JP2021119062A - Inkjet recording system and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an inkjet recording system that can appropriately initialize a count value.SOLUTION: The inkjet recording system executes: a count process for counting amounts of ink discharged by a recording part for each ink color; notification processes (S71 and S73) for notifying through a display part that ink with first color needs to be injected in response to the fact that a count value corresponding to the first color of a plurality of ink colors reaches a first discharge threshold; an inquiry process (S75) for making a display part display inquiry information for inquiring presence/absence of injection of ink with each of a plurality of ink colors with respect to each of the ink colors, in response to output of a completion signal by which completion of injection of the ink with the first ink color can be estimated (S73:Yes) and receiving through an operation part first operation or second operation corresponding to the ink with each ink color; and an initialization process for initializing a count value of corresponding ink color in response to output of a first operation signal in the inquiry process.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

The present invention relates to an inkjet recording system that records an image by ejecting ink stored in a tank into which ink can be injected through an injection port.

Conventionally, an inkjet recording device including a tank in which ink can be replenished through an injection port instead of a replaceable ink cartridge has been known. In such an inkjet recording apparatus, for example, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is not possible to detect by a sensor or the like which color of ink is replenished and how much. Therefore, the printing system described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 executes an ink replenishment process in which the user inputs which color of ink is replenished to the tank when the ink is replenished to the tank.

Specifically, when the user operates a computer connected to the inkjet printer, the computer sends an unlock command to the inkjet printer to unlock the tank case. As a result, the ink replenishment screen is displayed on the monitor of the computer. Next, the user rotates the tank case and opens the refill port so that the ink can be refilled. Next, the user refills the tank with ink from the ink bottle, puts the tank case back in place, and then selects the [Next] button on the ink refill screen. As a result, a screen for inquiring about the color of the replenished ink (hereinafter referred to as "inquiry screen") is displayed on the monitor. Then, the user inputs which color of ink is replenished in the tank through the inquiry screen.

Further, the inkjet printers described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 count the amount of ink ejected by the injection head by software, and prohibit the injection of ink when the count value reaches the limit value. Then, in the replenishment process, the inkjet printer resets the count value corresponding to the replenishment ink color received through the inquiry screen.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-066563 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-006320

On the inquiry screen, it is only possible to input that the ink of the color with a small amount of remaining amount has been replenished, and it is not possible to input that the ink of the color with a large amount of remaining amount has been replenished. However, the user who opens the tank case does not always replenish only the ink of the specified color (that is, the color with a low remaining amount). Therefore, if the count value of the color cannot be reset even though the ink has been replenished, the remaining amount of ink specified by the count value and the actual remaining amount of ink will be significantly different.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording system capable of appropriately initializing the count value of ink discharged by a recording unit when ink is injected into a tank. To provide.

(1) In the inkjet recording system according to the present invention, a plurality of ink chambers for storing inks of different ink colors and a plurality of injection ports for injecting ink into each ink chamber are formed. A tank in which the ink in the ink chamber can be visually recognized from the outside of the device, a recording unit that discharges the ink stored in the ink chamber and records an image on a sheet, a display unit that displays information, and a received user operation. It includes an operation unit that outputs an operation signal according to the above, and a control unit that controls the operation of the recording unit and the display unit. In response to the reception of the first operation, which is the user operation corresponding to the injection of ink, the operation unit outputs the first operation signal, which is the operation signal, and the ink is not injected. The second operation signal, which is the operation signal, is output in response to the acceptance of the second operation, which is the corresponding user operation. The control unit counts the amount of ink discharged by the recording unit for each ink color, and the count value corresponding to the first color among the plurality of ink colors has reached the first discharge threshold. In response to this, a notification process for notifying through the display unit that the first color ink needs to be injected and an end signal capable of estimating that the first color ink injection has been completed are output. Inquiry information asking whether or not the ink of the ink color has been injected is displayed on the display unit for each of the plurality of ink colors, and the first operation or the second operation corresponding to the ink color is displayed. An inquiry process for receiving an operation via the operation unit and an initialization process for initializing the count value of the corresponding ink color in response to the output of the first operation signal in the inquiry process are executed. do.

According to the above configuration, in the notification process, the ink injection of the first color with a small amount of ink remaining is notified. On the other hand, the user who visually recognizes the amount of ink in each ink chamber can inject ink into ink chambers other than the first color. Therefore, by accepting the first operation or the second operation for all the ink colors in the inquiry process, the count value corresponding to the ink of the replenished color can be appropriately initialized.

(2) Preferably, the inkjet recording system covers all the injection ports to restrict the injection of ink into the ink chamber, and exposes all the injection ports to ink into the ink chamber. A cover that can move between the exposed positions that allow the injection of the ink and a cover sensor that outputs a position signal according to the position of the cover are further provided. Then, the end signal is the position signal corresponding to the movement of the cover to the covering position.

(3) Preferably, in the notification process, the control unit indicates that the ink of the first color is low in response to the count value corresponding to the first color reaching the first emission threshold value. The first notification process for notifying through the display unit and the position signal corresponding to the position of the cover at the exposed position are output from the cover sensor and correspond to the second color among the plurality of ink colors. A second notifying through the display unit that the inks of the first color and the second color are injected according to the count value reaching the second emission threshold before the first emission threshold. Execute notification processing.

According to the above configuration, the first notification process is executed according to the count value of the ink of the first color reaching the first emission threshold value (for example, the empty state). Then, in the second notification process executed in response to the user moving the cover to the exposed position in order to inject the ink of the first color, not only the ink of the first color but also the count value is discharged second. The injection of the second color ink that has reached the threshold (for example, near empty state) is also notified. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent the inks of each color from being sequentially put into an empty state and the image recording process being interrupted many times.

(4) Preferably, in the inquiry process, the control unit displays the inquiry information for the first color on the display unit, and performs the first operation or the second operation corresponding to the first color. In response to the completion of the first inquiry processing to be accepted by the operation unit and the completion of the first inquiry processing, the inquiry information for the second color among the plurality of ink colors is displayed on the display unit, and the display unit is used. The first operation corresponding to the second color or the second inquiry process for causing the operation unit to accept the second operation is executed.

According to the above configuration, in each inquiry process, the presence or absence of ink injection can be individually input for each ink color, so that the occurrence of erroneous input can be suppressed. As a result, the control unit can discharge the ink to the recording unit while appropriately recognizing the amount of ink in the tank. Further, since the user answers the inquiries for all the ink colors in order, it is possible to grasp which ink color is in what state. The "erroneous input" means, for example, executing the second operation in the inquiry processing for the injected ink color, or executing the first operation in the inquiry processing for the ink color not injected.

(5) Preferably, the inkjet recording system has a first value corresponding to the fact that the initial process of filling the flow path from the ink chamber to the recording unit with ink has not yet been executed, or the initial process has already been executed. It further includes a storage unit that stores an initial flag in which any of the second values corresponding to the said values is set. The control unit executes the second query process in response to the output of the first operation signal in the first query process executed with the first value set in the initial flag. ..

(6) Preferably, the control unit covers the cover in response to the output of the second operation signal in the first query process executed with the first value set in the initial flag. Is further executed to notify through the display unit that the ink of the first color is injected by moving the ink to the exposed position.

The initial process is a process of ejecting ink from the recording unit until the flow path from the ink chamber to the recording unit is filled with ink. That is, if the initial processing is executed in a state where some ink colors are not injected, the ink discharged from the recording unit is wasted. Therefore, according to each of the above configurations, since the second inquiry process is executed after confirming that the ink has been injected into the first color, it is surely confirmed that the inks of all the ink colors have been injected. can do.

(7) Preferably, the control unit re-uses the second operation signal in response to the output of the second operation signal in the second query process executed with the first value set in the initial flag. The notification process is executed, and in the query process executed after the re-notification process is executed, the second query process is executed without executing the first query process.

According to the above configuration, the user who sees the re-notification process moves the cover to the exposed position, injects the second color ink, and moves the cover to the covering position. At this time, in the query process to be executed again, the first query process in which the ink injection has already been confirmed is omitted, so that the user operation can be further simplified.

(8) Preferably, the inkjet recording system has a first value corresponding to the fact that the initial process of filling the flow path from the ink chamber to the recording unit with ink has not yet been executed, or the initial process has already been executed. It further includes a storage unit that stores an initial flag in which any of the second values corresponding to the said values is set. In the query process executed with the second value set in the initial flag, the control unit executes the second query process regardless of the operation signal output in the first query process. do.

The amount of ink consumed after the initial processing is executed differs for each ink color. Therefore, it is desirable to execute the second query process regardless of the operation received in the first query process.

(9) For example, the control unit regulates the ejection of ink by the recording unit in response to the output of the position signal corresponding to the position of the cover at the exposed position from the cover sensor. When the processing and the inquiry processing are completed, the processing and the cancellation processing for canceling the regulation by the regulation processing are further executed.

(10) In the program according to the present invention, a plurality of ink chambers for storing inks of different ink colors and a plurality of injection ports for injecting ink into each ink chamber are formed, and the above inks are formed. A tank in which the ink in the room can be visually recognized from the outside of the device, a recording unit that discharges the ink stored in the ink chamber and records an image on the sheet, a display unit that displays information, and ink is injected. An operation unit that outputs a first operation signal in response to the acceptance of the corresponding first operation and outputs a second operation signal in response to the acceptance of the second operation corresponding to the fact that ink is not injected. It can be executed by a computer equipped with. The program counts the amount of ink discharged by the recording unit for each of the ink colors, and the count value corresponding to the first color among the plurality of ink colors reaches the first discharge threshold. Correspondingly, the notification process for notifying through the display unit that the ink of the first color needs to be injected and the end signal capable of estimating that the injection of the ink of the first color has been completed are output. Correspondingly, for each of the plurality of ink colors, inquiry information inquiring whether or not the ink of the ink color has been injected is displayed on the display unit, and the first operation or the second operation corresponding to the ink color is displayed. The computer performs an inquiry process for receiving the above ink via the operation unit and an initialization process for initializing the count value of the corresponding ink color in response to the output of the first operation signal in the inquiry process. To execute.

According to the present invention, the ink injection of the first color with a small amount of ink remaining is notified by the notification process, and the first operation or the second operation for all the ink colors is accepted by the inquiry process. The count value corresponding to can be initialized appropriately.

1A and 1B are external perspective views of the multifunction device 10. FIG. 1A shows a state in which the cover 70 is closed, and FIG. 1B shows a state in which the cover 70 is open. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the recording unit 24 and the ink tank 100. FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the ink tank 100. FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the ink tank 100. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along the line VV of FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI (A) -VI (A) of FIG. 5, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI (B) -VI (B) of FIG. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the multifunction device 10. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing at the time of cover OPEN. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the inquiry process A. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the reinjection notification process. FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the inquiry process B. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the image recording process. FIG. 13 is a flowchart of empty processing.

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 the present specification, the vertical direction 7 is defined based on the state in which the multifunction device 10 is installed so that it can be used, and the front-rear direction 8 is defined with the side of the multifunction device 10 where the opening 13 is provided as the front side (front side). Then, the left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction device 10 is viewed from the front side (front side).

[Overall configuration of multifunction device 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction device 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The multifunction device 10 has a printing function for recording an image on paper by an inkjet recording method. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 7, the multifunction device 10 includes a feed tray 20, a discharge tray 21, a transport unit 23, a recording unit 24, and an ink tank 100 (an example of a tank). It has. Further, the multifunction device 10 may have various functions such as a facsimile function and a scanner function. The multifunction device 10 is an example of an inkjet recording device.

[Feeding tray 20, discharge tray 21]
As shown in FIG. 1, the feeding tray 20 is inserted and removed from the multifunction device 10 by the user in the front-rear direction 8 through an opening 13 formed in the front surface of the multifunction device 10 and in the central portion in the left-right direction 9. The feed tray 20 can support a plurality of stacked sheets. The discharge tray 21 is arranged above the feed tray 20 and is inserted and removed together with the feed tray 20. The discharge tray 21 supports the paper discharged by the transport unit 23.

[Transporting unit 23, recording unit 24]
The transport unit 23 transports the paper supported by the feed tray 20 to the discharge tray 21 via a position facing the recording unit 24. The transport unit 23 is composed of, for example, a roller that rotates in contact with the paper. The recording unit 24 records an image on the paper conveyed by the conveying unit 23 by ejecting the ink stored in the ink tank 100. The recording unit 24 includes, for example, a carriage that moves in a direction intersecting the paper transport direction, and a recording head that is mounted on the carriage and ejects ink.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ink tube 32 and the flexible flat cable 33 are connected to the recording unit 24. The ink tube 32 supplies the ink stored in the ink tank 100 to the recording unit 24. More specifically, four ink tubes 32B, 32M, 32C, 32Y (these are collectively referred to as "ink tube 32") in which inks of each color (black, magenta, cyan, yellow) are distributed may be referred to as "ink tube 32". ) Is extended from the ink tank 100, and these are connected to the recording unit 24 in a bundled state. The flexible flat cable 33 transmits a control signal output from the control unit 130 (see FIG. 7) to the recording unit 24.

[Ink tank 100]
The ink tank 100 is arranged inside the multifunction device 10 as shown in FIG.
The ink tank 100 is fixed to the multifunction device 10 so that it cannot be easily removed from the multifunction device 10. The ink tank 100 has a front wall 101, a right wall 102, a left wall 103, an upper wall 104, and a lower wall 105. On the other hand, the rear surface of the opened ink tank 100 is sealed with the film 106.

The front wall 101 constitutes the front end of the ink chamber 111 in the front-rear direction 8. The front wall 101 is composed of a base wall 101A extending substantially in the vertical direction 7 from the lower wall 105, and a sloping wall 101B inclined rearward with respect to the base wall 101A from the upper end of the base wall 101A. The front wall 101 has a translucency such that the ink in the ink chamber 111 can be visually recognized from the outside of the ink tank 100 by the user. The front wall 101 is not limited to having translucency, and all walls 101 to 105 may have translucency.

The lower wall 105 constitutes the lower end of the ink chamber 111 in the vertical direction 7. As shown in FIG. 5, the lower wall 105 is composed of an upper wall 145, a lower wall 146, and a connecting wall 147. The upper wall 145 is in contact with the inner surface of the front wall 101 (more specifically, the base wall 101A). The lower wall 146 is in contact with the film 106. Further, the lower wall 146 is located below the upper wall 145 and behind the upper wall 145. The upper end of the connecting wall 147 is connected to the rear end of the upper wall 145, and the lower end is connected to the front end of the lower wall 146.

[Ink chamber 111]
As shown in FIG. 4, the ink tank 100 has a plurality of partition walls 107, 108, 109 that partition the internal space of the ink tank 100. The partition walls 107, 108, and 109 extend in the vertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8, respectively, and are in contact with the front wall 101, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, and the film 106. Further, the partition walls 107 to 109 are arranged so as to be separated from each other in the left-right direction 9. As a result, the internal space of the ink tank 100 is divided into four ink chambers 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y for storing ink.

Ink chambers 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y store inks of different ink colors. Specifically, black ink is stored in the ink chamber 111B, cyan ink is stored in the ink chamber 111C, magenta ink is stored in the ink chamber 111M, and yellow ink is stored in the ink chamber 111Y. Cyan, magenta, and yellow are examples of the first color, and black is an example of the second color. Further, the ink chambers 111M, 111C, and 111Y are examples of the first ink chamber, and the ink chamber 111B is an example of the second ink chamber. The ink to be injected into each ink chamber 111 is provided by filling an ink bottle with a predetermined amount.

However, the form of the ink tank 100 is not limited to the above-mentioned example. For example, the multifunction device 10 may include four ink tanks, each of which has an ink chamber for storing inks of different ink colors. Further, the number of ink chambers 111 and the ink color are not limited to the above-mentioned examples.
Hereinafter, the ink chambers 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y may be collectively referred to as "ink chamber 111". Further, four constituent elements (for example, injection ports 112B, 112M, 112C, 112Y, ink flow paths 114B, 114M, 114C, 114Y, etc.) provided corresponding to each ink chamber 111 have alphabets at the end. Only (B, M, C, Y) have different reference numbers, and when these are collectively referred to, the alphabet may be abbreviated (for example, injection port 112, ink flow path 114, etc., which will be described later). ..

Here, the amount of ink filled in the ink bottle and V _max, surrounded in the rear and below the upper wall 145 in the lower wall 146 and the connecting wall 147 space (hereinafter, referred to as "pre-storage chamber".) the volume and _{V 0.} In this case, the remaining amount threshold value is _{represented by (V 0 −} α), the first emission threshold value is represented by [V _max − (V ₀ − α)], and the second emission threshold value is represented by (V _{max −} V ₀ ). expressed. The specific value of α is not particularly limited, but may be determined as follows, for example.

α corresponds to, for example, the volume of the reserve chamber between the upper surface of the upper wall 145B and the upper end of the opening 115. More specifically, α may be set to a value that is the same as or slightly smaller than the volume. As a result, in the image recording process described later, the liquid level of the ink in the ink chamber 111 falls below the upper end of the opening 115, and air is mixed into the ink flow path 114, the ink tube 32, and the recording head of the recording unit 24. Can be suppressed. Further, α> 0, α <(V _max −V ₀ ), and α <V ₀ are satisfied.

The remaining amount threshold value is a value corresponding to the amount of ink in the ink chamber 111 when the remaining amount signal output from the remaining amount sensor 125, which will be described later, changes. The first ejection threshold corresponds to the amount of ink consumed from the time when the ink for one ink bottle is injected into the empty ink chamber 111 until the amount of ink in the ink chamber 111 reaches the remaining amount threshold. The second ejection threshold was consumed from the time when the ink for one ink bottle was injected into the empty ink chamber 111 until the height of the liquid level in the ink chamber 111 and the height of the upper wall 145 coincided with each other. Corresponds to the amount of ink. The first emission threshold value and the second emission threshold value (these may be collectively referred to as “emission threshold value”) are values to be compared with the count values described later. The remaining amount threshold value, the first discharge threshold value, and the second discharge threshold value may be different values for each ink chamber 111.

[Injection port 112]
The inclined wall 101B of the ink tank 100 is formed with injection ports 112B, 112M, 112C, 112Y for injecting ink into each ink chamber 111. The injection port 112 penetrates the inclined wall 101B in the thickness direction and communicates the corresponding ink chamber 111 with the outside of the ink tank 100. The inner surface of the inclined wall 101B faces each ink chamber 111, and the outer surface of the inclined wall 101B faces the outside of the ink tank 100. The injection port 112 may be formed on the upper wall 104 instead of the inclined wall 101B.

The ink tank 100 has caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y that can be attached to and detached from each injection port 112. As shown in FIG. 1 (A), the cap 113 attached to the injection port 112 comes into close contact with the peripheral edge of the injection port 112 and closes the injection port 112.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1 (B), when the cap 113 is removed from the injection port 112, the injection port 112 is opened. The cap 113 is attached to and detached from the injection port 112 with the cover 70, which will be described later, positioned at the exposed position. Further, the user can inject the ink in the ink bottle into the ink chamber 111 by removing the cap 113 from the injection port 112.

[Ink flow path 114]
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, ink flow paths 114B, 114M, 114C, and 114Y are formed in the ink tank 100. The ink flow paths 114M, 114C, 114Y communicate with the ink chambers 111M, 111C, 111Y through the openings 115M, 115C, 115Y formed near the lower ends of the partition walls 107, 108, 109. The ink flow path 114B communicates with the ink chamber 111B through an opening 115B formed near the boundary between the right wall 102 and the lower wall 105. Further, each ink flow path 114 extending from each opening 115 reaches the right side surface of the ink tank 100 through the openings 116B, 116M, 116C, 116Y formed in the right wall 102.

Further, the ink flow path 114 extends upward from the opening 116 along the outer surface of the right wall 102 and is connected to the connecting portion 118. Four ink tubes 32B, 32M, 32C, and 32Y (see FIG. 2) corresponding to inks of each color are connected to each connecting portion 118 formed so as to project from the upper wall 104 of the ink tank 100. That is, the ink flow path 114 is a flow path that guides the ink flowing out from the corresponding ink chamber 111 to the recording unit 24 through the ink tube 32 connected to the corresponding connecting unit 118.

As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of protruding walls 121A to 121I are formed on the right wall 102 of the ink tank 100. The protruding wall 121 projects to the right from the outer surface (right side surface) of the right wall 102, and extends along the outer surface of the right wall 102. Further, a film 122 is welded to the right tip of the protruding walls 121A to 121I. The ink flow path 114 between the opening 116 and the connecting portion 118 refers to a space partitioned by the adjacent protrusions 121A to 121H and the film 122.

[Additional ink chamber 123]
Further, an additional ink chamber 123 is formed on the right side surface of the ink tank 100. The additional ink chamber 123 is defined by a right wall 102, protruding walls 121H and 121I continuous in the circumferential direction, and a film 122. The additional ink chamber 123 is communicated with the ink chamber 111B by through holes 123A and 123B penetrating the right wall 102. Further, in the additional ink chamber 123, a detected portion 124 is formed by a part of a protrusion 121I defining the lower end of the additional ink chamber 123 surrounding the front, the rear, and the lower side of the through hole 123A.

In the present embodiment, the height of the lower end of the through hole 123A (in other words, the lower end of the detected portion 124) is located below the upper surface of the upper wall 145B. As a result, the ink enters the detected portion 124 through the through hole 123A according to the amount of ink in the ink chamber 111B being equal to or greater than the remaining amount threshold value. On the other hand, according to the amount of ink in the ink chamber 111B being less than the remaining amount threshold value, the ink in the detected portion 124 is discharged to the ink chamber 111B through the through hole 123A, and the ink is present in the detected portion 124. It disappears.

[Remaining amount sensor 125]
The multifunction device 10 includes a remaining amount sensor 125 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The remaining amount sensor 125 has a light emitting unit 125A and a light receiving unit 125B arranged so as to face each other in the front-rear direction 8 with the detected unit 124 interposed therebetween. The light emitting unit 125A outputs light (for example, visible light or infrared light) that is transmitted through the protruding wall 121I and is not transmitted through the black ink toward the light receiving unit 125B. The light receiving unit 125B outputs a remaining amount signal according to whether or not the light output from the light emitting unit 125A is received to the control unit 130. In other words, the remaining amount sensor 125 outputs a remaining amount signal corresponding to the amount of ink stored in the ink chamber 111B to the control unit 130.

The remaining amount sensor 125 according to the present embodiment is a first remaining amount signal corresponding to the presence of ink in the detected unit 124 (in other words, the amount of ink in the ink chamber 111B is equal to or higher than the remaining amount threshold value). Is output. On the other hand, the remaining amount sensor 125 outputs a second remaining amount signal corresponding to the absence of ink in the detected unit 124 (the amount of ink in the ink chamber 111B is less than the remaining amount threshold value). In the present embodiment, the signal level of the first remaining amount signal is 0V, and the signal level of the second remaining amount signal is 3.3V. That is, "the remaining amount sensor 125 outputs the remaining amount signal" also includes that the signal level is 0V. However, the combination of signal levels is not limited to the above example. The same applies to the position signal of the cover sensor 72, which will be described later.

That is, when the black ink for one ink bottle is injected into the empty ink chamber 111B and the amount of ink corresponding to the second ejection threshold is consumed, the liquid level of the ink remaining in the ink chamber 111B and the upper wall. The height is almost the same as the upper surface of 145B. At this time, the remaining amount sensor 125 outputs the first remaining amount signal. Further, when the ink consumption reaches the first discharge threshold value, the liquid level of the ink remaining in the ink chamber 111B is located below the upper wall 145B.
At this time, the remaining amount sensor 125 outputs the second remaining amount signal.

[Atmospheric passage 126]
As shown in FIG. 4, the ink tank 100 is formed with atmospheric passages 126B, 126M, 126C, and 126Y. The atmospheric communication passage 126 communicates the corresponding ink chamber 111 with the atmosphere. More specifically, the atmospheric communication passage 126 communicates with the corresponding ink chamber 111 through the notch 127 formed at the upper end of the ink chamber 111, and communicates with the outside of the ink tank 100 through the opening 128.

[Cover 70]
The multifunction device 10 has a cover 70 as shown in FIG. The cover 70 is rotatably supported by the multifunction device 10 (an example of movement). The cover 70 is rotatable between the covering position shown in FIG. 1 (A) and the exposed position shown in FIG. 1 (B).

The coating position is a position where the cover 70 covers a part of all the injection ports 112 and restricts the injection of ink into all the ink chambers 111. When the cover 70 is located at the covering position, a part of each inlet 112 (in other words, a part of each cap 113) is covered. Then, the operation of the user who tries to remove the cap 112 is regulated by the cover 70 that covers a part of each cap 113. That is, since the cover 70 located at the covering position restricts the removal of each cap 113, the opening of each injection port 112 is restricted. As a result, the cover 70 located at the coating position regulates the injection of ink into all the ink chambers 111.
However, the cover 70 may be configured to cover the entire inlet 112.
That is, the cover 70 may be configured so that the injection of ink into the ink chamber 111 can be regulated by the cover 70 located at the covering position. The exposed position is a position where all the injection ports 112 are exposed to the outside of the multifunction device 10 by the cover 70, and ink is allowed to be injected into all the ink chambers 111.

That is, a series of ink injection operations by the user are as follows, for example. First, the user moves the cover 70 at the covering position to the exposed position, and removes the cap 113 of the injection port 112 corresponding to the ink color to be injected. Next, the user inserts the tip of the ink bottle into the open injection port 112, and injects all the ink in the ink bottle into the ink chamber 111. Next, the user who has finished injecting the ink attaches the removed cap 113 to the corresponding injection port 112 and moves the cover 70 to the covering position.

Further, the cover 70 has a transmission window 71 facing the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 at the covering position. As a result, the user can visually recognize the remaining amount of ink in the ink chamber 111 through the front wall 101 regardless of whether the cover 70 is in the covering position or the exposed position. Further, the transparent window 71 is configured so that the height of the lower side of the transparent window 71 of the cover 70 (position in the vertical direction 7) and the height of each upper wall 145 are about the same. Therefore, when the ink is stored only in the reserve storage chamber, it becomes difficult for the user to visually recognize the ink, and at first glance, it can be felt that the ink is not stored in each ink chamber 111.

[Cover sensor 72]
Further, the multifunction device 10 has a cover sensor 72 (see FIG. 7). The cover sensor 72 may be, for example, a mechanical sensor such as a switch with which the cover 70 is brought in and out, or an optical sensor in which light is blocked or transmitted depending on the position of the cover 70. The cover sensor 72 outputs a position signal corresponding to the position of the cover 70 to the control unit 130. The cover sensor 72 according to the present embodiment outputs a first position signal corresponding to the position of the cover 70 at the covering position or a second position signal corresponding to the position of the cover 70 at the exposed position to the control unit 130. do. In the present embodiment, the signal level of the first position signal is 0V, and the signal level of the second position signal is 3.3V.

[Display unit 14]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction device 10 includes a display unit 14. The display unit 14 displays information to be notified to the user as a message. The specific configuration of the display unit 14 is not particularly limited, but for example, a liquid crystal display (abbreviation of Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL display (abbreviation of Organic Electro-Luminence Display), and the like can be adopted.

The display unit 14 according to the present embodiment is a rectangle having 8 dots in length and 80 dots in width. That is, the display unit 14 can display a maximum of 16 characters (including spaces) of 8 dots in length × 5 dots in width (about 8 mm in length × about 5 mm in width). Further, when a character string exceeding 16 characters is to be displayed on the display unit 14, the character string is scrolled and displayed. Further, when trying to display the character strings of a plurality of lines on the display unit 14, the character strings of each line are displayed in order.

[Operation unit 17]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction device 10 includes an operation unit 17. The operation unit 17 is an input interface that receives input of instructions to the multifunction device 10 from the user. The operation unit 17 according to the present embodiment is composed of a plurality of push buttons such as a numeric keypad 17A and a power button 17B, for example. However, the specific configuration of the operation unit 17 is not limited to the push button, and may be a touch sensor superimposed on the display screen of the display unit 14.

The operation unit 17 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the pressed push button to the control unit 130. The operation unit 17 according to the present embodiment has a first operation signal corresponding to the pressing of the [1] button included in the numeric keypad 17A, and a second operation signal corresponding to the pressing of the [2] button included in the numeric keypad 17A. The operation signal or the third operation signal corresponding to the pressing of the power button 17B is output to the control unit 130. The buttons corresponding to the first operation signal, the second operation signal, and the third operation signal are not limited to the above-mentioned examples.

[Communication unit 25]
As shown in FIG. 7, the multifunction device 10 includes a communication unit 25. The communication unit 25 is an interface for communicating with an external device. That is, the multifunction device 10 outputs various data to the external device through the communication unit 25, and receives various data from the external device through the communication unit 25. Further, the communication unit 25 may function as a fax receiving unit that receives fax data from an external device.

[Control unit 130]
As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 130 includes a CPU 131, a ROM 132, a RAM 133, an EEPROM 134, and an ASIC 135, which are connected by an internal bus 137. The ROM 132 stores a program or the like for the CPU 131 to control various operations. The RAM 133 is used as a storage area for temporarily recording data, signals, etc. used by the CPU 131 when executing the program, or as a work area for data processing. The EEPROM 134 stores settings, flags, and the like that should be retained even after the power is turned off.

The EEPROM 134 stores, for example, the initial flag. The initial flag is a value corresponding to whether or not the multifunction device 10 has executed the initial processing. Specifically, the initial flag indicates a first value corresponding to the fact that the initial processing has not been executed yet, or a second value corresponding to the fact that the initial processing has already been executed. The initial process is a process of filling the flow path from the ink chamber 111 to the recording unit 24 (that is, the ink flow path 114 and the ink tube 32) with ink.

At the time of shipment of the multifunction device 10, the flow path from the ink chamber 111 to the recording unit 24 is not filled with ink. That is, at the time of shipment of the multifunction device 10, the first value is set in the initial flag. Then, when the control unit 130 executes the initial processing, the ink flow path 114, the ink tube 32, and the recording head of the recording unit 24 are filled with ink, and the multifunction device 10 can record an image on paper. It becomes a state. That is, the second value is set in the initial flag after the initial processing is executed. At the time of shipment of the multifunction device 10, a shipping liquid dedicated to shipment, which is not used for recording images on paper, may be filled in the flow path instead of ink. In this case, when the control unit 130 executes the initial process, the shipping liquid in the flow path is discharged, and the inside of the flow path is filled with ink.

In addition, the EEPROM 134 stores a count value indicating the amount of ink discharged from the recording unit 24 for each ink color. The count value stored in the EEPROM 134 is initialized (that is, 0 is set) in steps S26 and S49 described later, and is counted up in step S69 described later. The count value is compared with the first emission threshold and the second emission threshold. Note that the method of updating the count value is not limited to the above example, for example, step S26, a value corresponding to the maximum amount V _max of the ink that can be stored in the ink chamber 111 in the S49 is set, it is counted down in the step S69 May be good. The countdown value is compared with the corresponding remaining threshold.

A transport unit 23, a recording unit 24, a display unit 14, a communication unit 25, an operation unit 17, a cover sensor 72, and a remaining amount sensor 125 are connected to the ASIC 135. The control unit 130 conveys paper to the conveying unit 23, ejects ink to the recording unit 24, displays information on the display unit 14, and causes the communication unit 25 to communicate with an external device. Further, the control unit 130 acquires an operation signal from the operation unit 17, a position signal from the cover sensor 72, and a remaining amount signal from the remaining amount sensor 125. The control unit 130 reads, for example, the position signal output from the cover sensor 72 and the remaining amount signal output from the remaining amount sensor 125 at predetermined time intervals (for example, 50 msec).

[Operation of multifunction device 10]
The operation of the multifunction device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 13. Each process shown in FIGS. 8 to 13 is executed by the CPU 131 of the control unit 130. The following processes may be performed by the CPU 131 reading the program stored in the ROM 132 and executing the program, or may be realized by the hardware circuit mounted on the control unit 130.

[Processing at cover OPEN]
First, the control unit 130 executes the process shown in FIG. 8 in response to the output of the second position signal from the cover sensor 72. This process is executed, for example, when the multifunction device 10 is in the standby state (a state in which the image recording process described later is not executed) and the cover 70 is moved from the covering position to the exposed position. This process is a process of urging the user to inject ink into the ink chamber 111 and confirming to the user whether or not the ink has been injected into each ink chamber 111.

First, the control unit 130 causes the display unit 14 to display the injection notification screen (S11). In step S11 when the first value is set in the initial flag, the control unit 130 alternately displays the character string of "FILL ALL INK" and the character string of "THEN CLOSE INK COVER" as the injection notification screen. It is displayed on the display unit 14.

On the other hand, in step S11 when the second value is set in the initial flag, the control unit 130 changes the character string to be displayed on the display unit 14 according to the count value stored in the EEPROM 134. Specifically, when the count values of all the ink colors are equal to or higher than the second emission threshold value, the control unit 130 sets the character string of "REFILL M / C / Y / BK" and the character of "THEN CLOSE INK COVER". The columns are alternately displayed on the display unit 14. When there is an ink color whose count value is less than the second emission threshold value, any one of the characters representing the corresponding ink color from the above character string (that is, "M", "C", "Y", and "BK"). ) Is omitted. Further, when the count values of all the ink colors are less than the second emission threshold value, the control unit 130 causes the display unit 14 to display the character string of "CLOSE INK COVER".

Hereinafter, the ink color whose count value is equal to or higher than the second emission threshold value may be referred to as "near empty color". In addition, an ink color whose count value is equal to or higher than the first emission threshold value may be referred to as "empty color". That is, the step S11 when the second value is set in the initial flag is a process of notifying through the display unit 14 that the near empty color and the empty color ink will be injected.

The process of step S11 is an example of a notification process for notifying through the display unit 14 that ink is to be injected into the ink chamber 111. The notification process is continued until the cover sensor 72 outputs the first position signal in step S13, which will be described later, that is, until it is detected that the cover 70 is located at the covering position. Further, in the notification process, it is permissible that different character strings are displayed on the display unit 14 depending on the state of the multifunction device 10. The same applies to steps S24, S31, S33, S41, S45, S71, and S73, which will be described later.

Further, the control unit 130 regulates the ejection of ink by the recording unit 24 (S12). That is, the control unit 130 does not start the image recording process shown in FIG. 11 even if the recording instruction described later is acquired during steps S12 to S18. The process of step S12 is an example of the regulation process.

The user who sees the injection notification screen can remove the cap 113 from the injection port 112 and inject ink into the ink chamber 111. Then, the user who has injected the ink can close the injection port 112 with the cap 113 and move the cover 70 to the covering position. Here, the user may inject only the ink of the ink color notified on the injection notification screen. Alternatively, the user may inject all colors of ink or may not inject any color of ink. However, the control unit 130 cannot detect which ink color is injected.

Next, the control unit 130 executes the inquiry process A in response to the output of the first position signal from the cover sensor 72 and the setting of the first value in the initial flag (S13: Yes & S14: first value). (S15). That is, the inquiry process A is executed in response to the movement of the cover 70 from the exposed position to the covering position in the multifunction device 10 in which the initial process has not been executed. The details of the query process A will be described with reference to FIG.

[Query processing before initial processing]
First, the control unit 130 sets the inquiry flag corresponding to each ink color to “OFF” (S21). The query flag is temporarily stored in the RAM 133, for example, when the query process A is started. Next, the control unit 130 performs inquiry processing (S23 to S25, S29) for each of the four ink colors according to the output of the first remaining amount signal from the remaining amount sensor 125 (S22: Yes). To execute. The first remaining amount signal output in step S22 corresponds to the black ink being injected into the ink chamber 111B. That is, in the inquiry process A, the inquiry process corresponding to each color is executed at least when the injection of black ink is confirmed.

The first position signal in step S13 is an example of an end signal that can be estimated that the ink injection is completed. However, the specific example of the end signal is not limited to this, and may be, for example, an operation signal output by the operation unit 17 that has received the user operation corresponding to the completion of the ink injection. Further, the process of step S22 is an example of a pre-confirmation process for confirming at least whether or not black ink has been injected. However, the method of confirming whether or not the black ink has been injected is not limited to the remaining amount signal, and may be an operation signal output by the operation unit 17 that has received the user operation corresponding to the injection of the black ink. ..

Of the plurality of query processes (S23 to S25, S29) executed in order in the query process A, the query process executed first is an example of the first query process, and the query process executed later is the second query process. This is an example of query processing. In the present embodiment, an example in which the query processing is executed in the order of magenta, cyan, yellow, and black will be described, but the execution order is not limited to this. The same applies to the inquiry processing (S45 to S48, S51) of the inquiry processing B described later.

The control unit 130 causes the display unit 14 to display the inquiry screen for magenta according to the setting of “OFF” in the inquiry flag corresponding to magenta (S23: Yes) (S24). The inquiry screen includes inquiry information for inquiring whether or not ink of the corresponding ink color has been injected. The inquiry information corresponding to magenta includes, for example, a character string of "DID YOU FILL" and a character string of "[M]? 1.YES 2.NO". Further, the control unit 130 according to the present embodiment alternately displays the above two character strings on the display unit 14.

Next, the control unit 130 waits until any operation signal is output from the operation unit 17 (S25: No & S29: No). In step S25, the user operation of pressing the [1] button included in the numeric keypad 17A is an example of the first operation corresponding to the injection of ink. Further, in step S29, the user operation of pressing the [2] button included in the numeric keypad 17A is an example of the second operation corresponding to the fact that ink is not injected. However, the first operation and the second operation are not limited to the above-mentioned example. For example, when the operation unit 17 has the [↑] [↓] buttons, pressing the [↑] button is the first operation. , Pressing the [↓] button may be the second operation.

Further, the user operation of pressing the power button 17B is an example of the third operation of instructing the execution of the stop process for stopping the supply of electric power to the multifunction device 10. However, even if the third operation signal is output from the operation unit 17 in the inquiry process A (S25: No & S29: No), the control unit 130 does not execute the stop process corresponding to the third operation signal and makes an inquiry. Continue processing. The specific example of the third operation is not limited to this, and any operation different from the first operation and the second operation may be used. Other examples of the third operation include pressing the [4] to [9] buttons included in the numeric keypad 17A, pressing the [copy] button, pressing the [scan] button, and the like. Even if these buttons are pressed in the inquiry process A, the control unit 130 ignores the operation signal corresponding to the pressed buttons and continues the inquiry process A.

Then, the control unit 130 initializes the count value corresponding to magenta in response to the output of the first operation signal from the operation unit 17 (S25: Yes), and sets the inquiry flag corresponding to magenta to “ON”. (S26). The process of initializing the count value in step S26 is an example of the initialization process.

Next, the control unit 130 executes inquiry processing for the next ink color (S28 → S23 to S25, S29) according to the fact that the inquiry processing for all the ink colors has not been executed (S27: No). Then, the control unit 130 ends the inquiry process A in response to the execution of the inquiry process for all the ink colors (S27: Yes).

On the other hand, the control unit 130 executes the reinjection notification process shown in FIG. 10 in response to the output of the second remaining amount signal from the remaining amount sensor 125 in step S22 (S22: No) (S30). .. Similarly, the control unit 130 does not output the first operation signal from the operation unit 17 in step S25 (S25: No), and responds to the output of the second operation signal in step S29 (S29: Yes). The query processing being executed is interrupted and the reinjection notification processing is executed (S30). The re-injection notification process is a process for moving the cover 70 to an exposed position to encourage ink to be injected.

The control unit 130 causes the display unit 14 to display the reinjection notification screen in the reinjection notification process shown in FIG. 10 (S31). The reinjection notification screen includes, for example, a character string of "FILL INK" and a character string of "OPEN INK COVER". Further, the control unit 130 according to the present embodiment alternately displays the above two character strings on the display unit 14. The process of displaying the re-injection notification screen is an example of the re-notification process of notifying through the display unit 14 that the cover 70 is moved to the exposed position and the corresponding ink is injected.

Next, the control unit 130 waits until the cover 70 is moved to the exposed position, in other words, until the second position signal is output from the cover sensor 72 (S32: No). At the same time, the control unit 130 continues to display the reinjection notification screen (S31). When the second position signal is output in step S32, the processes after step S33 are executed instead of the processes shown in FIG. Then, the control unit 130 causes the display unit 14 to display the injection notification screen in the same manner as in step S11 (S33) in response to the output of the second position signal from the cover sensor 72 (S32: Yes). Next, the control unit 130 waits until the cover 70 is moved to the covering position, in other words, until the first position signal is output from the cover sensor 72 (S34: No). At the same time, the control unit 130 continues to display the injection notification screen (S33). Then, the control unit 130 ends the reinjection notification process in response to the output of the first position signal from the cover sensor 72 (S34: Yes), and re-executes the processes after step S22.

Inquiry processing (S23 to S25, S29) corresponding to other ink colors is also executed in the same manner. For example, in the inquiry information corresponding to another ink color, the characters corresponding to the ink color (that is, "C", "Y", "BK") are arranged at the above-mentioned [M] position. Further, the control unit 130 initializes the count value corresponding to the ink color in response to the output of the first operation signal from the operation unit 17 in the inquiry process corresponding to the other ink color (S25: Yes). At the same time, the inquiry flag corresponding to the ink color is set to “ON” (S26).

Further, the control unit 130 executes the processes after step S27 without executing steps S24 to S26 and S29 in response to the inquiry flag being "ON" in step S23 (S23: No). For example, when the [1] button is pressed in the inquiry processing for magenta and the [2] button is pressed in the inquiry processing for cyan, the control unit 130 executes the inquiry processing for magenta after executing the reinjection notification processing. Executes query processing for cyan without.

Further, although not shown, the control unit 130 outputs the second position signal from the cover sensor 72 during the execution of the query process (more specifically, while waiting for the reception of the first operation or the second operation). Depending on the situation, the inquiry process may be interrupted and the injection notification screen may be displayed again on the display unit 14. Then, the control unit 130 may restart the interrupted inquiry processing in response to the output of the first position signal from the cover sensor 72.

Next, returning to FIG. 8, the control unit 130 executes the initial processing (S16). Specifically, the control unit 130 causes a pump (not shown) to suck air and ink in the flow path from the ink chamber 111 to the recording unit 24. Further, the control unit 130 sets a second value in the initial flag. Then, the control unit 130 releases the restriction on ink ejection by the recording unit 24 (S18). That is, the control unit 130 can execute the image recording process shown in FIG. 12 in response to the subsequent acquisition of the recording instruction. The process of step S18 is an example of a release process for releasing the regulation by the regulation process.

On the other hand, the control unit 130 executes the inquiry process B in response to the output of the first position signal from the cover sensor 72 and the setting of the second value in the initial flag (S13: Yes & S14: second value). (S17). That is, the inquiry process B is executed in response to the movement of the cover 70 from the exposed position to the covering position in the multifunction device 10 for which the initial process has already been executed. The details of the query process B will be described with reference to FIG. The detailed explanation of the common points with the inquiry process A will be omitted, and the differences will be mainly described.

[Query processing after initial processing]
First, the control unit 130 causes the display unit 14 to display the pre-inquiry screen (S41). The pre-inquiry screen includes, for example, a character string of "DID YOU REFILL" and a character string of "INK? 1.YES 2.NO". Further, the control unit 130 according to the present embodiment alternately displays the above two character strings on the display unit 14. Further, the control unit 130 starts a timer for monitoring the threshold time in step S41.

Next, the control unit 130 waits until any operation signal is output from the operation unit 17 until the timer times out (S42: No) (S43: No & S44: No). Then, the control unit 130 performs a second operation from the operation unit 17 in response to a timeout, that is, the elapsed time from the start of the timer reaches the threshold time (S42: Yes), or before the timer times out. The inquiry process B is terminated in response to the output of the signal (S43: Yes).

Further, the control unit 130 does not output the second operation signal from the operation unit 17 (S43: No) before the timer times out (S42: No), and responds to the output of the first operation signal (S43: No). S44: Yes), the processing after step S45 is performed. The control unit 130 releases the timer started in step S41 in response to the output of either the first operation signal or the second operation signal from the operation unit 17 (S43: Yes, S44: Yes). ..

Next, the control unit 130 causes the display unit 14 to display an inquiry screen for magenta (S45). The process of step S45 is almost the same as the process of step S24. The only difference from step S24 is that the inquiry screen in step S45 includes the character string "DID YOU REFILL" instead of the character string "DID YOU FILL". Further, in step S45, the control unit 130 starts a timer for monitoring the threshold time. Then, similarly to steps S42 to S44, the control unit 130 waits until the timer times out (S46: No) until any operation signal is output from the operation unit 17 (S47: No & S48: No). ). The threshold time for timer monitoring in steps S42 and S46 may be the same time or different times.

The control unit 130 responds to the output of the first operation signal instead of the second operation signal (S47: No) from the operation unit 17 until the timer times out (S46: No) (S48: No). Yes), the count value corresponding to magenta is initialized (S49). The process of step S49 is an example of the initialization process. On the other hand, the control unit 130 starts with the operation unit 17 when the timer times out, that is, when the elapsed time from the start of the timer reaches the threshold time (S46: Yes) or before the timer times out. 2 In response to the output of the operation signal (S47: Yes), the processing of step 50 and subsequent steps is executed without executing the processing of step S49. The control unit 130 releases the timer started in step S46 in response to the output of either the first operation signal or the second operation signal from the operation unit 17 (S47: Yes, S48: Yes). ..

Then, the control unit 130 executes the inquiry processing for the next ink color (S51 → S45 to S48) according to the fact that the inquiry processing for all the ink colors has not been executed (S50: No). On the other hand, the control unit 130 ends the inquiry process B in response to the execution of the inquiry process for all the ink colors (S50: Yes). Further, the control unit 130 releases the restriction on ink ejection by the recording unit 24 (S18).

In addition, unlike the inquiry process A, the control unit 130 terminates the inquiry process B in response to the fact that the power button 17B is pressed in the inquiry process B, that is, the third operation signal is output from the operation unit 17. , The above-mentioned stop processing is executed. On the other hand, similarly to the inquiry process A, even if the [4] to [9] buttons, the [copy] button, or the [scan] button included in the numeric keypad 17A is pressed in the inquiry process B, the control unit 130 is pressed. The inquiry process B is continued, ignoring the operation signal corresponding to the button.

[Image recording process]
Next, the control unit 130 executes the image recording process shown in FIG. 12 in response to the recording instruction being input to the multifunction device 10. However, the control unit 130 does not execute the image recording process even if the first value is set in the initial flag or the recording instruction is acquired during the execution of the inquiry process B. Then, the image recording process based on the recording instruction is executed in response to the setting of the second value in the initial flag or the completion of the inquiry process B.

The recording instruction is an instruction for causing the multifunction device 10 to execute an image recording process for recording an image indicated by image data on paper. The acquisition destination of the recording instruction is not particularly limited, but for example, it may be acquired from the user through the operation unit 17 or from an external device through the communication unit 25. Further, the recording instruction may be an instruction to record the image indicated by the FAX data on the paper.

First, the control unit 130 executes empty processing according to the existence of a count value equal to or higher than the first emission threshold value among the count values corresponding to each of the four ink colors (S61: Yes) (S62). The empty process is a process for replenishing the user with ink of a color having a low remaining amount. The details of the empty processing will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the control unit 130 causes the display unit 14 to display the empty notification screen (S71). The process of step S71 is an example of the first notification process for notifying through the display unit 14 that the empty color ink is low. The empty notification screen shows the character string "CANNOT PRINT", the character string "REFILL [BK] INK", the character string "REFILL [Y] INK", the character string "REFILL [C] INK", and "REFILL". [M] Includes the character string corresponding to the empty color in the character string of "INK". The control unit 130 according to the present embodiment has, as an empty notification screen, a character string of "CANNOT PRINT", a character string of "REFILL [BK] INK", a character string of "REFILL [Y] INK", and "REFILL [C]. ] The character string of "INK" and the character string corresponding to the empty color of the character string of "REFILL [M] INK" are alternately displayed on the display unit 14.

For example, when the count value corresponding to magenta and black is equal to or higher than the first emission threshold and the count value corresponding to cyan and yellow is less than the first emission threshold, the control unit 130 performs "CANNOT PRINT" in step S51. , The character string of "REFILL [M] INK", and the character string of "REFILL [BK] INK" are displayed on the display unit 14 in order. The user who sees the empty notification screen can move the cover 70 to the exposed position in order to inject ink into the ink tank 100.

Next, the control unit 130 waits until the cover 70 is moved to the exposed position, in other words, until the second position signal is output from the cover sensor 72 (S72: No). At the same time, the control unit 130 continues to display the empty notification screen (S71). When the second position signal is output in step S72, the processes after step S73 are executed instead of the processes shown in FIG. Then, the control unit 130 causes the display unit 14 to display the empty color and near empty color injection notification screens in response to the output of the second position signal from the cover sensor 72 (S72: Yes) (S73). .. The process of step S73 is common to the process of step S11. The process of step S73 is an example of a second notification process for notifying through the display unit 14 that ink of the near empty color and the empty color is to be injected.

In the above example, when the count value corresponding to yellow is equal to or higher than the second emission threshold value and the count value corresponding to cyan is less than or equal to the second emission threshold value, the control unit 130 sets the "REFILL M / C / BK". The character string and the character string of "THE CLOSE INK COVER" are alternately displayed on the display unit 14. The user who sees the injection notification screen can inject ink into the ink chamber 111 and move the cover 70 to the covering position.

Next, the control unit 130 waits until the cover 70 is moved to the covering position, in other words, until the first position signal is output from the cover sensor 72 (S74: No). At the same time, the control unit 130 continues to display the injection notification screen (S73). Then, the control unit 130 executes the inquiry process B (S75) shown in FIG. 11 in response to the output of the first position signal from the cover sensor 72 (S74: Yes), and ends the empty process. do. That is, the inquiry process B is executed in response to the movement of the cover 70 from the exposed position to the covering position. The inquiry process B initializes the count value corresponding to the ink color for which the first operation has been performed. Since the inquiry process B has already been described with reference to FIG. 11, the description will be omitted again.

Next, returning to FIG. 12, the control unit 130 executes the empty process again (S62) according to the existence of the count value equal to or higher than the first emission threshold value even if the empty process is executed (S61: Yes). .. On the other hand, the control unit 130 executes the cueing process according to the fact that all the count values are less than the first discharge threshold value (S61: No) (S63). The cueing process is a process of transporting the paper to the transport unit 23 until the area where the image is first recorded first faces the recording unit 24.

Next, the control unit 130 executes the recording process (S64). The recording process is a process of ejecting ink to the recording unit 24 toward the paper facing the recording unit 24. Further, the control unit 130 counts the amount of ink ejected from the recording unit 24 in the recording process for each ink color, and temporarily stores the corresponding count value in the RAM 133 (S65). Steps S64 and S65 may be executed in parallel. The count value temporarily stored in the RAM 133 is different from the count value stored in the EEPROM 134.

Next, the control unit 130 executes the transfer process (S67) according to the fact that the image recording on the paper has not been completed yet (S66: No). The transport process is a process of transporting the paper to the transport unit 23 by a predetermined line feed width. Then, the control unit 130 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S64 to S67 until the image recording on the paper is completed (S66: Yes).

Next, the control unit 130 executes the ejection process (S68) in response to the completion of image recording on the paper (S66: Yes). The ejection process is a process of ejecting the paper on which the image is recorded to the ejection tray 21. Next, the control unit 130 updates the count value of the EEPROM 134 by using the count value temporarily stored in the RAM 133 (S69). The processing of steps S65 and S69 is an example of counting processing.

The update of the count value is not limited to the timing of steps S65 and S69. For example, for maintenance of the recording unit 24, a so-called flushing process of ejecting ink to the recording unit 24 toward an ink receiving unit (not shown) or a so-called purging process of sucking ink in the recording unit 24 to a pump (not shown). In the above, the amount of ink discharged from the recording unit 24 in each process may be added to the corresponding count value.

Next, the control unit 130 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S61 to S69 until all the images indicated by the recording instructions are recorded on the paper (S70: No). Then, the control unit 130 ends the image recording process in response to recording all the images indicated by the recording instructions on the paper (S70: Yes).

[Action and effect of this embodiment]
According to the empty processing according to the above embodiment, the empty color ink injection is notified through the empty notification screen. On the other hand, the user who visually recognizes the amount of ink in each ink chamber 111 can inject ink into the ink chamber 111 other than the empty color. Therefore, by executing the query process for all the ink colors in the query process B, the control unit 130 can appropriately initialize the count value corresponding to the ink of the replenished color.

Further, according to the empty processing according to the above embodiment, the near empty color and the empty color ink injection is notified through the injection notification screen in response to the user moving the cover 70 to the exposed position. As a result, the user can notice that the ink of a color having a low remaining amount should be injected. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent the inks of each color from being sequentially empty and the image recording process being interrupted many times.

Further, according to the above embodiment, if the count value equal to or higher than the first emission threshold value exists even if the empty process is executed, the process of recording the image on the paper is not executed. In other words, the control unit 130 can record an image on the paper in response to receiving the first operation in the inquiry process B for all empty colors. As a result, it is possible to prevent the ink from running out during the image recording process. On the other hand, even if the control unit 130 accepts the second operation in the inquiry process for the near empty color, in other words, the image recording process can be executed without accepting the first operation. This eliminates the need to inject ink of all colors at once.

Further, according to the image recording process according to the above embodiment, the empty process is executed before the cueing process (when the image is recorded on a plurality of sheets, before the cueing process for each sheet). On the other hand, even if the count value reaches the first emission threshold value while the image is being recorded on the paper (S63 to S67), the empty processing is not executed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the image recording on the paper from being interrupted in the middle. Further, even if the count value reaches the first emission threshold value, image recording can be continued using the ink stored in the reserve storage chamber.

Further, according to the ink tank 100 according to the above embodiment, the reserve storage chamber is arranged at a position that is difficult for the user to see (a position away from the front wall 101 and below the upper wall 145). As a result, the user who visually recognizes the ink tank 100 can feel as if no ink of the near empty color and the empty color remains, so that the ink of the near empty color and the ink of the empty color can be further injected. Can be prompted.

Further, in the above embodiment, the control unit 130 can start the process to be executed in response to the start of ink injection in response to the movement of the cover 70 to the exposed position. Further, the control unit 130 can start the process to be executed in response to the completion of the ink injection in response to the movement of the cover 70 to the covering position. That is, as compared with the conventional ink replenishment process, the user operation indicating the start of ink injection and the user operation indicating the end of ink injection can be simplified. Further, since all the user operations need to be performed on the multifunction device 10, the burden on the user can be reduced.

Further, according to the above embodiment, in each inquiry process, the presence or absence of ink injection can be individually input for each ink color, so that the occurrence of erroneous input can be suppressed, and as a result, the control unit 130 can be used. The image recording process can be executed while appropriately recognizing the amount of ink in the ink tank 100. Further, since the user answers the inquiries for all the ink colors in order, it is possible to grasp which ink color is in what state. However, the inquiry processing method is not limited to the above-mentioned method, and the inquiry processing for all ink colors may be executed at once.

Further, according to the above embodiment, the control unit 130 can detect whether or not ink has been injected into the ink chamber 111B by the remaining amount sensor 125. Therefore, the control unit 130 may omit the inquiry process for the black ink in the inquiry processes A and B. That is, the control unit 130 may inquire at least the user whether or not the ink is injected into the ink chamber 111 in which the remaining amount sensor 125 is not provided in the inquiry processes A and B.

In addition, the ink remaining amount specified by the count value may not exactly match the actual ink remaining amount. Therefore, by accurately detecting that the remaining amount of black ink is less than the remaining amount threshold value by the remaining amount sensor 125, it is possible to prevent the black ink from running out during the image recording process. This is particularly effective in the multifunction device 10 capable of performing image recording processing on FAX data. The remaining amount sensor may be provided in the other ink chambers 111M, 111C, and 111Y.

Further, in the above embodiment, if the initial processing is executed in a state where the ink is not injected into some of the ink chambers 111, the ink discharged from the recording unit 24 is wasted. The ink chamber 111 at the time of purchase of the multifunction device 10 is empty. Therefore, in the inquiry process A, it is desirable to confirm the injection of ink into the ink chamber 111B by a preliminary confirmation process and then execute the inquiry process for each ink color. On the other hand, when the injection of ink into the ink chamber 111B cannot be confirmed by the prior confirmation process, it is desirable to execute the reinjection notification process to promote the injection of ink into all the ink chambers 111.

On the other hand, the amount of ink consumed after the initial processing is executed differs for each ink chamber 111. Therefore, during the execution of the process shown in FIG. 8, there is a possibility that the ink is injected only into a part of the ink chambers 111 and the ink is not injected into the other ink chambers 111. Therefore, in the inquiry process B, it is desirable to execute the inquiry process for each ink color regardless of the remaining amount signal output from the remaining amount sensor 125 provided only in the black ink ink chamber 111B.

Further, in the inquiry process A, the second query process is executed only in response to the output of the first operation signal in the first query process. In other words, in the inquiry process A, the first inquiry process is continued until the first operation is accepted, and the second inquiry process is executed according to the acceptance of the first operation. Then, the initial processing is executed only when the first operation signal is output in the inquiry processing for all the ink colors. As a result, for example, after confirming the injection of magenta ink, the process proceeds to confirm whether or not the cyan ink has been injected, so that it can be surely confirmed that the ink has been injected into all the ink chambers 111.

In addition, "the first inquiry processing is continued until the first operation is accepted" means, for example, that the first inquiry processing is not terminated due to the timeout of the timer. Further, in the example of FIG. 9, the first inquiry processing is interrupted in response to the reception of the second operation in the first inquiry processing, and the first inquiry processing is restarted after the reinjection notification processing is executed. Such a processing flow is also included in "the first inquiry processing is continued".

On the other hand, the amount of ink consumed after the initial processing is executed differs for each ink chamber 111. Therefore, during the execution of the process shown in FIG. 8, there is a possibility that the ink is injected only into a part of the ink chambers 111 and the ink is not injected into the other ink chambers 111. Therefore, in the query process B, it is desirable to execute the second query process regardless of the operation signal output from the operation unit 17 in the first query process. Further, in the inquiry process B, the same process as when the second operation is performed is executed in response to the timer timing out. As a result, it is possible to prevent a situation in which subsequent processing cannot be executed when the user operation for the inquiry processing B is not performed.

Further, according to the inquiry process A according to the above embodiment, the necessity of the inquiry process for each ink color is determined by the inquiry flag. As a result, it is possible to prevent the ink color inquiry process that has already been completed from being executed again by executing the reinjection notification process. As a result, the user operation in the inquiry process A can be simplified. Similarly, when the cover 70 is opened / closed during the inquiry process A, the already executed inquiry process may be omitted and the interrupted inquiry process may be restarted.

Further, a part of the processes shown in FIGS. 8 to 13 can be executed by an information processing device capable of communicating with the multifunction device 10. The information processing device includes a display unit, an operation unit, a communication unit, and a control unit. The function of each component included in the information processing device is common to each component of the multifunction device 10. Specific examples of the information processing device are not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or the like.

Then, the control unit of the information processing device displays, for example, an injection notification screen, an inquiry screen, a reinjection notification screen, an empty notification screen, and the like on the display unit. Further, the control unit receives the first operation and the second operation via the operation unit. Then, the control unit receives signals, initial flags, count values, etc. output from the cover sensor 72 and the remaining amount sensor 125 from the multifunction device 10 through the communication unit, and issues an operation instruction for operating the multifunction device 10. It is transmitted to the multifunction device 10 through. That is, the present invention can also be realized as an inkjet recording system including a multifunction device 10 capable of communicating through a communication network and an information processing device.

10 ... Multifunction device 14 ... Display unit 17 ... Operation unit 24 ... Recording unit 25 ... Communication unit 70 ... Cover 72 ... Cover sensor 100 ... Ink tank 111 ...・ Ink chamber 112 ・ ・ ・ Injection port 125 ・ ・ ・ Remaining amount sensor

Claims (10)

A plurality of ink chambers for storing inks of different ink colors and a plurality of injection ports for injecting ink into each ink chamber are formed, and the ink in the ink chamber can be visually recognized from the outside of the apparatus. With the tank
A recording unit that discharges the ink stored in the ink chamber and records an image on the sheet,
A display unit that displays information and
An operation unit that outputs an operation signal according to the received user operation,
It is provided with a control unit that controls the operation of the recording unit and the display unit.
The above operation unit
In response to the acceptance of the first operation, which is the user operation corresponding to the injection of ink, the first operation signal, which is the operation signal, is output.
In response to the acceptance of the second operation, which is the user operation corresponding to the fact that the ink is not injected, the second operation signal, which is the operation signal, is output.
The control unit
A counting process that counts the amount of ink discharged by the recording unit for each ink color, and
A first notification process for notifying information about the ink of the first color through the display unit when the count value corresponding to the first color of the plurality of ink colors reaches the first emission threshold value.
After the first notification process, the information regarding the ink of the first color and the count corresponding to the second color among the plurality of ink colors are generated according to the output of the signal permitting the injection of ink. Information about the ink of the second color whose value has reached the second emission threshold before the first emission threshold is notified through the display unit, and the third color among the plurality of ink colors is corresponded to the above. A second notification process that does not notify information about the third color ink whose count value is less than the second emission threshold through the notification unit, and
For each of the plurality of ink colors including the first color and the second color, inquiry information inquiring whether the ink of the ink color has been injected is displayed on the display unit, and the first color corresponding to the ink color is displayed. An inkjet recording system that executes an operation or an inquiry process that accepts the second operation via the operation unit. In the first notification process, the control unit indicates through the display unit that the ink of the first color is low in response to the count value corresponding to the first color reaching the first emission threshold value. The inkjet recording system according to claim 1, which is notified. The inkjet recording system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit notifies through the display unit that the ink of the first color whose count value has reached the first emission threshold value is injected in the second notification process. .. In the second notification process, the control unit determines that the count value corresponding to the second color of the plurality of ink colors reaches the second emission threshold value before the first emission threshold value of the second color. The inkjet recording system according to claim 3, wherein the injection of ink is notified through the display unit. In the inquiry process, the control unit causes the display unit to display inquiry information inquiring whether or not the ink of the ink color has been injected for each of the plurality of ink colors including the first color and the second color. The inkjet recording system according to claim 4, wherein the first operation or the second operation corresponding to the ink color is received via the operation unit. In the inquiry processing, the control unit
The first inquiry process of displaying the inquiry information for the first color on the display unit and causing the operation unit to accept the first operation or the second operation corresponding to the first color.
In response to the completion of the first inquiry process, the inquiry information for the second color among the plurality of ink colors is displayed on the display unit, and the first operation corresponding to the second color or the above The inkjet recording system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second inquiry process for causing the operation unit to accept the second operation and the second inquiry process are executed. In the inquiry processing, the control unit
The first inquiry process of displaying the inquiry information for the first color on the display unit and causing the operation unit to accept the first operation or the second operation corresponding to the first color.
In response to the completion of the first inquiry process, the inquiry information for the second color is displayed on the display unit, and the first operation or the second operation corresponding to the second color is performed by the operation unit. The inkjet recording system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the second inquiry processing is executed. It can be moved between a coating position that covers all the injection ports and restricts the injection of ink into the ink chamber, and an exposure position that exposes all the injection ports and allows injection of ink into the ink chamber. Cover and
A cover sensor that outputs a position signal according to the position of the cover is further provided, and the signal that allows injection of the ink corresponds to the movement of the cover from the covering position to the exposed position. The inkjet recording system according to claim 1, which is the position signal. It can be moved between a coating position that covers all the injection ports and restricts the injection of ink into the ink chamber, and an exposure position that exposes all the injection ports and allows injection of ink into the ink chamber. Cover and
A cover sensor that outputs a position signal according to the position of the cover is further provided, and the signal that allows injection of the ink corresponds to the movement of the cover from the covering position to the exposed position. The above position signal
The third or fourth aspect of the present invention, wherein the control unit executes the second notification process in response to the output of the position signal corresponding to the position of the cover at the exposed position from the cover sensor. Inkjet recording system. The control unit
In response to the position signal output from the cover sensor corresponding to the position of the cover at the exposed position, the regulation process for restricting the ejection of ink by the recording unit and the regulation process.
The inkjet recording system according to claim 8 or 9, further executing a release process for releasing the regulation by the regulation process in response to the completion of the inquiry process.

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