JPH1086407A - Ink supply controller for ink jet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively supply a predetermined quantity of ink from an ink tank of a body side to an ink tank of a head side when the ink of the tank of the head side is wasted. SOLUTION: The ink jet printer comprises a head side ink tank 24 communicating with a print head 16 disposed at a head 18, a body side ink tank 22 disposed at a body, an ink supply tube 28 for connecting the tank 22 to the tank 24, a solenoid valve 30 disposed in the tube 28, and a sensor 32 for detecting presence or absence of the ink of the tank 24. The controller releases the valve 30 for a certain predetermined time when no ink in the tank 24 is detected by the sensor 32, and then releases the valve 30 for a set time when the sensor 32 detects the presence of the ink.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an ink supply control device for an ink jet printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-338203 discloses an ink jet printer in which an ink tank on the machine side and an ink tank on the head side are connected by a tube, and ink is supplied to the ink tank on the head side. ing.

[0003]

In an ink jet printer, when a structure is used in which ink is supplied to an ink tank on the head side by a tube, a curved portion having a difference in height is formed in the tube, whereby air is trapped in the tube. Can be done. When the ink is supplied to the ink tank on the head side, if there is the above-mentioned air pocket, the empty supply of the ink is performed by the amount of the air, so that a predetermined amount of the ink cannot be supplied into the ink tank on the head side. there were. An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an airframe, a platen roller rotatably supported by the airframe, and a platen roller facing the platen roller along a longitudinal direction of the platen roller. A movable carriage, a head unit mounted on the carriage and having an ink-jet printhead, a head-side ink tank disposed on the head unit and communicating with the printhead, and disposed on the body. A body-side ink tank, an ink supply tube connecting the body-side ink tank and the head-side ink tank, and an ink flow passage from the body-side ink tank to the head-side ink tank in the ink supply tube. Solenoid valve controlled by a controller for shutting off and opening the ink, and presence or absence of ink in the head side ink tank And a sensor for detecting, while reciprocating the head portion in the longitudinal direction of the platen roller, transporting the paper along the peripheral surface of the platen roller, and discharging ink from the ink discharge port of the print head. In the ink jet printer configured to perform recording on the paper, the opening time t of the solenoid valve required to fill the ink in the head side ink tank with a third is previously set in a memory, and the sensor is used to set the opening time t on the head side. When the absence of ink in the ink tank is detected, the solenoid valve is opened for the time t, and when the sensor outputs the presence of ink, the opening operation of the solenoid valve for the time t is further performed twice consecutively, and the first time. After the opening operation of the solenoid valve of the above, when the sensor detects the absence of ink, the solenoid valve for the time t until the sensor detects the presence of ink. The opening operation is obtained with a controller as a predetermined number of repetitions performed. Further, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an airframe, a platen roller rotatably supported by the airframe, and a carriage movable in opposition to the platen roller along a longitudinal direction of the platen roller. A head unit equipped with an ink jet type print head mounted on the carriage, a head-side ink tank arranged in the head unit and communicating with the print head, a machine-side ink tank disposed in the machine body, An ink supply tube connecting the body side ink tank and the head side ink tank, and a controller for shutting off and opening an ink flow path from the body side ink tank to the head side ink tank in the ink supply tube. A controlled solenoid valve and a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of ink in the head-side ink tank. While reciprocating the head portion in the longitudinal direction of the platen roller, the paper is conveyed along the peripheral surface of the platen roller, and ink is discharged from the ink discharge port of the print head to perform recording on the paper. In such an ink jet printer, when the opening time T2 of the solenoid valve required to fill the entire ink tank on the head side with ink is set in advance in the memory, and the sensor detects the absence of ink in the ink tank on the head side, When the solenoid valve is opened for a certain time T1 and the sensor detects the presence of ink,
Thereafter, the solenoid valve is opened for the set time T2.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The configuration of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the embodiments of the present invention shown in the attached drawings. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 2 denotes a base of the ink jet printer 4, which is supported by legs (not shown). Substrate 2
In FIG. 3, guide rails 6, 8 extending in the direction perpendicular to the paper
Is fixed, and a slider 10 is attached to the guide rails 6, 8,
A carriage 14 is movably mounted via the rollers 12. On the carriage 14, a head section 18 having an ink jet print head 16 is mounted.

The print head 16 faces a platen roller 20 rotatably supported by the body of the ink jet printer 4. A body-side ink tank 22 is arranged on a cover of the body of the inkjet printer 4. Reference numeral 24 denotes a head-side ink tank, which communicates with an ink discharge port of the print head 16 via an ink supply path 26. The ink in the ink tank 22 is configured to be supplied into the head-side ink tank 24 by gravity via an ink supply tube 28.
The tube 28 has an electromagnetic valve 30 controlled by a controller (not shown) of the inkjet printer 4.
Is provided. The head-side ink tank 24 includes:
A plurality of inks are provided in accordance with the ink colors, and a plurality of the machine-side ink inks 22 are similarly prepared in accordance with the ink colors.

A sensor 32 for detecting the presence or absence of ink is provided at the bottom of the ink tank 24 on the head side. In the above configuration, the carriage 14 reciprocates along the platen roller 20 while the print head 1
Ink is ejected from the ink ejection port No. 6 onto a sheet 34 moving along the peripheral surface of the platen roller 20, and recording is performed on the sheet 34. Next, the ink supply control operation of the controller will be described. First, a three-time dispensing method will be described. The controller monitors the output of the sensor 32 based on the timing signal, and determines whether or not there is ink in the head-side ink tank 24. As shown in FIG. 2A, when the absence of ink is detected (step 1), the solenoid valve 30 is turned ON (valve opened) for a preset time t, and the ink is stored in the head side ink tank 24 as shown in FIG. 2B. Is supplied (step 2). The set time t
Is set to the time required to fill approximately 1/3 of the capacity of the ink tank 24 with ink, and is stored in the memory of the controller. The controller constantly monitors the output of the sensor 32, and after a time t, determines whether the signal of the sensor 32 is on or off, that is, whether or not there is ink (step 3). When the controller determines that there is ink as shown in FIG.
The solenoid valve 30 is turned on for a time t (step 4), and then the solenoid valve 30 is turned on for a time t as shown in FIG. 2D (step 5). Thus, the ink in the head-side ink tank 24 is filled. Thus, the ink supply operation ends.

If the absence of ink is detected in step 3, the operation of step 2 is performed (step 6).
If ink is detected (step 7), step 4
Move to In steps 6, 7, 8, and 9,
When the operation of step 3 is performed up to twice, and when the absence of ink is detected, the controller displays an error on the display section of the control panel of the ink jet plotter (step 10). Next, a timer setting method of ink supply control will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG.

The controller constantly monitors the output of the sensor 32 of the head-side ink tank 24 during printing, and when detecting the absence of ink (step 1), there is an electromagnetic valve 30 corresponding to the detected head-side ink tank 24. Fixed time T
Only one is turned on (valve opened), and ink is supplied into the empty head-side ink tank 24 (step 2). After the time T1, the controller determines whether or not there is ink (step 3). If the ink is detected, the controller opens the solenoid valve 30 for a time T2 after the detection (step 4), and stores the ink in the head side ink tank 24. Meet. The time T2 is a time required to fill the entire head-side ink tank 24 with ink. Next, the controller terminates the supply of the ink and returns to the sensor 32 monitoring state.

When the controller detects that there is no ink in step 3, the controller displays an ink supply error on the display unit of the operation panel of the controller (step 5). As is apparent from the above operation, even if the air pool A is generated in the tube 28, the ink can be supplied to the head side ink tank to a predetermined level.

[0011]

According to the present invention, as described above, the empty supply of ink to the head-side ink tank can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory side view of the ink jet printer.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Base 4 Inkjet printer 6 Guide rail 8 Guide rail 10 Slider 12 Roller 14 Carriage 16 Print head 18 Head unit 20 Platen roller 22 Body side ink tank 24 Head side ink tank 26 Ink supply path 28 Tube 30 Solenoid valve 32 Sensor 34 Paper

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A machine body, a platen roller rotatably supported by the machine body, a carriage movable along the longitudinal direction of the platen roller so as to face the platen roller, and an ink jet type mounted on the carriage. A head unit having a print head, a head-side ink tank arranged in the head unit and communicating with the print head, a machine-side ink tank arranged in the machine, the machine-side ink tank and the head side An ink supply tube connecting the ink tank, an electromagnetic valve controlled by a controller that shuts off and opens an ink flow path from the machine-side ink tank to the head-side ink tank in the ink supply tube, A sensor for detecting the presence or absence of ink in the head-side ink tank; An ink jet printer which reciprocates the head portion in the direction, conveys the paper along the peripheral surface of the platen roller, and discharges ink from ink discharge ports of the print head to perform recording on the paper. When the opening time t of the electromagnetic valve required to fill the ink in the head side ink tank with one third of the ink is previously set in the memory, and the absence of the ink in the head side ink tank is detected by the sensor, When the valve is opened for the time t and the sensor outputs the presence of ink, the opening operation of the solenoid valve for the time t is further performed twice continuously, and after the opening operation of the first solenoid valve, the sensor is turned off. When the absence is detected, the controller is configured to repeat the opening operation of the solenoid valve at the time t for a predetermined number of times until the sensor detects the presence of ink. The ink supply control device characterized by comprising a chromatography la. 2. An airframe, a platen roller rotatably supported by the airframe, a carriage movable along the longitudinal direction of the platen roller facing the platen roller, and an ink jet type mounted on the carriage. A head unit having a print head, a head-side ink tank arranged in the head unit and communicating with the print head, a machine-side ink tank arranged in the machine, the machine-side ink tank and the head side An ink supply tube connecting the ink tank, an electromagnetic valve controlled by a controller that shuts off and opens an ink flow path from the machine-side ink tank to the head-side ink tank in the ink supply tube, A sensor for detecting the presence or absence of ink in the head-side ink tank; An ink jet printer which reciprocates the head portion in the direction, conveys the paper along the peripheral surface of the platen roller, and discharges ink from ink discharge ports of the print head to perform recording on the paper. When the opening time T2 of the electromagnetic valve required to fill the entire ink tank on the head side with ink is set in advance in the memory, and the sensor detects the absence of ink in the ink tank on the head side, the electromagnetic valve is activated. An ink supply control device, comprising: a controller that opens for a predetermined time T1, and when the sensor detects the presence of ink, thereafter opens the electromagnetic valve for the set time T2.