Image forming apparatus and operation control method

Abstract

The invention provides an image forming apparatus and an operation control method capable of shortening user waiting time until image formation starts. The image forming apparatus includes a heater, a storage unit, a drive control unit, and a flow processing unit. The heater heats the ink at a heating position on the upstream side in the flow direction of the ink from the ejection portion in a supply path of the ink reaching the ejection portion that ejects the ink. The storage unit is provided in a specific section in the supply path from the heating position to the ejection unit, and stores the ink. The drive control unit controls the drive of the heater in accordance with a difference between the temperature of the ink at the heating position and a target temperature based on the temperature of the ink in the specific section. When the temperature of the ink in the specific section is less than a threshold value, the flow processing section causes the ink to flow along the supply path and a recovery path of the waste ink ejected by the ejection section until the ink heated by the heater reaches the ejection section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet image forming apparatus and an operation control method. Background Art

[0002] In an image forming apparatus capable of forming an image by inkjet method, the ink used to form the image is heated to a temperature suitable for forming the image before the image formation starts. For example, an image forming apparatus is known that includes a heater that heats the ink on the ink supply path to the recording head.

[0003] However, in conventional image forming apparatuses, when the ink in the section from the heater to the recording head in the supply path becomes cold, it takes time to warm up the ink. Therefore, in conventional image forming apparatuses, when the ink in the section becomes cold, the user's waiting time until image formation starts becomes longer. Summary of the invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus and an operation control method capable of shortening a user's waiting time until image formation starts.

[0005] An image forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a discharge unit that discharges ink; a first ink flow path that forms a supply path for the ink that reaches the discharge unit; a second ink flow path that forms a recovery path for waste ink discharged from the discharge unit; a heater that heats the ink at a heating position that is located upstream of the discharge unit in a flow direction of the ink in the supply path; a storage unit that is provided in a specific section from the heating position to the discharge unit in the supply path and stores the ink; a drive control unit that controls the drive of the heater based on a difference between a temperature of the ink at the heating position and a preset target temperature; an acquisition processing unit that acquires a temperature of the ink in the specific section; a flow processing unit that, when the temperature of the ink acquired by the acquisition processing unit is less than a preset threshold value, causes the ink to flow along the supply path and the recovery path until the ink heated by the heater reaches the discharge unit; and a setting processing unit that sets the target temperature based on the temperature of the ink acquired by the acquisition processing unit.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present invention, an action control method is performed by an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus comprising: an ejection unit ejecting ink; a first ink flow path forming a supply path for the ink reaching the ejection unit; a second ink flow path forming a recovery path for waste ink ejected by the ejection unit; a heater heating the ink at a heating position in the supply path that is upstream of the ejection unit in a flow direction of the ink; a storage unit provided in a specific section from the heating position to the ejection unit in the supply path and storing the ink; and a drive control unit controlling the drive of the heater according to a difference between a temperature of the ink at the heating position and a preset target temperature, the action control method comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring a temperature of the ink in the specific section; a flow step of causing the ink to flow along the supply path and the recovery path until the ink heated by the heater reaches the ejection unit when the temperature of the ink acquired in the acquisition step is less than a preset threshold value; and a setting step of setting the target temperature according to the temperature of the ink acquired in the acquisition step.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to shorten the user's waiting time until image formation starts.

[0008] This specification is presented in a simplified form, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings, to summarize the concepts described in the following detailed description. This specification is not intended to limit the important features and essential features of the subject matter described in the claims, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the subject matter described in the claims. In addition, the subject matter described in the claims is not limited to implementations that solve some or all of the disadvantages described in any part of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing the configuration of an image forming section and a transport unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 4 It is a diagram showing the configuration of an ink supply unit and an ink recovery unit of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 5 It is a diagram showing a configuration of a heating device of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of an operation control process executed by the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 7 It is a diagram showing the configuration of an ink supply unit and an ink recovery unit of an image forming apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing an example of an operation control process executed by the image forming apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiment is an example of embodying the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0018] [Structure of Image Forming Apparatus 100] First, refer to Figure 1 to Figure 3 The structure of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the image forming apparatus 100. Figure 2 3 is a top view showing the structure of the image forming unit 3 and the conveying unit 4. Figure 1 In FIG. 1 , the sheet conveyance path R11 is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

[0019] The image forming apparatus 100 is a printer capable of forming an image on a sheet by inkjet method. The present invention can also be applied to image forming apparatuses such as a facsimile machine, a copy machine, and a multifunction peripheral capable of forming an image on a sheet by inkjet method.

[0020] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a housing 1 , a sheet conveying unit 2 , an image forming unit 3 , a conveying unit 4 , an operation display unit 5 , a storage unit 6 , a control unit 7 , an ink supply unit 8 , and an ink recovery unit 9 .

[0021] The housing 1 accommodates the components of the image forming apparatus 100. A paper feed cassette 11 is detachably provided in the housing 1. The paper feed cassette 11 accommodates sheets for image formation. A paper discharge tray 12 is provided on the outer side of the housing 1. The sheets on which the image is formed by the image forming unit 3 are discharged to the paper discharge tray 12. Inside the housing 1, the sheets accommodated in the paper feed cassette 11 are transported along a sheet transport path R11 (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 1 ) is transported, and the sheet transport path R11 reaches the paper discharge tray 12 via the image forming position of the image forming unit 3.

[0022] The sheet conveying unit 2 conveys the sheets stored in the paper feeding cassette 11 along a sheet conveying path R11 (see Figure 1 ) transport. Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the sheet conveying unit 2 includes a pickup roller 21 and a plurality of conveying rollers 22. The pickup roller 21 takes out the topmost sheet in the sheet stack stored in the paper feed cassette 11 and delivers the sheet to the sheet conveying path R11. The plurality of conveying rollers 22 are arranged along the sheet conveying path R11. Each conveying roller 22 conveys the sheet along the sheet conveying path R11. Each conveying roller 22 conveys the sheet in a conveying direction D11 (see FIG. 1 ) from the paper feed cassette 11 to the paper discharge tray 12. Figure 1 )delivery.

[0023] The image forming unit 3 forms an image on the sheet supplied from the sheet conveying unit 2 according to the image data. Figure 1 As shown, the image forming unit 3 includes line heads 31 to 34 and a head frame 35 .

[0024] like Figure 2 As shown, each line head 31 to 34 is long in the width direction D12 orthogonal to the conveying direction D11. Specifically, each line head 31 to 34 has a length in the width direction D12 corresponding to the width of the largest sheet that can be accommodated in the paper feed cassette 11. Each line head 31 to 34 is arranged at equal intervals along the conveying direction D11.

[0025] like Figure 2 As shown, each of the line heads 31 to 34 includes a plurality of recording heads 30. The recording heads 30 eject ink toward the sheet transported by the transport unit 4. Specifically, a plurality of nozzles 36 for ejecting the ink are provided on the surface of the recording head 30 that faces the sheet (see FIG. 4 ). Figure 2 ). The recording heads 30 provided in the line head 31 eject the black ink respectively. The recording heads 30 provided in the line head 32 eject the cyan ink respectively. The recording heads 30 provided in the line head 33 eject the magenta ink respectively. The recording heads 30 provided in the line head 34 eject the yellow ink respectively. The recording heads 30 are an example of the ejection unit of the present invention.

[0026] In this embodiment, the line head 31 has three recording heads 30 arranged in a staggered manner along the width direction D12. Also, the other line heads 32 to 34 also have three recording heads 30 arranged in a staggered manner along the width direction D12, similarly to the line head 31. Figure 2 In the Figure 1 Observe the state of the image forming unit 3 from the upper side.

[0027] The head frame 35 supports the line heads 31 to 34. The head frame 35 is supported by the housing 1. The number of line heads provided in the image forming unit 3 may be one or more. The number of recording heads 30 provided in each of the line heads 31 to 34 may not be limited to three.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the conveying unit 4 is arranged below the line heads 31 to 34. The conveying unit 4 makes the sheet face the recording head 30 and conveys the sheet. For example, each time the recording head 30 ejects the ink, the conveying unit 4 conveys the sheet by a predetermined amount. In addition, during the period when the recording head 30 ejects the ink, the conveying unit 4 stops conveying the sheet. Figure 1 As shown, the conveying unit 4 includes: a conveying belt 41 for carrying a sheet; a first tensioning roller 42, a second tensioning roller 43, and a third tensioning roller 44 for tensioning the conveying belt 41; and a conveying frame 45 for supporting them. In addition, the gap between the conveying belt 41 and the recording head 30 is adjusted so that the gap between the surface of the sheet and the recording head 30 during image formation becomes a predetermined distance (for example, 1 mm).

[0029] The first tension roller 42 is driven to rotate by a rotational driving force supplied by a motor (not shown). Figure 1 ) is rotated in the conveying direction. In addition, the conveying unit 4 is also provided with a suction unit (not shown) that sucks air from a plurality of through holes formed in the conveying belt 41 to adsorb the sheet to the conveying belt 41. In addition, a pressing roller 46 for pressing the sheet against the conveying belt 41 and conveying it is provided on the upper side of the first tensioning roller 42.

[0030] The operation display unit 5 is a user interface of the image forming apparatus 100. The operation display unit 5 includes a display unit and an operation unit. The display unit displays various information according to control instructions from the control unit 7. For example, the display unit is a liquid crystal display. The operation unit inputs various information to the control unit 7 according to user operations. For example, the operation unit is a touch panel. The operation display unit 5 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 1.

[0031] The storage unit 6 is a nonvolatile storage device. For example, the storage unit 6 is a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory. Alternatively, the storage unit 6 may be an SSD (Solid State Drive) or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0032] The control unit 7 controls the image forming apparatus 100 in a unified manner. Figure 3As shown, the control unit 7 includes a CPU 51, a ROM 52, and a RAM 53. The CPU 51 is a processor that performs various calculations. The ROM 52 is a non-volatile storage device that stores information such as control programs for the CPU 51 to perform various processes. The RAM 53 is a volatile or non-volatile storage device used as a temporary memory (operating area) for various processes performed by the CPU 51. The CPU 51 controls the image forming apparatus 100 in a unified manner by executing various control programs pre-stored in the ROM 52. In addition, the control unit 7 may be a control unit that is separately provided from the main control unit that controls the image forming apparatus 100 in a unified manner. In addition, the control unit 7 may also be composed of an electronic circuit such as an integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0033] [Structure of Ink Supply Unit 8 and Ink Recovery Unit 9] Next, refer to Figure 3 to Figure 5 The structures of the ink supply unit 8 and the ink recovery unit 9 will be described. Figure 4 Schematic diagram showing the structure of the ink supply unit 8 and the ink recovery unit 9. Figure 5 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the heating device 64. Figure 4 In FIG. 8 , the first supply flow channel 62 , the second supply flow channel 66 , and the recovery flow channel 82 are indicated by bold lines.

[0034] The ink supply unit 8 supplies the ink to the recording head 30. The ink supply unit 8 is provided for each recording head 30. The configurations of the plurality of ink supply units 8 corresponding to the line heads 31 to 34 are the same except that the colors of the inks supplied are different.

[0035] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the ink supply unit 8 includes an ink container 61 , a first supply flow path 62 , a first pump 63 , a heating device 64 , an auxiliary ink cartridge 65 , a second supply flow path 66 , a second pump 67 , and an in-machine temperature sensor 68 .

[0036] The ink container 61 contains the ink. For example, the ink is an aqueous ink whose main solvent is water. Alternatively, the ink may be a non-aqueous ink whose main solvent is an organic solvent.

[0037] The first supply flow path 62 is an ink flow path provided between the ink container 61 and the auxiliary ink cartridge 65. The first supply flow path 62 is formed of a material having flexibility. For example, the first supply flow path 62 is a tube made of resin.

[0038] The first pump 63 forms a part of the first supply flow path 62. The first pump 63 causes the ink in the first supply flow path 62 to flow in a first flow direction D21 (see FIG. 21 ) toward the recording head 30. Figure 4) flow. For example, the first pump 63 is a syringe pump.

[0039] The heating device 64 forms a part of the first supply flow path 62. The heating device 64 heats the ink flowing in the first supply flow path 62.

[0040] like Figure 5 As shown, the heating device 64 includes a flexible tube 71 , a container 72 , a heater 73 , a heat insulating material 74 , and an ink temperature sensor 75 .

[0041] The bellows 71 is a tube formed in a spiral shape. The bellows 71 is arranged with the spiral axis along the vertical direction. For example, the bellows 71 is formed by processing a straight metal tube into a spiral shape. The bellows 71 forms a part of the first supply flow path 62.

[0042] The container 72 accommodates the coil 71 and the liquid heat medium M1 (see Figure 5 ). For example, the container 72 includes a cylindrical portion extending in the vertical direction, a disc-shaped bottom portion closing the lower end of the cylindrical portion, and a disc-shaped top plate portion closing the upper end of the cylindrical portion.

[0043] The interior of the container 72 is filled with the heat medium M1 in an amount sufficient to submerge the spiral portion formed into a spiral shape included in the coil 71 (see Figure 5 ). For example, the heat medium M1 is water. In addition, the heat medium M1 is not limited to water, and may be a fluid such as oil.

[0044] The heater 73 heats the container 72. Specifically, the heater 73 is a so-called planar heater. For example, the heater 73 includes a heating wire and a metal sheet such as aluminum covering the heating wire. The heater 73 is provided so as to cover the outer surface of the container 72. In the heating device 64, the container 72 is heated by the heater 73, thereby heating the heat medium M1 contained in the container 72. Thus, the ink flowing inside the spiral portion is heated to the same temperature as the heat medium M1, and the spiral portion is arranged inside the heat medium M1.

[0045] The heat insulating material 74 is provided so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the container 72. The heater 73 is provided between the container 72 and the heat insulating material 74. For example, the heat insulating material 74 is provided so as to cover the entire outer surface of the container 72.

[0046] The ink temperature sensor 75 is used to detect the temperature of the ink heated by the heating device 64. For example, the ink temperature sensor 75 is a contact type temperature sensor provided in contact with the heat medium M1. The ink temperature sensor 75 outputs a first detection signal including a signal value corresponding to the temperature of the contacting heat medium M1. The first detection signal output from the ink temperature sensor 75 is input to the control unit 7.

[0047] In addition, the heating device 64 may be configured to heat the ink without using the heat medium M1 .

[0048] The auxiliary ink cartridge 65 stores the ink supplied from the ink container 61. The ink stored in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 is supplied to the recording head 30.

[0049] The second supply flow path 66 is an ink flow path provided between the sub-tank 65 and the recording head 30. The second supply flow path 66 is formed of a flexible material. For example, the second supply flow path 66 is a resin tube.

[0050] The second pump 67 forms a part of the second supply flow path 66. The second pump 67 causes the ink in the second supply flow path 66 to flow in the second flow direction D22 (refer to Figure 4 For example, the second pump 67 is a syringe pump.

[0051] The internal temperature sensor 68 detects the temperature (internal temperature) inside the housing of the image forming apparatus 100. The internal temperature sensor 68 is provided inside the housing of the image forming apparatus 100. The internal temperature sensor 68 outputs a second detection signal including a signal value corresponding to the temperature inside the housing. The second detection signal output from the internal temperature sensor 68 is input to the control unit 7.

[0052] The first supply flow path 62 and the second supply flow path 66 form a supply path of the ink to the recording head 30. The heater 73 of the heating device 64 is located closer to the recording head 30 in the supply path in the ink supply direction D20 (see Figure 4 ) upstream heating position P1 (refer to Figure 4) to heat the ink. The auxiliary ink cartridge 65 is disposed in a specific section of the supply path from the heating position P1 to the recording head 30. The first pump 63 is disposed on the upstream side of the supply path in the supply direction D20 relative to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65, and supplies the ink heated by the heater 73 to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65. The second pump 67 is disposed on the downstream side of the supply path in the supply direction D20 relative to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65, and draws the same amount of ink as the ink supplied by the first pump 63 from the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 and supplies it to the recording head 30. The first supply flow channel 62 and the second supply flow channel 66 are an example of a first ink flow channel of the present invention. In addition, the supply direction D20 is an example of a flow direction of the present invention. In addition, the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 is an example of a storage portion of the present invention.

[0053] The ink recovery unit 9 recovers the ink (waste ink) ejected from the recording head 30. For example, the ink recovery unit 9 is provided for each recording head 30. In addition, the structures of the plurality of ink recovery units 9 corresponding to the line heads 31 to 34 are the same except that the colors of the recovered inks are different. In addition, the ink recovery unit 9 may be provided to correspond to the plurality of recording heads 30.

[0054] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the ink recovery unit 9 includes an ink receiving portion 81 , a recovery flow path 82 , a third pump 83 , and a waste ink storage portion 84 .

[0055] The ink receiving portion 81 receives the waste ink ejected by the recording head 30. The ink receiving portion 81 is provided to be movable between an opposing position where the ink receiving portion 81 opposes the recording head 30 at the lower side of the recording head 30 and a retracted position where the ink receiving portion 81 is retracted in the horizontal direction from the opposing position. When an image is formed on a sheet, the ink receiving portion 81 moves to the retracted position.

[0056] The recovery flow path 82 is an ink flow path provided between the ink receiving portion 81 and the waste ink storage portion 84. The recovery flow path 82 is formed of a flexible material. For example, the recovery flow path 82 is a resin tube.

[0057] The third pump 83 forms a part of the recovery flow path 82. The third pump 83 causes the waste ink in the recovery flow path 82 to flow in a third direction D23 (refer to Figure 4 For example, the third pump 83 is a syringe pump.

[0058] The waste ink storage portion 84 stores the waste ink ejected from the recording head 30 .

[0059] The recovery flow path 82 forms a recovery path for the waste ink ejected from the recording head 30. The recovery flow path 82 is an example of a second ink flow path of the present invention.

[0060] In the image forming apparatus 100 , before image formation starts, the ink is heated to a temperature suitable for image formation by the heater 73 of the warming device 64 .

[0061] However, in the conventional image forming apparatus, the heating position P1 (see Figure 4 ) When the ink in the specific section from the recording head 30 to the recording head 30 cools, it takes time to warm up the ink. Therefore, in the conventional image forming apparatus, when the ink in the specific section cools, the user's waiting time until image formation starts becomes longer.

[0062] In contrast, in the image forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, as described below, it is possible to shorten the user's waiting time until image formation starts.

[0063] [Configuration of the control unit 7] Next, refer to Figure 3 The configuration of the control unit 7 will be described in more detail.

[0064] like Figure 3 As shown, the control unit 7 includes a drive control unit 91 , an acquisition processing unit 92 , a flow processing unit 93 , a setting processing unit 94 , and a switching processing unit 95 .

[0065] Specifically, an operation control program for causing the CPU 51 to function as the above-mentioned functional units is stored in advance in the ROM 52 of the control unit 7. The CPU 51 functions as the above-mentioned functional units by executing the operation control program stored in the ROM 52.

[0066] In addition, the action control program is stored in a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD, a DVD, and a flash memory, or can be read from the storage medium and stored in a storage device such as the storage unit 6. In addition, part or all of the above-mentioned functional units can also be composed of electronic circuits such as an integrated circuit (ASIC). In addition, the action control program can also be a program for causing multiple processors to function as the functional units included in the control unit 7.

[0067] The drive control unit 91 is based on the heating position P1 (refer to Figure 4 ) and a preset target temperature to control the driving of the heater 73.

[0068] Specifically, the drive control unit 91 controls the power supply to the heater 73 so that the first detection temperature detected by the ink temperature sensor 75 becomes the target temperature. For example, the drive control unit 91 controls the drive of the heater 73 by PID control. For example, in the image forming apparatus 100, a switch element (not shown) capable of switching the on and off of the power supply path is provided on the power supply path between the power supply (not shown) and the heater 73. The drive control unit 91 inputs a PWM signal having a duty ratio corresponding to the difference between the first detection temperature and the target temperature to the switch element to control the on and off of the switch element. Thus, the amount of power supplied to the heater 73 is adjusted according to the difference between the first detection temperature and the target temperature.

[0069] The acquisition processing unit 92 acquires the temperature of the ink in the specific section.

[0070] For example, when the image forming apparatus 100 transitions from a power saving state in which power consumption is lower than that of a normal state to the normal state, the acquisition processing unit 92 acquires the temperature of the ink in the specific interval based on the elapsed time since the transition to the last power saving state and the air temperature at the installation location of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0071] Here, the power-saving state is a state in which power supply to the image forming unit 3 is stopped, and the image forming device 100 is unable to form an image. In addition, the normal state is a state in which power is supplied to the image forming unit 3, and the image forming device 100 is able to form an image. For example, when the image forming device 100 is in the normal state, the control unit 7 causes the image forming device 100 to transition to the power-saving state when receiving a user operation instructing transition to the power-saving state, or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the last user operation was received. In addition, when the image forming device 100 is in the power-saving state, the control unit 7 causes the image forming device 100 to transition to the normal state when receiving a user operation. The power-saving state is an example of the first state of the present invention. In addition, the normal state is an example of the second state. In addition, the first state of the present invention may also include a state in which the power supply of the image forming device 100 is cut off.

[0072] For example, when the image forming apparatus 100 transitions from the normal state to the power saving state, the acquisition processing unit 92 records the current time. In addition, when the image forming apparatus 100 transitions from the power saving state to the normal state, the acquisition processing unit 92 acquires the elapsed time since the last transition to the power saving state based on the last recorded time of transition to the power saving state and the current time, that is, acquires the duration of the power saving state.

[0073] Furthermore, the acquisition processing unit 92 acquires the second detected temperature detected by the internal temperature sensor 68 as the temperature of the installation location of the image forming apparatus 100. Alternatively, the acquisition processing unit 92 may acquire the temperature of the installation location of the image forming apparatus 100 using a temperature sensor provided outside the housing of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0074] Furthermore, the acquisition processing unit 92 acquires the current temperature of the ink in the specific interval based on the acquired elapsed time from the time of transition to the last power-saving state, the acquired air temperature of the installation location of the image forming apparatus 100, and the temperature of the ink when the image forming apparatus 100 is transitioned to the last power-saving state. Here, in the image forming apparatus 100, when the image forming apparatus 100 is in the normal state, the temperature of the ink is maintained at a predetermined optimal printing temperature. That is, the temperature of the ink when the image forming apparatus 100 is transitioned to the last power-saving state is the optimal printing temperature. In addition, the optimal printing temperature is a temperature predetermined within a printable temperature range. The printable temperature range is a temperature range of the ink that can form an image with an image quality exceeding a predetermined reference level. The printable temperature range and the optimal printing temperature are predetermined according to the type of ink.

[0075] For example, the acquisition processing unit 92 substitutes the acquired elapsed time from the last transition to the power-saving state, the acquired temperature of the location where the image forming apparatus 100 is installed, and the optimal printing temperature into a predetermined first calculation formula, thereby calculating the current temperature of the ink in the specific interval. In addition, the acquisition processing unit 92 may determine that the current temperature of the ink in the specific interval is the same as the acquired temperature of the location where the image forming apparatus 100 is installed, when the acquired elapsed time from the last transition to the power-saving state exceeds a predetermined time.

[0076] In addition, the image forming apparatus 100 may also include a temperature sensor capable of detecting the temperature of the ink in the specific interval. In this case, the acquisition processing unit 92 may use the temperature sensor to acquire the temperature of the ink in the specific interval. In addition, the acquisition processing unit 92 may also acquire the first detected temperature detected by the ink temperature sensor 75 before the heater 73 is driven as the temperature of the ink in the specific interval.

[0077] When the temperature of the ink acquired by the acquisition processing unit 92 is lower than a predetermined threshold value, the flow processing unit 93 causes the ink to flow along the supply path and the recovery path until the ink heated by the heater 73 reaches the recording head 30 .

[0078] For example, the threshold value is the same value as the lower limit value of the printable temperature range. That is, when the image forming apparatus 100 cannot form an image with an image quality exceeding the reference level, the flow processing unit 93 causes the ink to flow.

[0079] Specifically, the flow processing unit 93 causes the ink to flow along the supply path and the recovery path using the first pump 63, the second pump 67, and the third pump 83. In addition, the flow processing unit 93 moves the ink receiving unit 81 to the facing position when causing the ink to flow.

[0080] Here, after the flow processing unit 93 sucks the ink from the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 using the second pump 67, the ink heated by the heater 73 is supplied to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 using the first pump 63. Thus, after the amount of the cold ink contained in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 is reduced, the ink heated by the heater 73 is supplied to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65. Therefore, the temperature of the ink in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 can be effectively increased.

[0081] For example, when the number of times the first pump 63 and the second pump 67 are driven reaches a predetermined specific number of times, the flow processing unit 93 determines that the ink heated by the heater 73 has reached the recording head 30. The specific number of times is determined based on the flow amount of the ink caused by the first pump 63 and the second pump 67, the amount of ink contained in the section from the heating position P1 to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 in the first supply flow channel 62, and the amount of ink contained in the second supply flow channel 66.

[0082] The setting processing unit 94 sets the target temperature based on the temperature of the ink acquired by the acquisition processing unit 92 .

[0083] For example, when the temperature of the ink acquired by the acquisition processing unit 92 is equal to or higher than the threshold value, the setting processing unit 94 sets the optimal printing temperature as the target temperature.

[0084] In addition, when the temperature of the ink obtained by the acquisition processing unit 92 is less than the threshold value, the setting processing unit 94 sets the target temperature in such a manner that the temperature of the ink in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 becomes the optimal printing temperature (an example of a specific value of the present invention) by supplying the heated ink through the driving of the first pump 63.

[0085] For example, the temperature of the heated ink (hereinafter referred to as "specific temperature"), which makes the temperature of the ink in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 the optimal printing temperature by supplying the heated ink by driving the first pump 63, can be calculated based on the following first value, second value, third value, and fourth value. The first value is a value indicating the amount of ink stored in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 after the ink is sucked from the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 by the second pump 67 and before the ink is supplied to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 by the first pump 63. The second value is a value indicating the amount of ink supplied to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 by the first pump 63. The third value is a value indicating the amount of ink present in the section from the heating position P1 to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 in the first supply flow channel 62. The fourth value is a value indicating the temperature of the ink acquired by the acquisition processing unit 92.

[0086] That is, the amount of the ink heated by the heater 73 among the ink supplied by the first pump 63 to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 is an amount obtained by subtracting the amount of the ink (the third value) existing in the section from the heating position P1 to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 in the first supply flow path 62 from the supply amount of the ink (the second value) supplied by the first pump 63 to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65. In addition, in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65, the amount of the cooled ink mixed with the heated ink supplied by the first pump 63 to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 is an amount obtained by adding the amount of the ink (the first value) existing in the section from the heating position P1 to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 in the first supply flow path 62 after the ink is sucked from the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 by the second pump 67 and before the ink is supplied to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 by the first pump 63 to the amount of the ink (the third value) existing in the section from the heating position P1 to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65. In addition, the temperature of the cooled ink is acquired by the acquisition processing unit 92. The temperature of the heated ink (the specific temperature) at which the temperature of the ink in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 can be made to reach the optimum printing temperature by mixing the cooled ink with the heated ink can be calculated.

[0087] For example, the setting processing unit 94 uses a water level sensor (not shown) capable of detecting the water level of the ink stored in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 to obtain the storage amount of the ink in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 before the ink is flowed by the flow processing unit 93. In addition, the setting processing unit 94 obtains the storage amount (the first value) of the ink in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 after the ink is sucked from the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 by the second pump 67 and before the ink is supplied to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 by the first pump 63 by subtracting the known suction amount (the second value) of the ink sucked from the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 by the second pump 67 from the obtained storage amount of the ink. In addition, the setting processing unit 94 calculates the specific temperature by substituting the temperature (the fourth value) of the ink obtained by the acquisition processing unit 92, the obtained storage amount (the first value) of the ink, and the known second value and the third value into a predetermined second calculation formula.

[0088] Here, when the calculated specific temperature exceeds the predetermined upper limit temperature, the setting processing unit 94 sets the upper limit temperature as the target temperature instead of the specific temperature. The upper limit temperature is a temperature determined based on the type of the ink. Thus, the degradation of the ink caused by excessive temperature rise can be avoided.

[0089] In addition, table data indicating the correspondence between the temperature of the ink obtained by the acquisition processing unit 92 and the temperature value used for setting the target temperature may be stored in advance in the storage unit 6. In the table data, the correspondence between the temperature of the ink obtained by the acquisition processing unit 92 and the temperature value may be determined such that the lower the temperature of the ink obtained by the acquisition processing unit 92, the higher the temperature value. In this case, when the temperature of the ink obtained by the acquisition processing unit 92 is less than the threshold value, the setting processing unit 94 may set the temperature value corresponding to the temperature of the ink in the table data as the target temperature.

[0090] In addition, the target temperature may always be the optimal printing temperature. In this case, the control unit 7 may not include the setting processing unit 94.

[0091] The switching processing unit 95 switches the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the ink flow function of the flow processing unit 93 according to the user's operation.

[0092] For example, the switching processing unit 95 displays a function setting screen for switching the validity of the ink flow function on the operation display unit 5 according to a predetermined operation on the operation display unit 5. Furthermore, the switching processing unit 95 switches the validity of the ink flow function according to the user's operation on the function setting screen. Thus, the user can select whether to give priority to suppressing the consumption of the ink or to shortening the waiting time until the image formation starts.

[0093] Here, when the temperature of the ink acquired by the acquisition processing unit 92 is lower than the threshold value, the flow processing unit 93 allows the ink to flow when the ink flow function is effective, and does not allow the ink to flow when the ink flow function is ineffective.

[0094] [Motion Control Processing] Below, refer to Figure 6 An example of a sequence of action control processing executed by the control unit 7 in the image forming apparatus 100 and the action control method of the present invention are described. Here, steps S11, S12, ... represent the numbers of the processing sequence (steps) executed by the control unit 7. In addition, the action control processing is executed when the image forming apparatus 100 transitions from the power saving state to the normal state.

[0095] <Step S11> First, in step S11, the control unit 7 acquires the temperature of the ink in the specific section. Here, the process of step S11 is an example of an acquisition step of the present invention, and is executed by the acquisition processing unit 92 of the control unit 7.

[0096] Specifically, the control unit 7 obtains the elapsed time since the last transition to the power-saving state based on the last recorded time of transition to the power-saving state and the current time. In addition, the control unit 7 obtains the second detected temperature detected by the internal temperature sensor 68 as the temperature of the installation location of the image forming device 100. Then, the control unit 7 substitutes the obtained elapsed time since the last transition to the power-saving state, the obtained temperature of the installation location of the image forming device 100, and the optimal printing temperature into the first calculation formula, thereby calculating the current temperature of the ink in the specific interval.

[0097] <Step S12> In step S12 , the control unit 7 determines whether the temperature of the ink acquired by the process in step S11 is lower than the threshold value.

[0098] Here, if it is determined that the temperature of the ink is lower than the threshold value (the "yes" side of S12), the control unit 7 transfers the processing to step S13. In addition, if the temperature of the ink is not lower than the threshold value (the "no" side of S12), the control unit 7 transfers the processing to step S21.

[0099] <Step S13> In step S13, the control unit 7 determines whether the ink flow function is effective.

[0100] Here, if it is determined that the ink flow function is effective ("Yes" side of S13), the control unit 7 transfers the process to step S14. If the ink flow function is not effective ("No" side of S13), the control unit 7 transfers the process to step S21.

[0101] <Step S14> In step S14, the control unit 7 sets the specific temperature or the upper limit temperature as the target temperature. Here, the process of step S14 is an example of the setting process of the present invention, and is executed by the setting processing unit 94 of the control unit 7.

[0102] Specifically, the control unit 7 uses the water level sensor to obtain the current storage amount of the ink in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65. In addition, the control unit 7 obtains the storage amount of the ink in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 (the first value) after the ink is sucked from the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 by the second pump 67 and before the ink is supplied to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 by the first pump 63 by subtracting the known suction amount of the ink sucked from the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 by the second pump 67 from the obtained storage amount of the ink. In addition, the control unit 7 substitutes the temperature of the ink (the fourth value) obtained by the process of step S11, the obtained storage amount of the ink (the first value), and the known second value and third value into the second calculation formula to calculate the specific temperature. Then, the control unit 7 sets the specific temperature as the target temperature when the calculated specific temperature is less than the upper limit temperature, and sets the upper limit temperature as the target temperature when the calculated specific temperature exceeds the upper limit temperature.

[0103] <Step S15> In step S15 , the control unit 7 starts driving control of the heater 73 based on the difference between the temperature of the ink at the heating position P1 and the target temperature set by the process of step S14 . Here, the process of step S15 is executed by the drive control unit 91 of the control unit 7 .

[0104] Specifically, the control unit 7 controls the power supply to the heater 73 so that the first detected temperature detected by the ink temperature sensor 75 becomes the target temperature.

[0105] <Step S16> In step S16, the control unit 7 drives the second pump 67. Specifically, the control unit 7 drives the second pump 67 once. As a result, the ink of the second value is sucked from the auxiliary ink cartridge 65, and the sucked ink is supplied to the recording head 30. In addition, in step S16, the control unit 7 may drive the second pump 67 multiple times.

[0106] Furthermore, when the ink is ejected from the recording head 30 to the ink receiving portion 81 by driving the second pump 67 , the control portion 7 causes the ink ejected to the ink receiving portion 81 to flow along the recovery path using the third pump 83 .

[0107] <Step S17> In step S17, the control unit 7 drives the first pump 63. Specifically, the control unit 7 drives the first pump 63 once. As a result, the ink is sucked from the ink container 61 side, and the ink of the second value including the ink heated by the heater 73 is supplied to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65. In addition, in step S17, the control unit 7 may drive the first pump 63 multiple times.

[0108] Here, in the operation control process, after the process of step S16, the process of step S17 is executed. Thus, after the storage amount of the cooled ink in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 is reduced, the ink heated by the heater 73 can be supplied to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65. Therefore, the temperature of the ink in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 can be effectively increased.

[0109] Furthermore, in the operation control process, the ink heated to the specific temperature or the upper limit temperature by the heater 73 is supplied to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65. When the ink heated to the specific temperature is supplied, the temperature of the ink in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 can be adjusted to the optimal printing temperature. When the ink heated to the upper limit temperature is supplied, the temperature of the ink in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 can be made as close to the optimal printing temperature as possible, and deterioration of the ink due to excessive heating can be avoided.

[0110] In addition, the control unit 7 may change the target temperature to the optimal printing temperature after executing the initial step S17. Thus, by executing the second step S17, the temperature of the ink in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 can be prevented from rising to a temperature exceeding the printable temperature.

[0111] <Step S18> In step S18, the control unit 7 determines whether the heated ink has reached the recording head 30. Here, the processing of step S16, step S17, and step S18 is an example of the flow process of the present invention, and is executed by the flow processing unit 93 of the control unit 7.

[0112] Specifically, when the number of execution times of the processes of step S16 and step S17 reaches the specific number of times, the control unit 7 determines that the heated ink has reached the recording head 30 .

[0113] Here, if the control unit 7 determines that the heated ink has reached the recording head 30 (the "yes" side of S18), the action control process is terminated. In addition, if the heated ink has not reached the recording head 30 (the "no" side of S18), the control unit 7 transfers the process to step S16. Thus, the second pump 67 and the first pump 63 are driven until the heated ink reaches the recording head 30.

[0114] <Step S21> In step S21 , the control unit 7 sets the optimal printing temperature as the target temperature. Here, the process of step S21 is an example of a setting process of the present invention, and is executed by the setting processing unit 94 of the control unit 7 .

[0115] <Step S22> In step S22, the control unit 7 starts driving control of the heater 73 based on the difference between the temperature of the ink at the heating position P1 and the target temperature set by the process of step S21. Here, the process of step S22 is executed by the drive control unit 91 of the control unit 7.

[0116] In this way, in the image forming apparatus 100, when the temperature of the ink acquired by the acquisition processing unit 92 is lower than the threshold value, the ink is caused to flow along the supply path and the recovery path until the ink heated by the heater 73 reaches the recording head 30. Thus, the cold ink existing in the specific section can be replaced with the ink heated by the heater 73. Therefore, the user waiting time until the image formation starts can be shortened.

[0117] [Other embodiments] In addition, the image forming apparatus 100 may also include Figure 7 The circulation channel 69 is shown.

[0118] The circulation flow path 69 is an ink flow path provided between the recording head 30 and the auxiliary ink cartridge 65. The circulation flow path 69 forms a circulation path of the ink through the recording head 30 and the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 together with the second supply flow path 66. The circulation flow path 69 is an example of the third ink flow path of the present invention.

[0119] In the case where the image forming apparatus 100 is provided with a circulation channel 69, the flow processing unit 93 may also perform a first flow processing and a second flow processing. The first flow processing is a processing for causing the ink to flow along the supply path and the recovery path. The second flow processing is a processing for causing the ink to flow along the circulation path. The first flow processing is performed using an on-off valve, and the on-off valve is capable of switching between permission and prohibition of the flow of the ink in the first pump 63, the second pump 67, the third pump 83, and the circulation channel 69. Specifically, in the first flow processing, the second pump 67 is driven in a state where the flow of the ink in the circulation channel 69 is prohibited by the on-off valve. In addition, the second flow processing is performed using the second pump 67 and the on-off valve. Specifically, in the second flow processing, the second pump 67 is driven in a state where the flow of the ink in the circulation channel 69 is permitted by the on-off valve.

[0120] The flow processing unit 93 may perform the second flow processing after performing the first flow processing to allow the ink heated by the heater 73 to reach the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 . This allows the cooled ink in the circulation flow path 69 to be replaced with the ink heated by the heater 73 .

[0121] In addition, the motion control process may also include Figure 8 The processing of steps S31 to S33 shown replaces steps S16 to S18.

[0122] <Step S31> In step S31, the control unit 7 performs the first flow processing. Specifically, the control unit 7 drives the second pump 67 in the state where the on-off valve is closed. As a result, the ink of the second value is sucked from the auxiliary ink cartridge 65, and the sucked ink is caused to flow along the supply flow path and the recovery flow path. In addition, after driving the second pump 67, the control unit 7 drives the first pump 63. As a result, the ink is sucked from the ink container 61 side, and the ink of the second value including the ink heated by the heater 73 is supplied to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65. Therefore, the temperature of the ink in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 is adjusted to the optimal printing temperature.

[0123] <Step S32> In step S32, the control unit 7 executes the second flow processing. Specifically, the control unit 7 drives the second pump 67 in the state where the on-off valve is open. As a result, the ink in the auxiliary ink cartridge 65 adjusted to the optimal printing temperature by the processing of step S31 is supplied to the recording head 30. In addition, the cooled ink in the circulation flow path 69 is supplied to the auxiliary ink cartridge 65.

[0124] <Step S33> In step S33, the control unit 7 determines whether the heated ink has reached the recording head 30. Here, the processes of step S31, step S32, and step S33 are executed by the flow processing unit 93 of the control unit 7.

[0125] Specifically, when the number of execution times of the processes of step S31 and step S32 reaches the specific number of times, the control unit 7 determines that the heated ink has reached the recording head 30 .

[0126] Here, if it is determined that the heated ink has reached the recording head 30 ("Yes" side of S33), the control unit 7 ends the operation control processing. In addition, if the heated ink has not reached the recording head 30 ("No" side of S33), the control unit 7 transfers the processing to step S31.

[0127] By executing the above-described processing of step S31 to step S33, the cooled ink in the circulation flow path 69 can be replaced with the ink heated by the heater 7. Therefore, the variation in the temperature of the ink in the circulation path can be reduced.

[0128] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 100 may not include the auxiliary ink cartridge 65. That is, the recording head 30 may directly receive the supply of the ink from the ink container 61. In this case, the control unit 7 may not include the setting processing unit 94.

[0129] [Additional Notes on the Invention] The following is a summary of the invention extracted from the above-mentioned embodiment. In addition, each structure and each processing function described in the following supplementary notes can be selected and combined arbitrarily.

[0130] <Additional Note 1> An image forming device comprises: a discharge unit for discharging ink; a first ink flow path for forming a supply path for the ink to reach the discharge unit; a second ink flow path for forming a recovery path for waste ink discharged from the discharge unit; a heater for heating the ink at a heating position in the supply path that is located upstream of the discharge unit in a flow direction of the ink; a storage unit for storing the ink in a specific section from the heating position to the discharge unit in the supply path; a drive control unit for controlling the drive of the heater according to a difference between a temperature of the ink at the heating position and a preset target temperature; an acquisition processing unit for acquiring a temperature of the ink in the specific section; a flow processing unit for causing the ink to flow along the supply path and the recovery path until the ink heated by the heater reaches the discharge unit when the temperature of the ink acquired by the acquisition processing unit is less than a preset threshold value; and a setting processing unit for setting the target temperature according to the temperature of the ink acquired by the acquisition processing unit.

[0131] <Note 2> According to the image forming apparatus described in Appendix 1, when the image forming apparatus transitions from a first state incapable of forming an image to a second state incapable of forming an image, the acquisition processing unit acquires the temperature of the ink in the specific interval based on the elapsed time from the transition to the last first state and the air temperature of the installation location of the image forming apparatus.

[0132] <Addendum 3> The image forming device according to Note 1 or 2 comprises a switching processing unit, which switches the effectiveness of the ink flow function of the flow processing unit according to the operation of the user, and when the temperature of the ink acquired by the acquisition processing unit is less than the threshold value, the flow processing unit makes the ink flow when the ink flow function is effective, and does not make the ink flow when the ink flow function is invalid.

[0133] <Addendum 4> The image forming device according to any one of Notes 1 to 3 comprises a third ink flow channel, wherein the third ink flow channel together with the first ink flow channel forms a circulation path for the ink via the ejection section and the storage section, and the flow processing section performs a second flow processing for causing the ink to flow along the circulation path after the ink heated by the heater reaches the storage section by performing a first flow processing for causing the ink to flow along the supply path and the recovery path.

[0134] <Addendum 5> The image forming device according to any one of Appendixes 1 to 4 comprises: a first pump, which is arranged on the upstream side of the flow direction of the supply path relative to the storage section, and supplies the ink heated by the heater to the storage section; and a second pump, which is arranged on the downstream side of the flow direction of the supply path relative to the storage section, and sucks the same amount of ink as the ink supplied by the first pump from the storage section and supplies it to the ejection section, the flow processing section uses the first pump to supply the ink heated by the heater to the storage section after sucking the ink from the storage section using the second pump, and when the temperature of the ink acquired by the acquisition processing section is lower than the threshold value, the setting processing section sets the target temperature in such a way that the temperature of the ink in the storage section becomes a predetermined specific value above the threshold value by driving the first pump.

[0135] <Addendum 6> An action control method is performed by an image forming device, the image forming device comprising: a discharge unit for discharging ink; a first ink flow path for forming a supply path for the ink to reach the discharge unit; a second ink flow path for forming a recovery path for waste ink discharged from the discharge unit; a heater for heating the ink at a heating position in the supply path that is upstream of the discharge unit in a flow direction of the ink; a storage unit for storing the ink in a specific section from the heating position to the discharge unit in the supply path; and a drive control unit for controlling the drive of the heater according to a difference between a temperature of the ink at the heating position and a preset target temperature, the action control method comprising: an acquisition step for acquiring a temperature of the ink in the specific section; a flow step for causing the ink to flow along the supply path and the recovery path until the ink heated by the heater reaches the discharge unit when the temperature of the ink acquired in the acquisition step is less than a preset threshold value; and a setting step for setting the target temperature according to the temperature of the ink acquired in the acquisition step.

[0136] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above content, but is defined by the description of the claims, so it can be considered that the embodiments described in this specification are only illustrative, not limiting. Therefore, all changes that do not depart from the scope and limits of the claims, as well as contents that are equivalent to the scope and limits of the claims, are included in the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An image forming device, characterized in that: have: A spraying part sprays ink; a first ink flow channel forming a supply path for the ink to reach the ejection portion; a second ink flow channel forming a recovery path for waste ink ejected from the ejection portion; a heater for heating the ink at a heating position in the supply path that is upstream of the ejection portion in the flow direction of the ink; a storage unit provided in a specific section of the supply path from the heating position to the ejection unit and storing the ink; a drive control unit that controls the drive of the heater according to a difference between the temperature of the ink at the heating position and a preset target temperature; an acquisition processing unit for acquiring the temperature of the ink in the specific interval; a flow processing unit that, when the temperature of the ink acquired by the acquisition processing unit is lower than a predetermined threshold value, causes the ink to flow along the supply path and the recovery path until the ink heated by the heater reaches the ejection unit; as well as The setting processing unit sets the target temperature based on the temperature of the ink acquired by the acquisition processing unit.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: When the image forming apparatus transitions from a first state in which an image cannot be formed to a second state in which an image can be formed, the acquisition processing unit acquires the temperature of the ink in the specific interval based on the elapsed time from the transition to the last first state and the air temperature of the installation location of the image forming apparatus.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A switching processing unit is provided, wherein the switching processing unit switches the ink flow function of the flow processing unit to be effective or ineffective according to a user operation. When the temperature of the ink acquired by the acquisition processing unit is lower than the threshold value, the flow processing unit allows the ink to flow when the ink flow function is valid, and does not allow the ink to flow when the ink flow function is invalid.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: A third ink flow path is provided, wherein the third ink flow path forms a circulation path of the ink through the ejection portion and the storage portion together with the first ink flow path, The flow processing unit performs a first flow processing to cause the ink to flow along the supply path and the recovery path so that the ink heated by the heater reaches the storage unit, and then performs a second flow processing to cause the ink to flow along the circulation path.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: have: a first pump disposed on an upstream side of the reservoir in the flow direction in the supply path and supplying the ink heated by the heater to the reservoir; as well as a second pump disposed in the supply path on a downstream side of the storage section in the flow direction, sucking the same amount of ink as the ink supplied by the first pump from the storage section and supplying the same amount of ink to the ejection section; After the flow processing unit sucks the ink from the storage unit using the second pump, the flow processing unit supplies the ink heated by the heater to the storage unit using the first pump. When the temperature of the ink acquired by the acquisition processing unit is lower than the threshold value, the setting processing unit sets the target temperature so that the temperature of the ink in the storage unit becomes a predetermined specific value higher than the threshold value by driving the first pump.

6. A motion control method, characterized in that: executed by an image forming device, The image forming device comprises: a discharge unit for discharging ink; a first ink flow path for forming a supply path for the ink to reach the discharge unit; a second ink flow path for forming a recovery path for waste ink discharged from the discharge unit; a heater for heating the ink at a heating position in the supply path that is located upstream of the discharge unit in the flow direction of the ink; and a storage unit provided in a specific section of the supply path from the heating position to the discharge unit for storing the ink; and a drive control unit that controls the drive of the heater according to a difference between the temperature of the ink at the heating position and a preset target temperature, The action control method comprises: an acquisition step of acquiring the temperature of the ink in the specific interval; a flowing step of causing the ink to flow along the supply path and the recovery path until the ink heated by the heater reaches the ejection portion when the temperature of the ink acquired in the acquiring step is lower than a predetermined threshold value; as well as The setting step sets the target temperature based on the temperature of the ink acquired in the acquiring step.

Images