JP2020179607A - Image recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image recording device configured so that storage amounts of ink, which is stored in a lower part of a sub-tank lower than a sensor that detects ink in the sub-tank, can be appropriately changed, depending on intended use including a user who uses the device and a usage scene.SOLUTION: A controller of a printer, when determining that a user purchasing the printer powers up the printer for the first time (S11:Yes), brings a lower part of a sub-tank into a reduced state and sets volumes of ink that a lower part of the sub-tank that is lower than a liquid level sensor can store to V1; when determining that a detection signal outputted from the liquid level sensor is changed from a second detection signal to a first detection signal (S15:Yes) after determining that a cartridge is attached to an attachment case (S14:Yes), starts to execute purge processing (S16); and after finishing the purge processing, brings the lower part of the sub-tank into an expanded state, and changes the volumes of ink that the lower part of sub-tank lower than the liquid level sensor can store, from V1 to V2 (>V1).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to an image recording device including a tank in which a cartridge is mounted and consumables flow from the cartridge.

An image recording device including a tank to which a cartridge is mounted and a liquid as an example of a consumable material flows from the cartridge is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such an image recording device, when the liquid stored in the cartridge is exhausted, a new cartridge is mounted in the tank while the liquid stored in the tank is consumed. As a result, the liquid is supplied from the new cartridge to the tank.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-213754

The amount of liquid stored below the sensor that detects the liquid stored in the tank is designed by the device to a predetermined amount. When used by a user who consumes a large amount of liquid, this storage amount is relatively large from the viewpoint of ensuring a time margin from when the liquid stored in the cartridge is exhausted until it is replaced with a new cartridge. Desirably, when used by a user who does not consume a large amount of liquid, a relatively small amount is used to prevent waste of the liquid in the tank after the liquid stored in the cartridge is exhausted at the end of use. Is desirable. Further, regarding this storage amount, when the user introduces the liquid from the cartridge to the tank at the time of purchasing the main body, a relatively small amount is desirable from the viewpoint of not lengthening the time for the user to wait due to the introduction time, while the above-mentioned amount is desirable. As described above, when a user who consumes a large amount of liquid replaces a new cartridge, a relatively large amount is desirable, and even when the same user uses the cartridge, the desired storage amount may differ depending on the usage scene.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object thereof is stored in a tank below a sensor that detects consumables in a tank according to a user, a usage scene, or the like. The purpose is to flexibly realize an appropriate amount of consumables stored.

Various disclosures are made herein. The image recording device of the disclosure example includes a first chamber for storing the consumable material and an mounting body to which a cartridge having an outlet for the consumable material in the first chamber to flow out is mounted. The mounting body is a tank that can be connected to the cartridge and has a second chamber for storing the consumable material, and a tank having an inflow port into which the consumable material flowing out from the outlet of the connected cartridge. A print head in which the consumable material is circulated from the second chamber through a flow path, a first state in which the volume in which the consumable material can be stored in the second chamber is the first volume, and the volume is larger than the first volume. A second state having a second volume and a switching unit for changing the state of the second chamber are provided.

Since the volume of the second chamber of the tank can be changed by the switching unit, the volume of the second chamber can be selected according to the application.

According to the present invention, it is possible to flexibly realize an appropriate amount of consumable material stored in the tank below the sensor that detects the consumable material in the tank according to the application.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of the printer 10 according to the embodiment. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the printer 10 with the cover 22 closed, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the printer 10 with the cover 22 open. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the printer 10. FIG. 4A is a bottom view of the recording unit 29, and FIG. 4B is a schematic view of the maintenance mechanism 90. 5 (A) and 5 (B) are cross-sectional views of the sub tank 72 in the reduced state and the expanded state, and FIGS. 5 (C) and 5 (D) are cross-sectional views of the sub tank 72 in the reduced state and the expanded state in the modified example. It is a figure. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the initial introduction process. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the main process.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. It goes without saying that the embodiments described below are merely examples of the present invention, and the embodiments of the present invention can be appropriately changed without changing the gist of the present invention. In addition, the execution order of each process described later can be appropriately changed without changing the gist of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the printer 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 includes a housing 20, a panel unit 21, a cover 22, a paper feed tray 23, and a paper output tray 24 held in the housing 20.

The panel unit 21 includes a panel main body 41, a touch panel 42 held by the panel main body 41, and a plurality of operation switches 45. The panel body 41 has a rectangular plate shape and is attached to one surface of the housing 20. Hereinafter, in a state where the printer 10 is placed on a horizontal plane, the front-rear direction 8 is defined with one side of the housing 20 where the panel main body 41 is located as the front surface, and the direction along the vertical direction is described as the vertical direction 7. Further, the left and right directions when the printer 10 is viewed from the front are defined as the left and right directions 9. The front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 are parallel to the horizontal plane and orthogonal to the vertical direction 7, respectively, and are orthogonal to each other.

As shown in FIG. 1, the touch panel 42 has a display panel 43 and a transparent film-like touch sensor 44 superimposed on the display panel 43. The touch sensor 44 outputs position information indicating a position on the display panel 43 touched by the user. In addition, only one of the touch sensor 44 and the operation switch 45 may be provided in the panel unit 21.

The paper feed tray 23 is located at the lower part of the housing 20 as shown in FIG. 2, and is detachably held in the housing 20. The output tray 24 is located at the lower part of the housing 20 and above the paper feed tray 23, and is held by the paper feed tray 23 or the housing 20. The cover 22 is located on the right side of the front surface of the housing 20, and is rotatably held by the housing 20. The cover 22 rotates between a closing position for closing the opening provided on the right side of the housing 20 and an opening position for opening the opening. The mounting unit 30 is arranged behind the opening and is held by the housing 20.

As shown in FIG. 3, the mounting unit 30 includes a mounting case 71 held in the housing 20. The mounting case 71 holds a plurality of cartridges 13 in a detachable manner. In the illustrated example, the mounting case 71 holds the four cartridges 13 in a detachable manner. The four cartridges 13 each store ink of one of the magenta, cyan, yellow, and black colors. That is, the printer 10 is a so-called color inkjet printer. However, the printer 10 may be a so-called monochrome printer. That is, the mounting case 71 may be able to hold only the cartridge 13 that stores the black ink. Further, the mounting case 71 may detachably hold a plurality of cartridges containing toner instead of ink. That is, the printer 10 may be a so-called color laser printer. Inks and toners are examples of consumable materials.

As shown in FIG. 3, in association with one cartridge 13, one sub-tank 72, one needle 75, one cartridge I / F 74, one liquid level sensor 33, and one slide device 73. There are two sets. That is, the four sets are provided in the mounting case 71. Since the configuration of each set is substantially the same, one set will be described below.

The cartridge I / F74 is a terminal. "I / F" is an abbreviation for interface. The cartridge I / F 74 is provided at a position where the cartridge 13 mounted on the mounting case 71 comes into contact with an electrode (not shown) of the IC chip 14. The cartridge I / F74 may be an antenna, a light emitting diode, a photodiode, or the like. That is, the cartridge I / F 74 may transmit / receive information or data to / from the IC chip 14 described later using radio waves or light.

The needle 75 is held on the side wall of the mounting case 71. One end of the needle 75 projects toward the space in which the cartridge 13 is held in the mounting case 71. One end of the needle 75 is inserted into the outlet 16 of the cartridge 13 described later mounted on the mounting case 71. The other end of the needle 75 is inserted into the inflow port 34 of the sub tank 72 described later. That is, the internal space of the sub tank 72 and the internal space of the cartridge 13 mounted on the mounting case 71 are communicated with each other by the needle 75.

The sub tank 72 is held in the housing 20. The sub tank 72 stores ink in the liquid chamber 79, which is an internal space. The sub tank 72 is an example of a tank. The liquid chamber 79 of the sub tank 72 is an example of the second chamber. Further, the sub tank 72 has a box-shaped upper portion 76 extending along the vertical direction 7 and a box-shaped lower portion 77 extending along the front-rear direction 8. The lower portion 77 has an inflow port 34 on the front wall through which the other end of the needle 75 is inserted. Further, the bottom of the front portion 81 is connected to one end of the tube 32. The other end of the tube 32 is connected to an ink flow path provided in the recording unit 29, which will be described later. That is, the internal space of the sub tank 72 is communicated with the ink flow path of the recording unit 29 through the tube 32.

The upper end of the lower portion 77 is located slightly higher than the position where the needle 75 is arranged. Further, the lower end of the lower portion 77 is located below the lower end of the cartridge 13 mounted on the mounting case 71. Therefore, immediately after the cartridge 13 is emptied, the sub tank 72 stores ink. That is, the printer 10 can print using the ink stored in the sub tank 72 even after the cartridge 13 is emptied. The user replaces the empty cartridge 13 with a new cartridge 13 after the cartridge 13 is emptied and before the ink stored in the sub tank 72 is used up. That is, by providing the sub tank 72, the printer 10 can reduce the possibility that the printer 10 runs out of ink and cannot print. The empty cartridge 13 means that the ink stored in the cartridge 13 is completely exhausted, and that the ink is exhausted to the extent that the ink does not move from the cartridge 13 to the sub tank 72. ..

The upper part 76 has an air communication port 78 on the upper wall. The air communication port 78 communicates the internal space of the sub tank 72 with the outside. That is, the internal space of the sub tank 72 is open to the atmosphere. The internal space of the cartridge 13, which will be described later, is also open to the atmosphere. When the ink is ejected from the print head 31, the internal space of the tube 32 becomes a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. Then, due to the atmospheric pressure, ink flows out from the internal space of the sub tank 72 to the tube 32. When the ink flows out from the sub tank 72 to the tube 32, the liquid level of the ink stored in the sub tank 72 drops. Then, the ink stored in the cartridge 13 is stored so that the height positions of the liquid level of the ink stored in the sub tank 72 and the liquid level of the ink stored in the cartridge 13 are substantially equal to each other due to gravity and atmospheric pressure. Flows out into the internal space of the sub tank 72 through the needle 75.

The lower portion 77 has a front portion 81 located in the front in the front-rear direction 8, a rear portion 82 located in the rear portion, and a bellows portion 83 connecting the front portion 81 and the rear portion 82. The front portion 81 is connected to the lower end of the upper portion 76. The front end of the bellows portion 83 in the front-rear direction 8 is connected to the rear end of the front portion 81. The rear end of the bellows portion 83 in the front-rear direction 8 is connected to the front end of the rear portion 82. The bellows portion 83 can be expanded and contracted along the front-rear direction 8. The lower portion 77 can change its state between a reduced state in which the bellows portion 83 is reduced (FIG. 5 (A)) and an expanded state in which the bellows portion 83 is expanded (FIG. 5 (B)). The lower portion 77 is changed into a reduced state and an expanded state by the slide device 73.

The slide device 73 includes a rack gear 84, a pinion gear 85, and a drive motor 86 (FIG. 1). The rack gear 84 is fixed to the rear portion 82 of the lower portion 77. The rack gear 84 has a plurality of teeth arranged in the front-rear direction 8. The pinion gear 85 has a plurality of teeth that mesh with the teeth of the rack gear 84. The pinion gear 85 is rotatably held in the housing 20 or the frame described above. The pinion gear 85 is rotated by a drive motor 86. The controller 51, which will be described later, controls the rotation and stop of the drive motor 86 and the direction of rotation. When the drive motor 86 is rotated in one direction (hereinafter referred to as forward rotation), the pinion gear 85 rotates forward, and the rack gear 84 that meshes with the positively rotating pinion gear 85 moves rearward together with the rear portion 82. To do. As a result, the bellows portion 83 is extended, and the lower portion 77 of the sub tank 72, which was in the reduced state (FIG. 5 (A)), is changed to the expanded state (FIG. 5 (B)). When the drive motor 86 is rotated in the other direction (hereinafter referred to as reverse rotation), the pinion gear 85 rotates in the reverse direction, and the rack gear 84 that meshes with the reverse rotating pinion gear 85 moves forward. As a result, the lower portion 77 of the sub tank 72, which was in the expanded state, changes to the reduced state. The rear portion 82 moved by the sliding device 73 is an example of a moving wall. The slide device 73 is an example of a switching unit.

The liquid level sensor 33 is a photointerruptor having a light emitting diode and a photodiode. The light emitting diode and the photodiode are arranged so as to face each other on the left and right sides of the sub tank 72. That is, the sub tank 72 is located on the optical path of the light emitted by the light emitting diode. The sub tank 72 is a resin molded product molded from a transparent resin that transmits light. The liquid level sensor 33 outputs signals having different voltage values depending on whether there is ink on the optical path and when there is no ink. Hereinafter, the liquid level sensor 33 will be described as outputting a first detection signal when there is ink on the optical path and outputting a second detection signal when there is no ink on the optical path. The configuration of the liquid level sensor 33 is not limited to the above configuration. The liquid level sensor 33 may have any configuration as long as it can output a detection signal according to the amount of ink and the position of the liquid level. The liquid level sensor 33 is an example of the sensor.

The position of the liquid level sensor 33 in the vertical direction 7 is the same as the height position of the needle 75 described above in the vertical direction 7. That is, the detection signal output by the liquid level sensor 33 changes from the first detection signal to the second detection signal when the liquid level of the ink stored in the sub tank 72 reaches the needle 75. Hereinafter, the height position at which the liquid level sensor 33 is installed will be described as the height position P.

The cartridge 13 has a box shape having an internal space for storing ink. The cartridge 13 stores ink in the liquid chamber 18, which is an internal space. The liquid chamber 18 is an example of the first chamber. Further, the cartridge 13 has an outlet 16 at the lower end of the side wall into which one end of the needle 75 is inserted.

The cartridge 13 has an atmospheric communication port 17 on the upper wall. That is, the internal space of the cartridge 13 is open to the atmosphere. Further, the cartridge 13 includes an IC chip 14. The IC chip 14 has an electrode (not shown) that comes into contact with the cartridge I / F74, which is a terminal, and an IC memory 15 (FIG. 1) that is electrically connected to the electrode. The IC chip 14 may have an antenna, a light emitting diode, a photodiode, or the like instead of the electrodes.

As shown in FIG. 1, the IC memory 15 stores cartridge information. The cartridge information includes the model number of the cartridge 13, the initial remaining value, the CTG serial number, and the like. The initial remaining amount value is a value indicating the amount of ink stored in the cartridge 13 when not in use. The CTG serial number is identification information that distinguishes the cartridge 13 from other cartridges 13. In addition, "CTG" is an abbreviation for "cartridge".

The housing 20 holds the printing engine 40 shown in FIG. 3 inside. The printing engine 40 includes a paper feed roller 25, a transport roller 26, a paper output roller 27, a platen 28, a recording unit 29, and a maintenance mechanism 90 (FIG. 4B).

The paper feed roller 25 is held in a frame (not shown) provided in the housing 20 so as to be in contact with the sheet 6 placed on the paper feed tray 23. The paper feed roller 25 is rotated by a motor (not shown). The rotating paper feed roller 25 feeds the sheet 6 to the transport path 37. The transport path 37 is a space partitioned by a guide member (not shown). In the illustrated example, the transport path 37 is curved and extends from the rear end of the paper feed tray 23 to a position above the paper feed tray 23, and then extends forward.

The transport roller 26 is located downstream of the paper feed tray 23 in the transport direction of the sheet 6. The transport roller 26 and the driven roller 35 form a roller pair. The transfer roller 26 is rotated by a motor (not shown). The rotating transport roller 26 and the driven roller 35 transport the sheet 6 sent out to the transport path 37 by the paper feed roller 25 while sandwiching it. The paper ejection roller 27 is located downstream of the transport roller 26 in the transport direction of the sheet 6. The paper ejection roller 27 and the driven roller 36 form a roller pair. The paper ejection roller 27 is rotated by a motor (not shown). The rotating paper ejection roller 27 and the driven roller 36 convey the sheet 6 while sandwiching it, and eject the sheet 6 to the paper ejection tray 24. The platen 28 is located between the transport roller 26 and the paper discharge roller 27 in the front-rear direction 8 and is located downstream of the transport roller 26 and upstream of the paper discharge roller 27 in the transport direction of the sheet 6.

The recording unit 29 is located above the platen 28. The recording unit 29 may be movably held in the left-right direction 9 by a guide rail that is a part of the frame, or may be fixed to the frame. That is, the printer may be a so-called serial printer or a so-called line printer.

The recording unit 29 includes a tank 38, a flow path member 39, a print head 31, and the like. The other end of the tube 32 described above is connected to the tank 38. The four tanks 38 and the flow path member 39 are provided in the storage unit 29 in correspondence with the color of the ink. The tank 38 is connected to the print head 31 via a flow path member 39. The print head 31 has four flow paths inside which inks of each color flow. As shown in FIG. 4 (A), one flow path has a nozzle row 89 composed of a plurality of nozzles that open on the lower surface of the print head 31. That is, the print head 31 has four nozzle rows 89. The nozzle 89Bk is a row of nozzles for ejecting black ink. The nozzle 89M is a row of nozzles for ejecting magenta-colored ink. The nozzle 89C is a row of nozzles for ejecting cyan-colored ink. The nozzle 89Y is a row of nozzles for ejecting yellow-colored ink. Further, a piezoelectric element (not shown) is provided in the above-mentioned flow path. The piezoelectric element is deformed by being supplied with a DC voltage, and ink droplets are ejected from each nozzle of the nozzle row 89. A heater may be provided in the flow path instead of the piezoelectric element.

The maintenance mechanism 90 shown in FIG. 4B has a function of sucking ink from each nozzle row 89 of the print head 31. The maintenance mechanism 90 cleans the print head 31 by, for example, sucking ink having a high viscosity, ink mixed with air, and dust adhering to the print head 31. Further, the maintenance mechanism 90 is also operated after the user purchases the printer 10 and then first turns on the power to the printer 10 to mount the cartridge 13 on the mounting case 71, and sucks ink from the print head 31. Hereinafter, the process of sucking ink from the print head 31 by the maintenance mechanism 90 will be described as a purge process.

The maintenance mechanism 90 includes a cap 91, a lift-up mechanism 92, a plurality of tubes 93, a pump 94, an on-off valve 95, and a drainage tank 96. The cap 91 is movably held by the lift-up mechanism 92 between a cap position that abuts on the lower surface of the print head 31 and covers the nozzle row 89 and a standby position that is separated downward from the lower surface of the print head 31. There is. The cap 91 is moved between the cap position and the standby position by a motor (not shown). The on-off valve 95 opens and closes the flow path between the cap 91 and the drainage tank 96. The pump 94 is, for example, a rotary type tube pump. However, other types of pumps may be used for the pump 94. The maintenance mechanism 90 may have any configuration as long as ink can be sucked from the nozzle row 89 of the print head 31 by the pump 94.

The printer 10 further includes a controller 51 shown in FIG. 1 and a communication I / F 47. The communication I / F 47 is connected to a local network such as a USB cable or LAN (registered trademark).

The controller 51 includes a CPU 52, which is a central processing unit, a memory 53, and a communication bus 54. The CPU 52, the memory 53, the touch panel 42, the operation switch 45, the drive motor 86, the communication I / F 47, the liquid level sensor 33, the pump 48, and the cartridge I / F 74 are connected to the communication bus 54. That is, the CPU 52 passes information, data, and signals to the memory 53, the touch panel 42, the operation switch 45, the drive motor 86, the communication I / F47, the liquid level sensor 33, the pump 48, and the cartridge I / F74 through the communication bus 54. Can be connected.

The memory 53 includes a ROM 55, a RAM 56, and an EEPROM 57. The ROM 55 stores the operating system OS 58 and the control program 59 in advance. The instructions described in the OS 58 and the control program 59 are executed by the CPU 52. That is, the OS 58 and the control program 59 are executed by the CPU 52. The OS 58 and the control program 59 executed by the CPU 52 display an image on the display panel 43 and receive user input through the touch sensor 44 and the operation switch 45. Further, the OS 58 and the control program 59 executed by the CPU 52 transmit and receive information and data through the communication I / F 47 and the cartridge I / F 74, and store the received information and data in the memory 53.

The RAM 56 is used for executing the OS 58 and the control program 59, and temporarily stores information and data in the execution of the OS 58 and the control program 59. The EEPROM 57 stores a fixed storage value, an initial flag, an empty threshold value, and the like in advance.

Hereinafter, the processing executed by the control program 59 will be described. Specifically, the initial introduction process (FIG. 6) executed when the printer 10 purchased by the user is turned on, and the main process (FIG. 6) executed when a print instruction is input to the printer 10. 7) will be described. The process executed by the control program 59 will be described as a process executed by the controller 51.

The controller 51 executes the initial introduction process shown in FIG. 6 in response to the power being turned on to the printer 10. First, the controller 51 determines whether the value of the initial flag is “ON” or “OFF” (S11). The initial value of the initial flag is "ON". When the controller 51 determines that the value of the initial flag is "OFF" (S11: OFF), the controller 51 ends the initial introduction process. When the controller 51 determines that the value of the initial flag is "ON" (S11: ON), the controller 51 reversely rotates the drive motor 86 and changes the state of the lower 77 of the sub tank 72 to the reduced state (S12). When the initial state of the lower portion 77 of the sub tank 72 is the reduced state, the process of step S12 may be omitted. Alternatively, the controller 51 may rotate the drive motor 86 in the reverse direction regardless of the state of the lower portion 77 of the sub tank 72.

Next, the controller 51 displays the cartridge mounting instruction screen on the display panel 43 (S13). The cartridge mounting instruction screen has, for example, the text "Open the cover, mount the cartridge, and then close the cover." Then, the controller 51 determines whether or not the cartridge 13 is mounted in the mounting case 71 (S14). For example, the controller 51 determines whether or not the cartridge 13 is mounted in the mounting case 71 based on whether or not the cartridge information can be read from the IC memory 15 of the cartridge 13 through the cartridge I / F 74. The controller 51 causes the display panel 43 to display the cartridge mounting instruction screen until it is determined that all the cartridges 13 have been mounted in the mounting case 71 (S14: No).

In the printer 10 immediately after purchase, the sub tank 72 hardly stores ink so that the ink does not flow out from the atmospheric communication port 78 of the sub tank 72. Then, when the cartridge 13 is mounted on the mounting case 71 by the user, the ink gradually moves from the cartridge 13 to the sub tank 72 through the needle 75 due to gravity and atmospheric pressure. In this embodiment, the ink supply method from the cartridge 13 to the sub tank 72 uses the so-called water head difference method, and the ink is stored in the height position of the liquid level of the ink stored in the cartridge 13 and in the sub tank 72. The ink is moved from the cartridge 13 to the sub tank 72 until the height position of the liquid level of the ink is almost the same. When the height position of the liquid level of the ink moved from the cartridge 13 to the sub tank 72 reaches the installation position of the liquid level sensor 33, the detection signal output by the liquid level sensor 33 changes from the second detection signal to the first detection signal. Change.

When the controller 51 determines that all the cartridges 13 are mounted in the mounting case 71 (S14: Yes), has the detection signal output by all the liquid level sensors 33 changed from the second detection signal to the first detection signal? It is determined whether or not (S15). That is, in step S15, it is determined whether or not the liquid level of the ink that has moved from the cartridge 13 to the sub tank 72 has reached the liquid level sensor 33.

The controller 51 waits until the detection signal output by the liquid level sensor 33 changes from the second detection signal to the first detection signal (S15: No). Then, when the controller 51 determines that the detection signals output by all the liquid level sensors 33 have changed from the second detection signal to the first detection signal (S15: Yes), the maintenance mechanism 90 sucks ink from the print head 31. The above-mentioned purging process is executed (S16).

When the purge process is executed and the ink is sucked from the print head 31, the inside of the tube 32 becomes a negative pressure, and the ink is sucked from the sub tank 72 into the tube 32 by the atmospheric pressure. Here, if the sub tank 72 does not have a sufficient amount of ink, air will enter the tube 32. Then, air enters the above-mentioned flow path of the print head 31 through the tube 32, and a problem occurs in ejection of ink from the nozzle. Therefore, before starting the execution of the purge process, it is necessary that a predetermined amount or more of ink, which is an amount that does not allow air to enter the tube 32, is stored in the sub tank 72. On the other hand, when the purge process is started after the amount of ink exceeding the predetermined amount is moved from the cartridge 13 to the sub tank 72, the purge process is started after the user mounts the cartridge 13 on the mounting case 71. The waiting time, which is the time of, becomes longer. Further, it is desirable that the liquid level sensor 33 reliably detects that the sub tank 72 stores the above-mentioned predetermined amount or more of ink. Furthermore, as described above, the larger the amount of ink that can be stored in the sub tank 72 after the cartridge 13 is emptied, the more desirable it is. In the present embodiment, the liquid level sensor 33 can detect that the sub tank 72 stores ink in excess of the predetermined amount before the execution of the purge process, the standby time can be shortened, and the cartridge 13 can be used. The lower 77 of the sub tank 72 is state changeable so that the amount of ink that can be stored in the sub tank 72 after it is emptied can be increased.

More specifically, the lower portion 77 of the sub tank 72 is formed so as to have a volume V1 capable of storing the predetermined amount or a slightly larger amount of ink than the predetermined amount in the reduced state. The lower portion 77 is formed so as to have a volume V2 (> V1) capable of storing a sufficient amount of ink in the expanded state. The volume V1 is an example of the first volume. The volume V2 is an example of the second volume. The reduced state of the lower portion 77 of the sub tank 72 is an example of the first state. The expanded state of the lower 77 is an example of the second state.

Since the controller 51 reduces the lower portion 77 of the sub tank 72 (S12) and starts the purge process after the detection signal output by the liquid level sensor 33 changes from the second detection signal to the first detection signal (S12). S16) Before the start of the purge process, the sub tank 72 reliably stores an amount of ink that does not allow air to enter the tube 32. In addition, it is suppressed that the waiting time becomes too long.

After starting the purge process (S16), the controller 51 determines whether or not the purge process is completed (S17). Specifically, the controller 51 determines whether or not the pump 94 of the maintenance mechanism 90 has been driven for a predetermined time. For example, the controller 51 counts down the timer counter with a predetermined time stored in the EEPROM 57 as an initial value, and determines that the purge process is completed according to the time-up of the timer counter (S17: Yes).

When the controller 51 determines that the purge process is completed (S17: Yes), the controller 51 displays the end screen on the display panel 43 (S18). The end screen is a screen having characters for the user to recognize that the purge has been completed, or an instruction for the user to input initial settings such as time setting by using the touch sensor 44 or the operation switch 45.

Further, the controller 51 rotates the drive motor 86 in the forward direction in response to the determination that the purge process is completed, and changes the state of the lower portion 77 of the sub tank 72 from the reduced state to the expanded state (S19). Then, the controller 51 sets the value of the initial flag to "OFF" (S20), and ends the initial introduction process. After the completion of the purging process, the lower part of the sub tank 72 is changed from the reduced state to the expanded state, so that the amount of ink that can be stored in the sub tank 72 increases after the cartridge 13 is emptied.

Next, the main process will be described with reference to FIG. 7. First, the controller 51 determines whether or not the print instruction and the print data have been acquired (S31). When the controller 51 determines that the print instruction has not been acquired (S31: No), the controller 51 ends the main process. When the controller 51 determines that the print instruction has been acquired (S31: Yes), the controller 51 determines whether the value of the impedance flag is "ON" or "OFF" (S32). The ink-empty flag is a flag that is turned “ON” when the amount of ink stored in the sub-tank 72 is reduced to a certain extent that air may enter the tube 32. The inquiry flag is set for each of the magenta, cyan, yellow, and black colors.

When the controller 51 determines that the value of the income flag is "ON" (S32: ON), the controller 51 ends the main process. When the controller 51 determines that the value of the income flag is "OFF" (S32: OFF), the controller 51 acquires the detection signal output by the liquid level sensor 33 (S33). Then, the controller 51 executes the printing process (S34). Specifically, a drive signal is generated based on the acquired print data, and the generated drive signal is output. The drive signal output by the controller 51 is input to the drive circuit that drives the drive element of the print head 31 and the drive circuit of the above-mentioned motor that rotates the paper feed roller 25, the transfer roller 26, and the paper output roller 27.

The controller 51 counts the number of times the drive element is driven, that is, the number of times the ink droplets are ejected, based on the drive signal output to the drive circuit that drives the drive element of the print head 31. Hereinafter, the number of times the ink droplets are ejected will be described as an ink dot count value. The ink dot count value indicates the amount of ink used for printing. The controller 51 counts the ink dot count values for each of the magenta, cyan, yellow, and black colors.

The controller 51 adds the counted ink dot count value to the value stored in the predetermined storage area of the EEPROM 57 of the memory 53 and integrates the counted value (S35). Hereinafter, the value stored in the predetermined storage area of the EEPROM 57 will be described as the total count value. The total count value is reset when the cartridge 13 is replaced. That is, the total count value indicates the total amount of ink used after the cartridge 13 has been replaced.

Next, the controller 51 determines whether or not the detection signal output by the liquid level sensor 33 has changed before and after printing (S36). Specifically, the controller 51 acquires the detection signal output by the liquid level sensor 33 after the execution of printing, and compares the acquired detection signal with the detection signal acquired in step S33. When the controller 51 acquires the first detection signal in step S33 and determines that the second detection signal has been acquired after printing is executed (S36: Yes), the controller 51 resets the total count value (S37). That is, the total count value is reset not only when the cartridge 13 is replaced but also when the liquid level of the ink reaches the installation position of the liquid level sensor 33.

Next, the controller 51 sets the CTG empty flag to “ON” (S38). Then, the controller 51 determines whether or not there is a next page (S46). When the controller 51 determines that there is a next page (S46: Yes), the controller 51 re-executes the processes after step S32.

When the controller 51 determines that the detection signal output by the liquid level sensor 33 has not changed before and after the printing process (S36: No), the detection signal output by the liquid level sensor 33 after the printing is executed is the first detection signal. It is determined whether the signal is the second detection signal or the second detection signal (S39). When the controller 51 determines that the detection signal output by the liquid level sensor 33 is the first detection signal after printing is executed (S39: first detection signal), the controller 51 performs the processes of steps S40 and S41 for calculating the remaining amount of ink. Run. Specifically, first, the controller 51 reads the initial storage value from the EEPROM 57 (S40). The initial storage value is a value calculated when the cartridge 13 is replaced and stored in the EEPROM 57. The controller 51 calculates the total remaining amount value, the CTG remaining amount value, and the sub tank remaining amount value based on the read initial storage value and the total count value stored in the EEPROM 57 (S41). The total remaining amount value is a value indicating the total amount of ink stored in the cartridge 13 and the sub tank 72. The CTG remaining amount value is a value indicating the amount of ink stored in the cartridge 13. The sub tank remaining amount value is a value indicating the amount of ink stored in the sub tank 72.

Then, the controller 51 subtracts the total count value from the initial storage value to calculate the total remaining amount value. Next, the controller 51 calculates the CTG remaining amount value and the sub tank remaining amount value from the calculated total remaining amount value. For example, the memory 53 stores in advance a calculation formula for calculating the CTG remaining amount value and the sub tank remaining amount value from the total remaining amount value. The controller 51 calculates the CTG remaining amount value and the sub tank remaining amount value based on the calculation formula and the total remaining amount value stored in the memory 53. The total remaining value, the CTG remaining value, and the sub tank remaining value calculated by the controller 51 are stored in the RAM 56 of the memory 53. Further, the CTG remaining value is also stored in the IC memory 15 of the cartridge 13.

When the controller 51 determines that the detection signal output by the liquid level sensor 33 is the second detection signal after printing is executed (S39: second detection signal), the controller 51 performs the processes of steps S42 and S43 for calculating the remaining amount of ink. Run. Specifically, first, the controller 51 reads the fixed storage value from the EEPROM 57 (S42). The fixed storage value is a value stored in advance in the EEPROM 57 as the amount of ink stored in the sub tank 72 when the liquid level of the ink is at the installation position of the liquid level sensor 33. Next, the controller 51 subtracts the total count value stored in the EEPROM 57 from the read fixed storage value to calculate the total remaining amount value (S43). After the liquid level of the ink reaches the installation position of the liquid level sensor 33, the amount of ink stored in the cartridge 13 is zero. Therefore, the calculated total remaining amount value is also the subtank remaining amount value stored in the subtank 72. The controller 51 stores the calculated total remaining amount value and the sub tank remaining amount value in the RAM 56. Further, the controller 51 stores the CTG remaining value as zero in the RAM 56.

Next, the controller 51 determines whether or not the total count value is equal to or greater than the empty threshold value (S44). The empty threshold is a threshold stored in advance in the EEPROM 57. That is, in step S44, it is determined whether or not the total count value indicating the amount of ink used after the liquid level of the ink has dropped to the installation position of the liquid level sensor 33 has reached the empty threshold value. In step S44, instead of determining whether or not the total count value is equal to or greater than the empty threshold value, it may be determined whether or not the remaining amount value of the sub tank calculated in step S43 is less than or equal to the threshold value. That is, instead of determining whether the amount of ink used is equal to or greater than the threshold value, it may be determined whether or not the remaining amount of ink stored in the sub tank 72 is less than the threshold value.

When the controller 51 determines that the total count value is equal to or greater than the empty threshold value (S44: Yes), the controller 51 sets the value of the impedance flag to “ON” (S45). Then, the controller 51 determines whether or not there is a next page (S46). When the controller 51 determines that there is a next page (S46: Yes), the controller 51 re-executes the processes after step S32. When the controller 51 determines that there is no next page (S46: No), the controller 51 ends the main process.

Although not shown in the flowchart, when the controller 51 determines that the ink-depleted cartridge 13 has been replaced with a new cartridge 13, the sub-tank remaining value stored in the RAM 56 and the replaced new cartridge 13 The initial storage value is calculated by adding the initial remaining value read from the IC memory 15. Then, the controller 51 stores the calculated initial storage value in the EEPROM 57. The initial value storage value is used for calculating the total remaining amount value, the CTG remaining amount value, and the sub tank remaining amount value in step S41 described above.

[Action and effect of the embodiment]
Further, in the present embodiment, in the initial introduction process, the lower portion 77 of the sub tank 72 is brought into the reduced state before the execution of the purge process, and the lower portion 77 is brought into the expanded state after the execution of the purge process. Therefore, before the start of the purging process, the sub tank 72 can reliably store an amount of ink that does not allow air to enter the tube 32. Further, it is possible to prevent the waiting time from the cartridge 13 being mounted on the mounting case 71 until the purging process is started being too long. Further, in the main process, when the cartridge 13 is emptied, a sufficient amount of ink can be stored in the sub tank 72 so that printing can be continued. That is, the printer 10 can select the volume of the liquid chamber 79 of the sub tank 72 according to the application by changing the shape of the lower portion 77 of the sub tank 72 by the slide device 73.

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, the liquid level sensor 33 is determined whether or not the cartridge 13 is empty (S36), the calculation of the remaining amount of the sub tank (S41, S43), and the initial introduction process. It is used for determining whether or not to start the purge process (S15). That is, one liquid level sensor 33 can be used for a plurality of purposes.

Further, in the present embodiment, the lower portion 77 of the sub tank 72 can be changed between the reduced state and the expanded state with a simple configuration of the slide device 73.

[Other variants]
The printer 10 may have a gripping member 97 shown in FIG. 5C instead of the slide device 73 described in the embodiment. The gripping member 97 is fixed to the rear portion 82 of the lower portion 77 of the sub tank 72. The user grips the gripping member 97 and changes the state of the lower portion 77 of the sub tank 72 between a reduced state (FIG. 5 (C)) and an expanded state (FIG. 5 (D)). The grip member 97 is an example of a grip portion. The gripping member 97 does not have to be directly fixed to the rear portion 82 of the lower portion 77 of the sub tank 72. The gripping member 97 is slidably held in the housing 20, and the lower portion 77 may be changed from a reduced state to an expanded state by sliding the gripping member 97. In this case, a display is displayed to guide the user to bring the lower portion 77 into the reduced state instead of the process of S12 in FIG. 6, and a display is displayed to guide the user to put the lower portion 77 into the expanded state instead of the process of S19 in FIG. It is good to do. If the lower portion 77 is in the reduced state at the time of product purchase, the user may only expand the lower portion 77.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which ink is transferred from the cartridge 13 to the sub tank 72 by the so-called head difference method has been described. However, ink may be transferred from the cartridge 13 to the sub tank 72 by a pump or the like. Alternatively, the ink may be transferred from the cartridge 13 to the sub tank 72 by a so-called chicken feed method.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the lower portion 77 of the sub tank 72 is changed from the reduced state to the expanded state (S19) according to the completion of the purge process (S17: Yes) has been described. However, the controller 51 may change the state of the lower portion 77 of the sub tank 72 from the reduced state to the expanded state in response to the completion of the initial setting such as the time setting or the acceptance of the input of the print data.

10 ... Printer (image recording device)
13 ... Cartridge 16 ... Outlet 18 ... Liquid chamber (1st chamber)
30 ... Mounting unit (mounting body)
31 ... Print head 34 ... Inflow port 72 ... Sub tank 73 ... Slide device (switching part)

Claims (7)

A first chamber for storing the consumable material and a mounting body for mounting a cartridge having an outlet for the consumable material to flow out from the first chamber are provided.
The above wearing body
A tank that is connectable to the cartridge and has a second chamber for storing the consumable material, and a tank having an inlet for the consumable material flowing out from the outlet of the connected cartridge.
A printing head in which consumables are distributed from the second chamber through a flow path,
The state of the second chamber is changed into a first state in which the volume in which the consumable material can be stored in the second chamber is the first volume and a second state in which the volume is a second volume larger than the first volume. An image recording device including a switching unit for switching. It is further equipped with a sensor that detects the consumable material stored in the second room and outputs a signal.
The image recording device according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit changes a state of a volume below the sensor in the second chamber. It also has a controller
The above controller
Claim 2 for executing the initial introduction in which the consumable material is distributed from the second chamber to the flow path, provided that the instruction to execute the initial introduction is acquired and the signal for detecting the consumable material is received from the sensor. The image recording apparatus according to. The above controller
By the switching unit, the second chamber is set to the first state, and the initial introduction is executed.
The image recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second chamber is set to the second state by the switching unit on condition that the initial introduction is completed. It has more memory
The controller determines the remaining amount of the consumable material in the second chamber on the condition that the second chamber is in the second state and receives a signal for detecting the consumable material from the sensor, and the determined remaining amount. The image recording device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the amount is stored in the memory. The switching unit is equipped with a motor.
The image recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the tank is provided with a moving wall that can be moved by the driving force of the motor. The switching portion includes a grip portion and
The image recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the tank is provided with a moving wall that can be moved by moving the grip portion.

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