Liquid discharge device and method for controlling liquid discharge device

Abstract

To provide a liquid discharge device and a method for controlling a liquid discharge device that can suppress power consumption of the whole device within an appropriate range.SOLUTION: A liquid discharge device controls a transportation motor 205 to switch between the current upper limit values of the transportation motor after suppressing operations of other power-consuming components.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid ejection apparatus and a method for controlling the liquid ejection apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In a liquid ejection apparatus, in order to avoid an increase in the size of the apparatus or from the viewpoint of environmental considerations, it is required to reduce the power supply capacity of the entire liquid ejection apparatus.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses that control is performed to change the upper limit of the current of the motor based on the drive voltage that drives the motor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-105107 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, while the configuration of Patent Document 1 can equalize the upper limit of power consumption of a single motor, it is difficult to suppress the power consumption of an entire device that includes multiple power consumption units. In other words, in order to handle cases where multiple power consumption units consume power simultaneously, control that takes into account the power consumption of the entire system is required.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides a liquid ejection device and a method for controlling a liquid ejection device that can keep the power consumption of the entire device within an appropriate range. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Therefore, the liquid ejection device of the present invention comprises an ejection means for ejecting liquid, a motor whose current value passively varies depending on the load, a power consumption unit different from the motor, a power source capable of supplying power to the motor and the power consumption unit, and a control unit for controlling the motor and the power consumption unit, and is characterized in that the control unit is capable of shifting between a first mode in which the motor and the power consumption unit are controlled while the upper limit value of the current that can be supplied to the motor is set to a first upper limit value, and a second mode in which the motor and the power consumption unit are controlled while the upper limit value of the current that can be supplied to the motor is set to a second upper limit value that is greater than the first upper limit value and the power consumption of the power consumption unit is kept lower than in the first mode. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for suppressing power consumption within an appropriate range in a liquid ejection device having a plurality of power consumption units. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a liquid ejection device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the printing system. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid ejection device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a conveyance path of a recording medium in the liquid ejection device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a recovery unit in the liquid ejection device. [Figure 6] 1 is a graph showing the relationship between current and torque in a DC motor. [Figure 7] 1 is a graph showing power consumption and total power consumption. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a pre-recording operation process for the back side. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a recording head and a cap in the liquid ejection device. [Figure 10]10 is a flowchart showing a capping release process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Fig. 1(a) is a perspective view showing the exterior of a liquid ejection device 50 to which the present invention can be applied, and Fig. 1(b) is a perspective view showing the interior of the liquid ejection device 50. The liquid ejection device 50 includes a recording unit 51 that records on a transported medium, and a reading unit 52 that reads the read medium. The reading unit 52 includes a flatbed scanner unit 521 that uses a fixed document reading method in which the read medium is fixed and reads it, and an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) scanner unit 522 that uses a transport document reading method in which the read medium is transported. In other words, the liquid ejection device 50 has two types of document reading means.

[0012] The liquid ejection device 50 includes a feed roller 1 that feeds the recording medium, a transport roller 2 that transports the recording medium, and a pinch roller 3 that is driven by the transport roller 2. The recording medium is conveyed onto a platen 31 while being sandwiched between the transport roller 2 and the pinch roller 3, and liquid is applied to the recording medium by a recording head 4 to record an image. The recording head 4 is held by a carriage 5 and moves back and forth in the X direction, thereby ejecting liquid to any position in the width direction (X direction) of the recording medium to perform recording.

[0013] 2 is a block diagram showing the control unit of a printing system to which a host computer 214 and a liquid ejection device 50 are connected. The liquid ejection device 50 includes an MPU 201, and a print head driver 209, a motor driver 209, an operation display unit 211, a ROM 202, and a RAM 203, all of which are connected to the MPU 201. The MPU 201 controls the entire liquid ejection device 50, including the operation of each unit and data processing. The ROM 202 stores programs executed by the MPU 201 and various data. The RAM 203 temporarily stores processing data executed by the MPU 201 and data received from the host computer 214. The print head driver 208 controls the print head 4.

[0014] The motor driver 209 controls the carriage motor 204, which can drive the carriage 5, the transport motor 205, the scanner motor 206, which drives the flatbed scanner unit 521, and the ADF motor 207, which drives the ADF scanner unit 522. The carriage motor 204, the transport motor 205, the scanner motor 206, and the ADF motor 207 can be supplied with power from a common power source. The motor driver 209 includes a current upper limit control circuit 210 that specifies the upper limit of the current flowing through the connected motors 204 to 207. The current upper limit control circuit 210 can specify multiple levels of upper limit current, and these multiple setting values ​​can be switched based on commands from the MPU 201. The transport motor 205 is a DC motor that drives the transport rollers 2, the relay rollers 20, and the discharge rollers 18 (see FIG. 3). Each of the motors 204 to 207 connected to the motor driver 209 is a motor whose current value passively varies depending on the load torque. In this embodiment, the conveying motor 205 is described as a DC motor, but the conveying motor 205 may be an AC motor.

[0015] The host computer 214 is provided with a printer driver 2141 for collecting recording information such as the recorded image and the quality of the recorded image when a command to execute a recording operation is received from the user, and communicating with the liquid ejection device 50. The MPU 201 exchanges recorded images and the like with the host computer 214 via the I / F unit 213.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid ejection device 50, and FIGS. 4(a) to 4(d) are cross-sectional views showing the recording medium conveyance section (conveyance path) in the liquid ejection device 50. The paper feed roller 1, conveyance roller 2, discharge roller 18, and relay roller 20 are driven by a common drive source, i.e., a conveyance motor 205. The topmost recording medium stacked on the paper feed tray 6 is fed into the device by the paper feed roller 1, then conveyed by the conveyance roller 2, where printing is performed at the position of the platen 31, and then discharged in the Y direction by the discharge roller 18. A paper sensor 19 is provided between the paper feed roller 1 and the conveyance roller 2, and if the paper sensor 19 cannot detect paper even when the paper feed roller 1 is rotated, the MPU 201 generates a jam error notification or the like.

[0017] 4A to 4D show the case of so-called double-sided printing, in which images are printed on both the front and back sides of a recording medium. During printing, the MPU 201 nip the recording medium between the conveyance roller (main conveyance roller) 2 and the pinch roller 3, rotates the conveyance roller 2 in the forward direction (the direction of arrow α in FIG. 4A), and passes the recording medium along the path indicated by arrow β in FIG. 4A. The MPU 201 also prints on the front side of the recording medium by moving the carriage 5 and causing the print head 4 to print according to the print data. Images are sequentially printed on the front side of the recording medium by alternately repeating the conveyance of the recording medium in the conveyance direction by the conveyance motor 205 and the printing operation by the print head 4. When printing on the front side of the recording medium is completed, the MPU 201 releases the recording medium from the nip between the conveyance roller 2 and the pinch roller 3. In the case of single-sided printing, the MPU 201 rotates the discharge roller 18 in the forward direction to eject the recording medium from the device.

[0018] On the other hand, when double-sided recording is performed, the MPU 201 reverses the rotation of the discharge roller 18 (in the direction of the arrow γ in FIG. 4B) after recording on the front side is completed. Then, the MPU 201 transports the recording medium in the direction opposite to the transport direction during front-side recording (in the -Y direction) and again nips the recording medium between the transport roller 2 and the pinch roller 3. After nipping, the MPU 201 further reverses the rotation of the transport roller 2 (in the direction opposite to the arrow α in FIG. 4A) to send the recording medium along a path different from that used during front-side recording. The trailing edge of the recording medium during front-side recording becomes the leading edge of the recording medium during back-side recording, and this leading edge reaches the relay roller 20. The relay roller 20 shares a drive source with the transport roller 2, but rotates to transport the recording medium in the Y direction regardless of the rotation direction of the transport roller 2. The MPU 201 stops the transport motor 205 before the leading edge of the recording medium reaches the paper sensor 19, thereby stopping the rotation of the transport roller 2 and the relay roller 20 (see FIG. 4B).

[0019] The MPU 201 then rotates the relay roller 20 forward while continuing to rotate the conveyance roller 2 in the reverse direction, causing the leading edge of the recording medium to pass through the position detected by the paper sensor 19 and abut against the conveyance roller 2 (see FIG. 4(c)). In this way, the leading edge of the recording medium abuts against the conveyance roller 2, thereby correcting the skew of the recording medium. The MPU 201 then switches the rotation of the conveyance roller 2 to the forward direction. Then, as with the front side, recording is performed on the back side of the recording medium by alternately conveying the recording medium in the conveyance direction by the conveyance motor 205 and recording by the recording head 4. The series of operations described above makes it possible to print on both sides of the recording medium with a single paper feed operation from the paper feed roller 1 (see FIG. 4(d)).

[0020] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a recovery unit 11 in a liquid ejection device 50. The recovery unit 11 includes a cap 12 that caps the ink ejection port surface (not shown) of the print head 4, a suction pump 13 that sucks ink from inside the cap 12, and a suction tube 14 that connects the cap 12 to the suction pump 13. The recovery unit 11 also includes a waste ink tank 21 that stores waste ink sucked by the suction pump 13, a discharge unit 15 that discharges the waste ink into the waste ink tank 21, and a discharge tube 16 that connects the suction pump 13 to the discharge unit 15. The cap 12 moves vertically using a carriage motor 204 as a drive source, thereby coming into contact with the print head 4, and the recovery unit 11 periodically performs a recovery process on the print head 4. This removes ink from inside or near the ejection ports of the print head 4, restoring the ejection state.

[0021] FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between current [A] and torque [N·m] in a DC motor, and FIG. 7 is a graph showing the power consumption of the carry motor 205, carriage motor 204, and other power consuming components, as well as the total power consumption. To meet the demands of low cost and high stopping accuracy, the liquid ejection device 50 employs DC motors for the carriage motor 204, carry motor 205, scanner motor 206, and ADF motor 207. As shown in FIG. 6, DC motors have a nearly linear relationship between torque and current. In other words, when a large torque is generated, the current value also increases accordingly. Because the power consumption of a motor is proportional to the square of the current flowing through it, a large current results in a large power consumption. If this power consumption exceeds the power supply capacity, the power supply will momentarily be interrupted.

[0022] To address such concerns, the motor driver 209 includes a current upper limit regulation circuit 210 (see FIG. 2). By providing an upper limit to the current flowing through the motor by the motor driver 209, it is possible to prevent momentary interruptions due to power shortages, but instead it is set to limit the output torque.

[0023] When there is one motor (power consumption unit), power control can be achieved by setting an upper limit for the current flowing through the motor. However, when there are multiple power consumption units, as in this embodiment, power control becomes more complicated.

[0024] As described above, the motor driver 209 of this embodiment includes an upper current limit regulation circuit 210, and an upper current limit is set for the carry motor 205 and the carriage motor 204. Here, the upper current limit setting value for each motor is referred to as upper current limit A. The carry motor 205 and carriage motor 204 may be driven simultaneously in parallel. For this reason, the design value of the power supply capacity is set so that the sum of the power consumption when upper current limit A flows through the carry motor 205 and carriage motor 204 and the power consumption of other power consuming units is equal to or less than the power supply capacity.

[0025] However, there are cases where the carry motor 205 and carriage motor 204 do not operate simultaneously. For example, when the carry motor 205 is driven without driving the carriage motor 204, even if upper limit current A flows through the carry motor 205, the total power consumption of the carry motor 205 and other power consumption units has a sufficient margin relative to the power supply capacity of the power supply. In other words, a current exceeding upper limit current A can be passed through the carry motor 205 (see the total power consumption in FIG. 7).

[0026] Therefore, in this embodiment, the carry motor 205 is set to a current upper limit value A and a current upper limit value B that is even higher than current upper limit value A. Then, taking into consideration the power consumption of power consumption units other than the carry motor 205, the current upper limit value A and the current upper limit value B are switched depending on the usage status of the motor.

[0027] Hereinafter, the drive control of the conveyance motor 205 during double-sided printing will be described with reference to FIG.

[0028] As described above, the liquid ejection device 50 performs double-sided recording and transport operations as shown in FIGS. 4(a) to 4(d). Then, as shown in FIG. 4(c), the leading edge of the inverted recording medium is abutted against the transport roller 2 to correct the tilt. During tilt correction, with the leading edge abutting against the transport roller 2, the relay roller 20 operates to further transport the recording medium in the transport direction. Therefore, the contact area between the recording medium and the transport path increases downstream of the relay roller 20 in the transport direction, increasing the resistance (friction) acting on the recording medium. In this state, a large torque is required to rotate the relay roller 20. Therefore, a large torque is required for the transport motor 205, which simultaneously drives the transport roller 2 and the relay roller 20. If the transport motor 205 cannot generate sufficient torque during this operation, the tilt correction of the recording medium will be insufficient, and recording will be performed on the reverse side in an inclined state.

[0029] Although tilt correction of the recording medium is also performed when recording on the front side of the recording medium, the torque required in this case is smaller than that required for tilt correction on the back side. Therefore, in tilt correction, more torque is required from the conveyance motor 205, and tilt correction for recording on the back side, which requires torque control, will be described here.

[0030] Therefore, when performing the tilt correction operation (the operation shown in FIG. 4(c)), the power consumption of power consumption units other than the carry motor 205 is suppressed, and the upper current limit of the carry motor 205 is increased (from upper current limit A to upper current limit B). Then, when the tilt correction operation is completed, the upper current limit is restored (from upper current limit B to upper current limit A). After the operation shown in FIG. 4(d), the suppression of power consumption by the other power consumption units that had been suppressed is also released, and they resume operating in parallel with the carry motor 205.

[0031] Power consumption units other than the above-mentioned transport motor 205 include the carriage motor 204, scanner motor 206, and ADF motor 207, and these motors are also stopped. Furthermore, not only the motors but also other power consumption units, such as the print head (predetermined mechanism) 4, are stopped in the same way. In other words, the ejection operation of the print head 4 is also stopped during the tilt correction operation.

[0032] While the above example shows that other power consuming units are stopped while the upper limit of the carry motor 205 is being increased, this is not limited to stopping the other power consuming units. The purpose is to keep the peak of the power consuming units connected to the same power supply below a certain value. Therefore, for example, even if the upper current limit of the carry motor 205 is set to a high value during tilt correction, if there is still room in the power supply capacity, other power consuming units may be driven in a limited manner within that room.

[0033] For example, the MPU 201 may control the carriage motor 204, which is driven to perform preliminary ejection (preliminary ejection), so that a voltage above a certain value is not applied, thereby suppressing power consumption. During tilt correction, the upper current limit for other motors, including the carriage motor 204, is also set to a high level. However, by using the MPU 201 to set an upper limit for the voltage that can be applied to each motor, it is possible to operate the entire device within a specified power supply capacity range while controlling the power consumption of each motor to fit within a margin. For example, by using the MPU 201 to set an upper limit for the voltage of the carriage motor 204 and the number of ejections of the print head 4 and controlling power consumption to fit within a margin, preliminary ejection of the print head can be performed while performing tilt correction.

[0034] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the back-side recording pre-processing in this embodiment. This process explains the back-side recording process, which is part of the double-sided recording mode, and starts when recording on the front side is completed and the inverted recording medium is nipped in the nip portion of the conveying rollers. The back-side recording pre-processing in this embodiment will be described below using the flowchart in FIG. 8. The series of processes shown in FIG. 8 are performed by the MPU 201 of the liquid ejection device 50 loading program code stored in the ROM 202 into the RAM 203 and executing it. Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the steps in FIG. 8 may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC or electronic circuit. The symbol "S" in the description of each process indicates a step in the flowchart.

[0035] When the back-side pre-recording process starts, in S00, the MPU 201 switches the rotation direction of the conveyance roller 2 from forward to reverse and rotates it. In S01, the MPU 201 stops the conveyance motor at a position where the leading edge of the recording medium is located just upstream of the paper sensor 19 (see FIG. 4B). In S02, the MPU 201 stops the carriage motor 204, and in S03, stops the ejection drive of the print head 4 that performs preliminary ejection. In S04, the MPU 201 starts measuring the ink ejection stop time. Next, in S05, it is determined whether the flatbed scanner unit 521 is in operation. For example, if a print job and a read job using the flatbed scanner are input consecutively, the flatbed scanner unit 521 may be in operation. If the flatbed scanner unit 521 is in operation (S05: Yes), the process proceeds to S06, where the scanner motor 206 is stopped at a desired position. If the scanner motor 206 is not in operation (S05: No), the process proceeds directly to S07.

[0036] In S07, the MPU 201 determines whether the ADF scanner unit 522 is in operation. For example, if a print job and a read job using the ADF are input consecutively, the ADF scanner unit 522 may be in operation. If the ADF scanner unit 522 is in operation (S07: Yes), the MPU 201 proceeds to S08 and stops the ADF motor 207 at a position where it can be stopped. If the ADF motor 207 is not in operation (S07: No), the MPU 201 proceeds directly to S09. S06 and S08 are performed as exclusive controls. In other words, the flatbed scanner unit 521 and the ADF scanner unit 522 are not operated simultaneously; when they are operated, one of them is operated.

[0037] In S09, the MPU 201 increases the upper current limit so that the transport motor 205 generates the torque required (switching from upper current limit A to upper current limit B). In S10, the MPU 201 drives the transport roller 2 and intermediate roller using the transport motor 205, causing the leading edge of the print medium to abut against the transport roller 2, which is rotating in reverse. This completes the tilt correction for backside printing. Thereafter, in S11, the MPU 201 returns (decreases) the upper current limit to its original value and switches the rotation direction of the transport roller back to the forward direction. In S12, the stop of the ejection drive of the print head 4 is released, and in S13, measurement of the ejection stop time is completed.

[0038] In S14, the MPU 201 determines whether the ink ejection stop time is equal to or greater than a threshold value. If it is equal to or greater than the threshold value (S14: Yes), the process proceeds to S15 and executes preliminary ejection 1. Preliminary ejection is an operation for ejecting ink that does not contribute to printing from the ejection ports. Preliminary ejection 1 is a process that is performed when the ejection stop time is long and is expected to fully recover the print head 4. If the threshold value is not exceeded in S14 (S14: No), the process proceeds directly to S16. In S16, the MPU 201 rotates the transport roller 2 in the forward direction (the direction of arrow α in Figure 4(a)) to align the beginning of the image to be printed on the print medium so that the print head can print. In S17, preliminary ejection 2 is executed, and the back-side printing pre-processing is completed. Preliminary ejection 2 is an ejection performed before printing starts and is a process aimed at refreshing the ink in the ejection ports.

[0039] Thereafter, the carriage motor 204 is driven to move the carriage 5 in the main scanning direction, and the print head driver 208 alternates between a print scan in which the print head 4 performs an ejection operation and a conveyance operation in which the conveyance motor is driven to cause the conveyance roller to convey the print medium a predetermined distance. By these operations, images are sequentially printed on the back surface of the print medium.

[0040] The reason why each motor is stopped before switching the upper current limit in S09 is to reduce power consumption by other power consuming units while the carry motor 205, whose upper current limit has been increased, is in operation. However, there is another reason: the motor driver 209 can only switch the upper current limit when all connected motors are stopped. In order to reduce power consumption during tilt correction, it is not essential that all motors other than the carry motor are stopped; parallel operation is possible as long as the total amount of power consumption is reduced. However, in S09, when the upper current limit is switched, it is a necessary requirement that all motors are stopped.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, whether or not preliminary ejection is to be performed is determined in S14 based on whether or not the ejection stop time is equal to or greater than a threshold value, but the process may proceed to S15 without making a determination in S14 and preliminary ejection 1 may be performed.

[0042] In the above description, the upper current limit value is set in two stages, the upper current limit value A and the upper current limit value B, but it may be set in three or more stages. If three or more stages are set, it is necessary to check whether appropriate tilt correction has been performed in the tilt correction after increasing the upper current limit value of the carry motor 205, and if not, to further increase the upper current limit value.

[0043] In this embodiment, in a configuration in which power is consumed locally in a specific operation of a power consuming unit, control is implemented to temporarily increase the upper current limit for the specific operation while suppressing the power consumption of other power consuming units that are not involved in the specific operation. This makes it possible to suppress peak power throughout the device and keep power consumption within an appropriate range. As a result, there is no need to install capacitors with excessively large capacitances, which reduces costs, reduces the device size, and enables better environmental compatibility.

[0044] In this embodiment, each motor is set to a single motor driver and has a common upper current limit setting, but this is not limited to this. It is also possible to have an independent motor driver for each motor, with an independent setting, and to switch the upper current limit value for each motor individually. The liquid ejection device 50 also has a first mode in which the motor and the power consumption unit are controlled with the upper limit value of the current that can be supplied to the motor set to a first upper limit value. The liquid ejection device 50 also has a second mode in which the upper limit value of the current that can be supplied to the motor is set to a second upper limit value that is higher than the first upper limit value, and the motor and the power consumption unit are controlled with the power consumption lower than in the first mode. The liquid ejection device 50 can switch between the first mode and the second mode.

[0045] In this way, the operation of other power consumption units is suppressed, and then the upper current limit value of the carry motor 205 is switched. This makes it possible to provide a liquid ejection device and a method for controlling a liquid ejection device that reduce power consumption and enable a smaller device size and lower costs.

[0046] (Other embodiments) Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the basic configuration of this embodiment is similar to that of the above-described embodiment, so only the characteristic configuration will be described below.

[0047] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the recording head 4 and cap 12 in a liquid ejection device 50. In the first embodiment, a configuration in which power increases locally when performing tilt correction for the back surface was described as an example. Therefore, control for switching the upper current limit value was applied to the operation of correcting the tilt of the document during back surface transport. In this embodiment, a configuration in which power increases locally when releasing the cap in the recovery unit is described as an example. Therefore, control for switching the upper current limit value is applied when releasing the cap in the recovery unit.

[0048] FIG. 9 shows a state in which the cap 12, which is a protective member, is in contact with the ejection port surface (ejection portion) of the print head 4. When the print head 4 does not perform an ejection operation for a predetermined period of time or longer, the ejection port surface of the print head is protected by the cap 12 as shown in FIG. 9 to prevent ink evaporation. However, if this capping state is maintained for a long period of time with ink present, the cap 12 may stick to the print head 4, and a large force may be required to separate them during the next printing operation. In this embodiment, the cap 12 is raised and lowered relative to the ejection port surface of the print head 4 by the carriage motor 204.

[0049] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the uncapping process in this embodiment. This process starts when a job is input to record an image with the print head 4 capped. The uncapping process in this embodiment will be described below using the flowchart in FIG. 10. The series of processes shown in FIG. 10 are performed by the MPU 201 of the liquid ejection device 50 by loading program code stored in the ROM 202 into the RAM 203 and executing it. Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the steps in FIG. 10 may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC or electronic circuit. Note that the symbol "S" in the description of each process indicates a step in the flowchart.

[0050] When a job to print an image is input with the print head 4 capped, the MPU 201 drives the carriage motor 204 in S1001 and lowers the cap 12 that is in contact with the print head 4 in S1002. The MPU 201 determines in S1003 whether the cap 12 has been separated from the print head 4. If it has been separated (S1003: Yes), the process proceeds to S1004, where the printing operation begins and the process ends. If it is not separated from the print head 4 in S1003 (S1003: No), the MPU 201 proceeds to S1005, where the MPU 201 stops driving all motors. The MPU 201 increases the upper current limit of the carriage motor 204 in S1006. The MPU 201 drives the carriage motor 204 in S1007 and lowers the cap 12 in S1008. The process then returns to S1003 and repeats the process. It should be noted that the driving of motors other than the carriage motor 204 may be prohibited, but after changing the upper current limit, driving may be permitted with reduced power consumption.

[0051] Furthermore, when returning from S1008 to S1003, the current upper limit of the carriage motor 204 is increased again in S1006, but if the current upper limit is set in three or more stages, the current upper limit may be increased in stages. If the current upper limit is set in two stages, and the current upper limit has been increased once, the current upper limit may be maintained, and the carriage motor 204 may be driven again to lower the cap 12.

[0052] This makes it possible to prevent malfunctions even after a long period of storage, even in products equipped with a small-capacity power supply.

[0053] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configurations and methods.

[0054] (Configuration 1) A discharge means for discharging a liquid; A motor whose current value changes passively depending on the load. a power consuming unit different from the motor; a power source capable of supplying power to the motor and the power consumption unit; a control means for controlling the motor and the power consumption unit; Equipped with The control means a first mode in which the motor and the power consumption unit are controlled in a state in which an upper limit value of a current that can be supplied to the motor is set to a first upper limit value; a first mode in which the upper limit value of the current that can be supplied to the motor is set to a second upper limit value that is greater than the first upper limit value, and a second mode in which the motor and the power consumption unit are controlled while the power consumption of the power consumption unit is kept lower than in the first mode.

[0055] (Configuration 2) 2. The liquid ejection device according to configuration 1, wherein the motor is a first motor capable of driving a transport means for transporting a recording medium onto which the liquid is applied by the ejection means.

[0056] (Configuration 3) 3. The liquid ejection device according to configuration 2, wherein the power consumption section includes the ejection means and a second motor different from the first motor for moving the ejection means.

[0057] (Configuration 4) 4. The liquid ejection device according to configuration 2 or 3, wherein the power consumption section includes a third motor that is different from the first motor and that is capable of driving a document reading unit.

[0058] (Configuration 5) the liquid ejection device is capable of ejecting liquid onto a front surface of a recording medium, then inverting the recording medium, and further ejecting liquid onto a rear surface of the recording medium; The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 2 to 4, wherein the control means transitions from the first mode to the second mode when the conveying means corrects the inclination of the recording medium before the ejection means ejects onto the back surface.

[0059] (Configuration 6) The liquid ejection device according to configuration 5, wherein the conveying means includes a conveying roller that holds the recording medium when the ejection means ejects the recording medium, and an intermediate roller that inverts and conveys the recording medium, and the correction of the tilt is performed by the intermediate roller causing the leading edge of the recording medium to abut against the conveying roller.

[0060] (Configuration 7) 7. The liquid ejection device according to configuration 5 or 6, wherein the control means shifts from the second mode to the first mode after correcting the tilt of the recording medium, and causes the ejection means to perform preliminary ejection.

[0061] (Configuration 8) 8. The liquid ejection device according to configuration 7, wherein when the period during which the ejection means is stopped exceeds a threshold, the ejection means is made to perform preliminary ejection.

[0062] (Configuration 9) 9. The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein the motor is an AC motor or a DC motor.

[0063] (Configuration 10) 10. The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the control unit stops the operation of the power consumption unit in the second mode.

[0064] (Configuration 11) 11. The liquid ejection device according to configuration 10, wherein the control unit stops the operation of the power consumption unit before setting the second upper limit value in the second mode.

[0065] (Configuration 12) 2. The liquid ejection device according to configuration 1, wherein the control unit stops the operation of the power consumption unit in the second mode.

[0066] (Configuration 13) The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the control means operates the power consumption unit in the second mode so that the amount of power consumed by the power consumption unit is less than that in the first mode.

[0067] (Configuration 14) the power consumption unit includes a lifting unit that lifts and lowers a protection member for protecting a discharge unit of the discharge unit, 2. The liquid ejection device according to configuration 1, wherein the control unit shifts from the first mode to the second mode when the lifting unit moves the protection member away from the ejection unit.

[0068] (Method 1) A discharge means for discharging a liquid; a first motor, the current value of which passively varies in response to a load, for operating a conveying means for conveying a recording medium onto which liquid is applied by the discharging means; a second motor different from the first motor for operating a predetermined mechanism different from the conveying means; a power source capable of supplying power to the discharge means, the first motor, and the second motor; A method for controlling a liquid ejection device comprising: a first step of operating the conveying means and the predetermined mechanism in a state where an upper limit value of the current that can be supplied to the first motor is set to a first upper limit value; a second step of setting an upper limit value of the current that can be supplied to the first motor to a second upper limit value that is greater than the first upper limit value, and operating the conveying means and the predetermined mechanism in a state in which the power consumption of the predetermined mechanism is kept lower than that of the first step; A method for controlling a liquid ejection device, comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 2 Conveyor rollers 4 recording head 50 Liquid dispensing device 204 Carriage motor 205 Transport motor

Claims

1. A discharge means for discharging a liquid; A motor whose current value changes passively depending on the load. a power consuming unit different from the motor; a power source capable of supplying power to the motor and the power consumption unit; a control means for controlling the motor and the power consumption unit; Equipped with The control means a first mode in which the motor and the power consumption unit are controlled in a state in which an upper limit value of a current that can be supplied to the motor is set to a first upper limit value; a first mode in which the upper limit value of the current that can be supplied to the motor is set to a second upper limit value that is greater than the first upper limit value, and a second mode in which the motor and the power consumption unit are controlled while the power consumption of the power consumption unit is kept lower than in the first mode.

2. 2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the motor is a first motor capable of driving a transport means for transporting a recording medium onto which the liquid is applied by the ejection means.

3. 3. The liquid ejection device according to claim 2, wherein the power consumption section includes the ejection means and a second motor different from the first motor for moving the ejection means.

4. The liquid ejection device according to claim 2 , wherein the power consumption section includes a third motor different from the first motor, the third motor being capable of driving a document reading unit.

5. the liquid ejection device is capable of ejecting liquid onto a front surface of a recording medium, then inverting the recording medium, and further ejecting liquid onto a rear surface of the recording medium; The liquid ejection device according to claim 2, wherein the control means transitions from the first mode to the second mode when the conveying means corrects the inclination of the recording medium before the ejection means ejects onto the back surface.

6. The liquid ejection device according to claim 5, wherein the conveying means includes a conveying roller that holds the recording medium when the ejection means ejects the recording medium, and an intermediate roller that inverts and conveys the recording medium, and the correction of the tilt is performed by the intermediate roller abutting the leading edge of the recording medium against the conveying roller.

7. 6. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control means shifts from the second mode to the first mode after correcting the tilt of the recording medium, and causes the ejection means to perform preliminary ejection.

8. The liquid ejection device according to claim 7 , wherein when the period during which the ejection means is stopped exceeds a threshold value, the ejection means is made to perform preliminary ejection.

9. 2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the motor is an AC motor or a DC motor.

10. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit stops the operation of the power consumption unit in the second mode.

11. The liquid ejection device according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit stops the operation of the power consumption unit in the second mode before setting the second upper limit value.

12. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit stops the operation of the power consumption unit in the second mode.

13. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the control means operates the power consumption section in the second mode so that the amount of power consumed by the power consumption section is smaller than that in the first mode.

14. the power consumption unit includes a lifting unit that lifts and lowers a protection member for protecting a discharge unit of the discharge unit, 2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit shifts from the first mode to the second mode when the elevating unit moves the protection member away from the ejection unit.

15. A discharge means for discharging a liquid; a first motor, the current value of which passively varies in response to a load, for operating a conveying means for conveying a recording medium onto which liquid is applied by the discharging means; a second motor different from the first motor for operating a predetermined mechanism different from the conveying means; a power source capable of supplying power to the discharge means, the first motor, and the second motor; A method for controlling a liquid ejection device comprising: a first step of operating the conveying means and the predetermined mechanism in a state where an upper limit value of the current that can be supplied to the first motor is set to a first upper limit value; a second step of setting an upper limit value of the current that can be supplied to the first motor to a second upper limit value that is greater than the first upper limit value, and operating the conveying means and the predetermined mechanism in a state in which the power consumption of the predetermined mechanism is reduced to a value lower than that of the first step; A method for controlling a liquid ejection device, comprising:

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