Printing System

Abstract

To provide a system configured to efficiently perform a work for replacing a waste liquid tank.SOLUTION: A printing system comprises: a plurality of printers equipped with recording parts that discharge ink to media; a waste liquid tank in which waste liquid drained from the printers are stored in one place; and a management part configured to be able to communicate with the waste liquid tank, and manage a storage state of the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid tank. The management part delivers a replacement waste liquid tank, on the basis of the storage state of the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid tank.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known an ink supply system that includes multiple printers and an ink server that supplies ink to each printer, as shown in Patent Document 1. The ink server of this ink supply system also includes a waste liquid tank that stores waste liquid discharged from each printer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-100435 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the ink supply system has the problem that it is difficult to know when to replace the waste ink tank. In particular, in subscription contracts, it is necessary to efficiently manage consumables and reduce delivery costs and inventory management costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The printing system comprises a plurality of printers each equipped with a recording unit that ejects ink onto a medium, a waste liquid tank that stores waste liquid discharged from each of the printers in one location, and a management unit that is configured to be able to communicate with the waste liquid tank and that manages the storage status of the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid tank, and the management unit delivers a replacement waste liquid tank based on the storage status of the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid tank. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a printing system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a printer according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the printer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of a management unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example on a display unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a printing system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a printer according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of a printer according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of a management unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display example on a display unit according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] 1. First embodiment First, the configuration of the printing system 1 will be described. 1, the printing system 1 includes a plurality of printers 10 each equipped with a recording unit 110 (FIG. 2) that ejects ink onto a medium P, a waste liquid tank 20 that stores waste liquid discharged from each printer 10 in one location, and a management unit 30 that manages the storage status of the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid tank 20. The waste liquid tank 20 and the management unit 30 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a communication circuit 5. Each printer 10 and the waste liquid tank 20 are connected by a pipe 125. Waste liquid discharged from each printer 10 is stored in the waste liquid tank 20 via the pipe 125. In other words, the waste liquid tank 20 of this embodiment is shared by multiple printers 10.

[0008] In the example of FIG. 1, the printing system 1 is organized into a system of a plurality of printers 10 and waste liquid tanks 20 in units of groups Gp (GpA, GpB). Specifically, group GpA is made up of multiple printers 10A (for example, three printers) and a waste liquid tank 20A that stores waste liquid discharged from each printer 10A. Group GpB is made up of multiple printers 10B (for example, three printers) and a waste liquid tank 20B that stores waste liquid discharged from each printer 10B. The management unit 30 is capable of communicating with each waste liquid tank 20A, 20B. Here, the group Gp unit may be, for example, a business establishment unit, a business division unit, or a unit based on the location or management of each printer 10.

[0009] The printers 10A in group GpA may be the same type and model, or they may be different. The same goes for the printers 10B in group GpB. The capacity of the waste liquid tank 20A in group GpA and the capacity of the waste liquid tank 20B in group GpB may be the same or different. The capacity of the waste liquid tanks 20A and 20B can be set appropriately depending on the number and type of printers 10A and 10B connected. Furthermore, the printing system 1 may be configured such that the management unit 30 and at least one waste liquid tank 20 are connected via the communication circuit 5. The configuration of the communication circuit 5 is not particularly limited, and may be wired or wireless as long as two-way communication is possible between the management unit 30 and the waste liquid tank 20.

[0010] Next, the configuration of the printer 10 will be described. 2, the printer 10 includes a recording unit 110. The recording unit 110 includes a recording head 112 and a carriage 111 on which the recording head 112 is mounted. The carriage 111 is supported by a guide rail 113 extending in one direction, and is configured to be movable back and forth along the one direction by a drive mechanism (not shown). A platen 114 that supports the transported medium P is disposed below the recording head 112. The platen 114 is shaped like a plate. The recording head 112 has a plurality of nozzles and ejects ink as droplets onto the medium P supported by the platen 114.

[0011] The printer 10 includes a transport unit 130 (FIG. 3) that transports the medium P toward the platen 114. Images, text, etc. are recorded on the medium P by alternately performing a recording operation in which the recording head 112 ejects droplets to perform one pass of recording as the carriage 111 moves, and a transport operation in which the medium P is transported to the next recording position. The printer 10 is not limited to a serial type in which the recording head 112 moves back and forth, but may also be a line type in which the recording head 112 is a long line head arranged across the entire maximum width of the medium P and can eject droplets simultaneously across the entire width of the medium P.

[0012] The printer 10 further includes a maintenance unit 120. The maintenance unit 120 performs maintenance to keep the recording head 112 in a normal state. For example, the maintenance unit 120 forcibly discharges ink and air from the recording head 112 (cleaning operation).

[0013] The maintenance unit 120 includes a cap 121. When the printer 10 is not performing a recording operation, the carriage 111 is located at a home position that is outside the recording area during the recording operation.

[0014] The cap 121 is a box-shaped member with a bottom, and is located at the home position. The cap 121 can be moved up and down by an elevator mechanism. When the cap 121 is raised, it is pressed against the underside of the recording head 112. This causes the cap 121 to form a closed space that covers the nozzles formed on the underside of the recording head 112. This closed space can prevent the ink in the nozzles of the recording head 112 from drying out.

[0015] The cap 121 is connected to a suction pump via a suction tube. The suction pump is driven in a closed space state to suck ink and air from inside the print head 112 via the suction tube. This sucks out deteriorated ink (ink that has dried and thickened) from inside the print head 112, and maintains (restores) the print head 112 in a normal state.

[0016] In addition, in order to keep the recording head 112 in a normal state, the maintenance unit 120 periodically performs a flushing operation in which ink is forcibly ejected from the recording head 112 toward the cap 121 to discharge deteriorated ink from the recording head 112.

[0017] Ink discharged from the print head 112 during maintenance such as cleaning and flushing is treated as waste liquid. Waste liquid is also generated during so-called borderless printing. Specifically, during recording by the recording head 112, ink ejected from the recording head 112 to the outside of the edge of the medium P becomes waste liquid. As described above, waste liquid generated during maintenance or borderless printing is discharged into the waste liquid tank 20 via the pipe 125. The discharged waste liquid is stored in the waste liquid tank 20.

[0018] The waste liquid tank 20 is a container that can store waste liquid. The waste liquid tank 20 is arranged separately from the printer 10. Waste liquid generated during cleaning operations, flushing operations, borderless printing, and the like is stored in the waste liquid tank 20, which helps prevent contamination inside the printer 10. Additionally, because the printer 10 does not have a waste liquid tank 20, the configuration of the printer 10 can be simplified. The printer 10 can also be made more compact. Furthermore, because there is no need to replace or repair the waste liquid tank 20 in each printer 10, the operating rate of the printer 10 can be increased.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 3, the printer 10 includes a control unit 150 that controls the recording unit 110 and other components. The control unit 150 includes a CPU 151, a storage unit 152, a control circuit 153, an I / F (interface) 154, and other components. The CPU 151 is an arithmetic processing device. The storage unit 152 is a device that ensures an area for storing programs used by the CPU 151 or a working area, and includes memory elements such as RAM and EEPROM. When recording data and other data is acquired from outside the information processing terminal (for example, a personal computer PC) via the I / F 154, the control unit 150 controls the various drive units and other components in accordance with the various programs.

[0020] Next, the configurations of the management unit 30 and the waste liquid tank 20 will be described. The management unit 30 manages the storage state of the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid tank 20. The management unit 30 is, for example, a maintenance service provider that performs maintenance such as replacing the waste liquid tank 20, and delivers a replacement waste liquid tank 20 based on the storage state of the waste liquid. 4, the management unit 30 includes a control unit 350. The control unit 350 includes a CPU 351, a storage unit 352, a control circuit 353, an I / F (interface) 354, etc. The CPU 351 is an arithmetic processing device. The storage unit 352 is a device that ensures an area for storing programs to be calculated by the CPU 351, a working area, etc., and includes memory elements such as RAM and EEPROM. When the control unit 350 acquires detection data of the waste liquid from the waste liquid tank 20 via the I / F 354, it controls each unit, etc. in accordance with the various programs.

[0021] The waste liquid tank 20 includes a memory unit 211 and a sensor 212 . The storage unit 211 stores identification data for identifying the waste liquid tank 20. Examples of the identification data include the ID (identification number) of the waste liquid tank 20, an IP address, a serial number (production number), and location information of the waste liquid tank 20. The sensor 212 detects the waste liquid contained in the waste liquid tank 20. The sensor 212 is, for example, a level sensor that detects the level of the waste liquid contained in the waste liquid tank 20. The level sensor may be of any type, such as a float type or an ultrasonic type. The sensor 212 detects the level of the waste liquid contained in the waste liquid tank 20 and transmits the detection data to the control unit 350.

[0022] The control unit 350 acquires the identification data and the detection data from the waste liquid tank 20 and determines the storage state of the waste liquid in the waste liquid tank 20 based on these data. For example, the control unit 350 calculates the storage amount of the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid tank 20. In this embodiment, the control unit 350 calculates the storage rate of the waste liquid. The storage rate is the ratio of the actual storage amount of the waste liquid to the maximum amount of the waste liquid that can be stored in the waste liquid tank 20. This makes it easy to understand the storage state of the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid tank 20. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 350 displays the calculation result on the display unit 360. The display unit 360 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel. Note that the acquisition of the detection data related to the waste liquid may be performed continuously or at regular intervals. Upon acquiring the detection data, the control unit 350 calculates the storage rate of the waste liquid and updates the storage rate.

[0023] Then, for example, when the storage rate is 80% or more, the control unit 350 determines that it is necessary to replace the waste liquid tank 20. Note that the control unit 350 may cause a specific part of the display unit 360 to blink or to be displayed in red, as necessary.

[0024] If it is determined that the waste liquid tank 20 needs to be replaced, the management unit 30 (maintenance service provider) delivers a new replacement waste liquid tank 20 to the group Gp of the business operator or the like. When a new waste liquid tank 20 is replaced in the group Gp, the control unit 350 acquires specific data from the new waste liquid tank 20 and resets the calculation data.

[0025] The control unit 350 may calculate the planned replacement date for the waste liquid tank 20 based on the detection data. For example, the control unit 350 calculates a regression line using the least squares method from the time when the waste liquid tank 20 is replaced with a new one, and outputs the storage rate. The control unit 350 then predicts the time when the calculated regression line will reach a limit value (e.g., a storage rate of 80%) as the planned replacement date for the waste liquid tank 20. The control unit 350 also displays the predicted planned replacement date on the display unit 360. This allows the management unit 30 (maintenance service provider) to plan delivery dates for the waste liquid tank 20 in advance, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0026] As described above, according to this embodiment, the storage capacities of the waste liquid tanks 20 are collectively managed by the management unit 30, and the waste liquid tanks 20 can be replaced efficiently. Sharing the waste liquid tank 20 reduces the frequency of replacing the waste liquid tank 20, thereby reducing the number of work steps. Furthermore, since the number of waste liquid tanks 20 is reduced, inventory management costs can be reduced.

[0027] 2. Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the printing system 1A of this embodiment is equipped with a waste liquid tank 20 that stores waste liquid discharged from multiple printers 10 in one location, an ink tank 401 that stores ink, one ink supply unit 40 that can supply ink to each printer 10, and a management unit 30 that manages the storage state of waste liquid in the waste liquid tank 20 and the storage state of ink stored in the ink tank 401, and the waste liquid tank 20 and the ink supply unit 40 are configured to be able to communicate with the management unit 30 via a communication circuit 5.

[0028] 6, multiple printers 10 are provided, and each printer 10 is connected to an ink supply unit 40 by a pipe 126. Ink is supplied from one ink supply unit 40 to each printer 10 via the pipe 126 (for example, a tube). Specifically, group GpA is made up of multiple printers 10A (for example, three printers), a waste liquid tank 20A that stores waste liquid discharged from each printer 10A, and an ink supply unit 40A that supplies ink to each printer 10A. Group GpB is made up of multiple printers 10B (for example, three printers), a waste liquid tank 20B that stores waste liquid discharged from each printer 10B, and an ink supply unit 40B that supplies ink to each printer 10B.

[0029] The ink tank 401 is a container that can store ink. The ink tank 401 and each printer 10 are connected by a pipe 126. A supply drive unit 413 (e.g., a pump) is also connected to each pipe 126. The ink tank 401 is detachably installed in the ink supply unit 40. As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 150 of the printer 10 controls the supply drive unit 413 of the ink supply unit 40, and drives the supply drive unit 413 to supply ink contained in the ink tank 401 to the printer 10. For example, if multiple ink tanks 401 are provided for each color, such as yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, the ink tanks 401 corresponding to each color are connected to the printer 10 by multiple pipes 126, and ink of each color can be supplied by a supply drive unit 413 provided on each pipe 126. The size of the ink tanks 401 and the amount of ink they can hold can be set as appropriate.

[0030] Next, we will explain the configuration of the management unit 30 and the ink supply unit 40. The configuration of the waste liquid tank 20 is the same as in the first embodiment, so the explanation will be omitted. The management unit 30 manages the state of ink contained in the ink tank 401. The management unit 30 is, for example, a maintenance service provider that replaces the ink tank 401 in addition to replacing the waste liquid tank 20.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 9, the ink supply unit 40 includes a supply drive unit 413, a storage unit 411 and a sensor 412 disposed in the ink tank 401. The storage unit 411 stores identification data for identifying the ink tank 401. Examples of the identification data include the ID (identification number) of the ink tank 401, the serial number (production number), and location information of the ink tank 401. The sensor 412 detects the ink contained in the ink tank 401. The sensor 412 is, for example, a level sensor that detects the ink level contained in the ink tank 401. The level sensor may be of any type, such as a float type or an ultrasonic type. The sensor 412 detects the ink level contained in the ink tank 401 and transmits the result as detection data to the control unit 350.

[0032] The control unit 350 acquires specific data and ink detection data from the ink tank 401, and determines the ink storage status in the ink tank 401 based on this data. For example, the control unit 350 calculates the amount of ink used in the ink tank 401. In this embodiment, the control unit 350 calculates the ink usage rate. The usage rate is the ratio of the amount of ink actually used to the maximum amount of ink initially stored in the ink tank 401. The control unit 350 displays the calculation results on the display unit 360, as shown in FIG. 10. Note that the acquisition of ink-related detection data may be performed continuously or at specified intervals. Upon acquiring the detection data, the control unit 350 calculates the ink usage rate and updates the ink usage rate.

[0033] If the usage rate is 80% or more, for example, the control unit 350 determines that it is necessary to replace the ink tank 401. Note that the control unit 350 may cause a specific part of the display unit 360 to blink or to be displayed in red, as necessary.

[0034] If it is determined that the ink tank 401 needs to be replaced, the management unit 30 (maintenance service provider) delivers a new replacement ink tank 401 to the group Gp of the business operator or the like. When a new ink tank 401 is replaced in the group Gp, the control unit 350 acquires specific data from the new ink tank 401 and resets the calculation data.

[0035] The control unit 350 may calculate the planned replacement date for the ink tank 401 based on the detection data. For example, the control unit 350 calculates a regression line using the least squares method from the time when the ink tank 401 is replaced with a new one, and outputs the usage rate. The control unit 350 then predicts the time when the calculated regression line will reach a limit value (for example, a usage rate of 80%) as the planned replacement date for the ink tank 401. The control unit 350 also causes the display unit 360 to display the predicted planned replacement date.

[0036] As described above, according to this embodiment, the management unit 30 (maintenance service provider) can plan the delivery schedule of the ink tank 401 in advance, thereby improving work efficiency. Furthermore, by knowing when to replace the ink tank 401 and the waste liquid tank 20, delivery dates and times can be adjusted, delivery frequency can be reduced, and delivery costs can be further reduced. Furthermore, there is no longer a need to replace the ink tank 401 for each printer 10, which reduces the number of work steps. Furthermore, since the printer 10 does not require the ink tank 401, the configuration of the printer 10 can be simplified. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1,1A...printing system, 5...communication circuit, 10,10A,10B...printer, 20,20A,20B...waste liquid tank, 30...management unit, 40,40A,40B...ink supply unit, 110...recording unit, 111...carriage, 112...recording head, 113...guide rail, 114...platen, 120...maintenance unit, 121...cap, 125,126...piping, 130...conveying unit, 150...control unit, 211...memory unit, 212...sensor, 350...control unit, 360...display unit, 401...ink tank, 411...memory unit, 412...sensor, 413...supply drive unit.

Claims

1. a plurality of printers each having a recording unit that ejects ink onto a medium; a waste liquid tank that stores waste liquid discharged from each of the printers in one place; A storage device configured to be able to communicate with the waste liquid tank, and storing the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid tank a management unit that manages the state, The management unit selects a replacement tank based on the state of the waste liquid contained in the waste liquid tank. of waste tanks delivered, the waste liquid tank is provided with a sensor for detecting the waste liquid contained therein; The management unit Based on the detection data of the sensor, the maximum amount of waste liquid that can be contained in the waste liquid tank is The ratio of the amount of waste liquid actually contained to the amount of waste liquid contained in the storage tank is calculated as a storage rate. If the calculated storage rate is 80% or more, it is determined that the waste liquid tank needs to be replaced. 、 A specific part of the display will blink or be displayed in red. moreover, When the waste liquid tank is replaced with a new one, the calculated storage rate is reset, and the waste liquid tank A regression line is calculated from the time when the block is replaced using the least squares method, and the calculated regression line is compared with the previous The time when the storage rate reaches 80% is set as the scheduled replacement date for the waste liquid tank, and is displayed on the display. A printing system characterized by:

2. 2. The printing system according to claim 1, An ink tank for storing the ink is provided, and the ink is supplied to each of the printers. an ink supply unit; The management unit The ink tank is configured to be able to communicate with the ink tank, and the ink contained in the ink tank is Manage the containment status of the A replacement ink is selected based on the state of the ink contained in the ink tank. A printing system characterized by delivering a tank.

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