JPH0880613A - Ink jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain an ink jet recorder capable of appropriately raising the recording speed by changing an ink delivery drive frequency in accordance with the amount of ink in an ink tank. CONSTITUTION: An ink jet recorder comprises a recording means 17 making recording on a delivery signal in accordance with a drive frequency, a means 110 for detecting the amount of ink in an ink tank, an information processing part 120 for operating a maximum drive frequency capable of ink delivery on the basis of information detected by the means 110, and a means 130 for controlling the recording means 17 so that it is driven at the maximum drive frequency.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus, and more particularly to an ink jet recording apparatus having recording means for outputting input information such as characters and images on a recording material.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A recording apparatus has a recording means provided with a plurality of recording elements for outputting input information such as characters and images on a recording material (hereinafter referred to as a recording sheet). The recording operation is performed by selectively driving the element under the control of the control means. Such a recording device
It can be classified into an ink jet type, a wire dot type, a heat sensitive type, a thermal transfer type, a laser beam type and the like depending on the recording system of the recording means used. Among such recording apparatuses, in a serial type recording apparatus that employs a recording method in which main scanning is performed in a direction that intersects the recording sheet conveyance direction (sub-scanning direction), the recording sheet is held at a predetermined recording position. Then, when the recording means (recording head) mounted on the carriage that moves along the recording sheet (main scanning) records an image (including characters and symbols) and one line of recording is completed, An image is recorded in a desired range of the recording sheet by repeating the operation of feeding the sheet by a predetermined amount (sub-scanning) and then recording the image of the next row (main scanning). On the other hand, in a line type printing apparatus that prints a printing sheet only in the sub-scan direction, which is fed in the conveying direction, the printing sheet is set at a predetermined printing position, and one row of printing is continuously performed in a batch by a predetermined amount. Paper feeding (pitch feeding) is performed, and an image is recorded on the recording sheet as a whole.

Among them, the ink jet type ink jet recording apparatus is one in which ink is ejected from a recording head onto a recording sheet for recording, the recording means can be easily made compact, and a high-definition image can be recorded at high speed. It is possible to record on plain paper without special processing, low running cost, less noise due to non-impact method, and color image using multi-color ink. Has the advantage that it is easy to record.

In particular, an ink jet type recording head for ejecting ink by utilizing thermal energy is used for etching,
After undergoing semiconductor manufacturing processes such as vapor deposition and sputtering,
By forming a film-formed electrothermal converter, an electrode, a liquid path wall, a top plate, etc. on a substrate, a product having a high-density liquid path arrangement (ejection opening arrangement) can be easily manufactured, Further compactness can be achieved. Further, by utilizing the advantages of IC technology and micro processing technology, it is easy to make the recording means long and planar (two-dimensional), and it is also easy to make the recording means full-multi and high-density mounting. is there.

By the way, the recording speed in this type of ink jet recording apparatus is a cartridge type recording head (hereinafter referred to as an ink jet cartridge) for moving and scanning.
It is generally set in accordance with the ink ejection drive frequency used for ejecting ink from the ink.

The maximum or limit drive frequency f of ink ejection is expressed by the following equation.

[0007]

[Number 1] _{f = f 0 -k (w 1} + w 2) ... (1) where the negative pressure of the ink limit of the frequency w ₁ ... ink tank required for ejecting ink from f ₀ ... head inflow resistance to (hydrostatic head) w ₂ ... ink heads (Dosuiatama) i.e., maximum or limit driving frequency f, the resistance w ₂ in the negative pressure w ₁ and the ink inflow of ink held in the ink tank Change. Further, the negative pressure w ₁ of the ink in the ink tank is reduced at the beginning of use due to the self-weight of the ink, but the negative pressure w ₁ increases as the ink is consumed. On the other hand, the ink inflow resistance w ₂ differs depending on the recording pattern.

[0008]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, as described above, the ink ejection drive frequency is set to a low value in consideration of the influence of the remaining amount of ink and the ink usage amount, but immediately after replacement. For example, at the beginning of using an inkjet cartridge, there is sufficient ink in the ink tank, and the ink holding capacity of the ink absorber loaded in the ink tank is so weak that ink supply can be facilitated. Recording is possible even when a high ink ejection drive frequency is used. That is, in general, this type of ink jet recording apparatus has used a low recording speed with a margin so far, and that much recording is wasteful in terms of time.

An object of the present invention is to pay attention to such a conventional technical problem, and it is possible to perform recording at an optimum ink ejection drive frequency at that time by an ink jet recording head,
An ink jet recording apparatus capable of performing high-speed recording in a state capable of high-speed recording, and conversely, when the amount of ink becomes low, low-speed recording can improve ink use efficiency and quality. Especially.

[0010]

In order to achieve such an object, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention has recording means for ejecting ink supplied from an ink tank by an ejection signal corresponding to a driving frequency to perform recording. And an ink remaining amount detecting means for detecting the ink remaining amount in the ink tank,
An information processing unit that calculates a maximum drive frequency at which ink can be ejected based on information related to the remaining ink amount from the remaining ink amount detection unit, and the information processing unit according to the maximum drive frequency obtained by the information processing unit. And a control unit for controlling the recording unit to drive and perform recording.

[0011]

According to the present invention, from the ink remaining amount in the ink tank detected by the ink remaining amount detecting means, the maximum (limit) drive frequency at which the ink can be ejected when the ink remaining amount is reached is set in the information processing section. It is found that the recording is performed by the recording device with such a driving frequency, and by the control as described above, it is possible to change the recording speed as well as the ink ejection timing according to the remaining ink amount at that time. Therefore, the overall recording speed can be reasonably improved as compared with the conventional one.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, a schematic structure of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention can be applied and a recording head included in the apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

FIG. 1 shows an example of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention can be applied. In FIG. 1, a lead screw 3 having a spiral groove 2 engraved therein is rotatably supported by a device body 1, and the lead screw 3 is driven by a drive motor 4
The rotation is driven via the transmission gears 5 and 6 in association with the forward and reverse rotations of. The carriage 7 has a pin (not shown) provided on a supporting portion 8 (FIG. 6) thereof engaged with the spiral groove 2 and is slidably guided by a guide rail 9, so that the drive motor described above can be used. The forward / reverse rotation of 4 causes reciprocating movement in the directions of arrows a and b. A recording material (hereinafter referred to as a recording sheet) 10 such as a sheet of paper or a plastic thin plate is fed by a platen roller 11 and at the recording position, a plate pressing plate 12 is arranged in the carriage movement direction.
Is kept pressed toward the peripheral surface of the.

The photocouplers 13 and 14 are provided as home position detecting means. When the lever 15 of the carriage 7 is guided to this area, the photocouplers 13 and 14 confirm the existence of the photocouplers 13 and 14 and check the existence of the drive motor 4. Reverses the rotation direction of. An ink jet cartridge 16 which constitutes a recording means is mounted on the carriage 7. As shown in FIG. 2, the inkjet cartridge 16 has a structure in which an inkjet unit 18 including an inkjet head 17 and an ink tank 19 forming an ink storage unit are integrated. On the other hand, a cap member 20 for sealing (capping) the ejection opening surface (front surface on which the ejection openings are arranged) of the inkjet head 17 is provided at a position outside the recording area (for example, a home position). The cap member 20 is supported by a support member 21 and further includes suction means 22 so as to perform suction recovery of the inkjet head 17 via the cap internal opening 23.

A supporting plate 25 is attached to the frame member 24 of the apparatus main body 1, and the cleaning blade 26 slidably supported by the supporting plate 25 is attached to the ink jet head 17 by a driving means (not shown). It is configured to be movable in the front-back direction. As the cleaning blade 26, in addition to the one shown in the figure, various known blades can be used. The lever 27 is used at the start of the suction recovery operation, and moves along with the movement of the cam 28 that contacts the carriage 7. And this lever 2
The transmission of the driving force from the drive motor 4 is controlled by controlling the known transmission means such as the gear 29 and the clutch switching according to the movement of 7.

The capping, cleaning, and suction recovery processes described above are performed at the corresponding positions by the action of the lead screw 3 when the carriage 7 reaches the home position side area. Each of these processes can be implemented in an arbitrary manner using a well-known timing and sequence. Further, each of these treatments can be carried out individually or in combination.

Next, the construction of the ink jet cartridge (IJC) 16 will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in these drawings, the ink jet cartridge 16 has a structure in which an ink jet unit 18 including an ink jet head 17 and an ink tank 19 for accommodating ink are integrally assembled. Reference numeral 30 denotes a large number of ejection ports provided in the inkjet head 17. The inkjet unit (IJU) 18 together with the inkjet head 17
The electric wiring to the ink jet head 17 and the ink pipe are collectively configured.

Inkjet cartridge 1 of this embodiment
No. 6 has a large ink storage ratio, and the tip of the inkjet unit 18 slightly projects from the front surface of the ink tank 19. The inkjet cartridge (IJC) 16 is of a disposable type which is detachably fixedly supported on the carriage 7 via a positioning means and electric contacts of the carriage 7, as described later with reference to FIG. .

FIG. 4 schematically shows the structure of the ink jet head 17. The inkjet head 17 is an inkjet recording head that ejects ink by using thermal energy, and includes an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy. In addition, the recording head 17
Is a technique for ejecting ink from an ejection port to perform recording by utilizing a pressure change caused by growth and contraction of bubbles in film boiling caused by thermal energy generated by an electrothermal converter.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the ink jet head 17, an electrothermal converter which is supplied with an applied voltage to generate thermal energy in order to eject ink from a plurality of ejection ports 30 arranged in a row. 31 is provided for each liquid passage 42. Then, by selectively supplying a drive signal to each electrothermal converter 31 according to the recording signal,
Heat energy is generated in the electrothermal converter 31 to cause film boiling, thereby forming bubbles in the ink liquid passage 42. Then, ink droplets are ejected from the ejection port 30 by the growth of the bubbles, and each electrothermal converter 31 is provided on a heater board 32 made of a silicon substrate, and electric power is supplied to each electrothermal converter 31. It is integrally formed by a film forming technique together with a wiring (not shown) made of aluminum or the like.

A grooved top plate 34 provided with a partition for dividing each of the plurality of ink liquid passages 42 and a common liquid chamber 33 for temporarily storing ink to be supplied to each ink liquid passage 42.
And an ejection port plate (a plate forming an ejection port surface) 36 having an ink receiving port 35 for introducing the ink from the ink tank 19 into the common liquid chamber 33 and a plurality of ejection ports 30 corresponding to the respective ink liquid paths 42. Is integrally molded (see FIG. 3), and polysulfone is preferable as the material, but other molding resin materials such as polyether sulfone, polyphenylene oxide, and polypropylene may be used. Further, the top plate 34 is formed with an opening to be described later, and the filter 70 for absorbing vibration is welded after the above-mentioned molding. Note that FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the ink jet unit 18 attachment portion of the ink tank 19 in FIG. Further, FIG. 6 shows a mounting structure of the inkjet cartridge IJC 16 to the carriage 7.

Next, the construction of the ink jet unit IJU 18 will be described mainly with reference to FIG. 3 and with reference to the aforementioned drawings.

In FIG. 3, one end of the wiring board 37 is mutually connected to the wiring portion of the heater board 32 of the ink jet head 17, and the other end of the wiring board 37 receives an electric signal from the main body of the apparatus. A plurality of pads 38 corresponding to each electrothermal converter 31 (Fig. 4) are provided. As a result, the electric signal from the apparatus main body is individually supplied to each electrothermal converter 31.

The metal support 39 that supports the back surface of the wiring board 37 with a plane serves as the bottom plate of the ink jet unit 18. The presser spring 40 has an M-shape, and presses the outer wall portion of the common liquid chamber 33 (FIG. 4) with a light pressure at the center of the M-shape, and the front slant portion 41 thereof partially forms the liquid passage 42, preferably The area near the discharge port 30 is concentratedly pressed by the linear pressure. The heater board 32 and the top plate 34 are engaged in a sandwiched state by the foot portion of the presser spring 40 engaging with the back surface side of the support body 39 through the hole 43 of the support body 39, and the presser spring 40 Then, they are pressed and fixed to each other by the concentrated biasing force of the front portion 41.

The support 39 has holes 47 and 4 which engage with the two positioning protrusions 44 and the positioning and heat-fusion-holding protrusions 45 and 46 (FIG. 5) of the ink tank 19, respectively.
In addition to 8 and 49, projections 50 and 51 for positioning the carriage 7 are provided on the back surface side. Further, the support 39 is provided with a hole 53 that allows the ink supply pipe 52 from the ink tank 19 to pass therethrough. The wiring board 37 is attached to the support 39 by sticking with an adhesive or the like.

The recesses 54 and 55 of the support 39 are provided in the vicinity of the protrusions 50 and 51, respectively, and are parallel to each other on three sides around the head unit 18 of the assembled ink jet cartridge 16 (FIG. 2). By being located on the extension lines of the grooves 56 and 57, unnecessary substances such as dust and ink do not reach the protrusions 50 and 51. The lid member 58 in which the parallel groove 56 is formed is
As shown in FIG. 6, the outer wall of the ink jet cartridge 16 is formed, and a space 59 for accommodating the ink jet unit 18 is formed between the ink cartridge 19 and the ink tank 19. Further, the ink supply member 60 in which the parallel groove 57 is formed has an ink conduit 61 which is formed as a cantilever with the ink supply pipe 52 side fixed and which is continuous with the ink supply pipe 52. A sealing pin 62 for securing a capillary phenomenon between the fixed side of the ink conduit 61 and the ink supply pipe 52 is inserted. The joint between the ink tank 19 and the ink supply pipe 52 is press-fitted and sealed. A filter 63 is provided at the end of the ink supply pipe 52 on the ink tank 19 side.

Since the ink supply member 60 is formed by molding, the ink supply member 60 is inexpensive, has high positional accuracy, does not deteriorate in manufacturing accuracy, and can be manufactured in large quantities by the ink conduit 61 having a cantilever structure. The pressure contact state of 61 with the ink receiving port 35 is stable. In the present embodiment, a more complete communication state can be reliably obtained by simply pouring the sealing adhesive from the ink supply member 60 side under this pressure contact state. To fix the ink supply member 60 to the support 39, the two pins (not shown) on the back surface side of the ink supply member 60 are respectively passed through the holes 64 and 65 of the support 39 and heat-sealed. This is done easily. Since a slight protruding region of the heat-sealed back surface portion is accommodated in a recess (not shown) on the side surface of the ink tank 19 on the side where the inkjet unit 18 is attached,
The positioning surface of the inkjet unit 18 can be accurately obtained.

Next, the ink tank 19 will be described. The ink tank 19 is basically the cartridge body 6
6, the ink absorber 67, and the lid member 68. The ink absorber 67 is inserted into the cartridge body 66 from the side opposite to the ink jet unit 18, and then the lid member 68.
It is assembled by sealing this with. The ink absorber 67 is for impregnating and holding the ink, and is arranged in the cartridge body 66. The ink supply port 69 is for supplying ink to the inkjet unit 18, and the ink tank 19 is also provided with an atmosphere communication port 71 for communicating the atmosphere with the inside thereof. A liquid repellent material 72 for preventing ink from leaking from the atmosphere communication port is disposed inside 71.

Inkjet cartridge 1 of this embodiment
In No. 6, the rear surface with respect to the inkjet head 17 is flattened to minimize the required space at the time of assembly and maximize the ink storage amount, so that the recording apparatus can be downsized. Not only that, the replacement frequency of the cartridge 16 can be reduced. And the inkjet unit 1
By utilizing the rear part of the space for integrating the eight, a protruding part for the atmosphere communication port 71 is formed there, and the inside of this protruding part is hollowed out, and the entire thickness of the ink absorber 67 described above is here. Atmospheric pressure supply space is formed. By adopting such a configuration, the excellent inkjet cartridge 16 can be obtained.

The atmospheric pressure supply space 73 is a space much larger than the conventional one, and since the atmosphere communication port 71 is located above, the ink is separated from the ink absorber 67 due to some abnormality. However, this ink can be temporarily held in the atmospheric pressure supply space 73 and can be reliably collected in the ink absorber 67, and an excellent inkjet cartridge 16 with no waste is provided.

The construction of the mounting surface of the ink jet unit 18 of the ink tank 19 is shown in FIG. Let L ₁ be a straight line that passes through substantially the center of the ejection port 30 of the ejection port plate 36 and is parallel to the placement reference plane of the bottom surface of the ink tank 19 or the surface of the carriage 7.
The two positioning projections 44, 44 of the two holes 47 of 9 are respectively on this straight line L ₁ (FIG. 5). The height of these protrusions 44, 44 is slightly lower than the thickness of the support 39, and the support 39 is positioned. Straight line L in FIG.
_As shown in FIG. 6, a claw 76 with which the 90-degree angle engagement surface 75 of the positioning hook 74 of the carriage 7 engages is located on the extension of ₁ , and the positioning action force on the carriage 7 is linear. It is configured to operate in a plane area parallel to the reference plane including L ₁ (FIG. 5). As will be described later, these relationships are effective configurations for making the positioning accuracy of only the ink tank 19 equal to the positioning accuracy of the ejection port 30 of the inkjet head 17.

Further, the projections 45 and 46 (FIG. 5) of the ink tank 19 corresponding to the fixing holes 48 and 49 (FIG. 3) on the side surface of the ink tank 19 of the support 39 are formed by the projections 44 and 44, respectively. It is also long and is for fixing the support 39 to the side surface by heat-sealing the protruding portion penetrating the support 39. When a straight line passing through the protrusion 45 and perpendicular to the straight line L ₁ is L ₃ and a straight line passing through the protrusion 46 is L ₂ , a straight line L ₃
Since the approximate center of the ink supply port 69 (FIG. 3) is located above, the connection state between the ink supply port 69 and the ink supply pipe 52 is stabilized, and the load on these connection states due to dropping or impact is also present. It will be reduced.

Further, since the straight line L ₂ and the straight line L ₃ do not coincide with each other and the projections 45 and 46 are present around the projection 44 on the ejection port 30 side of the inkjet head 17, the ink tank of the inkjet head 17 is further provided. The positioning reinforcing effect for 19 is produced. The straight line L in FIG.
Reference numeral ₄ denotes an outer wall position when the ink supply member 60 is attached. Since the protrusions 45 and 46 are along the straight line L ₄ , sufficient strength and positional accuracy are given to the weight of the configuration on the tip end side of the inkjet head 17. The front brim 77 of the ink tank 19 is inserted into the hole of the front plate 78 (FIG. 6) of the carriage 7, and is provided in case of an abnormal change such that the displacement of the ink tank 19 becomes extremely bad.

A retainer 79 (FIG. 6) for the carriage 7 is provided on a bar (not shown) of the carriage 7 and enters below the bar at a position where the ink jet cartridge 16 is pivotally mounted as described later. As a result, the protective member that can maintain the mounted state is formed even if an upward force that unnecessarily separates from the positioning position acts.

The ink tank 19 is covered with the lid member 58 after mounting the ink jet unit 18,
The inkjet unit 18 is formed so as to surround the inkjet unit 18 except its lower opening. However, as the ink jet cartridge 16, the lower opening for mounting on the carriage 7 is close to the carriage 7,
Substantially, a four-way surrounding space is formed. Therefore, the inkjet head 17 in this enclosed space is
The heat from is effective in making the space a heat retaining space. However, it causes a slight increase in temperature during long-term continuous use. Therefore, in this embodiment, a slit (opening) 80 having a width smaller than the surrounding space is provided on the upper surface of the inkjet cartridge 16 in order to help the support body 39 to naturally radiate heat. By providing the slit 80, it is possible to prevent the above-mentioned temperature rise and realize uniform temperature distribution of the entire inkjet unit 18 regardless of the environment.

When assembled as an ink jet cartridge 16, ink is introduced from the inside of the cartridge body 66 through the ink supply port 69, the hole 53 of the support 39, and the introduction port provided on the back side of the ink supply member 60.
The ink is supplied into the ink supply member 60, and the ink supply member 6
After passing through the inside of 0, it flows into the supply liquid chamber 33 (FIG. 4) from the outlet of the ink supply member 60 through an appropriate supply pipe and the ink receiving port 35 of the top plate 34. The connection portion for ink communication in the above path is sealed by packing such as silicon rubber or butyl rubber or by press fitting, and the ink supply path is secured by such a sealing structure.

As described above, since the ink supply member 60, the top plate 34, the ejection port plate 36, and the cartridge body 66 are integrally molded parts, not only the assembly accuracy becomes high, but also the quality in mass production is high. It is extremely effective for improvement. Further, since the number of parts is reduced as compared with the conventional example, desired excellent characteristics can be surely exhibited.
In addition, in this embodiment, after the ink jet cartridge 16 is assembled, as shown in FIG. 2, the roof member having the upper surface 81 of the ink supply member 60 and the elongated opening (slit) 80 of the ink tank 19 is formed. A gap 83 is formed between the end portion 82 and the end portion 82. Similarly, between the lower surface portion 84 (FIG. 3) of the ink supply member 60 and the head side end portion 85 (FIG. 5) of the lower thin plate member to which the lid member 58 of the ink tank 19 is adhered, a gap (not shown) is formed. (Shown)
Are formed.

These gaps further promote the heat radiation effect of the opening 80, and even if an unnecessary force acts on the ink tank 19, this force directly acts on the ink supply member 60, and by extension, the ink jet unit 18. To prevent that. In any case, the above-described configuration of the present embodiment is not seen in the conventional example, and each has an effective effect independently, and when combined, has a particular effect.

Next, the attachment of the ink jet cartridge 16 to the carriage 7 will be described mainly with reference to FIG. In FIG. 6, the platen roller 1
Reference numeral 1 guides the recording material (recording sheet) 10 in the direction from the back side in the drawing to the front side in the drawing. The carriage 7 moves along the longitudinal direction (axial direction) of the platen roller 11, and the carriage 7 is located in front of the carriage 7, that is, on the platen roller 11 side and on the front side of the inkjet cartridge 16. A plate 78 (having a thickness of, for example, 2 mm) and a support plate 86 for an electric connection part, which will be described later.
And a positioning hook 74 for fixing the inkjet cartridge 16 at a predetermined recording position.

The front plate 78 has two positioning projection surfaces 87 corresponding to the projections 50 and 51 (FIG. 3) of the support 39 of the ink jet cartridge 16, and the projection surface 87 after the ink jet cartridge 16 is mounted. Receives a vertical force toward. Therefore, the platen roller 1 of the front plate 78 is
On one side, a plurality of reinforcing ribs (not shown) are provided in the direction of the vertical force. This rib is
Front position L when the inkjet cartridge 16 is mounted
_It projects slightly more than ₅ (for example, about 0.1 mm) to the platen roller 11 side, and also serves as a head protection projection.

The support plate 86 has a plurality of reinforcing ribs 88 extending perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing, and the height of these ribs 88 gradually decreases from the platen roller 11 side toward the hook 74 side. As a result, the inkjet cartridge 16 is attached in an inclined state as shown in FIG. Further, the support plate 86 has a flexible sheet 90 having a pad 89 corresponding to the pad 38 (FIG. 3) of the wiring board 37 (FIG. 3) of the inkjet cartridge 16, and presses the flexible sheet 90 against each pad 89 from the back surface side. It supports a rubber pad sheet 91 with a botch for generating elastic force.

The supporting plate 86 stabilizes the electrical connection between the pad 38 and the pad 89, so that the projecting surface 8 is formed.
A positioning surface 92 on the hook 74 side for exerting an acting force on the ink jet cartridge 16 in a direction opposite to the acting direction of 7 is provided corresponding to the protruding surface 87, and a pad contact area is formed between them. The amount of deformation of the botched rubber sheet 91 corresponding to the pad 89 is uniquely defined. When the positioning surface 92 is fixed to a position where the ink jet cartridge 16 can record, the wiring board 3
7 (FIG. 3). Since the pads 38 are distributed symmetrically with respect to the above-mentioned straight line L ₁ (FIG. 5), the deformation amount of each of the bocches of the rubber pad sheet 91 with a boch becomes uniform, and the pad 89 and the pad 38 contact each other. The contact pressure becomes more stable. In this embodiment, the distribution of the pads 38 is two rows above, two rows below, and two rows vertically.

In FIG. 6, the hook 74 is a fixed shaft 93.
Has a long hole that engages with, and after rotating counterclockwise from the position shown in the drawing using the movement space of this long hole, by moving to the left side in the longitudinal direction of the platen roller 11. The inkjet cartridge 16 is positioned with respect to the carriage 7. The hook 74 may be moved by any means, but it is preferable that the hook 74 can be moved by a lever or the like. In any case, when the hook 74 is rotated, the inkjet cartridge 16 moves to the platen roller 11 side, and moves to a position where the positioning protrusions 50 and 51 can contact the protruding surface 87 of the front plate 78. To do. Hook 74
When the hook surface 75 of 90 degrees is brought into close contact with the 90-degree surface of the claw 76 of the ink jet cartridge 16, the ink jet cartridge 16 is moved toward the left side of
1 is swung in a horizontal plane around the contact area between the protruding surface 87 and
Finally, the contact between the pad 38 and the pad 89 starts.

When the hook 74 is held at a predetermined position, that is, a fixed position, the pad 38 and the pad 89 are in full contact with each other, the protrusions 50 and 51 are in full contact with the protruding surface 87, and the hook surface 75 is in contact. The two surface contact of the 90 degree surface of the claw 76 and the surface contact between the wiring board 37 (FIG. 3) and the positioning surface 92 are simultaneously formed. In this way, the ink jet cartridge 16 is positioned with respect to the carriage 7 and the holding state is obtained.

Next, control of the recording operation according to the present invention will be described.

FIG. 7 shows the configuration of a circuit for controlling the recording operation according to the present invention. Here, 110 is an ink remaining amount detecting means for detecting the ink remaining amount in the ink tank. In the embodiment described above, the ink absorber 67 is mounted in the ink tank 19 which is integrally incorporated in the ink jet cartridge 16, and the negative pressure is generated in the supplied ink by the ink absorber 67. It is desirable that the remaining ink amount detecting means is suitable for the above ink tank.

As the ink remaining amount detecting means known so far, a means for detecting the ink remaining amount based on the change of the electric resistance by energizing between the metal electrodes exposed in the ink tank, or at the time of recording is used. The number of ink ejections and the number of ejections during recovery operation are counted to calculate the amount of ink used and the remaining ink amount is detected, the semiconductor element is used to detect the pressure change in the ink tank, or the ink tank For example, there is a device in which the remaining amount of ink is mechanically known from the change in the size of the ink bag housed inside. Therefore, as a method suitable for the remaining ink amount detecting means of the above-described embodiment, a method of counting the number of ink ejections at the time of recording and the number of ink ejections at the time of recovery operation and calculating the remaining ink amount from the ink usage amount can be considered. However, the present invention is not limited to the recording device and the ink tank having the above-mentioned configuration, and therefore, if the most suitable ink remaining amount detecting means is selected according to the form of the recording device, particularly the form of the ink tank. Of course, any method may be used as long as the remaining ink amount can be taken out as an electric signal.

Further, the detection is not always necessary, and in the case of a serial type ink jet recording apparatus, for example, the detecting means is energized or the position is detected when the carriage moves to a predetermined position. A means may be provided so that the remaining ink amount is detected for each scanning or for each scanning.

In FIG. 7, reference numeral 120 denotes an information processing unit, 13
Reference numeral 0 is a control unit of the recording apparatus. The information processing unit 120 obtains the maximum drive frequency for ink ejection at that time and / or the recording speed corresponding to the frequency based on the information from the remaining ink amount detecting unit 110, and sends these to the control unit 130. . Therefore, the control unit 130 controls the drive of the drive motor 4 to move and scan the carriage 7 at a timing according to the drive frequency sent from the information processing unit 120, and the inkjet head 17 uses the ejection signal of the drive frequency. Recording is performed by ejecting ink.

As described above, by controlling the recording speed of the ink jet recording apparatus, it becomes possible to rationally perform recording at a recording speed commensurate with the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank 19, and the recording speed can be increased accordingly. Can contribute to improvement.

In the above-described embodiments, the case where the ink jet cartridge 16 is mounted on the carriage 7 for scanning is described as an example of the serial type recording apparatus, but the present invention is not limited to this. The same can be applied to a recording apparatus using a line type recording head having a length that covers the entire width or a part of the width, and the same effect can be obtained. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case of recording with one ink jet head 17 is illustrated, but the present invention is a color ink jet recording apparatus using a plurality of recording heads for recording with different colors, or the same color but different density. The present invention can be widely applied to an ink jet recording apparatus for gradation recording using a plurality of recording heads recording with ink, regardless of the number of recording heads and recording colors, and similar effects can be obtained.

Further, the present invention uses the replaceable ink jet cartridge 16 in which the recording head and the ink tank are integrated as described above, and the recording head and the ink tank are separate and are connected by a tube or the like. Even if the recording head and the ink tank are arranged in any form, such as the one described above, the same can be applied and the same effect can be achieved.

(Others) In particular, the present invention is provided with a means (for example, an electrothermal converter or a laser beam) for generating thermal energy as energy used for ejecting ink, particularly in the ink jet recording system. The present invention brings about excellent effects in a recording head and a recording apparatus of the type in which the state of ink is changed by the heat energy. This is because such a system can achieve high density recording and high definition recording.

With regard to its typical structure and principle, see, for example, US Pat. No. 4,723,129 and US Pat. No. 4,740.
What is done using the basic principles disclosed in 796 is preferred. This method is a so-called on-demand type,
It can be applied to any of the continuous type, but especially in the case of the on-demand type, it can be applied to the sheet holding the liquid (ink) or the electrothermal converter arranged corresponding to the liquid path. By applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the recording information and giving a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling, heat energy is generated in the electrothermal converter, and film boiling is caused on the heat acting surface of the recording head. Liquid (ink) corresponding to this drive signal in a one-to-one correspondence
It is effective because bubbles can be formed inside. The liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection opening by the growth and contraction of the bubble to form at least one droplet. It is more preferable to make this drive signal into a pulse shape because bubbles can be immediately and appropriately grown and contracted, so that liquid (ink) ejection with excellent responsiveness can be achieved. As the pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable. If the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 of the invention relating to the rate of temperature rise on the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the constitution of the recording head, in addition to the combination constitution of the discharge port, the liquid passage, and the electrothermal converter (the linear liquid passage or the right-angled liquid passage) as disclosed in the above-mentioned specifications, US Pat. No. 4,558,333, US Pat. No. 4,558,333, which discloses a configuration in which a heat acting portion is arranged in a bending region.
The structure using the specification of No. 59600 is also included in the present invention. In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59-123670 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of the electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and an opening for absorbing a pressure wave of thermal energy is provided. The effect of the present invention is effective even if the configuration corresponding to the ejection portion is disclosed in JP-A-59-138461. That is, according to the present invention, recording can be surely and efficiently performed regardless of the form of the recording head.

Further, as described above, the present invention can be effectively applied to a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum width of the recording material that can be recorded by the recording apparatus. Such a recording head may have a configuration that satisfies the length by a combination of a plurality of recording heads or a configuration as one recording head integrally formed.

Even in the case of the serial type as in the above example, the recording head fixed to the apparatus main body or the ink jet from the apparatus main body when electrically connected to the apparatus main body by being attached to the apparatus main body. The present invention is also effective when a replaceable chip type recording head capable of performing the above or a cartridge type recording head in which an ink tank is integrally provided in the recording head itself is used.

Furthermore, as the constitution of the recording apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable to add ejection recovery means for the recording head, preliminary auxiliary means, etc. because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specific examples of these are capping means for the recording head, cleaning means,
Examples include a pressurizing or suction means, an electrothermal converter, a heating element other than this, or a preheating means for heating using a combination thereof, and a predischarge means for discharging other than recording. it can.

Regarding the type and number of recording heads to be mounted, for example, only one is provided corresponding to a single color ink, or a plurality of inks having different recording colors and densities are supported. A plurality of pieces may be provided. That is, for example, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to the recording mode of only the mainstream color such as black, but it may be either the recording head is integrally formed or a plurality of combinations may be used. The present invention is also extremely effective for an apparatus provided with at least one of full-color recording modes by color mixing.

In addition, as the form of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, besides the one used as an image output terminal of an information processing apparatus such as a computer, a copying apparatus combined with a reader or the like, and a facsimile apparatus having a transmission / reception function are provided. It may be a form or the like.

[0063]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, there is provided recording means for ejecting the ink supplied from the ink tank in accordance with the ejection signal corresponding to the driving frequency for recording. An ink remaining amount detecting means for detecting the ink remaining amount in the tank; and an information processing part for calculating the maximum drive frequency at which ink can be ejected based on the information relating to the ink remaining amount from the ink remaining amount detecting means. Since the recording head is driven according to the maximum driving frequency obtained by the information processing unit and the recording head is controlled to perform recording, the recording head can record at the maximum recording time. It is possible to record, and it is possible to improve the use efficiency and quality of ink.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a main configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus to which the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the recording unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the recording unit shown in FIG.

4 is a partial perspective view schematically showing the structure of an ink ejection portion of the recording means shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the ink tank shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from the ink jet unit mounting side.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing how the recording means shown in FIG. 2 is attached to a carriage.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration for recording operation control according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Recording Device Main Body 3 Lead Screw 4 Drive Motor 7 Carriage 9 Guide Rail 10 Recording Material 11 Platen Roller 12 Paper Holding Plate 16 Inkjet Cartridge (Recording Means) 17 Inkjet Head 18 Inkjet Unit (Recording Means) 19 Ink Tank 20 Cap Member 22 Suction means 26 Cleaning blade 30 Discharge port 31 Electrothermal converter 32 Heater board 33 Common liquid chamber 36 Discharge port plate 37 Wiring board 39 Support 42 Liquid path 52 Ink supply pipe 60 Ink supply member 61 Ink conduit 63 Intermediate filter 66 Cartridge body 67 Ink Absorber 68 Lid Member 69 Ink Supply Port 70 Filter (Common Liquid Chamber) 71 Atmosphere Communication Port 72 Liquid Repellent Material 73 Atmospheric Pressure Supply Space 74 Positioning Hook 75 Engagement Surface 76 Claw 77 Collar 78 Front plate 79 Detent 80 Slit (opening) 81 Upper surface part 82 Roof member end part 83 Gap 84 Lower surface part 85 Head side end part 86 Support plate 87 Projection surface 88 Rib 89 Pad 90 Flexible sheet 91 Rubber sheet 92 Positioning surface 93 Fixed shaft 110 Ink remaining amount detecting means in tank 120 Information processing unit 130 Control unit

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Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An ink remaining amount detecting unit for detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank, the recording unit ejecting ink supplied from an ink tank in response to an ejection signal corresponding to a driving frequency to perform recording. An information processing section for calculating a maximum drive frequency at which ink can be ejected based on information relating to the remaining ink level from the remaining ink level detection means, and according to the maximum drive frequency determined by the information processing section An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a control unit that drives the recording unit and controls to perform recording. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the recording speed of the recording unit according to the maximum driving frequency obtained by the information processing unit. 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording unit has an electrothermal conversion element that generates thermal energy that causes film boiling in the ink, as an energy generation element for ejecting the ink. Recording device. 4. The recording means is mounted on a carriage,
4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inkjet recording head is an inkjet recording head that ejects ink in accordance with a movement timing corresponding to the drive frequency of the carriage. 5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the ink tank is formed integrally with the recording unit and is detachably mounted on the carriage. 6. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink tank is internally provided with an ink absorber that holds the ink at a negative pressure. 7. The drive control of the recording unit by the control unit is performed based on the information about the remaining amount of ink sent from the remaining ink amount detecting unit for each predetermined recording amount. The inkjet recording device according to claim 1.