to the waste liquid are read. A step of updating the information indicating the built-in amount based on the information indicating the built-in amount, a step of determining near-full when the information indicating the updated built-in amount reaches a threshold, and the updated built-in amount It is preferable to have a step of writing information indicating

  According to this configuration, the printing apparatus calculates the waste liquid built-in amount of the waste liquid storage cartridge based on the ink amount corresponding to the waste liquid based on the consumption amount of the ink consumed by the printing apparatus. Then, it is determined whether the calculated built-in amount reaches the threshold value and the amount of waste liquid is nearly full. The calculated built-in amount is overwritten in the storage unit of the waste liquid storage cartridge, and the latest built-in amount is always stored.

  In this case, the step of calculating the consumption corresponding to the waste liquid includes a calculation step for calculating the ink suction amount to the head when the ink cartridge is mounted, a calculation step for calculating the ink suction amount by the head cleaning, A calculation step that calculates the ink discharge amount by flushing that discharges ink to a predetermined part other than the printed material to prevent clogging of the head, and a new calculation of the built-in amount of waste liquid based on the ink discharge amount and suction amount based on the results of each calculation It is preferable to have an operation step.

According to this configuration, the step of calculating the ink consumption calculates the amount of ink used for printing and the amount of ink used for cleaning, flushing, etc. for maintaining the function of the head. Based on the calculation result, each step includes a step of newly calculating the amount of waste liquid contained in the waste liquid storage cartridge. With each step, the ink consumption for each purpose including the amount of waste liquid can be calculated, and precise ink management is possible.
The printer of the present invention
An ink cartridge removable from the head;
A printing apparatus comprising: a liquid cartridge having a waste liquid storage cartridge that discharges ink supplied from the ink cartridge onto a printing material from the head and stores the ink that is not used for printing as waste liquid. And
Each of the ink cartridge and the waste liquid storage cartridge includes an accommodating portion that accommodates the liquid, and is an integrated type.
The liquid cartridge includes a rewritable nonvolatile storage unit that stores a threshold value of the volume of the liquid in each storage unit,
The threshold value of the ink cartridge represents that the storage portion of the ink cartridge is nearly empty,
The threshold value of the waste liquid storage cartridge represents that the accommodating portion of the waste liquid storage cartridge is almost full,
First detecting means for detecting the amount of ink in the collecting portion of the ink cartridge;
A second detection means for detecting a waste liquid ink amount at a threshold of the waste liquid storage cartridge;
With
Whether the first detection means detects that the ink amount is less than or equal to a threshold value of the ink cartridge;
When the second detection unit detects that the amount of waste liquid ink is equal to or greater than a threshold value of the waste liquid storage cartridge, it is determined that the life of the integrated cartridge is reached.
According to this configuration, the waste liquid ink collection portion and the pre-use ink collection portion are integrally formed. However, since the volume of the waste liquid ink collection portion <the total volume of the YMCK color of the pre-use ink collection portion, If all of the ink before use is sucked out by a cleaning operation or the like, there is a problem that the waste ink cannot be collected in the waste liquid ink collection unit.
In the present invention, in order to solve this problem, the waste ink collection unit is also provided with a near full detection mechanism, and whether the ink in the waste ink collection unit is full or whether the ink in the ink collection unit before use is at the end. When one of them is detected, it can be determined that the life of the ink cartridge has been reached.

  Hereinafter, an ink cartridge as a liquid cartridge of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the ink cartridge 10 is mounted on the apparatus 1 and supplies the liquid contained in the ink cartridge 10 to the apparatus 1. The ink cartridge 10 includes a rewritable nonvolatile storage unit 15. The storage unit 15 includes a remaining liquid amount memory unit 51 that stores remaining amount information regarding the amount of liquid contained in the ink cartridge as a value, and a near-end threshold value memory unit 50 that stores a liquid volume threshold value. The threshold value is a value indicating that the remaining amount of liquid is close to an empty state. The apparatus 1 includes a control unit 36, a display unit 56 that displays a control state, and a mechanism unit (not shown) that discharges liquid and the like. The control unit 36 includes an input / output interface 52 that handles input / output with the storage unit 15 of the ink cartridge 10 and a host such as a personal computer, a CPU 53 that performs various processes, a ROM 54, and a RAM 55. .

  When the ink cartridge 10 is attached to the apparatus 1, the storage unit 15 of the ink cartridge 10 and the control unit 36 of the apparatus 1 are electrically connected. Then, the remaining amount value of the liquid contained in the ink cartridge 10 is taken into the control unit 36 from the remaining liquid amount memory unit 51, and the near end threshold value is taken into the control unit 36 from the near end threshold memory unit 50. The control unit 36 compares the remaining amount value with the near-end threshold value and determines whether or not the liquid in the ink cartridge 10 is nearly empty. The remaining amount value stored in the remaining liquid amount memory unit 51 is determined by the control unit 36 every time when the remaining amount of liquid in the ink cartridge changes due to ejection of liquid from the mechanism unit of the apparatus 1. Updated. The updated remaining amount value is written into the storage unit 15. Even if the ink cartridge 10 contains a plurality of types of liquid, the same management and processing are performed for each liquid.

  By providing the ink cartridge 10 with a near-end threshold value indicating that the liquid contained in the ink cartridge 10 is nearly empty and the remaining amount value of the liquid, the control unit 36 captures data from the storage unit 15 and compares the data. And the ability for general-purpose processing such as updating the remaining amount value. Therefore, the control unit 36 of the apparatus 1 does not need to be upgraded by newly adding an ink cartridge 10 or changing specifications, and has a configuration that places less burden on the user in terms of apparatus maintenance.

  Next, the waste liquid storage cartridge of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 is attached to the apparatus 1 and stores the waste liquid from the apparatus 1. Further, the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 includes a rewritable nonvolatile storage unit 15. The storage unit 15 includes a waste liquid amount memory unit 61 that stores information on the amount of waste liquid built in the storage unit of the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 as a value, and a near full threshold memory unit 60 that stores a threshold value of the volume of the storage unit. Have. The threshold value is a value indicating that the waste liquid is almost full in the container. The device 1 includes a control unit 36, a display unit 56 that displays a control state, and a mechanism unit (not shown) that performs the functional operation of the device 1. The control unit 36 includes an input / output interface 52 that handles input / output with the storage unit 15 of the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 and a host such as a personal computer, a CPU 53 that performs various processes, a ROM 54, and a RAM 55.

  When the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 is attached to the apparatus 1, the storage unit 15 of the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 and the control unit 36 of the apparatus 1 are electrically connected. The value of the amount of waste liquid built in the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 is taken into the control unit 36 from the waste liquid amount memory unit 61, and the near full threshold value is taken into the control unit 36 from the near full threshold memory unit 60. The control unit 36 compares the built-in amount value with the near full threshold value, and determines whether or not the waste liquid in the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 is almost full. The value of the built-in amount stored in the waste liquid amount memory unit 61 is determined by the control unit 36 every time when the built-in amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid storage cartridge is changed by collecting the waste liquid from the mechanism unit of the apparatus 1. Updated. The updated value of the built-in amount is written into the storage unit 15.

  By causing the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 to have a near-full threshold value indicating that the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 is almost full, and the value of the amount of built-in waste liquid, the control unit 36 captures data from the storage unit 15. It only needs the ability for general purpose processing, such as data comparison and built-in value updating. Therefore, the control unit 36 of the apparatus 1 does not need to be upgraded by newly adding the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 or changing specifications, and does not burden the user in terms of apparatus maintenance.

  Next, the case where the ink cartridge 10 is mounted as the apparatus 1 and the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 is attached to an ink jet type printing apparatus that discharges ink from a head in a droplet state and prints on a paper to be printed. The present invention will be described in detail by way of examples.

  FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the printing apparatus 1 of the present invention. The printing apparatus 1 includes a base 2, a cantilever 4 positioned at one end of the base 2, and a recording unit 3 that is cantilevered via the cantilever 4. Between the base portion 2 and the recording portion 3, a paper conveyance path 5 into which paper is inserted is provided. The paper conveyance path 5 communicates in three directions other than the cantilever 4 as a front opening 5a, a back opening 5b, and a side opening 5c. Further, on the side opposite to the base 2 side of the recording unit 3, an opening 7 for attaching and detaching the ink cartridge 10, a cover 6 for closing the opening 7, a hinge 6 a for attaching the cover 6 to the recording unit 3, and a cover An opening / closing protrusion 6b is provided at one corner to facilitate opening and closing. On the back opening 5b side of the cantilever 4, a release lever 8 is provided for pressing or releasing the paper in the paper transport path 5. When the release lever 8 opens the paper, the user can manually insert and remove the paper. The ink cartridge 10 is accommodated in the recording unit 3 so as to be removable from the opening 7.

  FIG. 4 is an external view of the ink cartridge 10. The ink cartridge 10 includes a cyan tank 11a that stores cyan ink for printing, a magenta tank 11b, a yellow tank 11c, a black tank 11d, and a waste liquid tank 11e that is a waste liquid storage cartridge 19. A tab 16 for taking out the ink cartridge 10 from the printing apparatus 1 is provided on one surface of the receiving portion 11. Each ink tank is provided with an ink supply port 12 for supplying ink to the printing apparatus 1 on the surface opposite to the surface on which the tab 16 is provided, and the waste liquid tank 11e is for receiving the waste liquid. A waste liquid receiving port 13 is provided.

  Furthermore, a storage unit 15 that stores information about the ink cartridge 10 is provided on one side surface of the waste liquid tank 11e. The storage unit 15 is an EEPROM such as a flash memory that is a rewritable nonvolatile memory.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an ink supply system of the printing apparatus 1, and FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the printing apparatus 1. With reference to both the drawings, the ink-related portion of the printing apparatus 1 will be described. The recording unit 3 of the printing apparatus 1 includes a cartridge holder 31 for mounting the ink cartridge 10, an ink supply tube 32 for supplying ink from the cartridge holder 31 to the head 20, a carriage 25 for holding the head 20, and a carriage 25 And a guide plate 28 that engages with a slide groove 40 provided in the carriage 25 are incorporated.

  The guide shaft 26 and the guide plate 28 extend from the side opening 5 c side of the recording unit 3 toward the cantilever unit 4, and thus the carriage 25 moves along the guide shaft 26 and the guide plate 28. Is possible. The carriage 25 is moved by a ring-shaped timing belt 41 that is arranged in parallel with the guide plate 28 and is stretched at both ends by a rotatable pulley. The pulley 42 on the cantilever 4 side is interlocked with a motor, and the timing belt 41 is rotated by the rotation of the pulley 42, and the carriage 25 connected to the timing belt 41 can be moved.

  Further, a waste liquid tube 33 for receiving waste liquid into the ink cartridge 10 is provided from the cartridge holder 31, and communicates with a pump 34 and a capping part 35 installed at the lower part of the cantilever part 4. The capping unit 35 is a maintenance device for maintaining the function of the head 20. When the head 20 moves right above the capping unit 35, the capping unit 35 is raised by the cam mechanism and is in close contact with the head 20. The ink is forcibly sucked from the head 20 by the suction action of the pump 34. This suction action can prevent clogging of the head 20 due to ink drying, adhesion of foreign matters, and the like. This maintenance is called cleaning. Further, in the middle of printing, ink is ejected from the heads simultaneously at the position of the capping portion 35 so that the head portion with less ink ejection does not cause abnormalities such as clogging. This maintenance is called flushing. Cleaning and flushing are periodically performed when a predetermined amount of printing is performed, and a state in which normal ink ejection can be performed is always maintained.

  Here, the cartridge holder 31 for mounting the ink cartridge 10 will be described. The cartridge holder 31 has four ink receiving portions 18 that receive ink from the corresponding ink supply ports 12 of the ink cartridge 10 and a waste liquid supply portion 17 that supplies the waste liquid to the waste liquid receiving port 13 at an inner portion where the ink cartridge 10 is mounted. And a holder substrate portion 14 that conducts data and exchanges data with the storage portion 15.

  When the ink cartridge 10 is attached to the cartridge holder 31, the ink supply port 12 and the ink receiving portion 18 are connected, and each ink is supplied to the head 20 through the ink supply tubes 32a, 32b, 32c, and 32d for each ink color. Is done. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the surface on which the storage unit 15 is provided is square and opposite so that the storage unit 15 of the ink cartridge 10 is not attached to the holder substrate unit 14 in the opposite direction. The side surface is circular. Therefore, the ink cartridge 10 can be surely pushed into the cartridge holder 31 only in the correct direction.

  In this case, a so-called off-carriage structure is employed in which the ink cartridge 10 and the carriage 25 are located separately from each other. However, the carriage 25 is configured to carry the ink cartridge 10 so that it moves as a unit. It is also possible to adopt a carriage structure.

  Next, the paper 9 transport mechanism will be described. The lower surface of the sheet conveyance path 5 from the back opening 5b to the front opening 5a of the printing apparatus 1 is mainly composed of a platen 21 that is a plate-like member, and further from the direction of the back opening 5b that is upstream of the conveyance of the sheet 9. 9, a BOF lever 27 for sensing 9, a paper feed roller 24, and a paper transport sub-roller 30 are arranged. The upper surface of the sheet conveying path 5 facing the platen 21 is, from the direction of the back opening 5b, a sheet guide 22, a sheet conveying main roller 23 facing the sheet feeding roller 24, a carriage 25, and a TOF lever facing the sheet conveying sub-roller 30. 29 are arranged. Similar to the BOF lever 27, the TOF lever 29 is for sensing the paper 9. A control unit 36 is disposed below the platen 21.

  In the printing apparatus 1, the paper 9 can be inserted when the vertical direction of the paper conveyance path 5 is separated as shown in FIG. 5. When the paper 9 is inserted into the paper transport path 5 and the release lever 8 is raised, the platen 21 is raised to pinch the paper. At this time, the BOF lever 27 is pushed down by the paper 9, and the TOF lever 29 is pushed up to detect that the paper 9 is inserted. The paper 9 is sandwiched between the paper transport main roller 23 and the paper feed roller 24, and is temporarily fed in the direction of the back opening 5b by the rotation of the paper transport main roller 23 driven by a motor. When the sheet 9 is separated from the TOF lever 29, the position is recognized as the leading end of the sheet 9, and becomes a reference for controlling the subsequent sheet 9 feeding. When the paper 9 is inserted without being engaged with either the BOF lever 27 or the TOF lever 29, first, the paper is moved to a position where the paper 9 is detected by both levers, and then the leading edge is recognized. I do.

  Since the three directions of the paper transport path 5 are thus opened, printing in a special state such as printing on one of a large number of bound papers in particular. Is possible. Automatic paper feeding with a fixed paper feeding device or a roll paper feeding device is also possible.

  Next, the configuration of the head 20 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a view of the head 20 as viewed from the paper 9 side. The head 20 has 128 nozzles 45 that eject ink. The 128 nozzles 45 are composed of two nozzle rows A and B each having 64 nozzles 45. Of the nozzles 45 belonging to the A row, 32 nozzles 45 (20a) discharge cyan ink, and the remaining 32 nozzles 45 (20b) discharge magenta ink. Similarly, 20c and 20d of the nozzles 45 in the B row discharge yellow and black colors, respectively. In the head 20 having this configuration, the A row and the B row are arranged in the same direction as the conveyance direction of the paper 9, and the paper is fed by the width printed by the 32 nozzles 45 during printing. For example, if the ink is all black, paper can be fed with the width printed by 64 nozzles 45, and the printing speed can be increased.

  The mechanism for discharging ink from the nozzle 45 uses a known electrostatic actuator system, and can set a discharge pattern and discharge amount suitable for the type of ink such as pigment-based and dye-based. Therefore, a wide range of inks can be selected, and it can be used for multipurpose printing. When using the ink cartridge 10 containing different inks, it is necessary to clean the ink flow path of the printing apparatus 1. In that case, the ink cartridge 10 containing the cleaning liquid instead of the ink is attached to the printing apparatus 1 to perform cleaning. Since the cleaning liquid is collected as waste liquid in the same ink cartridge 10, the printing apparatus 1 side does not need special consideration such as a cleaning program or an additional apparatus. In addition to the electrostatic actuator method, the mechanism for ejecting ink may be a method using a piezo element or an electrothermal conversion element.

  Further, the ink cartridge 10 is easy to handle with an ink storage portion and a waste liquid storage portion integrated, but the ink and waste liquid storage portions can be separated and replaced individually. . Also, the inks may be exchanged individually with each color as a separate container. By doing so, each ink color and waste liquid can be managed more precisely.

  The configuration and operation of the printing apparatus 1 have been described above. Next, a method for controlling the printing apparatus 1 related to ink will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the concept of data processing between the storage unit 15 of the ink cartridge 10 and the control unit 36 of the printing apparatus 1. When the ink cartridge 10 is attached to the printing apparatus 1, the storage unit 15 of the ink cartridge 10 and the control unit 36 of the printing apparatus are electrically connected to each other, and data related to ink in the storage unit 15 is sent to the control unit 36. (Step S1). In the control unit 36, under the control of the CPU 53, data in the storage unit 15 is taken into the RAM 55, and various controls are performed together with information in the ROM 54 in which drive control of the head 20 and the pump 34 is incorporated in advance.

  As shown in the ink cartridge storage unit 15 in FIG. 9, main data relating to ink includes an ink remaining amount memory unit 51 that stores the remaining amount of ink, and a near end that stores a near end threshold value for determining that the remaining ink is low. A threshold memory unit 50, a waste liquid amount memory unit 61 for storing the waste liquid amount, and a near full threshold memory unit 60 for storing a near full threshold for determining that the waste liquid amount is almost full in the waste liquid tank 11e. In addition, there are information such as whether the ink is pigment-based or dye-based, the color of the ink stored, the date of manufacture, and the serial number. Among these, the data edited and updated based on the ink consumption of the printing apparatus 1 are the ink remaining amount value and the waste liquid amount value.

  Data (information) sent from the storage unit 15 is captured and stored in the raw data area of the RAM 55 of the control unit 36 (S2). Further, the ink remaining amount value and the waste liquid amount value are sent to the edit data area for editing (S3). The data in the edit data area is handled as a variable (parameter), and is taken into the parameter work area and calculated (S4). At the time of calculation in the parameter work area, the number of ink ejections from the head 20 is counted to acquire data from the shot counter value area for calculating the ink consumption (S5), and the ink consumption due to flushing and cleaning. The data is fetched from the flushing counter value area for calculating (S6). Further, each data such as the ejection pattern of the head 20 and the ink ejection amount per time depending on the type of ink is also fetched (S7).

  In the shot counter value area, the number of ink ejections from the head 20 involved in printing is counted and ink consumption calculation processing is performed. The flushing counter value area counts the number of ink ejections by flushing from the head 20 at the capping position, and counts the amount of ink sucked by cleaning at the capping position in place of the number of ink ejections from the head 20. Thus, the ink consumption calculation process is performed. That is, the total ink consumption is the sum of the ink consumption calculated in the shot counter value area. The amount of ink collected as waste liquid corresponds to the ink consumption calculated in the flushing counter value area. The ink amount is expressed by using the number of ejections as a substitute value.

  The process for calculating the ink consumption in the shot counter value area is performed by calculating a predetermined value, for example, 1 Digit, from the remaining ink value captured in the parameter work area every time the number of ink ejections from the head 20 reaches a certain number. Subtract one by one. In this case, a value converted into a Digit value is used as the remaining ink value based on the amount of ink ejected at a fixed number of ejections. When ink is ejected from the head 20, the Digit value indicating the remaining amount of ink gradually decreases, and the process of ink consumption can be grasped. This process is performed for each ink color stored in the ink cartridge 10.

  The ink consumption amount calculation process in the flushing counter value area is performed in the same manner, and every time the number of ejections reaches a certain number, a predetermined value, for example, 1 Digit is calculated from the waste liquid amount value captured in the parameter work area. Subtract. In this case, the waste liquid amount value is a value obtained by converting the amount of waste liquid that can be stored into a Digit value based on the amount of ink ejected at a fixed number of ejections. When flushing and cleaning are performed, the Digit value indicating the amount of waste liquid gradually decreases.

  Here, the processing method of subtracting the Digit value has been described, but the remaining ink amount and the amount of waste liquid can be managed in the same manner even in the processing method of adding. Further, without converting the remaining amount of ink and the amount of waste liquid to the digit value, for example, the ink cartridge capacity may be calculated as 50 cc, the ink discharge amount after a certain number of discharges may be calculated as 0.1 cc, and the capacity value may be used as it is. . Alternatively, it is possible to use a weight value instead of a capacity value.

  As described above, the remaining ink amount and waste liquid amount data processed in the parameter work area is written into the storage unit 15 in the reverse flow of reading data from the storage unit 15. First, the data processed in the parameter work area is written and saved in the edit data area. At this time, a series of operations of reading data from the editing data area to the parameter work area, performing processing, and writing processing data to the editing data area again is always one set, and is executed as a set each time. . The data written in the edit data area is compared with the data in the raw data area to receive a determination as to whether the data has been updated. If the data has been updated, the data is written to the storage unit 15 of the ink cartridge 10.

  The data processing described above will be described in more detail with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The storage unit 15 of the ink cartridge 10 includes an ink remaining amount memory unit 51 that stores an ink remaining amount, a near-end threshold memory unit 50 that stores a near-end threshold, and a waste liquid amount memory that stores a waste liquid amount as information on the ink built-in amount. Unit 61 and a near-full threshold value memory unit 60 that stores a near-full threshold value.

  When the ink cartridge 10 is attached to the printing apparatus 1, the writing / reading unit 78 of the control unit 36 of the printing apparatus 1 reads out and stores the remaining ink amount, near-end threshold value, waste liquid amount, and near-full threshold value from the storage unit 15. . The writing / reading unit 78 corresponds to the raw data area described with reference to FIG. Then, the ink remaining amount and the waste liquid amount are respectively taken into the ink consumption amount calculation unit 72 and the waste liquid amount calculation unit 76 which are the edit data area / parameter work area.

  The ink consumption calculation unit 72 accesses the print control unit 70 that is a shot counter value region, the flushing control unit 73 that is a flushing counter value region, and the cleaning control unit 74 in order to calculate the amount of ink consumed from the head 20. Then, the total ink consumption is calculated based on the data that each has.

  In response to a print command from the host, the print control unit 70 drives the heads 20 a, 20 b, 20 c, and 20 d that eject ink of each color via the head drive unit 71 to perform printing on the paper 9. At the same time, the number of ink ejections required for printing is counted, and the ink consumption calculation unit 72 calculates the number of ejections as a value of ink consumption.

  Further, the cleaning control unit 74 performs cleaning for sucking ink from the head 20 via the pump driving unit 75 after performing a certain printing or the like. Further, when the ink cartridge 10 is mounted, ink is sucked so that the ink is filled up to the head 20. The ink consumption calculating unit 72 calculates the sucked ink amount from the ink suction amount of one rotation of the pump and the rotation speed of the pump 34. As the ink amount, a value obtained by replacing the sucked ink amount with the number of ink ejections from the head 20 is used in accordance with the calculation of the ink consumption amount provided for printing. The cleaning can be executed forcibly by receiving a command from the host or a command from the cleaning command unit 79 such as a button provided in the printing apparatus 1 by the detection unit 80. The amount of ink consumed by this forced cleaning is also included in the calculation of the amount of ink sucked by cleaning.

  Further, the flushing control unit 73 calculates the amount of ink ejected by flushing that is performed each time a certain printing is performed. The ink consumption is calculated by the number of ejections as in the print control unit 70. Then, the remaining amount of ink is newly calculated based on the calculation results of the amount of ink consumed for printing, the amount of ink sucked by cleaning, and the amount of ink ejected by flushing. The newly calculated ink remaining amount is written into the ink remaining amount memory unit 51 of the ink cartridge 10 through the writing / reading unit 78. In this way, the ink remaining amount memory unit 51 always holds the latest ink remaining amount information.

  The updated ink remaining amount written in the ink remaining amount memory unit 51 is represented by the number of Digits, where a certain number of ejections is 1 Digit. For this reason, at the end of the operation such as turning off the power, the number of fractions less than a certain number of ejections is performed. When the number of fractions is more than half of the fixed number of ejections, it is raised and handled as 1 Digit. If it is less, round it down. Information that the rounding up processing has been performed is stored as a flag in the remaining ink amount memory unit 51.

  The waste liquid amount calculation unit 76 determines that the ink consumption by the calculation of the ink amount sucked by cleaning and the ink amount discharged by flushing is the waste liquid, and updates the value of the already read waste liquid amount. . The updated waste liquid amount is written into the waste liquid amount memory unit 61 of the ink cartridge 10 through the writing / reading unit 78. In this way, the waste liquid amount memory unit 61 always holds the latest waste liquid amount information.

  The determination unit 77 compares the near-end threshold value read by the writing / reading unit 78 with the new ink remaining amount calculated by the ink consumption calculating unit 72, and the value of the ink remaining amount is near-end. When the threshold value is reached, it is determined that the ink is in a near-end state where the remaining amount of ink is low. Then, the display unit 56 displays that it is near-end by blinking the LED lamp.

  The determination unit 77 further calculates the near-full threshold value read by the writing / reading unit 78, the ink amount sucked by the cleaning, and the ink amount discharged by the flushing by the ink consumption calculation unit 72. The calculated new amount of waste liquid is compared, and when the value of the amount of waste liquid reaches the near full threshold, it is determined that the amount of waste liquid is almost full in the waste liquid tank 11e. Then, the display unit 56 displays the near-full state by blinking the LED lamp. The near-end and near-full display can be performed by displaying images and characters on a liquid crystal panel and informing the user.

  Here, the data structure of the storage unit 15 of the ink cartridge 10 will be briefly described. Table 1 shows a part of the data structure. The storage unit 15 has the remaining amount of ink of four types of ink and the amount of waste liquid that can be absorbed as update information, and the near-end threshold value of ink and the near-full threshold value of waste liquid as threshold information. That is, all the unique information related to the ink cartridge 10 is stored in the storage unit 15.

  As described above, since the storage unit 15 of the ink cartridge 10 also has a near-end threshold value in addition to the information such as the remaining amount of ink, the control unit 36 of the printing apparatus 1 holds the individual information of the mountable ink cartridge 10. There is no need to do. Accordingly, the control unit 36 only needs to be able to perform general-purpose processing such as updating the remaining ink amount and comparing and determining the updated remaining ink amount and the near-end threshold. However, there is no need to change the program of the control unit 36.

  Further, since the storage unit 15 of the ink cartridge 10 including the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 has a near full threshold in addition to information such as the amount of waste liquid, the control unit 36 of the printing apparatus 1 allows the ink cartridge 10 of the mountable ink cartridge 10 to be installed. There is no need to store individual information. Therefore, the control unit 36 only needs to be able to perform general-purpose processing such as updating the amount of waste liquid and comparing and determining the updated amount of waste liquid and the near-full threshold. There is no need to change the program of the unit 36 or the like.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 10, 11, and 12, the flow of ink-related processing by the printing apparatus 1 equipped with the ink cartridge 10 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the arithmetic processing and data storage processing from the standby state of the printing apparatus 1. There are three flows A, B, and C. The standby state is a state in which the printing apparatus is ready to operate and waits for the next command, including a power-off state. In the flow A, when the power is turned on from the standby state (step S10) or in the standby state of the power ON, the cover 6 that has been opened by replacing the ink cartridge 10 is closed, and the cover A is closed. The data is read from the storage unit 15 of the ink cartridge 10 and various determination processes are performed (S11). When the determination process ends, a response is made according to the determination result (S12), and the process returns to the standby state.

  Flow B is executed immediately before the start of cleaning, after the end of printing for one pass, and when an ink amount is calculated and a determination request is made, to calculate the remaining ink amount and determine the ink state (S13), and in a standby state. Return to.

  Flow C is executed when a power-off command is input, when a sleeve that is in a power saving pause state is started, when a data storage request is made, and when a cover is opened, and data is stored in the storage unit 15 of the ink cartridge 10. (S14).

  First, a detailed description of the flow A will be given with reference to FIG. From the standby state (S10), first, data in the storage unit 15 is read to the writing / reading unit 78 (S21), and the determination unit 77 makes the following determination. First, the presence / absence of the ink cartridge 10 is determined (S22). If the ink cartridge 10 is present, it is determined whether the color mode of the ink used by the printing apparatus 1 has been determined (S23). If the cover is closed without mounting the ink cartridge 10 or the data of the ink cartridge 10 cannot be read, it is determined that the ink cartridge 10 is not present (S24). If the color mode is confirmed in step S23, it is determined whether the color mode of the printing apparatus 1 matches the color mode of the ink cartridge 10 (S25). If the color mode is not confirmed, the color mode of the printing apparatus 1 is set to the color mode of the mounted ink cartridge 10 (S26), and the process proceeds to step S27.

  If the color mode of the printing apparatus 1 matches the color mode of the ink cartridge 10 in step S25, it is determined whether the ink cartridge 10 is new (S27). If it does not match in S25, it is determined that there is no ink cartridge 10 and processed (S24). In S27, if it is determined that the ink cartridge 10 is new, the new flag of the ink cartridge 10 is turned off so that the ink cartridge 10 is not determined to be new when it is re-installed next time. Data is written back (S28). At the same time, a process of incrementing the number of new article replacement counters on the printing apparatus 1 side is performed, and then it is determined whether the number of new article exchanges has reached 5 (S29). If it has reached 5, the replacement cleaning flag is set and a cleaning start command is issued. Then, the number of new article replacement counters on the printing apparatus 1 side is cleared (S30), and a determination end response is made (S35). If it has not reached 5 times, a determination end response is made (S35).

  If it is determined in step S27 that the ink cartridge is not new, it is determined whether it is the same as the previously installed ink cartridge 10 or has been replaced (S31). In the case of replacement, the number of ejections (number of shots) possessed by the print control unit 70 and the flushing control unit 73 and the number of flushing ejections including cleaning are cleared, and the remaining ink amount of the ink cartridge 10 Replace with At the same time, the near-end threshold value of the control unit 36 is also replaced (S32). If the ink cartridge 10 has not been replaced, the fraction processing flag written in the ink cartridge 10 is recognized, and if the fraction processing is carried forward, the flag setting is cleared (S33). Steps S32 and S33 are processed not only for the remaining amount of ink but also for the amount of waste liquid and the near full threshold. After step S32 or S33, it is determined whether the remaining amount of ink has reached the near-end threshold value, and whether the amount of waste liquid has reached the near-full threshold value. S34), a determination end response is made (S35). After performing the determination end response, the process returns to the standby state.

  According to the flow A as described above, ink information such as the remaining amount of ink and the amount of waste liquid in the mounted ink cartridge 10 can be correctly recognized, and troubles such as ink running out during printing and overflow of waste liquid can be prevented. All the ink information is stored in the ink cartridge 10, and it is not necessary for the printing apparatus 1 to have the information.

  Next, the flow B and the flow C will be described with reference to FIG. In the flow B, in the capacity calculation process in step S41, confirmation of the remaining amount of ink necessary for cleaning, calculation of the amount of ink consumed after completion of printing in one pass, confirmation of determination request contents, and ink consumption Of these, the amount of ink used as waste liquid is calculated. Then, a new calculation of the remaining amount of ink is performed by the ink consumption amount calculation unit 72, and a new calculation of the waste liquid amount is performed by the waste liquid amount calculation unit 76. Next, in the ink state determination process S42, the ink state is determined by comparing the remaining ink amount and waste liquid amount calculated in the capacity calculation process S41 with the near end threshold value and the near full threshold value, respectively. Based on this determination result, in the calculation / determination end response S43, a response is made as to whether the ink remaining amount is in the near-end state, the waste liquid amount is in the near-full state, or in the normal state.

  After step S43, in the case of calculating the ink amount after the end of one-pass printing, printing is continued through a standby state, and in the case of a determination request, the process returns to the standby state. In the case of cleaning, the cleaning is executed and the flow proceeds to the flow C. When it is determined that the state is near-end or near-full, a state display is displayed on the display unit 56.

  The flow C satisfies a certain number of ejections among the number of ejections counted by the print control unit 70, the flushing control unit 73, and the cleaning control unit 74 in the remaining ink amount / waste liquid fraction processing S44. Handle no fractional times. When the number of fractions is more than half of the fixed number of ejections, the ink consumption calculation unit 72 calculates the remaining ink amount by carrying out the process of rounding up as 1 Digit, and when it is less than that, the truncation process. The waste liquid amount calculation unit 76 processes the number of fractions of the flushing control unit 73 and the cleaning control unit 74 that become waste liquid to calculate the waste liquid amount.

  The remaining amount of ink and the amount of waste liquid subjected to the fraction processing are written into the storage unit 15 of the ink cartridge 10 through the writing / reading unit 78 (S45). When writing is normally performed, a response to the end of writing is sent to the instruction source (S46), the process returns to the standby state, and the commanded power-off state and the like are entered. The above is the flow of processing related to ink.

  Finally, effects of the liquid cartridge, the printing apparatus, and the printing apparatus control method described so far will be described together.

  (1) By storing in the ink cartridge 10 the ink remaining amount of the ink cartridge 10 and the near-end threshold value indicating that the ink storage unit 11 is almost empty, the printing apparatus 1 can be mounted. There is no need to hold the individual information of the ink cartridge 10.

  (2) By causing the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 to store the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 and the near full threshold value indicating that the waste liquid is almost full in the storage section 11, the printing apparatus 1 can There is no need to hold individual information of the mountable waste liquid storage cartridge 19.

  (3) The printing apparatus 1 only needs to be able to perform general-purpose processing such as data reading, writing, and comparison determination, and does not require a version change corresponding to a specification change of the ink cartridge 10. Accordingly, even when a new specification ink cartridge or the like is replaced and mounted, the ink information can be read from the ink cartridge 10 and the reliable near-end information can be displayed.

  (4) The printing apparatus 1 only needs to be able to perform general-purpose processing such as data reading, writing, and comparison determination, and it is not necessary to change the version corresponding to the specification change of the waste liquid storage cartridge 19. Therefore, even when a new specification waste liquid storage cartridge is replaced and mounted, information on the waste liquid can be read from the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 and reliable near-full information can be displayed.

  (5) A flash memory is used for the storage unit 15 of the ink cartridge 10 and the waste liquid storage cartridge 19, and reading and writing can be performed instantaneously. For this reason, even if the ink information and the information on the waste liquid are updated as needed, the load on the printing apparatus 1 and the like is small.

  (6) Since the latest ink information is updated and stored in the ink cartridge 10 at any time, the ink cartridge 10 is not affected by the state of the printing apparatus 1 due to an abnormal power interruption of the printing apparatus 1 or the like. Ink information is stored in

  (7) Since the latest waste liquid information is updated and stored in the waste liquid storage cartridge 19 at any time, the waste liquid is stored without being affected by the state of the printing apparatus 1 due to an abnormal power interruption of the printing apparatus 1 or the like. Information on the waste liquid can be held in the cartridge 19.

  (8) Even when the ink cartridge 10 does not store a plurality of colors of ink in a single ink cartridge but in a single ink cartridge, the single ink cartridge is provided with the storage unit 15 to provide a single ink cartridge. You can confirm near-end as well.

  (9) The waste liquid storage cartridge 19 is integrated with an ink tank that contains ink used for printing, and is easy to remove and attach. Further, since it is an integral configuration, it is only necessary to store all waste liquid and ink information in one storage unit 15, and it is not necessary to provide them separately for waste liquid and ink.

  (10) Since the ink consumption is calculated for each purpose based on the amount of ink used for printing and the amount of ink used for flushing and cleaning in the capping unit 35, it is possible to manage the amount of ink precisely.

  (11) By calculating the amount of ink used as the waste liquid used for flushing and cleaning in the capping unit 35 and the amount of ink used for printing according to the purpose, a precise ink amount can be managed.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a data exchange relationship between the ink cartridge of the present invention and the apparatus. The schematic diagram which shows the data transfer relationship between the waste liquid storage cartridge of this invention, and an apparatus. FIG. FIG. 3 is an external view of an ink cartridge. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an ink supply system of the printing apparatus. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus. The top view which shows the structure of a head. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a concept of data processing between an ink cartridge storage unit and a printing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating processing relating to ink amounts of an ink cartridge storage unit and a printing apparatus. The flowchart which shows the flow of the arithmetic processing from a standby state, and a data preservation | save process. The flowchart which shows the flow of the execution process at the time of power ON. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of ink consumption calculation, near-end determination, and data writing.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printing apparatus, 10 ... Ink cartridge, 11 ... Storage part, 14 ... Holder board | substrate part, 15 ... Memory | storage part, 19 ... Waste liquid storage cartridge, 20 ... Head, 31 ... Cartridge holder, 35 ... Capping part, 36 ... Control part , 50 ... Near-end threshold memory unit, 51 ... Ink remaining amount memory unit, 70 ... Print control unit, 72 ... Ink consumption calculation unit, 73 ... Flushing control unit, 74 ... Cleaning control unit, 77 ... Determination unit, 78 ... writing Loading / reading section.

Claims (16)

A liquid cartridge comprising an ink cartridge that is mounted on a device and supplies liquid to the device, and a waste liquid storage cartridge that stores liquid as waste liquid from the device,
Each of the ink cartridge and the waste liquid storage cartridge includes a storage unit that stores the liquid.
The liquid cartridge includes a rewritable nonvolatile storage unit that stores each threshold value of the volume of the liquid in each storage unit,
The threshold value of the ink cartridge represents that the storage portion of the ink cartridge is nearly empty,
The threshold value of the waste liquid storage cartridge is a liquid cartridge, which indicates that the storage portion of the waste liquid storage cartridge is almost full. The storage unit further stores information on each built-in amount of each liquid stored in each storage unit,
When the liquid cartridge is attached to the device, the storage unit and the device are electrically connected,
The storage unit provides information about each built-in amount and each threshold value to the device,
2. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein information on each of the built-in amounts in the storage unit is updated by the device every time the built-in amount of each of the liquids changes. The storage portion of the ink cartridge includes a plurality of tanks that store a plurality of types of the liquid,
The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit individually stores information related to the built-in amounts of the plurality of types of liquids. An ink cartridge removable from the head;
A printing apparatus comprising: a liquid cartridge having a waste liquid storage cartridge that discharges ink supplied from the ink cartridge onto a printing material from the head and stores the ink that is not used for printing as waste liquid. And
Each of the ink cartridge and the waste liquid storage cartridge includes a storage unit that stores the liquid.
The liquid cartridge includes a rewritable nonvolatile storage unit that stores a threshold value of the volume of the liquid in each storage unit,
The threshold value of the ink cartridge represents that the storage portion of the ink cartridge is nearly empty,
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the threshold value of the waste liquid storage cartridge indicates that the storage portion of the waste liquid storage cartridge is almost full. The storage unit further stores information indicating a built-in amount of the ink remaining in the storage unit of the ink cartridge and information indicating a built-in amount of the waste liquid stored in the storage unit of the waste liquid storage cartridge. ,
The printing apparatus includes:
A writing / reading unit that reads information indicating the built-in amount of the ink and the built-in amount of the waste liquid from the storage unit;
An ink consumption calculation unit that updates information indicating the ink built-in amount based on the information on the ink consumption by the head and the read ink built-in amount;
A waste liquid amount calculation unit that updates information indicating the built-in amount of the waste liquid based on the discharge amount corresponding to the waste liquid among the discharge amount of the ink by the head and the read information indicating the built-in amount of the waste liquid; With
The printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the writing / reading unit writes information indicating the updated internal amount of the ink and information indicating the updated internal amount of the waste liquid into the storage unit. The ink consumption calculation unit
A calculation for calculating an ink discharge amount from the head by the printing;
A calculation for calculating an ink suction amount to the head when the ink cartridge is mounted and an ink suction amount by cleaning the head;
A calculation for calculating an ink discharge amount by flushing that discharges ink to a predetermined portion other than the printed matter at the time of printing to prevent clogging of the head; and
The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the consumption amount is calculated based on a calculation for newly calculating the built-in amount of the ink based on an ink discharge amount and a suction amount based on each result of the calculation. The waste liquid amount calculation unit
A calculation for calculating an ink suction amount to the head when the ink cartridge is mounted;
A calculation for calculating an ink suction amount by cleaning the head;
A calculation for calculating an ink discharge amount by flushing that discharges ink to a predetermined portion other than the printing object at the time of printing to prevent clogging of the head;
The printing apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the amount of waste liquid is calculated based on a calculation for newly calculating a built-in amount of the waste liquid based on an ink discharge amount and a suction amount based on each result of the calculation. Further equipped with a mounting part,
When the liquid cartridge is mounted on the mounting unit, the storage unit is
In electrical connection with the writing / reading unit,
Providing information indicating the built-in amount of the ink, information indicating the built-in amount of the waste liquid, and the threshold values to the writing / reading unit;
Each time the built-in amount of ink changes, information on the built-in amount of ink stored in the storage unit is updated via the writing / reading unit, and each time the built-in amount of waste liquid changes, the information is updated. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein information indicating a built-in amount of the waste liquid stored in a storage unit is updated via the writing / reading unit. The storage portion of the ink cartridge includes a plurality of tanks that store a plurality of types of the ink,
The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the storage unit individually stores information related to a built-in amount of each of the plurality of types of ink.   The printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the ink cartridge and the waste liquid storage cartridge are integrated. An ink cartridge removable from the head;
Control of a printing apparatus provided with a liquid cartridge having a waste liquid storage cartridge for performing printing by discharging ink supplied from the ink cartridge onto a printing material from the head and storing the ink not used for the printing as waste liquid A method,
Reading a threshold value of the volume of the ink stored in the rewritable nonvolatile storage unit of the liquid cartridge;
Reading a threshold value of the volume of the waste liquid stored in the storage unit;
When the built-in amount of the ink remaining in the ink cartridge reaches the threshold value, or when the built-in amount of the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid storage cartridge reaches a read threshold value, A method of controlling the printing apparatus. Reading information indicating the amount of ink contained from the storage unit;
Calculating the amount of ink consumed by the head;
Updating the information indicating the ink built-in amount based on the consumption amount of the ink and the read information relating to the ink built-in amount;
A step of performing near-end determination when the updated information indicating the built-in amount of the ink reaches the threshold;
The method for controlling a printing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a step of writing information indicating the updated built-in amount of the ink in the storage unit. The step of calculating the ink consumption amount includes:
A calculation step of calculating an ink discharge amount from the head by the printing;
A calculation step of calculating an ink suction amount to the head when the ink cartridge is mounted and an ink suction amount by cleaning the head;
A calculation step of calculating an ink discharge amount by flushing that discharges ink to a predetermined portion other than a printing object during printing to prevent clogging of the head;
The control method for a printing apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a calculation step of newly calculating a built-in amount of the ink based on an ink discharge amount and a suction amount based on each result of the calculation. Reading information indicating the amount of waste liquid contained from the storage unit;
Calculating a consumption amount corresponding to the waste liquid of the ink consumption amount by the head;
Updating the information indicating the internal amount of the waste liquid based on the consumption amount corresponding to the waste liquid and the information indicating the read internal amount of the waste liquid;
When the updated built-in amount of the waste liquid reaches the threshold value, a step of determining near-full,
The method for controlling the printing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising: writing information indicating the updated amount of the waste liquid in the storage unit. Calculating the consumption corresponding to the waste liquid,
A calculation step of calculating an ink suction amount to the head when the ink cartridge is mounted;
A calculation step of calculating an ink suction amount by cleaning the head;
A calculation step of calculating an ink discharge amount by flushing that discharges ink to a predetermined portion other than a printing object during printing to prevent clogging of the head;
The printing apparatus control method according to claim 14, further comprising a calculation step of newly calculating a built-in amount of the waste liquid based on an ink discharge amount and a suction amount based on each result of the calculation. An ink cartridge removable from the head;
A printing apparatus comprising: a liquid cartridge having a waste liquid storage cartridge that discharges ink supplied from the ink cartridge onto a printing material from the head and stores the ink that is not used for printing as waste liquid. And
Each of the ink cartridge and the waste liquid storage cartridge includes an accommodating portion that accommodates the liquid, and is an integrated type.
The liquid cartridge includes a rewritable nonvolatile storage unit that stores a threshold value of the volume of the liquid in each storage unit,
The threshold value of the ink cartridge represents that the storage portion of the ink cartridge is nearly empty,
The threshold value of the waste liquid storage cartridge represents that the accommodating portion of the waste liquid storage cartridge is almost full,
First detecting means for detecting the amount of ink in the collecting portion of the ink cartridge;
A second detection means for detecting a waste liquid ink amount at a threshold of the waste liquid storage cartridge;
With
Whether the first detection means detects that the ink amount is less than or equal to a threshold value of the ink cartridge;
When the second detection unit detects that the amount of waste liquid ink is equal to or greater than a threshold value of the waste liquid storage cartridge, the printing apparatus determines that the life of the integrated cartridge is reached.

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