JPH08197747A - Ink residual amount insufficiency detector of color ink cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an ink residual amt. insufficiency detector adapted to the detection of the insufficiency of the ink residual amt. in the color ink cartridge of a full color ink jet printer and capable of detecting the reduction of the ink residual amt. in either one of a plurality of ink storage parts by a simple structure and capable of being produced in low cost. CONSTITUTION: An ink residual amt. insufficiency detector is constituted of a plurality of ink storage parts 11 partitioned by partition walls 12 to be provided side by side, continuity electrodes 17 exposed to the interiors of the ink storage parts 11 adjacent to each other among a plurality of the ink storage parts 11 and composed of conductive members electrically connecting the ink storage parts and both terminal electrodes 18 composed of conductive members provided so as to be exposed to the outside from the interiors of the ink storage parts 11 arranged at both ends among a plurality of the ink storage parts and connected to a residual amt. insufficiency detection circuit.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a color ink cartridge shortage detection device for detecting a shortage of ink remaining in an ink cartridge of a full color ink jet printer or the like.

In a full-color ink-jet printer or the like, a plurality of colors of ink are used, and if the ink of one color is used up, the correct color cannot be recorded. Therefore, it is necessary to detect the remaining amount of all the inks.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art A full-color ink jet printer or the like is provided with a total of five ink cartridges, for example, a black ink cartridge for characters and a color ink cartridge of four colors for full-color image recording. An electrode for detecting the charge is independently inserted for each cartridge, and each electrode is connected to the remaining amount shortage detection circuit.

[0004]

However, if all of the color ink reservoirs are separately connected to the ink level shortage detection circuit, the structure of the connector for connection and the level shortage detection circuit becomes complicated. Therefore, the manufacturing cost increases due to the detection of the remaining ink level.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to detect with a simple structure that the ink remaining amount of any one of the plurality of ink storage units has decreased, and the ink of the color ink cartridge that can be manufactured at low cost. An object is to provide a remaining amount shortage detection device.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the ink shortage detection device for a color ink cartridge of the present invention is partitioned by a partition wall as shown in FIG. 1 for explaining an embodiment. A plurality of ink storage units arranged in parallel, a conductive electrode formed of a conductive member exposed inside the adjacent ink storage units of the plurality of ink storage units and electrically conducting between them, and the plurality of inks And a double-sided electrode made of a conductive member that is exposed from the inside of the ink storage unit arranged at both ends of the storage unit and is connected to the remaining amount shortage detection circuit. To do.

The conductive electrodes may be formed in a substantially U-shape, the parallel portions thereof may be inserted into the adjacent ink storage portions, and the intermediate portion forming a right angle to the ink storage portions may be exposed to the outside of the ink storage portions. .

[0008]

The ink is electrically connected between the inks in the adjacent ink storages of the plurality of ink storages by the conductive electrodes, and both ends of the ink storages arranged at both ends are exposed to the outside. By connecting the electrodes to the insufficient remaining amount detection circuit, a circuit in which all the ink storage units are connected in series to the insufficient remaining amount detection circuit is configured.

Therefore, when the ink remaining amount in any one of the ink reservoirs is insufficient, the conductive circuit formed by the ink, the conducting electrode, and the electrodes at both ends is interrupted at the ink portion, which is detected by the insufficient ink amount detecting circuit. It

By forming the conductive electrode in a substantially U-shape, inserting the parallel portions on both sides thereof into the adjacent ink storage portions, and exposing the intermediate portion at a right angle to the outside of the ink storage portion. The conductive electrode can be attached to the ink storage unit very easily.

[0011]

Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a side view of the printing unit of the inkjet printer. The carriage 3 is reciprocally driven by the space motor 4 along the stay shaft 2 arranged in parallel with the platen 1.

An ink jet head 6 is attached to the carriage 3 with its nozzle surface facing the platen 1, and an ink cartridge 7 for supplying ink to the ink jet head 6 is provided with an ink jet head 6.
It is on the top of.

An ink supply pipe 6a for receiving the ink supply from the ink cartridge 7 is provided on the upper surface of the ink jet head 6 so as to project upward, and the ink supply hole 5 formed in the bottom surface of the ink cartridge 7 is formed. It is plugged in.

The ink cartridge 7 is removable from the ink jet head 6, and the ink cartridge 7
By rotating the lever 8 that engages with the pin 9 provided on the rear surface of the, the mounted state shown in FIG. 3 can be changed to the detached state shown in FIG.

Returning to FIG. 2, the recording paper 100 is conveyed along the platen 1 by the rotation of the paper feed roller 10 and the like, and ink droplets are ejected from the ink jet head 6 onto the paper surface for ink jet recording.

The ink jet printer of this embodiment is for full color recording, and the ink jet head 6 and the ink cartridge 7 are for recording four colors of yellow, magenta, cyan and black for full color image recording. Are arranged side by side, and apart from that, a black one for recording characters is arranged.

FIG. 5 shows an ink cartridge 7 storing four color inks for full-color image recording, and FIG. 1 is a front sectional view thereof. As shown in FIG. 1, 4
Each of the color ink storage units 11 is partitioned by a partition wall 12 and arranged side by side.

Each ink storage portion 11 is filled with a porous member 13 that absorbs and holds ink and occupies a large space, and an ink absorption chamber 11a that is disposed below the ink absorption chamber 11a and has the above-described ink supply hole 5 on its bottom surface. The ink chamber 11b is separated from the ink chamber 11b provided above and below, and a communication hole 14 communicates between them. A ventilation hole 15 is provided in the ceiling wall of the ink absorption chamber 11a.
Has been drilled.

Ink liquid chamber 11 arranged in four lines
Between adjacent ink liquid chambers 11b of b, a conductive electrode 17 made of a metal member having conductivity and not corroded by the ink is provided. The chambers 11b are arranged so as to be electrically connected to each other.

Ink liquid chambers 11b arranged at both ends
Both end electrodes 18 exposed from the inside to the outside of the ink liquid chamber 11 b are provided separately from the conduction electrodes 17. The material of the both-end electrodes 18 may be the same as that of the conducting electrode 17.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2, when the ink cartridge 7 is attached to the carriage 3,
The exposed portions of the two end electrodes 18 are in contact with the contact points 20 and are electrically connected to the remaining amount shortage detection circuit 22 provided on the circuit board 21.

The insufficient remaining amount detection circuit 22 is a simple circuit for detecting the potential difference between the two contacts 20 as shown in FIG. 6, for example, and when the potential difference becomes large, the remaining amount of ink is displayed on a panel (not shown). A shortage display is made.

According to the apparatus configured as described above, FIG.
By the ink liquid in each ink liquid chamber 11b, the conducting electrode 17, and the both-end electrodes 18 shown in FIG.
A conductive circuit connected in series with respect to the.

Therefore, when the ink remaining amount in the ink cartridge 7 is sufficient, the series conductive circuit is conducting, so that the remaining amount insufficient detection circuit 22 detects a very small potential difference.

Then, any one of the ink liquid chambers 11b
When the ink remaining amount in the inside is insufficient, the ink liquid and the conducting electrode 17
Since the conductive circuit formed by the both end electrodes 18 is interrupted by the ink liquid portion, the insufficient remaining amount detection circuit 22 detects a large potential difference, thereby detecting the insufficient remaining ink amount.

7 and 8 show a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a plan sectional view of the ink liquid chamber 11b. In this embodiment, the conductive electrode 17 is formed in a U-shape, and the parallel portions 17a on both sides are adjacent to the ink liquid chamber 11b.
The intermediate part 17b which is inserted into the inside of and is at a right angle to it
Are arranged so as to be exposed to the outside of the ink liquid chamber 11b.

When the conductive electrode 17 is constructed in this way, it can be attached very simply by inserting the conductive electrode 17 into the ink cartridge 7 from one direction, and the assembly cost can be reduced.

[0028]

According to the present invention, the conductive electrodes are arranged between the adjacent ink storage parts, and the both end electrodes exposed from the inside to the outside are arranged in the ink storage parts at both ends to store all the ink. A circuit in which the parts are connected in series to the remaining amount detection circuit is configured.

Therefore, it is possible to detect when the ink remaining amount is insufficient in any one of the ink reservoirs by simply connecting both electrodes to the ink remaining amount detecting circuit. It can be detected by structure and can be manufactured at a very low cost.

If the conductive electrode is formed in a substantially U-shape, the conductive electrode can be attached to the ink storage unit very easily, and the assembling cost can be further reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of an ink cartridge according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a printing unit of the inkjet printer according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a partial side view showing a detached state of the ink cartridge of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a partial side view showing a detached state of the ink cartridge of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of a remaining amount shortage detection circuit of the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a plan sectional view of an ink cartridge according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an ink cartridge according to a second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Ink Storage Section 11b Ink Liquid Chamber 12 Partition Wall 17 Conductive Electrode 18 Both End Electrodes 20 Contacts 22 Remaining Insufficiency Detection Circuit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of ink storage sections partitioned by a partition wall and arranged in parallel, and a conductive member exposed inside the adjacent ink storage sections of the plurality of ink storage sections and electrically connecting between them. And a conductive member that is provided so as to be exposed to the outside from the inside of the ink storage units arranged at both ends of the plurality of ink storage units and that is connected to the remaining amount shortage detection circuit. A device for detecting insufficient ink level in a color ink cartridge, which is provided with electrodes on both ends. 2. The conductive electrode is formed in a substantially U shape, and its parallel portion is inserted into the adjacent ink storage portions, and an intermediate portion at a right angle thereto is exposed to the outside of the ink storage portion. The remaining ink level detection device for the color ink cartridge according to claim 1.