JP7252006B2 - Computer program for fault detection in ink supply systems, inkjet printers and pumps - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ink supply system, an inkjet printer, and a computer program for detecting an abnormality in a pump of an ink supply system.

For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an inkjet printer having an ink supply system that supplies ink from an ink cartridge to an ink head. This type of ink supply system includes a cartridge that stores ink, an ink head that ejects ink, and a pressurizing flow path that is connected to the cartridge and the ink head. A pressurization valve and a pressurization pump are provided in the middle of the pressurization flow path.

For example, during printing, the pressurization valve is opened and the pressurization pump is driven, so that the ink in the cartridge is supplied to the ink head through the pressurization channel. Printing is performed by ejecting ink from the ink head.

JP-A-11-320913

By the way, when a pump such as a pressure pump can be opened and closed, an abnormality such as poor closing of the pump may occur during printing. When a pump malfunctions during printing, there is a risk of ink head problems such as ink leaking from the ink head. If a process such as printing that consumes ink is continued in a state where an ink head malfunctions, the quality of printed matter may deteriorate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and its object is to reduce the continuation of ink-consuming processes when an ink head malfunctions in an ink supply system equipped with an openable and closable pump. An object of the present invention is to provide a computer program for detecting an abnormality in an ink supply system, an ink jet printer, and a pump that can

An ink supply system according to the present invention includes an ink tank, an ink head, a damper, a first channel, a pump, a second channel, a detection mechanism, and a controller. Ink is stored in the ink tank. The ink head has a nozzle surface formed with nozzles for ejecting ink and arranged below the ink tank. The damper has a storage chamber connected to the ink head. One end of the first flow path is connected to the ink tank. The pump is connected to the other end of the first channel and can be opened and closed. The second flow path has one end connected to the pump and the other end connected to the storage chamber. The detection mechanism detects pressure within the storage chamber. The control device includes an ejection control section, a determination control section, and a processing stop section. The ejection control unit ejects a predetermined amount of ink from the nozzle and operates the pump when the pressure in the storage chamber is higher than a predetermined determination pressure during processing related to consumption of ink in the ink tank. Control to close. The determination control unit detects the detected pressure of the storage chamber by the detection mechanism after the predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle by the ejection control unit, and the detected pressure is greater than the determination pressure. Determine whether or not The process stopping unit stops the process related to the consumption of the ink in the ink tank when the determination control unit determines that the detected pressure is higher than the determination pressure.

According to the ink supply system, when the nozzle surface of the ink head is arranged below the ink tank, when a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzles and the pump is normally closed, the storage chamber is filled. The pressure decreases and becomes equal to or less than the predetermined judgment pressure. On the other hand, if a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle and the pump fails to close, ink from the ink tank will flow into the storage chamber, and the pressure in the storage chamber will drop to a predetermined level. It remains greater than the decision pressure. Therefore, by determining the pressure in the storage chamber after a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle, it is possible to determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the pump. When an abnormality occurs in the pump, the processing related to the consumption of the ink in the ink tank is stopped, so it is possible to reduce the continuation of the processing that consumes the ink when the ink head malfunctions.

Another ink supply system of the present invention includes an ink tank, an ink head, a damper, a first flow path, a pump, a second flow path, a detection mechanism, and a control device. Ink is stored in the ink tank. The ink head has a nozzle surface formed with nozzles for ejecting ink and arranged above the ink tank. The damper has a storage chamber connected to the ink head. One end of the first flow path is connected to the ink tank. The pump is connected to the other end of the first channel and can be opened and closed. The second flow path has one end connected to the pump and the other end connected to the storage chamber. The detection mechanism detects pressure within the storage chamber. The control device includes an ejection control section, a determination control section, and a processing stop section. The ejection control unit ejects a predetermined amount of ink from the nozzle and operates the pump when the pressure in the storage chamber is equal to or lower than a predetermined determination pressure during processing related to consumption of ink in the ink tank. Control to close. The determination control unit detects the detected pressure of the storage chamber by the detection mechanism after the predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle by the ejection control unit, and the detected pressure is equal to or less than the determination pressure. Determine whether or not The process stopping unit stops the process related to consumption of the ink in the ink tank when the determination control unit determines that the detected pressure is equal to or lower than the determination pressure.

According to the other ink supply system, when the nozzle surface of the ink head is arranged above the ink tank, when a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle and the pump is normally closed, the ink is stored. The pressure in the chamber increases and becomes greater than the predetermined threshold pressure. On the other hand, if a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle and a pump failure occurs such as the pump not closing, the ink from the ink tank will flow into the reservoir chamber, causing the pressure in the reservoir chamber to drop. It remains below the predetermined threshold pressure. Therefore, by determining the pressure in the storage chamber after a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle, it is possible to determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the pump. When an abnormality occurs in the pump, the processing related to the consumption of the ink in the ink tank is stopped, so it is possible to reduce the continuation of the processing that consumes the ink when the ink head malfunctions.

According to the present invention, in an ink supply system having a pump that can be opened and closed, it is possible to reduce the continuation of processing that consumes ink when an ink head malfunctions.

1 is a perspective view of a printer according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the internal configuration of the printer; FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a nozzle surface of an ink head; 1 is a schematic diagram showing an ink supply system; FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the damper, showing a state in which the pressure in the storage chamber is equal to or less than a predetermined judgment pressure; FIG. 4 is a plan cross-sectional view of the damper, showing a state in which the pressure in the storage chamber is higher than a predetermined judgment pressure; FIG. 4 is a front view of the wiper and wiping mechanism; 1 is a block diagram of a printer; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a control procedure for detecting an abnormality in a liquid-sending pump; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an ink supply system of a printer according to a second embodiment; FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing a control procedure for detecting an abnormality in a liquid transfer pump in the second embodiment; FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of an ink supply system according to the present invention and an inkjet printer (hereinafter simply referred to as a printer) provided with the ink supply system will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described herein are, of course, not intended to limit the invention in particular.

<First embodiment>
First, the printer 100 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer 100 according to this embodiment. In the following description, front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom mean front, back, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively, when the printer 100 is viewed from the front. References F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings mean front, rear, left, right, up, and down, respectively. Reference Y in the drawings indicates the main scanning direction. Here, the main scanning direction Y is the horizontal direction. Symbol X indicates the sub-scanning direction. Here, the sub-scanning direction X is the front-rear direction, and is orthogonal to the main scanning direction Y in plan view. It should be noted that the above-described directions are merely directions determined for convenience of explanation, and do not limit the manner in which the printer 100 is installed.

The printer 100 is an inkjet printer. Printer 100 prints on medium 5 (see FIG. 1). The medium 5 is, for example, roll-shaped recording paper. However, the medium 5 is not limited to recording paper, and may be, for example, a sheet-like medium or a resin sheet.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 100 includes a main body 10 having a casing, legs 11 provided at the bottom of the main body 10 for supporting the main body 10, an operation panel 12 for a user to perform operations related to printing, and a main body 10. and a cover 15 provided on the top of the. Below the cover 15 and in the front part of the main body 10, a discharge port 13 for discharging the medium 5 is formed. A guide 14 for guiding the medium 5 ejected from the ejection port 13 is provided at a position in front of and below the ejection port 13 .

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the internal configuration of the printer 100. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the nozzle surface 34 of the ink head 32. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, printer 100 includes guide rails 16 and platen 18 . The guide rail 16 extends in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. The platen 18 is an example of the support base of the present invention, and supports the medium 5 when printing on the medium 5 . The platen 18 is connected to the guides 14 (see FIG. 1) and arranged below the guide rails 16 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 100 has a carriage 20 . As shown in FIG. 2, the carriage 20 is slidably engaged with the guide rails 16 . The carriage 20 moves in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rails 16 .

The printer 100 has a carriage moving mechanism 21 and a medium moving mechanism 22 . A carriage moving mechanism 21 moves the carriage 20 in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 16 . The carriage moving mechanism 21 has pulleys 25 a and 25 b , a belt 26 and a motor 27 . The pulley 25 a is provided at the right end portion of the guide rail 16 and the pulley 25 b is provided at the left end portion of the guide rail 16 . The belt 26 is endless and is wound around pulleys 25a and 25b. Carriage 20 is attached to belt 26 . The motor 27 is connected to, for example, a pulley 25a. As the motor 27 drives the pulley 25a, the belt 26 runs between the pulleys 25a and 25b. The carriage 20 moves in the main scanning direction Y as the belt 26 runs.

The medium moving mechanism 22 moves the medium 5 supported by the platen 18 in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. The medium moving mechanism 22 has a pair of upper and lower rollers 28 and a motor 29 . In addition, in the pair of rollers 28, the upper roller 28 is illustrated in FIG. 2, and the lower roller 28 is omitted. The number and positions of the pair of rollers 28 are not particularly limited. Here, one of the pair of rollers 28 is a grit roller. A motor 29 is connected to the grit roller 28 . The grit roller 28 is rotated by driving the motor 29 . The other roller 28 of the pair of rollers 28 is a pinch roller for pinching the medium 5 together with the grit roller. The medium 5 is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction X by driving the motor 29 while the medium 5 is sandwiched between the pair of rollers 28 .

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the ink supply system 30. As shown in FIG. The printer 100 includes multiple ink supply systems 30 (see FIG. 4). The ink supply system 30 is a system that supplies ink from an ink tank 31, which will be described later, toward an ink head 32, which will be described later. The ink supply system 30 is provided for each nozzle row 33a (see FIG. 3), which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the number of nozzle rows 33a is four, so the number of ink supply systems 30 is four. However, the number of ink supply systems 30 is not particularly limited. Here, all of the plurality of ink supply systems 30 have the same configuration. FIG. 4 shows one ink supply system 30 out of a plurality of ink supply systems 30, and illustration of the other ink supply systems 30 is omitted. Among the plurality of ink supply systems 30 , some of the ink supply systems 30 may have different configurations from other ink supply systems 30 . The configuration of one ink supply system 30 shown in FIG. 4 will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 4, the ink supply system 30 includes an ink tank 31, an ink head 32, a damper 35, an ink flow path 36, an opening/closing valve 38, a liquid feed pump 39, and a controller 70 (see FIG. 8). ).

The ink tank 31 stores ink. The ink tank 31 is, for example, an ink cartridge. The shape of the ink tank 31 is not particularly limited, and is, for example, a pouch shape. A water head value is uniquely set in the ink tank 31 . This water head value is uniquely determined according to the shape and type of the ink tank 31 and the amount of ink stored therein. In this embodiment, the number of ink tanks 31 is four, which is the same as the number of ink supply systems 30 . However, the number of ink tanks 31 is not particularly limited. The inks stored in one ink tank 31 include, for example, process color inks such as cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, light cyan ink, light magenta ink, and black ink, white ink, metallic ink, orange ink, and black ink. , clear ink, or any other special color ink.

The ink head 32 ejects ink toward the medium 5 (see FIG. 1) supported by the platen 18 (see FIG. 2), for example. As shown in FIG. 3, the ink head 32 is provided on the carriage 20 . The ink head 32 is movable in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 16 together with the carriage 20 . The ink head 32 has a nozzle surface 34 formed with a plurality of nozzles 33 for ejecting ink. A plurality of nozzles 33 are arranged side by side in the sub-scanning direction X in one ink head 32 . Here, a row of a plurality of nozzles 33 arranged in the sub-scanning direction X is called a nozzle row 33a. The nozzle surface 34 forms the lower surface of the ink head 32 and faces the platen 18 (see FIG. 2). Note that the number of ink heads 32 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the number of ink heads 32 is four, which is the same as the number of ink supply systems 30 . The four ink heads 32 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG.

However, the number of ink heads 32 need not be the same as the number of ink supply systems 30 . For example, two nozzle rows 33 a may be formed on the nozzle surface 34 of one ink head 32 . In this case, each nozzle row 33 a of one ink head 32 may configure different ink supply systems 30 . In this case, the number of ink heads 32 is half the number of ink supply systems 30 .

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the ink head 32 is arranged below the ink tank 31 . The nozzle surface 34 of the ink head 32 is arranged below the ink tank 31 . Specifically, the nozzle surface 34 is arranged below the water head value of the ink tank 31 .

The damper 35 moderates pressure fluctuations of the ink and stabilizes the ink ejection operation of the ink head 32 . The damper 35 detects the flow rate of ink flowing into the damper 35 (in other words, the pressure inside the damper 35). Then, the liquid feed pump 39 is controlled based on the detection result of the ink flow rate. The damper 35 is connected to the ink head 32 . Here, the damper 35 is provided above the ink head 32 . Note that the configuration of the damper 35 is not particularly limited. The configuration of the damper 35 will be described later.

The ink channel 36 is a channel for supplying the ink stored in the ink tank 31 to the ink head 32 . One end of the ink channel 36 is connected to the ink tank 31 . The other end of the ink channel 36 is connected to the ink head 32 via the damper 35 . In this embodiment, an open/close valve 38 and a liquid transfer pump 39 are provided in the middle of the ink flow path 36 . The ink channel 36 has a first channel 36a and a second channel 36b.

The first flow path 36 a is a flow path through which the ink stored in the ink tank 31 flows toward the liquid transfer pump 39 . One end of the first flow path 36 a is detachably connected to the ink tank 31 . The other end of the first flow path 36 a is connected to the liquid transfer pump 39 . An open/close valve 38 is provided in the middle of the first flow path 36a. In this embodiment, the first flow path 36a has a 1-1 flow path 36aa and a 1-2 flow path 36ab arranged closer to the ink head 32 than the 1-1 flow path 36aa. there is The open/close valve 38 is arranged between the 1-1 channel 36aa and the 1-2 channel 36ab. Specifically, one end of the 1-1 channel 36aa is detachably connected to the ink tank 31, and the other end of the 1-1 channel 36aa is connected to the open/close valve . One end of the 1-2 flow path 36ab is connected to the opening/closing valve 38, and the other end of the 1-2 flow path 36ab is connected to the liquid transfer pump 39.

The second flow path 36b is arranged closer to the ink head 32 than the first flow path 36a. The second flow path 36 b is a flow path through which ink flows from the liquid-sending pump 39 toward the damper 35 . One end of the second flow path 36 b is connected to the liquid transfer pump 39 . The other end of the second flow path 36 b is connected to the damper 35 and connected to the ink head 32 via the damper 35 .

The open/close valve 38 is a valve that can be opened and closed and that opens and closes the ink flow path 36 . By opening the open/close valve 38 , the ink stored in the ink tank 31 can be supplied to the ink head 32 . The open/close valve 38 is provided in the middle of the first flow path 36a, as described above. Note that the type of the opening/closing valve 38 is not particularly limited. Here, the on-off valve 38 is an electrically controlled valve, such as a choke valve.

The liquid-sending pump 39 is a pump for supplying the ink stored in the ink tank 31 to the ink head 32 and promoting ejection of the ink from the ink head 32 . The liquid-sending pump 39 is an example of the pump of the present invention. In this embodiment, the type and configuration of the liquid-sending pump 39 are not particularly limited, but the liquid-sending pump 39 is a pump that can be opened and closed. The liquid-sending pump 39 is, for example, a tube pump. A tube pump, for example, comprises an internal tube, rollers, and a drive motor connected to the rollers. The driving motor drives the roller to cause planetary rotation of the roller while crushing the inner tube, thereby feeding the ink in the advancing direction of the roller. As a result, ink is supplied from the ink tank 31 to the ink head 32 . Note that, in the present embodiment, the liquid-sending pump 39 is open means that the inner tube is not crushed by the roller. The fact that the liquid feed pump 39 is closed means that the internal tube is crushed by the roller.

In this embodiment, the liquid-sending pump 39 is provided in the middle of the ink flow path 36 , and is arranged closer to the ink head 32 than the open/close valve 38 . Specifically, the liquid-sending pump 39 is arranged between the first channel 36a and the second channel 36b.

Next, the configuration of the damper 35 will be described. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the damper 35, showing a state in which the pressure in the storage chamber 42 is equal to or lower than the predetermined judgment pressure. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional plan view of the damper 35, showing a state in which the pressure in the storage chamber 42 is higher than the predetermined judgment pressure. In this embodiment, the damper 35 includes a damper body 41, a storage chamber 42, a damper membrane 43, and a detection mechanism 44, as shown in FIG.

The damper body 41 is hollow. The storage chamber 42 is formed within the damper body 41 and has an opening formed in a part thereof. Ink is temporarily stored in the storage chamber 42 . The storage chamber 42 communicates with the second flow path 36b (see FIG. 4) and the ink head 32 (see FIG. 4). In this embodiment, an inlet 45a connected to the second flow path 36b is formed in the upper part of the damper body 41, and an outlet 45b (see FIG. 4) connected to the ink head 32 is formed in the lower part of the damper body 41. ) are formed. However, the formation positions of the inflow port 45a and the outflow port 45b are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the damper 35 is configured so that the ink that has flowed into the storage chamber 42 from the inlet 45a flows to the ink head 32 through the outlet 45b when the ink in the ink tank 31 is consumed.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the damper film 43 is provided on the damper body 41 so as to cover the opening of the storage chamber 42 . Here, the space surrounded by the damper film 43 and the damper main body 41 is the storage chamber 42 . The damper film 43 is made of, for example, a flexible resin film. The damper film 43 can be deformed inside and outside the storage chamber 42 as shown in FIGS. The damper membrane 43 is attached to the damper main body 41 with such tension that it can be bent toward the inside and outside of the storage chamber 42 .

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the storage chamber 42 is provided with a spring 45 . The spring 45 is arranged in the storage chamber 42 in a compressed state and imparts an elastic force toward the damper membrane 43 . Here, the spring 45 is connected to the surface of the damper membrane 43 on the storage chamber 42 side. The type of spring 45 is not particularly limited, and for example, spring 45 is a coil spring.

The detection mechanism 44 is a mechanism that detects the pressure inside the storage chamber 42 . Here, the detection mechanism 44 indirectly detects the pressure in the ink flow path 36 (see FIG. 4) by detecting the pressure in the storage chamber 42 . Note that the configuration of the detection mechanism 44 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the detection mechanism 44 includes a pressing body 46 , a filler 47 and a filler sensor 48 . The pressing body 46 is provided on the damper film 43 . In this embodiment, the pressing body 46 is provided on the surface of the damper film 43 on the storage chamber 42 side. The pressing body 46 is supported by the spring 45 and is movable inside and outside the storage chamber 42 as the damper membrane 43 is flexed.

The filler 47 is provided on the damper main body 41 so as to be able to come into contact with the damper film 43 or the pressing body 46 . In this embodiment, the damper body 41 is provided with a support spring 49 , and the filler 47 is supported by the support spring 49 . The shape of the filler 47 is not particularly limited. Here, the filler 47 is formed in a substantially U-shape. Specifically, on the right side of the pressing body 46, the filler 47 includes a contact portion 47a extending in the front-rear direction, a support portion 47b extending leftward from the rear portion of the contact portion 47a, and a support portion 47b extending leftward from the front portion of the contact portion 47a. It has a detected part 47c extending to. The contact portion 47 a contacts the damper film 43 or the pressing body 46 . The support portion 47 b is supported by a support spring 49 . The detected portion 47 c is a portion detected by the filler sensor 48 .

The filler sensor 48 detects the pressure inside the storage chamber 42 by detecting the position of the filler 47 . The filler sensor 48 indirectly detects the pressure inside the ink flow path 36 by detecting the pressure inside the storage chamber 42 . In this embodiment, the filler sensor 48 is a non-contact sensor with respect to the filler 47, but may be a contact sensor. In this embodiment, the filler sensor 48 has a pair of detectors 48a. As shown in FIG. 5, when the detected portion 47c of the filler 47 is positioned between the pair of detecting portions 48a, the filler sensor 48 detects that the pressure in the storage chamber 42 (in other words, the detected pressure) reaches a predetermined level. Detects that the pressure is below the judgment pressure.

As shown in FIG. 6, the damper film 43 bends outward from the storage chamber 42 as the pressure in the storage chamber 42 increases. At this time, the filler 47 is pushed to the outside of the storage chamber 42 by the pressing body 46, so that the filler 47 rotates about the shaft 47d positioned between the contact portion 47a and the support portion 47b. Then, when the pressure in the storage chamber 42 becomes higher than a predetermined judgment pressure, the detected portion 47c of the filler 47 moves to a position out of between the pair of detecting portions 48a of the filler sensor 48. As shown in FIG. The filler sensor 48 detects that the pressure in the storage chamber 42 is higher than a predetermined judgment pressure when the detected portion 47c of the filler 47 is not located between the pair of detection portions 48a. In addition, in this embodiment, the range between the pair of detection portions 48a in the damper 35 corresponds to the predetermined range of the present invention.

In the following description, as shown in FIG. 5, when the detected portion 47c of the filler 47 is positioned between the pair of detecting portions 48a of the filler sensor 48, that is, when the pressure in the storage chamber 42 is determined When the pressure is below the pressure, it is said that the filler 47 is hit. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, when the detected portion 47c of the filler 47 is not positioned between the pair of detecting portions 48a of the filler sensor 48, that is, when the pressure in the storage chamber 42 is higher than the predetermined judgment pressure, When it is large, it is said that "filler 47 is unhit".

As shown in FIG. 4, the ink supply system 30 includes a cap 51, a capping mechanism 52, and a suction pump 53. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the cap 51 is arranged at the home position HP located at the right end of the guide rail 16. As shown in FIG. Here, the home position HP is a position where the ink head 32 waits when printing is not performed. The cap 51 prevents the ink adhering to the nozzles 33 of the ink head 32 from hardening and clogging the nozzles 33 . The cap 51 is attached to the nozzle surface 34 of the ink head 32 . The cap 51 is attached to the ink head 32 so as to cover the nozzles 33 of the ink head 32 during non-printing.

The capping mechanism 52 is a mechanism that supports the cap 51 and attaches or separates the cap 51 from the nozzle surface 34 as indicated by arrow A in FIG. A capping mechanism 52 is connected to the cap 51 . The capping mechanism 52 is a mechanism that moves the cap 51 toward the nozzle surface 34 of the ink head 32 at the home position HP. The configuration of this capping mechanism 52 is not particularly limited. For example, capping mechanism 52 includes a drive motor. The driving motor drives the cap 51 toward the nozzle surface 34 or away from the nozzle surface 34 .

The suction pump 53 sucks ink from the ink head 32 when the cap 51 is attached to the nozzle surface 34 . The suction pump 53 is for sucking the ink inside the cap 51 . A suction pump 53 is connected to the cap 51 . Here, the cap 51 is connected to a waste liquid tank 55 via a discharge channel 54, which is an example of a tube. The suction pump 53 is provided in the middle of the discharge channel 54 . Ink sucked by the suction pump 53 is discharged to the waste liquid tank 55 .

FIG. 7 is a front view of the wiper 60 and the wiping mechanism 61. FIG. In this embodiment, the ink supply system 30 has a wiper 60 and a wiping mechanism 61 . The wiper 60 and the wiping mechanism 61 are arranged at the right end of the guide rail 16 near the home position HP (specifically, to the left of the home position HP). The wiper 60 and the wiping mechanism 61 are mechanisms for wiping and cleaning the nozzle surface 34 of the ink head 32 (in other words, wiping). As shown in FIG. 7, the wiper 60 is a member that wipes the nozzle surface 34 of the ink head 32. As shown in FIG. The wiper 60 is a flat member extending in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction. The length of the wiper 60 in the front-rear direction is longer than the length of the ink head 32 in the front-rear direction. The wiper 60 is made of rubber, for example.

The wiping mechanism 61 supports the wiper 60 and brings the wiper 60 into contact with or away from the nozzle surface 34 of the ink head 32 . The wiping mechanism 61 includes a rotary shaft 62 , a cleaning liquid tank 63 and a rotary motor 64 . The rotating shaft 62 supports one end of the wiper 60 and is connected to the one end of the wiper 60 . The wiper 60 is rotatable around a rotation axis 62 . The rotating shaft 62 extends in the front-rear direction. When the wiper 60 is arranged in a rotational position such that the end remote from the rotation axis 62 faces upward, the end is positioned slightly higher than the nozzle surface 34 of the ink head 32 . Therefore, when the carriage 20 is moved while the wiper 60 is arranged at such a rotational position, the nozzle surface 34 can be wiped by the wiper 60 . On the other hand, the wiper 60 is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 63 installed below the rotating shaft 62 when it is arranged in a rotating position in which the end farther from the rotating shaft 62 faces downward. Wiper 60 is rotated by rotary motor 64 .

In this embodiment, the ink head 32 is moved in the main scanning direction Y relative to the wiper 60 by moving the ink head 32 in the main scanning direction Y by means of the carriage moving mechanism 21 (see FIG. 2). ing.

Next, the control device 70 will be explained. FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the printer 100. As shown in FIG. The control device 70 is a device that performs control related to printing and control for detecting an abnormality in the liquid feed pump 39 . The configuration of the control device 70 is not particularly limited. For example, the control device 70 is a computer, and may include a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as a CPU), a ROM storing programs executed by the CPU, a RAM, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 8, the control device 70 is communicably connected to the opening/closing valve 38, the liquid feeding pump 39, and the filler sensor 48 of the detection mechanism 44 of the damper 35. Control the sensor 48 . Also, the control device 70 is communicably connected to the capping mechanism 52 and the suction pump 53 and controls the capping mechanism 52 and the suction pump 53 . The control device 70 is communicatively connected to the rotating motor 64 of the wiping mechanism 61 and controls the rotating motor 64 . Furthermore, the control device 70 is communicably connected to the operation panel 12 , the motor 27 of the carriage moving mechanism 21 , and the motor 29 of the medium moving mechanism 22 , and controls the operation panel 12 and the motors 27 and 29 .

In this embodiment, the control device 70 includes a storage unit 71, a print start unit 72, an ejection control unit 74, a determination control unit 76, a print stop unit 78, a capping control unit 80, an error processing execution unit 82 and Here, the print stopping unit 78 is an example of the processing stopping unit of the present invention. Each unit of the control device 70 may be configured by software or may be configured by hardware. Each of the above units may be realized by one or more processors, or may be incorporated in a circuit.

The configurations of the ink supply system 30 and the printer 100 according to the present embodiment have been described above. Next, control for detecting an abnormality in the openable/closable liquid transfer pump 39 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This control for detecting an abnormality in the liquid feed pump 39 is performed during the process related to the consumption of ink in the ink tank 31 . Here, the "processing related to consumption of ink in the ink tank 31" includes, for example, printing and flushing operations. During printing, the ink inside the ink head 32 is ejected toward the medium 5 . As the ink in the ink head 32 is consumed, the ink in the ink tank 31 is supplied to the ink head 32 and consumed. In the flushing operation, the ink in the ink head 32 is discharged to the cap 51 while the cap 51 is attached to the nozzle surface 34 . Therefore, the ink in the ink head 32 is consumed, and the ink from the ink tank 31 is supplied to the ink head 32 . As a result, the ink in the ink tank 31 is consumed. Control for detecting an abnormality in the liquid feed pump 39 during printing will be described below.

In this embodiment, the print start unit 72 controls the open/close valve 38 to open the open/close valve 38 at the start of printing. As a result, the opening/closing valve 38 is opened, and the first flow path 36a is brought into a communicating state. After that, printing is started. Here, a predesignated image is printed on the medium 5 . During printing, the control device 70 drives the motor 27 of the carriage movement mechanism 21 to move the ink head 32 in the main scanning direction Y while ejecting ink from the ink head 32 . Thus, one scanning line is printed. When the reciprocating movement of the ink head 32 in the main scanning direction Y is completed, the medium 5 is moved in the sub-scanning direction X to the position of the next scanning line by driving the motor 29 of the medium moving mechanism 22 . When the movement of the medium 5 in the sub-scanning direction X is completed, the motor 27 of the carriage moving mechanism 21 is driven again and the ink head 32 is controlled to print the next scanning line. Thereafter, the control device 70 repeats the same operation until the printing of the image is completed.

In this embodiment, when ink is ejected from the nozzles 33 of the ink head 32 during printing, the process of the flowchart of FIG. 9 is performed.

In step S101 in FIG. 9, the ejection control unit 74 performs processing related to consumption of ink in the ink tank 31, here during printing, in a state where the pressure in the storage chamber 42 of the damper 35 is higher than a predetermined determination pressure (see FIG. 6). ), a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle 33, and the liquid transfer pump 39 is controlled to be closed. In this embodiment, when the pressure in the storage chamber 42 is higher than the predetermined determination pressure, that is, when the filler 47 is unhit, control is performed to eject ink from the nozzle 33 . When a predetermined amount of ink is ejected, the liquid-sending pump 39 is closed if the liquid-sending pump 39 is normal. Here, the predetermined amount is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1/16 ml.

After a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle 33 in this way, in step S103, the determination control unit 76 detects the detected pressure in the storage chamber 42 by the detection mechanism 44 of the damper 35, and the detected pressure reaches the predetermined level. It is determined whether or not the pressure is greater than the determination pressure. In this embodiment, the determination control unit 76 determines whether or not the filler sensor 48 is positioned within a predetermined range of the filler 47 . In other words, the determination control unit 76 determines whether or not the filler 47 is maintained in an unhit state.

In step S103, when the determination control unit 76 determines that the filler 47 hits (see FIG. 5), the pressure in the storage chamber 42 is low. The fact that the pressure in the storage chamber 42 has decreased means that the ink in the storage chamber 42 has decreased due to ejection of ink, and that the ink from the ink tank 31 is not being supplied to the storage chamber 42 . The fact that the ink from the ink tank 31 is not supplied to the storage chamber 42 means that the liquid transfer pump 39 is closed. Here, when ink is ejected and the liquid feed pump 39 is normally closed, the filler 47 transitions from an unhit state to a hit state. Thus, when the determination control unit 76 determines that the filler 47 hits, it can be determined that the liquid feed pump 39 is normal.

From the above, if the determination control unit 76 determines that the filler 47 hits in step S103, the determination result is NO and printing is continued.

On the other hand, in step S103, when the determination control unit 76 determines that the filler 47 is unhit (see FIG. 6), the pressure in the storage chamber 42 is maintained. Maintaining the pressure in the storage chamber 42 means that the amount of ink in the storage chamber 42 has not decreased even though the ink has been ejected. The reason why the ink in the storage chamber 42 has not decreased is that the ink from the ink tank 31 is supplied to the storage chamber 42 . In step S101, the liquid-sending pump 39 is controlled to be closed. Therefore, when the liquid-sending pump 39 is normally closed, the ink from the ink tank 31 is not supplied to the storage chamber . However, in this case, since the ink is supplied from the ink tank 31, it is considered that the liquid feed pump 39 is malfunctioning and is not normally closed. Thus, when the determination control unit 76 determines that the filler 47 is unhit, it can be determined that the liquid feed pump 39 is abnormal. If printing is continued while the liquid feed pump 39 is malfunctioning, ink may leak from the nozzles 33 of the ink head 32 .

Therefore, when the determination control unit 76 determines that the filler 47 is unhit in step S103, the determination result is YES, and the process of step S105 is performed next. In step S105, the print stopping unit 78 stops printing. Here, the print stopping unit 78 stops the process of printing a predesignated image on the medium 5, and controls the open/close valve 38, for example, to close. The print stopping unit 78 then controls the carriage moving mechanism 21 so that the ink head 32 moves to the home position HP (see FIG. 2). When the ink head 32 moves to the home position HP and stands by at the home position HP, the capping control section 80 controls the capping mechanism 52 to attach the cap 51 to the nozzle surface 34 . In this embodiment, the capping control unit 80 controls the capping mechanism 52 to lift the cap 51 . Then, when the cap 51 is attached to the nozzle surface 34 so as to cover the nozzle 33 , the capping control section 80 stops the movement of the cap 51 . As a result, the nozzles 33 are covered with the cap 51 , and even if ink leaks from the nozzles 33 , the leaked ink is discharged into the cap 51 .

After printing is stopped and the cap 51 is attached to the nozzle surface 34 in this manner, in step S107, the error processing execution unit 82 performs predetermined error processing. Specific processing of this error processing is not particularly limited. For example, as error processing, the error processing execution unit 82 notifies the user that an abnormality has occurred in the liquid transfer pump 39 . Note that the specific means for notifying the user of the error is not particularly limited. For example, the error processing execution unit 82 may display a predetermined error message on the display screen (not shown) of the operation panel 12 . For example, the error processing execution unit 82 may control to emit an error sound via a buzzer (not shown) provided in the main body 10, or light a light source such as an LED provided in the main body 10. By doing so, error notification may be performed.

A predetermined recovery operation may be performed as error processing. This recovery operation is, for example, a cleaning operation. The error processing execution unit 82 performs, for example, a wiping operation and a flushing operation as cleaning operations. The error processing execution unit 82 wipes the nozzle surface 34 with the wiper 60 as the wiping operation. Here, the error processing execution unit 82 controls the carriage moving mechanism 21 so that the ink head 32 moves above the wiping mechanism 61 (see FIG. 7). Then, when the ink head 32 passes above the wiping mechanism 61 , the error processing execution unit 82 rotates the wiper 60 to wipe the nozzle surface 34 of the ink head 32 with the wiper 60 .

As a flushing operation, the error processing execution unit 82 ejects a predetermined flushing amount of ink from the nozzles 33 into the cap 51 while the cap 51 is attached to the nozzle surface 34 of the ink head 32 . The predetermined amount of flushing is a preset amount and is stored in the storage section 71 . The predetermined amount of flushing is set according to the type of ink and the type, shape, size, etc. of the damper 35 . As described above, a cleaning operation may be performed as part of error processing. In addition, as a recovery operation, the error processing execution unit 82 may control the liquid transfer pump 39 so that the internal tube of the liquid transfer pump 39 is crushed by the roller and the liquid transfer pump 39 is closed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the nozzle surface 34 of the ink head 32 is arranged below the ink tank 31 as shown in FIG. Therefore, when a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle 33 and the liquid-sending pump 39 is normally closed, the pressure in the storage chamber 42 decreases to a predetermined judgment pressure or less. On the other hand, if a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle 33 and there is an abnormality in the pump such as the liquid feed pump 39 not closing, the ink from the ink tank 31 will flow into the storage chamber 42, causing the ink to be stored. The pressure in chamber 42 remains above the predetermined threshold pressure. Therefore, by determining the pressure in the storage chamber 42 after a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle 33, it is possible to determine whether or not the liquid transfer pump 39 is abnormal. Since printing is stopped when an abnormality occurs in the liquid feed pump 39, it is possible to reduce the continuation of processing that consumes ink in a state in which a problem has occurred in the ink head 32. FIG.

If printing is continued while the liquid feed pump 39 is malfunctioning, ink may leak from the nozzles 33 of the ink head 32, and the leaked ink from the nozzles 33 may adhere to the medium 5, deteriorating the quality of the printed matter. It can drop. However, in the present embodiment, printing is stopped when an abnormality occurs in the liquid feed pump 39 , so ink is less likely to leak from the nozzles 33 .

In this embodiment, the capping control unit 80 controls the capping mechanism 52 so that the cap 51 is attached to the nozzle surface 34 when the judgment control unit 76 judges that the detected pressure in the storage chamber 42 is higher than the judgment pressure. do. As a result, even if ink leaks from the nozzles 33 , the leaked ink is discharged into the cap 51 . Therefore, even if ink leaks from the nozzles 33, the leaked ink is less likely to adhere to the medium 5 or the like.

In this embodiment, the determination control unit 76 determines whether or not the filler 47 is positioned within a predetermined range by the filler sensor 48, thereby determining whether or not the pressure in the storage chamber 42 is greater than a predetermined determination pressure. is determining whether As a result, it can be easily determined by the filler sensor 48 whether or not the pressure in the storage chamber 42 is higher than the predetermined determination pressure. In this embodiment, abnormality of the liquid transfer pump 39 is detected from the pressure of the storage chamber 42 of the damper 35 . The damper 35 is used when ink is ejected during printing. In this manner, the damper 35 used during printing can be used to detect an abnormality in the liquid feed pump 39 without providing a dedicated sensor for detecting an abnormality in the liquid feed pump 39 . Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the error processing execution unit 82 performs predetermined error processing when the determination control unit 76 determines that the detected pressure in the storage chamber 42 is higher than the determination pressure. The error processing execution unit 82, for example, notifies the user of the error as the predetermined error processing. This makes it easier for the user to recognize that printing has been stopped due to an abnormality in the liquid feed pump 39 .

<Second embodiment>
Next, a printer 200 according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the ink supply system 130 of the printer 200 according to the second embodiment, and is equivalent to FIG. Printer 200 includes multiple ink supply systems 130 . FIG. 10 illustrates one ink supply system 130 of a plurality of ink supply systems 130 . As with the ink supply system 30 of the first embodiment, the ink supply system 130 includes an ink tank 31, an ink head 32, a damper 35, an ink flow path 36, an opening/closing valve 38, and a liquid feed pump 39. I have. The configuration of each of the ink tank 31, the ink head 32, the damper 35, the ink flow path 36, the open/close valve 38, and the liquid feed pump 39 is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the description thereof is omitted here.

In this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the ink head 32 is arranged above the ink tank 31 as shown in FIG. The nozzle surface 34 of the ink head 32 is arranged above the ink tank 31 . Specifically, the nozzle surface 34 is arranged above the water head value of the ink tank 31 .

In this embodiment, the ink supply system 130 includes a controller 170 . The control device 170 is a computer, and includes a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as a CPU), a ROM storing programs executed by the CPU, a RAM, and the like. Here, the control device 170 has the same configuration as the control device 70 of the first embodiment. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the control device 170 includes a storage unit 71, a print start unit 72, an ejection control unit 74, a determination control unit 76, a print stop unit 78, a capping control unit 80, an error and a processing execution unit 82 .

Next, in this embodiment, control for detecting an abnormality in the openable/closable liquid transfer pump 39 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 11 . In the following description, printing is taken as an example of a process that consumes the ink in the ink tank 31, and control that is executed during printing and that detects an abnormality in the liquid feed pump 39 will be described.

In this embodiment, when the filler 47 hits during printing (see FIG. 5), that is, when the pressure in the storage chamber 42 is equal to or lower than the determination pressure, control is performed to eject ink from the nozzles 33 . In step S201 of FIG. 11, the ejection control unit 74 ejects a predetermined amount of ink from the nozzles 33 and operates the liquid feed pump 39 when the pressure in the storage chamber 42 is equal to or lower than a predetermined determination pressure during printing. Control to close.

After a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle 33 in this way, in step S203, the determination control unit 76 detects the detected pressure in the storage chamber 42 by the detection mechanism 44 of the damper 35, and the detected pressure reaches the predetermined level. It is determined whether or not the pressure is equal to or less than the determination pressure. In this embodiment, the determination control unit 76 determines whether the filler sensor 48 is positioned within a predetermined range or not. In other words, the determination control unit 76 determines whether or not the filler 47 is maintained in a hit state.

In step S203, when the determination control unit 76 determines that the filler 47 is unhit (see FIG. 6), the pressure in the storage chamber 42 is increased. In this embodiment, the fact that the pressure in the storage chamber 42 has increased means that the ink in the storage chamber 42 has decreased due to ejection of ink, and the ink from the ink tank 31 has not been supplied to the storage chamber 42. That is, it means that the liquid feed pump 39 is closed. Here, when the ink is ejected and the liquid feed pump 39 is normally closed, the filler 47 transitions from the hit state to the unhit state. Thus, when the determination control unit 76 determines that the filler 47 is unhit, it can be determined that the liquid feed pump 39 is normal. Therefore, when the determination control unit 76 determines that the filler 47 is unhit in step S203, the determination result is NO and printing is continued.

On the other hand, in step S203, when the determination control unit 76 determines that the filler 47 hits (see FIG. 5), the pressure in the storage chamber 42 is maintained. The fact that the pressure in the storage chamber 42 was maintained means that the ink in the storage chamber 42 did not decrease even though the ink was ejected, that is, the ink from the ink tank 31 was not supplied to the storage chamber 42 means that there is When the liquid-sending pump 39 is normally closed, the ink from the ink tank 31 is not supplied to the storage chamber 42. In this case, an abnormality occurs in the liquid-sending pump 39, and the liquid-sending pump 39 is normally closed. Not likely. Therefore, when the determination control unit 76 determines that the filler 47 hits, it can be determined that the liquid feed pump 39 is abnormal.

Therefore, when the determination control unit 76 determines that the filler 47 hits in step S203, the determination result is YES, and the process of step S205 is performed next. In step S205, the print stopping unit 78 stops printing. The capping control unit 80 controls the capping mechanism 52 so that the cap 51 is attached to the nozzle surface 34 . Note that the processing of step S205 is the same as the processing of step S105 in FIG. 9, and thus description thereof is omitted here.

Next, in step S207, the error processing execution unit 82 performs predetermined error processing. This error processing is the same processing as in the first embodiment, and for example, notifies the user that an abnormality has occurred in the liquid transfer pump 39 . Also, this error processing may be a recovery operation as described above. Note that the processing of step S207 is the same as the processing of step S107 in FIG. 9, and thus description thereof is omitted here.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the nozzle surface 34 of the ink head 32 is arranged above the ink tank 31 as shown in FIG. Therefore, when a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle 33 and the liquid transfer pump 39 is normally closed, the pressure in the storage chamber 42 increases and becomes higher than the predetermined judgment pressure. On the other hand, if a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle 33 and an abnormality occurs in the liquid-sending pump 39 such as the liquid-sending pump 39 not being closed, ink from the ink tank 31 will flow into the storage chamber 42 . Due to the inflow, the pressure in reservoir chamber 42 remains below the predetermined threshold pressure. Therefore, by determining the pressure in the storage chamber 42 after a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle 33, it is possible to determine whether or not the liquid transfer pump 39 is abnormal. Since printing is stopped when an abnormality occurs in the liquid feed pump 39, it is possible to reduce the continuation of processing that consumes ink in a state in which a problem has occurred in the ink head 32. FIG.

In the present embodiment, air may enter the nozzles 33 of the ink head 32 if printing is continued while the liquid feed pump 39 is malfunctioning. As a result, so-called missing nozzles may occur. When nozzle clogging occurs, the quality of printed matter deteriorates. However, in the present embodiment, when an abnormality occurs in the liquid feed pump 39, printing is stopped, so nozzle missing is less likely to occur.

In this embodiment, the capping control unit 80 controls the capping mechanism 52 to attach the cap 51 to the nozzle surface 34 when the determination control unit 76 determines that the detected pressure in the storage chamber 42 is equal to or lower than the determination pressure. As a result, air is less likely to enter from the nozzle 33 because the nozzle 33 is covered with the cap 51 when an abnormality occurs in the liquid feed pump 39 .

In this embodiment, the determination control unit 76 determines whether or not the filler 47 is positioned within a predetermined range by the filler sensor 48, thereby determining whether the pressure in the storage chamber 42 is equal to or less than a predetermined determination pressure. is determining whether As a result, it can be easily determined by the filler sensor 48 whether or not the pressure in the storage chamber 42 is equal to or lower than the predetermined determination pressure. In this embodiment, the abnormality of the liquid transfer pump 39 is detected from the pressure of the storage chamber 42 of the damper 35 . The damper 35 is used when ink is ejected during printing. In this manner, the damper 35 used during printing can be used to detect an abnormality in the liquid feed pump 39 without providing a dedicated sensor for detecting an abnormality in the liquid feed pump 39 . Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced.

In this embodiment, when the determination control unit 76 determines that the detected pressure in the storage chamber 42 is equal to or less than the determination pressure, the error processing execution unit 82 notifies the user of the error as predetermined error processing, for example. This makes it easier for the user to recognize that printing has been stopped due to an abnormality in the liquid feed pump 39 .

In each of the above embodiments, the storage unit 71, print start unit 72, ejection control unit 74, determination control unit 76, print stop unit 78, capping control unit 80, and error processing execution unit 82 of the control devices 70 and 170 are implemented by computers. A computer program for detecting an abnormality of the liquid feed pump 39 is included.

In each of the embodiments described above, the detection mechanism of the present invention had the filler sensor 48 of the damper 35 . However, the detection mechanism of the present invention may have a pressure sensor that detects the pressure in the storage chamber 42 of the damper 35 . In this case, the pressure sensor can obtain the pressure of the storage chamber 42 as a numerical value.

18 Platen (support base)
30, 130 Ink Supply System 31 Ink Tank 32 Ink Head 33 Nozzle 34 Nozzle Surface 35 Damper 36a First Channel 36b Second Channel 39 Liquid Transfer Pump (Pump)
42 storage chamber 44 detection mechanism 70 control device 72 print start unit 74 ejection control unit 76 determination control unit 78 print stop unit 80 capping control unit 82 error processing execution unit 100, 200 printer (inkjet printer)

Claims (8)

an ink tank in which ink is stored;
an ink head having a nozzle surface formed with nozzles for ejecting ink and arranged below the ink tank;
a damper having a reservoir connected to the ink head;
a first flow path having one end connected to the ink tank;
a pump that is connected to the other end of the first channel and that can be opened and closed;
a second flow path having one end connected to the pump and the other end connected to the storage chamber;
a detection mechanism that detects the pressure in the storage chamber;
a controller;
with
The control device is
When the pressure in the storage chamber is higher than a predetermined judgment pressure during the process related to the consumption of the ink in the ink tank, control is performed so that a predetermined amount of ink is discharged from the nozzle and the pump is closed. a discharge control unit;
After the predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle by the ejection control unit, the detection mechanism detects the detected pressure of the storage chamber and determines whether or not the detected pressure is higher than the determination pressure. a judgment control unit;
a processing stop unit that stops processing related to consumption of ink in the ink tank when the determination control unit determines that the detected pressure is higher than the determination pressure;
Ink supply system with a cap attachable to the nozzle surface of the ink head;
a capping mechanism that attaches or separates the cap from the nozzle surface;
with
The control device comprises a capping control unit that controls the capping mechanism to attach the cap to the nozzle surface when the determination control unit determines that the detected pressure is higher than the determination pressure. The ink supply system of claim 1. The storage chamber has an opening formed in a part thereof,
The damper is
a damper film covering the opening of the reservoir;
a pressing body provided on the damper membrane;
a filler provided on the side opposite to the storage chamber relative to the damper film, the position of which is changed as the pressing body moves;
has
The detection mechanism detects whether or not the filler has moved within a predetermined range, and when the filler is not positioned within the predetermined range, the pressure in the storage chamber is higher than the judgment pressure. having a filler sensor configured to detect
The ejection control unit ejects the predetermined amount of ink from the nozzle when the filler is not positioned within the predetermined range,
The determination control unit determines whether or not the filler is positioned within the predetermined range by the filler sensor,
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing stopping unit stops processing related to consumption of ink in said ink tank when said determination control unit determines that said filler is not positioned within said predetermined range. Ink supply system as described. 4. Any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control device comprises an error processing execution unit that performs predetermined error processing when the determination control unit determines that the detected pressure is higher than the determination pressure. The ink supply system described in 1. 5. The ink supply system according to claim 4 , wherein said error processing execution unit notifies a user of an error. 6. The ink supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the process related to consumption of ink in said ink tank is printing. a support on which the medium is supported;
an ink supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ;
Inkjet printer with. 7. In the ink supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , a computer program for detecting an abnormality of a pump for causing a computer to implement at least the ejection control section, the determination control section, and the processing stop section. .

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