Ink ejection device and control method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ink ejection device and a control method thereof. The printing device according to the present invention counts the amount of ink in the ink reservoir according to the consumption of ink from the ink reservoir, updates and holds the count value obtained by counting in the counter, and detects whether the ink is injected into the ink reservoir before the sensing unit performs sensing, and the sensing unit is configured to sense whether there is a predetermined amount of ink in the ink reservoir. In the case of performing sensing by the sensing unit, the device reads out the previous sensing result from a memory for storing the sensing result of the presence / absence of ink by the sensing unit, verifies the transition between the previous sensing result and the current sensing result, and controls the resetting of the count value held by the counter and the counting operation based on the results of the transition and detection.

Description

[0001] (This application is a divisional application of an application filed on April 2, 2020, with application number 2020102563798 and invention name “Printing device and ink level detection method thereof”.) Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and an ink amount detection method thereof, and in particular, to a printing apparatus configured to perform printing by discharging ink from a print head according to, for example, an inkjet method and an ink amount detection method thereof. Background Art

[0003] Conventionally, for an inkjet printing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a printing apparatus) including a refillable ink tank into which a user can inject ink via an introduction port, a structure for detecting whether a predetermined amount of ink is present in the ink tank using a sensor in the ink tank has been proposed.

[0004] For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2016-179677 discusses a printing device having the following structure. That is, the printing device includes a calculation unit configured to calculate the ink consumption, a storage unit configured to store a count value updated based on the ink consumption calculated by the calculation unit, and an electrode pair configured to detect whether ink exists at a predetermined position in the ink reservoir. The control unit measures the voltage between the electrode pair, thereby detecting the presence / absence of ink. When it is determined that there is ink before the count value is restored to the initial value, the control unit controls so that the count value is restored to the initial value.

[0005] However, the printing device described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2016-179677 has the following problem. That is, if the air in the ink tank expands / contracts due to changes in air pressure or temperature in the ink tank, the ink level changes, and the sensor reacts to the change even though the actual ink amount does not change. Therefore, an error occurs in the count value updated based on the ink consumption. Summary of the invention

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been conceived as a response to the above-mentioned disadvantages of the conventional technology.

[0007] For example, the printing apparatus and the ink amount detection method thereof according to the present invention can accurately detect the amount of ink in the ink tank regardless of environmental changes.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing device, comprising: an ink reservoir for containing ink injected from an inlet; a print head configured to print by discharging ink supplied from the ink reservoir; a sensing unit configured to sense whether there is a predetermined amount of ink in the ink reservoir, and the printing device further comprises: a memory unit configured to store a sensing result of the sensing unit; a counting unit configured to count the amount of ink in the ink reservoir according to the consumption of ink from the ink reservoir; a first counter configured to update and maintain the count value of the counting unit; a verification unit configured to read out a previous sensing result from the memory unit when performing sensing by the sensing unit, and to verify the transition between the previous sensing result and the current sensing result; a detection unit configured to detect whether ink injection into the ink reservoir is performed before the sensing unit performs sensing; and a control unit configured to control the resetting of the count value maintained by the first counter and the counting operation of the counting unit based on the transition obtained by the verification unit and the detection result of the detection unit.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink quantity detection method for a printing device, the printing device comprising: an ink reservoir for accommodating ink injected from an inlet; a print head configured to print by discharging ink supplied from the ink reservoir; and a sensing unit configured to sense whether there is a predetermined amount of ink in the ink reservoir, the ink quantity detection method comprising: counting the amount of ink in the ink reservoir according to the consumption of ink from the ink reservoir; updating and maintaining the count value obtained by the counting in a counter; detecting whether ink injection into the ink reservoir is performed before the sensing unit performs sensing; when performing sensing by the sensing unit, reading out a previous sensing result from a memory for storing the sensing result of the sensing unit on the presence / absence of ink and verifying the transition between the previous sensing result and the current sensing result; and controlling the resetting of the count value maintained by the counter and the operation of the counting based on the transition obtained in the verification and the detection result in the detection.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, a printing device is provided, comprising: a print head configured to discharge ink; an ink reservoir configured to contain ink to be supplied to the print head and comprising an inlet through which ink is injected; a cover configured to cover the inlet; an opening / closing detection unit configured to detect opening / closing of the cover; a detection unit configured to detect whether a predetermined amount of ink contained in the ink reservoir is present; a memory configured to store a previous detection result of the detection unit; and a notification unit configured to notify a status of the printing device, wherein, if the previous detection result of the detection unit is no and the current detection result is yes, then, when the opening / closing detection unit detects that the cover is closed, the notification unit notifies that the ink amount has increased, and when the opening / closing detection unit does not detect that the cover is closed, the notification unit does not notify.

[0011] The present invention is particularly advantageous because it takes into account the transition of changes between the previous ink presence / absence detection and the current ink presence / absence detection, which can suppress the error between the actual ink amount and the count value and can accurately grasp the ink amount in the ink tank.

[0012] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to the attached drawings). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a printing apparatus including an inkjet print head according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 2A , 2B and 2C is shown Figure 1 A perspective view showing an overview of the internal mechanism of the printing device shown;

[0015] Figure 3 It is schematically shown Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an example of an ink supply system of a printing device shown;

[0016] Figure 4A , 4B and 4C are schematically shown Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an example of ink injection of a printing device is shown;

[0017] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 1 A block diagram of the control structure of the printing device shown;

[0018] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the ink remaining amount detection process according to the first embodiment;

[0019] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing a predetermined ink amount presence / absence detection process according to the first embodiment;

[0020] Figure 8 : is a diagram showing a display screen for displaying the ink remaining amount status on the portable device according to the first embodiment.

[0021] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing ink remaining amount detection processing according to the second embodiment; and

[0022] Fig.10 : is a flowchart showing the ink remaining amount detection process according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. A plurality of features are described in the embodiments, but no limitation is made to the need for all of these features in the present invention, and a plurality of these features may be appropriately combined. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar structures, and their repeated description is omitted.

[0024] In this specification, the terms "print" and "printing" include not only forming meaningful information such as characters and graphics on a printing medium, but also broadly include forming images, graphics and patterns on a printing medium, or processing the medium, whether or not they are meaningful and whether or not they are visible so that humans can visually perceive them.

[0025] Furthermore, the term "print medium" includes not only paper used in general printing devices but also widely includes materials such as cloth, plastic film, metal plate, glass, ceramics, wood, and leather that can receive ink.

[0026] In addition, the term "ink" (hereinafter also referred to as "liquid") should be broadly interpreted as being similar to the definition of "print" described above. That is, "ink" includes liquids that can form images, graphics, patterns, etc. when applied to a print medium, can process the print medium, and can process the ink. Processing of the ink includes, for example, solidifying or insolubilizing a colorant contained in the ink applied to the print medium.

[0027] In addition, unless otherwise specified, a "nozzle" (hereinafter also referred to as a "printing element") generally means an ink ejection port or a liquid channel communicating therewith, and an element for generating energy for discharging ink.

[0028] An element substrate (head substrate) of a print head used below means not only a base made of a silicon semiconductor but also a structure on which elements, wirings, and the like are arranged.

[0029] In addition, "on the substrate" means not only "on the element substrate" but also "the surface of the element substrate" and "the inside of the element substrate near the surface". In the present invention, "built-in" means not only arranging the respective elements as separate members on the base surface but also integrally forming and manufacturing the respective elements on the element substrate by a semiconductor circuit manufacturing process or the like.

[0030] <Overview of the Printing Devices ( Figure 1 ~4)>

[0031] Figure 1 1 is a perspective view showing an overview of the mechanism of a printing apparatus 10 that performs printing using an inkjet print head (hereinafter referred to as a print head) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the printing apparatus 10 includes a print head (not shown) detachably mounted on a carriage 104 and configured to discharge ink, a supply tube 111 configured to supply ink to the print head, and an ink tank containing ink.

[0032] As ink tanks, the printing apparatus 10 includes four ink tanks, namely, an ink tank 105 accommodating black ink, an ink tank 106 accommodating cyan ink, an ink tank 107 accommodating magenta ink, and an ink tank 108 accommodating yellow ink. The printing apparatus 10 also includes a first cover 109 covering the ink tank 105 and a second cover 110 covering the ink tanks 106, 107, and 108. The carriage 104 is supported in such a manner that it can reciprocate in the X direction along a guide rail installed in the printing apparatus 10. When printing is performed on a print medium, the carriage 104 reciprocates in a printing area via a carriage belt (not shown) driven by a carriage motor (not shown).

[0033] In addition, the printing apparatus 10 includes a feeding unit 102 for feeding a printing medium, a conveying unit 103 for conveying the printing medium in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction, and a recovery mechanism 112 for performing a recovery operation to maintain the ink discharge performance of the print head to maintain the quality of the printed image. The recovery mechanism 112 is arranged outside the printing area and inside the moving area of ​​the carriage 104.

[0034] Note that the print head mounted on the carriage is a print head according to an inkjet method that uses thermal energy to discharge ink, and includes a plurality of electrothermal transducers configured to generate thermal energy. According to this method, thermal energy is generated by applying a pulse signal to the electrothermal transducer, film boiling is caused in the ink by the thermal energy, and the ink is discharged from the ejection port using the bubbling pressure of the film boiling, thereby performing printing.

[0035] Figures 2A to 2C It includes Figure 1External stereoscopic view of a printing device with the same internal mechanism shown.

[0036] Figure 2A The state in which the printing apparatus 10 is provided with an access cover 301 in which a scanner unit including a reading unit (ADF) capable of reading an image of stacked originals is mounted is shown. The access cover 301 is axially supported in an open / closed manner relative to the main body of the printing apparatus 10. The printing apparatus 10 includes an operation unit 4 on the front surface on which a user can perform operations such as inputting instructions to the printing apparatus 10. The operation unit 4 includes a display panel capable of displaying an error in the printing apparatus 10 or the amount of ink in the ink tank 105. Figure 2B The state when the access cover 301 is opened and the user injects ink is shown. The access cover 301 is linked with an open / close sensing sensor (not shown) configured to sense the opening / closing of the access cover 301. When the user opens the access cover 301, the sensor reacts and determines that ink can be injected. Figure 2C The state in which the first cover 109 covering the ink tank cap 211 of the ink tank 105 and the second cover 110 covering the cap 212 of the ink tank 106, the cap 213 of the ink tank 107, and the cap 214 of the ink tank 108 is provided is shown. That is, the second cover 110 integrally covers the caps provided on the plurality of ink tanks. Note that the scanner unit may not be installed in the inspection cover 301.

[0037] When injecting ink into the ink reservoir, Figure 2C As shown, the user needs to perform an operation of lifting (opening) the first cover 109 and the second cover 110. The user can inject ink by removing the cap of each ink tank.

[0038] Figure 3 : is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a main part of the ink supply system of the printing apparatus. Here, description will be made using an example applied to black ink (BK), and it is assumed that the same structure is provided for the remaining inks.

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, the print head 100 is connected to the ink reservoir 105 containing black ink via the supply pipe 111. The ink reservoir 105 contains black ink inside, and an air communication pipe 201 is installed to the ink reservoir 105, which forms an air communication path connected to an air communication port 202 configured to communicate the inside with the air. The supply pipe 111 and the air communication pipe 201 are made of a flexible material such as an elastomer. An ink filling port 210 configured to inject ink is provided at the upper part of the ink reservoir 105. In addition, an ink reservoir cap 211 that seals the introduction port is installed to the ink filling port 210. In addition, a first cover 109 covering the ink reservoir cap 211 is installed.

[0040] A valve unit 209 for blocking the connection between ink and air is provided on the supply tube 111 and the air communication tube 201. The valve unit 209 is linked to the first cover 109. When the user opens the first cover 109, a closed state in which the supply tube 111 and the air communication tube 201 are closed (blocked) is obtained. When the user removes the ink reservoir cap 211, ink can be injected into the ink reservoir 105 from the ink filling port 210. Conversely, when the user closes the first cover 109, the valve unit 209 is set to an open state, and the supply tube 111 and the air communication tube 201 are opened.

[0041] As the black ink is consumed from the ejection orifice array 101BK formed of a plurality of ejection orifices configured to eject black ink, the ink level 205 in the ink reservoir 105 drops. Two electrodes 203 and 204 for detecting the remaining amount of ink are provided in the ink reservoir 105. These electrodes are also referred to as remaining detection needles. A voltage value obtained by supplying a weak current between the two electrodes is detected, and the voltage value is A / D converted to obtain a digital value. Whether the ink level 205 in the ink reservoir 105 is located at the position determined by the digital value is detected based on the digital value. Figure 3 The vertical direction (Z direction) indicated by L in the figure is below. Figure 3 The position L shown corresponds to the lower end position of the two electrodes 203 and 204 .

[0042] More specifically, in the case where the ink level 205 in the ink reservoir 105 is located at the same position as the position L or above the position L, when a weak current is supplied between the two electrodes 203 and 204, the current flows through the ink. Therefore, the voltage value detected at this time is low, and the digital value is small. On the other hand, in the case where the ink level 205 in the ink reservoir 105 is located below the position L, the current flowing between the two electrodes 203 and 204 does not flow through the ink. Therefore, the voltage value detected when a weak current is supplied is high, and the obtained digital value is large.

[0043] In this way, it is possible to detect whether the ink level 205 in the ink reservoir 105 is below the position L. That is, through this structure, it is possible to detect whether the amount of ink contained in the ink reservoir 105 is less than a predetermined amount. Such a detection operation is hereinafter referred to as ink remaining amount detection or remaining detection. The sensing result is also referred to as a remaining sensing result. In addition, the position L is also referred to as a remaining detection position.

[0044] The position L is set at a certain height relative to the position E, which is defined so that the remaining amount of ink becomes equal to / greater than "the amount consumed by the recovery operation (refresh operation) for filling the supply tube 111 and the print head 100 with ink". For this reason, if the ink liquid level 205 is located at a position below the position L, and it is determined that the remaining amount of ink is less than the amount of ink consumed in the refresh operation, the recovery operation cannot be performed. However, a printing operation or a recovery operation in which the amount of ink consumed is less than the amount of ink consumed in the refresh operation can be performed.

[0045] Furthermore, the position E is a height defined so that the remaining amount of ink becomes equal to / greater than the minimum amount of ink required to prevent air from entering the ink supply channel from the gas-liquid exchange portion 207 of the ink tank 105 when the ink is consumed. If ink is continuously supplied in a state where the ink tank 105 has no ink, air is mixed in the ink supply channel including the supply tube 111. When air enters the print head 100 via the supply tube 111 and reaches the ejection port 101BK, ink cannot be discharged and a discharge failure occurs.

[0046] In order to prevent this, in the present embodiment, the remaining amount of ink below the position L is managed by a counter for counting the ink consumption amount, and when the counter reaches a threshold value, operations related to ink consumption such as a printing operation or a recovery operation are suspended. In this case, when the user performs ink injection so that the ink level 205 is above the position L, or when the user cancels the suspension at any desired timing, the printing operation or the recovery operation can be resumed.

[0047] In addition, in the printing device 10, in order to prevent ink from leaking from the ejection port 101BK of the print head 100, the gas-liquid exchange portion 207 of the ink reservoir 105 is arranged at a position lower than the ejection port 101BK of the print head 100 by a height H in the vertical direction (Z direction). That is, a structure is adopted in which a negative pressure is applied to the ejection port 101BK by a head difference corresponding to the height H. Note that the gas-liquid exchange portion 207 is formed with an opening area for holding a meniscus of ink. In addition, a buffer chamber 206 is provided below the ink reservoir 105. The buffer chamber 206 can accommodate ink that is pushed out and destroys the meniscus in the gas-liquid exchange portion 207 when the air in the ink holding chamber 208 that holds ink expands due to air pressure changes or temperature changes, etc. This prevents ink from leaking from the ink reservoir 105 via the tube 201 of the air communication path.

[0048] Figures 4A to 4C is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an operation of injecting ink into the ink tank.

[0049] Here, description will be made using an example applied to black ink (BK), and it is assumed that the same structure is provided for the remaining inks.

[0050] like Figure 4AAs shown, the ink filling port 210 is divided into two channels, namely, an ink introduction path and an air outlet path. Figure 4B As shown in FIG. 1 , when the ink bottle 305 having black ink is inserted, the ink in the ink bottle 305 flows into the ink containing chamber 208 via the ink introduction path. In addition, the air in the ink containing chamber 208 flows out to the ink bottle 305 via the air outlet path. That is, the ink is supplied to the ink tank 105 by gas-liquid exchange in which the air in the ink containing chamber 208 of the ink tank 105 is replaced by the black ink in the ink bottle 305. When the ink is injected, as shown in FIG. Figure 4C As shown in FIG. 1 , the ink liquid level 205 closes the air outlet path port. Therefore, air cannot flow out from the ink reservoir 105 to the ink bottle 305, and the gas-liquid exchange stops. For this reason, when the ink liquid level 205 reaches the position F in the vertical direction (Z direction), the ink injection stops automatically, and the ink is fully filled. Note that the ink is also filled with a liquid. Figure 3 The alternating long and short dashed lines in the figure indicate position F.

[0051] The above describes a structure in which the ink tank is fixed to the printing device and ink is supplied via a tube as an example. However, the embodiment can also be applied to a so-called on-carriage structure in which the ink tank is mounted on a carriage together with the print head. That is, an ink filling port can be provided in the ink tank mounted on the carriage, and the user can inject ink from the ink tank.

[0052] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 1 A block diagram of the control structure of the printing device shown.

[0053] refer to Figure 5 , a host computer (hereinafter referred to as a host) 450 is an information processing apparatus such as a PC or a portable device, and is connected to the printing apparatus 10 from the PC via a USB interface, for example. A printer driver 451 is software installed in the host 450, and corresponds to various functions and specifications provided in the printing apparatus 10. The printer driver 451 generates print data based on image data of a document or photo desired by the user, etc., according to a print instruction of the user, and sends the print data to the printing apparatus 10.

[0054] The reception buffer 401 is a buffer configured to hold print data and the like transmitted from the host computer 450 to the printing apparatus 10. The print data and the like held in the reception buffer 401 are transferred to the RAM 403 by the CPU 402 and temporarily stored.

[0055] The printing device 10 includes a counter that counts the amount of ink consumed by the recovery operation or the amount of ink discharged from the ejection port array based on the recovery consumption or the value obtained by multiplying the number of discharged ink drops by the volume of each drop. The CPU 402 also counts the number of ink discharges through the counter or performs control based on the count value.

[0056] Furthermore, the ROM 404 stores programs and fixed data and the like required for various types of control of the printing apparatus 10. The NVRAM 405 is a nonvolatile memory configured to store information that should be retained even when the printing apparatus 10 is powered off. The count value obtained by the counter is written and saved in the NVRAM 405 at a timing such as whenever a print medium is ejected, after a cleaning sequence, or after soft-off.

[0057] The head driver 406 is a driver configured to drive the print head 100. The motor driver 407 is a driver configured to drive various types of motors 417 such as a carriage motor, a conveying motor, and a motor for moving a cap in a vertical direction. The sensor controller 408 is a controller configured to control the operation of various types of sensors 418 including an open / close sensing sensor of the access cover 301. The UI controller 409 is a controller configured to control a UI (user interface) section 419 of the printing apparatus 10. The UI section 419 includes a display panel (display unit) formed of an LED or an LCD configured to display various types of information and an operation unit 4 configured to accept operations from a user. The CPU 402 cooperates with the RAM 403, the ROM 404, the NVRAM 405, and other constituent elements to perform various types of operations such as calculation, control, judgment, and setting.

[0058] Next, several embodiments of ink remaining amount detection processing executed by the printing apparatus having the above-described structure will be described.

[0059] First embodiment

[0060] Figure 6 1 is a flowchart showing the processing of ink remaining amount detection according to the first embodiment. Note that since the structures of the ink tank, ink supply mechanism and ink remaining detection are the same for all inks as described above, the processing of only one ink tank (the ink tank 105 containing black ink) will be described here.

[0061] In the first embodiment, counter A and counter B are used as two counters associated with ink remaining amount detection. Figure 3If the ink level 205 is at the position L and the ink level 205 is not at the predetermined level, the counter A is used to count. On the other hand, if the ink level 205 is at the position L and the ink level 205 is not at the predetermined level, the counter A is used to count. Figure 3 When the ink is moved from the vicinity of the position L to the vicinity of the position E, the counter B is used to count the ink consumption.

[0062] First, in step S101, when the ink remaining amount detection starts, it is checked whether there is a predetermined amount of ink in the ink tank. This is called the predetermined ink amount presence / absence detection. Figure 7 Describes the details of the detection of the presence / absence of the predetermined ink amount.

[0063] Next, in step S102, the previous predetermined ink amount presence / absence sensing result is read out from NVRAM 405, and it is checked whether the result is "absence" (no predetermined ink amount). Here, if the previous result is "absence" (yes), the process proceeds to step S103. Here, if the result is "presence" (no), the process proceeds to step S104. In both steps S103 and S104, it is checked whether the current predetermined ink amount presence / absence sensing result performed in step S101 is "presence".

[0064] In step S103, if the current result is "yes" (yes), the processing proceeds to step S105 to check whether the inspection cover 301 is closed immediately before sensing. If the inspection cover 301 is closed (yes), the CPU 402 determines that the user has opened the inspection cover 301 and injected ink into the ink tank, and the processing proceeds to step S107. In step S107, the counter A is reset to the initial value (the remaining amount is 100%, and the ink level 205 is at position F), and counting by the counter A is started. On the other hand, if the inspection cover 301 is not closed immediately before sensing (no), the CPU 402 determines that the air in the ink tank 105 is contracted due to changes in temperature or air pressure, and the ink level 205 rises, and the processing proceeds to step S108. In step S108, the counter B is reset to the initial value (the ink level 205 is at position L), and counting by the counter B is started.

[0065] In step S103 , if the current result is “None” (NO), the CPU 402 determines that the ink in the ink tank 105 is consumed, and the process proceeds to step S106 to continue counting by the counter B.

[0066] In step S104, if the current result is "yes", the process advances to step S109 to continue counting by counter A. On the other hand, if the current result is "no", the process advances to step S108 to reset counter B to its initial value and start counting by counter B.

[0067] After performing one of the processes of steps S106 to S109, in step S110, the current presence / absence detection result of the predetermined ink amount is stored in the NVRAM 405. In step S111, the ink remaining indication is changed in response to the count value, and the process ends.

[0068] Figure 7 It shows Figure 6 a flowchart of the detailed process of the presence / absence detection of the predetermined ink amount shown in step S101.

[0069] First, in step S201, a digital value (AD value) obtained through detection by the remaining detection needle and A / D conversion is acquired. Next, in step S202, it is checked whether the acquired AD value is equal to or greater than a threshold value (TH).

[0070] Here, if the AD value ≥ TH (yes), the process advances to step S203 to determine that the predetermined ink amount is "no". On the other hand, if the AD value < TH (no), the process advances to step S204 to determine that the predetermined ink amount is "yes".

[0071] Figure 8 It is a diagram showing a display screen of the ink remaining amount displayed on the portable device in the case where the printing device and the portable device serving as the host are connected via the Internet.

[0072] Figure 8 It shows a state where the ink remaining amount is gradually displayed as an estimated ink amount level according to the count value. Here, when the ink liquid surface 205 is at Figure 3 the position F shown, the remaining amount is 100%, and at the position E it is 0%. "BK" indicates a state where there is sufficient black ink amount. At this time, counter A has an initial value (the remaining amount is 100%), and the rectangular bar indicating the ink remaining amount is colored black. When the state where the ink is lower than the remaining detection needle changes to the state of opening the maintenance cover to inject ink into the ink reservoir and the ink comes into contact with the remaining detection needle (step S107), in step S111, the bar indicating the ink remaining amount changes to a state where the bar is colored black. This enables the printing device 10 to notify the user that the remaining amount "has increased".

[0073] As described above, the printing device 10 also has a display control function for displaying the ink remaining amount on the display screen of a portable device or the like held by the user. Note that Figure 8The form in which the remaining amount of ink is displayed on the display screen of the mobile phone is shown. However, the form is not limited to this, and the remaining amount of ink may be displayed on the display panel of the operation unit 4 of the printing apparatus 10. In addition, the remaining amount of ink may be notified to the user using voice or the like instead of display.

[0074] "C" indicates that the cyan ink may be reduced to near position E, and the "×" mark warns. At this time, counter B reaches the threshold. "M" indicates that more than half of the magenta ink has been consumed, and half of the bar is colored black. This is a state where the count value of counter A has progressed to less than 50% of the whole. "Y" indicates that the remaining amount of yellow ink is small. In a state where counter B has progressed to an ink amount less than, for example, 10%, the user's attention is drawn by an exclamation mark "!".

[0075] In this embodiment, the ink remaining amount detection is performed at the following timing. That is, the detection is performed at the following timing:

[0076] (a) When soft power-on;

[0077] (b) after the cover is closed;

[0078] (c) after a cleaning sequence;

[0079] (d) immediately after resumption of suction by the pump during a cleaning sequence;

[0080] (e) before cleaning is performed;

[0081] (f) after capping; and

[0082] (g) Whenever the print medium is ejected.

[0083] For example, in a state where the remaining sensing result of "(f) after capping" is saved as "none" in the NVRAM 405, the printing device 10 is set to a soft power-off state. In the soft power-off state (hard start state with power connected), when the user opens the inspection cover 301 to inject ink into the ink tank until position F and then closes the inspection cover 301, the ink remaining detection at timing (b) cannot be performed due to the soft power-off state. However, since the sensor of the inspection cover 301 is operating, "cover closed" can be detected. When the user performs a soft power-on thereafter, the state of "(a) when soft power-on" is obtained. Therefore, ink remaining amount detection is performed. In this case, the sensing result at timing (f) in the previous predetermined ink amount presence / absence detection is "none", and the sensing result at timing (a) in the current predetermined ink amount presence / absence detection is "yes". In addition, the cover is closed during the soft power-off period immediately before the sensing. Therefore, according to Figure 6 According to the flowchart shown in FIG. 1 , in step S107 , the counter A is reset to an initial value, and counting by the counter A starts.

[0084] The following situation will be examined: in a state where the remaining sensing result of "(f) after capping" is saved as "None" in NVRAM405, the printing device 10 is set to a soft power-off state, during which the temperature drops, the air in the ink containing chamber 208 contracts, and the ink level 205 rises. When the ink level 205 is higher than position L, if the user performs a soft power start and performs an ink remaining detection, the following processing is performed. That is, the sensing result at timing (f) in the previous predetermined ink amount presence / absence detection is "None", and the sensing result at timing (a) in the current predetermined ink amount presence / absence detection is "Present". Here, the sensor did not detect the closing of the inspection cover 301 immediately before the sensing. Therefore, according to Figure 6 According to the flowchart shown in FIG. 1 , in step S108 , the counter B is reset to an initial value, and counting by the counter B begins.

[0085] Therefore, according to the above embodiment, even if the air pressure or temperature in the ink tank changes, the air in the ink tank expands / contracts, and the ink level changes although the actual ink amount does not change, the error between the actual ink amount and the count value can be suppressed.

[0086] Second embodiment

[0087] In the first embodiment, two counters A and B are provided to count the amount of consumed ink. Here, an example in which one counter is used to perform ink remaining amount detection will be described.

[0088] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the process of detecting the remaining amount of ink according to the second embodiment. Figure 6 The same step numbers as those described in the first embodiment are shown in Fig. 9 The same processing steps are represented in the figure, and the description of these steps will be omitted. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in that a counter is used to detect the remaining amount of ink. Fig. 9 and Figure 6 As apparent from the comparison between the two, steps S101 to S105 are also performed in the second embodiment. As a processing section for storing the ink remaining amount sensing result in the counter, steps S106' to S109' are performed in the second embodiment instead of steps S106 to S109 in the first embodiment.

[0089] That is, if the previous predetermined ink amount presence / absence sensing result is "absence" and the current sensing result is "absence", then in step S106', the counter continues to count. If the previous predetermined ink amount presence / absence sensing result is "absence", the current sensing result is "presence", and the access cover 301 is closed immediately before the sensing, the CPU 402 determines that the user has opened the access cover 301 and injected ink into the ink tank. In step S107', the counter is reset to the initial value and the counter starts counting.

[0090] If the previous predetermined ink amount presence / absence sensing result is "absence", the current sensing result is "presence", and the access cover 301 is not closed immediately before the sensing, the CPU 402 determines that the air in the ink tank is contracted due to the change in temperature or air pressure, and the ink level 205 rises. In step S108', the counter is set to the value "X", and the counting of the counter is started. Here, the count value "X" is the count value corresponding to the ink amount at the position L in the ink tank.

[0091] Furthermore, if the previous predetermined ink amount presence / absence sensing result is "yes" and the current sensing result is "no", the CPU 402 determines that the ink has been consumed. In step S108', the counter is set to a value "X" and counting of the counter is started.

[0092] Finally, if the previous predetermined ink amount presence / absence sensing result is “yes” and the current sensing result is “yes”, in step S109 ′, the counter continues to count.

[0093] Note that, as in the first embodiment, after one of the processes of steps S106 ′ to S109 ′ is performed, steps S110 and S111 are performed, and the process ends.

[0094] Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, one counter can be used to detect the accurate presence / absence of the remaining amount of ink as in the first embodiment.

[0095] Third embodiment

[0096] In the first and second embodiments, a counter configured to count the amount of consumed ink is used, and management is performed based on the count value in both the case where the predetermined ink amount is "yes" and the case where the predetermined ink amount is "no". In the third embodiment, an example will be described in which management is not performed based on the count value if the predetermined ink amount is "yes", and the counter starts counting from a state where the ink level 205 is below the position L and the predetermined ink amount is "no".

[0097] Fig.10 is a flowchart showing the process of detecting the remaining amount of ink according to the third embodiment. Figure 6 and Fig. 9 The same step numbers as those described in the first embodiment and the second embodiment are indicated in the Fig.10 The same processing steps are represented in , and descriptions of these processing steps will be omitted.

[0098] pass Fig.10 and Figure 6 and Fig. 9 As apparent from the comparison between the two, steps S101 to S105 are also performed in the third embodiment. As a processing portion for storing the ink remaining amount sensing result in the counter, steps S107" to S109" are performed in the third embodiment instead of steps S107' to S109' in the second embodiment.

[0099] If the previous predetermined ink amount presence / absence sensing result is "absence", the current sensing result is "presence", and the inspection cover 301 was closed immediately before the sensing, the CPU 402 determines that the user has opened the inspection cover 301 and injected ink into the ink tank. In step S107", the counter is stopped.

[0100] If the previous predetermined ink amount presence / absence sensing result is "absence", the current sensing result is "presence", and the inspection cover 301 is not closed immediately before the sensing, the CPU 402 determines that the air in the ink reservoir has contracted due to changes in temperature or air pressure, and the ink level 205 has risen. In step S108", the counter is reset to the initial value, and the counting of the counter is started.

[0101] Furthermore, if the previous predetermined ink amount presence / absence sensing result is "presence" and the current sensing result is "absence", the CPU 402 determines that the ink is consumed. In step S108", the counter is reset to the initial value and counting of the counter is started.

[0102] Note that, unlike the initial values ​​mentioned in the first and second embodiments, the initial values ​​mentioned in step S108 ″ indicate a count value representing a state where the ink level 205 is located at the position L.

[0103] Finally, if the previous predetermined ink amount presence / absence sensing result is "yes" and the current sensing result is "yes", then in step S109", the counting of the counter is kept stopped.

[0104] Note that, as in the first embodiment, after one of the processes of step S106 ′ and S107 ″ to S109 ″ is performed, step S110 is performed, and the process ends.

[0105] Note that in this embodiment, since the counter operates only after the ink level 205 is below the position L corresponding to the lower end of the remaining detection needle, the counter does not perform the same operation as in the example above. Figure 8 If it is determined based on the count result of the counter that the ink level 205 may have dropped to the vicinity of position E, a "×" mark is displayed on, for example, the ink indication screen of the portable device or the display panel of the printing apparatus. This warns the user that the remaining amount of ink is low.

[0106] Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, for example, in the case of reducing the number of counting processes, it is possible to use one counter as in the second embodiment and detect the accurate ink remaining amount presence / absence as in the first embodiment.

[0107] According to the above-described embodiment, the transition between the result of the predetermined ink amount presence / absence detection performed at a certain timing and the detection result performed at a timing immediately before the detection is verified. If it is determined that a change has occurred from a state where the predetermined ink remaining amount is "absent" to a state where the predetermined ink amount is "present", and it is possible that ink was injected immediately before the detection, it is determined that ink injection has been performed, and control is performed to initialize the count value and restore the count to the ink full filling state. This can suppress the error between the actual ink amount and the count value.

[0108] Note that in the above-described embodiment, in order to determine whether it is possible to inject ink from the introduction port, a sensor that detects the opening / closing of the inspection cover is used. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a sensor that detects the opening / closing of the first cover 109 and the second cover 110 for covering the introduction port of the ink tank may be used, or a sensor that directly detects the opening / closing of the ink tank cap used for the introduction port may be used.

[0109] In the above-described embodiment, the electrode is used to detect the presence / absence of a predetermined amount of ink. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, an optical method of detecting the liquid level of ink according to the light beam reflection state by an optical sensor and a prism may be used. Any other detection method may be used as long as the liquid level position can be detected in a state where a predetermined amount of ink remains in the ink reservoir.

[0110] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, an example is described in which the remaining amount of ink is gradually displayed on the display screen to improve user visibility. However, it is not necessary to always display gradually. A warning display may be performed when the remaining amount of ink becomes below a predetermined reference.

[0111] In addition, in the above embodiment, as the timing for executing the ink remaining amount detection, seven timings (a) to (g) are used. However, the timing is not limited to the above seven timings. For example, the remaining amount detection only needs to be executable before and after the event of consuming ink, and can be performed during the printing operation.

[0112] In addition, the present invention is applicable not only to an inkjet printing device having a single function but also to a fax device, a copier, a word processor or a multifunction peripheral device using an inkjet printing device as a printing unit. In addition, the printing device can use not only a serial method of scanning a print head on a print medium and conveying the print medium in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction for printing, but also a method of conveying the print medium only by using a full-width type print head having a printing width corresponding to the width of the print medium for printing.

[0113] Although the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. An ink jetting device, comprising: a reservoir configured to store ink injected through the introduction port; an ejection head configured to eject ink supplied from the reservoir; an opening and closing unit configured to perform an opening operation and a closing operation for injecting ink into the reservoir through the introduction port; a sensor configured to sense a closing operation of the opening and closing unit; a sensing unit configured to sense a first state in which the amount of ink in the reservoir is less than a predetermined amount and a second state in which the amount of ink in the reservoir is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount; a memory unit configured to store a sensing result obtained by the sensing unit; as well as a changing unit configured to change information indicating the amount of ink in the reservoir, Wherein, in the case where the sensing unit has sensed the second state as a current sensing result and the memory unit has stored the first state sensed by the sensing unit as a previous sensing result, the changing unit changes the information in a case where the opening operation and the closing operation have been performed after the memory unit stores the first state and before the sensing unit senses the second state, and In a case where the opening operation and the closing operation are not performed after the memory unit stores the first state and before the sensing unit senses the second state, the changing unit does not change the information. 2 . The ink ejection device according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover configured to cover the introduction port, the cover being exposed in a state where the opening and closing unit is opened.

3. The ink jet device according to claim 1, wherein: The changing unit changes information displayed on a monitor of the host computer.

4. The ink jet device according to claim 1, wherein: The changing unit changes information displayed on a monitor of the portable device.

5. The inkjet device according to claim 1, further comprising: The carriage is configured to carry the ejection head.

6. The inkjet device according to claim 1, further comprising: A supply path is configured to supply ink from the reservoir to the ejection head.

7. The ink jet device according to claim 1, wherein: The introduction port is detachably capped by a reservoir cap.

8. A method for controlling an ink ejection device, the ink ejection device comprising: a reservoir configured to store ink injected through the introduction port; an ejection head configured to eject ink supplied from the reservoir; and an opening and closing unit configured to perform an opening operation and a closing operation for injecting ink into the reservoir through the introduction port, the control method comprising: sensing a first state in which the amount of ink in the reservoir is less than a predetermined amount and a second state in which the amount of ink in the reservoir is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount; storing a sensing result obtained in the sensing; and In a case where the second state has been sensed in the sensing as a current sensing result and the first state sensed in the sensing is stored as a previous sensing result, controlling is performed to: (i) in a case where the opening operation and the closing operation have been performed after the first state is stored and before the second state is sensed in the sensing, changing the information indicating the amount of ink in the reservoir, and (ii) In a case where the opening operation and the closing operation are not performed after the first state is stored and before the second state is sensed in the sensing, the information is not changed.

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