JP7130379B2 - Inkjet recording apparatus and its control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a recording apparatus in which an ink tank and a recording head are connected by a supply tube, and a control method thereof.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-200001 discloses an ink jet recording apparatus in which an ink tank and a recording head are connected by a supply tube, and an on-off valve is provided in the middle of the supply tube. A reserve tank is provided between the ink tank and the printhead, and can store a predetermined amount of ink supplied from the ink tank. Ink filling into the recording head is performed by a suction operation in which the supply tube and the interior of the recording head are decompressed by a suction means while the open/close valve is closed, and the open/close valve is released after the negative pressure is charged for a predetermined time. By repeating this suction operation a predetermined number of times, the flow path from the ink tank to the print head is filled with ink.

JP 2013-184424 A

However, in the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-100001, even if ink is not filled properly due to suction failure, suction operation is continued until it is detected that ink is not ejected from the print head after performing the suction operation a predetermined number of times. It was a configuration that could not be determined to be defective. Therefore, it sometimes takes a long time to determine that the suction is defective.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printing apparatus capable of quickly determining whether or not ink is properly supplied from an ink tank to a print head.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a print head having an ejection port surface provided with a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting ink, an ink tank containing ink supplied to the print head, and the ink tank. a reserve tank that is connected to and stores ink supplied from the ink tank; an on-off valve that is provided in the middle of the ink supply path between the recording head and the reserve tank and that can be switched between an open state and a closed state; a cap that can be switched between a covering state that covers the discharge port surface and an exposed state that exposes the discharge port surface; suction means connected to the cap; and ink filling means for performing an ink filling operation for filling the ink from the ink tank into the recording head by repeating a valve closing suction operation for opening the on-off valve after the ink is sucked by the suction means for a predetermined period of time. and detecting means for detecting the amount of ink in the reserve tank. The ink filling operation is stopped when it is detected that the amount is less than a predetermined amount .

According to the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording apparatus capable of quickly determining whether or not ink is properly supplied when supplying ink from an ink tank to a recording head.

1 is a schematic perspective view showing an inkjet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing ink flow paths for one color in the inkjet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a valve closing suction operation of the inkjet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an ink flow path when negative pressure is being charged in the initial filling operation of the inkjet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an ink flow path when the on-off valve is opened and ink is filled in the initial filling operation of the inkjet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment; 4 is a flow chart showing an initial filling operation of the inkjet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing ink flow paths for one color in an inkjet recording apparatus according to a second embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an ink flow path when ink is filled by opening an on-off valve after negative pressure is charged in the initial filling operation of the inkjet recording apparatus according to the second embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing ink flow paths when a reserve tank filling operation is performed in the initial installation operation of the inkjet recording apparatus according to the second embodiment; 9 is a flow chart showing an initial filling operation of the inkjet recording apparatus according to the second embodiment;

An embodiment of an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described. However, the constituent elements described in the embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In this specification, an example of a serial inkjet printing apparatus performs printing by reciprocating a head that ejects ink onto an intermittently conveyed printing medium in a direction that intersects the conveying direction of the printing medium. explain. However, the present invention can be applied not only to the serial type inkjet recording apparatus but also to a line type inkjet recording apparatus that continuously prints using a long print head. In this specification, the term “ink” is used as a general term for liquids such as recording liquids. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "recording" includes not only recording two-dimensional objects but also three-dimensional objects. In this specification, the term "recording medium" is used as a general term for recording media such as paper, cloth, plastic film, metal plate, glass, ceramics, wood, leather, etc., onto which liquid is ejected. Further, the recording medium is not limited to roll-shaped continuous paper, and includes cut paper. The inkjet recording apparatus can be applied not only to PC printers but also to multi-function printers having copy functions, facsimile functions, and the like.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the internal structure of an inkjet recording apparatus (hereinafter referred to as recording apparatus) 50. As shown in FIG. The recording device 50 is supported and fixed to the upper portions of two leg portions 55 provided facing each other. A carriage 60 that reciprocates in the X direction by belt transmission means 62 is provided inside the recording apparatus 50 . The carriage 60 mounts the recording head 1 that performs a recording operation of recording an image by ejecting ink onto a recording medium. The print head 1 ejects ink droplets from each ejection port based on print data sent from a host computer or the like to print an image on a print medium.

A roll holder unit 52 that holds a recording medium is provided on the front surface of the recording device 50 . The recording medium of this embodiment is roll-shaped continuous paper. The recording medium is fed from the roll holder unit 52 to the recording position where the recording operation by the recording head 1 is performed. A recording medium on which an image is recorded is conveyed in the Y direction intersecting the X direction in which the carriage 60 reciprocates. In this embodiment, the X direction and the Y direction are orthogonal.

When an image for one band is recorded by the recording operation of the recording head 1, the recording medium is conveyed in the Y direction by a predetermined conveying amount by the rotation of the conveying roller 51 (intermittent conveying operation). By repeating the recording operation for one band and the intermittent conveying operation, an image is recorded on the entire recording medium. After the recording on the recording medium is completed, the recording medium is cut by a cutter (not shown), and the cut recording medium is stacked on a stacker 53 provided in front of the recording apparatus 50 .

An ink supply unit 63 is further provided on the front side of the recording device 50 . The ink supply unit 63 has ink tanks 5 that contain ink for each color such as black, cyan (first ink), magenta (second ink), and yellow. It is provided detachably. A supply tube (ink supply path) 2 made of a flexible member or the like is connected to the ink tank 5 , and the ink tank 5 and the recording head 1 are connected by the ink supply path 2 . A surface of the recording head 1 facing the recording medium is an ejection port surface 20 provided with a plurality of ejection ports. Prepare for. A plurality of supply tubes (ink supply paths) 2 provided for each ink color are connected to each ejection port array and bundled by a tube guide 61 .

The recovery unit 70 is provided within the scanning range of the carriage 60 in the X direction and outside the transport area of the recording medium. The recovery unit 70 performs a cleaning operation by sucking ink or air from a plurality of ejection openings provided on the ejection opening surface 20 as necessary, or suction for filling the recording head 1 with ink from the ink tank 5 . take action.

An operation panel 54 is provided above the ink supply unit 63 on the front side of the recording apparatus 50 . A command to the recording device 50 is input by the user operating the operation panel 54 . The operation panel 54 includes, for example, a touch panel type having a function of a display panel for issuing a warning to the user when the ink tank 5 needs to be replaced.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing ink flow paths for one color from the ink tank 5 to the print head 1. As shown in FIG. An atmosphere communication chamber 6 is provided vertically below the ink tank 5. The atmosphere communication chamber 6 is provided with a first hollow tube 9 extending vertically upward and an atmosphere communication passage 7 communicating with the atmosphere. By inserting the first hollow tube 9 into the joint portion of the ink tank 5 , the ink tank 5 communicates with the atmosphere through the atmosphere communication passage 7 .

A reserve tank 4 capable of storing ink is further provided vertically below the ink tank 5 . The ink in the ink tank 5 is supplied to the recording head 1 through the reserve tank 4 and the ink supply path 2 . The reserve tank 4 has a second hollow tube 8 extending vertically upward, and communicates with the ink tank 5 by inserting the second hollow tube 8 into a joint portion of the ink tank 5 . A first metal shaft 16 and a second metal shaft 17 are provided on the ceiling of the reserve tank 4 so as to extend downward. Whether or not the ink surface in the reserve tank 4 has reached the two metal shafts can be detected based on the resistance value when a weak current is passed between the first metal shaft 16 and the second metal shaft 17. It is configured.

The bottom surface of the reserve tank 4 is connected to the ink supply path 2 by an outlet 48 provided on the side surface 47 . An on-off valve 3 composed of a diaphragm is provided in the ink supply path 2, and the flow path can be switched between an open state and a closed state by an on-off valve motor 35 as a drive source. Since the volume of the diaphragm changes by switching between the open state and the closed state of the on-off valve 3, the on-off valve 3 has a variable volume.

The print head 1 has an ejection port surface 20 provided with a plurality of ejection ports at the bottom, and has a filter 21 inside for removing impurities mixed in ink. The outlet surface 20 is arranged vertically above the lower end of the first hollow tube 9 communicating with the atmosphere. As a result, when ink is filled from the ink tank 5 to the recording head 1, the negative pressure is maintained at each discharge port, and the meniscus is maintained. During a printing operation, when the ink in the print head 1 is consumed by ejecting ink from each ejection port, ink is supplied from the ink tank 5 to each ejection port through the ink supply path 2 as needed. be. Such an ink supply method is also called a head difference method. In this embodiment, the height difference between the discharge port surface 20 and the lower end of the first hollow tube 9, that is, the so-called water head difference H is about 80 mm.

Next, the configuration of the recovery unit 70 will be described. The recovery unit 70 has a cap 22 capable of sealing the discharge port surface 20 and a suction pump (suction means) 23 connected to the cap 22 . The cap 22 can be switched between a covering state in which the discharge port surface 20 is sealed and an exposed state in which the discharge port surface 20 is exposed. In this embodiment, a single common cap 22 covers a plurality of ejection port arrays. An in-cap absorbent 29 is provided inside the cap 22 , and the suction pump 23 creates a negative pressure in the cap 22 via the in-cap absorbent 29 . By providing the in-cap absorber 29 , it is possible to uniformly depressurize the inside of the cap 22 during suction by the suction pump 23 . The suction pump 23 is a tube pump, and the average flow rate is proportional to the rotation speed of the tube pump. In this embodiment, the suction pump motor 28 controls the flow rate of the suction pump 23 to be substantially constant.

The cap 22 is further provided with an air release valve 30 that switches between communication and non-communication between the cap 22 and the atmosphere. Opening and closing of the air release valve 30 is performed by an air valve motor 31 .

For example, when a preliminary ink ejection operation (preliminary ejection operation) for suppressing ejection failure of the print head 1 is performed as a recovery operation for the print head 1 , ink is ejected onto the in-cap absorber 29 . In this way, the ink received by the cap 22 due to the recovery operation of the recording head 1 is sucked by the suction pump 23 and collected in the maintenance cartridge 24 . The maintenance cartridge 24 is replaced with a new one by the user when the collected ink amount reaches a threshold value.

An operation of filling ink from the ink tank 5 to the recording head 1 at the time of initial installation of the recording apparatus 50 is called an ink filling operation. When the ink filling operation is performed in this embodiment, the recording head 1 is sealed with the cap 22, the on-off valve 3 is closed, and the suction pump 23 is driven for a predetermined time. As a result, the inside of the ink flow path between the on-off valve 3 and the suction pump 23 is brought into a negative pressure state. That is, the negative pressure is charged to the ink flow path between the on-off valve 3 and the suction pump 23 . After that, when the on-off valve 3 is opened, the pressure difference across the on-off valve 3 causes the ink to be supplied from the ink tank 5 to the ink flow path, and the valve closing suction operation is repeatedly executed. Since the amount of ink that can be filled with one valve closing suction operation is limited, when using a supply tube (ink supply path) 2 with a large capacity as in this embodiment, the valve closing suction operation is repeatedly performed. . After the ink is filled up to the recording head 1, in order to discharge the ink from the in-cap absorber 29, the air release valve 30 is opened and the suction pump 23 performs an idle suction operation.

In addition to the initial installation, the valve closing suction operation is periodically performed for the purpose of forcibly discharging air bubbles from the ejection ports when an ejection failure occurs due to bubbles generated from the ejection ports accumulating in the print head 1. executed. Furthermore, when the used recording apparatus 50 is moved to another place, that is, when the ink is once discharged from the ink supply path during so-called secondary transportation, the ink supply path 2 is refilled with ink. be done.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the recording device 50. As shown in FIG. A CPU (control means) 11 is an arithmetic processing unit for controlling the recording apparatus 50 as a whole. The RAM 14 is a storage device capable of holding information temporarily used when operating the control software. The ROM 13 is a read-only storage device containing control software. A user interface (I/F) 12 includes keys operated by a user and an operation panel 54 that displays information, and operates as a data transmission/reception communication port that connects the recording device 50 and a host computer.

The input/output I/O 15 controls the input/output of the head ejection drive unit 27 that ejects ink to the recording head 1, the suction pump motor 28, the air valve motor 31, the open/close valve motor 35, and the reserve residual detection sensor (detection means) 36. do. The reserve residual detection sensor 36 is connected to the first metal shaft 16 and the second metal shaft 17 and detects whether or not the ink level in the reserve tank 4 has reached a predetermined level.

The flow of the valve closing suction operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in step S401, the CPU 11 closes the discharge port surface 20 by covering the cap 22, and closes the on-off valve 3. As shown in FIG. In step S<b>402 , the CPU 11 drives the suction pump 23 to suck the inside of the recording head 1 and the ink supply path 2 through the cap 22 . As a result, ink and air are extracted from the inside of the recording head 1 and the inside of the ink supply path 2, and the pressure is reduced.

In step S403, the CPU 11 determines whether the operation of the suction pump 23 has elapsed for a predetermined time (60 seconds in this embodiment). After a predetermined time has passed, the CPU 11 stops the operation of the suction pump 23 in step S404, and opens the on-off valve 3 in step S405. As a result, the ink in the ink tank 5 is supplied to the inside of the recording head 1 and the inside of the ink supply path 2 which have been under negative pressure. A series of flows shown in FIG. 4 is called a valve closing suction operation.

FIG. 5 shows how the on-off valve 3 is closed to reduce the pressure in the recording head 1 and the ink supply path 2 in order to perform the valve closing suction operation when the recording apparatus 50 is initially installed. 5 corresponds to step S402 in the flowchart of FIG. Ink is not supplied to the ink supply path 2 and the recording head 1 because it is the initial installation. Since the suction pump 23 having a substantially constant average flow rate is used, the pressure reduction value can be estimated based on the operating time of the suction pump 23 .

FIG. 6 shows the state after about 5 seconds from opening the on-off valve 3, and corresponds to step S405 in the flow chart of FIG. The negative pressure charged in FIG. Further, the ink in the ink tank 5 is also supplied to the reserve tank 4 . This is because the flow path resistance with which ink moves from the ink tank 5 to the reserve tank 4 is smaller than the flow path resistance with which air moves from the reserve tank 4 to the ink supply path 2. This is because the inside of 4 temporarily becomes a negative pressure space.

Using the property that ink is also supplied to the reserve tank 4 by opening the on-off valve 3, the CPU 11 applies a weak current to the first metal shaft 16 and the second metal shaft 17 when the on-off valve 3 is opened. flush. When the ink is properly sucked by the valve closing suction operation, the reserve residual detection sensor 36 detects that the ink level in the reserve tank 4 has reached a predetermined level. On the other hand, if the ink is not properly sucked by the valve closing suction operation, the reserve residual detection sensor 36 detects that the ink level in the reserve tank 4 has not reached a predetermined level. By using the ink level detection means in the reserve tank 4 in this way, it is possible to detect suction failure more quickly in the ink filling operation at the time of initial installation.

An ink filling operation (initial filling operation) at the time of initial installation of the recording apparatus 50 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. At step S701, the CPU 11 performs the valve closing suction operation shown in FIG. In step S702, the CPU 11 determines whether the amount of ink in the reserve tank 4 is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount based on the detection result of the reserve residual detection sensor 36. FIG.

If the amount of ink in the reserve tank 4 is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount, in step S703, the CPU 11 further performs the valve closing suction operation for a (predetermined) predetermined number of times (N1) in order to continue the initial filling operation. conduct. In this embodiment, N1=4 times. After that, in step S704, the CPU 11 performs the reserve tank filling operation by repeating the opening/closing operation of the opening/closing valve 3, and ends the initial filling operation. Here, the negative pressure temporarily generated in the reserve tank 4 due to the opening of the on-off valve 3 during the valve-closed suction operation is constant regardless of the number of times the valve-closed suction operation is performed. That is, even if the valve closing suction operation is repeatedly performed in step S703, the amount of ink in the reserve tank 4 hardly changes.

Ink is filled into the reserve tank 4 by opening and closing the on-off valve 3 in step S704. When the on-off valve 3 is closed, the volume of the diaphragm is reduced, so air in the reserve tank 4 is pushed out to the ink tank 5 . Subsequently, when the on-off valve 3 is opened, the ink in the ink tank 5 is drawn into the reserve tank 4 and supplied due to the volume change of the diaphragm. The opening and closing operation of the on-off valve 3 is performed until the reserve tank 4 is full.

The recording operation by the recording head 1 is performed with the reserve tank 4 being full. By filling up the reserve tank 4, the ink tank 5 communicates with the reserve tank 4 through the second hollow pipe 8, and the amount of ink reduced by the recording operation is supplied from the ink tank 5 to the recording head 1. be. Even if the ink in the ink tank 5 runs out, the ink in the reserve tank 4 is supplied to the recording head 1, so there is no need to stop the recording operation to replace the ink tank 5, and stopless printing is realized. It has a configuration that allows

On the other hand, if the amount of ink in the reserve tank 4 is less than the predetermined amount in step S702, the CPU 11 notifies a suction error via the operation panel 54 or the like in step S705, and stops the initial filling operation. Upon receiving the error notification, the user or serviceman can check the sealing performance of the cap 22 and the printhead 1 and the operation of the suction pump 23, and can restart the initial filling operation.

Conventionally, in a configuration in which a single cap 22 covers ejection port rows corresponding to a plurality of colors and suction is performed by a suction pump 23, even if suction failure occurs in one of the plurality of colors, the initial filling operation is completed. It was not possible to detect poor suction until later. For this reason, conventionally, when the initial filling operation is performed again after detection of suction failure, the amount of waste ink may increase with respect to ink for which suction failure has not occurred. As in this embodiment, the amount of waste ink can be reduced by detecting the presence or absence of suction failure in the middle before the initial filling operation is completed. In addition, since a detection unit is provided for each color of ink, it is possible to specify the color of ink in which suction failure occurs.

The amount of ink supplied to the reserve tank 4 when the on-off valve 3 is opened in the valve closing suction operation can be obtained from the volume of the ink supply path 2 and the operating time of the suction pump 23 . An overview is given below.

First, let V1 be the volume (volume) from the ink supply path 2 to the suction pump 23, which is depressurized by the suction pump 23 with the on-off valve 3 closed, P1 be the charged negative pressure value, and the volume of the reserve tank 4 be V2. The negative pressure value in the reserve tank 4, the recording head 1, and the ink supply path 2 immediately after the open/close valve 3 is opened can be obtained by "P1.times.V1/(V1+V2)" from the constant PV relationship.

After that, ink is supplied from the ink tank 5 to the reserve tank 4 and the ink supply path 2 by the charged negative pressure. The amount of ink that fills the reserve tank 4 after the open/close valve 3 is opened is determined by "P1*V1*V2/(V1+V2)" from the constant PV relationship. Further, the amount of ink filled in the ink supply path 2 after the open/close valve 3 is opened is obtained by "P1*V1*V2/(V1+V2)".

In this embodiment, the volume of the ink supply path 2 is about 14 ml, the volume of the print head 1 is about 4 ml, and the volume from the print head 1 to the suction pump 23 is about 2 ml, so V1=20 ml. Further, in the valve closing suction operation in the initial filling operation, the negative pressure value P1 charged between the ink supply path 2 and the suction pump 23 is -80 kPa. Furthermore, the volume V2 of the reserve tank 4 is 30 ml.

Therefore, the negative pressure value in the reserve tank 4, the recording head 1, and the ink supply path 2 immediately after the open/close valve 3 is opened is about -32 kPa from "P1 x V1/(V1 + V2)". After that, the amount of ink filled into the reserve tank 4 by the charged negative pressure is calculated to be approximately 9.6 ml by "P1*V1*V2/(V1+V2)". That is, if it is detected that about 9.6 ml of ink is filled in the reserve tank 4 after the valve closing suction operation, it can be confirmed that the suction pump 23 is properly performing the suction operation. Therefore, the first metal shaft 16 and the second metal shaft 17 are provided in the reserve tank 4 so that it can be detected that about 9 ml of ink is filled.

[Second embodiment]
In the first embodiment, a configuration is described in which detection means is provided to detect whether the reserve tank 4 is filled with a predetermined amount of ink. In the second embodiment, the presence or absence of a suction failure is detected by executing the reserve tank filling operation after the valve closing suction operation and detecting whether the reserve tank 4 is filled with ink. Contents different from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and descriptions of the same contents will be omitted.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing ink flow paths for one color from the ink tank 5 to the print head 1 in the second embodiment. Unlike the first embodiment, a third metal shaft 18 is provided on the top surface of the reserve tank 4 . Whether or not the ink level in the reserve tank 4 has reached the second hollow tube 8 is measured by measuring the resistance when a fine current is passed through the second hollow tube 8 and the third metal shaft 18. is detected. That is, it detects whether the ink in the reserve tank 4 is full.

FIG. 9 shows the ink flow path in which the on-off valve 3 is opened and the ink supply path 2 and the reserve tank 4 are filled with ink after the valve closing suction operation at the time of initial installation of the recording apparatus 50, and FIG. 4 shows the ink flow path after the reserve tank filling operation. FIG. 11 shows a flow chart of the initial filling operation in the second embodiment.

Also in the second embodiment, first, in step S1101, the CPU 11 performs the valve closing suction operation shown in FIG. When there is no suction failure, the valve closing suction operation fills the ink supply path 2 and the reserve tank 4 with a predetermined amount of ink, as shown in FIG. Next, in step S1102, the CPU 11 performs a reserve tank filling operation. Specifically, the CPU 11 drives the on-off valve motor 35 to open and close the on-off valve 3 a predetermined number of times. The open/close operation of the open/close valve 3 is performed M2 times in this embodiment, and the number of times the reserve tank 4 is filled up when combined with the amount of ink filled by the closed suction operation of the valve is set.

In step S1103, the CPU 11 applies a weak current to the second hollow tube 8 and the third metal shaft 18 to measure the resistance value. determine whether there is If it is detected that the ink surface has reached the second hollow tube 8, it is estimated that suction failure has not occurred. (N2 times) to end the initial filling operation. Note that N2=4 in this embodiment.

On the other hand, if it is detected that the ink level has not reached the second hollow tube 8, there is a possibility that suction failure has occurred. A suction error is notified and the initial filling operation is aborted. Upon receiving the error notification, the user or serviceman can check the sealing performance of the cap 22 and the printhead 1 and the operation of the suction pump 23, and can restart the initial filling operation. With the above-described configuration, as in the first embodiment, the presence or absence of suction failure can be detected at an early stage before all processing of the initial filling operation is performed.

Also in the second embodiment, since the volume of each component constituting the ink flow path is the same as in the first embodiment, V1=20 ml and the negative pressure value P1=-80 kPa. Furthermore, the volume V2 of the reserve tank 4 is 30 ml. Therefore, the amount of ink filled by the valve closing suction operation is estimated to be about 9.6 ml.

The reserve tank filling operation performed in step S1102 can fill the reserve tank 4 with approximately 0.2 ml of ink per opening/closing operation of the on-off valve 3 . Therefore, by executing the opening/closing operation of the opening/closing valve 3 about 102 times, the remaining reserve tank capacity of about 20.4 ml of ink is filled. In this embodiment, the predetermined number of times is set to 110 times in consideration of part intersection, and if the ink liquid surface of the reserve tank 4 is not detected even after 110 times of opening and closing operations, it is determined that suction failure has occurred.

It is desirable to set the number of opening/closing operations, etc., in consideration of the volume of the parts constituting the ink flow path. Moreover, although the reserve tank filling operation was performed by repeatedly opening and closing the on-off valve 3, a form using a diaphragm pump instead of the on-off valve 3 may be used. In the second embodiment, it is detected whether or not the ink in the reserve tank 4 is full.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 recording head 2 ink supply path 3 on-off valve 4 reserve tank 5 ink tank 11 CPU (control means)
20 discharge port surface 22 cap 23 suction pump (suction means)
36 Reserve residual test sensor (detection means)
50 inkjet recording device

Claims (7)

a recording head having an ejection port surface provided with a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting ink;
an ink tank containing ink to be supplied to the recording head;
a reserve tank that is connected to the ink tank and stores ink supplied from the ink tank;
an on-off valve provided in the middle of the ink supply path between the recording head and the reserve tank and capable of switching between an open state and a closed state;
a cap switchable between a covering state covering the ejection port surface and an exposing state exposing it;
suction means connected with the cap;
When the on-off valve is in the closed state and the cap is in the covered state, the ink is sucked by the suction means for a predetermined period of time, and then the valve closing suction operation is repeated to open the on-off valve. and ink filling means for performing an ink filling operation for filling ink into the head,
Further comprising detection means for detecting the amount of ink in the reserve tank,
After the on-off valve is opened in the valve closing suction operation, the detection means detects the amount of ink, and if the amount of ink is detected to be less than a predetermined amount, the ink filling operation is stopped. A recording device characterized by: 2. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ink filling means continues said ink filling operation when said detecting means detects that said amount of ink is equal to or greater than said predetermined amount. The on-off valve can change its volume by opening and closing operations,
The ink filling means causes the detection means to detect whether the amount of ink in the reserve tank is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount after filling the reserve tank with ink by performing the opening/closing operation of the open/close valve after the valve closing suction operation. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said detection means includes a first metal shaft and a second metal shaft, and detects the height of the ink liquid level in said reserve tank. recording device. The ejection port surface has a first ejection port array for ejecting a first ink and a second ejection port array for ejecting a second ink. 5. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein both said ejection port array and said second ejection port array are coated. 6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control device notifies a suction error when it is detected that the amount of ink in the reserve tank is less than a predetermined amount as a result of the detection of the remaining amount of ink by the detection device. 1. The recording device according to claim 1. A recording head having an ejection port surface provided with a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting ink, an ink tank containing ink to be supplied to the recording head, and ink connected to the ink tank and supplied from the ink tank. an on-off valve that is provided in the middle of an ink supply path between the recording head and the reserve tank and that can be switched between an open state and a closed state; and a covered state and an exposed state that cover the ejection port surface. A control method for a recording device comprising: a cap switchable between an exposed state and an exposed state; and a suction means connected to the cap, comprising:
a suction step in which the on-off valve is in the closed state and the cap is in the covering state, and then the on-off valve is in the open state after the suction means performs suction for a predetermined time;
a detection step of detecting the amount of ink in the reserve tank after the suction step;
an ink filling step of performing an ink filling operation of filling ink from the ink tank to the recording head by repeating the suction step;
A control method, wherein the ink filling step is stopped when the amount of ink is detected to be less than a predetermined amount in the detecting step.

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