JPH06336030A - Ink cartridge and recorder using this - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an ink cartridge in which the detection of the presence/ absence of the ink cartridge as well as a recovery action for eliminating dot clogging of ink jetting ports of a recording head can automatically be conducted by a low-cost and small-size device and obtain a recorder using this. CONSTITUTION:In an ink cartridge formed for conducting a recording action by incorporating an ink tank containing recording ink to be supplied to a recording part of an ink jet recorder together with a recording head, an image forming current-carrying path 1a, a current-carrying test path 2a, and a fuse 3 in the current-carrying test path 2a are provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet type recording apparatus, and more particularly to an improvement of a recording apparatus in which a replaceable ink cartridge is mounted in a recording portion to perform a recording operation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional ink jet type ink cartridge and a recording apparatus using the same have a structure in which the ink cartridge can be attached to and detached from a recording section.
A sensor such as a micro switch is attached to the recording head to detect the presence or absence of an ink cartridge. Further, there is one which detects the presence or absence of an ink cartridge by inserting or inserting an ink cartridge to make a contact provided in the recording device conductive or non-conductive (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-1056). When an ink jet type ink cartridge and a recording apparatus using the same are adopted as the recording means of the facsimile apparatus, only the receiving operation is performed even if the ink cartridge is not installed, but the recording operation is prohibited. Sometimes
In this case, since it is difficult for the operator to notice that the ink cartridge is not installed, an apparatus for detecting the presence or absence of the ink cartridge is needed, but there is a possibility that problems such as high cost and large size may occur. In addition, such an ink cartridge and a recording apparatus using the same may have a dot clogging of the ink ejection port of the recording head when used for the first time since shipment from the manufacturing factory. Prior to this, the operator had to perform a recovery operation for removing the dot clogging of the ink ejection port of the recording head.

[0003]

Providing an ink cartridge presence / absence detecting device in a conventional ink cartridge and a recording apparatus using the same leads to high cost, a large number of parts, and an increase in size. There was also the trouble of having to perform a recovery operation to remove the dot clogging at the injection port.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the present invention is intended to solve such a problem. That is, an inexpensive and small-sized device is used, and a recovery operation for removing dot clogging of an ink ejection port of a recording head is automatically performed along with detection of the presence or absence of an ink cartridge, and the ink cartridge is used. It is an object to provide a recording device.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an ink cartridge for performing a recording operation in which an ink tank for accommodating ink is incorporated in a recording portion of an ink jet type recording apparatus together with a recording head. An energization path for image formation for supplying a current to the recording head, and an energization test path for inspecting the old and new ink cartridges, wherein a fuse is arranged in the energization test path, the ink cartridge and the ink cartridge A part of the energization test path is provided in each of the recording devices, and both energization test paths are connected when the ink cartridge is mounted in the recording device. A current switching unit for switching the current to be supplied is provided, and the ink is printed based on the value of the output voltage of the current switching unit. A controller for determining whether or not the fuse in the current-carrying test path in the trench is blown, the controller controlling the current supplied to the current-carrying test path constituting the current switching means, The ink cartridge installed in the recording device is configured to detect whether the ink cartridge in the recording device is old or new by determining whether or not the fuse is disconnected in the energization test path in the ink cartridge. Of the ink cartridge in the recording apparatus by detecting the resistance value of the recording head by a current supplied to the recording head from a power supply section for supplying a current to the recording head. The non-volatile backup memory detects the error detected when the recording operation was performed. A value is written, the resistance value detected when the recording operation is performed again is performed, and the recovery operation for removing the clogging of the recording head is performed when the comparison value is different. The configuration is such that the presence or absence of the ink cartridge in the recording apparatus is detected by monitoring the switching frequency of the power supply section that supplies current, and the switching detected when the recording operation is performed in the non-volatile backup memory. It is characterized in that the frequency is written and a recovery operation for removing the clogging of the recording head is performed when the comparison value with the switching frequency detected when the recording operation is performed again is different.

[0006]

The presence / absence of the ink cartridge and whether it is the first time to use the ink cartridge are determined by the energization path and the energization test path for image formation provided in the ink cartridge configured as described above and the recording apparatus using the ink cartridge. For an ink cartridge that is used for the first time, a recovery operation for removing the clogging of the ejection port of the recording head is performed, and it is used for the first time together with the detection of the presence or absence of the ink cartridge by an inexpensive and small device. A recovery operation for removing the dot clogging of the ink ejection port of the recording head is automatically performed to eliminate the operator's trouble, and an ink cartridge and a power saving and ink saving operation during the recovery operation are performed. It becomes possible to provide a recording apparatus using this.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, in which a power supply unit 7 includes an ink cartridge 4
And the power supply necessary for the recording apparatus 0 using this ink cartridge 4, and the logic power supply voltage Vcc from this power supply unit 7 to the system control unit 9 is LF.
The drive power source VM is output to the motor 10 and the CR motor 11, and the printhead power source VH is output to the printhead 6. The system control unit 9 has a CPU (not shown) built therein and controls the entire ink cartridge 4 and the recording apparatus 0 using the ink cartridge.

The backup memory 8 holds the stored contents of the input data inputted by the writing means (not shown) by operating the non-volatile memory with the electric power of the built-in battery (not shown), and even when the power of this device is turned off. It is for storing necessary data. The LF motor 10 conveys a recording paper (not shown) in the sub-scanning direction, and the CR motor 11 drives the ink cartridge 4 in the main scanning direction to form a recording image when forming a recording image. The home position sensor 12 detects the standby position of the ink cartridge 4. Here, the home position means that the ink cartridge 4 stands by outside the image forming range except for the recording operation, and the recovery operation for removing the clogging of the ejection port of the recording head 6 and the ink cartridge 4 are mounted at this position. It is a position for conducting an energization test to detect whether or not there is. The current detector 13 detects the value of the current supplied to the recording head 6, and the system controller 9 determines the state of the recording head 6. The recording head 6 is a removable type that can be replaced when the ink runs out.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a main part of the recording apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the operation of the recording apparatus. Based on FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, before the recording apparatus 0 performs a recording operation, an energization test is performed on the recording head 4 to detect whether or not the ink cartridge 4 is attached, and to prevent clogging due to replacement of the ink cartridge 4. The recovery operation to be removed will be described. The heating elements constituting the recording head 6 of the ink cartridge 4 are connected in a matrix of 8 × 8 as shown in the figure, and a recording image (flying from each nozzle of the inkjet recording head is driven by these 16 control signals. A recorded image is formed by ink droplets. The switch SW1 of the current switching means 5 provided in the energization test path 2b in the recording apparatus 0 is configured to be selectively switchable between the two resistors R1 and R2 connected to the logic power supply voltage Vcc. When the switch SW1 is connected to the resistor R1 side, the logic power supply voltage V
The current from cc becomes a relatively small current and is supplied to the fuse F13. When the switch SW1 is connected to the resistor R2 side, each resistance value is set so that a current sufficient to cut the fuse F13 flows. In addition, the fuse F1 3 and the resistor R4
The (cartridge-side electrification test path 2a) is arranged in the ink cartridge 4, and when the cartridge is attached to the recording apparatus 0, the electrification test path (2b) on the recording apparatus 0 side is provided.
And the connected state.

In addition to the energization path 1 for forming the recorded image, an independent energization test path 2 is provided in the ink cartridge 4.
And the recording device 0 using this ink cartridge. Before the recording operation, when the home position sensor 12 detects that the ink cartridge 4 is located at the home position, it is provided in the energization test path 2b in the recording device 0 of the energization test path 2. The SW1 of the current switching means 5 is connected to R1 (process 301), and a minute current is supplied to the fuse F1 3 provided in the energization test path 2a of the energization test path 2 so that the fuse F1 3 is not blown. Depending on the value of Vc,
It is determined whether the mounted ink cartridge 4 is used for the first time after being shipped from the factory. If the ink cartridge 4 is to be used for the first time, the resistor R4 provided in the energization test path 2a is short-circuited by the fuse F13, and Vc = Vcc ×
It becomes R3 / (R1 + R3) (process 303). In other words, in the present embodiment, since the ink cartridge 4 used for the first time is provided with the fuse F13 in advance, the short circuit occurs, and the ink cartridge 4 is used for the first time by the detection voltage Vc obtained as a result. It is determined by the system control unit 9 that there is.

Further, after detecting that the ink cartridge 4 is to be used for the first time, a recovery operation for removing the clogging of the ejection port of the recording head 6 is performed (process 30).
5), and subsequently the switch SW1 of the current switching means 5
Is switched to the resistor R2, and a current having a value that allows the fuse F1 3 to be blown is passed to blow the fuse F1 3 (step 306). It is obvious that the fuse F13 is not limited to the fuse as long as it has a change such that the path is cut off when a current more than a specific value flows as described above. Ink cartridge 4
With respect to the presence or absence of the above, the current switching means 5 is provided before the recording operation.
If the energization test is performed by switching the switch SW1 to the resistor R1 and supplying a minute current, Vc = Vcc × R3 / (R1 +
R4 + R3), and it is determined whether or not the ink cartridge is used for the first time and the presence or absence of the ink cartridge 4 is detected (process 304). After that, the SW1 of the current switching means 5 is switched to the non-connection state (process 307), a predetermined recording operation is performed, and the process ends.

At the home position, the ink cartridge 4 and the recording apparatus 0 using the ink cartridge 4 perform pseudo ejection of a specific dot to remove ink accumulated in the ejection port of the recording head 6. At this time, the current detection unit 13 detects the current supplied to the heating element of the recording head 6. At this time, if the current is detected, it is determined that the ink cartridge 4 is mounted, and the recording operation is permitted (see FIG. 1). The resistance value of the heating element of the recording head 6 actually varies depending on each ink cartridge 4. Therefore, the current supplied to each heating element of the recording head 6 is detected by the current detecting unit 13 during the pseudo ejection before the recording operation, and the detected value and the detected current value at the time of the previous recording backed up in the memory are detected. When the two are different from each other, it is determined that the ink cartridge 4 used in the previous recording has been replaced, and the recording head 6 is
The recovery operation is performed to remove the clogging of the injection port (see FIG. 1).

The switching frequency changes depending on the load current of the power supply unit 7 for the recording head 6 provided in the recording apparatus 0. Therefore, during the above pseudo ejection before the recording operation, the switching frequency due to the load current of the power supply unit 7 for the recording head 6 is monitored, and if it is detected that it is the switching frequency when there is no load, the ink cartridge 4 is mounted. When it is determined that there is no such recording operation, the recording operation is prohibited (see FIG. 1). As described above, the resistance value of each heating element of the recording head 6 varies depending on each ink cartridge 4.
Therefore, at the time of the pseudo ejection before the above recording operation, the recording head 6
The switching frequency is detected by the load current of the power supply unit 7 for the printer, and the detected value is compared with the detection frequency at the previous recording backed up in the memory. If they are different, the ink cartridge used at the previous recording. Four
Before the recording operation is judged to have been replaced.
A recovery operation for removing the clogging of the ejection port of the recording head 6 is performed (see FIG. 1).

[0014]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the presence or absence of an ink cartridge and the presence or absence of an ink cartridge are determined by the energization path for image formation and the energization test path provided in the ink cartridge and the recording apparatus using the ink cartridge. Since it is determined whether or not the cartridge is the first one to be used, and for the ink cartridge to be used for the first time, a recovery operation is performed to remove the clogging of the ejection port of the recording head. In addition to the detection of the presence or absence of the ink cartridge, the recovery operation for removing the dot clogging of the ink ejection port of the recording head that is used for the first time is automatically performed, eliminating the troublesomeness of the operator and further saving the recovery operation. To provide an ink cartridge in which power and ink are saved and a recording apparatus using the ink cartridge. It was cut way.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ink cartridge showing an embodiment of the present invention and a recording apparatus using the ink cartridge.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an ink cartridge showing an embodiment of the present invention and an energization path of a main part of a recording apparatus using the ink cartridge.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a main part of an ink cartridge and a recording apparatus using the ink cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

0 ... Recording device, 1 ... Image forming energization path, 1a
... Current-carrying paths (ink cartridges) for image formation, 1
b ... energization path for image formation (recording apparatus), 2 ... energization test path, 2a ... energization test path (ink cartridge), 2b ... energization test path (recording apparatus), 3 ...
Fuse, 4 ... Ink cartridge, 5 ... Current switching unit, 6 ... Recording head, 7 ... Power supply unit, 8 ... Backup memory, 9 ... System control unit, 10 ...・ LF motor, 11 ・ ・ ・ CR motor,
12 ... Home position sensor, 13 ... Current detector.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location B41J 29/00 B41J 29/00 U

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An ink cartridge for accommodating ink in a recording section of an ink jet type recording apparatus is incorporated with a recording head to perform a recording operation, and an energization path for image formation for supplying a current to the recording head. An ink cartridge including an energization test path for inspecting whether the ink cartridge is old or new, and a fuse is arranged in the energization test path. 2. The ink cartridge and the recording device are each provided with a part of the energization test path, and when the ink cartridge is mounted on the recording device, both energization test paths are connected to each other, and A current switching means for switching the current supplied to the energization test path is provided in the recording device, and the fuse in the energization test path in the ink cartridge is cut based on the value of the output voltage of the current switching means. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that determines whether or not the recording is performed. 3. The control unit determines whether or not the fuse is blown in the energization test path in the ink cartridge by switching the current supplied to the energization test path that constitutes the current switching unit. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the recording apparatus is configured to detect old and new ink cartridges in the recording apparatus. 4. A resistance value of the recording head is discriminated by a current detection unit based on a current supplied to the recording head from a power supply unit that supplies a current to the recording head in the ink cartridge mounted in the recording apparatus. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the presence or absence of the ink cartridge in the recording apparatus is detected. 5. A non-volatile backup memory is written with a resistance value detected when a recording operation is performed, and compared with a resistance value detected when a recording operation is performed again, and when the comparison value is different. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein a recovery operation for removing clogging of the recording head is performed. 6. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the presence or absence of an ink cartridge in the recording apparatus is detected by monitoring a switching frequency of a power supply section for supplying a current to the recording head. The recording device according to 3. 7. A non-volatile backup memory is written with a switching frequency detected when a recording operation is performed, and the recording is performed when a comparison value with a switching frequency detected when the recording operation is performed again is different. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recovery operation is performed to remove the clogging of the head.