JP2007307799A - Liquid jetting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid jetting apparatus which can simplify a replacement sequence by preventing ink from oozing from nozzles when cartridges are replaced. <P>SOLUTION: Nozzle openings 48 of a recording head 17 are capped by a cap member 51 when a replacement instruction for ink cartridges 7 and 8 is received. At the same time, an internal space of the cap member 51 is pressurized by a tube pump 10. Accordingly, even if a pressurization force is generated at a joining part between the ink cartridges 7 and 8 and the recording head 17 when the new ink cartridges 7 and 8 are attached, the ink is prevented from oozing from the nozzle openings 48, eliminating the need of the suction operation, wiping operation, flushing ejection, etc. after the ink cartridges 7 and 8 are replaced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus used as an ink jet recording apparatus that forms dots on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets from nozzles mainly corresponding to print data, and in particular, liquid from nozzles when replacing a liquid cartridge. The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus that can prevent leakage and simplify an exchange sequence.

As liquid ejecting apparatuses that eject liquid as droplets from nozzles, those that target various liquids are known, and among them, an ink jet recording apparatus can be given as a typical example.

Since the ink jet recording apparatus performs printing while ejecting ink droplets from the nozzle openings to form dots on the recording medium, monochrome printing and color printing can be easily performed by using inks having different colors. That is, an ink jet recording apparatus in which a monochrome printing recording head and a color printing recording head are mounted on a carriage has been put into practical use.

In such an ink jet recording apparatus, in order to fill the ink flow path in the recording head with ink at the start of use or to prevent clogging of the nozzle opening due to volatilization of the ink solvent, the nozzles of the recording head A suction mechanism for forcibly sucking and discharging ink from the opening is provided. The forcible ink discharge process performed to eliminate clogging of the recording head or to discharge residual bubbles in the recording head is called a cleaning operation. This cleaning operation is executed when printing is resumed after a long pause in the recording apparatus, or when the user recognizes a print quality defect such as fading, and operates the cleaning switch.

In the cleaning operation, the nozzle surface of the recording head is capped by the capping unit, and a negative pressure is applied to the capping unit so that the ink is discharged from the nozzle opening of the recording head and the ink discharged into the capping unit is removed. Suction and send to waste ink tank. Thereafter, a sequence of wiping the nozzle surface of the nozzle plate of the recording head is executed by a wiping means made of an elastic plate such as rubber.

Although such a recording device can print text and color graphics with a single unit, it is necessary to manage a recording head for color printing that is rarely used for users with extremely low frequency of color printing. Is inconvenient.

In order to solve such problems, an ink jet recording apparatus has been proposed in which an ink cartridge and an ink jet recording head are integrated to form a head unit, and a head unit suitable for print data is attached to and detached from a carriage. . According to such a configuration, desired printing can be performed by exchanging the head unit suitable for the printing purpose, and the unused head unit is accommodated in the sealed case or the like, so that maintenance of the unit is not required. be able to. However, when the ink in the cartridge runs out, the cartridge has to be replaced together with the ink jet recording head, and there is a problem that printing costs are increased.

In order to solve such problems, a frame having an ink cartridge storage chamber is attached to the carriage, and an ink jet recording head is fixed at a position facing the platen so that the ink cartridge can be replaced. Has been disclosed (Patent Document 1 below).
JP-A-10-202914

However, in the above recording apparatus, since the ink cartridge is exchanged without capping, when a new ink cartridge is installed, a pressure is generated at the joint between the ink cartridge and the recording head, and the nozzle is discharged from the nozzle. The ink oozes out, destroys the ink meniscus at the nozzle opening and cannot normally eject the ink, or is pulled by the ink attached to the edge of the nozzle opening and cannot eject the ink straight. For this reason, when the ink cartridge is replaced, it is necessary to perform a cleaning operation and a wiping operation in order to recover the meniscus.

FIG. 16 shows a flowchart of an ink cartridge replacement sequence in the conventional recording apparatus.

First, when the ink end sign is displayed, the user presses a replacement switch provided in the apparatus and inputs a replacement command (S41). When an exchange command is input, the carriage is moved to an exchange position in which a cutout is provided in the outer case so that the ink cartridge can be attached and detached (S42), and an ink cartridge exchange process is performed by the user (S43). The exchange position is usually provided between the home position where the capping device exists and the printing area. By exchanging the ink cartridge, a pressure is generated at the joint between the ink cartridge and the recording head, and the ink oozes out from the nozzle. At this time, pressure is generated at the joint between the ink cartridge and the recording head, the ink oozes out from the nozzle and the meniscus of the nozzle opening is destroyed and cannot be ejected normally, or is pulled by the ink attached to the edge of the nozzle opening. Ink may not be ejected straight.

When the ink cartridge replacement is completed, the user again presses the replacement switch provided in the apparatus and inputs a command to start the post-replacement process (S44). When the post-replacement processing start command is input, the carriage is moved to the home position (S45), the nozzle surface of the recording head is capped with the cap member (S46), and the suction pump is driven to generate a negative pressure in the cap member. Ink is introduced into the recording head (S47). At this time, at least the ink in the flow path of the recording head must be discharged, so that the ink must be discharged wastefully every time the cartridge is replaced.

When the suction operation is completed, the capping is released and the cap is opened (S48), and the suction pump is driven again to discharge the ink accumulated in the cap member by idle suction (S49). Thereafter, the nozzle surface is wiped with a wiper member (S50), and flushing discharge is performed (S5).
1) Capping is performed again (S52), and the process ends.

As described above, when the ink cartridge is replaced, a cleaning operation is required to recover the meniscus, and the ink is discharged wastefully.
An operation such as flushing discharge has to be performed, and a sequence with many processing operations is performed, and the replacement work also takes time.

SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a liquid ejecting apparatus that can prevent ink from bleeding from a nozzle during replacement of a liquid cartridge and simplify a cartridge replacement sequence. To do.

In order to achieve the above object, a liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention includes an ejecting head having a nozzle for ejecting liquid, a liquid cartridge for storing liquid to be supplied to the ejecting head, and a cap member for capping the nozzle of the ejecting head. And a pump that pressurizes the internal space of the cap member, and capping the nozzle of the ejection head when the liquid cartridge replacement command is received and controlling the internal space of the cap member to be pressurized by the pump. The gist of the present invention is that it comprises control means.

That is, according to the present invention, when a liquid cartridge replacement command is received, the nozzle of the ejection head is capped and the internal space of the cap member is pressurized. Therefore, when a new liquid cartridge is installed, the liquid cartridge and the ejection head Even if pressure is generated at the joining portion, the liquid does not ooze out from the nozzle, and the meniscus is prevented from being broken. For this reason, it is not necessary to perform a liquid suction operation for recovering the broken meniscus after the liquid cartridge has been exchanged, because the liquid has oozed out of the nozzle.
It is possible to eliminate the wasteful discharge of liquid and eliminate the need for operations such as wiping and flushing discharge after suction, simplifying the cartridge replacement sequence and shortening the time required for replacement.

In the present invention, the pressure for pressurizing the internal space of the cap member is such that the liquid cartridge is prevented from oozing out from the nozzle when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the ejection head, and the meniscus of the nozzle is not destroyed. In this case, when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the ejection head, liquid oozing from the nozzle and destruction of the meniscus are surely prevented.

In the present invention, when the pump also serves as a pump for applying a negative pressure to the cap member to suck the liquid from the nozzle, the pump in the cap member is used by using the pump for cleaning the ejection head. Since pressurization can be performed, the equipment efficiency is improved by effectively using the equipment of the apparatus.

In the present invention, a suckable state in which the suction side of the pump is communicated with the cap member and the discharge side is communicated with the waste liquid tank, and a pressurization is possible in which the suction side of the pump is communicated with the atmosphere and the discharge side is communicated with the cap member. When a switching unit for switching between states is provided, a common pump can be switched between suction and pressurization by switching control, and suction and pressurization with a common pump can be realized by simple control.

In the present invention, the switching unit includes a first suction valve whose upstream side communicates with the space in the cap member and whose downstream side communicates with the suction side of the pump, and whose upstream side communicates with the discharge side of the pump, and whose downstream side is waste liquid. A second suction valve that communicates with the tank, a first pressurization valve that communicates with the air at the upstream side and the suction side of the pump at the upstream side, and a downstream side that communicates with the discharge side of the pump and the downstream side within the cap member When the valve unit is configured to include the second pressurizing valve communicating with the space, the first suction valve and the second suction valve are opened with the nozzle surface capped by the cap member. At the same time, by driving the pump with the first pressurization valve and the second pressurization valve closed, a negative pressure is applied to the space in the cap member and the liquid is forced from the nozzle. Is argument is guided to the waste liquid tank. On the other hand, with the cap member capping the nozzle surface, the first suction valve and the second suction valve are closed,
When the pump is driven in a state where the first pressurization valve and the second pressurization valve are opened, the atmosphere is sucked into the pump and is introduced into the space in the cap member to pressurize the cap member. In this manner, the suctionable state and the pressurizable state can be easily switched and controlled by opening and closing the four valves.

In the present invention, the switching unit includes a first three-way valve that communicates with the suction side of the pump and switches between the suction side of the pump and the internal space of the cap member or the atmosphere, and the upstream side is the discharge of the pump. When the valve unit is configured to include a second three-way valve that communicates with the side and switches the discharge side of the pump to communicate with the waste liquid tank or the cap member, the first three-way valve The suction side of the pump is communicated with the cap member by the second, and the discharge side of the pump is communicated with the waste liquid tank by the second three-way valve to enable the suction. By driving the tube pump in this state, A negative pressure is applied to the space, and liquid can be sucked from the nozzle and led to the waste liquid tank. On the other hand, the suction side of the pump is communicated with the atmosphere by the first three-way valve, and the discharge side of the pump is communicated with the inside of the cap member by the second three-way valve to enable the pressurization, and the pump is driven in this state. Thus, the atmosphere can be sucked and sent into the space inside the cap member, and the inside of the cap member can be pressurized. Thus, 2
Switching between the suckable state and the pressurizable state can be easily controlled by opening and closing the three three-way valves. In addition, the number of valves can be reduced and the valve unit can be downsized.

In the present invention, the switching unit communicates the suction side of the pump with the inside of the cap member at the first position and communicates the discharge side of the pump with the waste tank, and at the suction position of the pump at the second position. Because it is a slide valve unit with a slide valve that allows the pump to communicate with the atmosphere and the discharge side of the pump to the inside of the cap member, switching between the suckable state and the pressurizable state can be easily controlled by sliding the slide valve. Therefore, switching control becomes easy and the switching unit can be downsized.

In the present invention, the control means changes the rotation direction of the pump so that the internal space of the cap member can be pressurized, and a negative pressure is applied to the cap member to supply liquid from the nozzle. When controlling to switch the suckable state for sucking, it is possible to switch between the pressurizable state and the suckable state by rotation control of the pump, simplifying the control and not requiring a valve unit, The apparatus can be miniaturized.

In the present invention, the pump is a tube pump that generates a negative pressure by rotating a rotating body that supports the roller member and rolling the roller member along the inner periphery of the tube arranged in a curved shape. When the control means controls to switch between a suckable state in which the rotating body is normally rotated and a pressurizable state in which the rotating body is reversely rotated, the roller member is moved forward by rotating the rotating body. The inner circumferential surface of the annular portion of the tube rolls in the suction direction, and the tube is sequentially deformed and restored, thereby generating a negative pressure on the upstream side of the tube, and this negative pressure acts on the nozzle surface of the ejection head. The liquid is forcibly sucked from the formed nozzle. On the other hand, when the rotating body reverses, the roller member rolls on the inner peripheral surface of the annular portion of the tube in the pressurizing direction, and the tube is sequentially deformed and restored to generate pressure on the downstream side of the tube. To do. in this way,
By switching between normal rotation and reverse rotation of the rotating body, the suctionable state and the pressurizable state can be switched reliably, simplifying the control, eliminating the need for a valve unit, and reducing the size of the device. .

In the present invention, further comprising a carriage for moving the ejection head in the main scanning direction,
The control means moves the carriage to a predetermined position when receiving a liquid cartridge replacement command, and controls the control means to cap the nozzle of the ejection head and pressurize the internal space of the cap member by the pump. In this case, since the nozzles are sealed at a certain predetermined position, control by a certain sequence is possible.

In the present invention, when the predetermined position is an exchange position in which the outer case is provided with a window so that the liquid cartridge can be exchanged, the nozzle is sealed at the exchange position. The liquid cartridge can be replaced while maintaining the sealed state.

In the present invention, when the control means moves the carriage to the predetermined position and releases the lock of the cover member of the window provided in the outer case so that the liquid cartridge can be replaced, the cover member The liquid cartridge can be prevented from being erroneously replaced by locking.

Hereinafter, an ink jet recording apparatus as a liquid ejecting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

This recording apparatus includes a case 3 including a case cover 1 that can be opened and closed and a case body 2.
The case main body 2 is configured to accommodate a printing mechanism, which will be described later, and two windows 5 and 6 are formed with a frame 2c sandwiched between the printing area and the non-printing area.

The window 6 formed in the non-printing area can expose the upper surface of only one of the ink cartridges 7 and 8 as a liquid cartridge for storing the liquid to be supplied to the ejection head mounted on the carriage 11. The size and shape of the ink cartridge are selected so that at least a part of the ink cartridge is covered by the case body 2. Further, when the case cover 1 is closed, an operation panel 9 is provided in an exposed area of the case body 2, where a power switch P, an ink cartridge replacement command switch IC, and a head cleaning command switch CC are provided.
In addition, a line feed, a reset switch R, and the like, and ink end indicators BE and CE for black and color ink cartridges are arranged.

  FIG. 2 shows an overview of the printing mechanism described above.

The carriage 11 is connected to a carriage drive motor 13 by a timing belt 12 and is configured to reciprocate in a direction parallel to the platen 15 that is a main scanning direction by being guided by a guide member 14. The carriage 11 has a surface facing the recording paper 16 on the surface.
A recording head 17 as an ejection head having a nozzle for ejecting ink is fixed to a printing area (left side in the figure). The recording head 17 includes the black ink ink cartridge 7 described above.
When ink is supplied from the color ink cartridge 8, ink droplets are ejected onto the recording paper 16 for printing.

The capping unit 19 arranged in the non-printing area has a cap member 51 for capping the nozzles of the recording head 17 mounted on a slider, and is connected to a pump unit 23 driven by a motor 22 via a tube member so as to have a negative pressure. It is configured to receive a supply.

The cap member 51 has a size that can seal the nozzle opening surface of the recording head 17 in one space, and is formed in a cup shape from an elastic material such as rubber, and when not printing, the recording head 17.
The nozzle opening surface is capped, and the ink can be forcibly discharged from the recording head 17 by the negative pressure of the pump unit 23 during the discharge capacity recovery operation. Further, in the vicinity of the capping unit 19, a wiping unit 50 that makes a wiping blade contact the nozzle opening surface of the recording head 17 by power from a driving source (not shown) is disposed.

FIG. 3 shows a flow path constituted by the ink cartridges 7 and 8, the recording head 17, the cap member 51, the tube pump 10, and the valve unit 18 that opens and closes the valve between the cap member 51 and the tube pump 10. It is a figure explaining a structure.

The black ink cartridge 7 is mounted on the recording head 17 by inserting an ink supply needle 52 provided on the upper surface of the recording head 17 into an ink supply port 54 provided on the lower surface of the ink cartridge 7. Similarly, the color ink cartridge 8 has ink supply needles 52 for introducing yellow ink, magenta ink, and cyan ink into three ink supply ports 54 for supplying yellow ink, magenta ink, and cyan ink, respectively. By being inserted, the recording head 17 is mounted.

The ink in the ink cartridges 7 and 8 mounted on the recording head 17 is supplied from the ink supply needle 52.
Is introduced into the internal passage of the hollow ink supply needle 52 from the ink introduction hole 53 formed at the tip of the ink, passes through the flow path 55 provided in the recording head 17, and is discharged from the nozzle opening 48 by the action of the actuator 56. Printing and flushing are performed.

The tube pump 10 functions as a pump according to the present invention that puts the internal space of the cap member 51 into a pressurized state, and also applies a negative pressure to the cap member 51 to provide a nozzle opening 4.
8 also serves as a pump for sucking ink from the ink 8 and recovering the discharge capability of the recording head 17.

On the other hand, when cleaning is performed by suction, the nozzle surface of the recording head 17 is capped by the cap member 51 and the tube pump 10 is driven so that a negative pressure is generated in the internal space of the cap member 51. The negative pressure causes the ink to be forcibly sucked from the nozzle openings 48 formed on the nozzle surface of the recording head 17, and the sucked ink flows in the suction direction and is introduced into the downstream waste liquid tank 49. ing.

Further, the valve unit 18 functions as a switching unit of the present invention in this embodiment, and has a suction state in which the suction side of the tube pump 10 communicates with the cap member 51 and the discharge side communicates with the waste liquid tank 49. The pressure state in which the suction side of the tube pump 10 communicates with the atmosphere and the discharge side communicates with the cap member 51 is switched.

More specifically, the valve unit 18 includes a first suction valve 24a, a second suction valve 24b, a first pressurization valve 24c, and a second pressurization valve 24d.

The first suction valve 24 a communicates with the space in the cap member 51 through the suction path 20 a on the upstream side, and communicates with the suction side of the tube pump 10 on the downstream side. Second suction valve 24b
The upstream side communicates with the discharge side of the tube pump 10, and the downstream side communicates with the waste liquid tank 49 through the waste liquid path 20b. The first pressurizing valve 24 c communicates with the atmosphere through the atmospheric passage 20 c on the upstream side, and communicates with the suction side of the tube pump 10 on the downstream side. The upstream side of the second pressurizing valve 24d communicates with the discharge side of the tube pump 10, and the downstream side communicates with the space in the cap member 51 through the pressurizing passage 20d.

As a result, the first suction valve 2 is capped while the nozzle surface is capped with the cap member 51.
4a and the second suction valve 24b are opened, and the first pressurization valve 24c and the second pressurization valve 24 are opened.
By driving the tube pump 10 with the valve d closed, a negative pressure is applied to the space in the cap member 51 and ink is forcibly sucked from the nozzle opening 48, and the suction path 20a,
The liquid is led to the waste liquid tank 49 through the first suction valve 24a, the tube pump 10, the second suction valve 24b, and the waste liquid path 20b.

On the other hand, with the nozzle surface capped by the cap member 51, the first suction valve 24a and the second suction valve 24b are closed, and the first pressurization valve 24c and the second pressurization valve 24d are opened. By driving the tube pump 10 in the state, the atmosphere is sucked into the tube pump 10 from the atmospheric passage 20c through the first pressurization valve 24c, and the cap is passed through the second pressurization valve 24d and the pressurization passage 20d. The cap 51 is introduced into the space in the member 51 and pressurized.

When the replacement command for the ink cartridges 7 and 8 is received, the cap member 51
The nozzle surface is capped with the cap member 5 by the tube pump 10.
When the new ink cartridges 7 and 8 are mounted, the ink supply needle 52, which is a joint portion between the ink cartridges 7 and 8 and the recording head 17, is obtained by bringing the internal space of 1 into a pressurized state.
Even if pressure is generated in this part, ink does not ooze out from the nozzle opening 48. For this reason, after the ink cartridges 7 and 8 are replaced, there is no need to perform a suction operation for recovering the meniscus of the broken nozzle fold 48 due to the ink oozing out from the nozzle openings 48. In addition to eliminating the need for discharging, operations such as wiping and flushing discharge after suction are no longer required, and the cartridge replacement sequence can be simplified to shorten the time required for replacement.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a control apparatus for executing the ink cartridge replacement operation and clogging elimination of the recording apparatus.

The ink cartridge attachment / detachment detection means 30 includes the ink cartridges 7 of the carriage 11,
In this embodiment, the mounting and removal of the ink cartridges 7 and 8 are detected in response to signals from the switches 31 and 32 pressed by the ink cartridges 7 and 8 on the cartridge receiving surface of the carriage 11 in this embodiment. Is. The ink cartridge replacement determination unit 33 determines whether or not the ink cartridges 7 and 8 have been replaced based on a signal from the ink cartridge attachment / detachment detection unit 30.

In the carriage position detecting means 34, the carriage 11 is at least at the home position (position where the recording head 17 faces the cap member 51) based on the signal from the carriage position detector 35, and the first ink cartridge 7 is in the window 6. A first exchange position opposite to the second ink cartridge 8, a second exchange position where the second ink cartridge 8 faces the window 6, and a flushing position where the ink droplets from the recording head 17 can be received during the flushing operation (this embodiment) Then, when the recording head 17 is moved to a cleaning position where the wiping unit 50 can receive wiping or rubbing, a signal about the position is output.

The carriage motor control means 36 receives the control from the sequence selection means 45 and reciprocates the carriage 11 for printing. In addition, the carriage motor control means 36 receives suction control means 39, ink cartridge replacement control means 63, and carriage position detection means 34, which will be described later. When the carriage 11 is moved to the home position, the first replacement position, the second replacement position, the flushing position, and the cleaning position based on the signal, and the replacement of the ink cartridges 7 and 8 is completed. First, the carriage 11 is moved to the home position with a torque lower than usual, a low speed, or a combination thereof.

The printing / flushing control means 37 outputs a drive signal for ejecting ink droplets from the head driving means 38 to the recording head 17 on the basis of print data from the host to control the printing operation, and exists at the flushing position. A driving signal similar to that described above is output to the recording head 17 to control a flushing operation in which ink droplets are ejected from all the nozzle openings 48 and thickened ink is ejected to the ink receiver.

The suction control means 39 is controlled by the sequence selection means 45 and seals the recording head 17 by the capping unit 19, and the pump drive means 40 causes the pump unit 23 to be sealed.
The suction force and suction time of the tube pump 10 are controlled to suck and discharge ink from the recording head 17 in order to recover the ink discharge capability.

The ink remaining amount detection determination means 41 integrates the number of dots formed by printing, the number of ink droplets ejected by the flushing operation, and the amount of ink consumed by the cleaning operation,
The remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridges 7 and 8 is calculated. Ink cartridges 7 and 8
In addition to resetting the integrated value, if at least cleaning by suction is instructed, the remaining amount of ink in both ink cartridges 7 and 8 is checked, and the remaining amount of ink checked is consumed by cleaning. When the amount of ink is smaller than the ink amount to be printed, the ink cartridges 7 and 8 are determined to be ink ends.

The power shutoff detecting means 42 detects on / off of the power switch P and outputs a signal indicating the state thereof. When an operation for turning off the power is performed, a predetermined post-processing is performed. The supply of power to the apparatus is stopped. The case opening detection means 43 outputs a signal indicating whether or not the case cover 1 has been opened by a signal from a switch 44 that responds to the opening and closing of the case cover 1.

The sequence selection means 45 is provided with an ink cartridge replacement command switch IC on the operation panel 9.
The cleaning command switch CC, the power interruption detection means 42, the case opening detection means 43, the ink remaining amount detection determination means 41, the reset switch R, and signals from the host are received, and the entire process or Supervises operations such as power-on processing, power-off processing, cleaning processing, ink remaining amount check processing, printing processing, ink cartridge replacement processing, etc., and suction state storage means for various states caused by cleaning processing during power-off processing 46 is stored.

The suction state storage means 46 stores data with the initial filling flag turned off at the time of factory shipment, and turns on the initial filling flag when the initial filling is completed on the user side,
Further, an area for storing the state of the suction operation with respect to the ink cartridges 7 and 8 and the remaining amount of ink is provided. In the figure, reference numeral 47 indicates a carriage motor drive means for driving the carriage drive motor 13.

The ink cartridge replacement control unit 63 controls the ink cartridge replacement process under the control of the sequence selection unit 45, and when the replacement command for the ink cartridges 7 and 8 is received, the nozzle of the recording head 17 is capped and the tube described above. Pump 1
It functions as the control means of the present invention that controls to pressurize the internal space of the cap member 51 by zero.

In other words, when the ink remaining amount detection determining means 41 determines that the ink has ended, a signal is sent to the ink end indicators BE and CE to notify the user of the ink end sign by a method such as turning on the LED lamp. When the user presses the ink cartridge replacement command switch IC in response to the notification of the ink end, the sequence selection means 45 receives a replacement command for the ink cartridges 7 and 8, sends a control signal to the ink cartridge replacement control means 63, and the cap member 51, the recording unit 17 is capped by the valve unit 18, the tube pump 10, and the like, and the cap member 51 is controlled to be in a pressurized state.

In order to pressurize the cap member 51, first, the carriage motor control means 36 controls the movement of the carriage 11, and the ink cartridge 7 or 8 whose ink end is detected is detected.
Moves the carriage 11 to the first exchange position or the second exchange position facing the window 6. As will be described later, in this embodiment, when the carriage 11 is moved to the first exchange position or the second exchange position, the upper edge of the cap member 51 is brought into close contact with the nozzle surface to perform capping.

When the capping is performed by moving to the first exchange position or the second exchange position, a control signal is sent to the valve control means 69 to operate the valve unit 18, and the first suction valve 24a and the first suction valve 24a are connected. 2 The suction valve 24b is closed and the first pressurization valve 24
c and the second pressurizing valve 24d are opened. Next, a control signal is sent to the pump control means 64, and the tube pump 10 is driven to introduce air into the cap member 51, thereby bringing the cap member 51 into a pressurized state.

In this state, the ink cartridge replacement control means 63 performs, for example, the ink end indicator BE.
, CE to notify the user of a sign of ink cartridge replacement preparation completion by sending a signal to CE and blinking the LED lamp, etc., and cause the user to replace the ink cartridge.

The user who has completed the ink cartridge replacement is notified of the ink cartridge replacement command switch I
By pressing C again, an ink cartridge replacement end signal is input. When the sequence selection unit 45 receives the ink cartridge replacement end signal, the sequence selection unit 45 sends a control signal to the ink cartridge replacement control unit 63 and controls the movement of the carriage 11 by the carriage motor control unit 36 to move the carriage 11 to the home position. .

Here, the pressure that pressurizes the inside of the cap member 51 by the tube pump 10 is the pressure that pressurizes the internal space of the cap member, which prevents bleeding from the nozzle when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the ejection head. In addition, the ink meniscus of the nozzle is large enough not to be destroyed, and the flow path 5 of the recording head 17 is obtained by replacing the ink cartridges 7 and 8.
The difference between the applied pressure generated in the cap member 51 in the capped and pressurized cap member 51 is set within the range of the meniscus surface tension of the nozzle opening 48. Specifically, the applied pressure in the cap member 51 is set to about 1.0 atm or more and about 1.05 atm or less.

The pressurizing force in the cap member 51 in the pressurized state is specifically performed by controlling the rotation of the tube pump 10. In other words, the tube pump 10 is made so that the volume space obtained by adding the inner volume of the cap member 51 to the inner volume of the tube member constituting the pressurizing passage 20d on the downstream side of the tube pump 10 is within the range of the atmospheric pressure. This can be realized by rotating and stopping the tube pump 10 so as to crush the tube member.

  5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the position of the carriage 11.

FIG. 5A shows a state in which the carriage 11 is present in the print area, and the carriage 11 and the ink cartridges 7 and 8 are present in a position facing the window 5 in the print area.

FIG. 5B is a second replacement position in which only the second ink cartridge 8 faces the window 6, and only the second ink cartridge 8 can be inserted and removed from the window 6. Reference numeral 7 denotes a state in which the frame 2C faces and cannot be inserted or removed.

FIG. 5C is a first replacement position in which only the first ink cartridge 7 faces the window 6, and only the first ink cartridge 7 can be inserted and removed from the window 6. Reference numeral 8 denotes a state where it faces the ceiling surface of the case body 2 and cannot be inserted or removed.

FIG. 5-2 (D) shows the home position, where the first ink cartridge 7 and the second ink cartridge 7
The ink cartridge 8 faces the ceiling surface of the case body 2 and cannot be inserted or removed.

The capping unit 19 is supported by the guide unit 57 so as to be slidable left and right. The capping unit 19 is slightly lowered on the most printing area side, and the cap member 51 is separated from the nozzle surface. The position where the carriage 11 is moved until the nozzle surface faces the cap member 51 in this state is the flushing position, and flushing discharge is performed from the nozzle opening 48 to the cap member 51.

When the carriage 11 is further moved to the home position side, the side surface of the carriage 11 comes into contact with the abutting member 65 erected at the end of the capping unit 19 on the home position side, and the capping unit 19 is pushed and moved to the home position side. Let At this time, the capping unit 19 moves while approaching the nozzle surface side, and the upper edge of the cap member 51 is in close contact with the nozzle surface and capped at the second exchange position, the first exchange position, and the home position. It becomes.

That is, the capping unit 19 operates so as to draw the locus of the arrow shown in the figure so as to perform the capping operation when it is moved to the home position side by the carriage 11. Such an operation of the capping unit 19 can be realized, for example, by slidably mounting the capping unit 19 on a guide rail provided in a line like the above-mentioned locus in the guide unit 57. The mechanism is not limited to a mechanism, and various mechanisms and structures can be employed.

With such a configuration, the control means is provided with the window 6 in the case body 2 so that the ink cartridges 7 and 8 can be replaced at a predetermined position when the replacement command for the ink cartridges 7 and 8 is received. The carriage 11 is moved to the first exchange position or the second exchange position, the nozzle of the recording head 17 is capped, and the internal space of the cap member 51 is pressurized by the tube pump 10.

FIG. 6 shows a state in which the nozzle surface is capped with the cap member 51 and the valve unit 18 is brought into a suckable state which is an initial state. In this suckable state, the first suction valve 24a and the second suction valve 24b of the valve unit 18 are opened, and the first pressurization valve 24c and the second pressurization valve 24d are closed. Thereby, the upstream side of the tube pump 10 is connected to the cap member 5.
1, and the downstream side of the tube pump 10 is connected to the waste liquid tank 49. By driving the tube pump 10 in this state, a negative pressure is applied to the space in the cap member 51 and the ink is forcibly sucked from the nozzle opening 48, and the suction path 20a and the first suction valve 2 are sucked.
4a, waste liquid tank 49 through tube pump 10, second suction valve 24b, waste liquid path 20b
Led to.

FIG. 7 shows a state in which the nozzle surface is capped with the cap member 51 so that the valve unit 18 can be pressurized. In this pressurizable state, the first suction valve 24a and the second suction valve 2
4b is closed, and the first pressurization valve 24c and the second pressurization valve 24d of the valve unit 18 are opened. Thereby, the upstream side of the tube pump 10 is communicated with the atmospheric passage 20c, and the downstream side of the tube pump 10 is communicated with the pressurization passage 20d. Tube pump 1 in this state
By driving 0, the atmosphere is sucked into the tube pump 10 from the atmospheric passage 20c through the first pressurization valve 24c, and the space in the cap member 51 passes through the second pressurization valve 24d and the pressurization passage 20d. The cap member 51 is pressurized.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining ink cartridge replacement processing in the recording apparatus of the present embodiment.

First, when the ink remaining amount detection determination means 41 determines that the ink has ended, a signal is sent to the ink end indicators BE and CE to notify the user of the ink end sign by a method such as turning on the LED lamp. At this time, if the ink cartridge 7 for black ink is the ink end, the lamp of the ink end indicator BE is lit, and if the ink cartridge 8 for color ink is the ink end, the lamp of the ink end indicator CE is By lighting
The user is notified which of the two ink cartridges 7 and 8 has reached the ink end.

At this time, the ink remaining amount detection judging means 41 is provided with the ink cartridge 7 for black ink.
If the ink end is the ink end, a signal indicating that the ink cartridge 7 for the black ink is the ink end is sent to the sequence selection means 45. If the ink cartridge 8 for the color ink is the ink end, the ink cartridge for the color ink A signal indicating that 8 is an ink end is sent to the sequence selection means 45.

In response to the ink end notification, the user presses the ink cartridge replacement command switch IC to start the ink cartridge replacement operation (S1). When the user presses the ink cartridge replacement command switch IC, the sequence selection unit 45 receives a replacement command for the ink cartridges 7 and 8. At this time, if the sequence selection means 45 has received a signal from the ink remaining amount detection judgment means 41 that the ink cartridge 7 for black ink is in an ink end, it issues a replacement command for the ink cartridge 7 for black ink. This is transmitted to the ink cartridge replacement control means 63. If a signal indicating that the ink cartridge 8 for color ink is in the ink end is received, a replacement command for the ink cartridge 8 for color ink is transmitted to the ink cartridge replacement control means 63.

When the ink cartridge replacement control means 63 receives a replacement command for the ink cartridges 7 and 8, the ink cartridge replacement control means 63 sends a control signal to the carriage motor control means 36 to control the movement of the carriage 11 and move the carriage to a predetermined replacement position (S2). ). At this time, if a replacement command for the black ink cartridge 7 is received, the black ink cartridge 7 is moved to the first replacement position facing the window 6, and the color ink cartridge 8 is moved. If an exchange command has been received, the color ink cartridge 8 is moved to the second exchange position facing the window 6.

At this time, as described above, capping is performed with the upper edge of the cap member 51 in close contact with the nozzle surface regardless of the position of the carriage 11 in either the first exchange position or the second exchange position.

Next, the ink cartridge replacement control means 63 switches the valve unit 18 from the initial suckable state to the pressurizable state (S3). That is, in the initial state, the first suction valve 24a and the second suction valve 24b are opened, and the first pressurization valve 24c and the second pressurization valve 24 are opened.
d is set to a suckable state in which the valve is closed. The first suction valve 24a and the second suction valve 24b are closed, and the first pressurization valve 24c and the second pressurization valve 24d are opened so that pressurization is possible.

After the valve unit 18 is switched to a pressurizable state, the tube pump 10 is driven to suck the atmosphere into the tube pump 10 from the atmosphere path 20c and introduce air into the cap member 51 via the pressure path 20d. Then, the inside of the cap member 51 is pressurized (S4).

Next, the ink cartridge replacement control means 63 sends a signal to the ink end indicators BE and CE to notify the user of the ink cartridge replacement preparation sign by flashing the LED lamp or the like. Exchange work is performed (S5).

The user who has completed the ink cartridge replacement inputs the ink cartridge replacement end signal by pressing the ink cartridge replacement command switch IC again (S6).
When the sequence selection unit 45 receives the ink cartridge replacement end signal, the sequence selection unit 45 sends a control signal to the ink cartridge replacement control unit 63 to switch the valve unit 18 from the pressurizable state to the suckable state again (S7). That is, the first suction valve 24a and the second suction valve 24b are opened, and the first pressurization valve 24c and the second pressurization valve 24d are closed to return to the initial state.

Thereafter, movement control of the carriage 11 is performed by the carriage motor control means 36, the carriage 11 is moved to the home position (S8), a series of ink cartridge replacement processing is completed, and printing is resumed.

  According to the liquid ejecting apparatus of the above embodiment, the following operational effects are obtained.

That is, when a replacement command for the ink cartridges 7 and 8 is received, the recording head 17
Since the nozzle opening 48 is capped and the internal space of the cap member 51 is pressurized, when a new ink cartridge 7 or 8 is mounted, pressure is generated at the joint between the ink cartridge 7 or 8 and the recording head 17. Even so, the ink does not ooze out from the nozzle openings 48, and the meniscus is prevented from being destroyed. For this reason, the ink cartridge 7,
After the replacement of the nozzle 8, it is not necessary to perform an ink suction operation for recovering the ink meniscus of the broken nozzle due to the ink oozing out from the nozzle opening 48. Subsequent operations such as wiping and flushing discharge become unnecessary, and the cartridge replacement sequence can be simplified to shorten the time required for replacement.

The pressure for pressurizing the internal space of the cap member 51 is the ink cartridge 7.
, 8 is mounted on the recording head 17 so that the liquid does not ooze out from the nozzle opening 48 and the ink meniscus of the nozzle opening 48 is not destroyed. When mounted on the head 17, ink bleeding from the nozzle openings 48 and destruction of the meniscus are reliably prevented.

In addition, the tube pump 10 applies a negative pressure to the cap member 51 so that the nozzle opening 4
Since it also serves as a pump for sucking ink from 8, it is possible to pressurize the cap member 51 using a pump for cleaning the recording head 17. Is good.

In addition, the suction side of the tube pump 10 communicates with the cap member 51 and the discharge side communicates with the waste liquid tank 49, the suction side of the tube pump communicates with the atmosphere, and the discharge side communicates with the cap member 51. Since the valve unit 18 is provided as a switching unit for switching the pressurizable state to be used, the common tube pump 10 can be switched between suction and pressurization by switching control, and the common tube pump 10 can be switched by simple control. Suction and pressurization can be realized.

The switching unit has a first suction valve 24a whose upstream side communicates with the space in the cap member 51 and whose downstream side communicates with the suction side of the tube pump 10, and whose upstream side communicates with the discharge side of the tube pump 10. The second suction valve 24b whose downstream side communicates with the waste liquid tank 49, the first pressurization valve 24c whose upstream side communicates with the atmosphere and whose downstream side communicates with the suction side of the tube pump 10, and the upstream side discharges the tube pump 10. Since the valve unit 18 is configured to include the second pressurizing valve 24 d that communicates with the space and the downstream side communicates with the space in the cap member 51, the first nozzle member is capped with the cap member 51. The suction valve 24a and the second suction valve 24b are opened, and the first pressurization valve 24 is opened.
By driving the tube pump 10 with c and the second pressurizing valve 24d closed,
A negative pressure is applied to the space in the cap member 51, and ink is forcibly sucked from the nozzle opening 48 and guided to the waste liquid tank 49. On the other hand, with the nozzle surface capped by the cap member 51, the first suction valve 24a and the second suction valve 24b are closed, and the first pressurization valve 24c and the second pressurization valve 24d are opened. By driving the tube pump 10 in this state, the atmosphere is sucked into the tube pump 10 and introduced into the space in the cap member 51 to pressurize the cap member 51. In this manner, the suctionable state and the pressurizable state can be easily switched and controlled by opening and closing the four valves.

Further, a carriage 11 for moving the recording head 17 in the main scanning direction is further provided, and the control means moves the carriage 11 to a predetermined position when an exchange command for the ink cartridges 7 and 8 is received. Since the nozzle of the recording head 17 is capped and the inner space of the cap member 51 is pressurized by the tube pump 10, the nozzle opening 48 is sealed at a predetermined position, so that control according to a predetermined sequence is performed. It becomes possible.

Further, since the predetermined position is an exchange position in which the outer case is provided with a window so that the ink cartridges 7 and 8 can be exchanged, the nozzle opening 48 is sealed in the exchange position. The ink cartridges 7 and 8 can be replaced while the opening 48 is kept sealed.

  9 to 11 show a second embodiment of the present invention.

In this example, the replacement position and the home position are common positions, and in the ink cartridge replacement process, the ink cartridges 7 and 8 are replaced by capping the recording head 17 at the home position.

More specifically, the cap member 51 is provided in the capping unit 19, and the capping unit 19 is mounted so as to be movable up and down by a lifting unit 58, and is capped by a lifting operation by a cylindrical cam mechanism or the like (not shown). . The cap member 51 is connected to the tube pump 10 and sucks and discharges ink from the nozzle opening 48 by a negative pressure applied to the internal space.

The window 6 of the case body 2 is set to have a size and a shape that both the first ink cartridge 7 and the second ink cartridge 8 face each other with the carriage 11 positioned at the home position. The window 6 is covered by a first cover member 61 that faces the first ink cartridge 7 and a second cover member 62 that faces the second ink cartridge 8.

When replacing the first ink cartridge 7, the first cover member 61 is opened and the replacement work is performed. When replacing the second ink cartridge 8, the second cover member 62 is opened and the replacement work is performed. To do.

FIG. 10 shows an example of a control device that executes an ink cartridge replacement operation and clogging elimination of the recording apparatus of the second embodiment.

The ink cartridge replacement control unit 63 controls the ink cartridge replacement process under the control of the sequence selection unit 45. In other words, when the ink remaining amount detection determining means 41 determines that the ink has ended, a signal is sent to the ink end indicators BE and CE to notify the user of the ink end sign by a method such as turning on the LED lamp. When the user presses the ink cartridge replacement command switch IC in response to the ink end notification, the sequence selection means 45
Accepts the replacement command for the ink cartridges 7 and 8 and receives the ink cartridge replacement control means 6.
3 is controlled so that the nozzle opening 48 of the recording head 17 is sealed by the sealing means for sealing the nozzle of the recording head 17 by the cap member 51, the tube 20, the tube pump 10, and the like.

For sealing the nozzle opening 48, first, the carriage 11 is moved to the home position as a predetermined position by controlling the movement of the carriage 11 by the carriage motor control means 36. Then, the cap raising / lowering means 66 is controlled by the raising / lowering control means 67 to raise the cap member 51, and the upper edge of the cap member 51 is brought into close contact with the nozzle surface for capping.

Next, a control signal is sent to the valve control means 69, the valve operation of the valve unit 18 is performed, the first suction valve 24a and the second suction valve 24b are closed, and the first pressurization valve 24c.
And the second pressurizing valve 24d is opened. Next, a control signal is sent to the pump control means 64, and the tube pump 10 is driven to introduce air into the cap member 51, thereby bringing the cap member 51 into a pressurized state.

Further, the ink cartridge replacement control means 63 sends a control signal to the cover lock means 68 so that the ink cartridges 7 and 8 can be replaced.
The lock members 61 and 62 are unlocked.

At this time, the lock of the cover members 61 and 62 facing the ink cartridges 7 and 8 where the ink end is detected is released.

In this state, the ink cartridge replacement control means 63 performs, for example, the ink end indicator BE.
, CE to notify the user of a sign of ink cartridge replacement preparation completion by sending a signal to CE and blinking the LED lamp, etc., and cause the user to replace the ink cartridge.

The user who has completed the ink cartridge replacement is notified of the ink cartridge replacement command switch I
By pressing C again, an ink cartridge replacement end signal is input. When the sequence selection unit 45 receives the ink cartridge replacement end signal, the sequence selection unit 45 turns on the lock of the cover members 61 and 62.

  Since other than that is the same as that of 1st Embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining ink cartridge replacement processing in the recording apparatus of the present embodiment.

First, when the ink remaining amount detection determination means 41 determines that the ink has ended, a signal is sent to the ink end indicators BE and CE to notify the user of the ink end sign by a method such as turning on the LED lamp. At this time, if the ink cartridge 7 for black ink is the ink end, the lamp of the ink end indicator BE is lit, and if the ink cartridge 8 for color ink is the ink end, the lamp of the ink end indicator CE is By lighting
The user is notified which of the two ink cartridges 7 and 8 has reached the ink end.

In response to the ink end notification, the user presses the ink cartridge replacement command switch IC to start the ink cartridge replacement operation (S11). When the user presses the ink cartridge replacement command switch IC, the sequence selection unit 45 receives a replacement command for the ink cartridges 7 and 8.

When the ink cartridge replacement control means 63 receives a replacement command for the ink cartridges 7 and 8, the ink cartridge replacement control means 63 sends a control signal to the carriage motor control means 36 to control the movement of the carriage 11 and move the carriage to the home position (S12).

Next, the ink cartridge replacement control means 63 sends a control signal to the elevation control means 67, and the elevation control means 67 controls the cap elevation means 66 to raise the cap member 51, so that the upper edge of the cap member 51 becomes the nozzle surface. Capping with close contact (S13).

Next, the ink cartridge replacement control means 63 switches the valve unit 18 from the initial suckable state to the pressurizable state (S14). That is, the initial state is the first
The suction valve 24a and the second suction valve 24b are opened, and the first pressurization valve 24c and the second pressurization valve 2 are opened.
4d is set to a suckable state in which the valve is closed. The first suction valve 24a and the second suction valve 24b are closed, and the first pressurization valve 24c and the second pressurization valve 24d are opened so that pressurization is possible.

After the valve unit 18 is switched to a pressurizable state, the tube pump 10 is driven to suck the atmosphere into the tube pump 10 from the atmosphere path 20c and introduce air into the cap member 51 via the pressure path 20d. Then, the inside of the cap member 51 is pressurized (S15).

Next, the ink cartridge replacement control means 63 sends a control signal to the cover lock means 68, and the cover member 61 corresponding to the ink cartridge 7 or 8 that has become the ink end.
, 62 are released (S16).

Next, the ink cartridge replacement control means 63 sends a signal to the ink end indicators BE and CE to notify the user of the ink cartridge replacement preparation completion sign by a method such as blinking the LED lamp. Is exchanged (S17).

Then, the user who has completed the ink cartridge replacement inputs the ink cartridge replacement end signal by pressing the ink cartridge replacement command switch IC again (S18).
. Upon receiving the ink cartridge replacement end signal, the sequence selection unit 45 sends a control signal to the ink cartridge replacement control unit 63, and switches the valve unit 18 from the pressurizable state to the suckable state again (S19). That is, the first suction valve 24a and the second suction valve 24b are opened, and the first pressurization valve 24c and the second pressurization valve 24d are closed to return to the initial state.

Next, a control signal is sent to the ink cartridge replacement control means 63 so that the cover lock means 6
In step S15, the locks of the cover members 61 and 62, which have been unlocked in step S15, are turned on again (S20), a series of ink cartridge replacement processes are completed, and printing is resumed.

In this embodiment, the ink cartridges 7 and 8 can be prevented from being erroneously replaced by locking the cover members 61 and 62, and the home position also serves as the replacement position. Therefore, the size of the apparatus in the main scanning direction can be reduced. it can. Other than that, there exists an effect similar to the said 1st Embodiment.

  FIG. 12 shows a third embodiment of the present invention.

In this example, the valve unit 18 that functions as the switching unit of the present invention is composed of four valves: a first suction valve 24a, a second suction valve 24b, a first pressurization valve 24c, and a second pressurization valve 24d. Instead, it is composed of two three-way valves, a first three-way valve 26a and a second three-way valve 26b.

The first three-way valve 26 a communicates with the suction side of the tube pump 10, and a suction path 20 a that communicates the flow path communicating with the suction side of the tube pump 10 with the internal space of the cap member 51.
Or the atmospheric path 20c communicating with the atmosphere.

The second three-way valve 26b is connected to the discharge side of the tube pump 10 on the upstream side, and the flow path connected to the discharge side of the tube pump 10 is a waste liquid path 20b connected to the waste liquid tank 49 or a cap member. The pressure path 20d communicating with the interior 51 is switched.

FIG. 12A is a view showing a suckable state. The first three-way valve 26 a communicates the suction side of the tube pump 10 with the cap member 51, and the second three-way valve 26 b is a tube pump 10. Is connected to the waste liquid tank 49. By driving the tube pump 10 in this state, a negative pressure is applied to the space in the cap member 51, and ink is sucked from the nozzle opening 48 and guided to the waste liquid tank 49.

FIG. 12B is a diagram showing a pressurizable state. The first three-way valve 26a communicates the suction side of the tube pump 10 with the atmospheric passage 20c, and the second three-way valve 26b
The discharge side is communicated with the pressure passage 20d. By driving the tube pump 10 in this state, the atmosphere is sucked and sent to the space in the cap member 51, and the inside of the cap member 51 is pressurized. Since other than that is the same as that of 1st and 2nd embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted.

In this embodiment, the first three-way valve 26a is connected to the suction side of the tube pump 10 to switch between the suction side of the tube pump 10 and the internal space of the cap member 51 or the atmosphere. The valve unit is configured to include a second three-way valve 26b that communicates with the discharge side of the pump 10 and switches between the discharge side of the tube pump 10 and the waste liquid tank 49 or the cap member 51. Therefore, the first three-way valve 26a
To communicate the suction side of the tube pump 10 into the cap member 51, and the second three-way valve 26
b, the discharge side of the tube pump 10 is connected to the waste liquid tank 49 to enable suction.
By driving the tube pump 10 in this state, negative pressure is applied to the space in the cap member 51, and ink can be sucked from the nozzle opening 48 and led to the waste liquid tank 49. On the other hand, the suction side of the tube pump 10 is communicated to the atmosphere by the first three-way valve 26a, and the discharge side of the tube pump 10 is communicated to the inside of the cap member 51 by the second three-way valve 26b to enable pressurization. By driving the tube pump 10 in this state, the atmosphere can be sucked and sent into the space in the cap member 51 to pressurize the cap member 51. In this manner, the suctionable state and the pressurizable state can be easily switched and controlled by opening and closing the two three-way valves. Further, the number of valves can be reduced and the valve unit 18 can be downsized. Other than that, there exists an effect similar to the said 1st and 2nd embodiment.

  13 and 14 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

In this example, a slide valve unit 28 that functions as the switching unit of the present invention is provided. The slide valve unit 28 includes a holding member 59 and a slide valve 60 that slides in the vertical direction in the figure while being held by the holding member 59.

FIG. 14 shows a state in which the slide valve 14 is in the first position (suctionable position).
The state switched to be in a suckable state is shown.

FIG. 15 shows a state in which the slide valve 14 is in the second position (pressurizable position)
The state switched to be in a pressurizable state is shown.

The holding member 59 includes a cap communication path 59 a that communicates with the space in the cap member 51, a waste liquid tank communication path 59 b that communicates with the waste liquid tank 49, a pump suction path 59 c that communicates with the suction side of the tube pump 10, Pump discharge passage 5 communicating with the discharge side of the tube pump 10
9d.

The slide valve 60 includes the suction passage 60a that allows the cap communication passage 59a and the pump suction passage 59c to communicate with each other when the slide valve 50 is in the first position (suckable position). A suction path 60b is formed which communicates the waste liquid tank communication path 59b and the pump discharge path 59d when in the (suctionable position). Also, the slide valve 60
In addition, when the slide valve 60 is in the second position (pressurizable position), the atmospheric path 60c allows the pump suction path 59c to communicate with the atmosphere, and the slide valve 60 is also in the second position (pressurizable position).
There is provided a pressurizing passage 60d that allows the cap communication passage 59a and the pump discharge passage 59d to communicate with each other.

When performing a normal printing operation or the like, the slide valve 60 is positioned at the first position (suctionable position), and the cap communication path 59a and the pump suction path 59c are communicated with each other through the suction path 60a.
The waste liquid tank communication path 59b and the pump discharge path 59d are communicated with each other through the suction path 60b. As a result, the suction side of the tube pump 10 communicates with the inside of the cap member 51, and the discharge side of the tube pump 10 communicates with the waste liquid tank. By driving the tube pump 10 in this state, a negative pressure is applied to the space in the cap member 51, and ink is sucked from the nozzle opening 48 and guided to the waste liquid tank 49.

On the other hand, when the ink cartridges 7 and 8 are replaced, the slide valve 60 is positioned at the second position (pressurizable position), the pump suction path 59c is communicated with the atmosphere via the atmospheric path 60c, and the pressure path At 60d, the cap communication path 59a and the pump discharge path 59d are connected. Thus, the suction side of the tube pump 10 is communicated with the atmosphere, and the discharge side of the tube pump 10 is communicated with the inside of the cap member 51. By driving the tube pump 10 in this state, the air is sucked into the space in the cap member 51, and the cap member 51
The inside is pressurized. Since other than that is the same as that of 1st and 2nd embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted.

In this embodiment, the switching unit causes the suction side of the tube pump 10 to communicate with the inside of the cap member 51 at the first position and allows the discharge side of the tube pump 10 to communicate with the waste liquid tank. Since the slide valve unit includes a slide valve that allows the suction side of the tube pump 10 to communicate with the atmosphere at the position and the discharge side of the tube pump 10 to communicate with the inside of the cap member 51, suction is possible by sliding the slide valve 60. Switching between the state and the pressurizable state can be easily performed, switching control is facilitated, and the switching unit can be downsized. Other than that, there exists an effect similar to the said 1st and 2nd embodiment.

In the fourth embodiment, in the above description, in the slide valve unit 28, the slide valve 60 is linearly slid to move the first position (suctionable position) and the second position (pressurizable position). However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, by rotating and sliding the slide valve 60, the first position (suctionable position) and the second position ( It is also possible to switch between the pressurizable position).

Moreover, in the said 1st-4th embodiment, although the example which used the tube pump 10 as a pump was given and demonstrated, the other pump can also be applied as a pump.

  FIG. 15 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

In this example, the internal space of the cap member is brought into a pressurized state by changing the rotation direction of the tube pump 10 instead of switching the flowable state and the pressurizable state by switching the flow path with the valve unit 18. Control is performed so as to switch between a pressurizable state and a suckable state for applying a negative pressure to the cap member to suck the liquid from the nozzle.

The tube pump 10 includes a roller member 21 supported by a rotating plate 25 that is a rotating body,
It has a flexible tube member 20 having an annular curved portion, and both ends of the tube member 20 are drawn out in the same direction and bundled in the same plane. The upstream end of the tube member 20 in the suction direction is connected to a cap member 51 that seals the nozzle surface of the recording head 17, and the downstream end in the suction direction is connected to a waste liquid tank 49.

The annular part of the tube member 20 is arranged along the inner peripheral surface of the pump frame 27 which is a guide member formed in a substantially C-shaped cross section, so that the outer periphery of the annular part is supported by the pump frame 27. Has been. A rotating plate 25 is disposed in the annular part concentrically with the annular part. The rotary plate 25 rotates around the axis while maintaining a predetermined clearance with the inner peripheral surface of the annular portion. The motor 22 that is a drive source for rotating the rotary plate 25 is also used as a paper feed mechanism motor.

The roller member 21 is rotatably supported by a hole formed in the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion of the rotating plate 25 at a position where the tube member 20 is crushed so as to completely contact the inner surface of the tube member 20. As a result, the roller plate 21 revolves along the inner peripheral surface of the annular portion as the rotating plate 25 rotates about the axis. By this revolution, the roller member 21 rolls on the inner periphery of the annular portion of the tube member 20. In this way, the roller member 2
1 rolls on the inner periphery of the annular portion of the tube member 20, so that the tube member 20 is sequentially pressed from the inside by the roller member 21.

Then, when the rotating plate 25 rotates in the forward direction (suction direction), the roller member 21 rolls in the suction direction on the inner peripheral surface of the annular portion of the tube member 20, and the tube member 20 is sequentially deformed and restored. Thus, a negative pressure is generated on the upstream side of the tube member 20. The negative pressure causes the ink to be forcibly sucked from the nozzle openings 48 formed on the nozzle surface of the recording head 17, and the sucked ink flows in the suction direction and is introduced into the downstream waste liquid tank 49. ing.

On the other hand, when the rotating plate 25 reverses (in the pressurizing direction), the roller member 21 rolls on the inner peripheral surface of the annular portion of the tube member 20 in the pressurizing direction, and the tube member 20 is sequentially deformed and restored. Thus, a pressing force is generated on the downstream side of the tube member 20. With this applied pressure, the internal space of the cap member 51 capping the nozzle surface of the recording head 17 is pressurized. Then, the rotation of the rotating plate 25 may be stopped when a predetermined pressure is obtained. The pressure can be controlled by, for example, how much the rotating plate 25 is rotated, in other words, by the degree of the rotation phase of the roller member 21. That is,
When the roller member 21 is revolved for a long distance and then stopped, a relatively large pressure is obtained, and when the roller member 21 is revolved for a short distance and then stopped, a relatively small pressure is obtained.

Since other than that is the same as that of 1st-3rd embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted. In this embodiment,
By switching the rotation of the tube pump 10, that is, by switching between the normal rotation and the reverse rotation of the rotating plate 25, the pressurizable state and the suckable state can be switched, which simplifies the control and does not require a valve unit. Is possible. Other than that, there exists an effect similar to the said 1st-3rd embodiment.

In addition, this invention is not limited to said each embodiment, It is the meaning including the following modifications.

In each of the above embodiments, the replacement command is input by pressing the ink cartridge replacement command switch IC provided on the operation panel 9, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the replacement is performed by a command from the host. A command may be input, or when the case cover 1 is opened, if there is an ink cartridge at the ink end, the carriage may be moved assuming that an ink cartridge replacement command has been received.

In each of the embodiments described above, the recording head 17 can be applied to a liquid ejecting apparatus that uses a piezoelectric vibrator as a pressure generating element that is a drive element that ejects liquid, or a liquid ejecting type that uses a heating element. It can also be applied to a device.

In addition, a program that causes a computer device to execute the above-described ink cartridge replacement processing method can be provided by being recorded on a recording medium or can be provided via a communication network.

In addition, as a typical example of the liquid ejecting apparatus, there is an ink jet recording apparatus provided with the above-described ink jet recording head for image recording. However, the present invention is an example of another liquid ejecting apparatus such as a liquid crystal display. Device with color material ejection head used for color filter production, device with electrode material (conductive paste) ejection head used for electrode formation such as organic EL display, surface emitting display (FED), etc., used for biochip production The present invention can be applied to various liquid ejecting apparatuses such as an apparatus having a biological organic matter ejecting head and an apparatus having a sample ejecting head as a precision pipette.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the recording mechanism of the said recording device. It is a figure which shows the outline of the flow-path structure of the said recording apparatus. It is a block diagram showing a control circuit and the like of the recording apparatus. It is a figure explaining the position of the said recording device. It is a figure explaining the position of the said recording device. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the said recording device. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the said recording device. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a control sequence for ink cartridge replacement. It is a figure explaining 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the block diagram which showed the control circuit etc. of the said 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the control sequence of the said 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure explaining 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the ink cartridge exchange sequence of a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

1 case cover, 2 case body, 2c frame, 3 case, 4 ink cartridge,
5 windows, 6 windows, 7 ink cartridges, 8 ink cartridges, 9 operation panel,
10 tube pump, 11 carriage, 12 timing belt, 13 carriage drive motor, 14 guide member, 15 platen, 16 recording paper, 17 recording head,
18 valve unit, 19 capping unit, 20 tube member, 20a suction path, 20b waste liquid path, 20c atmospheric path, 20d pressure path, 21 roller member, 22 motor, 23 pump unit, 24a first suction valve, 24b second Suction valve, 24c
First pressurizing valve, 24d Second pressurizing valve, 25 rotary plate, 26a First three-way valve, 26b
Second three-way valve, 27 Pump frame, 28 Slide valve unit, 30 Ink cartridge attachment / detachment detection means, 31 switch, 32 switch, 33 Ink cartridge replacement judgment means, 34 Carriage position detection means, 35 Carriage position detector, 36 Carriage motor Control means 37 Printing / flushing control means 38 Head drive means 39
Suction control means, 40 pump drive means, 41 ink remaining amount detection judgment means, 42 power-off detection means, 43 case open detection means, 44 switch, 45 sequence selection means,
46 Suction state storage means, 47 Carriage motor driving means, 48 Nozzle opening, 49
Waste liquid tank, 50 wiping unit, 51 cap member, 52 ink supply needle, 5
3 Ink introduction hole, 54 Ink supply port, 55 flow path, 56 actuator, 57 guide unit, 58 lift unit, 59 holding member, 59a cap communication path, 59b
Waste liquid tank communication path, 59c pump suction path, 59d pump discharge path, 60 slide valve, 60a suction path, 60b waste liquid path, 60c air path, 60d pressure path, 61 cover member, 62 cover member, 63 ink cartridge replacement control means , 64 pump control means, 65 contact member, 66 cap lifting means, 67 lift control means, 68 cover lock means, 69 valve control means, BE ink end indicator, CE ink end indicator,
R reset switch, CC cleaning command switch, IC ink cartridge replacement command switch, P power switch

Claims (12)

An ejection head having a nozzle that ejects liquid, a liquid cartridge that stores liquid to be supplied to the ejection head, a cap member that caps the nozzle of the ejection head, and a pump that pressurizes the internal space of the cap member And a control means for controlling the capping of the nozzles of the ejection head and pressurizing the internal space of the cap member by the pump when the liquid cartridge replacement command is received. The pressure for pressurizing the internal space of the cap member is such that when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the ejection head, the liquid is prevented from oozing from the nozzle and does not destroy the meniscus of the nozzle. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1. 3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pump also serves as a pump for applying a negative pressure to the cap member and sucking the liquid from the nozzle. Switching between a suckable state in which the suction side of the pump communicates with the cap member and a discharge side communicates with the waste tank, and a pressurizable state in which the suction side of the pump communicates with the atmosphere and the discharge side communicates with the cap member. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a switching unit. The switching unit has a first suction valve whose upstream side communicates with the space in the cap member and whose downstream side communicates with the suction side of the pump, the upstream side communicates with the discharge side of the pump, and the downstream side communicates with the waste liquid tank. The second suction valve, the first pressurizing valve whose upstream side communicates with the atmosphere and the downstream side communicates with the suction side of the pump, the upstream side communicates with the discharge side of the pump, and the downstream side communicates with the space in the cap member The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus is a valve unit including a second pressurizing valve. The switching unit communicates with the suction side of the pump so that the suction side of the pump communicates with the internal space of the cap member or communicates with the atmosphere, and the upstream side communicates with the discharge side of the pump. 5. A valve unit comprising a second three-way valve that switches between connecting the discharge side of the pump to the waste liquid tank or connecting to the cap member.
The liquid ejecting apparatus described. The switching unit communicates the suction side of the pump with the inside of the cap member at the first position, communicates the discharge side of the pump with the waste liquid tank, and communicates the suction side of the pump with the atmosphere at the second position. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus is a slide valve unit including a slide valve that causes the discharge side of the pump to communicate with the inside of the cap member. The control means is configured to change the rotation direction of the pump so as to pressurize the internal space of the cap member, and to apply a negative pressure to the cap member to suck liquid from the nozzle. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus is controlled so as to switch between the suckable states. The pump is a tube pump that rotates a rotating body supported by a roller member and rolls the roller member along an inner periphery of a tube arranged in a curved shape to generate a negative pressure. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein control is performed so as to switch between a suckable state in which the rotating body is normally rotated and a pressurizable state in which the rotating body is reversed. A carriage for moving the ejection head in the main scanning direction;
10. A carriage is moved to a predetermined position when a liquid cartridge replacement command is received, and the control means controls capping the nozzle of the ejection head and pressurizing the internal space of the cap member by the pump. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of the above. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined position is an exchange position in which a window portion is provided in the outer case so that the liquid cartridge can be exchanged. 12. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control means moves the carriage to the predetermined position and releases the lock of the cover member of the window provided in the outer case so that the liquid cartridge can be replaced. .

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