JP7403558B2 - Ink supply system and inkjet printer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ink supply system and an inkjet printer equipped with the same.

2. Description of the Related Art Ink supply systems that are installed in inkjet printers and the like and supply ink to ink heads of the inkjet printer have been known. The ink supply system includes an ink tank that stores ink. Various forms of ink tanks have been proposed; for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an ink tank that can be replenished with ink from the outside. The inkjet printer disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an ink tank provided with an ink injection port for replenishing ink.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-177650

The maximum capacity of ink is set for the ink tank. If ink is supplied in excess of the maximum storage capacity, problems such as ink overflowing from the ink tank may occur.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to propose an ink supply system that can suppress supply of ink to an ink container in an excessive amount.

The ink supply system disclosed herein includes an ink container having a storage space that can store ink, and an ink amount that can detect whether the amount of ink in the storage space is equal to or greater than a predetermined first amount. A sensor and a replenishment container containing ink are configured to be removable, and include a mounting mechanism connected to the storage space, and a control device connected to the ink amount sensor. The control device is configured to transmit a signal when a predetermined condition including that the amount of ink in the storage space is detected by the ink amount sensor to be equal to or greater than the first amount. is set to . The ink supply system further includes a warning device that issues a warning upon receiving a signal from the control device, and a mechanism that receives a signal from the control device and prevents attachment of the replenishment container to the attachment mechanism. It has at least one of the following.

According to the above ink supply system, in a predetermined case including that the amount of ink in the storage space is equal to or greater than a predetermined first amount, a warning is issued or the replenishment container is attached to the attachment mechanism. This prevents or both, and therefore it is possible to prevent oversupply of ink to the ink container.

Note that the term "warning" refers to something that can inform the user whether the amount of ink in the accommodation space is equal to or greater than a predetermined first amount, and is not limited to any more.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a printer according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a right side view of the printer. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of an ink supply system. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing an ink tank in a state where the amount of ink is less than the prohibited amount of replenishment. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing an ink tank in a state where the amount of ink is equal to or greater than the prohibited amount of replenishment. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the lid is opened from the state shown in FIG. 5. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a printer. 7 is a flowchart showing control related to replenishing ink to an ink tank. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing an ink tank of a printer according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing an ink tank of a printer according to a modified example. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a printer according to another embodiment. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of warnings regarding ink replenishment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing conditions under which first sensor abnormality information is issued. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing conditions under which second sensor abnormality information is issued. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing conditions under which third sensor abnormality information is issued. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing conditions under which fourth sensor abnormality information is issued. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an ink tank according to another embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting mechanism with no supply bottle attached. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting mechanism with the supply bottle mounted thereon.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, an inkjet printer according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described here are, of course, not intended to particularly limit the present invention. In addition, members and parts that have the same function are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted or simplified as appropriate. In the following description, when the inkjet printer is viewed from the front, the direction away from the inkjet printer will be referred to as the front, and the direction closer to the inkjet printer will be referred to as the rear. Further, the symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings represent front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively. However, these directions are merely for convenience of explanation, and do not limit the manner in which the inkjet printer is installed.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a large-sized inkjet printer (hereinafter referred to as "printer") 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a right side view of the printer 10. The printer 10 prints an image on the recording medium 5 by moving the roll-shaped recording medium 5 in the front-rear direction and ejecting ink from a plurality of ink heads 21 mounted on a carriage 20 that moves in the left-right direction. do.

In this embodiment, the printer 10 is an inkjet printer. In this embodiment, the "inkjet method" refers to various conventionally known methods including various continuous methods such as a binary deflection method or continuous deflection method, and various on-demand methods such as a thermal method or a piezoelectric element method. This refers to the inkjet type.

The recording medium 5 is an object on which an image is printed. The recording medium 5 is not particularly limited. The recording medium 5 may be, for example, paper such as plain paper or inkjet printing paper, or may be a transparent sheet made of resin or glass. It may be a sheet made of metal, rubber, or the like. Alternatively, it may be made of cloth.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 includes a printer body 11 and legs 12. The printer body 11 is provided with a platen 13 on which the recording medium 5 is placed. The printer main body 11 includes a carriage 20, an ink head 21, a light irradiation device 22, a carriage moving device 23, a transport device 24, a part of an ink supply system 30 (see FIG. 3), and a control device 150 ( (see FIG. 7). The other part of the ink supply system 30 is located outside the printer body 11. The printer main body 11 extends in the left-right direction.

The carriage moving device 23 includes a guide rail 23A, a belt 23B, left and right pulleys 23C, and a scan motor 23D (see FIG. 7). The carriage 20 is slidably engaged with the guide rail 23A. The guide rail 23A extends in the left-right direction. Belt 23B is fixed to carriage 20. The belt 23B is an endless belt. The belt 23B is wound around the left and right pulleys 23C. A scan motor 23D is attached to one pulley 23C. When the scan motor 23D is driven, the pulley 23C rotates and the belt 23B runs. Thereby, the carriage 20 moves in the left-right direction along the guide rail 23A.

A platen 13 is arranged below the carriage 20. The platen 13 extends in the left-right direction. The recording medium 5 on the platen 13 is moved in the front-back direction by the conveyance device 24. The conveying device 24 includes a pinch roller 24A, a grit roller 24B, and a feed motor 24C (see FIG. 7). The pinch roller 24A is provided above the platen 13 and presses down the recording medium 5 from above. The grit roller 24B is provided on the platen 13. The grit roller 24B is provided at a position facing the pinch roller 24A. Grit roller 24B is connected to feed motor 24C. When the grit roller 24B rotates with the recording medium 5 sandwiched between the pinch roller 24A and the grit roller 24B, the recording medium 5 is conveyed in the front-back direction.

A plurality of ink heads 21 are held on the lower surface of the carriage 20. In this embodiment, the number of ink heads 21 is eight. The plurality of ink heads 21 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction on the carriage 20. Each ink head 21 has a nozzle surface on which a plurality of nozzles 21A (see FIG. 3) are formed to eject ink. The nozzle 21A is a fine hole through which ink is ejected. On the nozzle surface of each ink head 21, the plurality of nozzles 21A are lined up in the front-rear direction to form a nozzle row.

Inside each of the plurality of ink heads 21, an actuator (not shown) including a piezoelectric element is provided. An actuator is provided for each nozzle 21A. Each nozzle 21A discharges ink by driving each actuator. Each actuator includes a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle 21A and storing ink, and a piezoelectric element in contact with the pressure chamber. When the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element is changed, the piezoelectric element expands and contracts, and the volume of the pressure chamber changes due to the displacement. Ink is ejected from the nozzle 21A due to this change in the volume of the pressure chamber.

Each of the plurality of ink heads 21 is connected to one of a plurality of ink tanks 40, which will be described later. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of the ink supply system 30. The ink supply system 30 is a system that supplies ink to the ink head 21. As shown in FIG. 3, each ink head 21 is connected to the ink storage section 50 of one ink tank 40, and discharges the ink contained in the ink storage section 50. As shown in FIG. 1, eight ink tanks 40 are provided here. The number of ink heads 21 and the number of ink tanks 40 are the same (however, in FIG. 3, the illustrations of systems other than two are omitted). Note that in this embodiment, one ink head 21 is provided with one nozzle row and connected to one ink tank 40, but the configurations of the ink head and the ink supply system are not limited thereto. A plurality of nozzle rows may be formed in one ink head, and the same number of ink tanks as the nozzle rows may be connected. In this case, ink stored in an ink tank connected to the nozzle row is ejected from the nozzles of one nozzle row.

The ink tank 40 is configured to be refillable with ink. A supply bottle 200 containing ink is attached to and removed from the ink tank 40, and ink is replenished from the supply bottle 200. The configurations of the ink tank 40 and supply bottle 200 will be described later.

The plurality of ink heads 21 and the plurality of ink tanks 40 are each connected by an ink supply path 31. Each ink supply path 31 is provided with a liquid feed pump 32 that sends ink from the ink tank 40 to the ink head 21 . However, the configuration of the ink supply system 30 is not limited to this. The ink supply system 30 may include, for example, a deaerator that removes air bubbles from the ink, a circulation channel that circulates the ink, a valve, and the like.

The material of the ink is not limited at all, and various materials conventionally used as ink materials for inkjet printers can be used. The ink may be, for example, a solvent-based pigment ink, an aqueous pigment ink, or an aqueous dye ink. In this embodiment, the ink is an ultraviolet curable pigment ink that is cured by exposure to ultraviolet light.

As shown in FIG. 1, the light irradiation device 22 is provided on the carriage 20. The light irradiation device 22 is a device that irradiates light that cures photocurable ink. The light irradiation device 22 includes a light source and an irradiation port (not shown). The light irradiation device 22 irradiates light downward from an irradiation port. The light irradiation device 22 extends in the front-back direction. The light irradiation device 22 is arranged on the left side of the carriage 20 here. However, the light irradiation device 22 may be placed on the right side of the carriage 20. Alternatively, they may be placed on both the left and right sides.

The two legs 12 support the printer main body 11 from below. The two legs 12 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The two legs 12 extend downward from near the left end and near the right end of the platen 13, respectively. A portion of the left side of the printer main body 11 projects further to the left than the left leg 12. A portion of the right side of the printer main body 11 protrudes further to the right than the right leg 12.

Below, the configurations of the ink tank 40 and the supply bottle 200 will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, four of the eight ink tanks 40 are provided below the right side of the leg 12 of the printer main body 11. The four ink tanks 40 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The other four of the eight ink tanks 40 are provided below the left side of the leg 12 of the printer main body 11. The four ink tanks 40 are also arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the supply bottle 200 is attached to the ink tank 40 in front of the printer main body 11. Of the ink tanks 40 , a mounting mechanism 60 to which the supply bottle 200 is mounted is located in front of the printer main body 11 . Thereby, the work of attaching the supply bottle 200 to the ink tank 40 can be performed from the front side of the printer 10. A portion of the ink tank 40 that is rearward of the mounting mechanism 60 is located rearward of the front surface of the printer main body 11 .

4 to 6 are schematic vertical cross-sectional views of the ink tank 40. FIG. Of these, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the amount of ink in the ink tank 40 is smaller than a replenishment prohibited amount Q1, which will be described later. A supply bottle 200 is also illustrated in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the amount of ink in the ink tank 40 is equal to or greater than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which a lid 70, which will be described later, is further opened from the state shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the ink tank 40 includes an ink accommodating portion 50 capable of accommodating ink, and an attachment mechanism 60 configured to allow the supply bottle 200 to be attached and detached. A storage space 50a that can store ink is formed inside the ink storage section 50. The supply bottle 200 is an example of a replenishment container containing replenishment ink. The mounting mechanism 60 is connected to the accommodation space 50a. By mounting the supply bottle 200 on the mounting mechanism 60, the ink contained in the supply bottle 200 is moved to the storage space 50a. Furthermore, by removing the supply bottle 200 from the mounting mechanism 60, the empty supply bottle 200 can be recovered.

As shown in FIG. 4, the supply bottle 200 has a substantially cylindrical shape in which the lower portion is thinner than the upper portion when the supply bottle 200 is attached to the attachment mechanism 60. The supply bottle 200 has a tapered portion in the middle portion that narrows toward the front end side (downward side) in the insertion direction into the mounting mechanism 60. An ink inlet 201 is open at the front end of the supply bottle 200 . A sealing film 202 is placed over the ink injection port 201 so as to close the ink injection port 201 . The supply bottle 200 containing ink is sealed by the sealing film 202. The supply bottle 200 contains a predetermined amount of ink. In this embodiment, the supply bottle 200 has a fixed shape and is configured to maintain the above-described shape regardless of the amount of ink contained therein.

The supply bottle 200 is made of a light-shielding material to prevent the ink from being cured by exposure to external light. The supply bottle 200 is made of resin here. If the photocurable ink comes into contact with metal, it may undergo a chemical reaction and be cured, so resin is suitable as the material for the supply bottle 200. The supply bottle 200 is preferably made of a resin that is resistant to ink and has light blocking properties, such as opaque polypropylene. The sealing film 202 is made of, for example, resin such as polypropylene or polyethylene terephthalate.

As shown in FIG. 4, the mounting mechanism 60 includes a mounting port 61 for mounting the supply bottle 200, an insertion hole 62 extending downward from the mounting port 61, a connecting portion 63 provided at the bottom of the insertion hole 62, and a mounting port 61 for mounting the supply bottle 200. A lid 70 for opening and closing the mouth 61 is provided.

The insertion hole 62 has a cylindrical shape and extends in the vertical direction. The supply bottle 200 is inserted into the insertion hole 62 through a mounting port 61 opened at the upper end of the insertion hole 62 . When inserting the supply bottle 200 into the insertion hole 62, the lid 70 is opened. The lid 70 includes a disc-shaped lid main body 71 that opens and closes the mounting opening 61, and a rotating shaft 72. The rotating shaft 72 is arranged at the rear of the mounting port 61. The rotating shaft 72 extends in the left-right direction. The lid main body 71 is rotated in the vertical direction around the rotation axis 72. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the lid main body 71 is held substantially horizontally when closed, and covers the mounting opening 61. As shown in FIG. 6, the lid main body 71 is held substantially vertically when opened.

The lid 70 includes a detected portion 73 provided on the opposite side of the lid main body 71 with respect to the rotating shaft 72 . The detected portion 73 is configured to rotate integrally with the lid main body 71. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the lid 70 is closed, the detected portion 73 is located behind the rotating shaft 72. As shown in FIG. 6, when the lid 70 is open, the detected portion 73 is located below the rotating shaft 72. Whether the lid 70 is closed or open is determined by a detection device 80 (described later) detecting the position of the detected portion 73.

A connecting portion 63 to be connected to the supply bottle 200 is provided at the bottom of the insertion hole 62 . The connecting portion 63 includes a needle portion 64 . The needle portion 64 has a sharp tip and is configured to be able to penetrate the sealing film 202 of the supply bottle 200. The needle portion 64 is provided with an inlet 65 that communicates with the accommodation space 50a. When the supply bottle 200 is inserted into the insertion hole 62 and the needle portion 64 penetrates the sealing film 202, the ink moves into the accommodation space 50a through the inlet 65.

The mounting mechanism 60 includes a bottle sensor 66 (see FIG. 7) that detects that the supply bottle 200 is inserted into the insertion hole 62. Although the configuration of the bottle sensor 66 is not particularly limited, it may include, for example, a switch that is pressed when the supply bottle 200 is inserted into the insertion hole 62. The bottle sensor 66 is electrically connected to the control device 150 and sends a signal corresponding to the presence or absence of the supply bottle 200 to the control device 150. Using the bottle sensor 66, the control device 150 determines whether the supply bottle 200 is attached to the ink tank 40.

The volume of the storage space 50a is configured to be larger than the volume of the supply bottle 200. For example, the volume of ink contained in the supply bottle 200 is 500 ml or around 500 ml. On the other hand, the volume of ink accommodated in the accommodation space 50a is 1500 ml or around 1500 ml. By making the volume of the storage space 50a larger than the volume of the supply bottle 200, it can also be used in a usage method where a larger amount of ink is consumed than the ink storage capacity of the supply bottle 200 without refilling the ink, such as during automatic operation at night. It becomes possible. The volume of the storage space 50a is preferably at least twice the volume of the supply bottle 200.

Here, the ink storage portion 50 and the mounting mechanism 60 of the ink tank 40 are also made of a material that has light-shielding properties, regularity, and ink resistance, such as opaque polypropylene.

The ink tank 40 is provided with a detection device 80 that detects that the lid 70 has been opened. The detection device 80 includes an opening/closing sensor 81 that detects that the lid 70 is in an open state. The opening/closing sensor 81 is connected to the control device 150. By detection by the open/close sensor 81, the printer 10 recognizes that an operation to open the lid 70 has been performed. However, the operation detected by the detection device need not be an operation of opening the lid 70, but may be a predetermined operation related to mounting the supply bottle 200. The detected predetermined operation related to the attachment of the supply bottle 200 may be, for example, an operation of inserting the supply bottle 200 into the insertion hole 62.

In this embodiment, the opening/closing sensor 81 is a photointerrupter. The opening/closing sensor 81 includes a light emitter 81A and a light receiver (not shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 because they overlap with the light emitter 81A, and the light receiver may be placed on the near side in the paper), which are arranged to face each other in the left-right direction. ing. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the lid 70 is in the closed state, the detected portion 73 of the lid 70 is located between the light emitter 81A and the light receiver of the opening/closing sensor 81. Therefore, when the lid 70 is in the closed state, the detected portion 73 of the lid 70 blocks the light from the projector 81A. In this state, the light receiver is not receiving light from the light projector 81A. When the lid 70 is in the open state, the detected portion 73 moves from between the light emitter 81A and the light receiver of the opening/closing sensor 81, as shown in FIG. Thereby, the light emitted from the light projector 81A of the opening/closing sensor 81 reaches the light receiver. By receiving this light, the opening/closing sensor 81 detects that the lid 70 is in the open state. The opening/closing sensor 81 is electrically connected to the control device 150. The opening/closing sensor 81 is set here to transmit a signal to the control device 150 when the light receiver is not receiving light from the light projector 81A. The control device 150 determines whether the lid 70 is in the closed state based on the presence or absence of a signal from the open/close sensor 81. Note that the opening/closing sensor 81 may be configured to transmit a signal to the control device 150 when the light receiver is receiving light from the light projector 81A.

The ink tank 40 is supported by a support member 90. The support member 90 supports the ink tank 40 so that its position in the vertical direction changes depending on the amount of ink contained in the storage space 50a. The support member 90 includes, for example, a frame 91 that supports the ink tank 40, a guide rail (not shown) with which the frame 91 is slidably engaged in the vertical direction, and an elastic member (not shown) that supports the frame 91. It is equipped with However, the configuration of the support member is not limited to this configuration.

The printer 10 includes a remaining amount sensor 100 that can detect whether the amount of ink in the storage space 50a is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount (hereinafter referred to as the prohibited replenishment amount Q1). Here, the prohibited refill amount Q1 is an ink amount used to warn against refilling the ink tank 40 with ink using the supply bottle 200. The prohibited replenishment amount Q1 is set to be less than or equal to the amount obtained by subtracting the amount of ink stored in the supply bottle 200 from the preset maximum ink storage amount of the storage space 50a. Therefore, if the amount of ink in the storage space 50a is equal to or less than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1, even if all the ink in the supply bottle 200 is refilled into the ink tank 40, the amount of ink in the storage space 50a will be the maximum ink storage amount. not exceed. Preferably, the prohibited replenishment amount Q1 is set to an amount equal to or slightly smaller than the maximum ink storage amount of the storage space 50a minus the amount of ink stored in the supply bottle 200. good.

The remaining amount sensor 100 is configured to detect the vertical position of the ink tank 40, and based on the vertical position of the ink tank 40, determines whether the amount of ink in the storage space 50a is equal to or greater than the prohibited refill amount Q1. It is detecting whether The remaining amount sensor 100 detects the ink tank based on the previously detected position of the ink tank 40 when the amount of ink stored in the storage space 50a is the prohibited refill amount Q1, and the detected position of the ink tank 40. It is detected whether the amount of ink in 40 is equal to or greater than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1. In this embodiment, the remaining amount sensor 100 is also a photointerrupter. The remaining amount sensor 100 includes a light emitter 100A and a light receiver (not shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 because they overlap with the light emitter 100A, and the light receiver may be on the near side in the paper), which are arranged to face each other in the left-right direction. We are prepared.

The ink tank 40 includes a remaining amount detection end 41 . The remaining amount detection end 41 is provided at the bottom of the ink storage section 50 here. However, the location where the remaining amount detection end is provided is not limited to the bottom of the ink storage section. The remaining amount detection end 41 moves in the vertical direction integrally with the ink tank 40. The remaining amount detection end 41 extends substantially horizontally. As shown in FIG. 4, when the amount of ink stored in the ink tank 40 is less than the replenishment prohibited amount Q1, the remaining amount detection end 41 is located between the light emitter 100A and the light receiver of the remaining amount sensor 100. . At this time, the light from the light projector 100A is blocked by the remaining amount detection end 41 and does not reach the light receiver. When the amount of ink stored in the ink tank 40 exceeds the prohibited replenishment amount Q1, the remaining amount detection end 41 is located below the space between the light emitter 100A and the light receiver of the remaining amount sensor 100, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Move to. Thereby, the light emitted from the light projector 100A of the remaining amount sensor 100 reaches the light receiver. Upon arrival of this light, the remaining amount sensor 100 detects that the amount of ink stored in the ink tank 40 is equal to or greater than the replenishment prohibited amount Q1. The remaining amount sensor 100 is electrically connected to the control device 150. The remaining amount sensor 100 is set here to transmit a signal to the control device 150 when the light receiver is not receiving light from the light projector 100A. The control device 150 determines whether the amount of ink in the ink tank 40 is equal to or greater than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1 based on the presence or absence of a signal from the remaining amount sensor 100.

Note that the remaining amount sensor 100 may be configured to transmit a signal to the control device 150 when the light receiver is receiving light from the light projector 100A. Further, the method by which the remaining amount sensor detects the amount of ink contained in the ink tank is not limited to the above method. The remaining amount sensor may detect the amount of ink in the ink tank by detecting, for example, the height of the water level of the ink in the ink storage portion or the weight of the ink tank. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the presence or absence of an output from the remaining amount sensor 100 indicates whether the amount of ink in the ink tank 40 is equal to or greater than the replenishment prohibited amount Q1, but the remaining amount sensor simply indicates the amount of ink in the ink tank. It is also possible to simply transmit a signal corresponding to the . In that case, the control device determines whether the amount of ink in the ink tank is equal to or greater than the prohibited refill amount Q1 based on a comparison between the ink amount based on the signal from the remaining amount sensor and the stored prohibited refill amount Q1. .

The printer 10 includes a warning device 110 that receives a signal from a control device 150 and issues a warning. The warning device 110 is configured to issue a first warning when a first signal, which will be described later, is transmitted from the control device 150. The warning device 110 includes a warning lamp 111 and a buzzer 112 (see FIG. 7). A warning lamp 111 of the warning device 110 is provided in the ink tank 40 . A buzzer 112 of the warning device 110 is provided in the printer body 11. However, the configuration and arrangement of such a warning device are merely examples, and are not limited thereto. In this embodiment, when the first signal is transmitted from the control device 150, the warning lamp 111 blinks and the buzzer 112 emits a warning sound.

Further, the warning device 110 issues a second warning when a second signal, which will be described later, is transmitted from the control device 150. Warning device 110 is connected to control device 150 and issues a first warning and a second warning under the control of control device 150. Note that the second warning may be different from the first warning in, for example, the flashing cycle of the warning lamp 111 or the type of warning sound, so that the second warning can be distinguished from the first warning.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the printer 10. As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 150 includes the ink head 21, the light irradiation device 22, the scan motor 23D, the feed motor 24C, the liquid feed pump 32, the warning lamp 111 and the buzzer 112 of the warning device 110. are electrically connected to and control their operation. Further, the control device 150 is electrically connected to the bottle sensor 66, the open/close sensor 81, and the remaining amount sensor 100, and receives signals from them.

The control device 150 is, for example, a computer connected to the printer 10, and may include a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as a CPU), a ROM storing programs executed by the CPU, and a RAM. good. Each part of the control device 150 may be configured by software or hardware. Moreover, each part may be a processor or a circuit. The configuration of control device 150 is not particularly limited.

The control device 150 is configured to transmit a signal when a predetermined condition is satisfied, including that the remaining amount sensor 100 detects that the amount of ink in the storage space 50a is equal to or greater than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1. It is set. As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 150 according to this embodiment includes a first warning section 151 and a second warning section 152. The first warning unit 151 detects that the opening/closing sensor 81 indicates that the lid 70 is open when the remaining amount sensor 100 detects that the amount of ink in the storage space 50a is equal to or greater than the prohibited refill amount Q1. When detected, a first signal is transmitted to the warning device 110. The first signal is a signal that causes the warning device 110 to issue a first warning. The second warning unit 152 transmits a second signal to the warning device 110 when a predetermined time has elapsed with the lid 70 in the open state. The second signal is a signal that causes the warning device 110 to issue a second warning. The predetermined time is set to be longer than the time required for all the ink in the supply bottle 200 to move to the ink tank 40. The time required for all the ink in the supply bottle 200 to move to the ink tank 40 is measured in advance. Note that the control device 150 may include other control units such as a control unit that controls printing operations, but their description and illustration are omitted here.

In the following, operations and control related to replenishing ink from the supply bottle 200 to the ink tank 40 will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing control related to replenishing ink to the ink tank 40. When attempting to replenish ink from the supply bottle 200 to the ink tank 40, the user first opens the lid 70. As shown in FIG. 8, in the control related to replenishing ink to the ink tank 40, it is determined in step S01 whether the lid 70 is in an open state. This determination is made based on the signal emitted by the opening/closing sensor 81. When the lid 70 is open (when the result of step S01 is YES), the process advances to step S02. When the lid 70 is closed (when the result of step S01 is NO), step S01 is repeated.

In step S02, it is determined whether the amount of ink in the storage space 50a is less than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1 based on the signal emitted by the remaining amount sensor 100. If the amount of ink in the storage space 50a is less than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1 (if the result of step S02 is YES), the process proceeds to step S03. This is the case when the lid 70 is opened from the state shown in FIG. At this time, it is determined that there is no problem in replenishing ink from the supply bottle 200. On the other hand, if the amount of ink in the accommodation space 50a is equal to or greater than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1 (if the result of step S02 is NO), the process proceeds to step S05. This is the state shown in FIG. In step S05, since the amount of ink in the storage space 50a is greater than or equal to the prohibited refill amount Q1, a first warning is issued to the effect that the ink tank 40 should not be refilled with ink.

In step S03, it is determined whether the lid 70 remains open or not based on the signal from the opening/closing sensor 81. If the lid 70 is closed (if the result of step S03 is NO), it is determined that the lid 70 is closed due to completion of ink replenishment or other reasons, and the process ends. Regardless of whether ink replenishment has been completed or not, the fact that the lid 70 is closed means that the supply bottle 200 is not attached to the attachment mechanism 60. Thus, the process ends when the lid 70 is closed.

When the lid 70 is open (when the result of step S03 is YES), it is determined in step S04 whether the time that the lid 70 is in the open state is longer than a predetermined time. If the time during which the lid 70 is open is less than the predetermined time (if the result of step S04 is NO), step S03 is repeated. If the time period during which the lid 70 is in the open state is longer than the predetermined time period (if the result of step S04 is YES), the process proceeds to step S06. In step S06, it is notified that the replenishment of ink to the ink tank 40 has been completed (or if the supply bottle 200 is still attached even though the replenishment of ink to the ink tank 40 has been completed). A second warning (warning that the

Note that the printer 10 may be configured to continue printing even while the ink tank 40 is being refilled with ink using the supply bottle 200.

As described above, the printer 10 according to the present embodiment includes the remaining amount sensor 100 that can detect whether the amount of ink in the storage space 50a of the ink tank 40 is equal to or greater than the predetermined replenishment prohibited amount Q1, and the supply It includes a detection device 80 that detects that a predetermined operation related to attachment of the bottle 200 has been performed, and a warning device 110. The first warning unit 151 of the control device 150 causes the detection device 80 to perform the predetermined operation when the remaining amount sensor 100 detects that the amount of ink in the accommodation space 50a is equal to or greater than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1. When detected, it is set to transmit a first signal to the warning device 110 to issue a first warning. According to this configuration, a warning is issued when the amount of ink in the accommodation space 50a is equal to or greater than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1. It can prevent you from putting it away.

In this embodiment, the detection device 80 includes a lid 70 that opens and closes the mounting opening 61 of the supply bottle 200, and an open/close sensor 81 that detects that the lid 70 is in an open state. When the opening/closing sensor 81 detects that the lid 70 is open in a state where it is detected that the amount of ink in the accommodation space 50a is equal to or greater than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1, the first warning unit 151 activates the first warning unit 151. Send a signal. As a result, the warning device 110 issues the first warning. When refilling the ink tank 40 with ink, it is necessary to open the lid 70 that blocks the inside and outside of the ink tank 40, so with this configuration, it is possible to reliably detect the ink replenishment operation. Can be done. However, the operation detected by the detection device may be any operation related to replenishing ink, and is not limited to the operation of opening the lid 70.

The prohibited replenishment amount Q1 is set to be less than or equal to the amount obtained by subtracting the amount of ink stored in the supply bottle 200 from the preset maximum ink storage amount of the storage space 50a. Therefore, if the amount of ink in the storage space 50a is equal to or less than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1, even if all the ink in the supply bottle 200 is refilled into the ink tank 40, the amount of ink in the storage space 50a will be the maximum ink storage amount. not exceed.

The printer 10 according to this embodiment includes a support member 90 that supports the ink tank 40 so that its vertical position changes depending on the amount of ink stored in the storage space 50a. The remaining amount sensor 100 is configured to detect the position of the ink tank 40 in the vertical direction. The remaining amount sensor 100 detects the ink tank based on the previously detected position of the ink tank 40 when the amount of ink stored in the storage space 50a is the prohibited refill amount Q1, and the detected position of the ink tank 40. It is detected whether the amount of ink in 40 is equal to or greater than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1. According to this configuration, it is possible to reliably detect whether the amount of ink accommodated in the accommodation space 50a is equal to or greater than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1.

The second warning unit 152 of the control device 150 according to the present embodiment is set to transmit a second signal when a predetermined period of time has elapsed with the lid 70 in the open state. As a result, the warning device 110 issues a second warning. According to this configuration, the supply bottle 200 may remain attached even though the ink tank 40 has been refilled with ink or the ink tank 40 has been refilled with ink. It is possible to inform the user that the

Note that the printer 10 may be configured to issue another warning that the lid 70 is left open for a predetermined period of time even though the supply bottle 200 is not attached to the attachment mechanism 60. . The other warning described above may be issued when the bottle sensor 66 does not detect attachment of the supply bottle 200 and the lid 70 remains open for a second predetermined period of time or more. The purpose of the other warnings mentioned above is, for example, to warn that the lid 70 has been forgotten to close. Further, the second alarm may be one that counts a predetermined time starting from the time when the bottle sensor 66 detects that the supply bottle 200 is attached.

In this embodiment, at least a portion of the warning device 110, specifically the warning lamp 111, is provided in the ink tank 40. Therefore, it is easy for the user to understand that he or she has received a warning regarding matters related to ink replenishment.

(Second embodiment)
The printer according to the second embodiment includes a mechanism that receives a signal from the control device and prevents the supply bottle from being attached to the attachment mechanism. In the following description of the second embodiment, members having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment. In addition, duplicate explanations will be omitted or simplified.

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the ink tank 40 of the printer 10 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the printer 10 according to the present embodiment includes a blocking device 120 that partially blocks the mounting port 61 of the mounting mechanism 60 so that the supply bottle 200 cannot be mounted in the mounting port 61 of the mounting mechanism 60. However, the blocking device 120 may be configured to block the entire mounting port 61. The blocking device 120 includes a horizontally movable stopper 121 and an actuator 122 that horizontally moves the stopper 121. The stopper 121 has a blocking position where it protrudes radially inward of the mounting port 61 from the inner circumferential surface of the mounting port 61 and a retracted position where it retracts toward the radial outside of the mounting port 61 from the inner circumferential surface of the mounting port 61. and can be taken. Actuator 122 moves stopper 121 between a blocking position and a retracted position. In FIG. 9, the stop 121 is shown in the blocking position.

As shown in FIG. 9, the control device 150 includes a blocking control section 153. The blocking control unit 153 transmits a third signal to the blocking device 120 when the remaining amount sensor 100 detects that the amount of ink in the storage space 50a is equal to or greater than the replenishment prohibited amount Q1. Specifically, the blocking control unit 153 transmits a third signal to the actuator 122 of the blocking device 120. The third signal is a signal that causes the blocking device 120 to partially block the mounting opening 61. Upon receiving the third signal, actuator 122 moves stopper 121 to the blocking position. When the third signal is interrupted, the actuator 122 moves the stopper 121 to the retracted position. When the stopper 121 is in the blocking position, the user cannot attach the supply bottle 200 to the attachment mechanism 60. This prevents the supply bottle 200 from being attached to the attachment mechanism 60 when the amount of ink in the accommodation space 50a is equal to or greater than the prohibited refill amount Q1.

In this way, with this printer 10 as well, it is possible to prevent overfilling of ink into the accommodation space 50a by replenishing ink with the supply bottle 200. In addition, the structure of the above-mentioned blocking device is an example, and is not limited to what is described above.

(Modified example)
The second embodiment can also be implemented with some modifications. FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the ink tank 40 of the printer 10 according to a modified example of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the printer 10 according to this modification includes a locking device 130 that fixes the lid 70 in a closed state. The lock device 130 includes a lock arm 131 that rotates in the front-rear direction and an actuator 132 that rotates the lock arm 131. The lock arm 131 can take a locked position where it engages with the engagement hole 71a of the lid body 71 and an unlocked position where it is separated from the lid 70. Actuator 132 moves lock arm 131 between a lock position and an unlock position. In FIG. 10, the locking arm 131 is shown in the locked position.

As shown in FIG. 10, the control device 150 includes a lock control section 154. The lock control unit 154 transmits a fourth signal to the lock device 130 when the remaining amount sensor 100 detects that the amount of ink in the accommodation space 50a is equal to or greater than the replenishment prohibited amount Q1. Specifically, the lock control unit 154 transmits a fourth signal to the actuator 132 of the lock device 130. The fourth signal is a signal that causes the locking device 130 to fix the lid 70 in the closed state. Upon receiving the fourth signal, actuator 132 moves lock arm 131 to the lock position. When the fourth signal is interrupted, the actuator 132 moves the lock arm 131 to the unlock position. When the lock arm 131 is in the locked position, the user cannot open the lid 70. This prevents the supply bottle 200 from being attached to the attachment mechanism 60 when the amount of ink in the accommodation space 50a is equal to or greater than the prohibited refill amount Q1.

In this manner, the printer 10 according to the present modification can also prevent overfilling of ink into the accommodation space 50a by replenishing ink with the supply bottle 200. The configuration of the locking device that fixes the lid 70 in the closed state is also not limited to the above.

Note that the printer may include both a warning device and a mechanism that prevents attachment of the supply bottle to the attachment mechanism. The printer includes at least one of a warning device that issues a warning upon receiving a signal from the control device, and a mechanism that prevents the supply bottle from being attached to the attachment mechanism upon receiving a signal from the control device. good.

Several preferred embodiments have been described above. However, the ink supply system and printer disclosed herein are not limited to the embodiments described above. Several other preferred embodiments will be described below. Also in the following description of other embodiments, members having the same functions as those of the above-described embodiments will be given the same reference numerals. In addition, duplicate explanations will be omitted or simplified.

(Other Embodiment 1)
According to an example of another preferred embodiment, the supply bottle 200 may include an IC chip written with information about the supply bottle 200, and the printer 10 may read the information stored in the IC chip. A reading device for reading may be provided. FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the printer 10 (including the IC chip 210) according to this embodiment. One IC chip 210 is attached to each supply bottle 200. The IC chip 210 stores unique information of the corresponding supply bottle 200. The IC chip 210 stores at least the type of ink contained in the supply bottle 200. Here, the type of ink, the expiration date of the ink, the serial number of the supply bottle 200, etc. are stored in the IC chip 210. Note that the IC chip 210 is only an example of a storage medium in which the above information is stored, and the type of storage medium is not limited.

As shown in FIG. 11, the printer 10 according to this embodiment includes a reading device 14 that reads information stored in an IC chip 210. The reading device 14 is connected to the control device 150. The reading device 14 is provided, for example, on the front surface of the printer body 11. The reading device 14 is configured to read information stored in the IC chip 210 by inserting the IC chip 210, for example. In this embodiment, the reading of information in the IC chip 210 by the reading device 14 serves as a trigger for starting ink replenishment. The printer 10 according to the present embodiment prevents, for example, refilling the ink tank 40 with the wrong type of ink by reading the information in the IC chip 210.

As shown in FIG. 11, in this embodiment, the control device 150 includes an ink registration section 155, a chip information acquisition section 156, and a collation section 157. The types of ink contained in the plurality of ink tanks 40 are registered in the ink registration unit 155, respectively. The type of ink includes, for example, the type of ink such as solvent ink or photocurable ink, and the color of the ink. In the ink registration section 155, one type of compatible ink is registered for each ink tank 40. The chip information acquisition unit 156 is configured to acquire information regarding the type of ink read out by the reading device 14. The collation unit 157 collates the type of ink registered in the ink registration unit 155 and the type of ink acquired by the chip information acquisition unit 156 for each ink tank 40.

The control device 150 according to the present embodiment issues a warning regarding ink replenishment based on the information read by the reading device 14 and the detection results obtained by the bottle sensor 66, open/close sensor 81, and remaining amount sensor 100. It is equipped with multiple warning parts that emit warnings. Further, the control device 150 performs a plurality of diagnostic tests that issue sensor abnormality information based on the information read by the reading device 14 and the detection results obtained by the bottle sensor 66, opening/closing sensor 81, and remaining amount sensor 100. It also has a section. As shown in FIG. 11, the control device 150 includes a third warning section 158, a fourth warning section 159, a fifth warning section 160, a sixth warning section 161, a first diagnosis section 162, and a second diagnosis section 158. 163, a third diagnosis section 164, a fourth diagnosis section 165, a first confirmation screen display section 166, and a second confirmation screen display section 167. The first confirmation screen display section 166 and the second confirmation screen display section 167 display a confirmation screen that prompts the user to confirm the status of the printer 10 and input the confirmation result when issuing the sensor abnormality information.

The third warning unit 158 confirms that the type of ink registered in the ink registration unit 155 matches the type of ink acquired by the chip information acquisition unit 156 for each ink tank 40 by the collation unit 157; Further, when the remaining amount sensor 100 detects that the amount of ink in the storage space 50a is equal to or greater than the prohibited refill amount Q1, the warning device 110 is caused to issue a third warning. The fourth warning unit 159 issues a warning when the opening/closing sensor 81 detects that the lid 70 is in the open state when the chip information acquisition unit 156 has not acquired the type of ink for each ink tank 40. The device 110 is caused to issue a fourth warning. The fifth warning unit 160 confirms, with respect to each ink tank 40, that the collation unit 157 confirms that the type of ink registered in the ink registration unit 155 and the type of ink acquired by the chip information acquisition unit 156 are different, and , when the opening/closing sensor 81 detects that the lid 70 is open, the warning device 110 is caused to issue a fifth warning. The sixth warning unit 161 warns the warning device 110 when the collation unit 157 confirms that the type of ink acquired by the chip information acquisition unit 156 is different from any of the ink types registered in the ink registration unit 155. to issue the sixth warning. Here, "to cause the warning device 110 to issue a warning" more precisely means to send a signal to the warning device 110 to cause the warning device to issue a warning. Control by the third warning unit 158 to the sixth warning unit 161 will be described later.

The first diagnosis unit 162 confirms, with respect to each ink tank 40, that the type of ink registered in the ink registration unit 155 and the type of ink acquired by the chip information acquisition unit 156 match, by the collation unit 157, In addition, after a predetermined period of time has passed since the bottle sensor 66 detects that the supply bottle 200 is attached to the attachment mechanism 60, the remaining amount is determined to be less than the refill prohibited amount Q1. When detected by the sensor 100, the warning device 110 is caused to transmit first sensor abnormality information. The first sensor abnormality information is a warning that notifies the user of the possibility of an abnormality in the remaining amount sensor 100. The first sensor abnormality information will be described later.

The second diagnosis unit 163 confirms that, for each ink tank 40, the collation unit 157 confirms that the type of ink registered in the ink registration unit 155 matches the type of ink acquired by the chip information acquisition unit 156. In this state, even though the bottle sensor 66 does not detect that the supply bottle 200 is attached to the attachment port 61, the amount of ink in the storage space 50a is smaller than the prohibited refill amount Q1. When the remaining amount sensor 100 detects that the amount has changed to the above amount, the warning device 110 is caused to transmit second sensor abnormality information. The second sensor abnormality information is a warning that notifies the user of the possibility of an abnormality in the bottle sensor 66. The second sensor abnormality information will be described later.

The third diagnostic unit 164 detects, with respect to each ink tank 40, that the lid 70 is closed by the open/close sensor 81, and that the bottle sensor 66 detects that the supply bottle 200 is attached to the attachment port 61. If this occurs, the warning device 110 is caused to transmit third sensor abnormality information. The third sensor abnormality information is a warning that notifies the user of the possibility of an abnormality in the bottle sensor 66 or the opening/closing sensor 81. The first confirmation screen display section 166 allows a first confirmation screen to input whether or not the supply bottle 200 is attached to the attachment port 61 when the third sensor abnormality information is issued regarding each ink tank 40. Display the screen. The first confirmation screen may be displayed on, for example, the operation panel of the printer 10 or a display device connected to the printer 10. Based on the user's input on the first confirmation screen, the third diagnostic unit 164 diagnoses whether the abnormality is due to the possibility of an abnormality in the bottle sensor 66 or the possibility of an abnormality in the opening/closing sensor 81. Note that the first confirmation screen display section 166 may be configured to display a confirmation screen for inputting the open/closed state of the lid 70 when the third sensor abnormality information is issued. The third sensor abnormality information will be described later.

The second confirmation screen display unit 167 allows input of the open/close state of the lid 70 when the open/close sensor 81 detects that the lid 70 is open for each ink tank 40 for a predetermined period of time or more. Display the second confirmation screen. The fourth diagnostic unit 165 sends a signal to the warning device 110 to transmit fourth sensor abnormality information when the second confirmation screen display unit 167 inputs that the lid 70 is in the closed state with respect to each ink tank 40. Send to. The fourth sensor abnormality information is a warning that notifies the user of the possibility of an abnormality in the opening/closing sensor 81. The fourth sensor abnormality information will be described later.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of warnings related to ink replenishment. In this embodiment, ink replenishment begins by causing the reading device 14 to read information from the IC chip 210 attached to the supply bottle 200. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, in the ink replenishment process, it is first determined in step S11 whether information from the IC chip 210 has been read. If the information on the IC chip 210 has been read (if the result of step S11 is YES), the process can proceed to step S14. If the information of the IC chip 210 has not been read (if the result of step S11 is NO), it is checked in step S12 whether the lids 70 of all ink tanks 40 are closed. If ink is replenished without information about the type of ink being read from the IC chip 210, the functions of the printer 10 cannot prevent the wrong ink from being replenished into the ink tank 40. Therefore, if any of the lids 70 is open even though information has not been read from the IC chip 210 (if the result of step S12 is NO), as shown in FIG. At this point, the warning device 110 issues a fourth warning. When the lid 70 is open, it is determined that the ink tank 40 is about to be refilled with ink. As with the first warning and the second warning, the method of warning is not particularly limited. When the lids 70 of all the ink tanks 40 are closed (when the result of step S12 is YES), as shown in FIG. 12, the process returns to before checking whether the information of the IC chip 210 has been read out. . In other words, if one of the lids 70 is opened without the IC chip 210 being read, the fourth warning is issued from the printer 10.

In step S14, it is checked whether the type of ink read from the IC chip 210 matches the type of ink associated with any of the ink tanks 40. For example, if the ink contained in the supply bottle 200 is not a type of ink that is compatible with the printer 10, or if it is an ink of a color that is not used, the type of ink read from the IC chip 210 may be different from any ink type. The type of ink related to the tank 40 also does not match. If the type of ink read from the IC chip 210 does not match the type of ink associated with any of the ink tanks 40 (if the result of step S14 is NO), a sixth warning is issued in step S15. Note that the sixth warning may be issued even when the expiration date of the ink read from the IC chip 210 is before the time of reading.

If the type of ink read from the IC chip 210 matches the type of ink associated with any of the ink tanks 40 (if the result of step S14 is YES), the process proceeds to step S16. The following steps are related to the ink tank 40 containing ink that matches the type of ink read from the IC chip 210, and are not related to other ink tanks 40 unless otherwise specified. In step S16, it is checked whether the amount of ink stored in the ink tank 40 is less than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1. If the amount of ink stored in the ink tank 40 is equal to or greater than the prohibited refill amount Q1 (if the result of step S16 is NO), refilling the ink tank 40 from the supply bottle 200 may cause the ink to overflow from the ink tank 40. Therefore, a third warning is issued in step S17.

If the amount of ink stored in the ink tank 40 is less than the prohibited refill amount Q1 (if the result of step S16 is YES), in step S18, the lid of the ink tank 40 corresponding to the ink read from the IC chip 210 is removed. 70 is opened. In other words, it is determined whether the lids 70 of the ink tanks 40 other than the ink tank 40 corresponding to the ink read from the IC chip 210 have been opened. Regarding ink tanks 40 other than the ink tank 40 corresponding to the ink read from the IC chip 210, the type of ink registered in the ink registration unit 155 and the type of ink acquired by the chip information acquisition unit 156 are different. In the state in which it is confirmed that the difference has been made, it is confirmed whether the lid 70 has been opened. If only the lid 70 of the ink tank 40 corresponding to the ink read from the IC chip 210 is opened (if the result of step S18 is YES), it is assumed that all steps were correct and the process ends without warning. . If the lid 70 of an ink tank 40 other than the ink tank 40 corresponding to the ink read from the IC chip 210 is opened (if the result of step S18 is NO), a fifth warning is issued in step S19. Note that if the lid 70 that was opened by mistake is closed and only the correct lid 70 is opened again, the fifth warning may be erased.

As described above, according to the third warning section 158 to the sixth warning section 161 according to the present embodiment, when refilling ink, there is a possibility that the wrong ink is being refilled or that the ink overflows from the ink tank 40. By issuing a warning, the above-mentioned mistakes can be prevented. Note that the above-described process is only an example, and the third to sixth warnings may be issued in any order. Further, other warnings may be further issued, or some warnings may be omitted.

After that, the ink in the supply bottle 200 is actually moved into the ink tank 40, and the amount of ink in the ink tank 40 becomes a predetermined amount (this may be the prohibited refill amount Q1 or another amount larger than the prohibited refill amount Q1). In this case, the printer 10 writes information indicating that the IC chip 210 is used.

Next, sensor abnormality information issued by the printer 10 will be explained. 13A to 13D are schematic diagrams showing conditions under which sensor abnormality information is issued. FIG. 13A shows the conditions under which the first sensor abnormality information is issued. As shown in A of FIG. 13, the information of the IC chip 210 is read out (although not shown, it is assumed that the ink related to the information of the IC chip 210 matches the ink related to one ink tank 40, and so on. ), and even though a predetermined time or more has passed since attachment of the supply bottle 200 to the attachment mechanism 60 was detected, and even though more than the predetermined time has elapsed, If the amount of ink does not exceed the prohibited replenishment amount Q1, first sensor abnormality information is issued. It is determined that the fact that the information of the IC chip 210 has been read indicates an intention to replenish the corresponding ink tank 40 with ink. Therefore, after the detection of attachment of the supply bottle 200 to the attachment mechanism 60, a predetermined period of time (at least the time required for the amount of ink to reach the replenishment prohibited amount Q1 after starting to replenish ink to the empty ink tank 40) is required. If the amount of ink in the ink tank 40 does not become equal to or greater than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1 even after a period of time has elapsed, an abnormality in the remaining amount sensor 100 is suspected.

In the first sensor abnormality information, for example, a warning such as "Please check the remaining amount sensor as there is a risk of failure" is displayed. However, like the previous warnings, the form of the warning is not limited. Note that since there may be cases where the ink has not been replenished, the display may prompt the user to input whether or not the ink has been replenished. In that case, after inputting that the ink has been refilled, a warning may be issued that the remaining amount sensor 100 may be malfunctioning. Note that the first sensor abnormality information informs of the possibility that the remaining amount sensor 100 is malfunctioning, and at this time, it does not necessarily mean that the remaining amount sensor 100 is actually malfunctioning. The same applies to other sensor abnormality information.

Contrary to the first sensor abnormality information, if the remaining amount sensor 100 continues to detect that the ink amount is equal to or greater than the prohibited refill amount Q1, the remaining amount sensor 100 indicates that the ink amount has fallen below the prohibited refill amount Q1. An abnormality not detected by 100 is suspected. In order to detect such an abnormality, the printer 10 estimates the amount of ink consumed, and uses a remaining amount sensor to detect that the amount of ink has fallen below the replenishment prohibited amount Q1 even if the estimated amount of ink consumption exceeds a predetermined value. The sensor may be configured to issue sensor abnormality information when the sensor 100 does not detect it.

FIG. 13B shows the conditions under which the second sensor abnormality information is issued. As shown in FIG. 13B, the information on the IC chip 210 is read out, the bottle sensor 66 does not detect the attachment of the supply bottle 200 to the attachment mechanism 60, and, despite this, the information in the ink tank 40 is When the amount of ink changes from an amount less than the prohibited refill amount Q1 to an amount equal to or greater than the prohibited refill amount Q1, second sensor abnormality information is issued. In this case, an abnormality in the bottle sensor 66 is suspected. Specifically, even if the supply bottle 200 is attached to the attachment mechanism 60, an abnormality is suspected in which the bottle sensor 66 does not detect it.

The fact that the information on the IC chip 210 is read out as a condition for issuing the second sensor abnormality information is to prevent the possibility that the ink will be replenished by means other than mounting the supply bottle 200 on the mounting mechanism 60. This has been taken into consideration. Therefore, if such consideration is not taken, the conditions under which the second sensor abnormality information is issued are as follows: "The bottle sensor 66 does not detect the attachment of the supply bottle 200 to the attachment mechanism 60, and the amount of ink in the ink tank 40 may change from an amount less than the prohibited replenishment amount Q1 to an amount greater than or equal to the prohibited replenishment amount Q1.

FIG. 13C shows the conditions under which the third sensor abnormality information is issued. As shown in FIG. 13C, when the opening/closing sensor 81 detects that the lid 70 is closed and the bottle sensor 66 detects that the supply bottle 200 is attached to the attachment mechanism 60, the third sensor abnormality information is issued. Since it is normally not possible to attach the supply bottle 200 to the attachment mechanism 60 with the lid 70 closed, an abnormality in the opening/closing sensor 81 or the bottle sensor 66 is suspected in this case. Specifically, the opening/closing sensor 81 does not detect that the lid 70 is opened, or the bottle sensor 66 incorrectly detects that the supply bottle 200 is attached even though the supply bottle 200 is not attached to the attachment mechanism 60. Is there any abnormality?

In this case, since it is unclear which of the above abnormalities is more likely to have occurred, the first confirmation screen is displayed. The first confirmation screen is configured to display a question such as "Has the supply bottle been removed?" and to allow the user to select "Yes" or "No." For example, if the user inputs "the supply bottle is removed", there is a high possibility that the bottle sensor 66 is malfunctioning. Therefore, in this case, a warning such as "Please check the bottle sensor as there is a risk of failure" is displayed. On the other hand, for example, if the user inputs "the supply bottle is not removed", there is a high possibility that the open/close sensor 81 is malfunctioning. Therefore, in this case, a warning such as "Please check the opening/closing sensor as there is a risk of failure" is displayed. The displayed question may be a question regarding the lid 70, for example, "Is the lid closed?"

FIG. 13D shows the conditions under which the fourth sensor abnormality information is issued. As shown in FIG. 13D, when the opening/closing sensor 81 detects that the lid 70 is open and this state continues for a predetermined period of time or more, fourth sensor abnormality information is issued. In this case, an abnormality in the opening/closing sensor 81 is suspected. Specifically, an abnormality is suspected in which the opening/closing sensor 81 does not detect that the lid 70 is closed. However, there is a possibility that the lid 70 is actually open, so in this case, a second confirmation screen is displayed. The second confirmation screen is configured to display a question such as "Is the lid closed?" and to allow the user to select "yes" or "no." For example, if the user inputs "the lid is closed", there is a high possibility that the open/close sensor 81 is malfunctioning. Therefore, in this case, the fourth sensor abnormality information is issued. In the fourth sensor abnormality information, for example, a warning such as "Please check the opening/closing sensor as there is a risk of failure" is displayed. If the user inputs "lid open", a message such as "please close lid" may be displayed.

In this way, the first to fourth diagnostic units 162 to 165 can discover the possibility of sensor abnormality based on the detection results of other sensors and the user's situation input, and notify the user. can.

(Other Embodiment 2)
According to yet another example of the preferred embodiment, the mounting mechanism 60 of the printer 10 includes a holding device that holds the supply bottle 200 mounted in the mounting port 61 in a state that the supply bottle 200 is mounted in the mounting port 61; A release device for releasing the holding of the supply bottle 200 may be included. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the ink tank 40 according to this embodiment. 15 and 16 are cross-sectional views of the mounting mechanism 60. Of these, FIG. 15 shows the mounting mechanism 60 in a state where the supply bottle 200 is not mounted. FIG. 16 shows the mounting mechanism 60 with the supply bottle 200 mounted thereon.

As shown in FIG. 15, the mounting mechanism 60 includes a holding device 180 and a release device 190. As shown in FIG. 14, in this embodiment, the mounting port 61 of the mounting mechanism 60 and the release button 191 of the release device 190 (a button that releases the holding of the supply bottle 200 by pressing it; details will be described later) are as follows: Both are provided on the top plate 42 of the ink tank 40. The top plate 42 is provided above the accommodation space 50a of the ink tank 40. As a result, the ink in the supply bottle 200 attached to the attachment mechanism 60 falls into the storage space 50a. Furthermore, when releasing the supply bottle 200 from being held, the user can easily press the release button 191 provided on the top plate 42 of the ink tank 40. The release button 191 protrudes above the top plate 42. The release button 191 is provided at the front portion of the ink tank 40 (for example, at least the front half of the ink tank 40, and more preferably the front one-third of the ink tank 40). The release button 191 and the mounting port 61 are lined up in the front-rear direction. The release button 191 is provided in front of the mounting port 61.

An erroneous press prevention wall 43 is provided in a part of the periphery of the release button 191. The erroneous press prevention wall 43 is a member for preventing the release button 191 from being erroneously pressed. The erroneous press prevention wall 43 is provided so as to surround a part of the release button 191, here in the left and right direction. The erroneous press prevention wall 43 extends upward from the top plate 42. Here, the erroneous press prevention wall 43 extends upward from the left and right edges of the top plate 42 . The erroneous press prevention wall 43 extends above the upper surface of the release button 191. Therefore, it is less likely that the release button 191 will be pressed by mistake due to, for example, the user's elbow hitting it. A portion behind the mounting port 61 that is higher than the surface on which the mounting port 61 is provided can also be considered as part of the erroneous press prevention wall 43. According to this idea, the erroneous press prevention wall 43 surrounds the release button 191 except for the front side. The erroneous pressing prevention wall 43 is not formed on the front edge of the top plate 42. The erroneous press prevention wall 43 is missing in front of the release button 191. Therefore, it is easier to press the release button 191 from the front.

In this embodiment, the mounting opening 61 is also provided in a region of the top plate 42 surrounded by the erroneous press prevention wall 43 (hereinafter also referred to as the inner region 43a of the erroneous press prevention wall 43). The inner region 43a is an area between the left erroneous press prevention wall 43 and the right erroneous press prevention wall 43 here. The erroneous press prevention wall 43 surrounds the release button 191 and the mounting opening 61 except for the front side.

The holding device 180 holds the supply bottle 200 attached to the attachment port 61 in a state where it is attached to the attachment port 61. In this embodiment, a portion held by a holding device 180 is provided in the supply bottle 200. As shown in FIG. 16, the supply bottle 200 according to the present embodiment includes a ring portion 203 that protrudes outward in the radial direction from the circumference. Here, the upper surface 203a of the ring portion 203 is a portion held by the holding device 180. As shown in FIG. 16, the holding device 180 includes a stopper 181 that is caught on the ring portion 203, and a spring 182 that holds the stopper 181 in a state that it projects into the insertion hole 62.

The stopper 181 is inserted into an opening 62a provided on the side surface of the insertion hole 62. As shown in FIG. 15, the stopper 181 protrudes into the insertion hole 62 when the supply bottle 200 is not inserted into the insertion hole 62. A tapered surface 181a is formed at the top of the tip of the stopper 181 and slopes upward toward the outside in the radial direction of the insertion hole 62. The spring 182 biases the stopper 181 so as to hold the stopper 181 in a state of protruding into the insertion hole 62.

Although intermediate illustrations are omitted, when the supply bottle 200 is inserted into the insertion hole 62 from the mounting port 61, the ring portion 203 of the supply bottle 200 presses the tapered surface 181a of the stopper 181 downward. As a result, the stopper 181 moves radially outward of the insertion hole 62 against the urging force of the spring 182. When the ring portion 203 passes by the side of the stopper 181, the stopper 181 projects into the insertion hole 62 again.

In this embodiment, the connection part 63 with the supply bottle 200 includes a spring 67. The spring 67 urges the needle portion 64 upward. Due to the bias of the spring 67, the upper surface 203a of the ring portion 203 of the supply bottle 200 is pressed against the lower surface of the stopper 181. Thereby, the supply bottle 200 is held. At the same time, the connecting portion 63 comes into close contact with the ink injection port 201 of the supply bottle 200.

The release device 190 includes a release button 191 and a slide groove 192 provided in the release button 191. The release button 191 is configured to be depressed in the vertical direction. An upper part of the release button 191 protrudes above the top plate 42, and a lower part thereof is arranged below the top plate 42. The slide groove 192 is provided in a portion of the release button 191 below the top plate 42. The slide groove 192 is an example of a release part connected to the release button 191 and the holding device 180. The slide groove 192 serving as a release portion functions to release the holding of the supply bottle 200 by the holding device 180 when the release button 191 is pressed. As shown in FIG. 16, the slide groove 192 is inclined downward as it approaches the insertion hole 62. A transmission shaft 181b of the stopper 181 is inserted into the slide groove 192. The transmission shaft 181b extends substantially horizontally in the left-right direction. When the release button 191 is pressed downward, the slide groove 192 also moves downward. Then, the transmission shaft 181b moves forward (in the direction away from the insertion hole 62) along the diagonally formed slide groove 192. As a result, the stopper 181 is retracted radially outward from the insertion hole 62. When the supply bottle 200 is released from the stopper 181, it is pushed upward by the urging force of the spring 67. As a result, the holding of the supply bottle 200 by the holding device 180 is released.

The erroneous press prevention wall 43 has the function of preventing the release button 191 from being erroneously pressed, and also functions as an ink leakage prevention wall when ink leaks out of the mounting mechanism 60 for some reason. In order to exhibit this function, the erroneous press-down prevention wall 43 is provided so as to partially surround the periphery of the mounting opening 61. By surrounding a portion of the periphery of the mounting port 61 with the erroneous press prevention wall 43, leaked ink is prevented from reaching the outside of the ink tank 40.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, the top plate 42 includes an ink discharge port 44 provided in an inner region 43a of the erroneous press prevention wall 43. More specifically, the ink discharge port 44 is provided at the rear of the mounting port 61. Here, the rear is a direction opposite to the direction in which the missing portion of the erroneous press prevention wall 43 is located, with the mounting opening 61 as a reference. Although not shown, the ink discharge port 44 communicates with a waste liquid tank. Even if ink leaks, the ink is discharged from the ink discharge port 44. By providing the ink discharge port 44 in the inner region 43a of the erroneous press prevention wall 43, even if ink leaks from the mounting port 61, the ink is prevented from flowing out of the ink tank 40.

As shown in FIG. 15, the top plate 42 has an inclined surface 42a that slopes downward toward the rear from at least the mounting port 61 to the ink discharge port 44. Here, the entire top plate 42 in front of the ink discharge port 44 forms an inclined surface 42a that slopes downward toward the rear. The mounting port 61 is arranged above the ink discharge port 44. Due to the inclined surface 42a, even if ink leaks from the mounting port 61, the ink is guided to the ink discharge port 44. This makes it easier for ink to be discharged from the ink discharge port 44. In this embodiment, there is a missing portion of the erroneous press prevention wall 43 in front of the mounting opening 61. The inclined surface 42a guides ink in a direction opposite to the missing portion of the erroneous press prevention wall 43, thereby making it difficult for ink to fall from the missing portion of the erroneous press prevention wall 43.

As described above, according to the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, the erroneous press prevention wall 43 prevents the supply bottle 200 from being erroneously released, and even if ink leaks, the erroneous press is prevented. Ink can be stopped by the wall 43. Furthermore, leaked ink can be discharged by the ink discharge port 44 and the inclined surface 42a.

Note that the shape of the erroneous press prevention wall 43 is not limited to that described above. For example, the erroneous press prevention wall 43 may surround the entire periphery of the release button 191. Even when providing missing portions in the erroneous press prevention wall 43, the locations and number of missing portions are not limited.

(Yet other embodiments)
The technology disclosed herein can also be implemented by other embodiments. For example, in the embodiment described above, the condition for causing the warning device 110 to issue the first warning is that the lid 70 is opened when the amount of ink in the storage space 50a is equal to or greater than the prohibited refill amount Q1. It was set. Further, the condition for not being able to attach the supply bottle 200 to the attachment mechanism 60 was set that the amount of ink in the storage space 50a was equal to or greater than the prohibited refill amount Q1. However, the conditions for the control device to cause the warning device to issue a warning or to send a signal that prevents the supply bottle from being attached to the attachment mechanism are not limited to the above. The conditions for the control device to issue a signal include at least the fact that the remaining amount sensor detects that the amount of ink in the storage space is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount.

In the embodiment described above, the direction in which the supply bottle 200 is inserted into the insertion hole 62 is downward, but the direction in which the supply bottle is inserted is not limited thereto. The direction in which the supply bottle is inserted may be, for example, horizontal or diagonally vertical. The mounting mechanism for mounting the supply bottle may be provided outside the ink tank. The location of the ink tank is also not limited to the front side of the printer.

In the embodiment described above, the warning lamp 111 and the buzzer 112 are used to issue a warning, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The warning may be issued, for example, by displaying characters or symbols on a display device provided or connected to the printer. The warning may be of any type as long as it can inform the user whether the amount of ink in the storage space of the ink tank is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount, and is one that particularly attracts the user's attention. You don't have to.

In the embodiment described above, the container on the printer side that supplies ink to the ink head is the ink tank 40 made of resin, and the replenishment container that replenishes ink to the container on the printer side is the supply bottle 200 made of resin. The configurations of the container on the printer side and the replenishment container are not limited to this. Both materials can be selected as appropriate, and are not limited to resin. The container on the printer side and the replenishment container do not necessarily have to be regular containers, and may be partially or completely flexible containers.

The structure of the connection part that connects the container on the printer side and the replenishment container is not limited to the sealing film and the needle part. The connecting portion may include a valve mechanism that opens a flow path when mechanically connected, such as a so-called coupler joint, for example. Alternatively, for example, the lid of the refill container may be removed and connected to the inlet on the printer side.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the printer 10 is a roll-to-roll type inkjet printer, but the configuration of the printer is not particularly limited. For example, the technology disclosed herein may be applied to a flatbed type inkjet printer. Further, the ink does not need to be a photocurable ink, and may be a thermosetting ink, for example. Printers can also be combined with other devices. The device to which the technology disclosed herein is applied may be, for example, an inkjet printer with a cutting head.

Furthermore, the technology disclosed herein can be used not only for inkjet printers but also for other devices equipped with ink ejection heads. For example, the technology disclosed herein may be used in a three-dimensional modeling device that ejects ink.

5... Recording medium 10... Printer 11... Printer body 14... Reading device 21... Ink head 30... Ink supply system 40... Ink tank 41... Remaining amount detection end 42... Top plate 42a... Inclined surface 43...Incorrect press prevention wall 44...Ink discharge port 50...Ink storage section 50a...Accommodation space 60...Attachment mechanism 61...Attachment port 62...Insertion hole 63...Connection section 66...Bottle Sensor (worn sensor)
70... Lid 71... Lid body 73... Detected part 80... Detection device 81... Open/close sensor 90... Support member 100... Remaining amount sensor (ink amount sensor)
110...Warning device 111...Warning lamp 112...Buzzer 120...Blocking device 130...Lock device 150...Control device 151...First warning section 152...Second warning section 153...Blocking control section 154 ...Lock control section 155...Ink registration section (registration section)
156... Chip information acquisition unit (acquisition unit) 157... Collation unit 158... Third warning unit 159... Fourth warning unit 160... Fifth warning unit 161... Sixth warning unit 162... First diagnosis Section 163...Second diagnosis section 164...Third diagnosis section 165...Fourth diagnosis section 166...First confirmation screen display section 167...Second confirmation screen display section (confirmation screen display section)
180... Holding device 190... Release device 191... Release button (button) 192... Slide groove (release part)
200...Supply bottle (refill container)
210...IC chip (storage medium)

Claims (23)

an ink container having a storage space capable of storing ink;
an ink amount sensor capable of detecting whether the amount of ink in the storage space is equal to or greater than a first predetermined amount;
a mounting mechanism configured to detachably attach a replenishment container containing ink and connected to the accommodation space;
a control device connected to the ink amount sensor;
The mounting mechanism includes:
a mounting port for mounting the replenishment container;
a lid for opening and closing the mounting port;
The control device is configured to transmit a signal when a predetermined condition is satisfied, including that the ink amount sensor detects that the amount of ink in the accommodation space is equal to or greater than the first amount. is set to
Further, a warning device that issues a warning upon receiving a signal from the control device;
an opening/closing sensor that detects that the lid is in an open state,
The control device includes a first warning unit that transmits to the warning device a first signal that causes the warning device to issue a first warning,
When the opening/closing sensor detects that the lid is open while the amount of ink in the accommodation space is detected to be equal to or greater than the first amount, configured to transmit the first signal,
Ink supply system. The control device includes a second warning unit that transmits a second signal to the warning device to cause the warning device to issue a second warning when a predetermined period of time has elapsed with the lid open.
The ink supply system according to claim 1. at least a portion of the warning device is provided in the ink container;
The ink supply system according to claim 1 or 2. further comprising a reading device connected to the control device, configured to read information stored in a storage medium that stores at least the type of ink contained in the replenishment container,
The control device includes:
a registration unit in which the type of ink contained in the ink container is registered;
an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the type of ink read out by the reading device;
a collation unit that collates the type of ink registered in the registration unit and the type of ink acquired by the acquisition unit;
The ink supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The control device is configured such that the verification unit confirms that the type of ink registered in the registration unit and the type of ink acquired by the acquisition unit match, and the amount of ink in the storage space is determined. a third warning unit configured to send a signal to the warning device to issue a third warning when the ink amount sensor detects that the ink amount is equal to or greater than the first amount;
The ink supply system according to claim 4. When the opening/closing sensor detects that the lid is open in a state where the type of ink has not been acquired by the acquisition unit, the control device is configured to send a signal for issuing a fourth warning to the warning. comprising a fourth warning section that transmits to the device;
The ink supply system according to claim 4 or 5. The control device is configured such that the verification unit confirms that the type of ink registered in the registration unit and the type of ink acquired by the acquisition unit are different, and that the lid is in an open state. comprising a fifth warning unit that transmits a signal for issuing a fifth warning to the warning device when detected by the opening/closing sensor;
The ink supply system according to claim 4 or 5. further comprising at least one other ink container each having a storage space capable of storing ink;
The type of ink contained in the at least one other ink container is registered in the registration unit, and
The control device is configured to send a signal for issuing a sixth warning when the verification unit confirms that the type of ink acquired by the acquisition unit is different from any of the types of ink registered in the registration unit. a sixth warning section that transmits the following to the warning device;
The ink supply system according to any one of claims 4 to 7. further comprising a mounting sensor that detects that the replenishment container is mounted on the mounting mechanism,
The control device is configured such that the verification unit confirms that the type of ink registered in the registration unit matches the type of ink acquired by the acquisition unit, and the replenishment container is attached to the attachment mechanism. When the ink amount sensor detects that the amount of ink in the accommodation space is less than the first amount after a predetermined time has elapsed since the installation sensor detected that a first diagnostic unit that transmits a signal for transmitting sensor abnormality information to the warning device;
The ink supply system according to any one of claims 4 to 8. further comprising an attachment sensor that detects that the replenishment container is attached to the attachment port,
The control device may cause the replenishment container to be placed in the mounting port in a state in which the verification unit confirms that the type of ink registered in the registration unit and the type of ink acquired by the acquisition unit match. The amount of ink in the storage space has changed from an amount less than the first amount to an amount equal to or more than the first amount even though the attachment sensor has not detected that the ink has been attached. a second diagnostic unit that transmits a signal to the warning device to transmit second sensor abnormality information when detected by the ink amount sensor;
The ink supply system according to any one of claims 4 to 9. further comprising an attachment sensor that detects that the replenishment container is attached to the attachment port,
When the opening/closing sensor detects that the lid is closed and the mounting sensor detects that the replenishment container is mounted in the mounting opening, the control device controls a third control device. comprising a third diagnostic unit that transmits a signal for transmitting sensor abnormality information to the warning device;
The ink supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 10. The control device includes:
a confirmation screen display unit that displays a confirmation screen for inputting the open/close state of the lid when the open/close sensor detects that the lid is open for a predetermined period of time or more;
and a fourth diagnostic unit that transmits a signal for transmitting fourth sensor abnormality information to the warning device when the confirmation screen display unit inputs that the lid is in the closed state. ,
The ink supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 11. an ink container having a storage space capable of storing ink;
an ink amount sensor capable of detecting whether the amount of ink in the storage space is equal to or greater than a first predetermined amount;
a mounting mechanism connected to the storage space, the mounting mechanism comprising a cylindrical member formed with a mounting port through which a replenishment container containing ink can be mounted and removed, and connected to the storage space;
a control device connected to the ink amount sensor;
The control device is configured to transmit a signal when a predetermined condition is satisfied, including that the ink amount sensor detects that the amount of ink in the accommodation space is equal to or greater than the first amount. is set to
further comprising a mechanism that receives a signal from the control device and prevents attachment of the replenishment container to the attachment mechanism;
A mechanism for preventing attachment of the replenishment container to the attachment mechanism,
an actuator driven by receiving a signal from the control device;
a movable member disposed on the side of the cylindrical member and driven by the actuator,
As a mechanism for preventing the replenishment container from being attached to the attachment mechanism, the actuator is driven to move the movable member further than the inner circumferential surface of the attachment opening so that the replenishment container cannot be attached to the attachment opening. comprising a blocking device that protrudes radially inward and blocks at least a portion of the mounting port with the protruding movable member;
The control device sends a signal to the blocking device to block at least a portion of the mounting port when the ink amount sensor detects that the amount of ink in the storage space is equal to or greater than the first amount. comprising a blocking control unit that transmits data to the blocking device ;
Ink supply system. an ink container having a storage space capable of storing ink;
an ink amount sensor capable of detecting whether the amount of ink in the storage space is equal to or greater than a first predetermined amount;
a mounting mechanism connected to the storage space, the mounting mechanism comprising a cylindrical member formed with a mounting port through which a replenishment container containing ink can be mounted and removed, and connected to the storage space;
a control device connected to the ink amount sensor;
The control device is configured to transmit a signal when a predetermined condition is satisfied, including that the ink amount sensor detects that the amount of ink in the accommodation space is equal to or greater than the first amount. is set to
further comprising a mechanism that receives a signal from the control device and prevents attachment of the replenishment container to the attachment mechanism;
A mechanism for preventing attachment of the replenishment container to the attachment mechanism,
an actuator driven by receiving a signal from the control device;
a movable member disposed on the side of the cylindrical member and driven by the actuator,
The mounting mechanism includes a lid that opens and closes the mounting port,
As a mechanism for preventing the replenishment container from being attached to the attachment mechanism, the mechanism includes a locking device that fixes the lid in a closed state by driving the actuator to engage the movable member with the lid;
The control device is configured to send a signal to the lock device to fix the lid in a closed state when the ink amount sensor detects that the amount of ink in the accommodation space is greater than or equal to the first amount. is equipped with a lock control section that sends a message to the
Ink supply system. The first amount is set to be equal to or less than a preset maximum ink storage amount of the storage space minus the amount of ink stored in the replenishment container.
The ink supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 14 . a support member that supports the ink container so that its vertical position changes depending on the amount of ink stored in the storage space;
The ink amount sensor is configured to detect the vertical position of the ink container, and detects the position of the ink container when the previously detected amount of ink stored in the storage space is the first amount. and the detected position of the ink container, detecting whether the amount of ink in the ink container is greater than or equal to the first amount.
The ink supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 15 . The mounting mechanism includes:
a holding device that holds the replenishment container attached to the attachment port in a state where it is attached to the attachment port;
a release device for releasing the holding of the replenishment container by the holding device;
The ink supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 16 . The release device is
A button that can be pressed and
a release unit connected to the button and the holding device, and releasing the holding of the replenishment container by the holding device when the button is pressed;
further comprising an erroneous press prevention wall provided to surround at least a portion of the periphery of the button;
The ink supply system according to claim 17 . The button is provided in a front portion of the ink container,
The erroneous press prevention wall is missing in front of the button,
The ink supply system according to claim 18 . The ink container includes a top plate provided above the storage space,
The mounting port and the button are provided on the top plate,
The erroneous press prevention wall extends upward from the top plate and surrounds at least a portion of the periphery of the button and the mounting opening.
The ink supply system according to claim 18 or 19 . The top plate includes an ink discharge port provided in an area surrounded by the erroneous press prevention wall.
The ink supply system according to claim 20 . The ink discharge port is provided in a first direction relative to the mounting port,
The top plate has an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the first direction from at least the mounting port to the ink discharge port.
The ink supply system according to claim 21 . an ink head connected to the ink container;
The ink supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 22 ,
Inkjet printer with.

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