JPH0211334A - Inkjet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To positively detect an amount of waste liquid and to form an apparatus into a cartridgelike shape by providing a sensor at a desired detecting level of said waste liquid and outside a recovery container of said waste liquid in the vicinity of a floating position of an element to be detected thereby to detect the approach of said element. CONSTITUTION:When the amount of waste liquid in a drain tank 1 is sufficiently small, a floating body 2 is at a position A. At this time, the floating body 2 is sufficiently spaced from a Hall device 4, and therefore the Hall device 4 can hardly detect magnetism, resulting in no generation of a detecting signal from an electric circuit unit 5. When the waste ink is fully stored in the drain tank 1 and the floating body 2 is raised along a guide 3 to a position B, the Hall device 4 is in the state closed to the floating body 2, with a strong magnetism applied to the Hall device 4. As a result, the Hall device 4 generates a voltage of some level. The voltage signal is converted to a digital signal by the circuit unit 5. Although the tank 1 is necessary to be detached and exchanged, such an erroneous operation resulting from a poor contact as observed in the prior art can be prevented because a lead wire etc. is not used for connection.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus equipped with means for collecting waste ink discharged from a nozzle during a recovery operation.

[Conventional technology]

In an inkjet recording apparatus, the ejection ports of the nozzles of the head are in an open state except during capping, so ink evaporates and impurities and the like stick, causing clogging. To prevent this, the head is covered with a camp periodically or as needed to supply ink or cleaning liquid under pressure to the nozzles to prevent clogging. The waste liquid discharged from the nozzle into the cap by this recovery operation is sucked by a suction pump or the like and collected in a drain tank as a waste liquid collection container attached to the ink cartridge or the like.

By the way, if the waste liquid collected in the drain tank exceeds its storage capacity, it will flow out of the recovery system and cause ink stains etc., so the system detects the amount of waste liquid in the drain tank and issues a warning. Alternatively, control is performed to stop the recording operation.

The amount of waste liquid can be detected by placing an electrode at the bottom of the drain tank and using a change in electrical resistance depending on the presence or absence of waste liquid, or by using a photo sensor so that the sensor light passes through the upper part of the drain tank. There is a method of detecting by arranging a sensor and utilizing the interruption of sensor light.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in such conventional inkjet recording apparatuses, it has been difficult to detect the amount of waste liquid reliably due to malfunctions due to poor contact, malfunctions due to waste liquid adhering to the sensor, and the like. Furthermore, due to poor detection, waste liquid flows out of the tank, causing ink stains. Furthermore, since the drain tank and the electric circuit section are connected through lead wires, it is difficult to form the drain tank into a cartridge.

An object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording apparatus that can solve the problems of the prior art, can reliably detect the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid recovery section, and can be made into a cartridge.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention provides a detection object disposed in a waste liquid collection container that floats according to the level of collected waste liquid, and a detection object placed outside the waste liquid collection container at a desired waste liquid level and near the floating position of the detected object. The above object is achieved by providing a sensor that is installed to detect the approach of the detected object.

[Effect]

With the above configuration, objects to be detected such as magnetic floating objects and metal pieces float up according to the level of waste liquid in the waste liquid collection container, and when the level reaches a preset level, the sensor detects the amount of waste liquid. outputs a detection signal. therefore,
The waste liquid level can be detected by non-contact.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention.

In Fig. 1, 1 is a drain tank as a waste liquid collection part that collects waste ink, 2 is a floating body as a detected object containing a magnetic substance that generates a magnetic field, and 3 is a horizontal while allowing the floating body 2 to move up and down freely. The guide rail 4 for regulating movement is a Hall element mounted on the outer surface of the drain tank 1 at a position facing the floating body 2 when located at the top.

Reference numeral 5 designates an electric circuit section for converting the output signal of the Hall element 4 into a digital signal, and reference numeral 6 designates a drain pipe for guiding waste ink from the head side to the drain tank 1. floating body 2
This can be achieved by enclosing a permanent magnet inside a hollow sphere.

In the above configuration, when the amount of waste ink in the drain tank 1 is sufficiently low, the floating body 2 is at position A;
Since it is sufficiently far away from the Hall element 4, the Hall element 4 can hardly detect magnetism, and the electric circuit section 5 does not generate a detection signal.

Next, enough waste ink accumulates in the drain tank 1,
When the floating body 2 rises along the guide 3 and reaches position B, the Hall element 4 comes closest to the floating body 2, a strong magnetism is imparted to the Hall element 4, and the Hall element 4 reaches the level it becomes. Generates voltage. This voltage signal is converted into a digital signal by the electric circuit section 5. When the drain tank 1 is full, it is removed from the main body of the recording apparatus for replacement, but since there is no connection with lead wires, there is no possibility of malfunctions due to poor contact as in the conventional case.

Further, even if waste liquid adheres to the inner wall of the tank at the detection position, the amount of waste liquid can be detected without being affected in any way.

2 and 3 are a plan sectional view and a sectional view taken along the line mm (front sectional view) of another embodiment of the present invention.

A guide 11 is formed at a part of the corner of the drain tank 10, and a metal piece 12 as an object to be detected is disposed inside the guide 11 so as to be movable up and down depending on the level of waste liquid.

A floating body 13 is provided below the metal piece 12 to float the metal piece 12 according to the amount of waste liquid in the tank. Furthermore, a metal sensor 14 detects the approach of a metal piece 12 at a location corresponding to the installation position of the Hall element 4 in the embodiment shown in FIG.
is installed near the outer surface of the drain tank 10.

In the configurations shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the drain tank 10
When the amount of waste liquid inside is low, the floating body 13 is located at a height that follows the level of this waste liquid, and the metal piece 12 is placed on the upper surface of this floating body 13. In this state, the metal piece 12 and the metal sensor 14 are sufficiently far apart, and no detection signal is output.

Next, as the level of waste liquid in the drain tank 10 increases, the floating body 13 lifts up the metal piece 12 while floating. When the metal piece floats up to a position facing the metal sensor 14, the metal sensor 14 detects the metal piece 12 and generates a detection signal.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above, according to the present invention, there is a detected object that is disposed in the bottom of a waste liquid collection container and floats according to the level of the collected waste liquid, and a floating position of the detected object when the level of the waste liquid desired to be detected is reached. Since a sensor is installed outside the waste liquid recovery container near the waste liquid collection container and detects the approach of the detected object, it is possible to use a non-contact system and to detect the amount of waste liquid with high reliability without malfunction. Furthermore, it becomes possible to use the waste liquid collection container as a cartridge.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are plan sectional views showing other embodiments of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 1.10-・-・-・Drain tank, 2.13...
−・−・Floating body, 3・−−−1・−・・Guide rail, 4・・−−1−−−・−・−Hall element, 5・−・・−
-1--Electric circuit section, 11----------Guide, 12--Gold H piece, 14---------
...Metal sensor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an inkjet recording device equipped with a waste liquid collection container that collects waste liquid discharged from a nozzle of a head during a recovery operation, a detection object is disposed in the waste liquid collection container and floats up according to the level of the collected waste liquid, and an inkjet recording apparatus, comprising: a sensor installed outside the waste liquid collection container at a waste liquid level and near a floating position of the detected object to detect the approach of the detected object.