JP2007038656A - Inkjet recording apparatus, method for determining recovery operating condition, ink tank, program and storing medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inkjet recording apparatus executing an appropriate recovery operation in accordance with non-loading time of an ink tank and information related to the ink tank. <P>SOLUTION: In the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention, as a parameter for determining a condition for the recovery operation performed after the ink tank is detached, the non-loading time and the information related to the ink tank are used. As it is possible thereby to perform the recovery by considering the degree of evaporation and increase in viscosity of the ink, while a necessary and enough recovery operation is performed, useless consumption of the ink can be suppressed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus, a recovery operation condition determination method, an ink tank, a program, and a storage medium. More specifically, the present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus, a recovery operation condition determining method, an ink tank, a program, and a storage medium that are characterized by a recovery operation executed after the ink tank is mounted in the ink jet recording apparatus.

  Some recording apparatuses are configured to record an image formed of a dot pattern on a recording medium such as paper or a plastic thin plate based on image information. In particular, the ink jet recording apparatus is configured to eject ink (recording liquid) as a recording agent from an ejection port of a recording head and attach it to a recording medium for recording.

  In an ink jet recording apparatus that uses liquid ink as a recording agent, the ink evaporates unless the joint between the ink tank and the recording head is properly sealed. Therefore, when the ink tank attached to the recording head is removed from the recording head (non-attached state), ink may evaporate from the joint and the ink may be fixed in the ink flow path. There is. In addition, if the ink tank is not attached for a long period of time, bubbles may enter the ink flow path in the recording head. The longer the ink tank has not been mounted, the more ink evaporation and bubble entry tend to occur.

  If the ink flow path is not filled with ink due to ink evaporation or bubbles, the bubbles flow into the nozzles, which are the ink discharge portions of the recording head, and the ink is not discharged (non-discharge). In addition, since a sufficient amount of ink does not flow, the size of the ink droplet becomes smaller than when the ink is properly filled in the ink flow path. As a result, there may be cases where the ink lands at a position different from the desired landing position on the recording medium or does not have a clean dot shape on the recording medium.

  Furthermore, if the ink sticks in the ink flow path due to the evaporation of the ink, the ink flow in that portion becomes worse, the ink supply is not in time, or in the worst case, the nozzles and the flow path are clogged. There is also a possibility that. As described above, there is a possibility that the recording image quality is deteriorated or the recording itself cannot be performed due to the detachment of the ink tank.

  In order to solve such a problem, in a conventional ink jet recording apparatus, when an ink tank is newly installed, a recovery operation is generally performed. The recovery operation is an operation performed to remove bubbles in the ink flow path, eliminate clogging, or remove paper dust and other dust. Specifically, the suction operation for sucking ink from the nozzle with the nozzle (discharge port) portion of the recording head sealed with a cap, the preliminary discharge operation for discharging ink regardless of recording, or the nozzle surface of the recording head A wiping operation for cleaning is performed. These operations are combined according to the conditions, and control is performed so as to keep the recording head in good condition.

However, if a sufficient recovery operation is performed each time an ink tank is mounted, the amount of ink consumed in the recovery operation increases, resulting in a problem that the running cost increases. In order to solve such a problem, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-228707, the non-mounting time of the ink tank is detected, and the ink amount to be sucked by the recovery operation is set based on the non-mounting time. Specifically, the amount of ink sucked is increased as the ink tank is not attached.
JP 2002-010044 A

  However, some ink jet recording apparatuses are equipped with a plurality of ink tanks depending on the type of ink used. In such an ink jet recording apparatus, the ink capacity of the ink tank may be different, or the length and shape of the ink flow path to the ejection port of the recording head and the number of nozzles may be different. In such a case, the ink amount (recovery amount) necessary for the recovery operation is not determined only by the ink tank non-installation time. Therefore, it is not sufficient to determine the ink suction amount in consideration of only the ink tank non-mounting time.

  In addition, the degree of evaporation, aggregation, sedimentation, and the like varies more or less depending on the type and composition of ink in the ink tank. Therefore, the minimum amount of ink necessary for the recovery operation is different for each ink tank containing different types of ink. Accordingly, if uniform recovery conditions are set for all ink tanks, a recovery operation may occur excessively for a certain ink tank, and a recovery operation may be insufficient for a certain ink tank.

  In addition, when the ink level in the ink tank before removal is small and the ink tank is replaced with a new unused ink tank, the ink density difference may differ depending on the storage state. Therefore, in this case, if the recovery condition is set based only on the non-mounting time at the time of replacement, the minimum necessary recovery operation may not be executed for each ink tank.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and an appropriate recovery operation can be executed for each ink tank according to the non-installation time of the ink tank attached to the ink jet recording apparatus and information on the ink tank. It aims to be.

An inkjet recording apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention that achieves the above object includes: a recording head for ejecting ink; and an ink tank that is detachable from the recording head and supplies ink to the recording head. An inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording using:
Recovery means capable of executing a recovery operation for maintaining the ejection state of the recording head;
A measuring means for measuring an unmounted time in which the unmounted state continues when the ink tank is removed from the recording head and is not mounted;
Obtaining means for obtaining information about the ink tank in the unmounted state;
And determining means for determining a condition of the recovery operation executed by the recovery means in accordance with at least the non-mounting time and the information relating to the ink tank.

  According to this configuration, when the ink tank is removed and attached, the recovery condition is determined at least according to the information about the ink tank non-attachment time and the ink tank. Accordingly, it is possible to perform an appropriate recovery operation according to the degree of ink evaporation and thickening due to the length of the non-loading time, the type of ink, and the like. As a result, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of ejection failure and the deterioration of the recording image quality, and to suppress unnecessary ink consumption.

Further, a recovery operation condition determination method as another aspect of the present invention that achieves the above object includes a recording head that ejects ink, an ink tank that is detachable from the recording head, and that supplies ink to the recording head. A recovery operation condition determination method for determining a recovery operation condition in an inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording using
A step of measuring a non-mounting time in which the non-mounted state continues when the ink tank is removed from the recording head and is not mounted;
Obtaining information about the ink tank in the unmounted state;
And a step of determining a recovery operation condition to be executed for the recording head according to at least the information regarding the non-mounting time and the ink tank.

Furthermore, an ink tank as yet another aspect of the present invention that achieves the above object is an ink tank that is detachable from a recording head used in an ink jet recording apparatus and supplies ink to the recording head,
Means capable of executing a recovery operation for the inkjet recording apparatus to maintain the ejection state of the recording head;
Means for measuring an unmounted time in which the unmounted state continues when the ink tank is removed from the recording head and is not mounted;
Means for acquiring information about the ink tank in the unmounted state from the ink tank;
Means for determining a condition of a recovery operation to be performed on the recording head in accordance with the non-mounting time and the information on the ink tank;
The ink tank includes storage means for storing the information related to the ink tank.

  The above object can also be achieved by a computer program that causes a computer device to implement the recovery operation setting method of the ink jet recording apparatus, and a storage medium that stores the program.

  According to the present invention, when the ink tank is removed and then attached again, the recovery condition is determined according to at least the information about the ink tank non-installation time and the ink tank. Accordingly, an appropriate recovery operation can be performed in consideration of the degree of ink evaporation and viscosity increase. As a result, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of ejection failure and the deterioration of the recording image quality, and to suppress unnecessary ink consumption.

  Hereinafter, an ink jet recording apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the components described in the following embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of rights of the present invention only to them.

  In this specification, “recording” (sometimes referred to as “printing”) is not only to form significant information such as characters and graphics but also to be widely interpreted. In detail, regardless of whether it is significant involuntary, or whether it is manifested so that it can be perceived by human eyes, a wide variety of images, patterns, patterns, etc. are formed on the recording medium, or the medium. The case where the above processing is performed is also shown.

  “Recording medium” refers not only to paper used in general recording apparatuses but also widely to cloth, plastic film, metal plate, glass, ceramics, wood, leather, and the like that can accept ink. Shall.

  Furthermore, “ink” and “liquid” should be interpreted widely as in the definition of “recording (printing)”. Specifically, by being applied on the recording medium, formation of an image, pattern, pattern or the like, processing of the recording medium, or ink processing (for example, solidification or insolubilization of the colorant in the ink applied to the recording medium) Represents a liquid that can be subjected to

<Description of Inkjet Recording Apparatus (FIG. 1)>
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing the outline of the configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus which is a typical embodiment of the present invention, with a cover removed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an ink jet recording apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a recording apparatus) includes a recording head H1001 that performs recording by ejecting ink in accordance with an ink jet method. The driving force generated by the carriage motor M1 is transmitted from the transmission mechanism 4, and the carriage 2 is reciprocated in the direction of arrow A. At the same time, for example, a recording medium P such as recording paper is fed through the paper feeding mechanism 5 and conveyed to a recording position, and recording is performed by ejecting ink from the recording head H1001 to the recording medium P at the recording position. Do.

  In order to maintain the state of the recording head H1001 well, the carriage 2 is moved to the position of the recovery device 10 and the recovery operation of the recording head H1001 is performed intermittently. Here, the recovery operation (also referred to as “cleaning operation”) is performed to remove bubbles in the ink flow path of the recording head H1001, to eliminate clogging, and to remove paper dust and other dust. Is the action. Specifically, the suction operation for sucking ink from the nozzle with the nozzle (discharge port) portion of the recording head sealed with a cap, the preliminary discharge operation for discharging ink regardless of recording, or the nozzle surface of the recording head A wiping operation for cleaning is performed. These operations are combined according to various conditions, and the recovery operation is controlled so as to keep the state of the recording head in good condition.

  In addition to mounting the recording head H1001 on the carriage 2 of the recording apparatus 1, an ink tank H1900 for storing ink to be supplied to the recording head H1001 is mounted. The ink tank H1900 is configured to be detachable from the recording head H1001.

  The carriage 2 and the recording head H1001 are configured such that a desired electrical connection can be maintained by properly contacting the joint surfaces of both members. The recording head H1001 selectively discharges and records ink from a plurality of discharge ports by applying energy according to a recording signal. In particular, the recording head H1001 of this embodiment employs an ink jet system that ejects ink using thermal energy. Specifically, the electrical energy applied to the electrothermal converter is converted into thermal energy. Then, the ink is ejected from the ejection port using the pressure change caused by the growth and contraction of the bubbles due to film boiling caused by applying the thermal energy to the ink. The electrothermal transducer is provided corresponding to each of the ejection ports, and ink is ejected from the corresponding ejection port by applying a pulse voltage to the corresponding electrothermal transducer in accordance with the recording signal.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the carriage 2 is connected to a part of the driving belt 7 of the transmission mechanism 4 that transmits the driving force of the carriage motor M <b> 1, and slides in the direction of arrow A along the guide shaft 13. Freely guided and supported. Accordingly, the carriage 2 reciprocates along the guide shaft 13 by forward and reverse rotations of the carriage motor M1. A scale 8 is provided for indicating the absolute position of the carriage 2 along the direction of movement of the carriage 2 (the direction of arrow A). In this embodiment, the scale 8 uses a transparent PET film with black bars printed at a necessary pitch, one of which is fixed to the chassis 9 and the other is supported by a leaf spring (not shown). Yes.

  Further, the printing apparatus 1 is provided with a platen (not shown) facing the discharge port surface on which the discharge port (not shown) of the recording head H1001 is formed. The carriage 2 on which the recording head H1001 is mounted is reciprocated by the driving force of the carriage motor M1. Simultaneously with the reciprocating movement of the carriage 2, a recording signal is given to the recording head H1001 and ink is ejected, whereby recording is performed over the entire width of the recording medium P conveyed on the platen.

  Further, in FIG. 1, reference numeral 14 denotes a transport roller that is driven by a transport motor M2 to transport the recording medium P. Reference numeral 15 denotes a pinch roller that abuts the recording medium P against the conveying roller 14 by a spring (not shown), 16 denotes a pinch roller holder that rotatably supports the pinch roller 15, and 17 denotes a conveying that is fixed to one end of the conveying roller 14. It is a roller gear. Then, the transport roller 14 is driven by the rotation of the transport motor M2 transmitted to the transport roller gear 17 through an intermediate gear (not shown).

  Furthermore, 20 is a discharge roller for discharging the recording medium P on which an image has been formed by the recording head H1001 to the outside of the recording apparatus 1, and is driven by the rotation of the transport motor M2 being transmitted. Yes. The discharge roller 20 abuts on a spur roller (not shown) that presses the recording medium P by a spring (not shown). Reference numeral 22 denotes a spur holder that rotatably supports the spur roller.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the recording apparatus 1 includes a recording head at a desired position outside the reciprocating motion range (outside the recording area) for the recording operation of the carriage 2 on which the recording head H1001 is mounted. A recovery device 10 that performs the recovery operation of H1001 is provided. In the present embodiment, the recovery device 10 is provided at a position corresponding to the home position.

  The recovery device 10 includes a capping mechanism 11 for capping the ejection port surface of the recording head H1001 and a wiping mechanism 12 for cleaning the ejection port surface of the recording head H1001. In conjunction with capping of the ejection port surface by the capping mechanism 11, ink is forcibly discharged from the ejection port by a suction means (suction pump or the like) in the recovery device 10. By this operation, a recovery operation such as removing ink or bubbles with increased viscosity in the ink flow path of the recording head H1001 is performed.

  Further, when the recording head H1001 is not in operation or the like, the recording head H1001 can be protected and the ink can be prevented from being evaporated or dried by capping the ejection port surface of the recording head H1001 by the capping mechanism 11. On the other hand, the wiping mechanism 12 is disposed in the vicinity of the capping mechanism 11 and wipes ink droplets adhering to the ejection port surface of the recording head H1001.

  The capping mechanism 11 and the wiping mechanism 12 can keep the ink ejection state of the recording head H1001 normal. Note that the recovery operation is not limited to the above-described suction operation and wiping operation, and may be a preliminary ejection operation in which ink is preliminarily ejected to the capping mechanism 11 or the ink receiving dedicated portion.

<Control Configuration of Inkjet Recording Apparatus (FIG. 2)>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the recording apparatus 1 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the controller 600 includes an MPU 601, a ROM 602 that stores a program corresponding to a control sequence described later, a required table, and other fixed data. In addition, a special application integrated circuit (ASIC) 603 that generates control signals for controlling the carriage motor M1, the transport motor M2, and the recording head 3 is provided. Furthermore, a RAM 604 provided with an image data development area, a work area for program execution, and the like is provided.

  These MPU 601, ASIC 603, and RAM 604 are connected to each other via a system bus 605 to exchange data. In addition, an analog signal from a sensor group 630 described below is input, A / D converted, and an A / D converter 606 that supplies a digital signal to the MPU 601 is configured.

  In FIG. 2, reference numeral 610 denotes a computer (or a reader for image reading, a digital camera, etc.) serving as a supply source of image data, and is collectively referred to as a host device. Image data, commands, status signals, and the like are transmitted and received between the host apparatus 610 and the recording apparatus 1 via an interface (I / F) 611.

  Reference numeral 620 denotes a switch group, which includes switches for receiving a command input from the user. In this example, a power switch 621, a print switch 622 for instructing the start of printing, a recovery switch 623 for instructing the start of a recovery operation for maintaining the ink ejection performance of the recording head H1001 in a good state, and the like. Is provided. 630 detects the state of the recording apparatus 1 including a position sensor 631 such as a photocoupler for detecting the home position, a temperature sensor 632 provided at an appropriate location of the recording apparatus 1 for detecting the environmental temperature, and the like. It is a sensor group for doing.

  Further, 640 is a carriage motor driver that drives a carriage motor M1 for reciprocating scanning of the carriage 2 in the direction of arrow A, and 642 is a conveyance motor driver that drives a conveyance motor M2 for conveying the recording medium P.

  The ASIC 603 transfers drive data (recording data) of the printing element (discharge heater) to the printing head H1001 while directly accessing the storage area of the RAM 602 during printing scanning by the printing head H1001.

<Recording head cartridge>
The recording head H1001 in the present embodiment adopts a so-called cartridge system that is detachably mounted on the carriage 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the recording head cartridge H1000 includes a plurality of ink tanks H1900 that store ink, and a recording head H1001 that discharges ink supplied from these ink tanks H1900 from nozzles according to recording information. The

  The recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is capable of color recording. For this reason, the recording head H1001 is supplied with magenta (M), cyan (C), yellow (Y), and black (K) inks and pigment black ink. Five ink tanks H1900 each housed are installed. As shown in FIG. 4, these five ink tanks can be independently attached to and detached from the recording head H1001. In this embodiment, in this way, a plurality of inks having different colors and a plurality of inks having different compositions are used.

  The ink tank H1900 has a snap mechanism, a fitting mechanism, and the like. When the ink tank H1900 is pushed in from above the recording head H1001, the corresponding portions are engaged and fixed to the recording head H1001. A seal portion H1800 that functions as an ink supply path is provided below the ink tank H1900, and a seal rubber H1700 that includes a filter is provided in a corresponding portion of the recording head H1001. When the ink tank H1900 is attached, the seal portion H1800 and the seal rubber H1700 come into close contact with each other, whereby ink is supplied from the ink tank H1900 to the recording head H1001. The seal portion H1800 and the seal rubber H1700 correspond to a joint portion that joins the ink tank H1900 and the recording head H1001.

  As shown in the figure, each ink tank H1900 is provided with a semiconductor chip (storage means) H1950 that electrically stores information such as the type (ink type) and ID information for identifying each ink tank. Yes. Furthermore, electrical contacts (contacts) for reading / writing information to / from the semiconductor chip H1950 are provided. Information stored in advance in the semiconductor chip H1950 is stored so that it can only be read. In addition, for example, information such as the amount of ink used can be additionally written in a predetermined area of the semiconductor chip H1950.

  When each ink tank H1900 is mounted on the recording head H1001, it comes into contact with the electrical contact of the ink tank H1900, and the electrical contact for reading out information from the semiconductor chip H1950 and writing information into the semiconductor chip H1950 (non-contact). (Shown) is also provided. Note that this electrical contact (not shown) is not necessarily provided in the recording head H1001, and may be provided in the carriage 2, for example. In this case, when the ink tank H1900 is attached to the recording head H1001 mounted on the carriage 2, the electrical contact of the carriage 2 is set so that the electrical contact of the ink tank H1900 comes into contact with the electrical contact of the carriage 2. What is necessary is just to arrange. Accordingly, detecting the contact between the electrical contact of the carriage 2 and the electrical contact of the ink tank H1900 can indirectly detect the mounting of the ink tank H1900 with respect to the recording head H1001.

  When the ink tank H1900 is attached to the recording head H1001, the MPU 601 of the recording apparatus 1 reads information from the semiconductor chip H1950 and determines whether the attached ink tank H1900 is an appropriate ink tank. At the same time, a recovery operation described later is executed as necessary. Here, if the correct type of ink tank H1900 is mounted at the tank mounting position, it is determined that an appropriate ink tank is mounted. However, when the wrong type of ink tank H1900 is mounted, it is determined that an appropriate ink tank is not mounted.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the MPU 601 of the recording apparatus 1 determines whether the ink tank H1900 is mounted on the recording head H1001 (mounted / mounted) depending on whether information is correctly read from the semiconductor chip H1950 of each ink tank H1900. Not installed).

<Recovery operation with ink tank removal>
Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, Embodiments 1 to 6 of the recovery operation performed in accordance with the attachment / detachment of the ink tank H1900 will be described. The process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10 described below is executed under the control of the MPU 601 of the recording apparatus 1 main body.

<Embodiment 1>
First, as an initial state, it is assumed that all ink tanks H1900 are installed. In FIG. 10, when the user opens the cover of the main body of the recording apparatus 1 (step S1), the recording head H1001 moves to a predetermined ink tank replacement position (step S2). Next, in step S3, whether or not the ink tank is mounted is determined by the above-described method, thereby determining whether or not the ink tank H1900 has been removed. When the ink tank H1900 is removed, a timer for measuring the unmounted time t of the removed ink tank H1900 is started (step S4). This non-mounting time t is measured and stored for each ink tank H1900 that can be mounted on the recording head H1001.

  In the first embodiment, a timer for measuring the non-mounting time and a register for storing the measured non-mounting time are provided for each of the four ink tanks H1900 of the dyes CMYK and the pigment Bk. Yes.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the ink tank H1900 is mounted (step S5), and it is determined whether or not the mounted ink tank H1900 is the correct type of ink tank (step S6). If the correct type of ink tank H1900 is not installed, the process proceeds to step S7, and a warning is issued to prompt the user to install the correct type of ink tank (step S12).

  On the other hand, when it is detected in step S6 that the correct type of ink tank H1900 has been installed, the measurement of the non-installation time is stopped and the measured value is stored in the corresponding register (step S7). If it is detected in step S6 that the correct type of ink tank H1900 has been installed, information about the installed ink tank H1900 is acquired (step S8).

  In short, in this step S8, information regarding the ink tank H1900 that has not been mounted is acquired. Here, the information related to the ink tank H1900 is information related to the type of ink stored in the ink tank H1900.

  Thereafter, the cover of the recording apparatus 1 is closed and the recording head H1001 moves to the home position and waits until the recording standby state is set (step S9). Next, the recovery condition is determined according to the information regarding the non-mounting time t and the ink tank H1900 obtained as described above (step S10). Then, the recovery operation is executed according to the recovery condition determined in this way (step S11).

  As described above, the degree of ink evaporation and thickening varies depending on the type of ink. For example, with dye ink and pigment ink, the pigment ink is more likely to aggregate and the degree of viscosity increase per unit time is greater. Accordingly, the time for which the defect does not occur even when the joint between the ink tank H1900 and the recording head H1001 is exposed to the atmosphere is shorter for the pigment ink than for the dye ink.

  Therefore, in the first embodiment, recovery conditions are different for pigment ink and dye ink. FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating a correspondence relationship between the non-mounting time, the type of ink tank, and the recovery operation in the first embodiment. 6A shows the recovery operation for the non-mounting time of the dye CMYK ink tank H1900, and FIG. 6B shows the recovery operation for the non-mounting time of the pigment black ink tank H1900.

  For the ink tank H1900 of the dye CMYK, as shown in FIG. 6 (a), nothing is done if the unmounted time is 60 seconds or less. When the unmounted time exceeds 60 seconds, the cleaning operation (I) is executed as the recovery operation. This cleaning operation (I) includes an ink suction operation and preliminary ejection. Specifically, as the suction operation, about 0.1 g of ink is sucked at a suction pump speed of 500 slit / sec. Further, as the preliminary ejection operation, the ink is ejected 20 times for each nozzle.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6B, nothing is performed for the pigment black ink tank H1900 as long as the non-mounting time is 10 seconds or less. When the unmounted time exceeds 10 seconds, the cleaning operation (II) is executed as the recovery operation. This cleaning operation (II) includes an ink suction operation and preliminary discharge as well as the cleaning operation (I). The cleaning operation (I) includes parameters (suction pump speed, number of preliminary discharges, etc.). Is different. Specifically, as the suction operation, about 0.2 g of ink is sucked at a suction pump speed of 1000 slit / sec. Further, as the preliminary ejection operation, ink ejection is performed 40 times for each nozzle.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the recovery operation suitable for the non-mounting time and the ink characteristics is executed. As a result, even when only a specific ink is likely to evaporate or stick due to the characteristics of the ink, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of ejection failure and the deterioration of recording image quality while suppressing unnecessary ink consumption.

<Embodiment 2>
In the first embodiment, the control is performed in two stages whether or not the cleaning operation is performed. However, the control is not limited to the two-stage control. Further, although the cleaning operation executed in the first embodiment is a combination of the suction operation and the preliminary discharge operation, it is not essential to combine these two operations. In the second embodiment, a modified example of the cleaning operation in the first embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a correspondence relationship between the non-mounting time of the black pigment ink tank and the recovery operation in the second embodiment. As shown in the figure, in this example, there are four cases according to the value of the non-wearing time. That is, if the non-wearing time is 0, nothing is done. When the user installs the ink tank H1900, the non-installation time does not become 0 seconds. Therefore, substantially, when the ink tank H1900 is mounted, the recovery operation is executed.

  When the non-mounting time is greater than 0 and less than or equal to X seconds, 20 preliminary discharges are performed for each nozzle as the recovery operation. When the non-mounting time is longer than X seconds and shorter than Y seconds, a recovery sequence including suction of 0.2 g of ink at a suction pump speed of 500 slit / sec is executed as the recovery operation. Further, when the non-mounting time is longer than Y seconds, a recovery sequence including suction of 0.2 g of ink at a suction pump speed of 1000 slit / sec is executed.

  Here, the amount of ink sucked is the same when the non-mounting time exceeds Y seconds and when it is longer than X seconds and shorter than Y seconds. However, since the speeds of the suction pumps are different, the pressure applied to the nozzles, liquid chambers, and flow paths of the recording head H1001 is increased, and as a result, the refresh effect is also different. For example, when the speed of the suction pump is higher, the ink fixed in the nozzle can be effectively discharged.

  As described above, the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the content of the recovery operation. In particular, in this example, the recovery operation is always performed when the ink tank H1900 is attached or detached. For this reason, it is possible to further reduce the occurrence of ejection failure and the deterioration of recording image quality.

<Embodiment 3>
In the third embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the ink type and the non-mounting time are used as parameters for determining the recovery operation. In Embodiment 3, regarding the pigment black, the length and shape of the ink flow path to the ejection port of the recording head H1001 and the number of nozzles are different from those of other inks. For this reason, pigment black is more likely to clog the ink flow path than other inks.

  (A) and (b) of Drawing 7 are figures showing correspondence of non-wearing time in this Embodiment 3, and recovery operation. FIG. 7A shows the recovery operation for the non-mounting time of the dye CMYK ink tank H1900, and FIG. 7B shows the recovery operation for the non-mounting time of the pigment black ink tank H1900.

  The ink tank H1900 of the dye CMYK is the same as that of the second embodiment. On the other hand, for the pigment black ink tank H1900, the recovery operation is executed more frequently than in the first embodiment. If the unmounted time is 0 second, nothing is done. When the unmounted time exceeds 0 seconds, the cleaning operation (II) is executed as the recovery operation. That is, if the ink tank H1900 is mounted after being removed, the recovery operation is always executed.

  As described above, in the third embodiment, when the pigment ink tank H1900 is mounted in consideration of mechanical factors (the length and shape of the ink flow path, the number of nozzles) regarding the pigment black in addition to the non-mounting time. The recovery operation is executed even when the non-wearing time is short. As a result, even when only specific ink is likely to evaporate or stick due to mechanical factors, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of ejection failure and the deterioration of recording image quality while suppressing unnecessary ink consumption.

<Embodiment 4>
In the fourth embodiment, in addition to the non-mounting time, the ink usage amount of the removed ink tank H1900 and the ink usage amount of the mounted ink tank H1900 are used as parameters for determining the recovery operation.

  This tends to increase the ink density in the ink tank H1900 where a lot of ink is used (consumed). Therefore, when a new unused ink tank H1900 is installed, it is possible to reduce the presence of ink having different densities in the nozzle and the ink flow path.

  The amount of ink used is managed on the recording apparatus 1 main body side by, for example, counting the number of ejections. The information may be written in a predetermined area in the semiconductor chip H1950 provided in the ink tank H1900, or may be written in a predetermined storage area in the main body of the recording apparatus 1. When writing into the semiconductor chip H1950 of the ink tank H1900, for example, a bit may be written each time the usage amount increases by a predetermined amount in the additionally recordable storage area. Further, when managing on the recording apparatus 1 main body side, it is preferable to store the information in association with the ID of the ink tank H1900.

  In the fourth embodiment, it is assumed that the ink capacity of each ink tank H1900 is 12 g. Then, it is assumed that the ink usage amount of the removed ink tank H1900 is 10 g or more and the ink usage amount of the attached ink tank H1900 is 0.5 g or less. In this case, the suction recovery operation is executed on the assumption that the ink concentrations in the two ink tanks H1900 are different.

  FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams showing the correspondence between the non-wearing time and the recovery operation in this embodiment. When the ink usage amount of the removed ink tank H1900 is 10 g or more and the ink usage amount of the attached ink tank H1900 is 0.5 g or less, as shown in FIG. Is done. That is, if the non-wearing time is 0 second, nothing is done. When the non-wearing time exceeds 0 seconds, a cleaning operation is executed as a recovery operation. This cleaning operation includes an ink suction operation and preliminary ejection.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8 (b), nothing is done if the non-wearing time is 60 seconds or less. When the unmounted time exceeds 60 seconds, a cleaning operation is executed as a recovery operation. This cleaning operation may be the same as the cleaning operation executed in FIG.

  As described above, in the fourth embodiment, when there is a high possibility that the ink density of the removed ink tank H1900 and the installed ink tank H1900 is different, the recovery operation is executed even if the non-installed time is short. ing. For this reason, the ink density in the recording head H1001 from the liquid chamber to the nozzles through the ink flow path becomes uniform, and it is possible to reduce the deterioration of the recording image quality while suppressing wasteful ink consumption.

<Embodiment 5>
In the normal recording apparatus 1, when the amount of ink used in the ink tank H1900 exceeds a predetermined amount, a message such as “The ink level is low, please prepare a new ink tank.” Displayed. However, even in such a case, it is possible to use the same ink tank H1900 until the ink runs out without replacing the ink tank H1900. The fifth embodiment considers the case where the same ink tank H1900 is subsequently used (referred to as extended use) when the remaining amount of ink is small.

  This is because when the ink tank H1900 is extended and used, there is a possibility that the liquid chamber or flow path in the recording head H1001 is not sufficiently filled with ink.

  Therefore, in the fifth embodiment, as a parameter for determining the recovery operation, information on whether or not the removed ink tank H1900 has been extended is used in addition to the non-mounting time. The extended use information may be additionally written in the semiconductor chip H1950 provided in the ink tank H1900, or may be written in a predetermined storage area in the main body of the recording apparatus 1.

  The correspondence between the non-wearing time and the recovery operation in the fifth embodiment is the same as in FIG. 8 described with respect to the fourth embodiment. However, when the removed ink tank H1900 is extended and used, the case is classified according to FIG. 8A, and the case is classified according to FIG. 8B otherwise.

  As described above, in the fifth embodiment, when the removed ink tank H1900 is extended and used, the recovery operation is executed even if the unmounted time is short. For this reason, the state from the liquid chamber in the recording head H1001 to the ink flow path is filled with ink, and it is possible to reduce the deterioration of the recording image quality while suppressing unnecessary ink consumption.

<Embodiment 6>
In the sixth embodiment, as a parameter for determining the recovery operation, information on whether or not the ink usage amount of the removed ink tank H1900 and the ID of the attached ink tank H1900 are different is used in addition to the non-installation time. That is, when the removed ink tank H1900 and the installed ink tank H1900 have different IDs (that is, the ink tank H1900 has been replaced), the recovery operation is performed even if the non-installed time is short.

  Normally, when the IDs of the removed ink tank H1900 and the installed ink tank H1900 are the same, the ink density, the ink filling state in the recording head H1001, and the like hardly change unless the non-attached time is increased. For this reason, when the ID is the same before and after detachment, the threshold for the non-wearing time during which the recovery operation is executed is set larger than when the ID is different.

  FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams showing the correspondence between the non-wearing time and the recovery operation in the sixth embodiment. When the IDs of the removed ink tank H1900 and the installed ink tank H1900 are different, they are classified as shown in FIG. That is, if the non-wearing time is 10 seconds or less, nothing is done. When the unmounted time exceeds 10 seconds, a cleaning operation is executed as a recovery operation. This cleaning operation includes an ink suction operation and preliminary ejection.

  On the other hand, if the ID is the same before and after the other attachment / detachment, nothing is done if the non-attachment time is 60 seconds or less as shown in FIG. When the unmounted time exceeds 60 seconds, a cleaning operation is executed as a recovery operation. This cleaning operation may be the same as the cleaning operation executed in FIG. As described above, in the sixth embodiment, when the IDs of the ink tanks H1900 are different before and after the attachment / detachment, the recovery operation is executed even if the non-attachment time is short. For this reason, it is possible to reduce deterioration of the recording image quality while suppressing wasteful ink consumption in consideration of whether or not the ink tank H1900 has been substantially replaced.

<Other embodiments>
Information regarding the ink tank H1900 other than the parameters exemplified in the above embodiment may be used as a parameter for determining the recovery operation. Alternatively, some of the parameters exemplified above may be used as parameters for determining the recovery operation.

  In the embodiment of the cleaning operation performed along with the mounting of the ink tank H1900, a maximum of two parameters are referred to, but the recovery operation to be executed may be determined using three or more parameters. In this case, the recovery operation to be executed may be determined using a table corresponding to the combination of the other two parameters according to the first parameter. Alternatively, the recovery operation may be determined by a predetermined conditional expression considering the influence of each parameter.

  In the above embodiment, the type and ID information of the ink tank H1900 are electrically stored by the semiconductor chip (storage means) H1950 provided in the ink tank H1900. However, information on the type and ID of the ink tank H1900 may be held by other methods. In this case, the type and ID information of the ink tank H1900 may be held in a form that can only be read. Specifically, a method of attaching a mark such as a barcode to the ink tank H1900 and providing an optical reading unit in the recording head H1001 or the recording apparatus 1 is conceivable. However, it is preferable that the information on the ink usage amount and the extended usage can be additionally written as described above.

  In addition, in the above embodiment, the mounting state of the ink tank H1900 is detected according to whether or not the information of the semiconductor chip H1950 provided in the ink tank H1900 can be read. The wearing state may be detected. For example, a method of detecting a mounting state of the ink tank H1900 by providing a contact point that contacts when the ink tank H1900 is correctly mounted can be considered.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the inkjet recording apparatus that ejects ink by thermal energy has been described as an example. However, the present invention can also be applied to a recording apparatus that ejects ink or liquid by other methods. The recording method of the recording apparatus is not limited to the serial method described in the above embodiment. Further, the composition and type of ink used for recording (number of ink tanks) are not particularly limited, and the present invention can be applied to recording apparatuses having various configurations.

  The present invention may be applied to a recording system including a plurality of devices, or may be applied to a recording device including a single device.

  The present invention can also be achieved by supplying a software program for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments directly or remotely to a system or apparatus, and reading and executing the program by the computer of the system or apparatus. May be. In the present embodiment, the program corresponds to the case classification shown in FIGS. In that case, as long as it has the function of a program, the form does not need to be a program.

  Accordingly, 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 claims of the present invention include the computer program itself for realizing the functional processing of the present invention.

  In this case, the program may be in any form as long as it has a program function, such as an object code, a program executed by an interpreter, or script data supplied to the OS.

1 is an external perspective view showing an outline of a configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus that is a typical embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control circuit of the recording apparatus in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a recording head cartridge used in the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the head cartridge in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a correspondence between a non-mounting time of an ink tank used in the ink jet recording apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention and a recovery operation. It is a figure which shows a response | compatibility with the non-mounting time of the ink tank used for the inkjet recording device in Embodiment 2 of this invention, and recovery | restoration operation | movement. It is a figure which shows a response | compatibility with the non-mounting time of the ink tank used for the inkjet recording device in Embodiment 3 of this invention, and recovery | restoration operation | movement. It is a figure which shows a response | compatibility with the non-mounting time of the ink tank used for the inkjet recording device in Embodiment 4 and 5 of this invention, and recovery operation | movement. It is a figure which shows a response | compatibility with the non-mounting time of the ink tank used for the inkjet recording device in Embodiment 6 of this invention, and recovery | restoration operation | movement. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a recovery operation of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (10)

A recording head for ejecting ink;
An ink jet recording apparatus that is detachable from the recording head and performs recording using an ink tank for supplying ink to the recording head,
Recovery means capable of executing a recovery operation for maintaining the ejection state of the recording head;
A measuring means for measuring an unmounted time in which the unmounted state continues when the ink tank is removed from the recording head and is not mounted;
Obtaining means for obtaining information about the ink tank in the unmounted state;
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a determining unit that determines a condition of the recovery operation performed by the recovery unit according to at least the non-mounting time and the information related to the ink tank.   The recovery operation includes at least one of preliminary ejection for ejecting ink from the recording head regardless of recording, or suction operation for forcibly ejecting ink from a nozzle of the recording head. 2. An ink jet recording apparatus according to 1.   The information on the ink tank is at least one of a type of ink stored in the ink tank, an amount of ink used in the ink tank, and an ID of the ink tank. The ink jet recording apparatus according to 1 or 2.   The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the determining unit uses the ink usage amount or the ID of the removed ink tank as the information related to the ink tank.   The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the determining unit uses the ink usage amount or the ID of the mounted ink tank as the information related to the ink tank. The measuring means measures the non-mounting time for each of the plurality of ink tanks corresponding to different types of ink,
6. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the condition of the recovery operation using information regarding the non-mounting time and the type of the ink tank. . A recovery operation condition determination method for determining a recovery operation condition in an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording using a recording head that ejects ink and an ink tank that is detachable from the recording head and supplies ink to the recording head. There,
A step of measuring a non-mounting time in which the non-mounted state continues when the ink tank is removed from the recording head and is not mounted;
Obtaining information about the ink tank in the unmounted state;
And a step of determining the recovery operation condition to be executed for the recording head according to at least the non-mounting time and the information relating to the ink tank. An ink tank that is detachable from a recording head used in an ink jet recording apparatus and supplies ink to the recording head,
Means capable of executing a recovery operation for the inkjet recording apparatus to maintain the ejection state of the recording head;
Means for measuring an unmounted time in which the unmounted state continues when the ink tank is removed from the recording head and is not mounted;
Means for obtaining from the ink tank the information regarding the ink tank that has not been mounted;
Means for determining a condition of the recovery operation to be performed on the recording head in accordance with the non-mounting time and the information on the ink tank;
The ink tank includes a storage unit that stores the information related to the ink tank.   A computer-executable program in which the procedure of the recovery operation condition determination method according to claim 7 is described.   A storage medium in which a program in which a procedure of the recovery operation condition determination method according to claim 7 is described is stored in a readable manner.

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