JP5113694B2 - Ink cartridge management apparatus and management method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink cartridge management apparatus and management method in a printing apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, many printing apparatuses such as inkjet printers have been developed that use large-capacity ink cartridges to replenish printing ink. As the ink cartridge, there is provided a type in which the ink cartridge is loaded from a mounting device (cartridge holder) disposed on the apparatus main body side.

  Various types of ink are prepared for the purpose of improving image quality. As the amount of ink used increases as the screen size increases, the number of ink cartridge replacements for each color becomes frequent. Here, as a conventional technique for supplying ink to the ink tank, an ink level sensor provided in the ink tank is monitored as needed, and when the sensor is in a non-contact state with respect to the ink surface, It was determined that the remaining amount of ink was low, and ink was supplied from the ink cartridge to the ink tank over a time required for the sub tank to be filled with ink.

  By the way, in the above prior art, even when the ink cartridge is removed by user operation during ink replenishment and then mounted again, the ink supply for the maximum time (the maximum time required for the sub tank to be filled with ink) is supplied. As a result, the time during which printing can be performed becomes longer and the work efficiency is reduced.

As a technique for this, there is one that improves the working efficiency by detecting the removal of the ink cartridge and shortening the timeout of the ink supply performed at the time of remounting. (See Patent Document 1)
In this ink cartridge remaining amount measurement method, the liquid level sensor provided in the sub tank is monitored as needed, and a certain time is measured until the sensor comes into contact with the ink surface. When the surface sensor is in a non-contact state, it is determined that there is no ink remaining in the ink cartridge, and the user is informed that ink has run out.
JP 2002-192810 A

  However, in the printing apparatus, there is an increasing number of cases where an ink cartridge that still has ink remaining is removed and mounted again by a user operation, which causes air to enter the ink supply path and reduce the ink supply flow rate. There was a problem to do.

  For this reason, in the technique described in Patent Document 1 described above, the flow rate of ink replenishment decreases, so that it takes time to replenish ink into the sub tank, and time-out occurs even though ink remains in the cartridge. Therefore, there is a problem that a so-called ink end (out of ink) is displayed when the ink in the cartridge runs out.

  In view of the above, the present invention has been made in view of the above points. The number of times the ink cartridge is attached and detached is measured and recorded by an attachment / detachment number recording unit provided in the cartridge, and the time-out time for ink end detection is varied according to the number of attachments and detachments. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ink cartridge management device and a management method capable of setting an appropriate standby time when ink is supplied.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is an ink cartridge management device in a printing apparatus, which is provided in an ink tank filled with ink supplied from an ink cartridge mounted on the printing apparatus, and the ink cartridge. Supplied by an ink cartridge, a storage unit for storing and holding the number of times the ink cartridge is attached to and detached from the printing apparatus, an estimated arrival time setting unit for predicting the arrival time to the ink tank according to the number of times of attachment and removal stored in the storage The arrival time measuring means for measuring the time until the ink to reach the ink tank is compared with the estimated arrival time predicted by the estimated arrival time setting unit and the measurement result measured by the arrival time measuring means. An error processing unit that instructs execution of error processing according to the comparison result. As the error process, for example, closing of an on-off valve for supplying ink, failure of a liquid level sensor, or a message display indicating that an ink cartridge is empty can be considered.

Another invention is a method of managing an ink cartridge in a printing apparatus,
(1) A storage step of storing and holding the number of times the ink cartridge has been attached to and detached from the printing apparatus by a storage unit provided in the ink cartridge. (2) According to the number of attachments and detachments stored and held in the storage unit. Estimated arrival time setting step for predicting arrival time at the ink tank (3) Arrival time measuring step for measuring time until ink supplied from the ink cartridge mounted on the printing apparatus reaches the ink tank; (4) An error processing step for comparing the predicted arrival time predicted in the predicted arrival time setting step with the measurement result measured in the arrival time measuring step and instructing execution of error processing according to the comparison result. Have.

  According to these inventions, when ink is replenished, the arrival time of the ink is predicted based on the ink cartridge attachment / detachment frequency data stored in the storage unit, for example, due to air mixing into the ink path caused by the attachment / detachment of the ink cartridge. Even when the ink arrival time is delayed, the time-out time for displaying the ink end of the ink cartridge can be appropriately extended in consideration of the delay.

  In general, the reason why ink replenishment to the ink tank is not completed even though the time-out period has been exceeded for a certain period of time is, for example, a failure of the liquid level sensor in addition to a decrease in the flow of ink replenishment. Therefore, according to the present invention, in addition to the ink cartridge being empty, the user can be notified of an error such as a sensor failure, the user can be informed of an erroneous operation or the cause of the failure, Improvements can be made.

  In the above invention, an on-off valve that is provided in the middle of the ink supply path from the supply port of the ink cartridge to the ink tank and controls the flow rate of ink in the ink supply path, and a liquid level sensor that detects the liquid level in the ink tank It is preferable that the arrival time measuring means measures the time from the opening of the on-off valve to the detection of the liquid level by the liquid level sensor.

  In this case, the time to complete the ink supply from the ink cartridge to the ink tank is measured as the time from the opening of the on-off valve to the detection of the liquid level by the liquid level sensor. It can be measured. As a result, it becomes an indication of the timeout display of the ink end according to the change in the ink supply speed, and the timeout display can be performed correctly.

  In the above invention, it is preferable that the apparatus further includes a temperature measuring unit that measures the temperature of the supplied ink, and the correction unit corrects the measurement result by the arrival time measuring unit according to the temperature of the ink measured by the temperature measuring unit. .

  In this case, the change in the arrival time from the ink cartridge to the ink tank due to the change in the ink temperature can be reflected in the measurement result, and the ink end time-out display can be correctly performed.

  As described above, according to the ink cartridge management apparatus and management method, the number of times the ink cartridge is attached / detached is measured and recorded by the attachment / detachment number recording means provided on the cartridge, and the time-out time for detecting the ink end is variable depending on the number of attachment / detachment By doing so, it is possible to set an appropriate standby time for ink replenishment.

(Overall configuration of printing device)
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a printing paper conveyance path of the printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the printing apparatus 100 includes a plurality of ink heads having a large number of nozzles, prints black or color ink from each ink head, performs printing in units of lines, and prints on a recording sheet on a conveyance belt. An ink-jet line color printer that forms a plurality of images so as to overlap each other will be described as an example.

  In the present embodiment, the ink head includes four ink heads of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) arranged side by side along the paper transport direction, and a plurality of images. A color image is formed so as to overlap each other. The printing apparatus 100 includes an arithmetic processing unit 330. The arithmetic processing unit 330 also performs control related to ink supply from the ink cartridge in addition to the above-described print processing by the ink head, drive control of the transport mechanism, and the like. Do.

  The arithmetic processing unit 330 is configured by a processor such as a CPU or DSP (Digital Signal Processor), memory, hardware such as other electronic circuits, software such as a program having the function, or a combination thereof. Various functional modules are virtually constructed by appropriately reading and executing a program, and various functional modules for processing related to image data, operation control of each unit, and user operations are constructed by each constructed functional module. Process. In addition, an operation panel 340 is connected to the arithmetic processing unit 330, and an instruction and a setting operation by a user can be received through the operation panel 340.

  The printing apparatus 100 is provided with a cartridge mounting mechanism 30 for mounting the ink cartridge 200 on the front side of the apparatus. A plurality (four in this case) of the ink cartridges 200 of the respective colors are arranged and loaded on the cartridge mounting mechanism. The An upper surface device 350 is disposed so as to cover the upper side of the cartridge mounting mechanism 30, and the ink cartridge 200 is loaded by inserting it horizontally between the lower surface of the upper surface device 350 and the upper surface of the printing apparatus main body 1. Is called. The upper surface device 350 is provided with, for example, a sheet feeder and an operation panel.

  2 is an external view of the ink cartridge 200, FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the exterior body 240, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the liquid container 220. As shown in FIG. The ink cartridge 200 is an elongated casing that is detachably attached to the printing apparatus 100 in the horizontal direction. The ink cartridge 200 includes a liquid storage container 220 in which ink is sealed and an exterior body 240 in which the liquid storage container 220 is inserted. Has been.

  The exterior body 240 is a cylindrical body having a rectangular inner surface in cross section, and in this embodiment, a lateral side parallel to the horizontal plane including the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 200 and a vertical side perpendicular to the horizontal plane are provided. The ratio is about 2: 1. Further, an engagement surface 210 that is engaged with the cartridge mounting mechanism 30 on the printing apparatus 100 side is fitted into the end surface of the exterior body 240 on the printing apparatus 100 side. The engagement surface 210 is formed of a hard material such as resin or metal, and is a contact surface that comes into contact with the cartridge mounting mechanism 30 of the printing apparatus 100.

  The engagement surface 210 has an ink supply port 230 disposed at the center thereof, and abutting surfaces 210a and 210a are disposed on the left and right sides of the supply port. The abutting surfaces 210a and 210a are members integrally formed of resin or metal, and are fitted into the end portion of the cylindrical exterior body 240 and fixed to the exterior body 240 with a paper label having an adhesive surface. Yes.

  A fitting portion 212 is formed above and below the center portion of the engaging surface 210 so as to be fitted by gripping means provided on the printing apparatus 100 side. Triangular convex portions are arranged in the fitting portion 212, and the concave portions of the gripping means are fitted with a click feeling by pushing the convex portions between the gripping means sandwiched by elastic force. It has become.

  In addition, a pair of convex portions 211 protrude from the upper portion of the engagement surface 210. The convex portion 211 is provided on only one surface so as not to make a mistake when the cartridge is attached. Further, when the convex portion 211 is fitted to the printing apparatus 100, it is detected by an attachment detection sensor provided on the printing apparatus 100 side. Specifically, the attachment detection sensor is a light receiving sensor, and detects the presence of the shielding object by blocking light reception. The convex portion 211 is approached to the light receiving sensor at the time of attachment, and the attachment is detected by blocking light reception.

  The engagement surface 210 is attached with a communication tag 250 that performs non-contact communication with a non-contact communication interface (I / F) 430 provided on the printing apparatus 100 side. The communication tag 250 generates internal power using radio waves received from the non-contact communication (I / F) 430, reads and writes data to and from the memory using the power, and transmits and receives data through the antenna. In this embodiment, in this embodiment, the ink color of the cartridge, the type of water / oil property, the number of times of attachment / detachment, and the like are stored, and when the attachment is detected by the cartridge attachment mechanism 30, communication with the non-contact communication interface is started. Then, the data stored in the device is transmitted.

  On the other hand, the exterior body 240 is formed of a material softer than the engagement surface 210, such as paper or a wood material, and can be cut out and bent. In the present embodiment, a recess 204 formed on the surface of the exterior body 240 is formed on the lower surface of the exterior body 240 opposite to the engagement surface 210, and serves as a handle when the ink cartridge 200 is pulled out. In this embodiment, the recess 204 is a hole that penetrates the surface of the exterior body 240 and communicates with the interior hollow. The hole cuts a part of the member surface of the exterior body 240, and this portion is formed on the inner surface. And is bent toward the end side.

  In addition, a partition member 201 that secures a space shape between the inner surface of the outer body 240 and the pointed outer surface of the terminal end of the liquid storage container 220 is disposed at the inner end of the outer body 240. The space secured by the partition member 201 has a triangular side cross section, and is located in the exterior body 240 corresponding to the back surface of the recess 204. The portion bent by the concave portion 204 is bent so as to be positioned in a space secured by the partition member 201.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the liquid storage container 220 is a bag body in which ink is enclosed, and in this embodiment, the four films are joined by thermal welding so that the side surface has four sides, A crease is formed by thermal welding on the joint sides of the four surfaces, and the cross section is a quadrangle in a state where ink is sealed. For this reason, in a state where the ink of the liquid storage container 220 is sealed, the quadrangle of the cross section thereof is matched with the quadrangle of the cross section of the cylindrical exterior body 240.

  In addition, the liquid container 220 has a pair of ends that are pointed by sticking together a pair of surfaces parallel to a horizontal plane including the insertion direction, that is, ends of the upper and lower surfaces in a state of being loaded in the printing apparatus 100. It forms a shape, and the bonded portion of the upper and lower surfaces at the end of the pointed shape is linear by heat welding, and this linear portion is located in the horizontal plane. Furthermore, the liquid storage container 220 is formed with folds parallel to the insertion direction on the surface perpendicular to the horizontal plane including the insertion direction, that is, on the left and right side surfaces in a state of being loaded in the printing apparatus 100. As a result, the liquid container 220 having a quadrangular cross-sectional shape is crushed according to the crease as the ink inside flows out, and becomes a plane including the end on the line bonded by thermal welding at the end.

  Further, the ink supply port 230 is attached to the tip of the liquid storage container 220. The ink supply port 230 is configured to be incorporated in the center of the engagement surface 210 and to be a part of the engagement surface 210 when the liquid storage container 220 is inserted into and stored in the exterior body 240. ing. In this accommodated state, the ink supply port 230 protrudes in a direction that coincides with the direction of insertion into the exterior body 240 and is attached to and detached from the holder portion 310 on the printing apparatus 100 side.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an attachment / detachment mechanism including the ink cartridge 200 and the holder unit 310 on the printing apparatus 100 side. As shown in the figure, the ink supply port 230 is pressed outward by the pressure from the supply port side joint portion 232 and the supply port side joint portion 232, and the inner plug that seals the ink supply port 230. 231.

  The ink supply port 230 constitutes an attachment / detachment mechanism that is fitted to the holder unit 310 on the printing apparatus 100 side, and the ink cartridge 200 and the printing apparatus 100 are connected to each other by the attachment / detachment mechanism. Ink is supplied to 100.

  The holder part 310 includes a holder side joint part 313 fitted to the joint part 232 of the ink supply port 230 so as to cover the ink supply port 230, and the inside of the holder side joint part 313 includes a supply port. An ink path 311 that communicates with the ink supply port 230 on the ink cartridge 200 side is formed in the fitting state with the side joint portion 232.

  An insertion shaft 312 that protrudes toward the ink supply port 230 is provided near the ink path 311 at the center of the holder portion 310. The insertion shaft 312 is inserted into the engaged supply port side joint portion 232, pushes the inner plug 231 into the supply port side joint portion 232, and connects the path 233 communicating with the ink path 311 to the supply port side joint portion. 232 is opened.

  With such an ink cartridge attachment / detachment mechanism, ink is supplied from the ink cartridge 200 loaded in the printing apparatus main body 1 through an attachment / detachment mechanism including the ink supply port 230 and the holder unit 310. FIG. 6 is a schematic view schematically showing the mechanism of the ink supply system.

  As shown in FIG. 6, ink from the ink cartridge 200 is filled into an ink tank 303 called a reservoir through an ink supply path 301. An electromagnetic opening / closing valve 302 is provided in the middle of the ink supply path 301, and the opening / closing of the flow path of the ink supply path 301 and the ink flow rate are controlled by the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 302. Further, in the ink tank 303, a liquid level sensor 303a for detecting the liquid level in the ink tank 303 and measuring the amount of filled ink is provided. Ink supply from the ink cartridge 200 to the ink tank 303 is performed by a pressure difference between the ink cartridge 200 arranged at a high place and the ink tank 303 installed at the low place.

  The ink filled in the ink tank 303 is sent to the distributor 111 of the head unit 110 through the supply path 304, and is distributed from the distributor 111 to each of the ink heads 110a, 110b, 110c... The distributor 111 is provided with a temperature sensor 112 for measuring the temperature of the ink inside, so that the ink temperature immediately before being supplied to the ink heads 110a, 110b, 110c can be detected.

(Ink cartridge management mechanism)
Management of the ink cartridges in the printing apparatus 100 having the above configuration is controlled by the arithmetic processing unit 330. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing functional modules virtually built in the arithmetic processing unit 330 related to cartridge management. The “module” used in the description refers to a functional unit that is configured by hardware such as an apparatus or a device, software having the function, or a combination thereof, and achieves a predetermined operation. .

  The arithmetic processing unit 330 includes a cartridge attachment detection unit 331, a cartridge information acquisition unit 332, a cartridge information determination unit 333, an expected arrival time setting unit 334, a timeout determination unit 335, as modules for managing ink cartridges. An arrival time measurement unit 336 and a timeout error processing unit 339 are provided.

  The cartridge attachment detection unit 331 is a module that detects that the ink cartridge 200 is fitted into the holder portion 310 of the cartridge attachment mechanism 30 through an attachment sensor, and indicates that the ink cartridge 200 is attached to the cartridge attachment mechanism 30. When detected, the cartridge information acquisition unit 332 is instructed to start non-contact communication. Upon receiving this instruction, the cartridge information acquisition unit 332 receives information stored in the communication tag 250 through the non-contact communication (I / F) 430 and acquires it as data. Acquisition of data by the cartridge information acquisition unit 332 is started in response to detection of cartridge attachment by the cartridge attachment detection unit 331, and the acquired data is input to the cartridge information determination unit 333.

  The cartridge information determination unit 333 is a module that determines whether or not the information regarding each cartridge acquired by the cartridge information acquisition unit 332 is correct, and analyzes and extracts information included in each data. Here, first, it is determined whether or not each cartridge is loaded in the correct holder according to the color of each cartridge and the type of oil and water, and if it is loaded in a valid holder, that fact is indicated. The estimated arrival time setting unit 334 is notified. When a wrong color or type of cartridge is loaded due to an erroneous operation, an error message is output through the operation panel 340.

  The estimated arrival time setting unit 334 is a module that predicts the time until the ink supplied from the ink cartridge 200 reaches the ink tank 303, and the estimated arrival time setting unit 334 corresponds to the number of attachments / detachments stored and held in the communication tag 250. Calculate the estimated arrival time. As the number of attachments / detachments increases, air tends to accumulate in the joint portion of the ink cartridge 200. Therefore, the default estimated arrival time is corrected (extended) according to the number of attachments / detachments. As the expected arrival time of this default, when the ink flows smoothly from the full ink cartridge 200 without being influenced by bubbles, the theoretical arrival prediction to the height position of the liquid level sensor 303a in the ink tank 303 is assumed. It can be time.

  In the present embodiment, a temperature sensor 112 that measures the temperature in the distributor 111 is connected to the expected arrival time setting unit 334, and the expected arrival time is determined according to the temperature of the ink measured by the temperature sensor 112. It has a function to correct. Here, as shown in FIG. 9, when the ink temperature increases, the viscosity of the ink decreases, and thus the flow rate increases. The estimated arrival time setting unit 334 changes the waiting time from the opening / closing of the on-off valve to the timeout in consideration of the temperature change of the flow rate.

  The timeout determination unit 335 is a module that determines a timeout of a waiting time until the ink supplied from the ink cartridge 200 reaches the ink tank 303. The arrival time measuring unit 336 is a timer device that measures the time until the ink supplied from the ink cartridge reaches the ink tank 303 and reaches a predetermined amount. The time-out determination unit 335 notifies the time-out error processing unit 339 that a time-out has occurred when the ink waiting time exceeds the expected arrival time. Specifically, when the cartridge information acquisition unit 332 determines that each ink cartridge 200 is valid, it instructs the electromagnetic valve control unit 338 to start supplying ink and starts measuring elapsed time. Then, it waits until the liquid level detection part 337 detects a liquid level, and monitors timeout. The electromagnetic valve control unit 338 is a module that controls the opening / closing of the electromagnetic open / close valve 302 provided in the ink supply path 301.

  The time-out error processing unit 339 is a module that executes the closing of the solenoid valve, the message display, and the output of sound and sound, which are error processing, based on the determination result by the time-out determination unit 335. This error message may be displayed as character information on the display unit 342 of the operation panel, for example, or may be notified by a display lamp such as an LED. In addition, a message such as voice can be output from the speaker. The content of this message may be that the cartridge may be empty when a timeout occurs.

(Ink cartridge management method)
By operating the ink cartridge management mechanism having the above-described configuration, the ink cartridge management method of the present invention can be implemented. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ink cartridge management mechanism according to the present embodiment.

  First, when the ink cartridge 200 is attached to the cartridge attachment mechanism 30 by a user operation, the cartridge attachment detection unit 331 detects the attachment operation (S101), and instructs the cartridge information acquisition unit 332 to start non-contact communication. In response to this instruction, communication with the communication tag 250 through non-contact communication (I / F) 430 is performed, and the cartridge information acquisition unit 332 acquires information on the ink cartridge 200 and confirms its validity ( S102).

  If it is determined in step S103 that the ink cartridge 200 is correctly loaded, the process proceeds to the setting of the estimated arrival time (S105). If an incorrect ink cartridge 200 is loaded, the corresponding error processing is performed. (S104) is executed. As this error processing, for example, a message indicating that the cartridge is not correct is output without opening the electromagnetic on-off valve 302.

  In step S105, an expected arrival time is predicted based on information obtained from the cartridge. Specifically, the default estimated arrival time is extended according to the number of attachments / detachments stored and held in the communication tag 250, and further, the estimated arrival time is corrected according to the ink temperature measured by the temperature sensor 112. . The calculated estimated arrival time is transferred to the time-out determination unit 335. The time-out determination unit 335 instructs opening of the electromagnetic on-off valve 302 (S106), and starts measuring elapsed time (S107). .

  Then, it is monitored whether a predetermined amount of ink reaches the ink tank 303 within a predetermined expected arrival time (S108 and S109). When the liquid level is detected within the expected arrival time (“Y” in S108), the solenoid valve is closed assuming that the ink supply has been completed normally (S111). On the other hand, when the liquid level is not detected within the predetermined expected arrival time (“Y” in S109), an error message indicating that the ink cartridge 200 may be empty is output (S110), and the solenoid valve is closed. Is closed (S111).

(Action / Effect)
According to the present embodiment described above, the arrival time of the ink is predicted based on the attachment / detachment frequency data stored in the ink cartridge 200 itself, thereby causing air contamination to the ink path caused by the attachment / detachment of the ink cartridge. When the ink replenishment time is exceeded, the timeout time until the ink end of the ink cartridge is displayed can be appropriately extended. Further, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to notify the user that the ink cartridge 200 is empty or a failure of the sensor, and the user can know the erroneous operation or the cause of the failure.

  In particular, in this embodiment, the ink tank 200 measures the time for completing the ink supply from the ink cartridge 200 to the ink tank 303 as the time from the opening of the electromagnetic on-off valve 302 to the detection of the liquid level by the liquid level sensor 303a. The arrival time at 303 can be properly measured.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the expected arrival time is corrected according to the temperature of the ink measured by the temperature sensor 112, a change in viscosity according to the ink temperature can be reflected in the predicted expected arrival time. Ink end timeout display can be performed correctly.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a printing paper conveyance path of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment. 2 is an external view of an ink cartridge 200 according to an embodiment. FIG. It is a sectional side view of the exterior body 240 which concerns on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the liquid storage container 220 which concerns on embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an attachment / detachment mechanism including the ink cartridge 200 according to the embodiment and a holder unit 310 on the printing apparatus 100 side. It is the schematic which shows typically the mechanism of the ink replenishment system which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the functional module virtually constructed | assembled in the arithmetic processing unit 330 regarding the cartridge management which concerns on embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the ink cartridge management mechanism according to the embodiment. In embodiment, it is a graph which shows the change of the arrival time of the ink by ink temperature.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printing apparatus main body 30 ... Cartridge attachment mechanism 100 ... Printing apparatus 110 ... Head unit 110a, 110b, 110c ... Ink head 111 ... Distributor 112 ... Temperature sensor 200 ... Ink cartridge 201 ... Partition member 204 ... Recessed part 210 ... Engagement surface 210a , 210a ... Abutting surface 211 ... Convex portion 212 ... Fitting portion 220 ... Liquid storage container 230 ... Ink supply port 231 ... Inner plug 232 ... Supply port side joint portion 233 ... Route 240 ... Exterior body 250 ... Communication tag 301 ... Ink supply Path 302: Solenoid open / close valve 303 ... Ink tank 303a ... Liquid level sensor 304 ... Supply path 310 ... Holder path 311 ... Ink path 312 ... Insertion shaft 313 ... Holder side joint section 330 ... Arithmetic processing unit 331 ... Cartridge attachment detection section 332 ... Cartridge information acquisition unit 333 ... cartridge information determination unit 334 ... expected arrival time setting unit 335 ... timeout determination unit 336 ... arrival time measurement unit 337 ... liquid level detection unit 338 ... solenoid valve control unit 339 ... timeout error processing unit 340 ... operation panel 342 ... Display unit 350 ... Top surface device

Claims (6)

An ink cartridge management apparatus in a printing apparatus,
An ink tank filled with ink supplied from an ink cartridge mounted on the printing apparatus;
A storage unit provided in the ink cartridge for storing and holding the number of times the ink cartridge is attached to and detached from the printing apparatus;
An estimated arrival time setting unit that predicts an arrival time to the ink tank according to the number of attachments and detachments stored and held in the storage unit;
An arrival time measuring means for measuring the time until the ink supplied by the ink cartridge reaches the ink tank;
Comparing the estimated arrival time predicted by the estimated arrival time setting unit with the measurement result measured by the arrival time measuring means, and an error processing unit that instructs execution of error processing according to the comparison result An ink cartridge management device. An opening / closing valve provided in the middle of an ink supply path from the supply port of the ink cartridge to the ink tank, for controlling a flow rate of ink in the ink supply path; and a liquid level sensor for detecting a liquid level in the ink tank And further comprising
2. The ink cartridge management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arrival time measuring unit measures a time from opening of the on-off valve to detection of a liquid level by the liquid level sensor. Temperature measuring means for measuring the temperature of the supplied ink;
The ink cartridge management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the estimated arrival time setting unit corrects the estimated arrival time according to the temperature of the ink measured by the temperature measuring unit. An ink cartridge management method in a printing apparatus, comprising:
A storage step of storing and holding the number of times the ink cartridge is attached to and detached from the printing apparatus by a storage unit provided in the ink cartridge;
An expected arrival time setting step for predicting the arrival time to the ink tank according to the number of attachments / detachments stored in the storage unit, and ink supplied from the ink cartridge attached to the printing apparatus reaches the ink tank. An arrival time measurement step for measuring the time until completion,
An error processing step of comparing the predicted arrival time predicted in the predicted arrival time setting step with the measurement result measured in the arrival time measuring step and instructing execution of error processing according to the comparison result Ink cartridge management method characterized by the above. The printing apparatus includes:
An open / close valve that is provided in the middle of the ink supply path from the supply port of the ink cartridge to the ink tank and that controls the flow rate of ink in the ink supply path; and a liquid level sensor that detects the liquid level in the ink tank And further comprising
5. The ink cartridge management method according to claim 4, wherein, in the arrival time measuring step, a time from opening of the on-off valve to detection of a liquid level by the liquid level sensor is measured. A temperature measuring means;
5. The ink cartridge according to claim 4, wherein in the estimated arrival time setting step, the temperature of the supplied ink is measured, and the estimated arrival time is corrected according to the measured temperature of the ink. Management method.