Alternating Optical Sensor Arrangement for Ink Level and Degradation Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink-jet recording apparatuses face difficulties in accurately detecting the degradation of optical sensors due to interference between ink remaining amount and light-emitting diode degradation, especially when the optical sensor's light is shielded by the ink cartridge.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an ink cartridge-attaching device with multiple optical sensors where light-emitting and light-receiving portions are alternately arranged, allowing light from one sensor to be received by an adjacent sensor, enabling the detection of sensor degradation regardless of the cartridge's presence and eliminating intervening objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single optical sensor is used to detect ink remaining amount, then the device complexity is low, but the measurement precision deteriorates because it cannot distinguish between ink level and sensor degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The optical sensor is divided into multiple independent light-emitting units and light-receiving units arranged in an alternating pattern. This segmentation allows the system to perform multiple detection functions using the same physical components, enabling both ink level detection and sensor degradation detection without adding separate sensor assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The same light-emitting units and light-receiving units serve multiple functions: they detect both the ink remaining amount (when light passes through the cartridge) and the sensor degradation state (when light is blocked by the cartridge). This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by allowing accurate measurement without increasing device complexity.
2Reliability
If the light-emitting diode operates for a long period to detect ink remaining amount, then the reliability of ink detection is maintained, but the light-emitting diode degrades and loses illuminance
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the light reception status of each light-receiving unit. When a light-receiving unit fails to receive light from its adjacent light-emitting unit (indicating sensor degradation), the controller receives feedback and can compensate for this degradation when performing ink level detection, thereby maintaining detection reliability despite prolonged operation.
3Loss of information
If the optical sensor is arranged to detect light through the cartridge, then the ink remaining amount can be detected, but it becomes difficult to determine whether light reception failure is due to ink level or sensor degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge itself serves as an intermediary to enable sensor degradation detection. By arranging light-emitting and light-receiving units alternately, the system uses the cartridge's presence (blocking light) as a condition to detect sensor degradation, while its absence (allowing light through) enables ink level detection. This intermediary approach resolves the ambiguity between ink level and sensor degradation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for accurate detection of both ink remaining amounts and optical sensor degradation, improving the reliability of the ink-jet recording process by distinguishing between light obstruction caused by ink and sensor degradation.
Implementation Method 1
the detection-objective portion of the cartridge shields the light when the ink remaining amount is not less than a predetermined amount, whereas the detection-objective portion allows the light pass therethrough when the ink remaining amount is less than the predetermined amount
Implementation Method 2
the light-emitting diode has a characteristic that the light-emitting diode is deteriorated as the operating time passes such that illuminance or brightness of the light-emitting diode during the operation is lowered
Data Source
AI summary
An ink cartridge-attaching device includes a cartridge attachment section to which cartridges each storing an ink are attachable. Optical sensors are provided on the cartridge attachment section, which detect the cartridges attached to the cartridge attachment section, and each of which has light-emitting portion and light-receiving portion. The device further includes a controller which controls the optical sensors to obtain, based on signals from the optical sensors, information about the cartridges. The optical sensors are disposed such that the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the optical sensors are arranged alternately in a row. Light emitted from the light-emitting portion included in a certain optical sensor among the optical sensors is received by the light-receiving portion included in the certain optical sensor and received by another light-receiving portion adjacent to the light-emitting portion and included in another optical sensor, among the optical sensors, adjacent to the certain optical sensor.