JP2933071B2 - Ink remaining amount detector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink remaining amount detecting device, and more particularly to an ink remaining amount detecting device for detecting an ink remaining amount of an ink jet printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a photo sensor has been used to detect the remaining amount of ink. In this case, however, the ink tank has to be made transparent and the sensor has to be placed outside the ink cartridge.

[0003] In this case, if the sensor or the ink tank is contaminated with ink such as leaked ink, it may not operate properly.

There is also a method of recording the number of times of ink ejection and measuring the remaining amount of ink.
When the ink cartridge is to be used again, it is necessary for the ink cartridge itself to memorize the total ejection amount before replacement.

[0005] If the information is not memorized, there is a possibility that the number of times of ejection becomes zero when the cartridge is once removed and reinstalled, and it has been difficult to confirm whether there is an ink remaining amount correctly. For this reason, it has been necessary to store a means for directly detecting the remaining amount of the ink in the ink tank for detection.

[0006]

The first problem with the above-described conventional method for detecting the remaining amount of ink is that if the sensor or the ink tank becomes dirty with leaking ink or the like, it may not operate properly. Was.

The reason is that a photo sensor is used to detect the remaining amount of ink, so the ink tank must be transparent and the sensor must be placed outside the ink cartridge. Such as dirt easily.

The second problem is that the method of recording the number of times of ink ejection and measuring the remaining amount of ink has become complicated and expensive.

The reason is that when the cartridge is replaced and used again, the total ejection amount before replacement must be stored in the ink cartridge itself. Otherwise, the cartridge must be stored once. This is because a problem occurs that the number of times of injection becomes 0 when detached and attached again.

[0010]

An ink remaining amount detecting device according to the present invention is divided into two upper and lower chambers by a partition plate penetrated by one or more through holes so that ink can flow through the ink tank. Using a material attracted by magnetic force or a magnetized magnetic material, the specific gravity is smaller than ink,
In addition, a float having a conductive surface is accommodated in a lower chamber, and an electrode is provided on a lower side surface in a driving direction of the ink tank. In order to attract the float by a magnetic force, the float is attracted by a magnetized magnetic material or a magnetic force. Float bonding means using a material is provided on the periphery of the electrode, and the float and the float bonding means are configured to attract each other,
The remaining amount of ink decreases, the float moves down to the lower part of the lower chamber, adheres to the electrode by the left and right movement and magnetic force of the ink tank, and the ink is short-circuited by the conductivity of the float surface, causing the ink remaining. It is configured to detect that the amount is decreasing.

[0011]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an ink remaining amount detecting apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a state in which there is an ink remaining amount according to one embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a state in which there is no ink remaining amount according to the first embodiment of the ink remaining amount detection device of the present invention. is there.

A first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.
In the above, the ink tank 1 is a non-magnetic material, and the inside thereof is filled with the ink 2. A convex small chamber 3 is provided inside the ink tank 1, and a small hole is formed in an upper wall surface of the small chamber 3 for passing the ink 2.

An electrode 5 and a detachable float bonding means (permanent magnet) 6 are attached to one side of the driving direction of the ink cartridge composed of the ink tank 1, the ink 2, the small chamber 3, and the like.

The float 4 is made of hollow iron, and the surface thereof is conductively processed.
Less than. The float 4 is housed in the small chamber 3, and in a normal state in which the ink 2 is sufficient, the float 4 is suspended in a state of floating above the convex small chamber 3.

Next, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

The float bonding means 6 is removable.
At the time of installing the ink cartridge, the float 4 is attached after confirming that the float 4 is at the convex portion of the small chamber 3. When the ink 2 is sufficient, the float 4 floats by buoyancy, so that the small chamber 3
Are located at the uppermost protrusion.

Even if the ink cartridge moves to the left or right in the driving direction, the float 4 can be stopped at that position on the uppermost convex portion of the small chamber 3, so that no electricity is supplied between the electrodes 5 in this case. It can be confirmed that there is enough remaining.

When the amount of the ink 2 is reduced and the liquid level 7 is lowered, the float 4 comes to be located at the wide portion at the bottom of the small chamber 3. In this case, the float 4 is attracted to and adhered to the electrode 5 by the left and right movement of the ink cartridge and the magnetic force of the permanent magnet of the float bonding means 6.

Since the float 4 is conductive, the float 4
When the two contacts are short-circuited by the float 4, the current is supplied, and it is possible to determine that the ink 2 is low.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the ink remaining amount detecting device according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram illustrating a state in which there is an ink remaining amount according to one embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram illustrating a state in which there is no ink remaining amount according to the first embodiment of the ink remaining amount detection device of the present invention. is there.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a second embodiment of the present invention.
In the above, the ink tank 1 is a non-magnetic material, and the inside thereof is filled with the ink 2. A convex small chamber 3 is provided inside the ink tank 1, and a small hole is formed in an upper wall surface of the small chamber 3 for passing the ink 2.

The float 4 is a magnetized hollow magnetic material, the periphery of which is plated with copper, and the periphery of which is provided with an R (rounded and rounded shape) to prevent it from being caught.

The shoulder of the small chamber 3 is also provided with a gentle radius to prevent the float 4 from being caught. A plurality of small holes are formed in the upper surface of the wall surface of the small chamber 3 for passing the ink 2, and float bonding means (iron piece) detachable from the electrode 5 is provided at both ends of the wide ink cartridge at the bottom of the small chamber 3.
6 are provided.

The float bonding means 6 is attached when the ink cartridge is installed. However, if the ink cartridge is set up as shown in the figure, the float 4 always comes to the convex portion, so that it is not necessary to confirm the float. When the amount of the ink 2 decreases, the position of the float 4 also lowers along with the lowering of the liquid surface 7. When the float 4 reaches the wide portion of the small chamber 3, the left and right movement of the ink cartridge, the magnetic force of the float 4 and the float It is bonded to one of the left and right electrodes 5 by the bonding means 6 and the two contacts of the electrode 5 are short-circuited by the float 4 to conduct electricity.

Since the two contacts of the float 4 and the electrode 5 are energized and turned on, it is possible to determine that the remaining amount of ink is small.

[0028]

As described above, the first effect of the ink remaining amount detecting device of the present invention is that the ink remaining amount can be easily detected with a simple configuration.

The reason for this is that the float is short-circuited between the two contacts of the electrode by the float conductivity and magnetic force and the float bonding means, so that the current flows.

The second effect is that accurate measurement can be performed even when an operation of replacing the ink cartridge in the middle and returning it again is performed.

The reason is that the liquid amount in the ink tank is directly measured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a state in which there is an ink remaining amount according to a first embodiment of an ink remaining amount detecting device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a state in which there is no remaining ink in the first embodiment of the ink remaining amount detecting device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating a state in which there is an ink remaining amount according to a second embodiment of the ink remaining amount detecting device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a state where there is no remaining ink in the first embodiment of the ink remaining amount detecting device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ink tank 2 Ink 3 Small chamber 4 Float 5 Electrode 6 Float bonding means 7 Liquid surface

Claims (12)

(57) [Claims] An ink tank is divided into two upper and lower chambers by a partition plate penetrated by at least one through hole so that ink can flow therethrough, and a material attracted by a magnetic force or a magnetized magnetic material is used. Used, the specific gravity is smaller than the ink, and a float having a conductive surface is accommodated in the lower chamber, an electrode is provided on the lower side surface of the ink tank in the driving direction, and magnetized to attract the float by magnetic force. Float bonding means using a magnetic material or a material that is attracted by magnetic force is provided around the electrode,
The float and the float bonding means are configured to attract each other, the remaining amount of ink is reduced, the float is lowered to the lower part of the lower chamber, and the ink tank is adhered to the electrode by the left and right movement and magnetic force, and the float surface is floated. An ink remaining amount detecting device for detecting that the remaining amount of ink is reduced by short-circuiting the electrodes due to the conductivity of the ink. 2. The ink remaining amount detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the partition plate of the ink tank has a convex shape. 3. The ink tank according to claim 1, wherein the partition plate of the ink tank has a convex shape, and its shoulder has a rounded shape with corners for preventing the float from being caught.
An ink remaining amount detecting device as described in the above. 4. The float according to claim 1, wherein the float and the float bonding means are attracted to each other, and the float is made of a material attracted by magnetic force, and the float bonding means is made of a magnetized magnetic material. Ink remaining amount detection device. 5. The float according to claim 1, wherein the float and the float bonding means are attracted to each other, and the float is made of a magnetized magnetic material, and the float bonding means is made of a material attracted by magnetic force. Ink remaining amount detection device. 6. The float according to claim 1, wherein the float and the float bonding means are attracted to each other, and the float is formed by using a magnetized magnetic material, and the float bonding means is formed by using a magnetized magnetic material. Ink remaining amount detection device. 7. The ink residue according to claim 1, wherein the float and the float bonding means attract each other, and the material attracted by magnetic force is made of iron and the magnetized magnetic material is made of permanent magnet. Quantity detection device. 8. The remaining ink amount detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the conductivity of the surface of the float is constituted by metallic plating. 9. The ink remaining amount detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the conductivity of the surface of the float is formed by copper plating. 10. A hollow structure for making the specific gravity of the float smaller than that of the ink.
An ink remaining amount detecting device as described in the above. 11. The remaining ink amount detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the outer shape of the float has a rounded shape with a sharp corner to prevent the float from being caught. 12. The ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein said float bonding means is detachable from said ink tank.
An ink remaining amount detecting device as described in the above.