JP2022128803A - Stirring device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a stirring device configured so that the concentration of ink to be used does not become lower even when using an ink cartridge left unused for a long time.SOLUTION: The stirring device comprises: stirring parts (a first stirring part 52 and a second stirring part 53) which stir ink so that concentrations of predetermined materials contained in ink are equal; a storing part 5 storing sedimentation concentration data indicating the concentrations of the predetermined materials contained in the residual quantity of ink that cannot be obtained by the stirring part, while associating the residual quantity with a period of time elapsing after a date of manufacture of the ink; a concentration calculating part 80 that calculates the concentrations of the predetermined materials in ink amounts that can be obtained, from the ink amounts that can be obtained from an ink cartridge 51 and the sedimentation concentration data; a determining part 81 that determines whether the concentrations of the predetermined materials contained in ink reach reference concentrations or not; and a control part 4 that makes the first stirring part 52 obtain ink from the ink cartridge 51 when it is determined that the concentrations of the predetermined materials contained in ink reach the reference concentrations, and performs an error-notification when it is determined that the concentrations do not reach the reference concentrations.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a stirring device.

For example, inkjet printing devices may use pigmented inks. Pigment ink may cause sedimentation of pigment particles when left unattended. In particular, in an ink containing a pigment having a high specific gravity such as metal particles, the pigment particles tend to precipitate.

Sedimentation of pigment particles in the ink may lead to ejection failure in the inkjet head due to thickening of the ink. In addition, sedimentation of pigment particles in the ink may cause variations in density of the ink ejected from the inkjet head.

Therefore, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-100000 discloses a stirring device that stirs pigment ink to prevent the pigment particles from settling. The technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200003 includes a first stirring section that stirs ink obtained from an ink cartridge in a path separated from the ink cartridge, and agitation of the ink as appropriate when the ink is supplied to the printing section. and a second stirring section for performing.

JP 2020-121521 A

However, the agitating device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 has a problem that the density of the printed ink becomes thin when using an ink cartridge that has been left for a long time. In an ink cartridge that has been left for a long period of time, pigment particles remain at the bottom of the ink cartridge, and all the pigment particles cannot be taken out to the first stirring section. As a result, even if the ink taken out from the ink cartridge is agitated, the density of the pigment particles becomes less than the predetermined value, and the density of the printed ink becomes low.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an agitating device that does not reduce the density of ink used even when an ink cartridge that has been left unused for a long period of time is used.

In order to achieve the above object, an image processing apparatus according to the present invention is a stirring device for stirring ink containing a predetermined content at a predetermined concentration obtained from an ink cartridge, wherein the ink obtained from the ink cartridge contains A stirring unit that stirs the predetermined content so that the concentration of the predetermined content is uniform, and the concentration of the predetermined content in the remaining amount of ink that the stirring unit cannot obtain in correspondence with the elapsed time from the date of manufacture of the ink. a storage unit that stores sediment concentration data; a concentration calculation unit that calculates the concentration of the predetermined content in the amount of ink that can be obtained by the stirring unit from the amount of ink that can be obtained from the ink cartridge and the sediment concentration data; a judgment unit for judging whether or not the concentration of the predetermined inclusion calculated by the concentration calculation unit has reached a reference concentration; and the judgment unit judging that the concentration of the predetermined inclusion has reached the reference concentration. a control unit for transferring ink from the ink cartridge to the stirring unit when the ink is detected, and for notifying an error when it is determined that the density has not reached the reference density.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a stirring device that does not reduce the concentration of ink used even when using an ink cartridge that has been left for a long period of time.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a printing apparatus using a stirring device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the stirring device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a modification of the operation shown in FIG. 2;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same or equivalent reference numerals are given to the same or equivalent parts and components throughout each drawing, and the description thereof will be omitted or simplified.

The embodiments shown below are examples of apparatuses and the like for embodying the technical idea of this invention. is not specific to The technical idea of this invention can be modified in various ways within the scope of claims.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printing apparatus using a stirring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that the up-down direction in the following description is the vertical direction, and the up-down direction in FIG. 1 is the up-down direction.

A printing device 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a stirring device 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The stirring device 3 includes a first stirring section 52 , a second stirring section 53 , a control section 4 and a storage section 5 . In addition, the second stirring unit 53 includes the printing unit 2 . The control section 4 controls the operation of each section of the printing apparatus 1 .

The printing unit 2 is supplied with the ink circulated by the second stirring unit 53, and prints an image by ejecting the ink onto paper, which is a print medium, transported by a transport unit (not shown).

A stirring device 3 (including the printing unit 2) is provided for each ink color. The four printing units 2 in the case where the types of ink are four colors eject inks of different colors (for example, black, cyan, magenta, and yellow). The four printing units 2 and the stirring devices 3 have the same configuration, except for the different colors of ink to be ejected. Therefore, FIG. 1 shows only the configuration of one system.

Here, the ink used for printing in the printing unit 2 is a pigment ink, and if left unattended, the pigment particles may precipitate. For example, the ink used for printing by the printer 1 is MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Reader) ink containing metal particles that are magnetic substances. The sedimentation of pigment particles in the ink causes problems such as ejection failure in the inkjet head 11 described below and variations in the density of the ejected ink. Therefore, it is necessary to agitate the ink to prevent or eliminate the sedimentation of the pigment particles. .

Ink is supplied by an ink cartridge 51 . The ink cartridge 51 contains pigment ink, which is used for printing by the printing unit 2 . The ink cartridge 51 is detachably attached to the first stirring section 52 .

The first stirring section 52 acquires ink from the ink cartridge 51 and stirs the acquired ink. The first stirring section 52 also supplies the stirred ink to the second stirring section 53 . The first stirring section 52 includes a stirring tank 56 , an ink transfer pipe 57 , an ink outlet pipe 58 , an ink transfer valve 59 , a stirring valve 60 , a stirring pump 61 , an ink supply pipe 62 and an ink supply valve 63 .

The stirring tank 56 accommodates the ink obtained from the ink cartridge 51 for stirring. In the stirring tank 56, an air layer 66 is formed above the liquid surface of the ink. The stirring tank 56 is arranged at a higher position (above) than the pressure tank 21 and the negative pressure tank 24 .

The stirring tank 56 is provided with an atmosphere release pipe 67 . The air release pipe 67 has one end connected to the air layer 66 and the other end (upper end) communicated with the atmosphere via the air filter 68 . As a result, the stirring tank 56 is open to the atmosphere. The air filter 68 prevents dust and the like in the air from entering the stirring tank 56 .

The stirring tank 56 is also provided with a stirring tank lower limit sensor 69 and a stirring tank overflow sensor 70 .

A stirring tank lower limit sensor 69 detects whether or not the ink level in the stirring tank 56 has reached a predetermined lower limit. The agitation tank lower limit sensor 69 outputs a signal indicating "ON" when the liquid level in the agitation tank 56 is equal to or higher than the lower limit height, and outputs a signal indicating "OFF" when it is less than the lower limit height. Output. This "on" signal causes an operation panel (not shown) operated by a user (not shown) to display a message such as "ink replenishment, etc." to prompt the user to replenish ink. used for

The stirring tank overflow sensor 70 detects whether or not the ink level in the stirring tank 56 has reached a predetermined upper limit higher than the lower limit. The stirring tank overflow sensor 70 outputs a signal indicating "ON" when the liquid level in the stirring tank 56 is equal to or higher than the upper limit height, and outputs a signal indicating "OFF" when the liquid level is lower than the upper limit height. Output. The agitation tank overflow sensor 70 is for detecting ink overflow in the agitation tank 56 due to some cause.

An ink transfer pipe 57 connects the ink cartridge 51 and the stirring tank 56 . The ink transfer pipe 57 constitutes a transfer route Rt, which is a route for transferring ink from the ink cartridge 51 to the stirring tank 56 .

The transfer route Rt is composed of a route that is partly shared with the first stirring route Rs, which will be described later. Specifically, the portion of the ink transfer pipe 57 closer to the stirring tank 56 than the point where the ink outlet pipe 58 is connected is a common portion of the transfer route Rt and the first stirring route Rs.

An ink outflow pipe 58 connects the stirring tank 56 and the ink transfer pipe 57 .

The ink outflow pipe 58 and the portion of the ink transfer pipe 57 on the agitation tank 56 side from the point where the ink outflow pipe 58 is connected constitute a first agitation route Rs. The first agitation path Rs is a path separated from the ink cartridge 51 and is a path for causing the ink to flow out of the agitation tank 56 and return it to the agitation tank 56 .

The ink transfer valve 59 opens and closes the ink flow path in the ink transfer pipe 57 . The ink transfer valve 59 is arranged at a portion of the ink transfer pipe 57 closer to the ink cartridge 51 than the point where the ink discharge pipe 58 is connected.

Agitation valve 60 opens and closes the ink flow path in ink outflow tube 58 .

The ink transfer valve 59 and the stirring valve 60 constitute a switching unit that switches between the transfer route Rt and the first stirring route Rs to open. Specifically, by opening the ink transfer valve 59 and closing the agitation valve 60, the transfer route Rt is opened and the first agitation route Rs is closed. Also, by closing the ink transfer valve 59 and opening the stirring valve 60, the first stirring path Rs is opened and the transfer path Rt is closed.

The agitation pump 61 agitates the ink in the agitation tank 56 by sending the ink out of the agitation tank 56 and returning it to the agitation tank 56 via the first agitation path Rs. The stirring pump 61 is also used to transfer ink from the ink cartridge 51 to the stirring tank 56 . The agitation pump 61 is arranged at a common portion of the transfer route Rt and the first agitation route Rs. Specifically, the stirring pump 61 is arranged at a portion of the ink transfer pipe 57 closer to the stirring tank 56 than the point where the ink outlet pipe 58 is connected.

Ink is supplied to the second stirring section 53 via the ink supply pipe 62 and the ink supply valve 63 when the first stirring path Rs is opened and the transfer path Rt is closed. The second stirring section 53 supplies ink to the printing section 2 while circulating the ink.

In the printing section 2, the ink supplied from the first stirring section 52 is stirred by the circulation of the ink by the second stirring section 53, which will be described later, and the sedimentation of the pigment particles is prevented and eliminated. The printing section 2 includes an inkjet head 11 and a second stirring section 53 .

The inkjet head 11 ejects the ink supplied by the second stirring section 53 . The inkjet head 11 has a plurality of head modules 16 .

The head module 16 has an ink chamber (not shown) that stores ink and a plurality of nozzles (not shown) that eject ink. A piezo element (not shown) is arranged in the ink chamber. Ink is ejected from the nozzle by driving the piezoelectric element.

The second stirring section 53 supplies ink to the printing section 2 while stirring the ink by circulating the ink. The second stirring unit 53 includes a pressure tank 21, a distributor 22, a collector 23, a negative pressure tank 24, an ink circulation pump 25, an ink temperature adjustment unit 26, an ink temperature sensor 27, ink circulation pipes 28 to 30, and a pressure generator. It comprises a section 31 , a pressurized pressure tube 32 and a vacuum pressure tube 33 .

The pressure tank 21 stores ink to be supplied to the inkjet head 11 . The ink in the pressurized tank 21 is supplied to the inkjet head 11 through the ink circulation pipe 28 and the distributor 22 . An air layer 36 is formed on the surface of the ink in the pressure tank 21 . The pressurized tank 21 is connected to the pressure generator 31 via a pressurized pressure pipe 32 . The pressure tank 21 is arranged at a position lower than the inkjet head 11 (below).

The pressurized tank 21 is provided with a pressurized liquid level sensor 37 and an ink filter 38 . The pressurized liquid level sensor 37 detects whether the liquid level of the ink in the pressurized tank 21 has reached a predetermined reference level. The pressurized liquid level sensor 37 outputs a signal indicating "on" when the liquid level in the pressurized tank 21 is equal to or higher than the reference height, and indicates "off" when it is less than the reference height. Output a signal. The ink filter 38 removes dust and the like in the ink.

The distributor 22 distributes the ink supplied from the pressure tank 21 through the ink circulation pipe 28 to each head module 16 of the inkjet head 11 .

The collector 23 collects ink that has not been consumed by the inkjet head 11 from each head module 16 . The ink collected by collector 23 flows through ink circulation pipe 29 to negative pressure tank 24 .

The negative pressure tank 24 receives ink that has not been consumed by the inkjet head 11 from the collector 23 and stores it. Also, the negative pressure tank 24 stores the ink supplied from the first stirring section 52 . In the negative pressure tank 24, an air layer 39 is formed on the liquid surface of the ink.
The negative pressure tank 24 is connected to the pressure generator 31 via a negative pressure pipe 33 . The negative pressure tank 24 is arranged at the same height as the pressurized tank 21 .

A negative pressure liquid level sensor 40 is provided in the negative pressure tank 24 . The negative pressure liquid level sensor 40 detects whether or not the liquid level of the ink in the negative pressure tank 24 has reached a predetermined reference level. The negative pressure liquid level sensor 40 outputs a signal indicating "on" when the liquid level in the negative pressure tank 24 is equal to or higher than the reference height, and indicates "off" when it is less than the reference height. Output a signal.

The ink circulation pump 25 feeds ink from the negative pressure tank 24 to the pressure tank 21 . The ink circulation pump 25 is provided in the middle of the ink circulation pipe 30 .

The ink temperature adjustment section 26 adjusts the temperature of ink in the ink circulation section 12 . The ink temperature adjustment section 26 is provided in the middle of the ink circulation pipe 28 . The ink temperature adjustment section 26 includes a heater 41 , a heater temperature sensor 42 , a heat sink 43 and a cooling fan 44 .

The heater 41 heats the ink inside the ink circulation pipe 28 . A heater temperature sensor 42 detects the temperature of the heater 41 . The heat sink 43 cools the ink in the ink circulation pipe 28 by heat radiation. The cooling fan 44 sends cooling air to the heat sink 43 .

The ink temperature sensor 27 detects the temperature of ink in the ink circulation section 12 . The ink temperature sensor 27 is provided in the middle of the ink circulation pipe 28 .

An ink circulation pipe 28 connects the pressure tank 21 and the distributor 22 . An ink circulation pipe 29 connects the collector 23 and the negative pressure tank 24 . The ink circulation pipe 30 connects the negative pressure tank 24 and the pressure tank 21 . A second stirring path for supplying ink to the inkjet head 11 while stirring the ink by circulating the ink through the ink circulation pipes 28 to 30, the pressure tank 21, the distributor 22, the collector 23, and the negative pressure tank 24. Ru is constructed.

The pressure generator 31 generates pressure for ink circulation in the pressure tank 21 and the negative pressure tank 24 . The pressure generator 31 includes a pressurization common air chamber 71 and a negative pressure common air chamber 72 .

The pressurizing common air chamber 71 is an air chamber for equalizing the pressure of the pressurizing tanks 21 of the printing units 2 . The pressurization common air chamber 71 communicates with the air layer 36 of the pressurization tank 21 of the other printing unit 2 via a pressurization communication pipe (not shown). The negative pressure common air chamber 72 is also the same.

The control unit 4 includes a processing unit that controls operations of each unit of the printing apparatus 1 . The control unit 4 includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, hard disk, and the like.

The storage unit 5 stores precipitation concentration data representing the concentration of pigment particles contained in the remaining ink remaining in the ink cartridge 51 in association with the elapsed time from the date of manufacture of the ink. Precipitation concentration data is obtained in advance by experiment or the like. The obtained sediment concentration data is stored in the storage unit 5 . The storage unit 5 is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as flash memory. Incidentally, the sediment concentration data may be recorded in the above ROM.

Next, operation of the stirring device 3 will be described. The control unit 4 includes processing units such as a concentration calculation unit 80 and a determination unit 81 that control the operation of the stirring device 3 .

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the stirring device 3. As shown in FIG.

The stirring device 3 is started, for example, when the ink cartridge 51 is attached to the first stirring section 52 (YES in step S1).

Density calculation unit 80 acquires manufacturing date information of ink cartridge 51 from the tag attached to attached ink cartridge 51 (step S2). The tag is, for example, a contactless IC chip. The concentration calculator 80 acquires the manufacturing date information recorded in the IC chip.

Next, the density calculation unit 80 acquires the sedimentation density data representing the sedimentation state of the pigment particles in the ink cartridge 51 stored in the storage unit 5 (step S3). The sediment concentration data of the ink cartridge 51 is acquired by searching the storage unit 5 using the date of manufacture as a key. The sedimentation concentration data indicates the concentration of pigment particles in the remaining amount of ink that cannot be acquired by the first stirring unit 52 in correspondence with the elapsed time from the date of manufacture of the ink.

The storage unit 5 may store the sediment concentration data and the amount of ink that can be obtained from the ink cartridge 51 as a set in association with the elapsed time from the date of manufacture of the ink.

Then, the density calculator 80 calculates the density of the pigment particles in the amount of ink that can be obtained from the ink cartridge 51 from the amount of ink that can be obtained from the ink cartridge 51 and the sedimentation density data (step S4). The amount of ink that can be obtained from the ink cartridge 51 may be obtained by measuring the amount of ink transferred through the ink transfer pipe 57 with a flow meter or the like. When measuring the amount of ink that can be obtained from the ink cartridge 51, it is not necessary to store the amount of ink in the storage unit 5. FIG.

The determination unit 81 determines whether the density of the pigment particles calculated by the density calculation unit 80 has reached the reference density (step S5).

When the determination unit 81 determines that the concentration of the pigment particles has reached the reference concentration (YES in step S5), the ink transfer valve 59 of the first stirring unit 52 is opened and the stirring valve 60 is closed. Then, the stirring pump 61 transfers the ink from the ink cartridge 51 to the stirring tank 56 (step S6).

If the determining unit 81 determines that the concentration of the pigment particles has not reached the reference concentration (NO in step S5), an error notification is made. The error notification may be displayed on the operation panel of the printing device 1, or may be generated by sounding an alarm. The processing of steps S6 and S7 is performed by the control unit 4 .

The error notification can notify the user that the ink cartridge 51 attached to the first stirring unit 52 cannot be used. As a result, the ink in the ink cartridge 51 in which the concentration of the pigment particles has not reached the reference concentration is not transferred to the stirring tank 56 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the density of the ink used in the printing section 2 from becoming thin.

As described above, the stirring device 3 according to the present embodiment is a stirring device for stirring ink containing pigment particles at a predetermined concentration obtained from the ink cartridge 51, and is included in the ink obtained from the ink cartridge 51. Acquired by the stirring unit (first stirring unit 52 and second stirring unit 53) that stirs so that the density of the pigment particles is uniform, and the first stirring unit 52 corresponding to the elapsed period from the date of manufacture of the ink The amount of pigment particles in the amount of ink that can be obtained by the first stirring unit 52 is determined from the storage unit 5 that stores the precipitation concentration data indicating the concentration of the pigment particles in the remaining amount of ink that cannot be obtained, and the amount of ink that can be obtained from the ink cartridge 51 and the precipitation concentration data. a density calculation unit 80 for calculating the density; a determination unit 81 for determining whether the density of the pigment particles calculated by the density calculation unit 80 has reached a reference density; a control unit 4 for transferring ink from the ink cartridge 51 to the first stirring unit 52 when it is determined that the concentration has been reached, and for notifying an error when it is determined that the concentration has not reached the reference concentration. . As a result, it is possible to provide the stirring device 3 that does not reduce the concentration of ink even when using an ink cartridge that has been left for a long period of time.

In the above embodiment, it is determined whether or not the ink can be taken out from the ink cartridge 51 based on whether the density of the ink that can be taken out from the ink cartridge 51 satisfies the reference density. Ink density may be taken into consideration.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the stirring device 3 of the modification.

The stirring device 3 of the modified example grasps the amount of ink to be stirred in the second stirring section 53 and the pigment particle concentration. The amount of ink in the second stirring section 53 can be measured by a pressurized liquid level sensor 37 that detects the liquid level of the ink in the pressurized tank 21 . Further, the pigment particle concentration can be grasped by a general method of measuring the light transmittance of the ink in the pressurized tank 21 or the transmission speed of ultrasonic waves.

The stirring device 3 of the modified example performs a first stirring process (step S8) by the first stirring section 52, a second stirring process (step S9) by the second stirring section 53, and the amount of ink and pigment in the second stirring path Ru. The three processes of grasping the particle density (step S10) are repeated until a new ink cartridge 51 is attached to the first stirring section 52 (NO in step S1).

When a new ink cartridge 51 is attached to the first stirring section 52, the processes after YES in step S1 are performed. The processing after step S1 is the same as the processing described above (FIG. 2). However, in step S4, the density calculation section 80 calculates the average density of the density of pigment particles contained in the ink in the second stirring section 53 and the density of pigment particles in the ink that can be obtained from the ink cartridge 51. different.

The average density of the ink in the second stirring section 53 and the ink newly obtained from the ink cartridge 51 may be calculated, and whether or not to obtain the ink from the ink cartridge 51 may be determined based on the average density. good. Note that the density calculation unit 80 may calculate the average density including the ink in the first stirring unit 52 .

That is, the concentration calculation unit 80 calculates the average of the concentration of pigment particles contained in the ink in the stirring units (the first stirring unit 52 and the second stirring unit 53) and the concentration of pigment particles in the ink that can be obtained from the ink cartridge 51. After calculating the density, the determination unit 81 determines whether or not the average density has reached the reference density. This makes it possible to more accurately determine whether or not the ink in the ink cartridge 51 can be used, and to more accurately manage the density of the ink to be used.

According to the stirring device 3 of this embodiment, the concentration of the predetermined content (pigment particles) in the amount of ink that can be obtained from the ink cartridge 51 is calculated, and the calculated concentration of the predetermined content reaches the reference concentration. In this case, ink is supplied from the stirring units (the first stirring unit 52 and the second stirring unit 53) to the printing unit 2 for printing. It is possible to avoid performing printing in which the concentration of the predetermined inclusion becomes thin according to the period of non-use.

Although the above printing unit 2 has been described as an example of an inkjet printing apparatus, the present invention is not limited to this example. The printing unit 2 may be a printing unit of another type. Further, the stirring device 3 may be combined with another device that uses liquid other than the printing device.

Thus, the present invention naturally includes various embodiments and the like not described here. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is defined only by the matters specifying the invention according to the scope of claims that are valid from the above description.

[Note]
This application discloses the following inventions.

(Appendix 1)
A stirring device for stirring ink containing a predetermined content at a predetermined concentration obtained from an ink cartridge,
a stirring unit that stirs the ink obtained from the ink cartridge so that the concentration of the predetermined content contained in the ink is uniform;
a storage unit that stores precipitation concentration data indicating the concentration of the predetermined content in the remaining amount of ink that the stirring unit cannot obtain, corresponding to the elapsed period from the date of manufacture of the ink;
a concentration calculation unit that calculates the concentration of the predetermined content in the amount of ink that can be obtained by the stirring unit from the amount of ink that can be obtained from the ink cartridge and the precipitation concentration data;
a determination unit that determines whether the concentration of the predetermined content calculated by the concentration calculation unit has reached a reference concentration;
When the determination unit determines that the concentration of the predetermined content has reached the reference concentration, the ink is transferred from the ink cartridge to the stirring unit, and it is determined that the concentration has not reached the reference concentration. A stirring device comprising: a control unit that notifies an error when

(Appendix 2)
The concentration calculation unit
calculating an average concentration of the concentration of the predetermined content contained in the ink in the stirring portion and the concentration of the predetermined content in the ink obtainable from the ink cartridge;
The determination unit is
The stirring device according to appendix 1, wherein it is determined whether or not the average concentration has reached a reference concentration.

1 printing device 2 printing unit 3 stirring device 4 control unit 5 storage unit 51 ink cartridge 52 first stirring unit (stirring unit)
53 Second stirring unit (stirring unit)
80 Concentration calculator 81 Judgment unit

Claims (1)

A stirring device for stirring ink containing a predetermined content at a predetermined concentration obtained from an ink cartridge,
a stirring unit that stirs the ink obtained from the ink cartridge so that the concentration of the predetermined content contained in the ink is uniform;
a storage unit that stores precipitation concentration data indicating the concentration of the predetermined content in the remaining amount of ink that the stirring unit cannot obtain, corresponding to the elapsed period from the date of manufacture of the ink;
a concentration calculation unit that calculates the concentration of the predetermined content in the amount of ink that can be obtained by the stirring unit from the amount of ink that can be obtained from the ink cartridge and the precipitation concentration data;
a determination unit that determines whether the concentration of the predetermined content calculated by the concentration calculation unit has reached a reference concentration;
When the determination unit determines that the concentration of the predetermined content has reached the reference concentration, the ink is transferred from the ink cartridge to the stirring unit, and it is determined that the concentration has not reached the reference concentration. A stirring device comprising: a control unit that notifies an error when

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