Ink jet recording device, stored monomer volume estimation method, and program

Abstract

To provide an ink jet recording device, a stored monomer volume estimation method, and a program that can estimate the volume of stored monomer in a storage section with high accuracy.SOLUTION: An ink jet recording device 1 for recording an image by discharging ink includes: a gas permeable membrane 4512 which can degas dissolved gas in ink in contact with it externally; a monomer storage section 4514d which is in communication with the gas permeable membrane 4512 and stores liquid components in the ink permeated through the gas permeable membrane 4512; and a control section 50 which functions as an estimation section for estimating the volume of stored monomer in the monomer storage section 4514d at least on the basis of ink information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus, a method for estimating a monomer storage amount, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, inkjet recording devices are known that record images by ejecting ink droplets from an inkjet head onto the recording surface of a recording medium. In inkjet recording devices, the presence of dissolved gas in the ink can cause malfunctions. Therefore, inkjet recording devices are provided with a degassing module in the ink supply path to the inkjet head, which degasses the ink by passing it through a gas-permeable membrane. The degassing module is airtight, and an intake unit draws in the air inside, causing the ink to come into contact with the decompressed gas-permeable membrane, allowing the dissolved gas in the ink to pass through the gas-permeable membrane.

[0003] In such a degassing module, not only dissolved gases but also monomers, which are liquid components of ink, can permeate the gas-permeable membrane. If the monomers that permeate the gas-permeable membrane reach the intake section, malfunctions and other problems may occur. Therefore, a configuration is known in which a reservoir for storing the monomers is provided midway along the intake path that connects the degassing module and the intake section.

[0004] However, if the storage section becomes full of monomer and the monomer overflows, a similar problem occurs. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the monomer from overflowing by discharging the monomer from the storage section before it becomes full. On the other hand, when discharging the monomer from the storage section, the operation of the inkjet recording device must be stopped. Therefore, if the monomer is simply discharged from the storage section when the stored amount of monomer is too small, the productivity of image recording decreases. This problem can be solved by providing a sensor in the storage section that measures the stored amount of monomer, but this increases costs and creates a new problem of needing to provide space for the sensor.

[0005] Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 describes an image forming apparatus that reduces the pressure inside a degassing module and estimates the amount of monomer that permeates the gas-permeable membrane and is stored in the storage section from the time it takes to remove dissolved gas in the ink. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-017029 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the amount of monomer that permeates the gas-permeable membrane is not limited to the time it takes to remove dissolved gas from the ink, and therefore the invention of Patent Document 1 does not provide high accuracy in estimating the amount of accumulated monomer.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording apparatus, a monomer storage amount estimation method, and a program that can estimate the amount of monomer stored in a storage portion with high accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is: An inkjet recording apparatus that records an image by ejecting ink from an inkjet head, a gas-permeable membrane capable of degassing dissolved gas in the circumscribing ink; a monomer reservoir communicating with the gas-permeable membrane and configured to store the monomer that has permeated the gas-permeable membrane; and an estimation unit that estimates the amount of monomer stored in the monomer storage unit based on at least ink information.

[0010] The invention described in claim 2 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 1, the ink information includes information about the color of the ink; The estimation unit estimates the amount of accumulated monomer for each color.

[0011] The invention described in claim 3 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 1, the ink information includes information on ink consumption, The estimation unit estimates the amount of stored monomer to be greater in accordance with the amount of ink consumed.

[0012] The invention described in claim 4 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 3, The estimation unit acquires information about the ink consumption amount, including at least one of image data, the number of printed sheets, and the operating time of a pump that supplies ink to the inkjet head.

[0013] The invention described in claim 5 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 3 or 4, The estimation unit acquires information about the ink consumption amount, including the amount of ink consumed in the maintenance operation.

[0014] The invention described in claim 6 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 2 or 3, The estimation unit estimates the amount of stored monomer, taking into account the flow rate and pressure of a supply channel that supplies ink.

[0015] The invention described in claim 7 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 2 or 3, The estimation unit estimates the amount of accumulated monomer to be greater in accordance with the number of times the ink is heated and cooled.

[0016] The invention described in claim 8 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 2 or 3, The estimation unit estimates the amount of accumulated monomer so that it increases according to the size of the inner diameter of the gas-permeable membrane.

[0017] The invention described in claim 9 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 2 or 3, The estimation unit estimates the amount of accumulated monomer so that the smaller the pressure difference between a first end of the gas-permeable membrane and a second end opposite the first end, the larger the amount of accumulated monomer.

[0018] The invention described in claim 10 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 2 or 3, The apparatus further includes a notification unit that issues a warning to prompt the user to discharge the monomer from the monomer reservoir unit when the amount of accumulated monomer estimated by the estimation unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0019] The invention described in claim 11 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 10, The notification unit terminates the notification of the warning when it detects that the monomer has been discharged from the monomer reservoir.

[0020] The invention described in claim 12 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 4, a reset unit that resets the driving time of the pump, the ink consumption amount, and the monomer storage amount when discharge of the monomer from the monomer storage unit is detected; After resetting the amount of accumulated monomer, the estimation unit calculates an increased amount of monomer every time the ink information is acquired, and successively adds up the calculated amount of increased monomer, thereby estimating the amount of accumulated monomer.

[0021] The invention described in claim 13 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 2 or 3, The estimation unit estimates the amount of accumulated monomer at predetermined time intervals.

[0022] The invention described in claim 14 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 2 or 3, The estimation unit estimates the amount of accumulated monomer when the estimation unit is started.

[0023] The invention described in claim 15 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 2 or 3, an operation input unit capable of inputting an actual amount of monomer stored in the monomer storage unit; The estimation unit corrects the estimated value of the accumulated monomer amount based on the difference between the actual accumulated monomer amount acquired from the operation input unit and the accumulated monomer amount estimated by the estimation unit.

[0024] The invention described in claim 16 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 15, The apparatus further includes a notification unit that issues an ink leak warning when the actual amount of stored monomer acquired from the operation input unit is greater than the amount of stored monomer estimated by the estimation unit by a predetermined value or more.

[0025] The invention described in claim 17 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 15, Equipped with an in-leak detection unit that detects in-leak, When the actual amount of stored monomer acquired from the operation input unit is greater than the amount of stored monomer estimated by the estimation unit by a predetermined value or more, the ink leak detection unit lowers the threshold value for detecting an ink leak.

[0026] The invention described in claim 18 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 15, The apparatus further includes an alarm unit that issues an alarm of clogging in the gas-permeable membrane when the actual amount of accumulated monomer acquired from the operation input unit is less than the amount of accumulated monomer estimated by the estimation unit by a predetermined value or more.

[0027] The invention described in claim 19 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 15, When the actual amount of stored monomer obtained from the operation input unit is less than the amount of stored monomer estimated by the estimation unit by a predetermined value or more, the presence or absence of a blockage in the gas-permeable membrane is detected based on the pressure values at a first end of the gas-permeable membrane and a second end opposite the first end.

[0028] The invention described in claim 20 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 2 or 3, The ink contains a gelling agent.

[0029] The invention described in claim 21 is the inkjet recording apparatus described in claim 2 or 3, The gas-permeable membrane is made of silicone.

[0030] The invention described in claim 22 is a gas-permeable membrane capable of degassing dissolved gas in the circumscribing ink; a monomer reservoir portion communicating with the gas-permeable membrane and configured to store a liquid component in the ink that has permeated the gas-permeable membrane, and an ink jet recording apparatus configured to record an image by ejecting ink from an ink jet head, the method comprising: The method further includes an estimation step of estimating the amount of monomer stored in the monomer storage section based on at least ink information.

[0031] The invention described in claim 23 is a program, a gas-permeable membrane capable of degassing dissolved gas in the circumscribing ink; a monomer reservoir portion that communicates with the gas-permeable membrane and that stores a liquid component in the ink that has permeated the gas-permeable membrane, and the ink is ejected from an inkjet head to record an image, The ink supply unit functions as an estimation unit that estimates the amount of monomer stored in the monomer storage unit based on at least ink information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0032] According to the present invention, the amount of monomer stored in the storage section can be estimated with high accuracy. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of an inkjet recording apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a liquid delivery section. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the degassing module. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an inkjet recording apparatus. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart of a process for estimating a monomer storage amount. [Figure 6] 1 is a table data for calculating the amount of increased monomer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] An inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the illustrated examples. In the following description, components having the same functions and configurations will be given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0035] [Overall configuration of inkjet recording device] 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the main configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus 1. The inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes a paper feed unit 10, an image forming unit 20, a paper discharge unit 30, a liquid delivery unit 40 (see FIG. 2), a control unit 50, a notification unit 60, and an operation input unit 70 (all of which are shown in FIG. 4).

[0036] The inkjet recording device 1 transports the recording medium P from the paper feed unit 10 to the image forming unit 20 under the control of the control unit 50. Then, the control unit 50 forms an image on the recording medium P in the image forming unit 20 using ink supplied from the liquid delivery unit 40. After the image formation, the control unit 50 ejects the recording medium P to the paper ejection unit 30.

[0037] (Paper feed section) The paper feed unit 10 stores recording media P before image formation. The paper feed unit 10 transports the recording media P to the image forming unit 20 under the control of the control unit 50. The paper feed unit 10 includes a paper feed tray 11, a transport unit 12, and the like.

[0038] {Paper feed tray} The paper feed tray 11 is a plate-like member that stores recording media P. The paper feed tray 11 is provided so that one or more recording media P can be placed on it. The paper feed tray 11 moves up and down depending on the amount of recording media P placed on it. By this up and down movement, the paper feed tray 11 is held at a position where the top recording medium P can be transported by the transport unit 12.

[0039] {Transportation section} The conveying unit 12 conveys the recording medium P from the paper feed tray 11 to the image forming unit 20. The conveying unit 12 includes a conveying mechanism. The conveying mechanism drives a belt 123 to convey the recording medium P on the belt 123. The belt 123 is ring-shaped, and the inside of the ring is supported by a plurality of rollers 121 and 122. The conveying unit 12 delivers the top recording medium P placed on the paper feed tray 11 onto the belt 123, and conveys the recording medium P along the belt 123.

[0040] (Image forming section) The image forming unit 20 cooperates with the liquid supply unit 40 to record an image on the recording medium P under the control of the control unit 50. The image forming unit 20 includes an image forming drum 21, a delivery unit 22, a paper heating unit 23, a head unit 24, an irradiation unit 25, a delivery unit 26, and the like.

[0041] {Image forming drum} The image forming drum 21 carries the recording medium P along its cylindrical outer circumferential surface and transports the recording medium P as it rotates. The transport surface of the image forming drum 21 faces the paper heating unit 23, the head unit 24, and the irradiation unit 25, and performs an image forming process on the transported recording medium P.

[0042] {Delivery unit} The delivery unit 22 is provided at a position interposed between the transport section 12 and the image forming drum 21. The delivery unit 22 includes a claw portion 221, a delivery drum 222, and the like.

[0043] The claw portion 221 is a cylindrical member that holds one end of the recording medium P conveyed by the conveying unit 12. The delivery drum 222 is a member that guides the recording medium P held by the claw portion 221.

[0044] The delivery unit 22 picks up the recording medium P on the conveying section 12 with the claw portion 221 and moves it along the outer circumferential surface of the delivery drum 222. The delivery unit 22 delivers the recording medium P to the image forming drum 21 by this operation.

[0045] {Paper heating section} The paper heating unit 23 includes, for example, an electric heating wire, and generates heat in response to the passage of electricity. The paper heating unit 23 is controlled by the control unit 50, and generates heat so that the recording medium P passing nearby reaches a predetermined temperature. The paper heating unit 23 is located near the outer circumferential surface of the image forming drum 21, and is positioned upstream of the head unit 24 in the transport direction of the recording medium P.

[0046] A temperature sensor (not shown) is provided near the paper heating unit 23. The control unit 50 uses the temperature sensor to detect the temperature near the paper heating unit 23. The control unit 50 controls the heat generation of the paper heating unit 23 based on the detected temperature.

[0047] {Head Unit} The head unit 24 is composed of, for example, a plurality of inkjet heads. The head unit 24 forms an image by ejecting ink droplets from nozzles onto the recording medium P. The head units 24 are provided corresponding to the colors C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), and K (black). In FIG. 1, the head units 24 corresponding to the colors Y, M, C, and K are provided in this order from upstream in the transport direction of the recording medium P.

[0048] Here, the direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium P in a plan view is defined as the width direction. In this embodiment, a plurality of head units 24 are arranged in the width direction with a length (width) that covers the entire recording medium P. In other words, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is a one-pass line head type inkjet recording apparatus. The head unit 24 is configured by arranging a plurality of inkjet heads 24a (see FIG. 2), which are droplet ejection heads. The number of head units 24 may be five or more or three or less. Alternatively, the head unit 24 may be configured by a single inkjet head 24a.

[0049] The ink ejected by the head unit 24 is, for example, ultraviolet curable ink (UV ink). The ultraviolet curable ink contains, for example, an ultraviolet curable resin. The ultraviolet curable resin contains a monomer and a polymerization initiator. When the ink containing the ultraviolet curable resin is irradiated with ultraviolet light, the monomer is polymerized by the action of the polymerization initiator, and the ink is cured and fixed to the recording medium P.

[0050] The ink ejected by the head unit 24 may be ink containing a gelling agent. Ink containing a gelling agent changes phase between a gel state and a liquid (sol) state depending on the temperature. Ink containing a gelling agent has a phase change temperature of, for example, about 40 to 100°C, and is uniformly liquefied (solized) when heated to or above the phase change temperature. On the other hand, ink containing a gelling agent gels at normal room temperature, i.e., about 0 to 30°C. Therefore, the ink in the head unit 24 is heated to an appropriate temperature by an ink heater (not shown) or the like to be put into a sol state. After being ejected and landing on the recording medium P, the ink transitions appropriately to a gel state while being transported by the image forming drum 21.

[0051] {Irradiation unit} The irradiation unit 25 includes, for example, a fluorescent tube such as a low-pressure mercury lamp. The irradiation unit 25 emits energy rays such as ultraviolet light by emitting light from the fluorescent tube. The irradiation unit 25 is provided near the outer peripheral surface of the image forming drum 21. The irradiation unit 25 is also provided so as to be located downstream of the head unit 24 in the transport direction of the recording medium P. The irradiation unit 25 irradiates the recording medium P onto which ink has been ejected with energy rays. If the ink on the recording medium P is UV ink, it is cured by the action of the energy rays.

[0052] The fluorescent tube that emits ultraviolet light is not limited to a low-pressure mercury lamp. The fluorescent tube may be a mercury lamp with an operating pressure of, for example, several hundred Pa to 1 MPa. The fluorescent tube may also be a light source that can be used as a germicidal lamp, such as a cold cathode tube, an ultraviolet laser light source, a metal halide lamp, or a light-emitting diode. Among these, it is preferable that the fluorescent tube is a light source that can irradiate ultraviolet light with higher illuminance and is energy-saving. The fluorescent tube is, for example, a light-emitting diode. The energy rays are not limited to ultraviolet light, and may be energy rays that have the property of curing ink depending on the properties of the ink. The light source is also replaced depending on the energy rays.

[0053] Although the above describes an example in which the head unit 24 ejects ultraviolet curable ink or ink containing a gelling agent, the present invention is not limited to this. The ink ejected by the head unit 24 may be water-based ink or ink with other physical properties.

[0054] {Delivery Department} The delivery unit 26 includes a transport mechanism. The transport mechanism drives a ring-shaped belt 263, the inside of which is supported by a plurality of rollers 261 and 262, to transport the recording medium P. The delivery unit 26 includes a cylindrical delivery roller 264. The delivery roller 264 delivers the recording medium P from the image forming drum 21 to the transport mechanism. The delivery unit 26 transports the recording medium P delivered onto the belt 263 by the delivery roller 264, and sends it out to the paper discharge unit 30.

[0055] (Paper ejection section) The paper discharge unit 30 discharges the recording medium P on which an image has been formed in the image forming unit 20. The paper discharge unit 30 includes a plate-shaped paper discharge tray 31. The recording medium P sent out from the image forming unit 20 by the delivery unit 26 is placed on the paper discharge tray 31. The paper discharge unit 30 stores the recording medium P until the user removes it.

[0056] (liquid delivery section) A schematic diagram of the liquid delivery unit 40 is shown in Figure 2. The liquid delivery unit 40 is equipped with multiple main tanks 41 that store ink of each color. The liquid delivery unit 40 supplies the ink of each color stored in the main tanks 41 to the inkjet head 24a of each head unit 24. Through this control, the liquid delivery unit 40 enables the ink of each color to be ejected from the nozzles.

[0057] 2, the liquid delivery unit 40 includes a main tank 41, a first sub-tank 42, and a second sub-tank 43. The liquid delivery unit 40 also includes a degassing module 451 that degasses dissolved gas in the ink before delivery to the head unit 24.

[0058] <Main Tank> The main tank 41 is a tank that stores ink to be supplied to each part of the liquid delivery unit 40. The main tank 41 is, for example, a rigid, sealed tank made of metal. The main tank 41 is in communication with the first sub-tank 42 via a supply pipe 44. A supply pump 441 and a supply valve 442 are provided in the supply pipe 44.

[0059] <Supply pump, supply valve> The supply pump 441 and the supply valve 442 operate under the control of the control unit 50. When the supply valve 442 is open, the ink in the main tank 41 is supplied to the first sub-tank 42 via the supply pipe 44 by driving the supply pump 441. The main tank 41 is replaceable as a whole. Furthermore, the main tank 41 is detachable from the supply pipe 44 regardless of the driving status of the supply pump 441.

[0060] <First subtank> The first sub-tank 42 is one or more ink chambers having a smaller volume than the main tank 41. Ink pumped out of the main tank 41 by the supply pump 441 is stored in the first sub-tank 42. The provision of the first sub-tank 42 reduces pressure fluctuations caused by pulsation when the supply pump 441 supplies ink from the main tank 41. Ink that is not discharged from the inkjet head 24a is collected in the first sub-tank 42 from an outlet. The first sub-tank 42 is in communication with the second sub-tank 43 via a liquid supply pipe 45. A degassing module 451, a liquid flow rate sensor 452, a liquid supply pump 453, a liquid supply valve 454, etc. are provided in the liquid supply pipe 45. A detailed description of the degassing module 451 will be given later.

[0061] <Liquid flow sensor> The liquid flow rate sensor 452 is provided near the degassing module 451 on the liquid feed tube 45. The liquid flow rate sensor 452 detects the flow rate of ink flowing through the liquid feed tube 45 and sends the detected flow rate to the control unit 50. Note that, although Fig. 2 illustrates a configuration in which the liquid flow rate sensor 452 is provided downstream of the degassing module 451 in the liquid feed direction, the present invention is not limited to this. The liquid flow rate sensor 452 may also be provided upstream of the degassing module 451 in the liquid feed direction.

[0062] <Liquid transfer pump> The liquid supply pump 453 sends the ink flowing out from the ink outlet 4511b (see FIG. 3) of the degassing module 451 to the second sub-tank 43. A check valve (not shown) is provided between the liquid supply pump 453 and the second sub-tank 43 to prevent the ink sent to the second sub-tank 43 from flowing back.

[0063] <Liquid delivery valve> The liquid supply valve 454 is an electromagnetic valve, and under the control of the control unit 50, selectively opens the liquid supply pipe 45 when the liquid supply pump 453 is operating.

[0064] <Second subtank> The second subtank 43 is a small tank chamber in which ink degassed by the degassing module 451 is temporarily stored. The capacity of the second subtank 43 is, for example, approximately the same as that of the first subtank 42. The second subtank 43 is connected to the inlets of each inkjet head 24a via a supply path 46. The ink in the second subtank 43 is supplied to each inkjet head 24a in accordance with the amount of ink ejected from the nozzle. The second subtank 43 is also provided with a back pressure adjustment means (not shown) that applies an appropriate negative pressure to the inkjet head 24a to prevent ink from leaking.

[0065] <Degassing module> 3 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the degassing module 451. The degassing module 451 removes dissolved gas from the ink that has flowed in and discharges the degassed ink. The degassing module 451 includes an ink flow chamber 4511, a gas-permeable membrane 4512, a first vacuum chamber 4513, and a second vacuum chamber 4514.

[0066] {Ink flow room} The ink circulation chamber 4511 is provided in the center of the interior of the casing that forms the degassing module 451. The ink circulation chamber 4511 has an ink inlet 4511a and receives ink flowing in from the first sub-tank 42. The ink circulation chamber 4511 also has an ink outlet 4511b and allows ink to flow out to the second sub-tank 43.

[0067] 3, it is preferable that ink inlet 4511a and ink outlet 4511b are provided at a first end side and a second end side opposite the first end side of ink flow chamber 4511, respectively. In particular, it is more preferable that ink inlet 4511a and ink outlet 4511b are provided on a substantially diagonal line of ink flow chamber 4511, as shown in FIG. 3. With this configuration, ink can more easily come into contact with gas-permeable membrane 4512, and the degassing efficiency of degassing module 451 can be improved.

[0068] {Gas-permeable membrane} Gas-permeable membrane 4512 is tubular, and its membrane surface is gas-permeable. Gas-permeable membrane 4512 is, for example, a hollow fiber membrane, and has a structure of many hollow fine fibers, many of which are bundled and arranged to extend in the axial direction of ink flow chamber 4511.

[0069] 3, gas-permeable membrane 4512 is disposed so as to communicate with first vacuum chamber 4513 and second vacuum chamber 4514. Therefore, a first end of gas-permeable membrane 4512 is connected to the atmosphere via atmosphere release valve 4513c, which will be described later. A second end of gas-permeable membrane 4512 is connected to vacuum pump 4514f, which will be described later.

[0070] The gas-permeable film 4512 is made of, for example, silicone, which has high permeability to gas dissolved in ink, and also has high heat resistance and ink resistance.

[0071] {First vacuum chamber} The first vacuum chamber 4513 is provided at a first end of the degassing module 451. The first vacuum chamber 4513 is separated from the ink flow chamber 4511 by a partition wall. The side of the first vacuum chamber 4513 facing the ink flow chamber 4511 is connected to the atmosphere via a first vacuum path 4513a. As shown in FIG. 2, a first pressure sensor 4513b, an atmosphere release valve 4513c, and the like are provided in the first vacuum path 4513a.

[0072] The first pressure sensor 4513b detects the pressure value inside the first vacuum chamber 4513 and transmits the pressure value to the control unit 50. The atmosphere release valve 4513c is an electromagnetic valve. The atmosphere release valve 4513c opens or closes the first vacuum path 4513a to the atmosphere in response to a control signal from the control unit 50.

[0073] {Second vacuum chamber} Second vacuum chamber 4514 is provided on the second end side of degassing module 451, facing first vacuum chamber 4513. Second vacuum chamber 4514 is separated from ink flow chamber 4511 by a partition wall. Second vacuum chamber 4514 communicates with monomer reservoir 4514d via second vacuum path 4514a. As shown in FIG. 2, second vacuum path 4514a is provided with second pressure sensor 4514b that detects the pressure value therein and ink leak detector 4514c that detects ink leaks.

[0074] The second pressure sensor 4514b detects the pressure inside the second vacuum chamber 4514 and transmits the pressure value to the control unit 50. Although Fig. 2 illustrates an example in which the second pressure sensor 4514b is provided in the flow path between the degassing module 451 and the monomer reservoir 4514d, the present invention is not limited to this. The second pressure sensor 4514b may be provided in the flow path between the monomer reservoir 4514d and a vacuum pump 4514f (described later).

[0075] The ink leak detection unit 4514c detects ink that has erroneously passed through the gas permeable membrane 4512. Specifically, the ink leak detection unit 4514c is composed of a photosensor and has a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit on either side of the second vacuum path 4514a. If the gas permeable membrane 4512 is damaged, ink that has entered the gas permeable membrane 4512 will adhere to the inside of the second vacuum path 4514a. The ink leak detection unit 4514c detects an ink leak when the light-receiving state changes due to ink adhering to the second vacuum path 4514a.

[0076] The monomer reservoir 4514d includes a monomer discharge valve 4514e, a vacuum pump 4514f, and the like. The monomer reservoir 4514d can accommodate a predetermined volume of gas and can suppress pressure fluctuations within the gas-permeable membrane 4512 due to pulsation of the vacuum pump 4514f. The monomer reservoir 4514d also stores therein a liquid component (monomer) that has permeated the gas-permeable membrane 4512 and entered the second vacuum path 4514a. The provision of the monomer reservoir 4514d prevents the monomer from reaching the vacuum pump 4514f and causing a breakdown. The monomer is discharged from the monomer reservoir 4514d to the outside when the user or serviceman opens the monomer discharge valve 4514e.

[0077] The vacuum pump 4514f is a diaphragm pump. Specifically, the vacuum pump 4514f includes a pump chamber with an expandable diaphragm. The vacuum pump 4514f also includes a drive source or the like that operates the diaphragm so that the volume of the pump chamber expands and contracts. The pump chamber includes an intake port with a check valve that only allows fluid to flow in from the outside. The pump chamber also includes an exhaust port with a check valve that only allows fluid to flow out from the inside.

[0078] Under the control of the control unit 50, the vacuum pump 4514f sucks the air from inside the gas-permeable membrane 4512 when the atmosphere release valve 4513c is closed. This operation of the vacuum pump 4514f removes foreign matter from inside the gas-permeable membrane 4512 and reduces the pressure inside the gas-permeable membrane 4512. Therefore, when the ink that has flowed into the ink flow chamber 4511 comes into contact with the outer membrane surface of the gas-permeable membrane 4512, the dissolved gas selectively permeates the membrane surface and is degassed. The dissolved gas that has passed through the gas-permeable membrane 4512 is then discharged by the vacuum pump 4514f through the second vacuum chamber 4514.

[0079] The degassing module 451 may take any form, but is preferably formed, for example, as a sheet in which a plurality of gas-permeable membranes 4512 are woven together in a mesh pattern. With this configuration, the mesh of the gas-permeable membranes 4512 becomes finer, making it easier for all ink to pass through the mesh of the gas-permeable membranes 4512 and increasing degassing efficiency. Furthermore, with this configuration, even a flexible gas-permeable membrane 4512 can easily achieve a certain level of strength.

[0080] (Control unit) Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus 1. A control unit 50 controls each unit constituting the inkjet recording apparatus 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the control unit 50 is connected to each unit constituting the inkjet recording apparatus 1. The control unit 50 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 51, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 52, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 53, etc.

[0081] The CPU 51 reads and executes various programs, data, etc. corresponding to the processing content from a storage device such as the ROM 53. The CPU 51 also controls the operation of each part of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to the processing content executed. The RAM 52 temporarily stores various programs, data, etc. processed by the CPU 51. The ROM 53 stores various programs, data, etc. read by the CPU 51, etc.

[0082] In particular, the control unit 50 functions as an estimation unit that estimates the amount of monomer stored in the monomer storage unit 4514d based on the ink information stored in the ROM 53 in a process of estimating the amount of monomer stored, which will be described later.

[0083] (Notification Department) The notification unit 60 notifies various pieces of information under the control of the control unit 50. The notification unit 60 is, for example, a display unit having a screen, or a communication unit capable of communicating with other devices via a network.

[0084] (Operation input section) The operation input unit 70 receives various inputs related to the operation of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 in response to user operations. The operation input unit 70 includes, for example, a touch panel type input display device, up / down / left / right movement keys for selecting and feeding data, and various function keys. The operation input unit 70 outputs press signals of keys pressed by the user and operation signals of a mouse, etc. to the CPU 51 of the control unit 50.

[0085] [Monomer storage volume estimation process] The process of estimating the amount of stored monomers performed by the inkjet recording apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 5. The control unit 50 executes the process of estimating the amount of stored monomers, for example, at predetermined time intervals.

[0086] First, the control unit 50 acquires ink information from the ROM 53 (step S101).

[0087] The ink information includes information related to the color of ink ejected from inkjet head 24a and the amount of ink consumed. Different ink colors have different physical properties such as viscosity, surface tension, and density, which affect the ease with which the monomer permeates gas-permeable membrane 4512. Furthermore, the greater the amount of ink consumed, the greater the amount of monomer that permeates gas-permeable membrane 4512.

[0088] The ink consumption amount can be calculated based on the image data, the number of images formed, or the operating time of the supply pump 441. It is preferable to calculate the ink consumption amount not only by counting the amount of ink used in the image forming operation, but also by counting the amount of ink consumed in maintenance operations that use ink, such as purging.

[0089] The control unit 50 calculates an estimated value I of the amount of increased monomer in the monomer reservoir 4514d based on the acquired ink information (step S102).

[0090] Specifically, for example, ROM 53 stores table data for calculating the estimated value I of the increased amount of monomer. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, this includes color gradient coefficient table data T1a to T1d for converting a gradient coefficient α corresponding to the consumption amount for each ink color. It also includes discharge amount table data T2 for converting a discharge amount β corresponding to the number of shutdowns and startups of inkjet recording apparatus 1. It also includes diameter gradient coefficient table data T3 for converting a gradient coefficient γ corresponding to the diameter of gas-permeable membrane 4512. It also includes pressure difference gradient coefficient table data T4 for converting a gradient coefficient δ corresponding to the pressure difference between the first end and second end of gas-permeable membrane 4512.

[0091] Based on these table data, the control unit 50 calculates the estimated value I of the amount of increased monomer using the following formula (1) or (2). Note that whether to use formula (1) or formula (2) can be determined by the control unit 50 depending on whether the diameter of gas-permeable membrane 4512 is stored in ROM 53. This is because when the inner diameter of gas-permeable membrane 4512 is large, the pressure difference between the first end and the second end of gas-permeable membrane 4512 becomes small. I = (α × operating time + β) × γ…(1) I = (α × operating time + β) × δ…(2)

[0092] The control unit 50 calculates the estimated value I of the increased amount of monomer calculated from the formula (1) or the formula (2) based on the following formula (3), and the previous accumulated amount S of monomer stored in the ROM 53. x-1 From the current monomer storage volume S x is calculated (step S103). S x =S x-1 +I…(3)

[0093] The control unit 50 determines whether the current amount of stored monomer is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step S104). If it is less than the predetermined value (step S104; No), cleaning of the monomer storage unit 4514d (i.e., discharging of the monomer) is not necessary. Therefore, the control unit 50 simply overwrites and saves the calculated current amount of stored monomer in the ROM 53 (step S105), and ends the process of estimating the amount of stored monomer.

[0094] If the current amount of stored monomer is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step S104; Yes), the control unit 50 causes the notification unit 60 to issue a warning to prompt cleaning of the monomer storage unit 4514d (step S106).

[0095] The control unit 50 continues issuing a warning through the notification unit 60 until it detects completion of cleaning of the monomer storage unit 4514d, for example, by a signal transmitted by the user operating the operation input unit 70 (step S107). When it detects completion of cleaning of the monomer storage unit 4514d (step S107; Yes), the control unit 50 stops issuing the warning through the notification unit 60 (step S108). The control unit 50 also resets the amount of monomer storage, the operating time of the supply pump 441, and the amount of ink consumed to zero (step S109). Then, the control unit 50 ends the monomer storage amount estimation process. In this way, the control unit 50 functions as a reset unit that resets the amount of monomer storage, the operating time of the supply pump 441, and the amount of ink consumed when it detects that cleaning of the monomer storage unit 4514d has been completed.

[0096] [Effects of the embodiment] As described above, the control unit 50 of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to this embodiment estimates the amount of monomer stored in the monomer storage unit 4514d based on at least the ink information. This configuration provides high accuracy because the amount of monomer stored is estimated based on the ink information, which is a factor that varies the amount of monomer that permeates into the gas-permeable membrane 4512.

[0097] [Variations] Although the present invention has been specifically described above based on the embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Of course, the present invention can be modified in various ways within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0098] For example, in the above example, the control unit 50 acquires only ink information, but this is not limiting. In step S101, the control unit 50 may also acquire factors that affect the amount of accumulated monomer and calculate an estimated value for the amount of increased monomer based on the factors and the ink information. This configuration allows the amount of accumulated monomer to be estimated with higher accuracy. The factors include, for example, the flow rate and pressure values of the supply pipe 44, the liquid delivery pipe 45, and the supply channel 46.

[0099] Furthermore, although the control unit 50 is configured to execute the stored monomer amount estimation process at predetermined time intervals, this is not limiting. For example, the control unit 50 may execute the stored monomer amount estimation process every time the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is started.

[0100] Furthermore, in step S107, the completion of cleaning of the monomer reservoir 4514d is detected by operation of the operation input unit 70, but this is not limited to this. When cleaning the monomer reservoir 4514d, it is necessary to turn off the power of the inkjet recording apparatus 1. Therefore, for example, if an operation to turn off and on the power of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is performed while the notification unit 60 is reporting, the notification by the notification unit 60 may be terminated.

[0101] In step S107, the user may input the amount of monomer actually stored in the monomer storage section 4514d when operating the operation input section 70. The control section 50 may then correct the estimation logic for the amount of increased monomer based on the difference between the input value and the estimated value.

[0102] If the input value is greater than the estimated value by a predetermined value or more, an ink leak warning may be issued by the notification unit 60. Also, the ink leak detection unit 4514c may lower the threshold value for detecting ink leaks.

[0103] Similarly, if the input value is smaller than the estimated value by a predetermined value or more, notification unit 60 may issue a warning of clogging of gas-permeable membrane 4512. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which control unit 50 acquires the pressure values of first pressure sensor 4513b and second pressure sensor 4514b and detects whether gas-permeable membrane 4512 is clogged.

[0104] Although the above describes an example in which a hard disk or a semiconductor nonvolatile memory is used as a computer-readable medium for the program according to the present invention, the present invention is not limited to this example. Other computer-readable media include portable recording media such as CD-ROMs. Furthermore, a carrier wave can also be used as a medium for providing the program data according to the present invention via a communication line. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 1. Inkjet recording device 24a inkjet head 44 Supply pipe (ink supply path) 441 Supply pump (pump that supplies ink) 45 Liquid supply pipe (ink supply path) 46 supply channel (supply channel for supplying ink) 4512 Gas-permeable membrane 4514c Ink leak detection unit 4514d Monomer reservoir 4514f Vacuum pump (pump that sucks inside a gas permeable membrane) 50 Control unit (estimation unit) 60 Information Department 70 Operation input section

Claims

1. An inkjet recording apparatus that records an image by ejecting ink from an inkjet head, a gas-permeable membrane capable of degassing dissolved gas in the circumscribing ink; a monomer reservoir communicating with the gas-permeable membrane and configured to store the monomer that has permeated the gas-permeable membrane; an estimation unit that estimates the amount of monomer stored in the monomer storage unit based on at least ink information.

2. the ink information includes information about the color of the ink; The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the estimation unit estimates the amount of stored monomer for each color.

3. the ink information includes information on ink consumption, The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the estimation unit estimates the amount of stored monomer to be greater in accordance with an amount of ink consumed.

4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the estimation unit acquires the information on the ink consumption amount including at least one of image data, the number of prints, and the operating time of a pump that supplies ink to the inkjet head.

5. 5. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the estimation unit acquires the information on the ink consumption amount including the amount of ink consumed in a maintenance operation.

6. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the estimation unit estimates the stored amount of the monomer by taking into account the flow rate and pressure of a supply path that supplies the ink.

7. 4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the estimation unit estimates the amount of stored monomer so that the amount increases in accordance with the number of times the ink is heated and cooled.

8. 4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the estimation unit estimates the amount of accumulated monomer so as to increase in accordance with the size of the inner diameter of the gas-permeable membrane.

9. 4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the estimation unit estimates the amount of accumulated monomer to be larger depending on the decrease in pressure difference between a first end of the gas-permeable membrane and a second end opposite the first end.

10. 4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a notification unit that issues a warning to prompt the user to discharge the monomer from the monomer reservoir when the amount of stored monomer estimated by the estimation unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

11. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the notification unit terminates the notification of the warning when it detects that the monomer has been discharged from the monomer reservoir unit.

12. a reset unit that resets the driving time of the pump, the ink consumption amount, and the monomer storage amount when discharge of the monomer from the monomer storage unit is detected; The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the estimation unit estimates the amount of stored monomer by calculating an increased amount of monomer and successively adding the calculated amount each time the ink information is acquired after resetting the amount of stored monomer.

13. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the estimation unit estimates the amount of stored monomer at predetermined time intervals.

14. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the estimation unit estimates the amount of stored monomer when the estimation unit is activated.

15. an operation input unit capable of inputting an actual amount of monomer stored in the monomer storage unit; The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the estimation unit corrects the estimated value of the accumulated monomer amount based on the difference between the actual accumulated monomer amount obtained from the operation input unit and the accumulated monomer amount estimated by the estimation unit.

16. 16. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a notification unit that issues an ink leak warning when the actual amount of stored monomer acquired from the operation input unit is greater than the amount of stored monomer estimated by the estimation unit by a predetermined value or more.

17. Equipped with an in-leak detection unit that detects in-leak, 16. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the ink leak detection unit lowers a threshold value for detecting an ink leak when the actual amount of stored monomer acquired from the operation input unit is greater than the amount of stored monomer estimated by the estimation unit by a predetermined value or more.

18. 16. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising an alarm unit that warns of clogging in the gas-permeable membrane when the actual amount of accumulated monomer acquired from the operation input unit is less than the amount of accumulated monomer estimated by the estimation unit by a predetermined value or more.

19. 16. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, when the actual amount of stored monomer acquired from the operation input unit is less than the amount of stored monomer estimated by the estimation unit by a predetermined value or more, the presence or absence of a clog in the gas-permeable membrane is detected based on pressure values at a first end of the gas-permeable membrane and a second end opposite to the first end.

20. 4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the ink contains a gelling agent.

21. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the gas-permeable membrane is made of silicone.

22. a gas-permeable membrane capable of degassing dissolved gas in the circumscribing ink; a monomer reservoir portion communicating with the gas-permeable membrane and configured to store a liquid component in the ink that has permeated the gas-permeable membrane, and an ink jet recording apparatus configured to record an image by ejecting ink from an ink jet head, the method comprising: A method for estimating a monomer storage amount, comprising: estimating a monomer storage amount in the monomer storage section based on at least ink information.

23. a gas-permeable membrane capable of degassing dissolved gas in the circumscribing ink; a monomer reservoir portion that communicates with the gas-permeable membrane and that stores a liquid component in the ink that has permeated the gas-permeable membrane, and the ink is ejected from an inkjet head to record an image, a program that functions as an estimation unit that estimates the amount of monomer stored in the monomer storage unit based on at least ink information;

Images