JP2008100435A - Ink supply system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attempt the cost reduction for the whole supply system and an easier ink-supply operation by neglecting the ink supply operation in each printer. <P>SOLUTION: The ink supply system 1 includes two or more printers 3, 3 equipped with the ink supply section connected to a recording head 2 and one ink server 5 for feeding an ink to each ink supply section. The ink server 5 includes ink cartridges Y, M, C, Bk, LM, LC for storing inks, an ink discharge part connected to the ink supply section installed in each printer 3 through an ink supply tube 9, two or more ink discharge paths for connecting the ink discharge parts corresponding to the ink cartridges Y, M, C, Bk, LM, LC and a server-side communication means which can exchange a signal with a printer-side communication means of each printer 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink supply system that supplies ink from a single ink server to a plurality of printers.

Inkjet printers are characterized by a very low noise level compared to wire dot printers and a lower running cost than thermal transfer printers.
With the recent spread of host computers, the use frequency of high-resolution printers has increased, and it has become necessary to increase the number of printers per host computer. For this reason, for example, there is a printer environment in which a host computer is connected to a plurality of printers, and the host computer selects and uses one of the printers (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of printers 503 and 503 connected to the host computer 501 may be the same printer 503 or different printers 503 and 505 as shown in FIG. Can be mentioned. In these environments, the user designates a printer to be used by the host computer 501 and records data.

  In general, an ink jet printer includes a carriage, a recording head mounted on the carriage, and an ink cartridge (ink container) that stores ink as liquid, and moves the carriage relative to a recording medium. However, printing is performed on the recording medium by supplying ink from the ink cartridge to the recording head and discharging the ink from nozzles formed on the recording head. Also, some ink jet printers have a configuration (so-called off-carriage type) in which an ink cartridge is not mounted on the carriage in order to reduce the load on the carriage or to reduce the size and thickness of the apparatus. .

  Therefore, in the case of a system that conventionally uses a plurality of printers using ink jet technology (hereinafter also referred to as “independent ink supply system”), the ink cartridge of each printer is replaced to cope with ink shortage. It was. As shown in FIG. 5, when the printer is of a different model, even if the same ink type is used, the ink cartridge can be replaced by replacing the ink cartridge corresponding to the corresponding model.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-19648

  However, in the conventional independent ink supply system, it is necessary to purchase a different type of cartridge according to the model even though the same ink type is used, and the management of the ink cartridge is complicated. In addition, since the ink cartridge needs to be replaced for each printer, the ink replacement time is increased.

  When the ink cartridge is replaced, a small amount of ink may remain in the cartridge flow path in the used ink cartridge, and the unusable residual ink that cannot be used as the number of printers increases. The amount of was also uneconomical.

  Further, in the independent ink supply system, when a large number of printers are installed, it is necessary to provide a cartridge mounting portion in each printer. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the cartridge mounting portion in each printer is redundantly added. Overall cost increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and an object thereof is to easily manage ink supply and reduce the cost of the entire ink supply system by eliminating the management of ink supply in each printer.

The above object of the present invention includes a plurality of printers including an ink supply unit connected to a recording head, and one ink server that supplies ink to each of the ink supply units.
The ink server includes an ink storage unit that stores ink, an ink discharge unit connected to an ink supply unit provided in each printer via an ink supply tube, and the ink discharge unit corresponding to the ink storage unit And an ink supply system comprising: a plurality of ink discharge paths connecting the printers; and a server-side communication unit capable of transmitting and receiving signals to and from the printer-side communication unit of each printer.

According to the ink supply system configured as described above, a common ink server that supplies ink to a plurality of printers is provided, and it is not necessary to mount an ink cartridge in the printer, and management of ink supply in each printer becomes unnecessary.
Further, unusable residual ink for each ink cartridge in each printer that could not be used conventionally is reduced.
Furthermore, the conventional ink cartridge mounting section provided in each printer is no longer necessary, and in a system configuration in which a large number of printers are installed, each printer has an individual ink supply system compared to the conventional independent ink supply system in which the cartridge mounting section is provided in each printer. Since the cost can be reduced, when the entire ink supply system is compared, the cost can be significantly reduced.

  In the ink supply system having the above-described configuration, the ink server includes an on-off valve interposed in each of the ink discharge paths, and a pressure supply that discharges the ink stored in the ink storage section to the ink discharge path. A discharge control means for controlling the ink discharge force of each ink storage section, the server side communication means, the on-off valve, and the booster, interposed between the pressure supply means and the ink storage section. It is desirable to include a pressure supply unit and a control unit that controls the discharge control unit.

  According to the ink supply system having such a configuration, the control unit of the ink server controls the server side communication means, the on-off valve, the pressure supply means, and the discharge control means, thereby efficiently supplying ink to a plurality of printers. can do.

  In the ink supply system having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that an ink remaining amount detection unit connected to the control unit is provided in each ink storage unit.

  According to the ink supply system having such a configuration, it is possible to detect the remaining amount of ink in each ink storage unit in the ink server, and it is possible to avoid a sudden inability to print due to running out of ink.

  In the ink supply system configured as described above, each of the printers preferably includes a sub-tank that enables a predetermined amount of recording.

  According to the ink supply system having such a configuration, even when the ink in the ink server of the ink server runs out of ink, it is possible to prevent the printer from immediately becoming incapable of printing, and a job in the middle of printing is not completed due to running out of ink. The recording head is not completed and damage to the recording head can be avoided.

  In the ink supply system configured as described above, it is preferable that the ink server includes a waste liquid tank corresponding to each printer.

  According to the ink supply system having such a configuration, the waste liquid tank conventionally provided in each printer is integrated into one provided in the ink server, so that the structure of the printer is simple and inexpensive.

Hereinafter, an ink supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an ink supply system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of an ink supply tube as (a), (b), and (c), and FIG. It is a block diagram of an ink supply system.

In the ink supply system 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, ink cartridges are not mounted on individual ink jet printers (hereinafter also simply referred to as “printers”) 3 and 3.
In the ink supply system 1, each printer 3 is provided with an ink supply unit 13 (see FIG. 3) connected to the recording head 2. Ink is supplied from one common ink server 5 to the ink supply units 13 of the plurality of printers 3. That is, the ink supplied from the ink server 5 is supplied to each recording head 2 via the ink supply unit 13 of each printer 3.

  A host computer 7 is connected to each of the printers 3 and 3, but the host computer 7 may not be connected to the ink server 5. In the present embodiment, the case where the printers 3 and 3 are the same type will be described as an example. However, the printers 3 and 3 may be different types or may be three or more. However, it is assumed that the ink type for each color is a common ink.

  The printer 3 is, for example, six inks obtained by adding three colors of black (Bk), light magenta (LM), and light cyan (LC) to three colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C). Is used. Ink cartridges (ink storage portions) Y, M, C, Bk, LM, and LC of these colors are detachably attached to the cartridge holder of the ink server 5. The cartridge holder is provided with a plurality of connection ports connected to the ink cartridges Y, M, C, Bk, LM, and LC.

The printer 3 and the ink server 5 are connected by the ink supply tubes 9 (9Y, 9M, 9C, 9Bk, 9LM, 9LC) for each of the plurality of colors.
The ink supply tube 9 may be bundled in a circular cross section as shown in FIG. 2 (a), or may be formed in a flat cable shape as shown in FIG. 2 (b). As shown in FIG.
The ink supply tube 9 may be integrally bound with a signal wire 11 that electrically connects a printer-side communication unit and a server-side communication unit, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 3 executes a print job when a control signal is input from the host computer 7 to the printer control unit 15.
A printer-side communication unit 17 is connected to the printer control unit 15, and the printer-side communication unit 17 is connected to the server-side communication unit 19 via the signal wire 11.

  The server-side communication unit 19 is connected to a control unit 21 that includes the CPU of the ink server 5 and the like. That is, the printer control unit 15 of the printer 3 and the control unit 21 of the ink server 5 can send and receive signals by the printer side communication unit 17 and the server side communication unit 19.

  In the present embodiment, a configuration in which the printer-side communication unit 17 and the server-side communication unit 19 are connected by a signal wire 11 is illustrated by way of example. However, the printer-side communication unit 17 and the server-side communication unit 19 are different from each other. It may be connected wirelessly by a wireless LAN or the like.

The ink server 5 is provided with a plurality of connection ports 23 </ b> A and 23 </ b> B, and each connection port 23 </ b> A and 23 </ b> B includes an ink discharge unit 25 connected to the ink supply unit 13 of the printer 3 via the ink supply tube 9. Yes.
The ink discharge unit 25 is provided for each color, and the ink supply tubes 9Y, 9M, 9C, 9Bk, 9LM, and 9LC for each color are detachable without causing ink leakage due to a coupler structure or the like.

The ink cartridges Y, M, C, Bk, LM, and LC provided in the ink server 5 and the ink discharge unit 25 corresponding to the color are connected by a plurality of ink discharge pipes (ink discharge paths) 27. . The distal end side of the ink discharge pipe 27 whose base end is connected to the cartridge holder is a branch pipe 29 branched to the connection ports 23A and 23B.
The branch pipes 29 and 29 of the ink discharge pipe 27 are each provided with an electromagnetic open / close valve (open / close valve) 31. A discharge control driver 33 is connected to the electromagnetic open / close valve 31, and the discharge control driver 33 is controlled by the control unit 21 to open / close the individual electromagnetic open / close valves 31.

  The ink server 5 is provided with a pressurizing pump 35 that is a discharge driving means. A pressurization pump driver 37 is connected to the pressurization pump 35, and the pressurization pump driver 37 drives and controls the pressurization pump 35 by a control signal from the control unit 21.

Here, the ink cartridges Y, M, C, Bk, LM, and LC will be described. Since the structures of the ink cartridges Y, M, C, Bk, LM, and LC are the same, the case of the ink cartridge Y will be described as an example.
The ink cartridge Y includes an ink pack as a liquid storage portion in a cartridge case (not shown) as a storage container, and ink is sealed inside thereof.

The ink pack is stored in the cartridge case in an airtight state. The cartridge case is provided with an air inlet so as to communicate with a gap formed between the cartridge case and the ink pack.
With this configuration, by causing air to flow in from the air introduction port, the pressure in the gap is raised, and a force that presses and crushes the ink pack is generated.

  The pressurizing pump 35 can suck the air and discharge the sucked air as pressurized air. The pressurizing pumps 35 are connected to the air inlets of the corresponding ink cartridges via the six air tubes 39, respectively.

  With this configuration, the air pressurized by the pressure pump 35 is introduced into the pressure chamber of the ink cartridge through the air tube 39. When the ink pack in each ink cartridge is pressurized, the ink in the ink pack is discharged from the predetermined ink discharge portion 25 of the connection ports 23A and 23B.

A discharge control means 41 is interposed in the air tube 39 between the pressure pump 35 and the ink cartridges Y, M, C, Bk, LM, and LC.
The discharge control means 41 is connected to the control unit 21 via the discharge control driver 43. That is, in a state where the pressurizing pump 35 is driven, the predetermined discharge control means 41 is opened via the discharge control driver 43 by a control signal from the control unit 21, whereby predetermined ink cartridges Y, M, C , Bk, LM, LC ink packs are pressurized. That is, the discharge control means 41 can control the ink discharge force for each of the ink cartridges Y, M, C, Bk, LM, and LC. As the discharge control means 41, for example, an electromagnetic on-off valve can be used.

In the present embodiment, the remaining ink amount detecting means 45 is attached to each of the ink cartridges Y, M, C, Bk, LM, and LC, and the remaining ink amount detecting means 45 is connected to the control unit 21.
As the ink remaining amount detecting means 45, for example, liquid level detection electrodes provided in the respective ink cartridges Y, M, C, Bk, LM, LC, ink cartridges Y, M, C, Bk, LM, Drives the piezoelectric device mounted on the LC and generates back electromotive force due to the residual vibration generated by driving the piezoelectric device, thereby detecting the consumption state of the liquid in the ink cartridges Y, M, C, Bk, LM, and LC. And the like.

  According to the configuration including the ink remaining amount detecting means 45, the ink remaining amounts of the ink cartridges Y, M, C, Bk, LM, and LC in the ink server 5 can be detected, and a sudden printing impossible state due to running out of ink. Can be avoided.

In the configuration including the ink remaining amount detecting means 45, it is preferable that the control unit 21 of the ink server 5 sends a cartridge replacement signal to the printer 3 via the server side communication means 19.
The printer 3 that has received the cartridge exchange signal sends the cartridge exchange signal from the printer control unit 15 to the host computer 7. Thus, when the remaining amount of ink detected by the remaining ink amount detecting means 45 reaches a predetermined amount, a cartridge replacement signal is sent from the control unit 21 to any printer 3 that is printing, and the replacement timing of the ink cartridge is determined. The host computer 7 can quickly grasp it.

  In addition, in the ink supply system 1, the ink server 5 includes a waste liquid tank 22 corresponding to each printer 3. As a result, the waste liquid tank conventionally provided for each printer is integrated into one waste liquid tank 22 provided in the ink server 5, and the structure of the printer 3 becomes simple and inexpensive.

Furthermore, in the ink supply system 1 according to the present embodiment, each printer 3 preferably includes a sub tank (not shown) that enables a predetermined amount of recording.
According to such a configuration, even when the ink in the ink cartridges Y, M, C, Bk, LM, and LC in the ink server 5 is exhausted, it is possible to prevent the printing from being immediately disabled and to prevent printing in progress. This job is not incomplete due to running out of ink, and damage to the recording head 2 can be avoided.

That is, in the ink supply system 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, when a print job is transmitted from the host computer 7 to the printer 3, the printer control unit 15 of the printer 3 discharges ink corresponding to the print job. The request signal is sent to the control unit 21 via the printer side communication unit 17 and the server side communication unit 19.
When receiving the discharge request signal, the control unit 21 controls the corresponding discharge control means 41 and the electromagnetic on-off valve 31 to open and simultaneously drives the pressurizing pump 35.

As a result, the desired one of the ink cartridges Y, M, C, Bk, LM, and LC is pressurized, and the desired ink is discharged from the ink discharge portion 25 via the branch pipe 29, and the ink supply tube 9 is discharged. Then, the ink is supplied to the ink supply unit 13 of the printer 3.
For this reason, it is not necessary to mount an ink cartridge in the printer 3, and management of ink supply in each printer 3 is not necessary. Further, unusable residual ink for each ink cartridge in each printer 3 that could not be used conventionally is reduced. Further, an ink cartridge mounting portion that is conventionally provided for each printer 3 is also unnecessary.

  Thus, according to the ink supply system 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, a common ink server that supplies ink to the plurality of printers 3 and 3 without mounting the ink cartridge in the printer 3. By providing 5, the management of ink supply in the respective printers 3 and 3 can be eliminated.

  That is, in the past, it was necessary to purchase different types of cartridges according to the model despite the same ink type, and the management of the ink cartridges was complicated, but according to the ink supply system 1 according to the present embodiment, One ink cartridge Y, M, C, Bk, LM, LC for each color may be managed at one location of the ink server 5, management can be facilitated, and ink replacement time can be shortened. .

  Further, the unusable residual ink that could not be used conventionally can be reduced, and the economy can be improved. Furthermore, an ink cartridge mounting portion that has conventionally been provided in each printer can be omitted, and in a system configuration in which a large number of printers 3 are installed, individual printers are compared to a conventional independent ink supply system in which each printer has a cartridge mounting portion. Therefore, when the entire ink supply system is compared, the cost can be significantly reduced.

  The ink supply system of the present invention is not limited to a general consumer use, and is particularly suitable for use in a business ink supply system in which a large number of large-sized printers are installed and ink consumption is large. It becomes.

It is a schematic diagram showing schematic structure of the ink supply system which concerns on this invention. It is the schematic diagram which represented the structural example of the ink supply tube with (a) (b) (c). It is a block diagram of the ink supply system which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the independent ink supply system which connected the conventional same kind printer. It is a schematic diagram of the independent ink supply system which connected the conventional different kind of printer.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Ink supply system, 3 ... Printer, 7 ... Ink server, 9 ... Ink supply tube, 13 ... Ink supply part, 17 ... Printer side communication means, 19 ... Server side communication means, 21 ... Control part, 22 ... Waste liquid tank , 25 ... ink discharge section, 27 ... ink discharge pipe (ink discharge path), 31 ... electromagnetic on-off valve (open / close valve), 33 ... discharge control driver, 35 ... pressure pump (discharge drive means), 41 ... discharge control means 45. Ink remaining amount detecting means, Y, M, C, Bk, LM, LC .. Ink cartridge (ink storage portion)

Claims (5)

A plurality of printers including an ink supply unit connected to the recording head, and one ink server for supplying ink to each of the ink supply units,
The ink server includes an ink storage unit that stores ink, an ink discharge unit connected to an ink supply unit provided in each printer via an ink supply tube, and the ink discharge unit corresponding to the ink storage unit An ink supply system comprising: a plurality of ink discharge paths that connect to each other; and a server-side communication unit that can send and receive signals to and from a printer-side communication unit of each printer.   The ink server includes an on-off valve interposed in each of the ink discharge paths, a pressure supply means for discharging the ink stored in the ink storage portion to the ink discharge path, the pressure supply means, and the A discharge control unit that is interposed between the ink storage units and controls the ink discharge force of each ink storage unit, and controls the server-side communication unit, the on-off valve, the pressurization supply unit, and the discharge control unit. The ink supply system according to claim 1, further comprising:   The ink supply system according to claim 2, wherein each of the ink storage units is provided with an ink remaining amount detection unit connected to the control unit.   4. The ink supply system according to claim 1, wherein each of the printers includes a sub tank that enables a predetermined amount of recording. 5.   The ink supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ink server includes a waste liquid tank corresponding to each printer.

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