KR100370195B1 - Liquid image printing apparatus and method of detecting leakage of liquid developer - Google Patents

Abstract

A wet printer and a method for detecting ink leakage thereof are disclosed. The wet press controls the engine to supply the stored ink to the photosensitive medium to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive medium, an ink supply unit to supply ink to the developer, and an image corresponding to the received image data to be printed on paper. The ink supply unit is controlled to supply ink from the ink supply unit to the developer by comparing the ink consumption amount calculated from the amount of image data received while the ink amount supplied to the developer is consumed by the printing operation of the developer with the ink amount supplied to the developer. An engine controller for determining whether or not ink leaks on the path is provided. According to this printer and its ink leakage detection method, ink leakage can be easily detected, and the ink leakage can be notified to the user so as to promptly deal with the ink leakage.

Description

Liquid image printing apparatus and method of detecting leakage of liquid developer}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wet printer and a method for detecting ink leakage thereof, and more particularly, to a wet printer and a method for detecting ink leakage, which can detect leakage of ink on an ink supply path.

Wet printers use ink as a developer. The wet printer includes a developer for supplying the stored ink to the photosensitive medium, and an ink supplier for replenishing the ink with the developer.

Such a wet printer is likely to leak ink on an ink supply pipe for supplying ink from an ink supply portion to a developer. That is, fine cracks may occur on the pipe forming the ink supply pipe, or ink may leak due to incomplete treatment of the joint portion. In addition, the excess ink may overflow the container. Such ink leakage is an unnecessary waste factor and can contaminate the printing press.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a wet printer and a method for detecting ink leakage thereof, which can be used to detect leaks of ink on an ink supply path and to take appropriate repair measures. have.

1 is a block diagram showing a wet printing machine according to the present invention,

2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the engine of FIG. 1;

3 is a flow chart showing an ink leak detection process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

11: main controller 12: input device

13: Display device 20: Engine controller

21: ink leak detection unit 22: memory

30: ink supply unit 40: engine

41, 42, 43: Roller 44: Photosensitive belt

45: reset device 46: optical scanning device

48: drying apparatus 49: transfer apparatus

49a: transfer roller 49b: fixing roller

50: developer 51: developer

52: ink supply container 56: developer roller

57: brush roller 58: squeeze roller

59: plate 60: low water level detection unit

70: concentration measuring unit 80: waste ink recovery container

In order to achieve the above object, a wet printing machine according to the present invention includes: a developing device for supplying stored ink to a photosensitive medium to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive medium; An ink supply unit for supplying ink to the developing unit; An engine is controlled so that an image corresponding to the received image data is printed on paper, and the ink supply unit controls the ink to calculate the amount of image data received while the amount of ink supplied to the developer is consumed by a print job of the developer. And an engine controller which compares the consumption amount with the supplied ink amount and determines whether or not ink is leaked on the ink supply path from the ink supply part to the developing device.

In addition, the ink leakage detection method of the wet printer according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a. Supplying a predetermined amount of ink from the ink supply unit to the developing unit; I. Calculating an amount of image data received while the ink supplied to the developer is consumed by a print job; All. And comparing the ink consumption amount obtained from the image data amount calculated in step (b) with the ink amount supplied in step (a), and determining whether or not ink leaks on the ink supply path from the ink supply part to the developing device.

Preferably, if it is determined that the ink leakage in the multi-step, displaying the ink leakage message on the display device; further comprises.

Hereinafter, an ink leak detection apparatus and a method of a wet printer according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a view showing a wet printing machine according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a view showing an example of the engine of FIG.

Referring to the drawings, the wet printer includes a main controller 11, an input device 12, a display device 13, an engine controller 20, an ink supply unit 30, and an engine 40.

The main controller 11 converts the received print data into image data suitable for driving the engine 40 and outputs the image data to the engine controller 20. The main controller 11 processes the signal input from the input device 12 and displays the display information necessary for the display device 13.

The engine controller 20 controls the engine 40 so that an image corresponding to the received image data corresponding to ink write on / off per pixel can be printed on a sheet of paper. The engine controller 20 controls the ink supply unit 30 to supply ink to the developing unit 50.

The ink leak detection unit 21 installed in the engine controller 20 receives the ink amount supplied from the ink supply unit 30 to the developing device 50 and corresponds to the ink writing on while the supplied ink is consumed. The amount of image data is counted to determine whether some of the supplied ink amount leaks to the outside. The ink leakage detection unit 21 records the unit ink consumption amount corresponding to the image data per pixel, and uses the unit ink consumption amount to calculate the ink consumption amount of the image data amount counted corresponding to the ink writing. Therefore, the ink leak detection unit 21 determines whether the ink leaks by determining whether the actual ink amount supplied and the ink consumption amount calculated from the received image data amount match. The memory 22 is for storing a data amount in which image data corresponding to ink writing is counted.

The reservoir level detecting unit 60 measures the reservoir level information of the ink stored in the developer 50 and provides the engine controller 20 with the reservoir level information.

The concentration measuring unit 70 measures the concentration of the ink stored in the developer 50 and provides the measured concentration value to the engine controller 20.

The engine 40 is controlled by the engine controller 20 to print an image corresponding to the image data on paper. With reference to Figure 2 looks at in more detail the engine to which the present invention is applied. Elements having the same function as in the drawing shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

Referring to the drawings, the engine 40 includes a photosensitive belt 44, a reset device 45, an optical scanning device 46, a developing device 50, a drying device 48, a transfer device 49.

The reset device 45 selects an exposure machine 45a for irradiating light to the photosensitive belt 44 circulated by the plurality of rollers 41, 42, 43, and removing the electrostatic latent image, and the photosensitive belt 44. A charger 45b for charging with potential is provided.

The four optical scanning devices 46 scan the photosensitive belt 44 with light corresponding to image data of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) colors to form an electrostatic latent image. Let's do it.

The four developing devices 50 supply ink of the yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) colors to the photosensitive belt 44, respectively.

The developing device 50 includes an ink supply container 52 for supplying ink to the photosensitive belt 44, and a developing tank 51 for collecting ink falling from the photosensitive belt 44 and discharging the ink to the ink supply container 52. Equipped with. In the developing tank 51, the developing roller 56, the brush roller 57 for removing the ink on the developing roller 56, and the ink supplied to the photosensitive belt 44 are not involved in image formation. A squeeze roller 58 for separating the liquid carrier element and a plate 59 for recovering the liquid carrier element flowing through the squeeze roller 58 into the developing tank 51 are provided.

The ink supply container 52 is configured to receive a liquid carrier element N (norpor), which is a solvent, and a toner or a highly concentrated ink, which is a developing material, from the ink supply unit 30, respectively. Ink stored in the ink supply container 52 is supplied between the developing roller 56 and the photosensitive belt 44 by the driving of the pump P. FIG.

Referring to the printing process of the wet printer, first, the optical scanning unit 46 scans light with respect to a predetermined region of the photosensitive belt 44 circulating through the reset device 45. The electrostatic latent image is formed in the photosensitive belt 44 by the scanned light, and this electrostatic latent image is developed by the ink supplied from the ink supply container 52 of the developing device 50. As shown in FIG. Among the inks supplied to the photosensitive belt 44 from the developing unit 50 during the developing process, most of the liquid carrier elements which are not involved in image formation are recovered into the developing tank 51. Then, the liquid carrier element remaining on the photosensitive belt 44 is adsorbed and evaporated by the drying apparatus 48. Thereafter, the image formed on the photosensitive belt 44 is transferred to the paper 73 entering between the transfer roller 49a and the fixing roller 49b.

The ink used in the developing machine during the printing operation by the engine 40 must maintain an appropriate density. To this end, the engine controller 20 controls the ink supply unit 30 so that the set target concentration is maintained in the developer 50 by using the concentration information provided from the concentration measuring unit 70.

In addition, the engine controller 20 controls the ink supply unit 30 by using the storage level information provided from the storage level detection unit 60 so that ink is not depleted in the ink supply container 52. Preferably, when the low water level detection unit 60 detects the lower limit level set for the predetermined ink remaining in the ink supply container 52, and the upper limit level set corresponding to the ink storage capacity, the engine Corresponding information is output to the controller 20. Then, when the lower limit level information is input from the low water level detection unit 60, the engine controller 20 supplies the ink supply unit so that the ink mixed according to the set allowable density is supplied to the ink supply container 52 until the upper limit level is reached. 30). Reference numeral 80 denotes a waste ink container.

As described above, an ink leak detection process will be described with reference to FIG. 3 when the engine controller 20 is operated.

First, when a signal indicating that the lower limit level has been reached from the low water level detection unit 60 is received, the engine controller 20 supplies the ink supply container 52 of the developer 50 from the ink supply unit 30 until the upper limit level is reached. Ink is supplied (step 110).

Then, the supplied ink amount is recorded (step 120).

Thereafter, while the print job is being performed, image data corresponding to the ink writing is continuously accumulated (step 140).

When a signal indicating that the ink stored in the ink supply container 52 has reached the lower limit level is input again from the storage level detection unit 60, the engine controller 20 calculates the ink consumption amount from the accumulated count of data (step). 160). The ink consumption amount is obtained by multiplying the counted data amount by the unit ink consumption amount set corresponding to the image data corresponding to ink writing per pixel. In the determination step 170, the ink consumption amount calculated in step 160 and the ink supply amount supplied in step 110 are compared.

If it is determined that the ink consumption amount calculated in step 170 is less than the supplied ink supply amount, it is processed as ink leakage, and an ink leakage message is displayed on the display device 13 through the main controller 11 (step 180).

According to the printer and the ink leakage detection method according to the present invention as described above, it is possible to easily detect the ink leakage, and to notify the user when the ink leakage occurs, it is possible to promptly deal with the ink leakage Do it.

Claims (5)

A developing device for supplying the stored ink to the photosensitive medium to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive medium; An ink supply unit for supplying ink to the developing unit; An engine is controlled so that an image corresponding to the received image data is printed on paper, and the ink supply unit controls the ink to calculate the amount of image data received while the amount of ink supplied to the developer is consumed by a print job of the developer. And an engine controller which compares the consumption amount with the supplied ink amount and determines whether or not ink leaks on the ink supply path from the ink supply part to the developing device. The method of claim 1, A low water level detector which measures a low water amount of the ink stored in the developing unit and provides the low water level to the engine controller; And a density measuring unit for measuring the concentration of the ink stored in the developing unit and providing the density to the engine controller. The method of claim 1, And the engine controller displays an ink leak message through a display device when it is determined that the ink leaks. A developer for supplying the stored ink to the photosensitive medium to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive medium, an ink supply unit for supplying ink to the developer, and an image corresponding to the image data received while controlling the ink supply unit is printed on paper. In the ink leakage detection method of a wet printer having an engine controller for controlling the engine so that, end. Supplying a predetermined amount of ink from the ink supply unit to the developing unit; I. Calculating an amount of image data received while the ink supplied to the developer is consumed by a print job; All. And comparing the ink consumption amount obtained from the image data amount calculated in step (b) with the ink amount supplied in step (a), and determining whether or not the ink leaks on the ink supply path from the ink supply part to the developing device. An ink leak detection method for a wet printer. The method of claim 4, wherein And, if it is determined that the ink leaks in the multi-step, displaying the ink leakage message on the display device.