JPH02227258A - Ink jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively use ink when the residue of ink is detected by stopping recording of a recorder in response to ink detecting means or releasing the stop of recording and executing a recording of only the next one page. CONSTITUTION:When a record command or record information is transferred from a host apparatus 10 to a recorder 20, the recorder 20 first checks whether the residue of ink reaches a set value or less or not. If there still is ink, recording is conducted, and whether recording of one page is finished or not is then checked. If it is finished, the process is completed. If it is not finished, the above operation is repeated. If there is no ink, an ink end state is informed to the apparatus 10. In this case, the apparatus notifies by suitable display means to a user that ink is ended, and allows the user to replace it with a new ink cartridge or to push an ink end invalid switch 26. Then, whether the switch 26 is pressed to be turned ON or not is checked. If it is not pressed, the operation is repeated until the cartridge is renewed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus equipped with a control means when the remaining amount of ink is detected.

[Conventional technology]

Recording devices such as printers and facsimiles are configured to form a dot pattern on a recording medium that corresponds to the recorded information by driving the dot forming means of the recording head based on the recorded information. Depending on the type of forming means, it can be divided into inkjet type, wire dot type, thermal type, laser beam type, etc.

Among these, inkjet type devices (inkjet recording devices) supply ink to a recording head, eject the ink from the ejection ports of the recording head to form flying ink droplets, and the ink droplets adhere to the recording medium. It is configured as follows:

Furthermore, inkjet recording apparatuses generally use replaceable ink cartridges (ink, tanks) as ink supply sources.

By the way, in this type of inkjet recording apparatus, when it is detected that the remaining amount of ink has become less than a set value, that is, the ink has run out, the first function is to prevent recording until the ink cartridge is replaced. The second control method is to allow one page of the recording sheet to detect when the ink has run out, and after detecting the ink run out, prints until the end of that page, and from then on, printing is not possible unless the ink cartridge is replaced. Several control methods have been implemented or proposed.

[Technical problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the second control method, the ink margin for one page is set so that even a high-density pattern can be printed to the end without running out of ink. If the ink cartridge (ink tank) is replaced with a new one even though a considerable amount of ink remains There was a problem in that ink was wasted.

In addition, in the first control method, there is a slight margin for ink end detection, and it is not possible to actually detect that the ink has run out completely, so even though there is some ink remaining, However, there were disadvantages such as the need to replace the ink cartridge (ink tank) with a new one, or the ink cartridge having to be replaced even when recording was completed in just a few lines, making the operation cumbersome.

The present invention has been made in view of such technical problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a control means for an inkjet recording apparatus that can effectively use ink when the remaining amount of ink is detected.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention provides an inkjet recording apparatus equipped with an ink detection means for detecting that the remaining amount of ink has become less than a set value, including means for stopping recording of an apparatus main body according to the ink detection means, and a means for stopping recording of the apparatus body according to the ink detection means; The above object is achieved by an inkjet recording apparatus characterized by having a manual operation means for canceling the recording stop of the apparatus according to the inkjet recording apparatus and causing only the next page to be recorded.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the main structure of an inkjet recording apparatus suitable for carrying out the present invention.

In FIG. 2, 11 is a recording sheet (
12 is a recording gutter (ink fill head), 13 is a platen, 14 is a sheet feed roller that rotates to feed the recording sheet 11, and 15 is a roller that presses the recording sheet 11 against the sheet feed roller 14. Ma WS
A pinch roller that generates a feeding force, 16 a replaceable ink cartridge, 17 an ink supply pipe that feeds ink (recording liquid) from the ink cartridge 16 to the recording head 12, 18 when the remaining amount of ink falls below a set value thing(
An ink end detection means constituted by a diaphragm switch, etc., for detecting ink end (ink end) is shown.

As described above, while supplying ink to the recording head 12, the ink ejecting means in the recording head 12 is driven based on recording information (image data, etc.) from the host, and flying ink is formed by ejecting ink. full recording medium 1
An inkjet recording apparatus is configured in which a dot pattern is formed by depositing the dots on one line, and the next line is recorded by feeding the sheet with a sheet feed roller 14 every 1947 minutes of recording.

As the recording sheet 11, a cut sheet cut into a predetermined length is used.

In the case of a full-line head that records one line at a time, or in the case of a carriage scanning type head that is mounted on a carriage (not shown) that moves along the recording sheet 11, the recording gutter 12 may be used to record one line at a time. This may be the case with a page print head that records data all at once.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system of an inkjet recording apparatus embodying the present invention.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 20 denotes an inkjet recording device, and this recording device 20 takes in recording information, recording command information, etc. from the host device 10 and records them on the recording sheet 11.

21 is a central processing unit CPU, which has a built-in RAM that stores recorded information from the host device 10 and is used as a work area for the CPU 21, and a ROM that stores programs, format data, etc. of the CPU 21. There is.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 22 mounts an inkjet head (recording head) 12, and the head 1 is mounted along the recording sheet 11.
The carriage motor 22 is a carriage motor for reciprocating the carriage that scans the CPU 2.
It is driven by a carriage motor drive circuit 23 based on a control signal from 1.

The recording head 12 is driven by a recording control circuit 24 in accordance with the movement of the carriage motor 22, and forms a dot pattern corresponding to recording information on the recording sheet 11 by ejecting ink from its ejection ports at a predetermined timing. I will do it.

When the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 16 becomes less than the set value, the ink end sensor (ink end detection means) 1
8 detects this, and its output is sent to the ink end detection circuit 2.
5 to the CPU 21.

26 is an ink end disabling switch constituting an ink end disabling means for disabling ink end detection;
U21 is the ON/OFF of this ink end disable switch.
connected to sense.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an inkjet recording apparatus equipped with an ink detection means for detecting that the remaining amount of ink has become less than a set value, and a means for stopping recording of the apparatus main body in response to the ink detection means; There is provided an inkjet recording apparatus characterized in that it has a manual operation means for canceling the recording stop of the apparatus according to the ink detection means and causing only the next page to be recorded.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing the operation of the inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, when a recording command and recording information are transferred from the host device 10 to the recording device 20, the recording device 20 first checks in step S1 whether there is ink or not, that is, whether the remaining amount of ink has reached a set value or less. Check.

Therefore, if there is ink, the process proceeds to step S7, and if there is no ink, the process proceeds to step S2.

In step S7, recording is performed, and in the next step S8, 1
Check whether recording of the page is finished. If it is checked in step S8 that one page has been recorded, the process is completed, and if one page has not been recorded, the process returns to step S1 and the above-described operations are repeated.

If there is no ink in step S1, the process proceeds to step S2, and in step S2, the host device 10 is notified that the ink has reached the end state. At that time, the host device notifies the user that the ink has run out through an appropriate display means, and either replaces it with a new ink cartridge 16 or activates the ink end disable switch (ink end disable means) 26.
Leave the decision of whether to press or not to the user.

Then switch S3. Step S1 checks whether the ink end disabling switch 26 has been pressed and turned ON. If it has not been pressed, that is, if the ink end disabling means 26 is not being used, the process returns to step S1 and a new ink cartridge is installed. The above operation is repeated until it is replaced with 16.

On the other hand, the ink end disabling means is used and its switch 2
If 6 is pressed (turned ON), the process proceeds to step S4, where a signal indicating that there is ink (ink has not reached the end) is forcibly sent to the host device 10, and recording becomes possible. Let me know what happened.

Next, the process advances to step S5 to perform recording, and step S5
Proceed to step 6.

In step S6, it is determined whether or not the recording for page ■ has been completed. If the recording for one page has been completed, the recording operation is completed; if the recording for one page has not been completed, the process returns to step S5 and the recording operation for one page is completed. Repeat the recording until the recording is completed.

According to the above embodiment, an ink end disabling means (switch) 26 is provided to disable ink end detection, and when an ink end is detected, this is notified to the host device IO, and the user's selection (switch 26) Push operation) forces the host device 1 to send an ink-filled signal.
0 to invalidate the ink end and control so that recording for one page can be continued, it is possible to avoid a situation where the ink cartridge 16 has to be replaced even though there is still ink left. Therefore, it was possible to realize a control method for an inkjet recording apparatus that can effectively use ink.

In the embodiments described above, the ink end invalidation switch 26 was provided on the recording apparatus side to invalidate the ink end and print the next page. It is also possible to configure the printing apparatus to ignore the ink end and continue printing for one page by a command from . With such a configuration, there is no need to provide disabling means such as the switch 26 on the recording device 20 side, and the structure can be simplified.

According to the present invention, an appropriate amount of records can be added by manual operation. Therefore, the operator can use the manual operation means according to the record contents that are being printed, and the records can be determined without any inconvenience other than by automatic control. There are advantages to being able to do so.

The recording head according to the embodiment of the present invention is preferably a bubble jet type inkjet head in which each liquid path is provided with an electrothermal conversion element for generating thermal energy and ejecting liquid. The reason for this is that the remaining ink (liquid amount) can be ejected in an appropriate amount without wasting it, so that the remaining recording can be reliably performed from a state where there is no ink remaining.

Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to devices in which the recording head is removable from the device, devices in which the recording head is a disposable type with an integrated ink tank, and devices in which only the ink cartridge is replaceable. be. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to detecting the remaining amount of ink by either a float type or a type that detects interelectrode current or resistance, and the detection position may be in the ink cartridge, the recording head, or the ink supply path.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, in an inkjet recording apparatus equipped with an ink detection means for detecting that the remaining amount of ink has become less than a set value, the recording of the main body of the apparatus is performed according to the ink detection means. and a manual operation means for canceling the recording stop of the apparatus according to the ink detection means and causing only the next page to be recorded, so that when the remaining amount of ink is detected, An inkjet recording device that can effectively use ink and minimize the amount of wasted ink can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of the operation of an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the main parts of an inkjet recording apparatus suitable for carrying out the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system of an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention. 10--------Host device, 20--------Inkjet recording device, 1-------- Recording sheet, 12 Recording head, 14--------- Sheet feed roller, 16 =------ink cartridge (
ink tank), 18-----ink end detection means (ink end switch), 21---------
-CPU, 26-----Ink end invalidating means (ink end invalidating switch).

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In an inkjet recording apparatus equipped with an ink detection means for detecting that the remaining amount of ink has fallen below a set value, means for stopping recording in the main body of the apparatus according to the ink detection means, and a means for stopping recording in the apparatus main body according to the ink detection means; 1. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising: manual operation means for canceling the recording stop of the corresponding apparatus and causing only the next page to be recorded. (2) The inkjet recording device according to claim 1, wherein the inkjet recording device has a bubble jet type recording head equipped with an electrothermal conversion element for applying thermal energy to the ink to eject the ink by forming bubbles. .