JPS59224353A - Ink jet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To avoid the wasteful consumption of ink by a method in which a piezo-electric element is operated for a time period enough to recover the discharge of ink by operating a switch interlocking with a manual operating lever, and the recovery time is notified by the vibrating sound of the piezo-electric element. CONSTITUTION:A rotary lever 17 is pushed, a switch 23 is turned on, capping position is restored, and then the switch 23 is turned on. Whereupon, monostable multi-MM is operted by CPU, output is sent out for a fixed time period H, AND gate AD is opened, and pulse signal from OSC is given to a piezoelectric element PZ through OR circuit to which no printing signal is input and driver DRV to drive it for a fixed time period, e.g., one second for recovering the discharge of ink. During the period, vibrating sound is generated. If the vibrating sound is stopped, user releases his hand from the rotary lever to avoid the wasteful consumption of ink.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an inkjet printer, and more particularly to an inkjet printer with an improved ink suction recovery mechanism.

Prior Art An example of a conventional ink suction recovery mechanism of this type of inkjet printer is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, numerals 1 and 2 indicate main tanks, each of which houses an ink bag 3.

Each ink bag 3 of the main tank 1.2 is connected to a subtank 5 mounted on the carriage side via a supply tube 4.
connected to the side.

A thin supply pipe 6 is housed in the subtank 5,
One end thereof is connected to the nozzle 7 side. supply = g
The other end of 6 is immersed in ink 8 in sub-tank 5 .

On the other hand, the reference numeral 9 designates a pump, and this pop 9 is provided with a piston 10, and an operating lever 11 is connected to the piston 10.

A suction tube 12 is connected between this pump 9 and the sub-tank 5.
Further, the pump 9 and the ink suction cap 13 are connected via a nozzle tube 14.

Although not shown in the figure, the nozzle 7 is equipped with a cylindrical piezo element (piezoelectric element).A voltage is applied to the piezo element in accordance with the printed command to contract the glass tube that makes up the nozzle. By doing so, ink is ejected and printing is performed.

The reference numeral 15 is a return pipe that serves to return the drain ink from the pump 9 to the return ink chamber 16 on the main tanks 1 and 2 side.

By the way, to explain the positional relationship between the suction tube 12 and the nozzle tube 14, the suction pipe 12 is located at a higher position, and the nozzle tube 14 is located at a lower position.

Therefore, when the operating lever 11 is pressed to create a negative pressure above the piston 10 of the pump 9, negative pressure is supplied to the suction tube 12 side at the end of tcJ, and at this time &:1, the nozzle tube 14 (! 11 is closed.

Therefore, in the first stage, the pressure inside the subtank 5 is reduced,
Ink is guided into the sub tank 5 from the main tanks 1 and 2.

Then, further pushing down the piston 10 (〆ζ
Ink from the nozzle 7 is sucked through the camp 13.

When ink enters the Zafrinter and enters the suction tube 12 by operating the pump 9, the suction tube 12
The resistance on the side increases, and after that, ink is mainly sucked from the nozzle side.

As a result, it is possible to remove air bubbles and the like within the nozzle and restore ink ejection.

On the other hand, with the manual pump suction described above, if the pump is driven for longer than necessary when sucking ink from the nozzle, the excess ink will be sucked out and the result will be unnecessary ink consumption. turn into.

If the pump is automated instead of manual, the cost will increase significantly.

What is necessary here is to remove any air bubbles that have entered the nozzle by suctioning it, and to completely fill the nozzle with ink.The pump must be operated for a long time to suck out the excess ink. There's no need.

Item 1 The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an inkjet printer configured so that the user can be informed of the proper operating time of the pump without the need to add extra parts. I'm looking forward to doing that.

Embodiment FIG. 2 and subsequent figures illustrate one embodiment of the present invention. In each figure, the same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding parts as in FIG. 1, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 2 explains the entire ink discharge failure recovery mechanism, and the reference numeral 17 in the figure is a rotary lever, one end of which is rotatably supported on the bottom of the device via a shaft 18. .

A projecting piece 19 is provided on one end side of the rotating lever 17, and a guide hole +9X+ in the shape of a "<" is formed in this part.

111 of the cap holder 20 is located inside this guide hole 9a.
A pin 21 of the cap 13 protruding through a guide hole 20a formed on one surface is slidably fitted.

A protrusion 17a protrudes from the back surface of the rotary lever 17 at a position corresponding to the operating lever 11 of the pop 9.

Furthermore, a pin 17b is provided protruding from the side surface of the rotary lever 17, and this pin 17b is engaged with a hook 22 provided at the bottom of the device.

The reference numeral 23 indicates a switch that detects the operation of the rotary lever 17. This switch 23 is turned on and off by a protrusion 17G protruding from the rotary lever 17.

By the way, as shown enlarged in FIG. 4, the gap 13 has a cap rubber 13a at its tip, and a spring 24 loaded in the cap holder 20 applies a force in the direction of protruding from the cap holder 20. It is being

Next, the operation of this embodiment configured as above will be explained.

Before starting the ink ejection failure recovery operation, the rotating lever T17 is rotated clockwise in the figure as shown in FIG. 3 (5), and the pin 17b is locked to the hook 22. The protrusion 17a is locked away from the operating lever 11 of the pump 9.

The rotating lever 17 is given the habit of rotating clockwise in the figure about the shaft 18 by a force such as a spring (not shown).

In this state, pin 21, which is integrated with camp 13, is
It is located at the upper end of the ``<''-shaped guide hole 19a,
It is drawn into the cap holder 20.

The hook 25 is located at a distance from the lock lever 26, and the lock lever 26 is supported by the torsion coil spring 28.
It is in an inclined state due to the pressing force.

If you wish to perform a recovery operation for ink failure from this state, release the engagement between the r, soil, dowel hook 22 and pin 171, and press the rotating lever 17 as shown in FIG. 3(B). Rotate it in the counterclockwise direction in the figure.

By this operation, the pin 21 integrated with the cap 13, 1
It moves along the diagonal-shaped guide hole 19aK and reaches its bent portion.

As a result, the pin 21 is given the freedom to move toward the right in FIG. 3(B) inside the elongated hole 2021.
The camp 13 is pushed and protruded by the force of the spring 24, and the tip of the nozzle 7 is completely capped.

On the other hand, from this state, the rotating lever 17 is further moved as shown in FIG.
When it is rotated counterclockwise as shown in 1, the protrusion 17a presses the operating lever 11 of the pump 9, so the pump 9 is activated, and the ink non-discharge recovery operation and ink suction from the 1 sub-ink tank are performed. It will be done.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 3(C), the protrusion j7C protruding from the lower end of the rotary lever 17 presses the switch 23, so that the switch 23I'i is turned on.

When the switch 23 is turned on, a current is supplied to the piezo element via a timer to be described later, the piezo element contracts, ink is ejected, and ejection failure recovery is executed more reliably. However, when the time set by the timer has elapsed, the current supply is stopped and the ink Q' is not ejected, so that no ink is wasted.

By the way, electrical control of the timer and piezo element by the operation of the above-mentioned rotary lever is performed by a control circuit as shown in FIG.

The rotation lever 17 is pushed and the switch 23 is turned on,
After that, when the rotating lever returns to the camping position and the switch 23 is turned OFF, the CPU
jj arithmetic processing device) detects this via the signal line t1.

Then, the CPU activates the monostable multivibrator Mi\4 via the signal line t2, outputs a high level signal as its output for a certain period of time, and
1. )open.

A pulse signal from a pulse oscillator O8C is input to the gate (AI) via an output line t3. Therefore, when AND gates A, I) open, this pulse signal is input at OR=-1.(month).

A normal print signal is also input to the OR gate OR, but during the recovery operation (no print signal is output).

Therefore, the pulse signal from the oscillation g308c is transmitted to the piezo element P7. is input to the seven-nostable multivibrator, and the piezo element is driven once for the output C time of 4M. Normally, this time is about 1 second, and this energization time is equivalent to the piezo element f/, t.
, produces the i tatsu/costal sound.

- Note that in the case of normal Japanese printing, the monostable multi-vibration break MM is not activated, the AND gate AD is closed, and the piezo element is driven according to the print signal to perform printing.

The vibration sound of the piezo element is clearly audible to the user, and it lasts only long enough for ink to be ejected. Therefore, if the user releases the rotating lever 17 when the vibration noise stops, the user can avoid wasting ink.

Effects As is clear from the above explanation, according to the present invention, a configuration is adopted in which the time at which the pump should be operated can be determined from the vibration sound of the piezo element. By using this member, it is possible to obtain an inkjet printer that does not waste ink at all, without adding any other components.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view for explaining a conventional structure, Fig. 2 and the following are for explaining an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view;
Figures (A) to (C) are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the ink non-discharge recovery mechanism, and Figure 4 is the longitudinal side surface 7 of the cap portion and the nozzle.
8... Ink 9... Pump 13... Cap 17...
- Rotating lever 23...switch. Special ¥ [Applicant Can Co., Ltd. Figure 1 1 266- Figure 2 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an inkjet printer, inkjet printers perform manual ink failure recovery operation and eject ink by energizing a piezo element. An inkjet printer characterized in that the piezoelectric element is energized for a certain amount of time, and the ink non-discharge recovery time is notified by the vibration sound of the piezoelectric element.