JP2011025599A - Inkjet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inkjet recorder which utilizes a waste ink holding means efficiently and is equipped with a waste-ink-amount detecting means which does not produce the overflow. <P>SOLUTION: The amount of waste ink produced through maintenance operation is integrated by a software-wise addition means, and the amount of waste ink is detected by a hardware-wise detection means installed in the waste ink holding means 4. Thereby, the overflow of ink can be prevented even when one of addition means stops the operation due to the failure and/or breakage, and the diagnosis of the failure can be performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording by ejecting ink and the like, and more particularly to detection of the amount of waste ink in waste ink storage means when processing waste ink.

  Conventional inkjet recording apparatuses often use a recording head mounted on a carriage that reciprocates across a recording medium. As the recording head moves across the recording medium, the control electronics activate the ejection portion of the recording head to eject ink drops from the ejection nozzles to form an image or character on the recording medium. Ink supply to the recording head is performed from an ink tank.

  In such an ink jet recording apparatus, ink used other than recording for various maintenance operations is processed as waste ink in the recording apparatus. Further, ink discharged to the outside of the recording medium during borderless recording is similarly processed as waste ink. The recording apparatus is provided with waste ink collecting means for storing such waste ink.

JP 2007-245386 A

  In an ink jet recording apparatus having the above-described mechanism, a recording apparatus having a configuration for collecting waste ink discharged in association with a recording operation in an ink tank has already been put into practical use, and many inventions have been made. . For example, in order to prevent the collected waste ink from overflowing, a waste ink collecting means is provided with a float to detect the state and overflow of the waste ink. In addition, a waste ink collecting means is provided with a detecting means to prevent overflow of the waste ink collecting means. However, in such a detection means, it is difficult to grasp the state of the waste ink collecting means unless it has a plurality of detection positions. Furthermore, the user cannot recognize the state of the storage means until the waste ink collecting means is in an unusable state or a state close to it, and has a drawback that the waste ink capacity cannot be displayed.

  Such a configuration for detecting the remaining amount of waste ink in hardware is often used in a relatively early recording apparatus or a large-sized business recording apparatus. However, in recent years, from the viewpoint of cost, a configuration has been proposed and put into practical use in which the amount of waste ink is accumulated in a so-called software manner, which will be described later, and used to warn the user and restrict the operation of the main body. In such a method, an attempt is made to accurately measure the amount of waste ink by adding up the amount of waste ink discharged without providing waste ink detection means and taking the evaporation amount into consideration. Further, as a configuration similar to this, Patent Document 1 proposes a method for controlling the amount of waste ink at a protruding portion when performing borderless recording in consideration of evaporation due to temperature and humidity. However, in order to reliably prevent the overflow of waste ink with the configuration in which the amount of waste ink is integrated and measured in this way, it is necessary to stop the supply of waste ink considerably before it is used up. It is difficult to use up the ink containing means efficiently. On the other hand, because ink evaporation is reversible, waste ink that has once evaporated in an environment where evaporation is accelerated, for example, when it is placed in a high-humidity environment, moisture is absorbed again and the amount of waste ink increases. Are known. For this reason, in the conventional integration method based on soft measurement, if the amount of waste ink is calculated in advance using a calculation formula that calculates the waste ink based on the evaporation rate according to each environment when the waste ink is discharged, The possibility of waste ink overflowing cannot be wiped out, and it cannot be said that it is a perfect configuration.

  Also, as a disadvantage of the method of integrating and detecting waste ink in software, the waste ink discharge amount of the pump that sucks and recovers the recording head, the ink discharge amount that does not contribute to recording from the recording head, etc. are preset values. Therefore, there is a certain error, and the accumulated amount also has an error of several tens of percent. In addition, when an unintended user performs an inadvertent power-off, the accurate waste ink amount is not written in the storage means, and an error may occur between the actual waste ink amount and the accumulated waste ink amount. If such an error occurs in the + direction, the waste ink may overflow. Therefore, in order to avoid the overflow, the maximum value that is normally assumed is not to overflow even when the error is in the + direction and the maximum. It is usual to calculate with. Therefore, in the case of such a configuration, when the error is small or the actual waste ink tolerance is in the (-) minus direction, that is, when the actual waste ink amount is small, the waste ink integrating means sets the collecting means. Even when an error occurs, it is often found that the waste ink collecting means is still empty.

  Also, in this type of recording apparatus, there is provided a means for displaying the empty state of the waste ink collecting means to the user by a panel or test printing. When waste ink is integrated on the assumption that the error is in the (+) plus direction, There is a high possibility that the empty information of the waste ink collecting means cannot be accurately reflected.

  Furthermore, when the recovery device breaks down for some reason, a phenomenon occurs in which a discharge operation is performed at a timing when ink is not originally discharged, or a discharge is not performed at a timing when the ink is supposed to be discharged. However, in this case, there is a high possibility that a correct value will not be shown for the method of adding waste ink in software.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present invention is to realize an ink jet recording apparatus provided with waste ink amount detection means that efficiently uses waste ink storage means and does not cause overflow.

  Therefore, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention is configured to be able to mount a recording head, and performs recording and recovery processing by discharging ink from the recording head, and the ink discharged during the recovery processing is In the ink jet recording apparatus stored as waste ink in the waste ink storage means, the detection means provided in the waste ink storage means for detecting the amount of the waste ink in the waste ink storage means, and the recovery process And an integrating means for integrating the amount of the ink ejected from the recording head.

  According to the present invention, the ink jet recording apparatus is provided in the waste ink storage means, and detects the waste ink amount in the waste ink storage means, and the amount of waste ink ejected from the recording head during the recovery process. Integrating means for integrating. As a result, it is possible to realize an ink jet recording apparatus including a waste ink amount detection unit that efficiently uses the waste ink storage unit and does not cause overflow.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment. It is the perspective view shown so that the inside of an inkjet recording device could be understood. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an ink supply / discharge system in the recording apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a control circuit of the recording apparatus used in the first embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows a recovery process sequence. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a recording sequence of the recording apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating a recording head and a preliminary discharge port. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a recording sequence of the recording apparatus according to the first embodiment. It is the flowchart which showed the process of integrating | accumulating the quantity of waste ink softly. (A) to (f) are diagrams schematically showing a waste ink accumulation counter. It is sectional drawing which showed the waste ink storage means which performs waste ink amount detection in hardware. (A) to (c) are cross-sectional views showing modified examples of the waste ink storage means. It is the graph which showed the concept of adjustment of waste ink integration. It is the flowchart which showed the sequence at the time of adjustment of waste ink amount.

(First embodiment)
The first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and further combinations thereof, and any changes and modifications included in the concept of the present invention described in the claims can be made. Naturally, it can also be applied to other technologies belonging to.

(Basic configuration)
(Recording device overview)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the ink jet recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the ink jet recording apparatus 1 so as to be understood. An ink jet recording apparatus (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a recording apparatus) 1 according to the present embodiment can mount a recording head in a direction intersecting a recording medium conveying direction with a recording medium conveying unit that conveys the recording medium. And a carriage 17 that reciprocates. The recording head 2 mounted on the carriage 17 performs recording by ejecting ink according to recording data while moving with respect to the recording medium. The recording apparatus 1 further includes a recovery device 9 that recovers the ejection state of the recording head 2.

  Here, the supply and discharge of ink to the recording apparatus 1 will be described. The ink jet recording apparatus of the present embodiment performs recording by ejecting black, light cyan, cyan, light magenta, magenta, and yellow inks, but the ink supply and discharge are the same for each ink. .

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an ink supply / discharge system in the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. The ink supplied from the ink tank 10 is supplied to the recording head 2 via a supply path including the ink supply pipe 13, the joint 14, the pressure chamber 21, the ink supply valve 16, the pressure pump 30, and the like. The ink supply valve 16 is installed between the ink tank 10 and the pressurizing chamber 21, and opens and closes as necessary. A certain amount of the following ink can be stored in the pressurizing chamber 21. The pressurization pump 30 acts on the pressurization chamber 21, sucks out ink from the ink tank 10 by depressurizing the pressurization chamber 21, and accumulates in the pressurization chamber 21 by pressurizing the pressurization chamber 21. Ink is supplied to the recording head 2. Ink (hereinafter, waste ink) ejected from the recording head 2 and not contributing to the recording is collected in the cap 5 or the preliminary ejection port 11 and stored (stored) in the waste ink collecting means 4 via the waste ink collection tube 23. ) The cap 5 is located away from the recording area and is used for protecting and moisturizing the ink ejection surface of the recording head 2 during non-recording, as well as receiving preliminary ejection before recording or during recording, This is used when the 2 discharge surface is recovered by suction. Waste ink collected in the cap 5 by the preliminary ejection is collected by the suction pump 12 and stored in the waste ink reservoir 4 via the waste ink collection tube 23. When the suction recovery is performed, the ink discharge surface of the recording head 2 and the cap 5 are sealed, and the suction pump 12 is operated to suck out ink from the recording head 2 and pass through the waste ink collection tube 23. And stored in the waste ink reservoir 4. The preliminary ejection port 11 may be installed on the opposite side of the cap 5 from the recording area, or may be installed at an appropriate location in the recording area. The waste ink collected in the preliminary ejection port 11 is stored in the waste ink reservoir 4 via the waste ink collection tube 23 by gravity.

  A part of the wall of the recording head 2 is constituted by a flexible film 31. The flexible film 31 performs an expansion / contraction operation according to a change in pressure inside the recording head 2 due to consumption of ink. The expansion / contraction operation of the flexible membrane 31 is transmitted to the arm 32 connected to the flexible membrane 31 and further transmitted to the valve 33 connected to the tip of the arm 32 on the opposite side to the flexible membrane 31. The valve 33 closes the connection between the ink supply pipe 13 and the recording head 2 and is opened and closed as the ink is consumed by the mechanism described above.

  Next, the flow of ink and the movement of each part in the recording operation will be described.

(Initial filling operation)
Ink delivery from the ink tank 10 to the ink supply pipe 13 is performed by decompressing the inside of the pressurizing chamber 21 using the pressurizing pump 30. When the ink supply valve 16 is opened and the pressure pump 30 is operated in the pressure reducing direction, the ink drawn from the ink tank 10 is stored in the pressure chamber 21. When the ink is stored up to a predetermined threshold, the pressure reduction is stopped and the ink supply valve 16 is closed. Next, the pressurizing pump 30 is operated in the pressurizing direction to pressurize the ink stored in the pressurizing chamber 21 to a predetermined pressure. However, since the force with which the valve 33 in the recording head 2 closes the ink supply pipe 13 is larger than the pressure pressurized by the pressurizing pump 30, the valve 33 is opened and the ink supply pipe 13 and the recording head 2 are in this state. There is no communication. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the pressure inside the recording head 2 by sealing the cap 5 with the recording head 2 and operating the suction pump 12. With this configuration, the valve 33 is opened and ink can be supplied to the recording head 2. When a predetermined amount of ink is supplied into the recording head 2, the suction pump 12 is stopped and the cap 5 is separated from the recording head 2. As a result, the ink supply is stopped after the ink is supplied until the valve 33 is closed due to the balance with the negative pressure value in the recording head 2.

(Ink supply operation during recording)
As ink in the recording head 2 is consumed by recording, the negative pressure in the recording head 2 increases. As a result, the valve 33 is opened and the ink pressurized in the pressurizing chamber 21 is supplied to the recording head 2, and the valve 33 is closed by balance with the negative pressure in the recording head 2. During recording, the ink stored in the pressurizing chamber 21 is supplied to the recording head 2 by repeating the above operation.

  When the ink stored in the pressurizing chamber 21 falls below a predetermined threshold value, an operation of supplying ink from the ink tank 10 to the pressurizing chamber 21 is performed. That is, the pressurization operation of the pressurization pump 30 is stopped, the ink supply valve 16 is opened when the pressurization of the pressurization chamber 21 is released, and then the pressurization pump 30 is operated in the depressurization direction. Ink in the tank 10 is supplied to the pressurizing chamber 21. At this time, since the valve 33 in the recording head 2 remains closed, the ink in the recording head 2 is not supplied to the pressurizing chamber 21. When the ink in the pressurizing chamber 21 reaches a predetermined amount, or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the pressurizing chamber 21 was depressurized, the ink supply valve 16 is closed and the pressurizing pump is operated in the pressurizing direction. This completes the ink supply to the pressurizing chamber 21. This operation is preferably performed at a timing other than during recording, but may be during recording as long as it is somewhat.

  Next, ink that can be used in the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described. Examples of the ink include an ink containing a dye component and an ink containing a pigment component (hereinafter referred to as a dye ink and a pigment ink, respectively) and an ink containing both components. As the dye to be used, various dyes conventionally known in the technical field can be used. For example, an azo dye as a direct dye, a phthalocyanine dye, an azo dye as an acid dye, an anthraquinone dye, and the like can be given.

  Moreover, when using a pigment, all the conventionally well-known organic and inorganic pigments can be used. For example, azo pigments such as azo lakes, insoluble azo pigments, condensed azo pigments and chelate azo pigments, phthalocyanine pigments, perylene and perylene pigments, anthosequinone pigments, quinacridone pigments, dioxazine pigments, thioisidigo pigments, isoindolinone pigments, quinophthalone pigments, etc. Type pigments, dye lakes such as basic dye type lakes and acid dye type lakes, organic pigments such as nitro pigments, nitroso pigments, aniline black, daylight fluorescent pigments, titanium oxides, iron oxides and carbon blacks An inorganic pigment is mentioned. Further, any pigment not described in the color index can be used as long as it can be dispersed in water.

  The water-soluble resin (dispersion resin) contained for dispersing the pigment in the ink is preferably soluble in an aqueous solution in which an amine or a base is dissolved and has a weight average molecular weight in the range of 3000 to 30000. Further, those having a range of 5000 to 15000 are preferable, for example, styrene-acrylic acid copolymer, styrene-acrylic acid-acrylic acid alkyl ester copolymer, styrene-maleic acid copolymer, styrene-maleic acid. -Acrylic acid alkyl ester copolymer, styrene-methacrylic acid copolymer, styrene-methacrylic acid-acrylic acid alkyl ester copolymer, styrene-maleic acid half ester copolymer, vinyl naphthalene-acrylic acid copolymer, vinyl A naphthalene-maleic acid copolymer, a styrene-maleic anhydride-maleic acid half ester copolymer, or a salt thereof can be used.

  When an ink using a pigment component and a dye component together is used, it is generally desirable that the pigment: dye (weight ratio) is in the range of 8: 2 to 2: 8. More preferably, the range is 7: 3 to 3: 7 (pigment: dye).

  Further, the ink is preferably adjusted to be neutral or alkaline as a whole, so that the solubility of the water-soluble resin can be improved and the ink can be further excellent in long-term storage stability. desirable. Since the pH of the ink may cause corrosion of various members used in the ink jet recording apparatus, the pH is preferably in the range of 7-10.

  Examples of the pH adjuster include various organic amines such as diethanolamine and triethanolamine, inorganic alkali agents such as alkali metal hydroxides such as sodium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, and potassium hydroxide, organic acids, minerals, and the like. Examples include acids.

  A suitable aqueous medium in the ink is a mixed solvent of water and a water-soluble organic solvent, and it is preferable to use ion-exchanged water (deionized water) instead of general water containing various ions. The ink of the present invention is a water-based ink, and the water content is preferably 50% or more of the total weight of the ink.

  Examples of the water-soluble organic solvent used by mixing with water include methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, and iso-butyl alcohol. Alkyl alcohols having 1 to 4 carbon atoms such as amides such as dimethylformamide and dimethylacetamide; ketoalcohols such as acetone and diacetone alcohol; ethers such as tetrahydrofuran and dioxane; polyalcohol such as polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol Lenglycols; ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,2,6-hexanetriol, thiodiglycol, hexylene glycol Alkylene glycols having 2 to 6 carbon atoms in alkylene groups such as diethylene glycol; glycerin: many such as ethylene glycol monomethyl (or ethyl) ether, diethylene glycol methyl (or ethyl) ether, triethylene glycol monomethyl (or ethyl) ether Lower alkyl ethers of monohydric alcohols; N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone and the like.

  As the water-soluble organic solvent, any water-soluble organic solvent can be used as long as it is used in conventionally known inks. Specifically, alkyl having 1 to 5 carbon atoms such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol, and n-pentanol. Alcohols; Amides such as dimethylformamide and dimethylacetamide; Ketones or ketoalcohols such as acetone and diacetone alcohol; Ethers such as tetrahydrofuran and dioxane; Diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, and tripropylene Oxyethylene or oxypropylene addition polymers such as glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol; ethylene glycol, propylene Alkylene glycols in which the alkylene group contains 2 to 6 carbon atoms such as glycol, trimethylene glycol, butylene glycol, 1,2,6-hexanetriol, hexylene glycol; thiodiglycol; glycerin; ethylene glycol monomethyl (or Lower alkyl ethers of polyhydric alcohols such as ethyl) ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl (or ethyl) ether, triethylene glycol monomethyl (or ethyl) ether; triethylene glycol dimethyl (or ethyl) ether, tetraethylene glycol dimethyl (or ethyl) Lower dialkyl ethers of polyhydric alcohols such as ether; sulfolane, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone and the likeThe content of the water-soluble organic solvent as described above is generally in the range of 1 to 49%, preferably 2 to 30% by weight with respect to the total weight of the ink. The water-soluble organic solvents as described above can be used alone or as a mixture. However, the most preferable liquid medium composition in the case where the medium is used together contains at least one water-soluble high-boiling organic solvent, for example, a polyhydric alcohol such as diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, or glycerin.

  In addition to the above-described components, the ink may further contain a surfactant, an antifoaming agent, a preservative, and the like in order to obtain an ink having a desired physical property value as necessary. Furthermore, commercially available water-soluble dyes and the like can also be added.

  Examples of each color ink applied to the printer will be described below.

(2-1) Preparation of dispersion of yellow ink Pigment [C. I. Pigment Yellow 74 (product name: Hansa Brilliant Yellow 5GX (manufactured by Clariant))], 10 parts of anionic polymer P-1 [styrene / butyl acrylate / acrylic acid copolymer (copolymerization ratio (weight ratio) = 30 / 40/30), acid value 202, weight average molecular weight 6500, aqueous solution having a solid content of 10%, neutralizer: 30 parts of potassium hydroxide and 60 parts of pure water were mixed, and the materials shown below were batch-type vertical The mixture was charged into a sand mill (manufactured by IMEX), filled with 150 parts of 0.3 mm diameter zirconia beads, and dispersed for 12 hours while cooling with water. Further, this dispersion was centrifuged to remove coarse particles. As a final preparation, Pigment Dispersion 1 having a solid content of about 12.5% and a weight average particle size of 120 nm was obtained. By using the obtained pigment dispersion, an ink was prepared as follows.

Preparation of Ink The following components were mixed, sufficiently stirred and dissolved / dispersed, followed by pressure filtration with a microfilter (manufactured by Fuji Film) having a pore size of 1.0 μm to prepare a yellow ink.
-Pigment dispersion 1 obtained above 40 parts-Glycerol 9 parts-Ethylene glycol 6 parts-Acetylene glycol ethylene oxide adduct (trade name: acetylenol EH) 1 part-1,2-hexanediol 3 parts-Polyethylene glycol (molecular weight) 1000) 4 parts Water 37 parts.

(2-2) Preparation of Magenta Ink Dispersion First, using benzyl acrylate and methacrylic acid as raw materials, an AB type block polymer having an acid value of 300 and a number average molecular weight of 2500 is prepared by a conventional method. This was mixed and diluted with ion-exchanged water to prepare a homogeneous 50% by mass polymer aqueous solution.

  100 g of the polymer solution, C.I. I. 100 g of Pigment Red 122 and 300 g of ion-exchanged water were mixed and mechanically stirred for 0.5 hour.

  The mixture was then processed using a microfluidizer by passing the mixture five times through the interaction chamber under a liquid pressure of about 70 MPa.

  Furthermore, the dispersion obtained above was centrifuged (12,000 rpm, 20 minutes) to remove the non-dispersion containing coarse particles to obtain a magenta dispersion. The obtained magenta dispersion had a pigment concentration of 10% by mass and a dispersant concentration of 5% by mass.

Ink preparation The ink is prepared using the above magenta dispersion, and the following components are added to the ink to obtain a predetermined concentration. After sufficiently mixing and stirring these components, pressure filtration was performed with a microfilter (manufactured by Fuji Film) having a pore size of 2.5 μm to prepare a pigment ink having a pigment concentration of 4 mass% and a dispersant concentration of 2 mass%.
・ Magenta dispersion 40 parts ・ Glycerin 10 parts ・ Diethylene glycol 10 parts ・ Acetylene glycol EO adduct
(Manufactured by Kawaken Fine Chemicals) 0.5 part ・ 39.5 parts of ion-exchanged water.

(2-3) Light Magenta Ink Dispersion Preparation 100 g of a polymer solution used in magenta ink, C.I. I. 100 g of Pigment Red 122 and 300 g of ion-exchanged water were mixed and mechanically stirred for 0.5 hour.

  The mixture was then processed using a microfluidizer by passing the mixture five times through the interaction chamber under a liquid pressure of about 70 MPa.

  Furthermore, the dispersion obtained above was centrifuged (12,000 rpm, 20 minutes) to remove the non-dispersion containing coarse particles to obtain a magenta dispersion. The obtained magenta dispersion had a pigment concentration of 10% by mass and a dispersant concentration of 5% by mass.

Ink preparation The ink is prepared using the above magenta dispersion, and the following components are added to the ink to obtain a predetermined concentration. After sufficiently mixing and stirring these components, pressure filtration was performed with a microfilter (manufactured by Fuji Film) having a pore size of 2.5 μm to prepare a pigment ink having a pigment concentration of 4 mass% and a dispersant concentration of 2 mass%.
・ Magenta dispersion 8 parts ・ Glycerin 10 parts ・ Diethylene glycol 10 parts ・ Acetylene glycol EO adduct (manufactured by Kawaken Fine Chemicals) 0.5 part ・ Ion-exchanged water 71.5 parts.

(2-4) Preparation of Cyan Ink Dispersion First, using benzyl acrylate and methacrylic acid as raw materials, an AB type block polymer having an acid value of 250 and a number average molecular weight of 3000 is prepared by a conventional method. This was mixed and diluted with ion-exchanged water to prepare a homogeneous 50% by mass polymer aqueous solution.

  180 g of the above polymer solution, C.I. I. 100 g of CI Pigment Blue 15: 3 and 220 g of ion-exchanged water were mixed and mechanically stirred for 0.5 hour.

  The mixture was then processed using a microfluidizer by passing the mixture five times through the interaction chamber under a liquid pressure of about 70 MPa.

  Furthermore, the dispersion obtained above was centrifuged (12,000 rpm, 20 minutes) to remove non-dispersed materials containing coarse particles to obtain a cyan dispersion. The obtained cyan dispersion had a pigment concentration of 10% by mass and a dispersant concentration of 10% by mass.

Preparation of ink Ink preparation uses the above-mentioned cyan dispersion, and the following components are added to this to obtain a predetermined concentration. After sufficiently mixing and stirring these components, pressure filtration was performed with a microfilter (manufactured by Fuji Film) having a pore size of 2.5 μm to prepare a pigment ink having a pigment concentration of 2 mass% and a dispersant concentration of 2 mass%.
-20 parts of the above-mentioned cyan dispersion liquid-10 parts of glycerin-10 parts of diethylene glycol-0.5 part of acetylene glycol EO adduct (manufactured by Kawaken Fine Chemicals)-53.5 parts of ion-exchanged water.

(2-5) Light Cyan Ink Preparation of Dispersion Liquid 180 g of polymer solution prepared with cyan ink, C.I. I. 100 g of CI Pigment Blue 15: 3 and 220 g of ion-exchanged water were mixed and mechanically stirred for 0.5 hour.

  The mixture was then processed using a microfluidizer by passing the mixture five times through the interaction chamber under a liquid pressure of about 70 MPa.

  Furthermore, the dispersion obtained above was centrifuged (12,000 rpm, 20 minutes) to remove non-dispersed materials containing coarse particles to obtain a cyan dispersion. The obtained cyan dispersion had a pigment concentration of 10% by mass and a dispersant concentration of 10% by mass.

Preparation of ink Ink preparation uses the above-mentioned cyan dispersion, and the following components are added to this to obtain a predetermined concentration. After sufficiently mixing and stirring these components, pressure filtration was performed with a microfilter (manufactured by Fuji Film) having a pore size of 2.5 μm to prepare a pigment ink having a pigment concentration of 2 mass% and a dispersant concentration of 2 mass%.
-4 parts of the above cyan dispersion liquid-10 parts of glycerin-10 parts of diethylene glycol-0.5 part of acetylene glycol EO adduct (manufactured by Kawaken Fine Chemicals)-69.5 parts of ion-exchanged water.

(2-6) Black ink (Black ink for matte paper)
Preparation of dispersion After mixing 10 g of carbon black with a surface area of 230 m2 / g and DBP oil absorption of 70 ml / 100 g and 3.41 g of p-amino-N-benzoic acid in 72 g of water, 1.62 g of nitric acid was added dropwise thereto. And stirred at 70 ° C. A few minutes later, a solution prepared by dissolving 1.07 g of sodium nitrite in 5 g of water was added, and the mixture was further stirred for 1 hour. The obtained slurry was filtered with a filter paper (trade name: Toyo Filter Paper No. 2; manufactured by Advantis Co., Ltd.), and the pigment particles collected by filtration were thoroughly washed with water and dried in an oven at 90 ° C. Was added to prepare an aqueous pigment solution having a pigment concentration of 10% by weight.

Preparation of Ink The following components were mixed, sufficiently stirred and dissolved, and then pressure filtered through a micro filter (manufactured by Fuji Film) having a pore size of 3 μm to prepare a black ink.
-Pigment dispersion 1 30 parts-Potassium sulfate 1 part-Trimethylolpropane 6 parts-Glycerin 6 parts-Diethylene glycol 6 parts-Acetylene glycol ethylene oxide adduct 0.2 parts (trade name: acetylenol EH; Kawaken Fine Chemical Co., Ltd.) (Made by company)
・ Water 50.8 parts

Next, the configuration of the control system of the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 4 shows a configuration example of the control circuit of the recording apparatus used in this embodiment. A programmable peripheral interface (hereinafter referred to as PPI) 101 receives a recording information signal including a command signal and recording data sent from the host computer 100 and transfers it to the MPU 102. The PPI 101 sends status information of the recording device to the host computer 100 as necessary. The PPI 101 performs input / output with a console 106 having a setting input unit for a user to make various settings for the recording apparatus, a display unit for displaying a message to the user, and the like. Further, the PPI 101 receives a signal input from a sensor group 107 including an HP sensor for detecting that the carriage 17 or the recording head 2 is at the home position, a capping sensor, and the like.

  An MPU (microprocessing unit) 102 controls each unit in the recording apparatus according to a control program corresponding to the processing procedure stored in the control ROM 105. The RAM 103 stores received signals or is used as a work area for the MPU 102, and temporarily stores various data. A ROM 104 is a font generation ROM that stores pattern information such as characters and records corresponding to code information, and outputs various pattern information corresponding to input code information. The print buffer 121 stores recording data expanded in the RAM 103 and the like, and has a capacity for M line recording. In addition to the above control program, the control ROM 105 stores fixed data corresponding to data used in the control process described later (for example, data for determining the necessity of wiping execution according to the main part of this embodiment). Can be kept. These units are controlled by the MPU 102 via the address bus 117 and the data bus 118.

  The capping motor 113 serves as a driving source for raising and lowering the cap 5, moving the wiper holder 8, and operation of the suction pump 6. The motor drivers 114, 115, and 116 drive the capping motor 113, the carriage motor 110, and the paper feed motor 119, respectively, according to the control of the MPU 102. The sheet sensor 109 detects the presence or absence of a recording medium, that is, whether or not the recording medium has been supplied to a position where recording by the recording head is possible. The head driver 111 drives the heat generating part 52 of the recording head 2 according to the recording information signal. The power supply unit 120 supplies power to each of the above units, and includes an AC adapter and a battery as a drive power supply device.

  In a recording system including the recording apparatus 1 and the host computer 100, when recording data is transmitted from the host computer 100 via a parallel port, an infrared port, a network, or the like, a required command is added to the head portion thereof. The commands include, for example, the type of recording medium on which recording is performed (type of plain paper, OHP sheet, glossy paper, etc., and the type of special recording medium such as transfer film, cardboard, banner paper, etc.), medium size ( A0 size, A1 size, A2 size, B0 size, B1 size, B2 size, etc.), recording quality (draft, high quality, medium quality, specific color enhancement, monochrome / color type), paper feed path (ASF, manual feed) , Paper cassette 1, paper cassette 2, etc.) and whether or not objects are automatically identified. In addition, when a configuration for applying a treatment liquid for improving the fixability of ink on a recording medium is employed, information for determining the presence or absence of the application may be transmitted as a command.

  In accordance with these commands, the recording apparatus reads data necessary for recording from the ROM 105 described above, and performs recording based on these data. The data includes, for example, data for determining the number of printing passes when performing the above-described multi-pass printing, the ink ejection amount per printing medium unit area, the printing direction, and the like. In addition, the type of data thinning mask applied when performing multi-pass printing, the driving conditions of the recording head (for example, the shape of the driving pulse applied to the heat generating portion 52, the application time, etc.), the dot size, and the recording medium There are also conveyance conditions, carriage speed, and the like.

Next, recording control of the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described.
(Recovery processing sequence)
5, 6 and 8 are flowcharts showing the recording control of the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the recovery processing sequence. In step S1, secondary power-on (soft-on) or a recording start command from the host computer 100 that makes the printer function actually executable after the primary power-on is performed. It is activated in response to the input. Thereafter, in step S2, the current time Ta is read, and in step S3, the time Tb at which the previous recording operation was performed is read. In step S4, the elapsed time (cleaning interval T) is calculated. Next, in step S5, it is determined whether or not the calculated cleaning interval T exceeds a predetermined threshold value T0. If an affirmative determination is made, whether or not the ejection state is good is performed in step S6. A series of recovery sequences including a recovery operation, that is, a suction operation, preliminary discharge, wiping, etc. is performed only when it is determined by this determination that the discharge state is defective and some recovery operation is necessary. Thereafter, it is determined in step S7 whether or not the ejection state is good. If not, the cleaning process is performed in step S8. Thereafter, in step S9, the quality determination of the ejection state is performed again in the same manner as in step S6, and in step S10, it is determined again whether the ejection state is good. If it is determined that the discharge state is not good, the process proceeds to step S13, and an error display is performed. If it is determined in step S10 that the ejection state is good, the process proceeds to step S11, where the content of the time Tb at which the previous recording operation was performed is replaced with the current time Ta, and the READY state is entered in step S12. .

  The cleaning interval T is obtained by knowing the current time Ta using a calendar function provided by the MPU 102 or other appropriate means, and reading the value of the time Tb when the previous recording operation stored in the register area of the RAM 103 is performed. Can be calculated.

  Such replacement work may be performed, for example, during a recording operation in S66 of FIG. 6 to be described later. In the present embodiment, the replacement work (reset) is actually performed in each recording scan operation. Yes. With this configuration, the non-use time can be measured in more detail because the timer is reset by each discharge operation. As described above, the timer can be updated frequently in each scan, or the non-use time can be measured substantially in the same manner even if it is performed in accordance with the paper discharge S72.

(Recording process sequence)
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a recording processing sequence of the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. In the rest state of the recording apparatus 1, as described above, the recording head 2 or the face surface of the discharge portion is capped, so that the recording head 2 or the carriage 17 can be moved by opening the cap prior to recording. Put it in a state. That is, in step S60, a determination is made based on a sensor (a component of the sensor group 107) for detecting whether or not the cap is in a capped state. If the cap is in a capped state, the cap 5 is lowered in step S61. Set the cap open.

  Next, in step S62, the recovery sequence as described with reference to FIG. 5 is appropriately performed prior to recording, and then the recording medium is fed in step S63, and the recording medium is conveyed to the recording start position. Thereafter, in step S64, it is determined whether or not data for one scan is accumulated in the print buffer 121. If the determination is affirmative, in step S65, the cap 5 that is descending while facing the face surface is detected. Perform preliminary discharge. Then, the carriage 17 is scanned by the carriage motor 3, and a recording operation for the accumulated data is executed in step S66. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S67. However, if it is determined in step S64 that data for one scan is not stored in the print buffer 121, the process proceeds from step S64 to step S67. In step S67, the presence or absence of unrecorded recording data is confirmed. If it is determined in step S67 that there is unrecorded data, the process proceeds to step S69 to determine whether or not the standby time Tw exceeds the predetermined time Tc. If the standby time Tw exceeds the predetermined time Tc, capping is performed in step S68 and the process returns to step S64. If it is determined in step S69 that the standby time Tw does not exceed the predetermined time Tc, the process proceeds to step S70 to determine whether or not the standby time Tw exceeds the predetermined time Tp. If the standby time Tw does not exceed the predetermined time Tp in step S70, the process returns to step S64. If the standby time Tw exceeds the predetermined time Tp, preliminary ejection is performed in step S71 and then to step S64. Return.

  Considering that capping may be performed as in the case of passing through step 68, the same procedure as in steps S60 and S61 can be inserted after the affirmative determination in step S64. The relationship between the predetermined time Tp and the predetermined time Tc can be Tp <Tc. In the above procedure, preliminary ejection is performed every time immediately before the start of each scan, but the elapsed time since the previous preliminary ejection is managed by a timer in the same manner as described above, and whether or not it is necessary to perform preliminary ejection. It is also possible to make a determination. Further, in the preliminary discharge performed between the opening of the cap and the start of recording, a uniform number of discharges may be performed on the discharge ports, or the number of discharges determined by the elapsed time or the like may be performed. It may be performed. Further, preliminary discharge conditions such as the number and execution timing may be set for each color discharge unit. Further, particularly, the preliminary ejection performed during recording may be performed only for nozzles that have not been used before the previous scan, or may be performed for all nozzles including the used nozzles. Further, the number of ejections may be reduced for the used nozzles based on the frequency of use. Further, the preliminary discharge may be performed by setting the recording head to move to a position facing the cap 5, and may have a preliminary discharge port as shown in FIG. 16.

  FIG. 7 is a side view showing the recording head and the preliminary discharge port. In FIG. 7, the ink ejected from the recording head 2 is collected by the preliminary ejection port 11, and is guided to the waste ink collection unit 4 through the waste ink collection tube 23. In addition, although waste ink is not generated, the amount of waste ink is not counted. However, as another preliminary ejection method, the scan width of the carriage 17 is limited to improve the recording speed, so that the quality of the recorded image is reduced during the recording operation. In some cases, preliminary ejection may be performed on a portion on an appropriate recording medium that is not to be performed.

(Sequence after recording)
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a sequence executed after the recording is completed. In step S80, when the recording sequence for one page of the recording medium as described with reference to FIG. 6 is completed, the content of a wipe flag (described later) for determining whether or not to perform wiping is determined in step S81 and turned on (set state). ), Wiping is performed in step S82. At this time, the wipe flag and the dot counter are simultaneously reset. In step S83, it is confirmed whether or not the recording of one page has been completed. If not, the process returns to step S80 and recording is performed again. If the recording of one page has been completed in step S83, the process proceeds to step S84 to determine whether there is recording data for the next page. If the determination in step S84 is affirmative, the process returns to step S80, and the recording sequence for the recording data of the next page is performed. On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S84, standby is performed for a predetermined time (for example, 55 seconds) in step S85. If there is no recording data for the next page even after waiting, wiping is performed in step S86, capping is further performed in step S87, and this procedure is terminated.

  In this procedure, the presence / absence of wiping is determined at the end of each page recording sequence. This is effective in preventing color unevenness due to a time difference between scans in one page of the recording medium due to the wiping operation. However, in the case of a plotter with a large recording area or a printer that records on a relatively large recording medium such as A0 size or A1 size, it is also possible to make a determination for each scan or multiple scans as appropriate. It is.

  In the present embodiment, the wipe flag can be provided in a partial area of the RAM 103. The wipe flag can basically be set according to the number of ejections of the ejection unit, that is, the count value of the recording dots. The count value of the recording dots is added to a count area provided in a predetermined area of the RAM 103, for example, when each color recording data for one scan is accumulated in the buffer or during or after recording for one scan. It is possible to get by going.

(Characteristic configuration)
Hereinafter, a characteristic configuration of the present embodiment will be described.
(Soft waste ink detection)
As described above, waste ink is generated by a maintenance operation performed at a predetermined timing before, during, after, and after recording. As a method for detecting the amount of waste ink generated in this way, in this embodiment, waste ink integration by software means is employed.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a process of integrating the amount of waste ink in software. In the present embodiment, the amount of waste ink is calculated in software by taking the evaporation amount into consideration on the assumption that the waste ink evaporates in a predetermined time. Hereinafter, the waste ink accumulation method will be described with reference to this flowchart.

  When the recovery operation with waste ink is executed in step S90, the total amount of waste ink is calculated in step S91. Then, in step S92, humidity (Ha) and temperature (Ta), which are environmental parameters, are read. In step S93, the evaporation rate Y is predicted based on the read temperature and humidity. In step S94, the amount of waste ink Z after evaporation is calculated based on the predicted evaporation rate Y. The waste ink amount Z remaining after evaporation calculated in this way is added to the waste ink amount F that has been held so far in step S95, and is added as a new waste ink amount F in the main body or attached to the waste ink collecting means. Stored in memory or the like. In step S96, the new waste ink amount F calculated as a result of the calculation is compared with a predetermined value. If the amount of waste ink F has not reached the predetermined value, the operation is continued as it is, but if it reaches the predetermined value, a warning is issued to the user in step S97. This warning may be displayed continuously until a hardware waste limit described later is detected, or the power is turned on or a predetermined recovery operation (for example, a suction cleaning operation performed periodically). In this case, a warning may be issued. Further, the environmental parameters are not limited to humidity and temperature, and air flow rate and the like may be read. FIGS. 10A to 10F are diagrams schematically showing a waste ink accumulation counter. As shown in FIG. 10A, the counter has a capacity that can count all the waste ink Xml that can be collected within the capacity of the waste ink collecting means 4 at least. In the first integration, the discharged total waste ink Aml is calculated (see FIG. 10B). In this embodiment, subtracting the amount of evaporation every time it evaporates makes the calculation cumbersome. At this stage, referring to the current temperature and humidity, the amount of evaporation has already been evaporated, and Cml excluding the amount of evaporation is integrated. (See FIG. 10C). By configuring in this way, it is possible to realize the accumulation of waste ink with relatively high accuracy with a simple configuration. If there is no need to increase the memory capacity and the complexity of the calculation, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the evaporation state is estimated for each cumulative number of waste inks while monitoring the temperature and humidity. However, since waste ink generated by each integration exists in the waste ink collection means, it is mixed and stored, and the waste ink of each integration count is separated and stored in the counter, and evaporation prediction is individually performed for each waste ink. Implementing is an act that is not practically useful. When the second integration is performed, the residual amount Fml obtained by removing the evaporation amount Eml from the total amount Dml of discharged ink discharged in the same manner as the first time is integrated (see FIG. 10D). In the present embodiment, only the evaporation residue is integrated sequentially in this way.

  However, as described in FIGS. 10E to 10F, the assumption of “evaporation residual ink by integration” is always assumed to remain more than the actual ink after evaporation from the viewpoint of overflow prevention. Usually less than "evaporation". In such a case, the waste ink container is counted up in terms of software and is used up, but the actual collecting means has a margin corresponding to the accumulated portion G in the figure. Even in such a case, by using hardware detection to be described later, it is possible to use up the margin of the waste ink collecting means 4 while performing certain restrictions such as periodically warning the user.

  Note that the recovery operation (step S90) shown in FIG. 9 need not be a recovery operation that generates all waste ink. For example, a cleaning operation for discharging ink from the recording head 2 through the cap 5 (step S8 in FIG. 5), a wiping sequence including preliminary ejection shown in the post-recording sequence (step S86 in FIG. 8), etc. Ink integration processing may be performed. Further, the waste ink integration process may be excluded only for an operation with a small discharge amount, such as preliminary ejection (step S65 in FIG. 6) performed in parallel with the recording operation during recording. Furthermore, the integration process may be performed for each of a plurality of recovery operations (for example, set every 100 to 1000 times), or at a predetermined timing (for example, an integrated value after the previous discharge command when a discharge command is received). The integration processing may be performed along with the recovery operation only if the processing is performed collectively.

(Hard waste ink amount detection)
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the waste ink storage means 4 that detects the amount of waste ink in hardware. In the waste ink storage unit 4 of the present embodiment, the waste ink transported through the waste ink collection tube 23 is released and held in the waste ink absorber 30. When the waste ink exceeds a predetermined value that can be held by the waste ink absorber 30 and overflows to the upper portion of the waste ink collecting means and reaches the electrode 34, it is detected that the waste ink is full, and this detected result is given priority. As a result, all the main body operations are stopped and a waste ink error is generated. In such a configuration, the uppermost part of the waste ink absorber 30 can be used up, but if it remains as it is, the ink overflowing to the upper part may overflow due to the inclination and vibration when the waste ink storage means 4 is replaced. .

  12A to 12C are cross-sectional views showing modified examples of the waste ink storage unit 4 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, an absorber 36 containing an expansive substance such as a so-called SAP (super absorbent polymer) such as polyacrylic acid Na may be disposed on the upper part of the waste ink absorber 30. And the method of transmitting the expansion | swelling of the absorber 36 with the rod 38, and detecting with the sensor 37 can also be used. In addition, in order to capture the displacement of the absorber 36 with higher sensitivity, a configuration using a means for amplifying the displacement of the absorber 36 using a linkage or the like instead of the direct acting rod 38 is also useful. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the waste ink full detection means is provided in the upper part of the waste ink container 4, but the detection means such as the electrode 34 is arranged at an arbitrary position of the absorber before overflow occurs. Means for detecting are also effective.

(Relationship between hardware detection means and software detection means)
By having both the configuration of hardware waste ink detection means and software integration means in this way, even if one of the integration means stops operating due to failure or damage, ink overflow can be prevented, and Diagnosis can be made. An example will be described below.

(When ROM of waste ink collecting means is damaged)
Normally, the waste ink collecting means 4 is provided with a memory means 35 (see FIG. 11) for recording the collected waste ink, and records the amount of waste ink accumulated by the waste ink integrating means. When the waste ink collecting means is detached, the current waste ink amount of the waste ink collecting means 4 newly inserted from the memory means 35 is read and a warning is issued as necessary. On the other hand, since the ROM used for the memory means 35 is exposed to the outside, it may be damaged due to mechanical and electrical factors. For example, there are cases where the memory means 35 does not come into contact with the contact portion of the main body when it hits a nearby object at the time of detachment or the memory portion is electrically destroyed due to static electricity. In addition, inadvertent operations by users and unintended attachment / detachment are generally adequately protected, but the written data may be inconsistent due to operations that are not assumed at all, resulting in loss of data reliability. May be. In such a case, if there is only software integrating means, it is necessary to discard the waste ink collecting means 4 whose memory means 35 is damaged and replace it with newly obtained waste ink collecting means 4. On the other hand, when both configurations are provided as in this embodiment, the user cannot be warned and the accumulated ink amount remains unknown, but the hardware detection unit operates and the waste ink is full. Use can continue until For this reason, the minimum function as a waste ink storage unit can be maintained.

(Determining defective hardware detection means)
On the other hand, defects may occur in the hardware detection means. For example, there is a case where a full error of the waste ink collecting means by the hardware detecting means occurs even though the integrated value by the software integrating means hardly progresses. On the contrary, there is a case where the full error of the waste ink collecting means by the hardware detecting means is not displayed even though the integrated value by the software integrating means exceeds the predetermined value. In such a case, an excessive generation of waste ink due to an error in integration, a failure of the hardware detection means, or a failure of the main body can be considered. In both cases, it is necessary to deal with it, but by having both software integration means and hardware detection means as in the configuration of this embodiment, a trigger for diagnosis can be triggered when the above trouble occurs. it can. In this case, if the user confirms the waste ink collection means 4 and the waste ink collection unit 4 is full, there is a possibility that the waste ink is excessively generated due to an error in integration or a malfunction of the main body. If the waste ink is not full, it is considered that there is a high possibility of failure of the hardware detection means. For such a case, there may be provided means for notifying the user that the waste ink detection means is abnormal.

  Further, when it is determined that the waste ink detection means is abnormal, a warning may be displayed while giving priority to the result of the software integration means and stopping all operations of the recording apparatus.

(Other configurations)
There are various ink ejection methods applied to the recording apparatus, and an electrothermal conversion element that generates thermal energy that causes film boiling in response to energization as described above is provided. An electromechanical energy conversion element such as a piezo element may be provided. In the above-described configuration, the case of using black, light cyan, cyan, light magenta, magenta and yellow inks has been described, but it is needless to say that the tone number and type such as the color and density of the ink to be used can be appropriately determined. Furthermore, it is needless to say that the numerical values described in the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Further, a configuration in which a plurality of waste ink storage units are provided and used while appropriately switching may be used. In addition, although the case where the present invention is applied to a so-called serial type recording apparatus has been described in the above example, the present invention is a so-called full-line type ink jet recording head in which nozzles are arranged over a range corresponding to the entire width of the recording medium. This is also effective for a recording apparatus using the.

  As described above, the amount of waste ink generated by the maintenance operation is integrated by the software integration unit, and the amount of waste ink is detected by the hardware detection unit provided in the waste ink collection unit 4. As a result, an ink jet recording apparatus provided with waste ink amount detection means that efficiently uses waste ink storage means and does not cause overflow can be realized.

(Second Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the basic configuration of the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted. Only the characteristic configuration will be described below.

  In the present embodiment, contrary to the case of the first embodiment, when the waste ink full tank is detected by the hardware detection means, the software means calculates from the integrated amount by the software means and the estimated waste ink amount at the time of hardware detection. It is determined whether or not the accumulated amount error is less than a specified value. Then, if it is less than the specified value, the integration formula is changed so as to correct the integrated value. In this configuration, errors that occur in the software detection means and errors in the expected amount of evaporation due to the environment are matched with the assumed values at the time of hardware detection. At the same time, the deviation between the integrated value by software and the assumed value at the time of hardware detection is reflected in the individual integrated value according to the ratio, so that the accuracy of the integrated value by software after the next time can be improved.

  FIG. 13 is a graph showing the concept of adjusting waste ink integration, and FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a sequence when adjusting the amount of waste ink. Hereinafter, the sequence for adjusting the amount of waste ink will be described with reference to this flowchart.

  When the amount of waste ink reaches the waste ink detection point in step S100, the integrated value L of waste ink by the software detection means is called in step S101, and then the assumed waste ink at the time of detection by the hardware detection means in step S102. Call the quantity M. Next, in step S103, it is confirmed whether or not the difference between the two is a predetermined value or less (in this example, 15% or less). If they are within the range, the integration formula is changed so that the integration value L is multiplied by a value of 1−│LM− / M in step S104 as an error. Thereafter, a warning of waste ink is issued in step S105.

  Between the waste ink integrated value and the hardware detection, for example, 1) due to the tolerance of the head discharge amount, 2) due to the tolerance of the recovery amount by the recovery mechanism such as suction, and 3) expect the evaporation amount due to the assumed environment In such a case, an error occurs due to a difference between the assumed environment and the actual environment. Among these errors, the recovery means attached to the main body of 2) depends on the main body, and although there is a deterioration over time, it is difficult to think that it fluctuates rapidly. Similarly, the discharge amount tolerance of 1) also changes with time, but it depends on the print head and does not show a sudden change. Therefore, the waste ink collecting means 4 is replaced in a relatively short time with a small amount of change. Further, when a plurality of waste ink collecting means 4 are provided and switching to another waste ink collecting means is performed when the amount of waste ink in the medium reaches a predetermined value, it is considered that the above adjustment works more effectively. In addition, 3) The environmental error in the office environment in recent years is often relatively constant regardless of the difference between day and night. For this reason, in such a relatively constant environment, the technique for performing the adjustment of the estimated amount of evaporation due to the environment by detecting with hardware as in the present embodiment works effectively.

  If the difference between the two values is greater than or equal to the specified value in step S103, in the case of this embodiment, error display is only performed, but a threshold is further set as in the previous embodiment, and the difference is If it is above a certain level (for example, the difference is 50% or more), a failure diagnosis may be performed.

  In this way, when the waste ink full detection is detected by the hardware detection means, whether the error of the integration amount by the software means is within the specified value from the integrated amount by the software means and the estimated waste ink amount at the hardware detection Judging. Then, if it is less than the specified value, the integration formula is changed so as to correct the integrated value. As a result, an ink jet recording apparatus provided with waste ink amount detection means that efficiently uses waste ink storage means and does not cause overflow can be realized.

(Third embodiment)
Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the basic configuration of the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted. Only the characteristic configuration will be described below.

  The amount of waste ink accumulated by software waste ink integration in the first and second embodiments is expected to have an evaporation rate, and the value after evaporation is used when integrating and holding in the storage means. It has been. On the other hand, with regard to ink evaporation, it is known that water-based inks used in the present invention reversibly proceed. For example, when ink evaporated under low humidity is placed under high humidity, it condenses. The phenomenon of liquefaction is seen again. In the integrated values in the first and second embodiments, the waste ink collecting means 4 is configured such that no overflow occurs in anticipation of evaporation. However, it is conceivable that the ink overflows from the waste ink collecting means 4 because it is an environment where evaporation does not actually occur or because it condenses again after evaporation. Further, these may occur even during the recording operation or the recovery operation.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, even when the power is turned off, only the sensor of the waste ink collecting means and the associated circuit are energized, and the state of the waste ink collecting means can be measured at an arbitrary timing.

  In this way, even when the power is turned off, the sensor of the waste ink collecting means is made effective so that the state of the waste ink collecting means can be measured at an arbitrary timing. Thereby, even in an environment where evaporation does not occur or in a situation where the liquid is condensed and then liquefied again after evaporation, an ink jet recording apparatus provided with waste ink amount detection means that efficiently uses waste ink storage means and does not cause overflow Was able to be realized.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet recording device 2 Recording head 4 Waste ink accommodating means 34 Electrode 100 Host computer

Claims (8)

A recording head is configured to be mounted, and recording and recovery processing is performed by discharging ink from the recording head, and the ink discharged during the recovery processing becomes waste ink and waste ink storage means In the inkjet recording apparatus stored in
A detection means provided in the waste ink storage means for detecting the amount of the waste ink in the waste ink storage means;
Integrating means for integrating the amount of the ink ejected from the recording head during the recovery process;
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:   2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the accumulating unit accumulates the ink amount in consideration of an evaporation amount on the assumption that the waste ink evaporates in a predetermined time.   The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the evaporation amount is determined by at least one of environmental parameters such as humidity, temperature, and air flow rate.   The amount of waste ink detected by the detection unit is compared with the amount of ink integrated by the integration unit. If the difference is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the error in the integration formula used for the integration is reduced. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the integration formula is changed to warn that the amount of waste ink has reached a specified value.   The waste ink amount detected by the detecting means is compared with the ink amount integrated by the integrating means. If the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a warning is given that the waste ink amount has reached a specified value. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink jet recording apparatus is provided.   The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the evaporation amount determined by the environmental parameter is also changed when the integration formula used for the integration is changed.   A recording apparatus giving priority to the result of the integration unit when the detection unit does not detect the amount of waste ink indicated by the integration unit exceeding the predetermined value. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink jet recording apparatus is informed that the detection unit is abnormal.   8. The waste ink storage unit according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of the waste ink storage units, wherein when the amount of ink in the waste ink storage unit reaches a predetermined amount, the waste ink storage unit is switched to another waste ink storage unit. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1.

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