JP6677281B2 - Ink jet recording apparatus and program - Google Patents

Description

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

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known an ink jet recording apparatus including a tank capable of replenishing ink through an inlet instead of a replaceable ink cartridge. In some of such ink jet recording apparatuses, for example, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is not possible to detect which color ink has been replenished and how much by a sensor or the like. Therefore, the printing systems described in Patent Literatures 1 and 2 execute an ink replenishment process for inputting which color ink has been replenished into the tank when refilling the ink into the tank.

  Specifically, when a user operates a computer connected to the inkjet printer, the computer sends a lock release command for unlocking the tank case to the inkjet printer. As a result, an ink replenishment screen is displayed on the monitor of the computer. Next, the user rotates the tank case and opens the replenishing port so that ink can be replenished. Next, the user refills the tank with ink from the ink bottle, returns the tank case, and then selects the [Next] button on the ink replenishment screen. As a result, a screen for inquiring the color of the refilled ink (hereinafter, referred to as an “inquiry screen”) is displayed on the monitor. Then, the user inputs which color ink has been refilled into the tank through the inquiry screen.

JP 2012-066563 A JP 2013-006320 A

  In the printing system having the above configuration, ink is not always replenished after the transmission of the lock release command. However, in the printing system, the subsequent processing cannot be executed unless the color of the replenished ink is input, thereby causing the user to perform useless work.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of terminating a process for inquiring whether or not ink has been injected into an ink chamber at an appropriate timing. It is in.

  (1) An ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention includes an ink chamber for storing ink, a tank having an injection port for injecting ink into the ink chamber, and an ink chamber for storing the ink stored in the ink chamber. A recording unit that ejects and records an image on a sheet, a display unit that displays information, an operation unit that outputs an operation signal according to a received user operation, and a flow path from the ink chamber to the recording unit A storage unit for storing an initial flag for setting either a first value corresponding to the fact that the initial process to be filled with the ink has not been executed yet or a second value corresponding to the fact that the initial process has already been executed; , A control unit for controlling operations of the recording unit and the display unit. The operation unit outputs a first operation signal, which is the operation signal, in response to receiving a first operation, which is the user operation, corresponding to ink injection, and determines that ink is not injected. A second operation signal, which is the operation signal, is output in response to receiving a corresponding second operation, which is the user operation. The control unit displays, on the display unit, inquiry information for inquiring whether or not ink has been injected, in response to output of an end signal that can estimate that ink injection has ended, and Executing an inquiry process for accepting the operation or the second operation via the operation unit; and performing the inquiry process in a state where the first value is set in the initial flag, until the first operation is accepted. The inquiry processing is continued, and the initial processing is executed in response to the reception of the first operation, and the first processing is performed in a state where the second value is set in the initial flag. A solution that enables the recording unit to eject ink in response to the operation or the second operation being received, or when the elapsed time from the start of the inquiry process has reached a threshold time. Process to run.

  The initial process is a process of discharging 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 performed in a state where the ink is not injected into some of the plurality of ink chambers, the ink discharged from the recording unit is wasted. Therefore, as in the above configuration, in the inquiry processing before the initial processing, it is desirable that the initial processing be executed in response to receiving the first operation.

  On the other hand, in the inquiry process after the initial process, the release process is executed not only when the first operation or the second operation is received but also when the timer times out. Thus, it is possible to prevent a situation where subsequent processing cannot be executed when a user operation for the inquiry processing is not performed.

  (2) Preferably, the tank is formed with 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. ing. The controller, in the inquiry process executed in a state where the first value is set in the initial flag, only in response to outputting the first operation signals corresponding to all the ink colors, Perform the above initial processing.

  Thereby, waste of ink in the initial processing can be more effectively suppressed.

  (3) Preferably, the ink jet recording apparatus is a coating position that covers all the inlets and regulates the injection of the ink into the ink chamber, and exposes all the inlets to the ink chamber and exposes the ink into the ink chamber. And a cover sensor that outputs a position signal in accordance with the position of the cover. The end signal is the position signal corresponding to the movement of the cover to the covering position.

  (4) Preferably, the plurality of ink chambers include a first ink chamber for storing a first color ink, and a second ink chamber for storing a second color ink different from the first color. including. In the inquiry process, the control unit causes the display unit to display the inquiry information for the first color, and performs the first operation or the second operation corresponding to the first color via the operation unit. In response to the first inquiry processing to be accepted and the completion of the first inquiry processing, the inquiry information for the second color is displayed on the display unit, and the first operation or the first operation corresponding to the second color is performed. And a second inquiry process for receiving a second operation via the operation unit.

  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 occurrence of erroneous input can be suppressed. As a result, the control unit can cause the recording unit to eject ink while properly recognizing the amount of ink in the tank. In addition, since the user answers the inquiry for all the ink colors in order, it is possible to grasp which ink color is in what state. The “erroneous input” refers to, for example, executing the second operation in an inquiry process for an injected ink color, or executing the first operation in an inquiry process for an uninjected ink color.

  (5) Preferably, the control section initializes a count value in response to the count processing for counting the amount of ink discharged by the recording section and the first operation signal being output in the inquiry processing. And further executing an initialization process, and in the inquiry process executed in a state where the second value is set in the initial flag, in response to the elapsed time from the start of the process reaching the threshold time It is assumed that the second operation has been received.

  According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the count value from being initialized when, for example, the cover is opened and closed for a purpose other than ink injection and the user operation for the inquiry process is not performed.

  (6) Preferably, the inkjet recording device further includes a communication unit that communicates with an external device. The control unit, in response to receiving a recording instruction from an external device through the communication unit, executes an image recording process of recording an image on a sheet according to the recording instruction, and when the count value reaches a discharge threshold and the inquiry In response to receiving the recording instruction during execution of the processing, the image recording processing is started after receiving the first operation, and the count value has not reached the discharge threshold and the inquiry processing has been executed. The image recording process is started after receiving the first operation or the second operation in response to receiving the recording instruction during the recording.

  According to the above configuration, in a state where the amount of ink is low (that is, a state where the count value has reached the discharge threshold), the image recording process is not started until the first operation is received. As a result, it is possible to suppress running out of ink during the image recording process. On the other hand, in a state where there is a certain amount of ink (that is, a state where the count has not reached the discharge threshold value), the image recording process is started by receiving the first operation or the second operation (including the timeout). As a result, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the image recording process is not executed when the operation for the inquiry process is not performed.

  (7) For example, in response to receiving a third operation different from the first operation and the second operation, the operation unit may generate a third operation signal different from the first operation signal and the second operation signal. Is output. In response to the third operation signal being output during execution of the inquiry process, the control unit continues the inquiry process without executing the process corresponding to the third operation.

  (8) For example, the third operation is a user operation corresponding to executing a stop process for stopping the supply of power to the inkjet recording apparatus. The control unit performs the inquiry process without performing the stop process in response to the first value being set in the initial flag and the third operation signal being output during the execution of the inquiry process. Continuing, the stop process is executed in response to the second value being set in the initial flag and the third operation signal being output during execution of the inquiry process.

  By applying the present invention to an ink jet recording apparatus adopting such specifications, it is possible to prevent a situation in which a process corresponding to a third user operation cannot be executed when a user operation for an inquiry process is not performed.

  (9) Preferably, the control unit is configured to, through the display unit, inject ink in response to the position signal corresponding to the cover being located at the exposure position being output from the cover sensor. The notification process for notifying is further executed.

  According to the above configuration, the user operation indicating the start of the ink injection and the user operation indicating the end of the ink injection can be replaced by the movement of the cover, thereby simplifying the operation of the user when the ink is injected into the tank. Can be.

  (10) For example, the control unit may regulate the ejection of ink by the recording unit in response to the position signal corresponding to the position of the cover being at the exposure position being output from the cover sensor. The process and the release process are further executed in response to the end of the inquiry process.

  (11) A program according to the present invention includes an ink chamber for storing ink, a tank in which an injection port for injecting ink into the ink chamber is formed, and an ink chamber for discharging ink stored in the ink chamber. A recording unit that records an image on a sheet, a display unit that displays information, and a first operation signal that is output in response to receiving a first operation corresponding to the injection of the ink. An operation unit that outputs a second operation signal in response to receiving a second operation corresponding to the absence of the operation, and an initial process of filling a flow path from the ink chamber to the recording unit with ink has not been executed yet. And a storage unit for storing an initial flag for setting either a first value corresponding to the above or a second value corresponding to the fact that the initial processing has already been performed. The program displays, on the display unit, inquiry information for inquiring whether or not ink has been injected, in response to output of an end signal that can estimate that ink injection has been completed, and performs the first operation. Alternatively, the computer causes the computer to execute an inquiry process for accepting the second operation via the operation unit, and in the inquiry process executed in a state where the first value is set in the initial flag, the first operation is performed in the inquiry process. The inquiry processing is continued until the first operation is received, and the initial processing is executed by the computer in response to the first operation being received, and the initial processing is executed in a state where the second value is set in the initial flag. In the inquiry processing, when the first operation or the second operation is received, or when an elapsed time from the start of the inquiry processing reaches a threshold time, The release processing to allow the ejection of ink by the recording unit to perform the above computer.

  According to the present invention, in the inquiry processing after the initial processing, the release processing is executed not only when the first operation or the second operation is received but also when the timer times out. When the operation is not performed, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the release process cannot be executed.

1A and 1B are external perspective views of the multifunction peripheral 10, wherein FIG. 1A shows a state in which a 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 sectional perspective view taken along line VV in 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 peripheral 10. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process at the time of opening the cover. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the inquiry process A. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the re-injection 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 the empty process.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the embodiment of the present invention can be appropriately changed without changing the gist of the present invention. In this specification, the up-down direction 7 is defined based on the state in which the multifunction peripheral 10 is installed so as to be usable, and the front-rear direction 8 is defined as the front side of the multifunction peripheral 10 where the opening 13 is provided. The left-right direction 9 when the multifunction peripheral 10 is viewed from the near side (front side) is defined.

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

[Feeding tray 20, discharging tray 21]
As shown in FIG. 1, the feed tray 20 is inserted into and removed from the multifunction peripheral 10 by the user in the front-rear direction 8 through an opening 13 formed at the front of the multifunction peripheral 10 and at the center in the left-right direction 9. The feed tray 20 can support a plurality of stacked sheets. The discharge tray 21 is disposed above the feed tray 20 and is inserted and removed together with the feed tray 20. The discharge tray 21 supports the sheet discharged by the transport unit 23.

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

  As shown in FIG. 2, an ink tube 32 and a 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, and 32Y through which ink of each color (black, magenta, cyan, and yellow) circulate (these may be collectively referred to as “ink tube 32”). .) Extend from the ink tank 100 and 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 peripheral 10, as shown in FIG. The ink tank 100 is fixed to the MFP 10 so that it cannot be easily removed from the MFP 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 by the film 106.

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

  The lower wall 105 constitutes a lower end of the ink chamber 111 in the vertical direction 7. As shown in FIG. 5, the lower wall 105 includes an upper wall 145, a lower wall 146, and a connection wall 147. The upper step wall 145 contacts 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. The lower step wall 146 is located below the upper step wall 145 and behind the upper step wall 145. The connection wall 147 has an upper end connected to a rear end of the upper wall 145 and a lower end connected to a front end of the lower wall 146.

[Ink chamber 111]
As shown in FIG. 4, the ink tank 100 has a plurality of partitions 107, 108, and 109 that partition the internal space of the ink tank 100. The partitions 107, 108, and 109 extend in the up-down direction 7 and the front-back direction 8, respectively, and are in contact with the front wall 101, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, and the film 106. In addition, the partitions 107 to 109 are arranged separately in the left-right direction 9. As a result, the internal space of the ink tank 100 is partitioned into four ink chambers 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y for storing ink.

  In the ink chambers 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y, inks of different ink colors are stored. 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 a first color, and black is an example of a second color. The ink chambers 111M, 111C, and 111Y are examples of a first ink chamber, and the ink chamber 111B is an example of a second ink chamber. The ink to be injected into each ink chamber 111 is provided by filling a predetermined amount into an ink bottle.

  However, the form of the ink tank 100 is not limited to the above-described example. For example, the multifunction peripheral 10 may include four ink tanks each having an ink chamber for storing ink of a different ink color. Further, the number of the ink chambers 111 and the ink colors are not limited to those described above. For example, only the ink chamber 111B for storing black ink may be used. Hereinafter, the ink chambers 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y may be collectively referred to as “ink chamber 111”. In addition, four constituent elements (for example, injection ports 112B, 112M, 112C, 112Y, ink flow paths 114B, 114M, 114C, 114Y, etc., to be described later) are provided with four Only (B, M, C, Y) are given different reference numbers, and when these are collectively referred to, they may be abbreviated to the alphabet (for example, an inlet 112, an ink channel 114, and the like, 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 is represented by (V ₀ −α), the first discharge threshold is represented by [V _max − (V ₀ −α)], and the second discharge threshold is (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 preliminary storage chamber between the upper surface of the upper step wall 145B and the upper end of the opening 115. More specifically, α may be set to a value equal to or slightly smaller than the volume. As a result, in the image recording process described later, the ink level in the ink chamber 111 falls below the upper end of the opening 115, and air enters 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 described later changes. The first discharge threshold corresponds to the amount of ink consumed from the time when one ink bottle of ink is injected into the empty ink chamber 111 to the time when the amount of ink in the ink chamber 111 reaches the remaining amount threshold. The second discharge threshold is consumed from the time when one ink bottle of ink is injected into the empty ink chamber 111 to the time when the liquid level in the ink chamber 111 matches the height of the upper wall 145. Corresponds to the amount of ink. The first discharge threshold and the second discharge threshold (these may be collectively referred to as “discharge threshold”) are values to be compared with a count value described later. Note that the remaining amount threshold, the first discharge threshold, and the second discharge threshold may be different values for each ink chamber 111.

[Injection port 112]
Injection ports 112B, 112M, 112C, 112Y for injecting ink into each ink chamber 111 are formed in the inclined wall 101B of the ink tank 100. The inlet 112 penetrates the inclined wall 101B in the thickness direction, and connects the corresponding ink chamber 111 to the outside of the ink tank 100. The inclined wall 101B has an inner surface facing each ink chamber 111 and an outer surface facing the outside of the ink tank 100. In addition, the inlet 112 may be formed in 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 of the inlets 112. As shown in FIG. 1A, a cap 113 attached to the inlet 112 closes the periphery of the inlet 112 to close the inlet 112. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1B, when the cap 113 is removed from the inlet 112, the inlet 112 is opened. The cap 113 is attached to and detached from the inlet 112 in a state where a cover 70 described later is located at an 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 inlet 112.

[Ink channel 114]
In the ink tank 100, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, ink flow paths 114B, 114M, 114C, and 114Y are formed. The ink flow paths 114M, 114C, 114Y communicate with the ink chambers 111M, 111C, 111Y through openings 115M, 115C, 115Y formed near the lower ends of the partitions 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, and 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 the respective color inks are connected to the respective connection portions 118 formed to protrude 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 of the corresponding ink chamber 111 to the recording unit 24 through the ink tube 32 connected to the corresponding connection 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 protrudes rightward from an 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 ends of the protruding walls 121A to 121I. The ink flow path 114 between the opening 116 and the connecting portion 118 indicates a space defined by the adjacent protruding walls 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 the right wall 102, projecting walls 121 H and 121 I that are continuous in the circumferential direction, and a film 122. The additional ink chamber 123 is connected to 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 protruding wall 121I defining a lower end of the additional ink chamber 123 surrounding the front, rear, and lower 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 lower than the upper surface of the upper step wall 145B. Accordingly, the ink enters the detected portion 124 via the through hole 123A in response to the amount of ink in the ink chamber 111B being equal to or larger than the remaining amount threshold. On the other hand, according to the fact that the amount of ink in the ink chamber 111B is less than the remaining amount threshold, the ink in the detected part 124 is discharged to the ink chamber 111B through the through hole 123A, and the ink exists in the detected part 124. Disappears.

[Remaining amount sensor 125]
The multifunction device 10 includes a remaining amount sensor 125 as shown in FIGS. The remaining amount sensor 125 includes a light emitting unit 125A and a light receiving unit 125B that are arranged to face each other in the front-rear direction 8 with the detected portion 124 interposed therebetween. The light emitting unit 125A outputs light (for example, visible light or infrared light) that transmits through the protruding wall 121I and does not transmit black ink, to the light receiving unit 125B. Light receiving unit 125B outputs a remaining amount signal to control unit 130 according to whether or not light output from light emitting unit 125A has been received. In other words, the remaining amount sensor 125 outputs a remaining amount signal according 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 includes a first remaining amount signal corresponding to the presence of ink in the detected portion 124 (in other words, the first remaining amount signal corresponding to the amount of ink in the ink chamber 111B being equal to or greater than the remaining amount threshold). 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 portion 124 (the amount of ink in the ink chamber 111B is smaller than the remaining amount threshold). 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" includes that the signal level is 0V. However, the combination of signal levels is not limited to the above example. The same applies to a position signal of the cover sensor 72 described later.

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

[Air communication passage 126]
In the ink tank 100, as shown in FIG. 4, air communication paths 126B, 126M, 126C, and 126Y are formed. The atmosphere communication path 126 allows the corresponding ink chamber 111 to communicate with the atmosphere. More specifically, the atmosphere communication passage 126 communicates with the corresponding ink chamber 111 through a notch 127 formed at the upper end of the ink chamber 111, and communicates with the outside of the ink tank 100 through an 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 peripheral 10 (an example of movement). The cover 70 is rotatable between a covering position shown in FIG. 1A and an exposed position shown in FIG.

  The covering position is a position where the cover 70 covers a part of all the injection ports 112 and regulates 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, a user operation to remove the cap 112 is restricted by the cover 70 that covers a part of each cap 113. That is, since the removal of each cap 113 is regulated by the cover 70 located at the covering position, the opening of each inlet 112 is regulated. Thus, the cover 70 located at the covering position restricts the injection of ink into all the ink chambers 111. However, the cover 70 may be configured so as to cover all the injection ports 112 as a whole. That is, the cover 70 may be configured so that injection of ink into the ink chamber 111 can be restricted by the cover 70 located at the covering position. The exposure position is a position where all the injection ports 112 are exposed to the outside of the multifunction peripheral 10 by the cover 70 and ink injection into all the ink chambers 111 is permitted.

  That is, a series of ink injection operations by the user are, for example, as follows. First, the user moves the cover 70 at the covering position to the exposure 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 opened inlet 112 and injects all the ink in the ink bottle into the ink chamber 111. Next, the user who has completed the ink injection attaches the removed cap 113 to the corresponding injection port 112 and moves the cover 70 to the covering position.

  The cover 70 has a transmission window 71 facing the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 at the covering position. Accordingly, 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 at the covering position or the exposing position. The transmission window 71 is configured such that the height of the lower side of the transmission window 71 of the cover 70 (position in the vertical direction 7) and the height of each upper step wall 145 are substantially the same. For this reason, when the ink is stored only in the spare storage chamber, it becomes difficult for the user to visually recognize the ink, and therefore, at first glance, the user can feel that the ink is not stored in each of the ink chambers 111.

[Cover sensor 72]
Further, the multifunction peripheral 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 contacts or separates, or may be an optical sensor that blocks or transmits light 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 to the control unit 130 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 exposing position. I 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]
The multifunction device 10 includes a display unit 14 as shown in FIG. The display unit 14 displays information to be notified to the user as a message. Although the specific configuration of the display unit 14 is not particularly limited, for example, a liquid crystal display (abbreviation for Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL display (abbreviation for Organic Electro-Luminescence Display), or the like can be adopted.

  The display unit 14 according to the present embodiment is a rectangle of 8 vertical dots × 80 horizontal dots. That is, the display unit 14 can display a maximum of 16 characters (including spaces) of 8 vertical dots × 5 horizontal dots (approximately 8 mm vertical × about 5 mm horizontal). When a character string exceeding 16 characters is to be displayed on the display unit 14, the character string is scroll-displayed. Furthermore, when the character strings of a plurality of lines are to be displayed on the display unit 14, the character strings of each line are displayed in order.

[Operation unit 17]
The multifunction device 10 includes an operation unit 17 as shown in FIG. The operation unit 17 is an input interface that receives an input of an instruction to the multifunction peripheral 10 from a user. The operation unit 17 according to the present embodiment includes, for example, a plurality of push buttons such as a numeric keypad 17A and a power button 17B. 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 includes a first operation signal corresponding to pressing of the [1] button included in the numeric keypad 17A and a second operation signal corresponding to pressing of the [2] button included in the numeric keypad 17A. An operation signal or a third operation signal corresponding to the pressing of the power button 17B is output to the control unit 130. Note that the buttons corresponding to the first operation signal, the second operation signal, and the third operation signal are not limited to the examples described above.

[Communication unit 25]
The multi-function device 10 includes a communication unit 25 as shown in FIG. The communication unit 25 is an interface for communicating with an external device. That is, the MFP 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. In addition, the communication unit 25 may function as a FAX receiving unit that receives FAX data from an external device.

[Control unit 130]
As illustrated in FIG. 7, the control unit 130 includes a CPU 131, a ROM 132, a RAM 133, an EEPROM 134, and an ASIC 135, and these are connected by an internal bus 137. The ROM 132 stores programs for the CPU 131 to control various operations. The RAM 133 is used as a storage area for temporarily recording data, signals, and the like used when the CPU 131 executes 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, an initial flag. The initial flag is a value corresponding to whether or not the MFP 10 has performed an initial process. Specifically, the initial flag indicates a first value corresponding to the fact that the initial process has not been executed yet, or a second value corresponding to the fact that the initial process has already been executed. The initial process is a process of filling a 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 peripheral 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 peripheral 10, the first value is set in the initial flag. When the control unit 130 performs the initial processing, the ink flow path 114, the ink tube 32, and the recording head of the recording unit 24 are filled with the ink, and the multifunction peripheral 10 can record an image on a sheet. State. That is, the second value is set to the initial flag after the execution of the initial processing. At the time of shipment of the multifunction peripheral 10, a shipping liquid exclusive for shipping which is not used for recording an image on a sheet may be filled in the flow path instead of the ink. In this case, when the control unit 130 performs the initial processing, the shipping liquid in the flow path is discharged, and 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, set to 0) in steps S26 and S49 described later, and is counted up in a step S69 described later. The count value is compared with a first emission threshold and a second emission threshold. The method of updating the count value is not limited to the above example. For example, in steps S26 and S49, a value corresponding to the maximum amount V _{max of} ink that can be stored in the ink chamber 111 is set, and the countdown is performed in step S69. Is also good. The count value to be counted down is compared with a corresponding remaining amount threshold.

  The transport unit 23, the recording unit 24, the display unit 14, the communication unit 25, the operation unit 17, the cover sensor 72, and the remaining amount sensor 125 are connected to the ASIC 135. The control unit 130 causes the conveyance unit 23 to convey paper, causes the recording unit 24 to eject ink, causes the display unit 14 to display information, 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, acquires a position signal from the cover sensor 72, and acquires a remaining amount signal from the remaining amount sensor 125. The control unit 130 reads, for example, a position signal output from the cover sensor 72 and a remaining amount signal output from the remaining amount sensor 125 at predetermined time intervals (for example, 50 msec).

[Operation of MFP 10]
The operation of the MFP 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Each of the processes illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 13 is executed by the CPU 131 of the control unit 130. Note that the following processes may be executed by the CPU 131 reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 132, or may be realized by a 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 second position signal being output from the cover sensor 72. This processing is executed, for example, when the cover 70 is moved from the covering position to the exposure position when the multifunction peripheral 10 is in a standby state (a state in which image recording processing described later is not being executed). This process is a process of urging the user to inject ink into the ink chambers 111 and confirming with the user whether or not ink has been injected into each ink chamber 111.

  First, the control unit 130 causes the display unit 14 to display an injection notification screen (S11). In step S11 when the first value is set in the initial flag, the control unit 130 alternately displays a character string of “FILL ALL INK” and a character string of “THEN CLOSE INK COVER” as an 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 greater than the second discharge threshold, the control unit 130 determines that the character string “REFILL M / C / Y / BK” and the character string “THEN CLOSE INK COVER” The columns are displayed on the display unit 14 alternately. If there is an ink color whose count value is less than the second discharge threshold, a character representing the corresponding ink color from the above character string (that is, any one of “M”, “C”, “Y”, and “BK”) ) Is omitted. Further, when the count values of all the ink colors are less than the second discharge threshold, the control unit 130 causes the display unit 14 to display a character string of “CLOSE INK COVER”.

  Hereinafter, an ink color whose count value is equal to or greater than the second discharge threshold may be referred to as a “near empty color”. An ink color whose count value is equal to or greater than the first discharge threshold may be referred to as an “empty color”. That is, step S11 in the case where the second value is set in the initial flag is a process of informing through the display unit 14 that the near-empty color and the empty-color ink are to be injected.

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

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

  The user who looks at 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 color inks or may not inject any color ink. However, the control unit 130 cannot detect which ink color has been injected.

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

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

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

  In the inquiry processing A, among the plurality of inquiry processings (S23 to S25, S29) executed sequentially, the inquiry processing executed first is an example of the first inquiry processing, and the inquiry processing executed later is the second inquiry processing. It is an example of an inquiry process. In the present embodiment, an example in which the inquiry 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 an inquiry screen for magenta in response to “OFF” being set in the inquiry flag corresponding to magenta (S23: Yes) (S24). The inquiry screen includes inquiry information for inquiring whether or not the 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 causes the display unit 14 to alternately display the two character strings.

  Next, the control unit 130 waits until one of the operation signals is output from the operation unit 17 (S25: No & S29: No). The user operation of pressing the [1] button included in the numeric keypad 17A in step S25 is an example of a first operation corresponding to ink injection. In step S29, the user operation of pressing the [2] button included in the numeric keypad 17A is an example of a second operation corresponding to not injecting ink. However, the first operation and the second operation are not limited to the above-described example. For example, when the operation unit 17 has [↑] [↓] buttons, pressing the [↑] button is the first operation. , [↓] button may be used as the second operation.

  Further, the user operation of pressing the power button 17B is an example of a third operation for instructing execution of a stop process for stopping the supply of power to the MFP 10. However, in the inquiry process A, even if the third operation signal is output from the operation unit 17 in the inquiry process A (S25: No & S29: No), the inquiry is performed without executing the stop process corresponding to the third operation signal. Continue processing. Note that a specific example of the third operation is not limited to this, and may be any operation different from the first operation and the second operation. Other examples of the third operation include pressing of the [4] to [9] buttons included in the numeric keypad 17A, pressing of the [copy] button, pressing of the [scan] button, and the like. Even if these buttons are pressed in inquiry processing A, control unit 130 ignores the operation signal corresponding to the pressed button and continues inquiry processing A.

  Then, in response to the output of the first operation signal from operation unit 17 (S25: Yes), control unit 130 initializes the count value corresponding to magenta, 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 an initialization process.

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

  On the other hand, in response to the second remaining amount signal being output from remaining amount sensor 125 in step S22 (S22: No), control unit 130 executes the re-injection notification process shown in FIG. 10 (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 re-injection notification process is executed by interrupting the query process being executed (S30). The re-injection notification process is a process for urging the user to move the cover 70 to the exposure position to inject ink.

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

  Next, the control unit 130 waits until the cover 70 is moved to the exposure 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 re-infusion notification screen (S31). When the second position signal is output in step S32, the process from step S33 is executed instead of the process shown in FIG. Then, in response to the second position signal being output from the cover sensor 72 (S32: Yes), the control unit 130 causes the display unit 14 to display an injection notification screen as in step S11 (S33). 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, in response to the output of the first position signal from the cover sensor 72 (S34: Yes), the control unit 130 ends the re-injection notification processing, and executes the processing after step S22 again.

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

  Further, in response to the inquiry flag being “ON” in step S23 (S23: No), the control unit 130 executes the processing of step S27 and subsequent steps without executing steps S24 to S26 and S29. 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 re-injection notification processing. The inquiry processing for cyan is executed without any processing.

  Further, although not shown, the control unit 130 outputs the second position signal from the cover sensor 72 during execution of the inquiry process (more specifically, while waiting for reception of the first operation or the second operation). In response, the inquiry processing 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 process 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 an initial process (S16). Specifically, the control unit 130 causes a pump (not shown) to suck air and ink in a flow path from the ink chamber 111 to the recording unit 24. Further, control unit 130 sets the second value to the initial flag. Then, the control unit 130 releases the regulation of the ink ejection by the recording unit 24 (S18). That is, the control unit 130 can execute the image recording process illustrated in FIG. 12 in response to acquiring a recording instruction thereafter. The process of step S18 is an example of a release process for releasing the restriction by the restriction process.

  On the other hand, in response to the first position signal being output from the cover sensor 72 and the second value being set in the initial flag (S13: Yes & S14: second value), the control unit 130 executes the inquiry process B. (S17). That is, the inquiry process B is executed in response to the movement of the cover 70 from the exposure position to the covering position in the MFP 10 in which the initial process has already been executed. The details of the inquiry process B will be described with reference to FIG. The detailed description of the common points with the inquiry processing A is omitted, and different points are mainly described.

[Query processing after initial processing]
First, the control unit 130 causes the display unit 14 to display a preliminary inquiry screen (S41). The preliminary 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 causes the display unit 14 to alternately display the two character strings. Further, in step S41, the control unit 130 starts a timer for monitoring the threshold time.

  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 the second operation from the operation unit 17 in response to the timeout, that is, in response to the elapsed time from the start of the timer reaching the threshold time (S42: Yes), or before the timeout of the timer. In response to the output of the signal (S43: Yes), the inquiry process B ends.

  Before the timer times out (S42: No), the control unit 130 does not output the second operation signal from the operation unit 17 (S43: No), and responds to the output of the first operation signal (S43: No). S44: Yes), and performs the processing from step S45. The control unit 130 cancels the timer started in step S41 in response to the output of one of the first operation signal and 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 processing in step S45 is almost common to the processing in step S24. The only difference from step S24 is that the inquiry screen in step S45 includes a character string "DID YOU REFILL" instead of a character string "DID YOU FILL". In step S45, the control unit 130 starts a timer that monitors the threshold time. Then, similarly to steps S42 to S44, the control unit 130 waits until one of the operation signals is output from the operation unit 17 until the timer times out (S46: No) (S47: No & S48: No). ). Note that the threshold times for monitoring the timers 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 from the operation unit 17 (S47: No) until the timer times out (S46: No) (S48: Yes), the count value corresponding to magenta is initialized (S49). The process in step S49 is an example of an initialization process. On the other hand, when the timer has timed out, that is, when the elapsed time from the start of the timer has reached the threshold time (S46: Yes), or when the timer In response to the output of the second operation signal (S47: Yes), the process of step S50 and the subsequent processes are executed without executing the process of step S49. The control unit 130 cancels the timer started in step S46 in response to the output of one of the first operation signal and the second operation signal from the operation unit 17 (S47: Yes, S48: Yes). .

  Then, the control unit 130 executes the inquiry process for the next ink color in response to the inquiry process not being executed for all ink colors (S50: No) (S51 → S45-S48). On the other hand, the control unit 130 terminates the inquiry processing B in response to the execution of the inquiry processing for all the ink colors (S50: Yes). Further, the control unit 130 releases the regulation of the ink ejection by the recording unit 24 (S18).

  Note that, unlike the inquiry process A, the control unit 130 terminates the inquiry process B in response to the power button 17B being pressed in the inquiry process B, that is, the third operation signal being output from the operation unit 17. , The above-described stop processing is executed. On the other hand, similarly to the inquiry processing 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 processing B, the control unit 130 is pressed. The inquiry processing B is continued, ignoring the operation signal corresponding to the pressed button.

[Image recording process]
Next, the control unit 130 executes an image recording process shown in FIG. However, the control unit 130 does not execute the image recording process even if the recording instruction is acquired while the first value is set in the initial flag or 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 MFP 10 to execute an image recording process of recording an image represented by image data on a sheet. The acquisition destination of the recording instruction is not particularly limited. For example, the recording instruction may be acquired from the user through the operation unit 17 or may be acquired from an external device through the communication unit 25. Further, the recording instruction may be an instruction for recording an image represented by FAX data on a sheet.

  First, the control unit 130 executes an empty process in response to the presence of a count value equal to or greater than the first discharge threshold among the count values corresponding to the four ink colors (S61: Yes) (S62). The empty process is a process for replenishing the user with ink of a color having a small remaining amount. The details of the empty process will be described with reference to FIG.

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

  For example, when the count values corresponding to magenta and black are equal to or greater than the first emission threshold, and the count values corresponding to cyan and yellow are less than the first emission threshold, the control unit 130 determines in step S51 that “CANNOT PRINT” , A character string “REFILL [M] INK”, and a character string “REFILL [BK] INK” are displayed on the display unit 14 in this order. The user who has seen the empty notification screen can move the cover 70 to the exposure position in order to fill the ink tank 100 with ink.

  Next, the control unit 130 waits until the cover 70 is moved to the exposure 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 processing after step S73 is executed instead of the processing shown in FIG. Then, in response to the second position signal being output from the cover sensor 72 (S72: Yes), the control unit 130 causes the display unit 14 to display an injection notification screen of an empty color and a near empty color (S73). . The process in step S73 is common to the process in step S11. The process of step S73 is an example of a process of informing through the display unit 14 that the ink of the near empty color and the empty color will be injected.

  In the above-described example, when the count value corresponding to yellow is equal to or greater than the second emission threshold and the count value corresponding to cyan is less than the second emission threshold, the control unit 130 determines whether or not “REFILL M / C / BK” The character string and the character string “THEN CLOSE INK COVER” are alternately displayed on the display unit 14. The user who has watched 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, in response to the output of the first position signal from the cover sensor 72 (S74: Yes), the control unit 130 executes an inquiry process B (S75) shown in FIG. 11 and ends the empty process. I do. That is, the inquiry process B is executed in response to the cover 70 being moved from the exposed position to the covered position. 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 not be repeated.

  Next, returning to FIG. 12, the control unit 130 executes the empty process again in response to the presence of a count value equal to or greater than the first discharge threshold even after executing the empty process (S61: Yes) (S62). . On the other hand, when all the count values are less than the first discharge threshold (S61: No), the control unit 130 executes the cueing process (S63). The cueing process is a process of transporting the sheet to the transport unit 23 until the area where the image is first recorded faces the recording unit 24.

  Next, the control unit 130 executes a recording process (S64). The recording process is a process of causing the recording unit 24 to discharge ink toward a sheet facing the recording unit 24. The control unit 130 counts the amount of ink ejected from the printing unit 24 in the printing 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, in response to the fact that the image recording on the sheet has not been completed yet (S66: No), the control unit 130 executes a transport process (S67). The transport process is a process of transporting the sheet to the transport unit 23 by a predetermined line feed width. Then, the control unit 130 repeatedly executes the processing of steps S64 to S67 until the image recording on the sheet is completed (S66: Yes).

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

  The update of the count value is not limited to the timing of steps S65 and S69. For example, a so-called flushing process for discharging ink to the recording unit 24 toward an ink receiving unit (not shown) or a purging process for sucking ink in the recording unit 24 by a pump (not shown) for maintenance of the recording unit 24. In, 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 processing of steps S61 to S69 until all the images indicated by the recording instruction are recorded on the sheet (S70: No). Then, in response to recording all the images indicated by the recording instruction on the sheet (S70: Yes), the control unit 130 ends the image recording process.

[Operation and effect of the present embodiment]
In the inquiry processing A according to the above embodiment, the second inquiry processing is executed only in response to the output of the first operation signal in the first inquiry processing. In other words, in the inquiry processing A, the first inquiry processing is continued until the first operation is received, and the second inquiry processing is executed in response to receiving the first operation. Then, the initial process is executed only in response to the output of the first operation signal in the inquiry process for all the ink colors. Thereby, for example, since it is confirmed whether magenta ink has been injected and then whether or not cyan ink has been injected, it is possible to reliably confirm that ink has been injected into all the ink chambers 111.

  Note that “the first inquiry processing is continued until the first operation is received” indicates that the first inquiry processing is not ended due to, for example, a timer timeout. 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 execution of the re-injection notification processing. It is assumed that such a processing flow is included in “the first inquiry processing is continued”.

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

  In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 130 can start a process to be executed in response to the start of the ink injection in response to the movement of the cover 70 to the exposure position. In addition, the control unit 130 can start processing 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, the user operation indicating the start of the ink injection and the user operation indicating the end of the ink injection can be simplified as compared with the conventional ink replenishment process. Further, since all user operations need only be performed on the MFP 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 occurrence of erroneous input can be suppressed. As a result, the control unit 130 The image recording process can be executed in a state where the amount of ink in the ink tank 100 is properly recognized. In addition, since the user answers the inquiry 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-described method, and the inquiry processing for all the ink colors may be collectively executed.

  Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the control unit 130 can detect whether or not the ink has been injected into the ink chamber 111 </ b> B 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 to the user whether or not ink has been injected into the ink chamber 111 in which the remaining amount sensor 125 is not provided in the inquiry processes A and B.

  Further, the remaining amount of ink specified by the count value may not exactly match the actual remaining amount of ink. Therefore, by accurately detecting that the remaining amount of black ink has become less than the remaining amount threshold value by the remaining amount sensor 125, it is possible to suppress running out of black ink during the image recording process. This is particularly effective in the multifunction peripheral 10 capable of executing the image recording process for the FAX data. Note that a 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 performed 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 processing A, it is desirable to execute the inquiry processing for each ink color after confirming the ink injection into the ink chamber 111B by the preliminary confirmation processing. On the other hand, when the ink injection into the ink chamber 111B cannot be confirmed by the preliminary confirmation processing, it is desirable to execute the re-injection notification processing to prompt the ink injection into all the ink chambers 111.

  On the other hand, the amount of ink consumed after the execution of the initial processing differs for each ink chamber 111. Therefore, during execution of the processing shown in FIG. 8, there is a possibility that ink is injected into only some of the ink chambers 111 and ink is not injected into 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 chamber 111B.

  Further, according to the inquiry process A according to the above embodiment, whether or not the inquiry process for each ink color is necessary is determined by the inquiry flag. As a result, it is possible to prevent the inquiry processing of the ink color that has already been completed from being executed again by executing the re-injection notification processing. As a result, the user operation in the inquiry processing A can be simplified. Similarly, when the cover 70 is opened and closed during the inquiry processing A, the already executed inquiry processing may be omitted, and the inquiry processing may be resumed from the interrupted inquiry processing.

  Further, according to the empty processing according to the above-described embodiment, the ink injection of the empty color is notified through the empty notification screen. On the other hand, the user who has visually recognized the amount of ink in each ink chamber 111 can inject ink into the ink chamber 111 other than the empty color. Therefore, in the inquiry process B, by executing the inquiry process for all the ink colors, the control unit 130 can appropriately initialize the count value corresponding to the refilled color ink.

  Further, according to the emptying process according to the above-described embodiment, the near-empty color and the empty-color ink injection are notified through the injection notification screen in response to the user moving the cover 70 to the exposure position. Thereby, the user can notice that the ink of the color having a small remaining amount should be injected. As a result, for example, it is suppressed that the ink of each color sequentially becomes empty and the image recording process is interrupted many times.

  Further, according to the above embodiment, even if the empty process is executed, if there is a count value equal to or larger than the first discharge threshold, the process of recording an image on a sheet is not executed. In other words, the control unit 130 can record an image on a sheet in response to receiving the first operation in the inquiry processing B for all empty colors. Thereby, 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 receives the second operation in the inquiry processing for the near empty color, in other words, it can execute the image recording processing without receiving the first operation. This eliminates the need to inject all color inks at once.

  Further, according to the image recording process according to the above-described embodiment, the empty process is executed before the cueing process (when images are 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 discharge threshold while the image is being recorded on the sheet (S63 to S67), the empty process is not executed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the image recording on the sheet from being interrupted halfway. Further, even if the count value reaches the first discharge threshold, image recording can be continued using the ink stored in the spare storage chamber.

  Furthermore, according to the ink tank 100 according to the above-described embodiment, the preliminary storage chamber is disposed at a position that is difficult for the user to see (a position away from the front wall 101 and below the upper step wall 145). Thereby, the user who visually recognizes the ink tank 100 can be made to feel as if no ink of the near-empty color and the empty color remains, so that the injection of the inks of the near-empty color and the empty color is further performed. Can be encouraged.

10 Multifunction machine 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 (15)

An ink chamber for storing ink, and a tank formed with an injection port for injecting ink into the ink chamber,
A recording unit that discharges the ink stored in the ink chamber and records an image on a sheet;
A display unit for displaying information;
An operation unit that outputs an operation signal according to the received user operation;
Either a first value corresponding to the fact that the initial process for filling the flow path from the ink chamber to the recording unit with ink has not been executed, or a second value corresponding to the fact that the initial process has already been executed. A storage unit for storing an initial flag in which is set,
A control unit for controlling the operation of the recording unit and the display unit,
The operation unit is
Outputting a first operation signal, which is the operation signal, in response to receiving a first operation, which is the user operation, corresponding to injecting ink;
The control unit includes:
In response to the output of an end signal capable of estimating that the ink injection has been completed, the display unit displays inquiry information for inquiring whether the ink has been injected, and performs the first operation via the operation unit. And execute the query process
In the above-described inquiry processing executed in a state where the first value is set in the initial flag, the inkjet recording apparatus executes the initial processing in response to the operation unit outputting the first operation signal. The control unit includes:
In the inquiry processing executed in a state where the first value is set in the initial flag,
The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the initial processing is not performed until the operation unit outputs the first operation signal. The control unit includes:
In the inquiry processing executed in a state where the first value is set in the initial flag,
3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inquiry processing is terminated in response to the operation unit outputting the first operation signal. The operation unit outputs a second operation signal that is the operation signal in response to receiving a second operation that is the user operation corresponding to not injecting ink.
The control unit includes:
In the inquiry processing, the first operation or the second operation is received via the operation unit,
In the inquiry processing executed in a state where the first value is set in the initial flag,
3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the inquiry processing is continued in response to the operation unit outputting the second operation signal. In the inquiry processing executed in a state where the second value is set in the initial flag,
4. The inkjet recording according to claim 3, wherein the inquiry processing is terminated when the operation unit outputs the first operation signal or when an elapsed time from the start of the inquiry processing reaches a threshold time. 5. apparatus. The operation unit outputs a second operation signal that is the operation signal in response to receiving a second operation that is the user operation corresponding to not injecting ink.
The control unit includes:
In the inquiry processing, the first operation or the second operation is received via the operation unit,
In the inquiry processing executed in a state where the second value is set in the initial flag,
The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the inquiry processing is terminated in response to the operation unit outputting the second operation signal. The control unit includes:
In a state where the second value is set in the initial flag and at least when the end signal is output, the ejection of ink by the recording unit is regulated,
In the inquiry processing executed in a state where the second value is set in the initial flag, the first operation or the second operation is received, or an elapsed time from the start of the inquiry processing reaches a threshold time. 7. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a release process for enabling the restricted recording section to eject ink is executed in response to the operation. In the above tank,
A plurality of the ink chambers for storing inks of different ink colors respectively,
A plurality of injection ports for injecting ink into each ink chamber, and
The controller, in the inquiry process executed in a state where the first value is set in the initial flag, only in response to outputting the first operation signals corresponding to all the ink colors, The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the initial processing is performed. It can be moved between a covering position that covers all the inlets and regulates the injection of ink into the ink chamber, and an exposed position that exposes all the inlets and allows the injection of ink into the ink chamber. Cover and
A cover sensor that outputs a position signal according to the position of the cover,
9. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the end signal is the position signal corresponding to the movement of the cover to the covering position. The plurality of ink chambers are
A first ink chamber for storing the first color ink;
A second ink chamber for storing ink of a second color different from the first color,
In the inquiry process, the control unit includes:
The inquiry information for the first color is displayed on the display unit, and the first operation corresponding to the first color or the second operation as the user operation corresponding to no ink injection is performed by the operation A first inquiry process accepted via the section;
In response to the end of the first inquiry process, the inquiry information for the second color is displayed on the upper display unit, and the first operation or the second operation corresponding to the second color is performed on the operation unit. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: executing a second inquiry process received via the printer. The control unit includes:
A counting process for counting the amount of ink discharged by the recording unit;
An initialization process for initializing a count value in response to the first operation signal being output in the inquiry process,
In the inquiry processing executed in a state where the second value is set in the initial flag,
7. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second operation is accepted when the elapsed time from the start of the processing reaches the threshold time. It further includes a communication unit that communicates with an external device,
The control unit includes:
In response to receiving a recording instruction from an external device through the communication unit, executes an image recording process of recording an image on a sheet according to the recording instruction,
In response to the count value reaching the discharge threshold and receiving the recording instruction during the execution of the inquiry process, starting the image recording process after receiving the first operation,
The image recording process is started after receiving the first operation or the second operation in response to the count value not reaching the discharge threshold value and receiving the recording instruction during the execution of the inquiry process. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: The operation unit outputs a third operation signal different from the first operation signal and the second operation signal in response to receiving a third operation different from the first operation and the second operation,
The control unit according to claim 6, wherein the control unit continues the inquiry process without executing a process corresponding to the third operation, in response to the third operation signal being output during the execution of the inquiry process. Inkjet recording device. The third operation is a user operation corresponding to executing a stop process for stopping supply of power to the inkjet recording apparatus,
The control unit includes:
In response to the first value being set in the initial flag and outputting the third operation signal during execution of the inquiry processing, the inquiry processing is continued without executing the stop processing,
14. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the stop processing is executed in response to the second value being set in the initial flag and the third operation signal being output during execution of the inquiry processing. The control unit further includes a notification process of notifying that ink is injected through the display unit in response to the position signal corresponding to the position of the cover being located at the exposure position being output from the cover sensor. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus is executed.

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