JP2020104522A - Printer, abnormality notification method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a printer, an abnormality notification method, and a program that prevent a printing head from being dehydrated when power supply is lost during printing.SOLUTION: A printer comprises: a printing head which operates according to a first power source, and includes a nozzle for discharging ink; a transport mechanism which operates according to the first power source, and transports the printing head between a standby position and a printing position; power source detection means 61 which operates according to a second power source 64, and detects loss and restoration of the first power source; determination means 62 which determines whether the nozzle is capped or not; a timer 67 which operates according to the second power source, and measures a time from detecting the loss of the first power source until restoration is detected; and discharge control means which executes processing for discharging ink in the nozzle by a discharge amount corresponding to the time measured by the timer when the first power source is restored, in a state that the determination means 62 discriminates that the nozzle is uncapped at the time when the loss of the first power source is detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to a printing device, an abnormality notification method, and a program.

2. Description of the Related Art Inkjet printers that perform printing by forming liquid droplets into fine droplets and ejecting the droplets toward a printing medium are known (for example, Patent Document 1). Inkjet printers are widely used not only for business use but also for home use.

Inkjet printers include a piezo method in which a piezoelectric element is used to apply external pressure to ink to eject droplets, and a thermal method in which ink is vaporized by heating and the droplets are ejected by the expansion pressure. In both cases, printing is performed by ejecting pressurized ink from fine nozzles. In such a system, the nozzle is likely to be clogged due to drying, curing, or the like of the ink in the portion of the nozzle tip portion in contact with the outside air.

Therefore, in order to prevent nozzle clogging, there is a type of printing apparatus in which the print head is capped when not printing. In such a printing apparatus, after printing is completed, the print head is moved to a predetermined print standby position, and the print head is capped.

JP, 2010-173086, A

In a printing apparatus of a type in which the print head is capped when not printing, power may be lost during printing. In such a case, in order to prevent nozzle clogging, it is conceivable to automatically move the print head to the print standby position by the standby power supply provided inside the printer and cover the print head with the cap.

On the other hand, there is known a label printer (printing apparatus) for performing desired printing on a long tape and cutting the tape to a required length to use it as a label. In recent years, it has been considered to use an inkjet method for such a printing apparatus. However, such a printing apparatus is a relatively small-sized printer in which portability is prioritized, and a standby power supply for moving the print head to the print standby position when power is lost cannot be provided.

Therefore, if the power is lost due to some reason such as disconnection of the outlet during printing, the print head cannot move to the print standby position. However, since the print head is inside the printer, the user cannot recognize that the print head is not in the print standby position and is left as it is. The print head that has been left for a long time may dry and the nozzles may become completely clogged, resulting in a failure of use.

In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus, an abnormality notification method, and a program capable of preventing the print head from drying when the power is lost during printing. To do.

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the printing apparatus according to the present invention is:
A printing unit having a nozzle that discharges ink by operating with a first power supply;
Transporting means that is operated by the first power source and transports the printing means between a standby position and a printing position;
A power supply detection unit that operates with a second power supply different from the first power supply and detects loss and recovery of the first power supply;
A determination unit that is operated by the second power source and determines whether or not the nozzle of the printing unit is capped;
A timer that operates with the second power supply and measures the time from when the power supply detection means detects the loss of the first power supply to when the recovery of the first power supply is detected;
When the power source detecting unit detects the loss of the first power source, the power source detecting unit detects that the first power source has recovered in a state where the determining unit determines that the nozzle is not capped. In the case of doing, an ejection control unit that causes the printing unit and the conveyance unit to perform an ink ejection process of ejecting the ink in the nozzle with an ejection amount according to the time measured by the timer,
With
It is characterized by

Further, in order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the abnormality notification method according to the present invention is:
The loss of the first power source is detected by a power source detection unit that operates with a second power source different from the first power source,
In the case of the loss of the first power source, it is determined whether or not the nozzle of the printing unit is capped by the determination unit operating by the second power source,
A timer measures the time from detecting the loss of the first power source to detecting the recovery of the first power source,
Measured by the timer when it is detected that the first power source has recovered in a state where the determination unit determines that the nozzle is not capped when the loss of the first power source is detected. Causing the discharge control means to execute an ink discharge process for discharging the ink in the nozzle at a discharge amount according to time.
Including that,
It is characterized by

Further, in order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the program according to the present invention is
On the computer,
A process of detecting a loss of the first power source by a power source detection unit operating with a second power source different from the first power source;
In the case of the loss of the first power source, a process of determining whether or not the nozzle of the printing unit is capped by the determination unit that operates by the second power source;
A process of measuring the time from detecting the loss of the first power source to detecting the recovery of the first power source by a timer;
Measured by the timer when it is detected that the first power source has recovered in a state where the determination unit determines that the nozzle is not capped when the loss of the first power source is detected. An ink discharge process of discharging the ink in the nozzles at a discharge amount according to time,
It is characterized by

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printing apparatus, an abnormality notification method, and a program capable of preventing the print head from drying out when the power is lost during printing.

It is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of a printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the internal configuration of the printing device. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the internal configuration of the printing apparatus. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the printing apparatus when the ink carriage is at the printing position. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the printing apparatus when the ink carriage is at the waste ink position. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the printing apparatus when the ink carriage is at the print standby position. (A) is a perspective view of an abnormality notification unit of the printing apparatus, and (b) is a block configuration diagram of the abnormality notification unit. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration related to control of the printing apparatus. 7 is a flowchart of power supply monitoring and notification processing performed by the abnormality notification unit. 7 is a flowchart of an ink discharge process performed by the control unit. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the power outage time and the amount of discharged ink during the waste ink processing during the ink discharging processing.

Hereinafter, a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 shows the internal configuration of a printing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The printing apparatus 1 has a configuration as shown in FIG. 1 inside a casing (not shown).

The printing apparatus 1 is an ink jet type label printer of a type in which ink is made into small droplets and is directly sprayed onto a printing medium (tape member 3), and a printing pattern including a pattern such as a picture or a character is formed on a long tape member 3. Print.

The X direction shown in FIG. 1 is the direction in which the tape member 3 is conveyed. The Y direction is the width direction of the tape member 3 being conveyed. The Z direction is the direction in which ink is ejected from the print head. The settings in the X, Y, and Z directions are the same in the following figures.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 1 includes a tape storage unit 10, an ink carriage (ink cartridge storage unit) 30, an ink cartridge (ink tank) 31, and a carriage transport unit 35.

The tape storage unit 10 stores the tape member 3 in a state of being wound around the tape core 12 in a roll shape. The tape member 3 is a print medium formed by laminating a printing tape having a printing surface on the front side and an adhesive surface on the back side, and a release tape attached to the adhesive surface.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the printer 1 is viewed from the side (Y direction). As shown in FIG. 2, the tape member 3 is stored in the tape storage unit 10 while being mounted in the tape cartridge 11. The tape cartridge 11 is a container in which the tape member 3 is mounted in a wound state around the tape core 12. Note that the tape cartridge 11 is omitted in FIG. 1 for easy understanding.

The tape storage unit 10 can store (load) the tape cartridges 11 having various types of tape members 3 having different tape widths, tape colors, etc., in a replaceable state.

As shown in FIG. 2, an ASF (Automatic Sheet Feeder) roller 13 is provided at the tape feeding port of the tape cartridge 11. The ASF roller 13 is a feeding roller that feeds the tape member 3 housed inside the tape cartridge 11 to the outside. When printing is instructed with the tape cartridge 11 set in the tape storage unit 10, the ASF roller 13 is driven by the driving force accompanying the rotation of the driving gear (not shown). As a result, the ASF roller 13 rotates at a predetermined rotation speed, and the tape member 3 housed in the tape cartridge 11 is sent to the platen roller 22.

The platen roller 22 is a tape transport mechanism (main roller) that transports the tape member 3 housed in the tape cartridge 11. The platen roller 22 holds the tape member 3 sent out by the ASF roller 13 from the inside of the tape cartridge 11, conveys it, and supplies it to the conveyance guide 23. The platen roller 22 can feed the tape member 3 by rotating in the forward direction, and can rewind the tape member 3 by rotating in the reverse direction.

At least one roller gear (not shown) is integrally attached to the end of the rotary shaft of the platen roller 22. The platen roller 22 is connected to the stepping motor 21 via this roller gear. The driving force accompanying the rotation of the drive gear (not shown) attached to the drive shaft of the stepping motor 21 is transmitted to the roller gear via the plurality of driven gears, so that the platen roller 22 has a predetermined rotation speed. To rotate.

The ink carriage (ink cartridge storage unit) 30 includes an ink cartridge (ink tank) 31 filled with ink, and a print head 32 (inkjet head) that ejects the ink filled in the ink cartridge 31.

The print head 32 is a printing mechanism that ejects the ink filled in the ink cartridge 31 to print on the tape member 3. In the print head 32, a plurality of nozzles for printing are arranged along the width direction (Y direction) and the transport direction (X direction) of the tape member 3. The ink in the plurality of nozzles is heated by the heater to generate bubbles, and the generated bubbles eject ink from each of the plurality of nozzles toward the tape member 3 (in the −Z direction). Based on such a principle, the print head 32 prints a print pattern on the tape member 3. The print head 32 also functions as a printing unit.

The carriage transport unit 35 is a transport mechanism that moves the ink carriage 30 in the Y direction in the drawing. The carriage transport unit 35 includes a carriage belt 39 (see FIG. 6) provided along the Y direction. The ink carriage 30 is mounted on the carriage belt 39. The carriage belt 39 is connected to the stepping motor 36 via a gear (not shown). Then, by driving the stepping motor 36, the ink carriage 30 can be reciprocated between the print standby position, the print position, and the waste ink position. The carriage transport unit 35 also functions as a transport unit.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the internal configuration of the printing apparatus 1 is viewed from above. Note that, in FIG. 3, the configurations of the ink carriage 30, the ink cartridge 31, and the like are omitted as appropriate for easy understanding. As shown in FIG. 3, in the carriage transport unit 35, a cap 37 and a waste ink receiver 38 are provided below the path along which the ink carriage 30 moves.

The cap 37 is a member that seals the ejection port of the nozzle to prevent the print head 32 from drying. That is, when the nozzles of the print head 32 come into contact with air and dry, the ink hardens and causes nozzle clogging. In order to avoid this, during printing standby (non-printing), as shown in FIG. 1, the ink carriage 30 (that is, the ink cartridge 31) is at the position of the cap 37 (home position, printing standby position), To prevent the print head 32 from drying, a cap 37 covers the ink ejection port of the nozzle. The cap 37 also functions as a cap means.

On the other hand, at the time of printing, as shown in FIG. 4, the ink carriage 30 is driven by the carriage transport unit 35 and moves onto the tape member 3. That is, when the printing is instructed, the carriage transport unit 35 moves the ink carriage 30 (ink cartridge 31) from the print standby position where the cap 37 is located to the print position on the tape member 3.

Further, at least immediately before the printing, as shown in FIG. 5, the ink carriage 30 (ink cartridge 31) is driven by the carriage transport unit 35 and moves to the waste ink receiver 38 (waste ink position). The waste ink receiver (ink absorber) 38 is a member that absorbs dried ink (waste ink) that causes ejection failure.

Even if it is closed by the cap 37, the ink of the print head 32 dries with the passage of time, causing defective ejection of the ink. To avoid this, the ink carriage 30 moves onto the waste ink receiver 38 before printing, discharges the waste ink to the waste ink receiver 38, and cleans the nozzles before printing. This stabilizes the print quality.

As shown in FIG. 6, the ink carriage 30 having the ink cartridge 31 mounted thereon is moved by the carriage belt 39 to a printing position for printing on the tape member 3, a waste ink position for discharging ink to the waste ink receiver 38, and a print standby position for not printing. Be transported. When the ink carriage 30 is at the print standby position, the print head 32 is covered by the cap 37 as shown in FIG. When the ink carriage 30 reaches the print standby position, the cap 37 is raised by a link mechanism (not shown) to cover the entire nozzle (ink ejection port) of the print head 32.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an abnormality notification unit 60 as a print head monitoring unit that monitors and notifies the loss of the main power supply during printing is arranged on the inner wall surface of the carriage conveyance unit 35 on the print standby position side. ing. As shown in FIG. 6, the abnormality notification unit 60 is arranged between the ink carriage 30 and the inner surface of the side wall of the carriage transport unit 35 when the ink carriage 30 mounting the ink cartridge 31 is at the print standby position.

The abnormality notification unit 60 notifies the user of the abnormality when the main power source is lost during printing for some reason and also performs the ink discharge process after the main power source is restored to the control unit 2 when the main power source is restored. Notify the power failure information of. Based on the power failure information, the control unit 2 performs the ink discharge process necessary to prevent the nozzle clogging of the print head 32. The main power source is a power source that is normally supplied to the printing apparatus 1 from a household outlet. Further, the abnormality notification unit 60 functions as a notification unit, and the main power supply functions as a first power supply.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the abnormality notification unit 60 includes a microcomputer 61, a contact sensor 62, a speaker 63, and a battery 64.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the microcomputer 61 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 65, a memory 66, a timer (clock) 67, and a communication interface 68.

The CPU 65 controls the entire abnormality notification unit 60 based on the programs and data stored in the memory 66. The memory 66 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores a predetermined program and data, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that stores print information received from the control unit 2, power failure information, and the like. The timer 67 measures the elapsed time from the designated time using the built-in clock. The communication interface 68 exchanges print information, power failure information, and the like with the control unit 2.

As described above, when the ink carriage 30 reaches the print standby position, the nozzles of the print head 32 are covered (capped) by the cap 37. The contact sensor 62 comes into contact with the side surface of the ink carriage 30 when the ink carriage 30 reaches the print standby position, generates an ink carriage detection signal, and transmits it to the microcomputer 61. That is, the ink carriage detection signal is transmitted to the microcomputer 61 while the ink carriage 30 is in contact with the contact sensor 62. Therefore, while the ink carriage detection signal is being transmitted to the microcomputer 61, it is determined that the nozzles of the print head 32 are capped by the cap 37.

The speaker 63 generates a notification sound for notifying the user of an abnormality in response to a notification instruction from the microcomputer 61.

The microcomputer 61 is communicatively connected to the control unit 2 via a communication interface 68. The microcomputer 61 receives power supply from the battery 64, cooperates with the contact sensor 62 and the speaker 63, and performs power supply monitoring and notification processing according to an instruction from the control unit 2 that has started printing.

The microcomputer 61 receives a power-on signal and a power-loss signal from the power supply circuit 5 described later through the control unit 2, and detects (detects) loss or power-on (recovery) of the main power source. Further, it is determined whether the ink cartridge 31 is at the print standby position, that is, the nozzle of the print head 32 is capped by the cap 37, based on whether the ink carriage detection signal from the contact sensor 62 is received. Further, after the recovery from the loss of the main power source, power failure information such as a timer value (main power loss time) is transmitted to the control unit 2 to end the monitoring and notification process. The microcomputer 61 also ends the power supply monitoring and notification process by receiving a print end notification from the control unit 2. In addition, the microcomputer 61 functions as a power source detection unit and a determination unit.

The contact sensor 62 is located at a position where it comes into contact with the side surface of the ink carriage 30 when the ink carriage 30 reaches the print standby position. Send to.

The speaker 63 generates a notification sound (alarm sound) for notifying the user of an abnormality in response to a notification instruction from the microcomputer 61. The notification sound is for notifying the user of the abnormality of the loss of main power and prompting the user to turn on the main power again. The type of buzzer or chime is arbitrary.

The battery 64 is a power source that supplies electric power to the microcomputer 61, the contact sensor 62, and the speaker 63 independently of the main power source that drives the printing apparatus 1 at normal times. Therefore, the abnormality notification unit 60 can operate even if the main power supply is lost. The battery 64 may be a rechargeable battery that is charged with electric power from the main power source, or may be a non-rechargeable battery such as a button battery. The battery 64 also functions as a second power source.

Returning to the description of the tape transport unit of the printer 1 shown in FIG. The transport guide 23 is a guide for correctly guiding the tape member 3 to the printing position by the print head 32, and forms a tape transport path. In addition, an ink receiver (ink absorber) 28 that receives ink of the ink ejected from the print head 32 that has not adhered to the tape member 3 is disposed below the tape transport path at the printing position.

The end detection sensor 25 and the start detection sensor 26 include a light emitting element that emits light toward the back surface of the tape member 3 and a light receiving element that receives light reflected by the back surface of the tape member 3 that is a sensor target. It is a reflective optical sensor.

The end detection sensor 25 is installed on the front side of the printing position on the tape transport path, and the start end detection sensor 26 is installed on the rear side of the printing position on the tape transport path.

The tape member 3 on which the print pattern is printed is delivered from the tape delivery unit 16 to the outside of the housing of the printing apparatus 1. The tape feeding unit 16 has a full-cut mechanism 17 as a full-cut unit that cuts the printing tape and the peeling tape of the tape member 3 in the width direction, and a half that cuts only the printing tape of the tape member 3 and does not cut the peeling tape. A half-cutting mechanism 18 as a cutting means is incorporated. When the printing is completed, the full-cut mechanism 17 or the half-cut mechanism 18 is operated according to the setting to cut the tape member 3 in the width direction, and one tape-shaped label is created.

FIG. 8 shows a configuration related to control of the printing apparatus 1.

The printing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 2, a power supply circuit 5, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) control circuit 40, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) module/WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) module 41, a display device 43, a display screen control circuit 47, A memory control circuit 48, a UI (user interface) control circuit 49, a tape transport control circuit 51, an ink ejection control circuit 52, and a carriage control circuit 53 are provided.

The control unit 2 is a circuit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 2 is connected to each circuit in the printing apparatus 1 via a bus and controls the entire system of the printing apparatus 1 in a centralized manner. Note that, in FIG. 8, most of the circuits are connected only to the control unit 2, but it is also possible for the circuits to communicate data via a bus.

In addition, when the printing process is started by the user's instruction, the control unit 2 instructs the microcomputer 61 of the abnormality notifying unit 60 to start the power supply monitoring and notification process. When the printing process is completed, the microcomputer 61 is notified that the printing process is completed. In response to this, the microcomputer 61 ends the power supply monitoring and notification processing.

In addition, the microcomputer 61 transmits the power failure information to the control unit 2 when the main power is restored after the main power is lost during the printing process. Every time the main power is turned on, the control unit 2 determines whether or not the power failure information is received from the microcomputer 61, and performs the ink discharge process.

The power supply circuit 5 includes a power supply IC (Integrated Circuit) and the like, and generates necessary power and supplies it to each circuit. For example, each circuit such as the tape transport control circuit 51, the ink discharge control circuit 52, and the carriage control circuit 53 operates by receiving electric power from the power supply circuit 5. It also sends a power-on signal and a power-off signal to the microcomputer 61 through the control unit 2.

The tape transport control circuit 51 includes a motor driver that controls driving of the stepping motor 21, and controls the transport of the tape member 3. The tape transport control circuit 51 receives the drive signal output from the control unit 2 and supplies drive power to the stepping motor 21. The tape transport control circuit 51 determines how much the stepping motor 21 is rotated by counting the number of pulses of the drive signal output to the stepping motor 21. Then, the tape transport control circuit 51 determines the transport distance of the tape member 3 based on this rotation speed. The stepping motor 21 employs a 1-2 phase excitation drive, and the gear ratio is, for example, one step per line (0.0423 mm).

The end detection sensor 25 and the start detection sensor 26 are connected to the control unit 2. The end detection sensor 25 and the start detection sensor 26 output to the controller 2 a signal according to the amount of light received by the light receiving element. The tape transport control circuit 51 receives the detection signals from the end detection sensor 25 and the start end detection sensor 26 from the control unit 2, thereby determining whether or not the tape member 3 is stored in the tape storage unit 10 and the print start position of the tape member 3. The information about the tape member 3 is acquired. For example, when the tape transport control circuit 51 detects the leading edge of the tape member 3 by the leading edge detection sensor 26, it reverses the platen roller 22 by a prescribed step to set the leading edge of the tape member 3 at the printing start position.

The ink ejection control circuit 52 controls the ejection of ink from the print head 32 during printing. The ink ejection control circuit 52 receives the print data and the print signal output from the control unit 2, and controls the energizing dots of the print head 32 by the driver IC provided inside. As a result, the ink ejection control circuit 52 causes the print head 32 to eject ink and execute printing.

The carriage control circuit 53 includes a motor driver that controls the driving of the stepping motor 36, and controls the carriage of the ink carriage 30 in the carriage carriage 35. The carriage control circuit 53 receives the drive signal output from the control unit 2 and supplies drive power to the stepping motor 36. The carriage control circuit 53 determines how much the stepping motor 36 is rotated by counting the number of pulses of the drive signal output to the stepping motor 36. Then, the carriage control circuit 53 determines the carrying distance of the ink carriage 30 based on this rotation speed.

The display screen control circuit 47 controls the data transfer to the display device 43 and the turning on/off of the backlight.
The display device 43 is a display device including, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display).
The memory control circuit 48 includes a ROM such as a NAND flash memory that stores programs and data, a RAM such as a DDR (Double Data Rate) memory that temporarily stores programs and data, and the like. To control.
The UI control circuit 49 receives an operation input from an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a remote controller, a button, and a touch panel, and supplies the received operation input information to the control unit 2.

The USB control circuit 40 controls USB communication between the PC 44 and the printing apparatus 1. The PC 44 transmits print data and the like to the printing device 1 via the USB control circuit 40.
The Bluetooth module/WLAN module 41 is a module for the printing apparatus 1 to wirelessly communicate with an external device. The user can transmit various data to the printing apparatus 1 via the mobile terminal by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth. Further, the PC 44 may transmit print data or the like to the printing apparatus 1 via the Bluetooth module/WLAN module 41 instead of the USB control circuit 40.

Next, an abnormality notification method (power supply monitoring and notification method) by the abnormality notification unit 60 will be described. Upon receiving the print instruction from the user, the control unit 2 starts the print process and instructs the microcomputer 61 of the abnormality notification unit 60 to execute the power supply monitoring and notification process. At this time, print information related to the print processing is also transmitted, and after the print processing is completed, the fact that the print processing is completed is transmitted to the microcomputer 61.

The microcomputer 61 starts power supply monitoring and notification processing (abnormality notification processing) according to an instruction from the control unit 2. As shown in FIG. 9, the microcomputer 61 first determines whether or not the printing process is completed (step S1). Specifically, it is determined whether or not a print processing end notification has been received from the control unit 2. When it is determined that the printing process is completed (step S1: Yes), it means that the printing is completed without loss of the main power source, and the monitoring and notification process is completed without doing anything. If it is determined that the printing process is not completed (step S1: No), the process proceeds to step S2.

In step S2, it is determined whether the main power supply is maintained. If it is determined in step S2 that the main power source is maintained (step S2: Yes), the process returns to step S1.

If it is determined in step S2 that the main power supply is not maintained (step S2: No), the main power supply has been lost before the printing process is completed, so the microcomputer 61 caps the print head 32 with the cap 37. It is determined whether or not the ink carriage 30 is in the print standby position (step S3). This is determined by whether or not the ink carriage detection signal from the contact sensor 62 is received. That is, if the ink carriage detection signal from the contact sensor 62 is received, it is determined that the ink carriage 30 is at the print standby position (step S3: Yes). If the ink carriage detection signal from the contact sensor 62 is not received, it is determined that the ink carriage 30 is not in the print standby position (step S3: No).

When it is determined that the ink carriage 30 is not at the print standby position (step S3: No), the microcomputer 61 issues an abnormality notification (step S4). That is, an alarm sound such as a buzzer is generated on the speaker 63.

Next, the microcomputer 61 causes the built-in timer 67 to start measuring time (step S5). Next, the microcomputer 61 determines whether or not the main power supply is restored, based on whether or not the power-on signal from the power supply circuit 5 is received (step S6). When it is determined that the main power supply has not been restored (step S6: No), the process returns to step S6. When it is determined that the main power supply is restored (step S6: Yes), the microcomputer 61 acquires and stores the timer value of the built-in timer 67, and ends (resets) the timer 67 (step S7).

Next, the microcomputer 61 ends the abnormality notification (step S8). That is, the speaker 63 stops the alarm sound. Next, the microcomputer 61 transmits the power failure information to the control unit 2 (step S9), and ends the monitoring and notification process. The power failure information transmitted to the control unit 2 includes the occurrence of main power loss and a timer value (time from loss of main power to recovery). In addition, print information that was being printed may be included. Transmitting the timer value means that the ink carriage 30 was not in the print standby position when the main power supply was lost.

Returning to step S3, if it is determined that the ink carriage 30 is at the print standby position (step S3: Yes), then the microcomputer 61 determines whether the main power supply is restored (step S10). When it is determined that the main power supply has not been restored (step S10: No), the process returns to step S10. When it is determined that the main power is restored (step S10: Yes), the microcomputer 61 transmits the power failure information to the control unit 2 (step S11) and ends the monitoring and notification processing. The power failure information at this time includes the occurrence of the loss of the main power supply (not including the timer value).

Next, an ink discharge process (abnormal time handling process) after the main power is restored in the control unit 2 after the main power is restored will be described.

The control unit 2 performs the ink discharging process when the main power is turned on (or restored). As shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 2 first determines whether or not power failure information has been received from the microcomputer 61 (step S20). If it is determined in step S20 that the power failure information has not been received (step S20: No), it means that the main power supply was not lost during printing, and the ink discharge process is ended without doing anything.

When it is determined in step S20 that the power failure information has been received (step S20: Yes), it means that the main power supply was lost during printing. Therefore, the control unit 2 next determines whether or not the received power failure information includes a timer value (step S21). When it is determined in step S21 that the timer value is not included (step S21: No), the ink carriage 30 is at the print standby position, and therefore the control unit 2 displays abnormality information on the display device 43 (step S25). The ink discharge process ends.

The displayed abnormal information is that the main power supply was lost during printing, print data that was in the process of printing (printing failed), prompting the user to reprint the data being printed from the beginning, etc. Including. The latter is because, if the main power supply is lost during printing and the printing process is continued from the middle part, the printing position may shift and the printing may fail. However, if it is possible to print without problems even if the print processing is continuously performed from the middle of the print processing, the abnormality information that prompts the user to continue the print processing may be used.

The control unit 2 obtains from the print information stored in the memory of the control unit 2 which print data is to be restarted when the printing process is restarted by a user instruction after the main power supply is lost and recovered during printing. Alternatively, it may be determined from the power failure information received from the microcomputer 61.

If it is determined in step S21 that the timer value is included (step S21: Yes), this means that the ink carriage 30 was not in the print standby position when the main power supply was lost, and the print head 32 was left uncapped. To do. Therefore, it is determined whether the timer value, that is, the time from the power failure to the power recovery that is left uncapped in the print head 32 is larger than a preset threshold value (step S22). When it is determined in step S22 that the timer value is not larger than the preset threshold value (step S22: No), the ink carriage 30 is moved to the print standby position (step S24). Then, the abnormality information is displayed on the display device 43 (step S25), and the ink discharging process is ended.

The threshold value is determined from the time when it is expected that the ink at the tip of the nozzle will start to dry and cure when the nozzle of the print head 32 is left uncapped without being ejected. This time is appropriately set depending on the composition of the ink, the size and shape of the nozzle, and the like.

The abnormality information to be displayed is the same as when it is determined in step S21 that the timer value is not included, that the main power supply has been lost during printing, print data that was being printed (printing failed), printing Urging the user to reprint the above data again from the beginning, and the like.

When it is determined in step S22 that the timer value is larger than the preset threshold value (step S22: Yes), the control unit 2 performs the waste ink processing of the print head 32 (step S23). The waste ink processing is performed by moving the ink carriage 30 to the waste ink position, that is, the upper portion of the waste ink receiver 38, discharging a predetermined amount of the ink toward the waste ink receiver 38, and discharging the waste ink, and then the print head. Cleaning the 32 nozzles. This is because if the print head 32 of the ink carriage 30 is left uncapped for more than a predetermined time (threshold value) due to the loss of main power supply, the ink at the nozzle tip begins to dry, cure, etc. Since there is a high possibility that the nozzle of will be clogged, it is a process of extruding the ink that is about to dry and cure and discarding it. As described above, the waste ink process is also executed at a predetermined timing during normal printing. The control unit 2 also functions as a discharge control unit.

After the waste ink process (step S23), the control unit 2 moves the ink carriage 30 to the print standby position (step S24), displays the abnormality information on the display device 43 (step S25), and ends the ink discharge process. ..

The abnormal information displayed is that the main power supply was lost during printing, print data that was in the process of printing (printing failed), prompting the user to restart printing the data that was being printed, ink cartridge Since there is a possibility that the print head 32 of 31 is clogged, it includes prompting the nozzle cleaning process depending on the print result.

With the above configuration, the printing apparatus 1 can monitor and notify that the print head 32 will not be disabled even if the main power is lost during printing. In other words, when a power failure occurs, the user is notified of the power failure, so that the user can take action to recover the accidentally disconnected main power supply, and thus avoid clogging of the nozzles of the print head 32. ..

Further, when the main power loss time is measured and the print head 32 remains uncapped for a predetermined time or more, the waste ink process is performed after the main power is restored to effectively prevent the nozzle clogging. can do.

(Modification)
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the above embodiment is merely an example, and the scope of application of the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the embodiments of the present invention can be applied in various ways, and all the embodiments are included in the scope of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the microcomputer 61 collects the power failure information when the main power source is lost, and transmits the power failure information to the control unit 2 after the main power source is restored. However, the abnormality detection method is not limited to this. For example, when the main power supply is not lost, the control unit 2 may detect whether or not the ink cartridge 31 is in the print standby position, that is, the position where the nozzles are capped, during printing by the contact sensor 62. When the ink cartridge 31 is not in the print standby position, the timer built in the control unit 2 starts time measurement. Then, when the time until the ink cartridge 31 returns to the print standby position or the waste ink processing is performed exceeds a predetermined time, the speaker 63 may notify the abnormality. In this way, the control unit 2 may monitor and notify the power source when the main power source is not lost, and the microcomputer 61 may perform the above-described processing after the loss of the main power source.

In the above embodiment, the main power source is lost before the printing process is completed, and the ink discharging process after the recovery is performed based on the power failure information received by the control unit 2 from the microcomputer 61. However, the microcomputer 61 may perform the ink discharging process after the main power is restored. That is, after the main power supply is lost, the microcomputer 61 may perform the processing from the recovery of the main power supply to the display of the abnormality information on the display device 43.

In the above embodiment, when the time from the loss of the main power source to the recovery exceeds the preset threshold value, the control unit 2 performs the waste ink process of the ink cartridge 31 and then returns to the print standby position. However, if it is less than or equal to the threshold value, the process of returning to the print standby position is performed without performing the waste ink process.

However, the method of treating the waste ink is not limited to this and is arbitrary. For example, the response may be changed according to the length of time from the power failure to the restoration of the main power supply. Specifically, it is possible to change the amount of ink discharged in the waste ink process. It is considered that the longer the time until the main power is restored is, the more the ink is dried and cured. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, without setting a threshold value, for example, the time until the main power supply is restored is divided stepwise, and the more the time step progresses, the more the discharge amount (if the discharge amount per time is determined, It is also possible to use a processing method in which the ink clogging is removed and prevented by setting the ink to be discharged with a larger number of ejections.

In the above embodiment, regardless of the position of the ink cartridge 31, the abnormality is notified when the main power supply is lost. However, the timing of the abnormality notification is not limited to this and is arbitrary. For example, the abnormality notification may be performed only when the position of the ink cartridge 31 is not in the print standby position, and the abnormality notification may not be performed when the ink cartridge 31 is in the print standby position. Then, when the main power is restored, a display asking whether to restart the printing process may be displayed.

Further, even when the position of the ink cartridge 31 is not in the print standby position, the abnormality notification is performed immediately after a predetermined time elapses because the abnormality notification is not immediately issued but the user waits for a recovery operation. It may be that. Further, although the abnormality notification is stopped when the main power is restored, it may be automatically stopped after a predetermined time has passed, or may be stopped by the user with the stop button.

In the above embodiment, the abnormality notification unit 60 is installed on the inner wall surface of the carriage conveyance unit 35 on the print standby position side. However, the installation position of the abnormality notification unit 60 is not limited to this, and may be any position as long as the contact sensor (position detection unit) 62 can detect the position of the ink carriage 30. Further, only the contact sensor (position detecting means) 62 may be independently arranged at a position where the position of the ink carriage 30 can be detected.

In the above embodiment, the alarm sound from the speaker 63 is used to notify the user of the abnormality. However, the mode of the abnormality notification is not limited to this and is arbitrary. For example, a notification may be made to directly notify that the power is cut off by a synthesized voice or the like instead of an alarm sound. Further, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) lamp or the like may be arranged at a position where the user can see and emit light. Also, these may be combined.

In the above embodiment, as the abnormality information displayed on the display device 43, the main power is lost, the user is prompted to reprint the data being printed from the beginning, and the nozzle cleaning process is performed based on the timer value and the print result. Prompt, etc. However, the displayed item is not limited to this, and an arbitrary item that alerts the user can be displayed.

In the above embodiment, the contact sensor 62 is used as a detection sensor for determining whether the ink cartridge 31 is at the print standby position. However, the detection sensor is not limited to this and is arbitrary. For example, it may be one that detects reflected light such as visible light or infrared light or transmitted light, or a non-contact detection sensor that detects a magnetic field. Further, since the stepping motor 36 for carrying the ink carriage 30 stores the rotation speed when the main power supply is lost, the microcomputer 61 may acquire the rotation speed information and determine the position of the ink cartridge 31.

In the above embodiment, the ink cartridge 31 is moved to the print standby position by using the stepping motor 36 after the main power is restored. However, the method of moving the ink cartridge 31 is not limited to this, and any method may be used. For example, a manually rotatable gear drive mechanism may be used, and when the main power does not recover immediately due to a power failure or the like, the user may manually rotate the carriage belt gear to move the ink cartridge 31 to the print standby position. ..

In addition to being able to be provided as a printing apparatus provided with a configuration for realizing the functions according to the present invention in advance, an existing information processing apparatus or the like can be made to function as the printing apparatus according to the present invention by applying a program. .. That is, the printing apparatus according to the present invention is applied by applying the program for realizing each functional configuration of the printing apparatus 1 exemplified in the above embodiment so that the CPU or the like controlling the existing information processing apparatus can execute the program. Can function as. Further, the printing method according to the present invention can be implemented using a printing device.

Moreover, the application method of such a program is arbitrary. The program can be applied by being stored in a computer-readable storage medium such as a flexible disk, a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM, or a memory card. Furthermore, the program may be superimposed on a carrier wave and applied via a communication medium such as the Internet. For example, the program may be posted on a bulletin board (BBS: Bulletin Board System) on the communication network and distributed. Then, the above process may be executed by activating this program and executing it under the control of an OS (Operating System) in the same manner as other application programs.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment, and the present invention includes the invention described in the claims and an equivalent range thereof. included. The inventions described in the initial claims of the present application will be additionally described below.

(Appendix 1)
A printing unit having a nozzle that discharges ink by operating with a first power supply;
Transporting means that is operated by the first power source and transports the printing means between a standby position and a printing position;
A power supply detection unit that operates with a second power supply different from the first power supply and detects loss and recovery of the first power supply;
A determination unit that is operated by the second power source and determines whether or not the nozzle of the printing unit is capped;
When operating with the second power source and the power source detecting unit detects the loss of the first power source, the notifying unit notifies the user when the determining unit determines that the nozzle is not capped. When,
With
A printing device characterized by the above.

(Appendix 2)
The power supply detection unit further includes an ejection control unit that causes the printing unit and the conveyance unit to perform an ink ejection process for ejecting ink in the nozzle when the first power source is detected to be restored. The printing apparatus according to 1.

(Appendix 3)
Further comprising a timer operated by the second power source,
The timer measures the time from when the power supply detection means detects the loss of the first power supply to when the recovery of the first power supply is detected,
The printing apparatus according to appendix 2, wherein the discharge control unit causes the printing unit and the transport unit to perform the ink discharge process that differs depending on the time measured by the timer.

(Appendix 4)
4. The printing apparatus according to appendix 3, wherein the discharge control unit causes the printing unit and the conveyance unit to perform the ink discharge process in which the discharge amount differs depending on the time measured by the timer.

(Appendix 5)
The loss of the first power source is detected by a power source detection unit that operates with a second power source different from the first power source,
In the case of the loss of the first power source, it is determined whether or not the nozzle of the printing unit is capped by the determination unit operating by the second power source,
When it is determined that the nozzle is not capped, the user is informed that the nozzle is not capped by a notification unit that is operated by the second power source.
An abnormality notification method characterized by the above.

(Appendix 6)
On the computer,
A process of detecting a loss of the first power source by a power source detection unit operating with a second power source different from the first power source;
In the case of the loss of the first power source, a process of determining whether or not the nozzle of the printing unit is capped by the determination unit that operates by the second power source;
A process of notifying the user that the nozzle is not capped by a notification unit operated by the second power source when it is determined that the nozzle is not capped,
Run
A program characterized by that.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Printing device, 2... Control part (discharge control means), 3... Tape member, 5... Power supply circuit, 10... Tape storage part, 11... Tape cartridge, 12... Tape core, 13... ASF roller, 16... Tape feeding part , 17... Full cut mechanism, 18... Half cut mechanism, 21... Stepping motor, 22... Platen roller, 23... Conveyance guide, 25... End detection sensor, 26... Start detection sensor, 28... Ink receiver, 30... Ink carriage ( Ink cartridge storage section), 31... Ink cartridge (ink tank), 32... Print head (ink jet head), 35... Carriage transport section, 36... Stepping motor, 37... Cap, 38... Waste ink receiver (ink absorber), 39 ... Carriage belt, 40... USB control circuit, 41... Bluetooth module/WLAN module, 43... Display device, 44... PC, 47... Display screen control circuit, 48... Memory control circuit, 49... UI control circuit, 51... Tape transport Control circuit, 52... Ink ejection control circuit, 53... Carriage control circuit, 60... Abnormality notification unit (notification unit), 61... Microcomputer (power detection unit, determination unit), 62... Contact sensor (position detection unit), 63... Speaker, 64... Battery, 65... CPU, 66... Memory, 67... Timer, 68... Communication interface

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the printing apparatus according to the present invention is:
And printing means you operate by the first power supply,
Operating in the first power supply, and transport means Ru is conveyed to the printing means,
A power supply detection unit that operates with a second power supply different from the first power supply and detects loss and recovery of the first power supply;
An informing means for informing the user,
During execution of printing by the printing unit, the power supply detection unit acquires power failure information when the power supply detection unit detects recovery of the first power supply after detecting the loss of the first power supply, and acquires the acquisition. Control means for notifying abnormal information based on the power failure information,
With
It is characterized by

Further, in order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the abnormality notification method according to the present invention is:
Printing means operated by the first power supply;
A transporting unit that is driven by the first power source and transports the printing unit ;
A power supply detection unit that operates with a second power supply different from the first power supply and detects loss and recovery of the first power supply ;
An informing means for informing the user,
A method of notifying an abnormality of a printing apparatus comprising:
During execution of printing by the printing unit, the power supply detection unit acquires power failure information when the power supply detection unit detects recovery of the first power supply after detecting the loss of the first power supply, and acquires the acquisition. Notify the abnormality information based on the power failure information,
It is characterized by

Further, in order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the program according to the present invention is
A program more be executed by a computer for controlling a printing apparatus,
A printing process operated by the first power source,
A conveyance process operated by the first power source,
A power supply detection process for operating with a second power supply different from the first power supply and detecting loss and recovery of the first power supply ;
Notification processing for notifying the user,
During the printing by the printing process, the power source detection process detects the loss of the first power source, and then the power source detection process detects the recovery of the first power source, and acquires the power failure information, and the acquisition. A process of notifying abnormal information based on the power failure information
It is characterized by

Claims (7)

A printing unit having a nozzle that discharges ink by operating with a first power supply;
Transporting means that is operated by the first power source and transports the printing means between a standby position and a printing position;
A power supply detection unit that operates with a second power supply different from the first power supply and detects loss and recovery of the first power supply;
A determination unit that is operated by the second power source and determines whether or not the nozzle of the printing unit is capped;
A timer that operates with the second power supply and measures the time from when the power supply detection means detects the loss of the first power supply to when the recovery of the first power supply is detected;
When the power source detecting unit detects the loss of the first power source, the power source detecting unit detects that the first power source has recovered in a state where the determining unit determines that the nozzle is not capped. In the case of doing, an ejection control unit that causes the printing unit and the conveyance unit to perform an ink ejection process of ejecting the ink in the nozzle with an ejection amount according to the time measured by the timer,
With
A printing device characterized by the above. A notification that notifies the user when operated by the second power supply, the power supply detection means detects the loss of the first power supply, and the determination means determines that the nozzle is not capped. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharge control unit controls to gradually change the discharge amount according to the time measured by the timer. When the discharge control means determines that the nozzle is not capped by the determining means when the power supply detecting means detects the loss of the first power supply, the power supply detecting means determines the first power supply. 4. When it is detected that the ink has been recovered, the ink in the nozzle is controlled to be discharged by one discharging process at a discharging amount according to the time measured by the timer. The printing device described. When the maximum discharge amount for one time of the ink discharge process is smaller than the discharge amount corresponding to the time measured by the timer, the discharge control unit measures by the timer based on the maximum discharge amount for one time. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharge amount is controlled to be discharged in a plurality of times according to a predetermined time. The loss of the first power source is detected by a power source detection unit that operates with a second power source different from the first power source,
In the case of the loss of the first power source, it is determined whether or not the nozzle of the printing unit is capped by the determination unit operating by the second power source,
A timer measures the time from detecting the loss of the first power source to detecting the recovery of the first power source,
Measured by the timer when it is detected that the first power source has recovered in a state where the determination unit determines that the nozzle is not capped when the loss of the first power source is detected. Causing the discharge control means to execute an ink discharge process for discharging the ink in the nozzle at a discharge amount according to time.
Including that,
An abnormality notification method characterized by the above. On the computer,
A process of detecting a loss of the first power source by a power source detection unit operating with a second power source different from the first power source;
In the case of the loss of the first power source, a process of determining whether or not the nozzle of the printing unit is capped by the determination unit that operates by the second power source;
A process of measuring the time from detecting the loss of the first power source to detecting the recovery of the first power source by a timer;
Measured by the timer when it is detected that the first power source has recovered in a state where the determination unit determines that the nozzle is not capped when the loss of the first power source is detected. An ink discharge process of discharging the ink in the nozzles at a discharge amount according to time,
A program characterized by that.

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