JP2022087200A - Image forming device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a user to easily recognize residual quantities of ink stored in a cartridge and residual quantities of ink stored in a tank.

SOLUTION: A controller makes a display 28 display an ink residual-quantity screen including a first object 251 shaped to correspond to residual quantities of ink stored in a cartridge and a second object 252 shaped to correspond to residual quantities of ink stored in a tank, and makes the display 28 display a stand-by screen including a third object 253 shaped to correspond to residual quantities of ink stored in the tank. The controller, when determining that the third object 253 is tapped in the stand-by screen, makes the display 28 to display the ink residual-quantity screen including the first object 251 and the second object 252.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having two containers for storing a colorant.

An image forming apparatus for displaying the remaining amount of a colorant such as ink or toner on a display is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The user grasps the remaining amount of the colorant from the remaining amount displayed on the display. For example, when the colorant is contained in a cartridge (container) and can be replaced, the user recognizes that the cartridge is about to be replaced or that it is time to replace it by grasping the remaining amount of the colorant. can. Alternatively, it can be recognized that the time when the colorant should be replenished in the container is near, and the time when the colorant must be replenished in the container is reached.

Further, an image forming apparatus including two containers of a main tank and a sub tank for storing a colorant is known (see, for example, Patent Document 2). The colorant stored in the main tank flows out to the sub tank due to head difference, gravity, pump, or the like.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-92816 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-21126

In an image forming apparatus including two containers for storing a colorant, it is necessary to display various information such as the types of functions that the image forming apparatus can perform on the standby screen. Therefore, it is sufficient to display the remaining amount of the colorant in the container on the standby screen if the situation can be grasped to some extent, and it is desirable to display the detailed contents on the screen displaying the remaining amount of ink.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to inform the user of the remaining amount of the colorant in each container on each screen in an image forming apparatus having two containers for storing the colorant. The purpose is to provide a means that can be easily recognized.

Various disclosures are made herein. The image forming apparatus, which is one of the disclosure examples, includes a first container having a first chamber in which a colorant is stored, a second container having a second chamber connected to the first container, and the second chamber. It is provided with a recording unit, a display, and a controller connected to the device. The controller responds to the amount of the first object having a shape corresponding to the amount of the colorant stored in the first chamber of the first container and the amount of the colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container. The first screen including the second object having a different shape is displayed on the display, the second screen including the third object is displayed on the display, and the third object is stored in the first chamber of the first container. The amount of the colorant added, the amount of the colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container, the amount of the colorant stored in the first chamber of the first container, and the amount of the second container. The shape corresponds to the total amount of the colorant stored in the second chamber and one of them.

The controller causes the display to display a first screen including a first object showing the amount of the colorant stored in the first container and a second object showing the amount of the colorant stored in the second container, and a third display. Display the second screen containing the object on the display. The second screen is, for example, a standby screen. The third object indicates the amount of the colorant stored in the first container, or indicates the amount of the colorant stored in the second container, or the colorant stored in the first container and the second container. Indicates the amount of. When the third object indicates the amount of the colorant stored in the first container, the user means that the third object displayed on the standby screen has a sufficient remaining amount of the colorant stored in the first container. Or, it recognizes that the ink stored in the first container has been used up. When the user recognizes that the ink stored in the first container has been used up, the second screen indicates that the colorant in the second container is sufficient and the ink stored in the second container is used up. Make sure that. When the third object indicates the amount of the colorant stored in the second container, the user can use the third object displayed on the standby screen to indicate that the third object has sufficient colorant in the second container or that the second container has a sufficient amount of the colorant. Recognize that there is not enough colorant and that the ink stored in the second container has been used up. When the user recognizes that the second container does not have enough colorant, the second screen confirms that the ink stored in the first container has been used up. When the third object indicates the amount of the colorant stored in the first container and the second container, the user can use the third object displayed on the standby screen to indicate that the total amount of the colorant is sufficient. Recognize that the total amount of colorant is not enough. When the user recognizes that the total remaining amount of the colorant is not sufficient, the second screen confirms whether or not the ink stored in the first container has been used up. By displaying the first screen or the second screen on the display, the user can easily recognize the individual remaining amount of the colorant in each container.

Another program of the disclosed examples is a first container having a first chamber in which the colorant is stored, a second container having a second chamber connected to the first container, and the second chamber. It is executed by the computer of the image forming apparatus including a recording unit connected to the computer, a display, and a computer. The program has a first determination process for determining a first residual value according to the amount of colorant stored in the first container, and a second determination process according to the amount of colorant stored in the second container. A first including a second determination process for determining the remaining amount value, a first object having a shape corresponding to the determined first remaining amount value, and a second object having a shape corresponding to the determined second remaining amount value. The display has a second screen including a first display process for displaying the screen on the display and a third object whose display area is smaller than the total area of the display area of the first object and the display area of the second object. The second display process for displaying is executed. The third object has a shape corresponding to one of the first remaining amount value, the second remaining amount value, the first remaining amount value, and the second remaining amount value.

The image forming apparatus, which is still another of the disclosure examples, includes a first container having a first chamber for storing a colorant, a second container having a second chamber connected to the first container, and the above-mentioned. It includes a recording unit connected to the second room, a display, and a controller. The controller causes the display to display a first screen including a first object having a shape corresponding to the amount of the colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container, and displays the second screen including the second object. It is displayed on the display. The second object includes the amount of the colorant stored in the first chamber of the first container, the amount of the colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container, and the said of the first container. The shape corresponds to one of the amount of the colorant stored in the first chamber and the total amount of the colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container.

The controller causes the display to display the first screen including the second object indicating the amount of the colorant stored in the second container, and displays the second screen including the second object on the display. The second screen is, for example, a standby screen. The second object indicates the amount of colorant stored in the first container, or indicates the amount of colorant stored in the second container, or the colorant stored in the first container and the second container. Indicates the amount of. When the second object indicates the amount of the colorant stored in the first container, the user has a sufficient amount of the remaining amount of the colorant stored in the first container by the second object displayed on the standby screen. Or, it recognizes that the ink stored in the first container has been used up. When the user recognizes that the ink stored in the first container has been used up, the second screen indicates that the colorant in the second container is sufficient and the ink stored in the second container is used up. Make sure that. When the second object indicates the amount of the colorant stored in the second container, the user can use the second object displayed on the standby screen to indicate that the second container has sufficient colorant or that the second container has a sufficient amount of the colorant. Recognize that there is not enough colorant and that the ink stored in the second container has been used up. When the user recognizes that the second container does not have enough colorant, the first screen confirms the details of the remaining amount of ink stored in the second container. When the second object indicates the amount of the colorant stored in the first container and the second container, the user can use the second object displayed on the standby screen to indicate that the total amount of the colorant is sufficient. Recognize that the total amount of colorant is not enough. When the user recognizes that the total remaining amount of the colorant is not sufficient, the user confirms the details of the remaining amount of the ink stored in the second container on the first screen. By displaying the first screen or the second screen on the display, the user can easily recognize the individual remaining amount of the colorant in each container.

1A and 1B are external perspective views of the printer 10 according to the first embodiment, in which FIG. 1A shows a state in which the cover 87 is in the covering position, and FIG. 1B shows a state in which the cover 87 is in the exposed position. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the mounting case 150. 4A and 4B are views showing the structure of the cartridge 200, where FIG. 4A shows a front perspective view and FIG. 4B shows a vertical sectional view. FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing a state in which the cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of the printer 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the image forming process according to the first embodiment. 8 (A) is a flowchart of the first update process, FIG. 8 (B) is a flowchart of the second update process, and FIG. 8 (C) is a flowchart of the third update process, FIG. (D) is a flowchart of the fourth update process. 9 (A) is a flowchart of the first object scale determination process according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 9 (B) is a flowchart of the second object scale determination process according to the first embodiment, FIG. 9; (C) is a flowchart of the third object scale determination process according to the second modification. FIG. 9D is a flowchart of the thirteenth object scale determination process according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the printable number of sheets determination process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the object determination process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the screen selection process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a standby screen according to the first embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an ink remaining amount screen according to the first embodiment. FIG. 15A is a diagram showing a standby screen according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 15B is a diagram showing a fourth screen which is a diagram showing an ink remaining amount screen according to the first embodiment. be. 16 (A) is a diagram showing a standby screen according to the first modification, and FIG. 16 (B) is a diagram showing a standby screen according to the second modification. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an ink remaining amount screen according to the second embodiment. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an ink remaining amount screen according to the second embodiment. FIG. 19 is a flowchart of the object determination process according to the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. It is needless to say that the embodiments described below are merely examples of the present invention, and the embodiments of the present invention can be appropriately changed without changing the gist of the present invention. Further, the execution order of each process described later can be appropriately changed without changing the gist of the present invention.

In the following, the vertical direction 7 is defined based on the usage posture in which the printer 10 can be used and is installed on a horizontal plane, the front-rear direction 8 is defined with the surface on which the opening 13 of the printer 10 is formed as the front surface, and the printer 10 is the front surface. The left-right direction 9 is defined when viewed from the viewpoint. In the present embodiment, in the usage posture, the vertical direction 7 corresponds to the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction 8 and the horizontal direction 9 correspond to the horizontal direction. The front-back direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 are orthogonal to each other.

[First Embodiment]

[Overview of Printer 10]
The printer 10 records an image on paper by using an inkjet recording technique. The printer 10 has a housing 14 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Further, the printer 10 may be a so-called "multifunction device" having functions such as a facsimile function, a scan function, and a copy function. The printer 10 is an example of an image forming apparatus.

A display 28 is provided on the front surface of the housing 14. The display 28 will be described later.

Inside the housing 14, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the feed tray 15, the feed roller 23, the transport roller 25, the head 21 having a plurality of nozzles 29, and the head 21 face each other. A platen 26, a discharge roller 27, a discharge tray 16, a mounting case 150 to which the cartridge 200 is attached / detached, and a tube 32 for communicating the cartridge 200 mounted on the head 21 and the mounting case 150 are located. The head 21 is an example of a recording unit. The mounting case 150 is an example of a mounting portion.

The printer 10 drives the feed roller 23 and the transport roller 25 to transport the paper supported by the feed tray 15 to the position of the platen 26. Next, the printer 10 ejects the ink supplied from the cartridge 200 mounted on the mounting case 150 through the tube 32 to the head 21 through the nozzle 29. As a result, the ink lands on the paper supported by the platen 26, and the image is recorded on the paper. Then, the printer 10 drives the ejection roller 27 to eject the paper on which the image is recorded to the ejection tray 16.

More specifically, the head 21 is mounted on a carriage 20 that reciprocates in the main scanning direction intersecting the paper transport direction by the transport roller 25. The carriage 20 is transmitted with the driving force of a motor (not shown) and moves in the main scanning direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2). The printer 10 causes the head 21 to eject ink through the nozzle 29 while moving the carriage 20 in the main scanning direction while the paper transfer by the transfer roller 25 is stopped. As a result, the image is recorded in a part of the area of the paper facing the head 21 (hereinafter, referred to as “1 pass”). Next, the printer 10 causes the transfer roller 25 to transfer the paper so that the area where the image should be recorded next faces the head 21. Then, by repeatedly executing these processes alternately, an image is recorded on one sheet of paper.

[Cover 87]
As shown in FIG. 1, an opening 85 is formed on the front surface 14A of the housing 14 and at the right end portion in the left-right direction 9. The housing 14 further includes a cover 87. The cover 87 is rotatable between a covering position that closes the opening 85 (the position shown in FIG. 1A) and an exposed position that opens the opening 85 (the position shown in FIG. 1B). be. The cover 87 is supported by the housing 14 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis along the left-right direction 9, for example, in the vicinity of the lower end of the housing 14 in the vertical direction 7. The mounting case 150 is located in the accommodation space 86 inside the housing 14 that extends to the back of the opening 85.

[Mounting case 150]
As shown in FIG. 3, the mounting case 150 includes a contact 152, a rod 153, a mounting sensor 154, a liquid level sensor 155, and a lock pin 156. The mounting case 150 can accommodate four cartridges 200 corresponding to each color of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. That is, the mounting case 150 is provided with four contacts 152, a rod 153, a mounting sensor 154, and a liquid level sensor 155 corresponding to each of the four cartridges 200. The number of cartridges 200 that can be accommodated in the mounting case 150 is not limited to four, and may be one or five or more.

The mounting case 150 has a box shape having an internal space for accommodating the mounted cartridge 200. The internal space of the mounting case 150 is composed of a top wall defining the upper end, a bottom wall defining the lower end, a back wall defining the rear end of the front-rear direction 8, and a pair of side walls defining both ends of the left-right direction 9. Delimited. On the other hand, the position facing the back wall of the mounting case 150 is an opening 85. That is, the opening 85 exposes the internal space of the mounting case 150 to the outside of the printer 10 when the cover 87 is placed at the exposed position.

Then, the cartridge 200 is inserted into the mounting case 150 through the opening 85 of the housing 14, and is removed from the mounting case 150. More specifically, the cartridge 200 passes through the opening 85 backward in the front-rear direction 8 and is mounted on the mounting case 150. The cartridge 200 pulled out from the mounting case 150 passes through the opening 85 forward in the front-rear direction 8.

[Contact 152]
The contact 152 is located on the top wall of the mounting case 150. The contact 152 projects downward from the top wall toward the internal space of the mounting case 150. The contact 152 is located at a position in contact with the electrode 248 (FIG. 4) described later of the cartridge 200 when the cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150. The contact 152 has conductivity and is elastically deformable along the vertical direction 7. The contact 152 is electrically connected to the controller 130.

[Rod 153]
The rod 153 (FIG. 3) projects forward from the back wall of the mounting case 150. The rod 153 is located on the back wall of the mounting case 150 above the joint 180 described later. The rod 153 enters the atmospheric valve chamber 214 (FIG. 4) through the atmospheric communication port 221 (FIG. 4) described later of the cartridge 200 in the process of mounting the cartridge 200 on the mounting case 150. When the rod 153 enters the atmospheric valve chamber 214, the rod 153 communicates with the atmosphere through the atmospheric valve chamber 214, which will be described later.

[Mounting sensor 154]
The mounting sensor 154 (FIG. 3) is located on the top wall of the mounting case 150. The mounting sensor 154 is a sensor for detecting whether or not the cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150. The mounting sensor 154 includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit separated from each other in the left-right direction 9. When the cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150, the light-shielding rib 245 (FIG. 4) described later of the cartridge 200 is located between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the mounting sensor 154. In other words, the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the mounting sensor 154 are located so as to face each other with the light shielding rib 245 of the cartridge 200 mounted on the mounting case 150 interposed therebetween.

The mounting sensor 154 outputs different signals (referred to as “mounting signal” in the figure) depending on whether or not the light emitted from the light emitting unit along the left-right direction 9 is received by the light receiving unit. .. The mounting sensor 154 outputs a low level signal to the controller 130, for example, according to the light receiving intensity of the light received by the light receiving unit being less than the threshold value. On the other hand, the mounting sensor 154 outputs a high level signal having a signal intensity higher than that of the low level signal to the controller 130 according to the light receiving intensity of the light received by the light receiving unit being equal to or higher than the threshold value.

[Liquid level sensor 155]
The liquid level sensor 155 is a sensor for detecting whether or not the detected portion 194 of the actuator 190, which will be described later, is located at the detection position. The liquid level sensor 155 includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit separated from each other in the left-right direction 9. In other words, the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit of the liquid level sensor 155 are located so as to face each other with the detected unit 194 located at the detection position interposed therebetween. The liquid level sensor 155 outputs a different signal (referred to as “liquid level signal” in the figure) depending on whether or not the light output from the light emitting unit is received by the light receiving unit. The liquid level sensor 155 is an example of the sensor.

[Lock pin 156]
The lock pin 156 is a rod-shaped member extending along the left-right direction 9 at the upper end of the internal space of the mounting case 150 and near the opening 85. Both ends of the lock pin 156 in the left-right direction 9 are fixed to a pair of side walls of the mounting case 150. The lock pin 156 extends in the left-right direction 9 over four spaces in which the four cartridges 200 can be stored. The lock pin 156 is for holding the cartridge 200 mounted on the mounting case 150 at the mounting position shown in FIG. The cartridge 200 is engaged with the lock pin 156 while being mounted on the mounting case 150.

[Tank 160]
The printer 10 includes four tanks 160 corresponding to each of the four cartridges 200. Specifically, the cyan ink is stored corresponding to the tank 160 in which the magenta ink is stored and the cartridge 200 in which the cyan ink is stored, corresponding to the cartridge 200 in which the magenta ink is stored. Black ink is stored corresponding to the tank 160 and the cartridge 200 in which the yellow ink is stored, and the tank 160 in which the yellow ink is stored and the cartridge 200 in which the black ink is stored. It is equipped with a tank 160. The tank 160 is an example of a second container.

The tank 160 is located further behind the back wall of the mounting case 150. As shown in FIG. 3, the tank 160 is composed of an upper wall 161, a front wall 162, a lower wall 163, a rear wall 164, and a pair of side walls (not shown). The front wall 162 is composed of a plurality of walls, each of which is displaced in the front-rear direction 8. A liquid chamber 171 is formed inside the tank 160. The liquid chamber 171 is an example of the second chamber.

Of the walls constituting the tank 160, at least the wall facing the liquid level sensor 155 has translucency. As a result, the light output by the liquid level sensor 155 can pass through the wall facing the liquid level sensor 155. At least a part of the rear wall 164 may be a film welded to the upper wall 161 and the lower wall 163, and the end faces of the side wall. Further, the side wall of the tank 160 may be common to the mounting case 150 or may be independent of the mounting case 150. Further, the tanks 160 adjacent to each other in the left-right direction 9 are partitioned by a partition wall (not shown). The configurations of the four tanks 160 are generally the same.

The liquid chamber 171 communicates with an ink flow path (not shown) through the outlet 174. The lower end of the outlet 174 is defined by a lower wall 163 that defines the lower end of the liquid chamber 171. The outlet 174 is located below the joint 180 (more specifically, the lower end of the through hole 184) in the vertical direction 7. The ink flow path (not shown) that communicates with the outlet 174 communicates with the tube 32. As a result, the liquid chamber 171 communicates with the head 21 from the outlet 174 through the ink flow path and the tube 32. That is, the ink stored in the liquid chamber 171 is supplied to the head 21 from the outlet 174 through the ink flow path and the tube 32. One end (outlet 174) of the ink flow path and the tube 32 communicated with the outlet 174 communicates with the liquid chamber 171 and the other end 33 (see FIG. 2) communicates with the head 21.

The liquid chamber 171 communicates with the atmosphere through the air communication chamber 175. More specifically, the atmospheric communication chamber 175 communicates with the liquid chamber 171 through a through hole 176 penetrating the front wall 162. Further, the atmospheric communication chamber 175 is communicated to the outside of the printer 10 through a tube (not shown) connected to the atmospheric communication port 177 and the atmospheric communication port 177. That is, in the atmospheric communication chamber 175, one end (through hole 176) is communicated with the liquid chamber 171 and the other end (atmospheric communication port 177) is communicated with the outside of the printer 10. The atmospheric communication chamber 175 communicates with the atmosphere through an atmospheric communication port 177 and a tube (not shown).

[Joint 180]
The joint 180 includes a needle 181 and a guide 182, as shown in FIG. The needle 181 is a tube having a flow path formed inside. The needle 181 projects forward from the anterior wall 162 defining the liquid chamber 171. An opening 183 is formed at the protruding tip of the needle 181. Further, the internal space of the needle 181 is communicated with the liquid chamber 171 through a through hole 184 penetrating the front wall 162. One end (opening 183) of the needle 181 is communicated with the outside of the tank 160, and the other end (through hole 184) is communicated with the liquid chamber 171. The guide 182 is a cylindrical member arranged around the needle 181. The guide 182 projects forward from the front wall 162, and the protruding end is open.

A valve 185 and a coil spring 186 are located in the internal space of the needle 181. The valve 185 is movable in the internal space of the needle 181 between the closed position and the open position along the front-rear direction 8. The valve 185 closes the opening 183 when located in the closed position. Further, the valve 185 opens the opening 183 when it is located at the open position. The coil spring 186 is urged to move the valve 185 from the open position to the closed position, that is, forward in the front-rear direction 8.

[Actuator 190]
The actuator 190 is located in the liquid chamber 171. The actuator 190 is rotatably supported in the direction of arrows 198 and 199 by a support member (not shown) arranged in the liquid chamber 171. The actuator 190 can rotate between the position shown by the solid line and the position shown by the broken line in FIG. Further, the actuator 190 is restricted from rotating in the direction of arrow 198 from the position of the solid line by a stopper (for example, the inner wall of the liquid chamber 171) (not shown). The actuator 190 includes a float 191, a shaft 192, an arm 193, and a detected portion 194.

The float 191 is made of a material having a lower specific density than the ink stored in the liquid chamber 171. The shaft 192 projects in the left-right direction 9 from the right and left surfaces of the float 191. The shaft 192 is inserted into a hole (not shown) formed in the support member. As a result, the actuator 190 is rotatably supported by the support member about the shaft 192. The arm 193 extends substantially upward from the float 191. The detected portion 194 is located at the protruding tip portion of the arm 193. The detected portion 194 is a plate-shaped member extending in the vertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8. The detected portion 194 is formed of a material or color that shields the light output from the light emitting portion of the liquid level sensor 155.

When the liquid level of the ink in the liquid chamber 171 is equal to or higher than the reference position P, the actuator 190 rotated in the direction of arrow 198 by buoyancy is held by the stopper at the detection position shown by the solid line in FIG. On the other hand, when the liquid level of the ink is less than the reference position P, the actuator 190 is rotated in the direction of arrow 199 following the drop of the liquid level. As a result, the detected unit 194 moves to a position deviating from the detected position. That is, the detected unit 194 moves to a position corresponding to the amount of ink stored in the liquid chamber 171.

The reference position P is at the same height as the axis center of the needle 181 and at the same height as the center of the ink supply port 234 described later in the vertical direction 7. However, the reference position P is not limited to the above-mentioned position as long as it is a position above the outlet 174 in the vertical direction 7. As another example, the reference position P may be the height of the upper end or the lower end of the internal space of the needle 181 or the height of the upper end or the lower end of the ink supply port 234.

When the liquid level of the ink stored in the liquid chamber 171 is equal to or higher than the reference position P, the light output from the light emitting portion of the liquid level sensor 155 is blocked by the detected portion 194. As a result, the liquid level sensor 155 outputs the low level signal “L” to the controller 130 because the light from the light emitting unit does not reach the light receiving unit. On the other hand, when the liquid level of the ink stored in the liquid chamber 171 is less than the reference position P, the liquid level sensor 155 controls the high level signal "H" because the light output from the light emitting part reaches the light receiving part. Output to 130. That is, the controller 130 can detect whether or not the liquid level of the ink in the liquid chamber 171 is equal to or higher than the reference position P by the signal output from the liquid level sensor 155. The low level signal output by the liquid level sensor 155 is an example of the first value, and the high level signal is an example of the second value. The reference position is an example of a predetermined position.

[Cartridge 200]
The cartridge 200 is a container having a liquid chamber 210 (see FIG. 2) capable of storing ink, which is an example of a colorant, inside. The liquid chamber 210 is an example of the first chamber. The cartridge 200 is an example of the first container.

The liquid chamber 210 is defined by, for example, a resin wall. As shown in FIG. 4A, the cartridge 200 has a flat shape in which the dimensions along the vertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8 are larger than the dimensions along the left-right direction 9. The outer shapes of the cartridges 200 in which inks of different colors are stored may be the same or different. At least a part of the walls constituting the cartridge 200 is translucent. As a result, the user can visually recognize the liquid level of the ink stored in the liquid chamber 210 of the cartridge 200 from the outside of the cartridge 200.

The cartridge 200 includes a housing 201 and a supply pipe 230. The housing 201 is composed of a rear wall 202, a front wall 203, an upper wall 204, a lower wall 205, and a pair of side walls 206 and 207. The rear wall 202 is composed of a plurality of walls, each of which is displaced in the front-rear direction 8. Further, the upper wall 204 is composed of a plurality of walls, each of which is displaced in the vertical direction 7. Further, the lower wall 205 is composed of a plurality of walls, each of which is displaced in the vertical direction 7.

As shown in FIG. 4B, a liquid chamber 210, an ink valve chamber 213, and an atmospheric valve chamber 214 are formed in the internal space of the cartridge 200. The liquid chamber 210 has an upper liquid chamber 211 and a lower liquid chamber 212. The upper liquid chamber 211, the lower liquid chamber 212, and the atmospheric valve chamber 214 are internal spaces of the housing 201. On the other hand, the ink valve chamber 213 is an internal space of the supply pipe 230. The liquid chamber 210 stores ink. The atmosphere valve chamber 214 communicates the liquid chamber 210 with the outside of the cartridge 200.

The upper liquid chamber 211 and the lower liquid chamber 212 of the liquid chamber 210 are separated in the vertical direction 7 by a partition wall 215 that partitions the internal space of the housing 201. The upper liquid chamber 211 and the lower liquid chamber 212 are communicated with each other by a through hole 216 formed in the partition wall 215. Further, the upper liquid chamber 211 and the atmospheric valve chamber 214 are separated in the vertical direction 7 by a partition wall 217 that partitions the internal space of the housing 201. The upper liquid chamber 211 and the atmospheric valve chamber 214 are communicated with each other by a through hole 218 formed in the partition wall 217. Further, the ink valve chamber 213 communicates with the lower end of the lower liquid chamber 212 through the through hole 219.

The atmospheric valve chamber 214 is communicated to the outside of the cartridge 200 at the upper part of the cartridge 200 through an atmospheric communication port 221 formed in the rear wall 202. That is, one end (through hole 218) of the atmospheric valve chamber 214 is communicated with the liquid chamber 210 (more specifically, the upper liquid chamber 211), and the other end (atmospheric communication port 221) is communicated with the outside of the cartridge 200. ing. The atmospheric valve chamber 214 communicates with the atmosphere through the atmospheric communication port 221. Further, a valve 222 and a coil spring 223 are located in the atmospheric valve chamber 214. The valve 222 can move between the closed position and the open position along the front-rear direction 8. When the valve 222 is located at the closed position, it closes the atmospheric communication port 221. Further, when the valve 222 is located at the open position, the atmospheric communication port 221 is opened. The coil spring 223 is urged to move the valve 222 from the open position to the closed position, that is, backward in the front-rear direction 8.

In the process of mounting the cartridge 200 on the mounting case 150, the rod 153 enters the atmospheric valve chamber 214 through the atmospheric communication port 221. The rod 153 that has entered the atmosphere valve chamber 214 moves the valve 222 in the closed position forward against the urging force of the coil spring 223. Then, by moving the valve 222 to the open position, the upper liquid chamber 211 is communicated with the atmosphere. The configuration for opening the atmospheric communication port 221 is not limited to the above example. As another example, the rod 153 may be configured to break through the film that seals the atmospheric communication port 221.

The supply pipe 230 projects rearward from the rear wall 202 at the lower part of the housing 201. The protruding end (that is, the rear end) of the supply pipe 230 is open. That is, the ink valve chamber 213 communicates the liquid chamber 210 communicated through the through hole 219 with the outside of the cartridge 200. One end (through hole 219) of the ink valve chamber 213 communicates with the liquid chamber 210 (more specifically, the lower liquid chamber 212), and the other end (ink supply port 234 described later) communicates with the outside of the cartridge 200. There is. Further, the packing 231, the valve 232, and the coil spring 233 are located in the ink valve chamber 213.

An ink supply port 234 penetrating in the front-rear direction 8 is formed in the center of the packing 231. The inner diameter of the ink supply port 234 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the needle 181. The valve 232 can move between the closed position and the open position along the front-rear direction 8. When the valve 232 is located at the closed position, it comes into contact with the packing 231 and closes the ink supply port 234. Further, when the valve 232 is located at the open position, the valve 232 is separated from the packing 231 to open the ink supply port 234. The coil spring 233 is urged to move the valve 232 from the open position to the closed position, that is, backward in the front-rear direction 8. Further, the urging force of the coil spring 233 is larger than that of the coil spring 186.

In the process of mounting the cartridge 200 on the mounting case 150, the supply pipe 230 enters the guide 182, and the needle 181 eventually enters the ink valve chamber 213 through the ink supply port 234. At this time, the needle 181 elastically deforms the packing 231 and comes into liquid-tight contact with the inner peripheral surface defining the ink supply port 234. When the cartridge 200 is further inserted into the mounting case 150, the needle 181 moves the valve 232 forward against the urging force of the coil spring 233. Further, the valve 232 moves the valve 185 protruding from the opening 183 of the needle 181 backward against the urging force of the coil spring 186.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the ink supply port 234 and the opening 183 are opened, and the ink valve chamber 213 of the supply pipe 230 and the internal space of the needle 181 are communicated with each other. That is, when the cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150, the internal space of the ink valve chamber 213 and the needle 181 constitutes a flow path for communicating the liquid chamber 210 of the cartridge 200 and the liquid chamber 171 of the tank 160.

Further, in a state where the cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150, a part of the liquid chamber 210 and a part of the liquid chamber 171 overlap each other when viewed from the horizontal direction. As a result, the ink stored in the liquid chamber 210 moves to the liquid chamber 171 of the tank 160 by the head difference through the connected supply pipe 230 and the joint 180.

A protrusion 241 is formed on the upper wall 204. The protrusion 241 projects upward from the outer surface of the upper wall 204 and extends along the front-rear direction 8. The protrusion 241 has a lock surface 242 and an inclined surface 243. The lock surface 242 and the inclined surface 243 are located above the upper wall 204. The lock surface 242 faces forward in the front-rear direction 8 and extends in the vertical direction 7 and the horizontal direction 9 (that is, substantially orthogonal to the upper wall 204). The inclined surface 243 is inclined with respect to the upper wall 204 so as to face upward in the vertical direction 7 and backward in the front-rear direction 8.

The lock surface 242 is a surface that comes into contact with the lock pin 156 when the cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150. The inclined surface 243 is a surface that guides the lock pin 156 to a position where it comes into contact with the lock surface 242 in the process of mounting the cartridge 200 on the mounting case 150. In a state where the lock surface 242 and the lock pin 156 are in contact with each other, the cartridge 200 is held in the mounting position shown in FIG. 5 against the urging force of the coil springs 186, 223, and 233.

A flat plate-shaped member is formed so as to extend upward from the upper wall 204 in front of the lock surface 242. The upper surface of the flat plate-shaped member is an operation unit 244 operated by the user when the cartridge 200 is removed from the mounting case 150. When the cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150 and the cover 87 is located at the exposed position, the operation unit 244 can be operated by the user. When the operation unit 244 is pushed downward, the cartridge 200 rotates, so that the lock surface 242 moves downward from the lock pin 156. As a result, the cartridge 200 can be removed from the mounting case 150.

A light-shielding rib 245 is formed on the outer surface of the upper wall 204 and behind the protrusion 241. The light-shielding rib 245 projects upward from the outer surface of the upper wall 204 and extends along the front-rear direction 8. The light-shielding rib 245 is formed of a material or color that blocks light output from the light emitting portion of the mounting sensor 154. The light-shielding rib 245 is located on the optical path from the light emitting portion to the light receiving portion of the mounting sensor 154 in a state where the cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150. That is, the mounting sensor 154 outputs a low level signal to the controller 130 according to the mounting of the cartridge 200 in the mounting case 150. On the other hand, the mounting sensor 154 outputs a high level signal to the controller 130 according to the fact that the cartridge 200 is not mounted in the mounting case 150. That is, the controller 130 can detect whether or not the cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150 by the signal output from the mounting sensor 154.

The IC chip 247 is located on the outer surface of the upper wall 204 and between the light-shielding rib 245 and the protrusion 241 in the front-rear direction 8. An electrode 248 is formed on the IC chip 247. Further, the IC chip 247 includes a storage unit (not shown). The electrode 248 is electrically connected to the above-mentioned storage unit of the IC chip 247. The electrode 248 is electrically exposed to the contact 152 on the upper surface of the IC chip 247. That is, in a state where the cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150, the electrode 248 is electrically conductive with the contact 152. The controller 130 can read information from the storage unit of the IC chip 247 through the contact 152 and the electrode 248, and can write the information to the storage unit of the IC chip 247 through the contact 152 and the electrode 248. Hereinafter, it is described that reading information from the storage unit of the IC chip 247 and writing the information to the storage unit is simply reading information from the IC chip 247 and writing the information to the IC chip 247.

[Controller 130]
As shown in FIG. 6, the controller 130 includes a CPU 131, a ROM 132, a RAM 133, an EEPROM 134, and an ASIC 135. The ROM 132 stores a control program 35 for the CPU 131 to control various operations. The RAM 133 is used as a storage area for temporarily recording data, signals, etc. used by the CPU 131 when executing the above-mentioned program, or as a work area for data processing. The EEPROM 134 stores setting information to be retained even after the power is turned off. The CPU 131 is an example of a computer. The storage unit of the ROM 132, the RAM 133, the EEPROM 134, and the IC chip 247 described above is an example of the memory. The control program 35 is an example of a program.

The ASIC 135 is for operating the feeding roller 23, the transport roller 25, the discharging roller 27, and the head 21. The controller 130 rotates the feed roller 23, the transfer roller 25, and the discharge roller 27 by driving a motor (not shown) through the ASIC 135. Further, the controller 130 outputs a drive signal to the drive element of the head 21 through the ASIC 135, so that the head 21 ejects ink through the nozzle 29. The ASIC 135 can output a plurality of types of drive signals according to the amount of ink to be ejected through the nozzle 29.

The contact 152, the mounting sensor 154, the liquid level sensor 155, and the communication I / F 34 are electrically connected to the ASIC 135. The controller 130 accesses the storage unit of the IC chip 247 of the cartridge 200 mounted on the mounting case 150 through the contact 152. Further, the controller 130 detects the insertion / removal of the cartridge 200 through the mounting sensor 154. Further, the controller 130 detects whether or not the liquid level of the ink in the liquid chamber 171 is equal to or higher than the reference position P through the liquid level sensor 155.

The EEPROM 134 stores various information in association with each of the four cartridges 200 mounted on the mounting case 150, in other words, in association with each of the tanks 160 communicating with the cartridge 200. The various information includes the S_Empty flag, the initial first remaining amount value and the initial second remaining amount value described later.

The S_Empty flag is information indicating whether or not the tank 160 is in the impedance state. The S_Empty flag is set by the controller 130 with a value "ON" corresponding to the inkempty state or a value "OFF" corresponding to the non-inkempty state. The ink state is, for example, a state in which the liquid level of the ink stored in the tank 160 (more specifically, the liquid chamber 171) reaches the position of the upper end of the outlet 174. If the head 21 continues to eject ink after the ink-filled state is reached, the inside of the nozzle 29 may not be filled with ink and air may be mixed in (so-called air-in). That is, the ink state is a state in which the ejection of ink through the head 21 must be prohibited.

Further, the display 28 and the touch sensor 18 superimposed on the display 28 are connected to the ASIC 135. The display 28 is a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like, and displays various information. The touch sensor 18 detects the position tapped by the user on the display 28 and outputs the position information. That is, the controller 130 can detect whether or not the user has tapped the object when the object is displayed on the display 28.

Further, a home button 19 is connected to the ASIC 135. When the home button 19 is operated by the user and the operation signal is input from the home button 19, the controller 130 displays the standby screen (FIG. 13) on the display 28. Details will be described later. The touch sensor 18 and the home button 19 are examples of input units.

The display 28 displays the standby screen shown in FIGS. 13 and 15 (A) and the ink remaining amount screen shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 (B) according to the instruction from the controller 130. Hereinafter, each screen will be described in detail. In the following, when each color of magenta, cyan, yellow, and black is not distinguished, the letter "M" indicating magenta, the letter "C" indicating cyan, the letter "Y" indicating yellow, and black are used. In some cases, the characters "Bk" shown may be omitted for explanation. For example, when the 18th object 268M, the 18th object 268C, the 18th object 268Y, and the 18th object 268Bk, which will be described later, are not distinguished, the description may be simply described as the 18th object 268.

[Standby screen]
The standby screen shown in FIG. 13 is a screen displayed in the standby state. The standby screen has a functional object 73 indicating a function such as "fax", "copy", or "scan". When the user taps the function object 73, a screen (not shown) showing the details of each function is displayed. Further, the standby screen includes a setting object 74 for displaying the screen on a setting screen (not shown), a scroll object 75 for scrolling the screen, and the like.

Further, the standby screen has four third objects 253 indicating the remaining amount of ink of each color (hereinafter, also referred to as the remaining amount of ink) stored in each of the four cartridges 200. In the illustrated example, the third object 253 is arranged at the lower right of the standby screen. However, the arrangement position of the third object 253 is not limited to the lower right. The standby screen including the third object 253 is an example of the second screen.

The four third objects 253 are, in order from the left, the third object 253M, the third object 253C, the third object 253Y, and the third object 253Bk. The third object 253M indicates the ink remaining amount of the cartridge 200 that stores the magenta ink. The third object 253C indicates the ink remaining amount of the cartridge 200 that stores the cyan ink. The third object 253Y indicates the ink remaining amount of the cartridge 200 that stores the yellow ink. The third object 253Bk indicates the ink remaining amount of the cartridge 200 that stores the black ink.

The third object 253 includes a vertically long rectangular frame portion 76 that is long in the vertical direction 71, and a scale portion 77 having a length corresponding to the remaining amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200. That is, when the remaining amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200 is zero, the third object 253 becomes only the frame portion 76. The scale portions 77 are displayed in a number corresponding to the remaining amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200. For example, the scale portion 77 has 1 to 20 scales. That is, the third object 253 has a plurality of display forms displayed in an area corresponding to the remaining amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200.

The third object 253 is also a switching object that transitions the screen from the standby screen to the ink remaining amount screen (FIG. 14). The ink level screen will be described later.

Further, the standby screen has a fourth object 254 displayed according to the situation. Specifically, the fourth object 254 is displayed when there is a cartridge 200 that should be replaced. That is, the fourth object 254 is an object indicating that the user is urged to replace the cartridge 200.

The fourth object 254 is a symbol of "!" In the illustrated example, and the fourth object 254 intuitively recognizes that the ink stored in the cartridge 200 has been used up. The fourth object 254 may be a symbol, character, or figure other than "!" As long as the user can recognize that the ink stored in the cartridge 200 has been used up.

The fourth object 254 is displayed so as to overlap the frame portion 76 of the third object 253. Specifically, the fourth object 254 is displayed superimposed on the frame portion 76 of the third object 253 at a position indicating the cartridge 200 to be replaced. In the illustrated example, the fourth object 254 is superimposed on the frame portion 76 of the third object 253 indicating cyan.

In addition, the standby screen has a sixth object 256 that is displayed depending on the situation. Specifically, the sixth object 256 is displayed when there is not enough ink to continue printing. That is, the sixth object 256 makes the user recognize that printing cannot be continued unless the cartridge 200 is replaced.

The sixth object 256 is a symbol of "x" in the illustrated example. The sixth object 256 intuitively recognizes that the ink stored in the cartridge 200 and the tank 160 is used up and printing cannot be continued. The sixth object 256 may be a symbol, a character, or a figure other than "x" as long as the user can recognize that printing cannot be continued.

The sixth object 256 is displayed superimposed on the frame portion 76 of the third object 253 at a position indicating the cartridge 200 in which printing cannot be continued unless it is replaced. In the illustrated example, the sixth object 256 is superimposed on the frame portion 76 of the third object 253 indicating yellow.

Further, the standby screen has an eighth object 258 displayed according to the situation, as shown in FIG. 15 (A). The eighth object 258 is the character "?" In the illustrated example. The eighth object 258 is displayed when the type of the cartridge 200 cannot be determined. That is, the eighth object 258 is displayed when the cartridge 200 whose type of the cartridge 200 cannot be determined is mounted on the mounting case 150. The eighth object 258 makes the user recognize that the incompatible cartridge 200 is mounted in the mounting case 150 and the ink remaining amount cannot be displayed. The eighth object 258 may be a character, a symbol, or a figure other than "?" As long as the user can recognize that the ink remaining amount cannot be displayed.

The eighth object 258 is displayed so as to overlap the frame portion 76 of the third object 253, which cannot display the remaining amount of ink. In the illustrated example, the eighth object 258 is superimposed on the frame portion 76 of the third object 253C indicating cyan and the frame portion 76 of the third object 253Y indicating yellow.

When the third object 253 is tapped by the user on the standby screen, the ink remaining amount screen shown in FIG. 14 is displayed on the display 28.

[Ink level screen]
On the ink level screen, the tenth object 260M, which is the letter M indicating magenta, the tenth object 260C, which is the letter C indicating cyan, the tenth object 260Y, which is the letter Y indicating yellow, and black are displayed. It has a tenth object 260Bk, which is a character of Bk to indicate. The tenth object 260 may be another character, symbol, or figure as long as it indicates each color. The ink remaining amount screen is an example of the first screen.

Further, the ink remaining amount screen includes a first object 251 showing the ink remaining amount of the cartridge 200 and a second object 252 showing the ink remaining amount of the tank 160. The first object 251 is located below each tenth object 260. The second object 252 is located below the first object 251. The tenth object 260 indicates the color of the ink corresponding to the first object 251 and the second object 252 located below.

The first object 251 includes a vertically long rectangular frame portion 61 long in the vertical direction 71, and a scale portion 62 having a length corresponding to the remaining amount of ink. That is, when the remaining amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200 is zero, the first object 251 becomes only the frame portion 61. The scale portions 62 are displayed in a number corresponding to the remaining amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200. For example, the scale portion 62 has 1 to 20 scales. That is, the first object 251 has a plurality of display forms displayed in an area corresponding to the remaining amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200. The plurality of first objects 251 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction 71.

The second object 252 includes a vertically long rectangular frame portion 63 long in the vertical direction 71, and a scale portion 64 having a length corresponding to the remaining amount of ink. That is, when the remaining amount of ink stored in the tank 160 is zero, the second object 252 becomes only the frame portion 63. The number of scale portions 64 is displayed according to the remaining amount of ink stored in the tank 160. That is, the second object 252 has a plurality of display forms displayed in an area corresponding to the remaining amount of ink stored in the tank 160. The plurality of second objects 252 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction 71.

The length (width) of the first object 251 in the horizontal direction 72 and the length (width) of the second object 252M in the horizontal direction 72 are the same. The width of the first object 251 may be changed depending on the type of the cartridge 200. For example, when the cartridge 200 is a normal type, the width of the first object 251 is made the same as the width of the second object 252, and when the cartridge 200 is a large capacity type, the width of the first object 251 is the second. It is made wider than the width of the object 252. That is, the width of the first object 251 with respect to the second object 252 makes it possible for the user to intuitively recognize the type of the cartridge 200 mounted on the mounting case 150.

Further, the ink remaining amount screen includes the fifth object 255 displayed according to the situation. The fifth object 255 is a symbol of "!" Like the fourth object 254 described above. The fifth object 255 is displayed so as to overlap the frame portion 61 of the first object 251. Specifically, the fifth object 255 is displayed superimposed on the frame portion 76 of the first object 251 indicating the cartridge 200 in which the ink has been used up. In the illustrated example, the fifth object 255 is superimposed on the frame portion 76 of the first object 251C indicating cyan. The fifth object 255 intuitively recognizes that the ink of the cartridge 200 has been used up. The fifth object 255 may be a character, a symbol, or a figure different from the fourth object 254.

Further, the ink remaining amount screen includes the seventh object 257 displayed according to the situation. The seventh object 257 is a symbol of "x" like the sixth object 256 described above. The seventh object 257 is displayed so as to overlap the frame portion 61 of the first object 251 and the frame portion 63 of the second object 252. Specifically, the seventh object 257 is superimposed on the frame portion 61 of the first object 251 showing the cartridge 200 in which the ink has been used up and the frame portion 63 of the second object 252 showing the tank 160 in which the ink has been used up. Will be done. In the illustrated example, the seventh object 257 is superimposed on the frame portion 63 of the first object 251Y indicating yellow. The seventh object 257 intuitively recognizes that printing cannot be continued unless the cartridge 200 is replaced. The seventh object 257 may be a character, a symbol, or a figure different from the sixth object 256.

Further, the ink remaining amount screen includes the ninth object 259 displayed according to the situation, as shown in FIG. 15 (B). The ninth object 259 is a symbol of "?" Like the eighth object 258 described above. The ninth object 259 is displayed so as to overlap the frame portion 61 of the first object 251. Specifically, the ninth object 259 is displayed so as to overlap the frame portion 61 of the first object 251 in which the ink remaining amount cannot be displayed. In the illustrated example, the ninth object 259 is superimposed on the frame portion 76 of the first object 251C showing cyan and yellow and the first object 251Y. The ninth object 259 makes the user intuitively recognize that the incompatible cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150 and the ink remaining amount cannot be displayed. The ninth object 259 may be a character, a symbol, or a figure different from the eighth object 258.

Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the ink remaining amount screen has the eleventh object 261 which is a character of "printable number of sheets (ISO conversion)", the twelfth object 262M and the twelfth object 262C which indicate the printable number of sheets. It has a twelfth object 262Y and a twelfth object 262Bk. The eleventh object 261 is located below the second object 252. The eleventh object 261 may be another character, figure, or symbol as long as it indicates the number of printable sheets.

The "printable number of sheets (ISO conversion)" indicates the number of sheets of paper that can be printed with the current remaining amount of ink when printing is performed by the test method specified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The detailed calculation method of the number of printable sheets will be described later.

The twelfth object 262M is located below the eleventh object 261 and below the tenth object 260M indicating magenta. The twelfth object 262M indicates how many sheets of paper can be printed depending on the remaining amount of magenta ink stored in the cartridge 200 and the tank 160. In the illustrated example, the twelfth object 262M is a number of "700", indicating that printing is possible on 700 sheets of paper.

The twelfth object 262C is located below the eleventh object 261 and below the tenth object 260C indicating cyan. The twelfth object 262C indicates how many sheets of paper can be printed by the remaining amount of cyan ink stored in the cartridge 200 and the tank 160. In the illustrated example, the twelfth object 262C is a number of "150", indicating that printing is possible on 150 sheets of paper.

The twelfth object 262Y is located below the eleventh object 261 and below the tenth object 260Y indicating yellow. The twelfth object 262Y indicates how many sheets of paper can be printed by the remaining amount of yellow ink stored in the cartridge 200 and the tank 160. In the illustrated example, the twelfth object 262Y is a number of "0", indicating that printing is possible on zero sheets of paper.

The twelfth object 262Bk is located below the eleventh object 261 and below the tenth object 260Bk indicating black. The twelfth object 262Bk indicates how many sheets of paper can be printed by the remaining amount of black ink stored in the cartridge 200 and the tank 160. In the illustrated example, the twelfth object 262Bk is a number of "2300", indicating that printing is possible on 2300 sheets of paper.

The number indicated by the twelfth object 262 changes according to the amount of ink remaining in the cartridge 200 and the tank 160.

The first display area S1 which is the display area of the first display area which is the display area of the ink remaining amount screen (FIG. 14) is the second display area where the third object 253 on the standby screen (FIG. 13) is displayed. It is larger than the second display area S2, which is the display area of the display area. That is, only the ink remaining amount of the cartridge 200 is displayed in the second display area of the standby screen having a small display area, and the ink remaining amount of the cartridge 200 and the tank 160 are displayed in the first display area of the ink remaining amount screen having a large display area. The remaining amount of ink and the number of printable sheets (ISO conversion) are displayed. In the illustrated example, the first display area S1 of the ink remaining amount screen is about 30 times the second display area S2 of the standby screen.

[Operation of printer 10]
The operation of the printer 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 7 to 12 and the screens shown in FIGS. 13 to 15. Each process shown in FIGS. 7 to 12 is executed by the controller 130 (FIG. 6). The following processes may be executed by the control program 35 stored in the ROM 132 in the CPU 131, or may be realized by the hardware circuit mounted in the controller 130. In addition, the execution order of each of the following processes can be appropriately changed without changing the gist of the present invention.

[Image formation processing]
The controller 130 executes the image forming process shown in FIG. 7 in response to the input of the print instruction to the printer 10. The acquisition destination of the print instruction is not particularly limited, but for example, the user operation corresponding to the print instruction may be received through the operation panel 22 or the display 28, or may be received from an external device through the communication I / F 34.

First, the controller 130 determines the value of the S_Empty flag (S11). That is, the controller 130 determines whether or not the printer 10 has an amount of ink that can be printed. When the controller 130 determines that the S_Empty flag is ON (S11: ON), it acquires the mounting signal (S12), the mounting signal changes from "L" to "H", and further from "H" to "L". It is determined whether or not the signal has changed to (S13). That is, the controller 130 monitors whether or not the cartridge 200 has been replaced by monitoring the change in the mounting signal.

When the controller 130 determines that the cartridge 200 has not been replaced (S13: No), the controller 130 acquires the mounting signal again (S12). When the controller 130 determines that the cartridge 200 has been replaced (S13: Yes), the controller 130 executes the first update process (S14). The controller 130 may determine whether or not the cartridge 200 has been replaced by executing another process instead of the process of step S12 and step S13. For example, the controller 130 may read the serial number of the cartridge 200 from the IC chip 247 of the cartridge 200 and determine whether or not the cartridge 200 has been replaced depending on whether or not the serial number matches the serial number stored in the EEPROM 134. ..

[First update process]
The first update process shown in FIG. 8A is a process of updating the first remaining amount value indicating the first remaining amount and the second remaining amount value indicating the second remaining amount when the cartridge 200 is replaced. Is. As described above, the first remaining amount is the remaining amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200, and the second remaining amount is the remaining amount of ink stored in the tank 160.

First, the controller 130 acquires an initial filling value indicating the initial filling amount of the cartridge 200 (S31). Specifically, the type information is read from the IC chip 247 of the cartridge 200, the initial filling value corresponding to the read type information is read from the EEPROM 134, and the initial filling value is acquired. In the EEPROM 134, a table showing the correspondence between the type information and the initial filling value is stored in advance. The controller 130 may acquire the initial value of the first remaining amount stored in the IC chip 247 of the cartridge 200 as the initial filling value.

Further, the controller 130 reads the second remaining amount value from the RAM 133 (S32). The second remaining amount value is a value indicating the remaining amount of ink stored in the tank 160 immediately before the cartridge 200 is replaced.

The controller 130 sums the read initial filling value and the second remaining amount value, and calculates the total remaining amount value indicating the total remaining amount of the ink (S33). The controller 130 determines a new first remaining amount value and second remaining amount value from the calculated total remaining amount value (S34). Specifically, when the new cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150, a part of the ink stored in the cartridge 200 flows out to the liquid chamber 171. As a result, the amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200 is reduced, and the amount of ink stored in the tank 160 is increased. The new first remaining amount value indicates the remaining amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200 after the ink has flowed out to the tank 160. The new second remaining amount value indicates the remaining amount of ink stored in the tank 160 after the ink has flowed out from the cartridge 200. The process of step S34 is an example of the first determination process and the second determination process. The total remaining amount indicated by the total remaining amount value is an example of the total amount.

The first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value are determined by a calculation formula based on a function or a determination in a table. Specifically, the shape of the liquid chamber 210 of the cartridge 200 and the shape of the liquid chamber 171 of the tank 160 are predetermined by the design. Therefore, if the total remaining amount value of the ink is known, the first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value can also be known. In the EEPROM 134, a calculation formula for calculating the first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value from the total remaining amount value, or the correspondence between the total remaining amount value, the first remaining amount value, and the second remaining amount value is shown. The table is stored in advance. The controller 130 determines the first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value by the calculation formula or the table.

The controller 130 stores the determined first remaining amount value in the EEPROM 134 as the initial first remaining amount value, stores it in the RAM 133, and further overwrites the first remaining amount value stored in the storage unit of the IC chip 247. (S35). Further, the controller 130 stores the determined second remaining amount value as the initial second remaining amount value in the EEPROM 134 and stores it in the RAM, and ends the first update process. The process of step S35 is an example of a storage process.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the first update process is completed (S14), the controller 130 sets the S_Empty flag to “OFF” (S15), and executes the process of step S11 again.

When the controller 130 determines that the value of the S_Empty flag is "OFF" (S11: OFF), the controller 130 records an image on paper (S16). Ink is consumed by recording the image on the paper. As the ink is consumed, the liquid level of the ink in the tank 160 is lowered. The controller 130 acquires the liquid level signal before and after the execution of the image formation (S16) (S17), and determines the value of the liquid level signal and whether or not the liquid level signal has changed (S18).

When the controller 130 determines that the liquid level signal remains “L” (S18: L → L), the controller 130 executes the second update process (S19). That is, when the controller 130 determines that the ink stored in the cartridge 200 has not been used up, the controller 130 executes the second update process.

[Second update process]
The second update process shown in FIG. 8B is a process of determining a new first remaining amount value and a second remaining amount value from the discharge value indicating the amount of ink used for printing. The ejection value is, for example, a value calculated by multiplying a voltage value that determines the size of ink droplets ejected to the head 21 by the number of times the ink droplets are ejected. Each time the controller 130 instructs the head 21 to eject ink, the controller 130 calculates an ejection value according to the instruction. The controller 130 counts the discharge value used by the head 21 from the time when the cartridge 200 is replaced to the present. That is, the discharge value is an integrated value of the ink used by the head 21 from the time when the cartridge 200 is replaced to the present. The emission value is an example of the usage value. The process of counting the emission value is an example of the counting process.

First, the controller 130 reads the initial first remaining amount value from the RAM 133 or the EEPROM 124 (S41), and reads the initial second remaining amount value from the RAM 133 or the EEPROM 134 (S42). The controller 130 calculates the initial total remaining amount value by summing the read initial first remaining amount value and the initial second remaining amount value. The controller 130 subtracts the discharge value (integrated value) from the calculated initial total remaining amount value, and calculates the current total remaining amount value (S43). After that, the controller 130 determines a new first remaining amount value and a new second remaining amount value by using a calculation formula or a table in the same manner as described above (S44). The process of step S44 is an example of the first determination process and the second determination process.

The controller 130 stores the determined new first remaining amount value in the RAM 133, overwrites the first remaining amount value stored in the storage unit of the IC chip 247 (S45), and determines the new second remaining amount value. The value is stored in the RAM 133 (S46), and the second update process is terminated. The processing of steps S45 and S46 is an example of storage processing.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the second update process (S19) is completed, the controller 130 determines whether or not there is a next page (S22), and determines that there is a next page (S22: Yes). When the process of step S11 is executed again and it is determined that there is no next page (S22: No), the image formation process is terminated.

The method for determining the first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value described above is an example, and the first remaining amount and the second remaining amount may be determined by another method.

When the controller 130 determines that the value of the S_Empty flag is "OFF" in the process of step S11 (S11: OFF), the controller 130 executes the processes of step S16, step S17, and step S18 again, and the liquid level signal becomes "OFF". When it is determined that the change has changed from "L" to "H" (S18: L → H), the third update process (S20) is executed. That is, when the controller 130 determines that the ink stored in the cartridge 200 has been used up, the controller 130 executes the third update process.

[Third update process]
The third update process shown in FIG. 8C is a process of updating the first remaining amount value to the first predetermined value and updating the second remaining amount value to the second predetermined value. Specifically, the ejection value indicating the amount of ink ejected by printing includes an error. Therefore, the first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value calculated each time printing is performed include the integrated error. The third update process is a process of resetting the accumulated error.

Specifically, the controller 130 overwrites the initial first residual value stored in the storage unit of the IC chip 247 with the first predetermined value (S47). The first predetermined value is, for example, "zero". Further, the controller 130 stores the initial second remaining amount value as the second predetermined value in the EEPROM 134 and the RAM 133 (S48), and ends the process. The second predetermined value is a value indicating the amount of ink stored in the liquid chamber 171 of the tank 160 when the liquid level of the ink is at the reference position P. The second predetermined value is stored in advance in, for example, the ROM 132. The first predetermined value is an example of the first threshold value. The second predetermined value is an example of a predetermined amount. The process of step S47 is an example of the first determination process and the storage process. The process of step S48 is an example of the second determination process and the storage process.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the third update process (S20) is completed, the controller 130 determines whether or not there is a next page (S22), and determines that there is a next page (S22: Yes). When the process of step S11 is executed again and it is determined that there is no next page (S22: No), the image formation process is terminated.

On the other hand, when the controller 130 determines in the process of step S11 that the value of the S_Empty flag is "OFF" (S11: OFF), the controller 130 again executes the processes of step S16, step S17, and step S18 to signal the liquid level. If it is determined that "H" remains (S18: H → H), the fourth update process (S21) is executed. That is, after the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is used up, the controller 130 executes the fourth update process until the cartridge 200 is replaced with a new cartridge 200.

[4th update process]
The fourth update process shown in FIG. 8D calculates the second remaining amount value, and determines whether or not the second remaining amount indicated by the calculated second remaining amount value is an amount capable of continuing printing. It is a process to be printed. First, the controller 130 reads the second predetermined value from the RAM 133 or the EEPROM 134 (S51). Further, the controller 30 reads the emission value from the EEPROM 134 (S52). The discharge value indicates the integrated value of the ink used by the head 21 from the time when the output value of the liquid level sensor 155 changes from “L” to “H” to the present. The controller 130 subtracts the discharge value from the read second predetermined value, and calculates a new second remaining amount value (S53). The process of step S53 is an example of the second determination process.

The controller 130 stores the calculated new second remaining amount value in the RAM 133 (S54). The first remaining amount value is not overwritten and remains at the first predetermined value (zero) until the cartridge 200 is replaced. The process of step S53 is an example of a storage process.

Next, the controller 130 determines whether or not the calculated second remaining amount value is equal to or greater than the third predetermined value (S55). The third predetermined value is a value stored in advance in the EEPROM 134 or the like as a value indicating an ink remaining amount at which printing cannot be continued.

When the controller 130 determines that the calculated second remaining amount value is equal to or higher than the third predetermined value and printing can be continuously performed (S55: Yes), the process of step S56 is skipped and the fourth update is performed. End the process. When the controller 130 determines that the calculated second remaining amount value is less than the third predetermined value and printing cannot be continued (S55: No), the controller 130 sets the S_Empty flag to "ON" (S56), and the fourth End the update process. The third predetermined value is an example of the second threshold value.

As described above, each time the image formation of one page is executed, the first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value are determined according to the amount of ink used for image formation. In the above description, an example in which the first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value are determined each time one page of the image is formed has been described, but the first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value are It may be determined in other reference units such as one pass at a time. Further, the second update process, the third update process, and the fourth update process are executed every time ink is ejected from the head 21 not only for printing but also for maintenance and the like.

When the controller 130 determines the first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value, the controller 130 executes the object determination process shown in FIG. The object determination process is a process of determining display / non-display of the above-mentioned first object 251 to ninth object 259, and determining the number of printable sheets.

[Object determination process]
First, the controller 130 determines whether or not the cartridge 200 mounted on the mounting case 150 is compatible (S91). Specifically, when the controller 130 tries to access the IC chip 247 and determines that "the IC chip 247 cannot be accessed" or "the predetermined information such as the type information cannot be read", the controller 130 is mounted on the mounting case 150. It is determined that the cartridge 200 is a non-conforming cartridge. When the controller 130 determines that the cartridge 200 mounted on the mounting case 150 is an incompatible cartridge (S91: No), the controller 130 determines to display the eighth object 258 and the ninth object 259, which are symbols of "?" (S91: No). S92).

Next, the controller 130 includes a scale portion 62 of the first object 251, a scale portion 64 of the second object 252, a scale portion 77 of the third object 253, and the fourth object 254 and the symbol "!". The 5 object 255 and the 6th object 256 and the 7th object 257, which are symbols of "x", are determined to be hidden (S93), and the process is terminated.

On the other hand, when the controller 130 determines that the cartridge 200 mounted on the mounting case 150 is suitable (S91: Yes), the controller 130 reads the updated first remaining value and the second remaining value from the RAM 133 (S94), and the S_Empty flag. Check the set value of (S95). That is, the controller 130 determines whether or not there is enough ink to continue printing.

When the controller 130 determines that the set value of the S_Empty flag is ON and there is not enough ink left to continue printing (S95: ON), the scale portion 62 of the first object 251 is hidden (the number of scales is zero). ) (S96), the scale portion 64 of the second object 252 is determined to be hidden (the number of scales is zero) (S97), and the fifth object 255, which is the symbol of "x", is determined to be displayed (S97). S98), the twelfth object 262 indicating the number of printable sheets is determined to be "0" (S99), and the process is terminated.

When the controller 130 determines that the set value of the S_Empty flag is OFF and there is enough ink left to continue printing (S95: OFF), the controller 130 confirms the output value of the liquid level sensor 155 (S100). That is, the controller 130 determines whether or not the ink stored in the cartridge 200 has been used up.

In the controller 130, the output value of the liquid level sensor 155 is “L”. When it is determined that the ink stored in the cartridge 200 has not been used up (S100: L), the first (third) object scale determination process is executed (S101). The first (third) object scale determination process is an example of the determination process.

[First (third) object scale determination process]
The first (third) object scale determination process of FIG. 9A is a process of determining the number of scales of the first object 251 and the third object 253 based on the determined first remaining amount value.

First, the controller 130 reads out the first remaining amount value and the fourth predetermined value (S61), and determines the first remaining amount ratio (S62). Specifically, the value obtained by dividing the first remaining amount value by the fourth predetermined value is multiplied by 100 to determine the first remaining amount ratio (%). The fourth predetermined value is a value determined by the type of the cartridge 200 mounted on the mounting case 150. Specifically, the fourth predetermined value is that a new cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150 in a state where ink is not stored in the tank 160, and ink flows out from the cartridge 200 to the tank 160 due to the head difference, and the ink is discharged to the cartridge 200. This is the first remaining amount value in a state where the height position of the liquid level of the stored ink and the height position of the liquid level of the ink stored in the tank 160 are the same. It is assumed that the new cartridge 200 described above stores a predetermined initial filling amount of ink according to the type of the cartridge 200.

The fourth predetermined value is stored in advance in, for example, EEPROM 134. The controller 130 reads the type information of the cartridge 200 from the IC chip 247, and reads the fourth predetermined value corresponding to the read type information from the EEPROM 134. The EEPROM 134 stores in advance a table showing the correspondence between the fourth predetermined value and the type information. The fourth predetermined value is an example of a predetermined value.

Next, the controller 130 determines the number of scales of the first object 251 and the third object 253 based on the determined first remaining amount ratio (S63). Specifically, when the determined first remaining amount ratio is 0% or more and less than 5%, the controller 130 determines the number of scales of the first object 251 and the third object 253 to be "1". 1 When the remaining amount ratio is 5% or more and less than 10%, the number of scales is determined to be "2". Similarly, for every 5% increase in the first residual ratio, the number of scales is increased by one. However, when the first remaining amount ratio is 95% or more, the number of scales is all determined to be "20".

The number of graduations is determined according to the first remaining amount ratio calculated based on the fourth predetermined value in order to prevent the amount of ink indicated by one graduation from fluctuating. More specifically, the printer 10 includes a tank 160 for storing ink separately from the cartridge 200. Therefore, even after the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is used up, printing can be continued by the ink stored in the tank 160. The user replaces the cartridge 200 before the ink stored in the tank 160 is used up. Therefore, it is assumed that the cartridge 200 is replaced while ink remains in the tank 160. When the cartridge 200 is replaced with ink remaining in the tank 160, the initial total remaining amount value indicating the total remaining amount of ink immediately after the replacement of the cartridge 200 changes depending on the amount of ink remaining in the tank. Therefore, when the number of scales is determined based on the initial total remaining amount value, the amount of ink indicated by one scale changes. By determining the number of scales of the first object 251 and the third object 253 based on the fourth predetermined value, the ink indicated by one scale regardless of the amount of ink remaining in the tank 160 when the cartridge 200 is replaced. The amount of ink does not change and becomes constant.

Further, when the number of scales of the first object 251 and the third object 253 is determined based on the fourth predetermined value and the first remaining amount ratio is 95% or more, the number of scales is all set to "20". By making a decision, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable. More specifically, if the number of scales is determined based on the initial filling amount of the cartridge 200, the number of scales may decrease after the ink flows out from the cartridge 200 to the tank 160 after the cartridge 200 is replaced. That is, there may be a case where the maximum number of scales "20" is not displayed even though printing has never been performed. Then, the user feels uncomfortable. Further, for example, when the first remaining amount ratio is 100% or more and less than 105% and the number of scales of the first object 251 and the third object 253 is set to "21", the ink remaining in the tank 160 when the cartridge 200 is replaced is used. The maximum display of the scale will vary depending on the amount. Then, the user feels uncomfortable. When the number of scales of the first object 251 and the third object 253 is determined based on the fourth predetermined value and the first remaining amount ratio is 95% or more, the number of scales is all determined to be "20". As a result, the number of scales of the first object 251 and the third object 253 from the replacement of the cartridge 200 to the printing is always set to the maximum value "20". As a result, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable.

As shown in FIG. 11, the controller 130 determines the number of scales of the first object 251 and the third object 253 (S101), and then determines the number of scales of the second object 252 to the maximum value "20". (S102). Further, the controller 130 executes a printable number (ISO conversion) determination process (S103), and ends the process.

As described above, the first object 251 and the third object 253 display the same number of scales. That is, the ratio of the display scale to the maximum number of scales (20 pieces) of the first object 251 and the ratio of the display scales to the maximum number of memories (20 pieces) of the third object 253 are the same. Therefore, the display ratio of the first object 251 to the maximum display area and the display ratio of the third object 253 to the maximum display area are the same. Further, the first object 251 and the third object 253 are interlocked and displayed on the display 28.

[Process to determine the number of printable sheets]
The printable number of sheets determination process is a process of determining a number indicated by the twelfth object 262 (FIG. 14) based on the first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value determined in each update process (FIG. 8).

First, as shown in FIG. 10, the controller 130 reads out the type information of the cartridge 200 from the IC chip 247 of the cartridge 200 (S81). The controller 130 acquires the standard usage value from the read type information (S82). Specifically, the controller 130 reads the read type information and the corresponding standard usage value from the EEPROM 134. In the EEPROM 134, a table showing the correspondence between the type information and the standard usage value is stored in advance. The standard usage value indicates the number of printable sheets per unit amount of ink when printing is performed by the test method specified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Next, the controller 130 reads the first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value from the RAM 133 (S83). The controller 130 sums the read first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value to calculate the total remaining amount value of the ink (S84).

Next, the controller 130 calculates the number of printable sheets (ISO conversion) by multiplying the calculated total remaining amount value by the standard usage value (S85). The controller 130 stores the calculated number of printable sheets (ISO conversion) in the RAM 133 (S86), and ends the process.

As shown in FIG. 11, when the controller 130 determines that the output value of the liquid level sensor 155 is “H” and the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is used up (S100: H), the first object The scale portion 62 of 251 is determined to be hidden (S104). Next, the controller 130 determines to display the fourth object 254 and the fifth object 255, which are symbols of "!" (S105). Next, the controller 130 executes the second object scale determination process (S106) and the printable number of sheets determination process (S107), and ends the process. The printable number of sheets determination process is the same process as the printable number of sheets (ISO conversion) determination process described in step S103.

[Second object scale determination process]
The second object scale determination process of FIG. 9B is a process of determining the number of scales of the second object 252 based on the second remaining amount value determined in the fourth update process (FIG. 8D). ..

The controller 130 reads out the second remaining amount value and the second predetermined value (S71), and determines the second remaining amount ratio (S72). Specifically, the controller 130 determines the second remaining amount ratio (%) by multiplying the value obtained by dividing the second remaining amount value read from the RAM 133 by the second predetermined value read from the EEPROM 134 by 100. do. The second predetermined value is a value indicating the amount of ink stored in the tank 160 when the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is used up.

The controller 130 determines the number of scales of the second object 252 based on the determined second remaining amount ratio (S73). Specifically, when the determined second remaining amount ratio is 0% or more and less than 5%, the controller 130 determines the number of scales to "1", and the second remaining amount ratio is 5% or more to 10 If it is less than%, the number of scales is determined to be "2". Similarly, every time the second remaining amount ratio increases by 5%, the number of scales is increased by one, and when the second remaining amount ratio is 95% or more and less than 100%, the number of scales is the maximum value "20". Is decided.

The controller 130 causes the display 28 to display the standby screen and the ink remaining amount screen including the object determined to be displayed in the object determination process (FIG. 11). Therefore, the third object 253, the fourth object 254 (“!”), The sixth object 256 (“x”), and the eighth object 258 (“?”) Displayed on the standby screen are displayed on the ink remaining amount screen. The first object 251, the fifth object 255 (“!”), The seventh object 257 (“x”), and the ninth object 259 (“?”) Are interlocked with each other. That is, the third object 253 displayed on the standby screen has a reduced shape of the first object 251 displayed on the ink remaining amount screen, and when the fourth object 254 (“!”) Is displayed on the standby screen. , When the 5th object 255 (“!”) Is displayed on the ink level screen and the 6th object 256 (“x”) is displayed on the standby screen, the 7th object 257 (“x”) is also displayed on the ink level screen. When x)) is displayed and the eighth object 258 (“?”) Is displayed on the standby screen, the ninth object 259 (“?”) Is also displayed on the ink remaining amount screen.

Further, the controller 130 executes a screen selection process for determining whether to display the standby screen on the display 28 or the ink remaining amount screen on the display 28. The controller 130 switches the screen from the standby screen to the ink remaining amount screen or from the ink remaining amount screen to the standby screen by a user operation of tapping the third object 253 or automatically. Hereinafter, it will be described in detail.

[Screen selection process]
First, in the screen selection process shown in FIG. 12, the controller 130 displays the standby screen (FIG. 13) on the display 28 (S111). Next, the controller 130 determines whether or not the third object 253 has been tapped (S112). When the controller 130 determines that the third object 253 has been tapped (S112: Yes), the controller 130 executes the image forming process shown in FIG. 7 and the update process shown in FIG. 8, and then the object determination process shown in FIG. The ink remaining amount screen (FIG. 14) is displayed on the display 28 instead of the standby screen (FIG. 13) based on the content determined in (S116).

Further, the controller 130 executes the image forming process shown in FIG. 7 and the update process shown in FIG. 8, and then the object determination process shown in FIG. 11 is executed, and then the third object 253 in the screen selection process. If it is determined that the object has not been tapped (S112: No), whether or not the fourth object 254 and the fifth object 255 (“!”) Are determined to be displayed (S113), the sixth object 256 and the seventh object 257 (“” It is determined whether or not (S114) is determined to display (x)), and whether or not the eighth object 258 and the ninth object 259 (“?”) Are determined to be displayed (S115).

Further, the controller 130 determines that the fourth object 254 and the fifth object 255 are determined to be displayed (S113: Yes), or determines that the sixth object 256 and the seventh object 257 are determined to be displayed (S114). : Yes), or when it is determined that the 8th object 258 and the 9th object 259 are decided to be displayed (S115: Yes), the ink remaining amount screen (FIG. 13) is replaced with the standby screen (FIG. 13) regardless of the user operation. FIG. 14) is displayed on the display 28 (S116). That is, the screen automatically switches from the standby screen to the ink remaining amount screen. The process of step S116 is an example of the first display process.

The controller 130 starts aging using a timer counter (not shown) from the time when the ink remaining amount screen is displayed on the display 28. The controller 130 displays the ink remaining amount screen on the display 28 until the count value of the timer counter exceeds a predetermined threshold time stored in the EEPROM 134 (S117: No). When the controller 130 determines that the count value of the timer counter exceeds the threshold time (S117: Yes), the controller 130 displays the standby screen on the display 28 instead of the ink remaining amount screen (S118), regardless of the user operation. The processing of step S111 and step S118 is an example of the second display processing.

Further, the controller 130 monitors whether or not the home button 19 is pressed (S117: No, S119: No). When the controller 130 determines that the operation signal is input from the home button 19 and the home button 19 is pressed (S119: Yes), the controller 130 displays a standby screen on the display 28 instead of the ink remaining amount screen (S118), and performs processing. finish.

On the other hand, the controller 130 determines that the third object 253 has not been tapped (S112: No), and has determined that the fourth object 254 and the fifth object 255 have not been determined to be displayed (S113: No). , And it is determined that the sixth object 256 and the seventh object 257 have not been determined to be displayed (S114: No), and it is determined that the eighth object 258 and the ninth object 259 have not been determined to be displayed (S114: No). S115: No), the standby screen (FIG. 13) is continuously displayed on the display 28 (S118), and the process is terminated.

The conditions determined in steps S113, S114, and S115 are examples of screen transition conditions.

[Effect of the first embodiment]
In the present embodiment, the first object 251 indicating the amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200 and the second object 252 indicating the amount of ink stored in the tank 160 are displayed on the ink remaining amount screen and stored in the cartridge 200. A third object 253 indicating the amount of ink applied is displayed on the standby screen. The user recognizes that the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is sufficient, the ink is insufficient, and the ink is used up by the third object 253 displayed on the standby screen. When the user recognizes that the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is insufficient or the ink is used up, the user taps the third object 253 to display the ink remaining amount screen on the display 28, and the ink remaining amount is displayed. Check the details. By displaying the third object 253 on the standby screen and displaying the first object 251 and the second object 252 on the ink remaining amount screen, the user can easily recognize the ink remaining amount.

Further, in the present embodiment, the details of the ink remaining amount are displayed on the ink remaining amount screen where the area of the display area can be increased, and the ink remaining amount information is limitedly displayed on the standby screen where the display area area cannot be increased. do. Therefore, the user can be made to recognize the minimum necessary information on the standby screen, and the user can be made to recognize the details of the ink remaining amount on the ink remaining amount screen.

Further, in the present embodiment, the scale of the first object 251 and the scale of the third object 253 change in conjunction with each other. Therefore, the user can easily recognize that the contents (the remaining amount of ink in the cartridge 200) indicated by the first object 251 and the third object 253 are the same, and the first object 251 and the third object 253 can be easily recognized. The risk of giving the user the misunderstanding that the contents indicated by and are not the same is reduced.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the fourth object 254 (“!”) Is displayed on the standby screen, the user can easily recognize that there is information regarding the remaining amount of ink. The user who visually recognizes the fourth object 254 displayed on the standby screen taps the third object 253 to display the ink remaining amount screen on the display 28 and confirms the details of the ink remaining amount. That is, by displaying the fourth object 254 on the standby screen, it is possible to prompt the user to confirm the details regarding the ink remaining amount.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the sixth object 256 (“x”) is displayed on the standby screen, the user can easily recognize that there is information regarding the remaining amount of ink. The user who visually recognizes the sixth object 256 displayed on the standby screen taps the third object 253 to display the ink remaining amount screen on the display 28 and confirms the details of the ink remaining amount. That is, by displaying the sixth object 256 on the standby screen, it is possible to prompt the user to confirm the details regarding the ink remaining amount.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the fifth object 255 (“!”) Is displayed on the ink remaining amount screen, the user can easily recognize that the ink stored in the cartridge 200 has been used up. Further, since the fourth object 254 displayed on the standby screen and the fifth object 255 displayed on the ink remaining amount screen have the same symbol “!”, The fourth object 254 displayed on the standby screen was visually recognized. When the screen is switched from the standby screen to the ink remaining amount screen by the user, the user does not feel uncomfortable.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the seventh object 257 (“x”) is displayed on the ink remaining amount screen, the user can easily recognize that printing cannot be continued unless the cartridge 200 is replaced. Further, since the sixth object 256 displayed on the standby screen and the seventh object 257 displayed on the ink remaining amount screen have the same symbol "x", the sixth object 256 displayed on the standby screen was visually recognized. When the screen is switched from the standby screen to the ink remaining amount screen by the user, the user does not feel uncomfortable.

Further, in the present embodiment, when it is determined that the non-conforming cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150 and the remaining amount cannot be calculated, the eighth object 258 (“?”) Is displayed on the standby screen. Therefore, the user can easily recognize that the incompatible cartridge 200 is used and the ink remaining amount cannot be displayed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user from misunderstanding that the ink remaining amount is not displayed due to a failure.

Further, in the present embodiment, when it is determined that the incompatible cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150 and the remaining amount cannot be calculated, the ninth object 259 (“?”) Is displayed on the ink remaining amount screen. Therefore, the user can easily recognize that the incompatible cartridge 200 is used and the ink remaining amount cannot be displayed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user from misunderstanding that the ink remaining amount is not displayed due to a failure. Further, since the 8th object 258 displayed on the standby screen and the 9th object 259 displayed on the ink remaining amount screen have the same symbol "?", The 8th object 258 displayed on the standby screen was visually recognized. When the screen is switched from the standby screen to the ink remaining amount screen by the user, the user does not feel uncomfortable.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the user taps the third object 253, the screen is switched from the standby screen to the ink remaining amount screen, and when the user presses the home button 19, the ink remaining amount screen is changed to the standby screen. The screen changes. Therefore, the user can easily check the remaining amount of ink.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the fourth object 254 (“!”), The sixth object 256 (“x”), and the eighth object 258 (“?”) Are determined to be displayed, or printing is performed, the user Switches from the standby screen to the ink level screen without tapping the third object 253. Therefore, the time and effort of the user to switch the screen is reduced. Further, when a predetermined threshold time elapses after the ink remaining amount screen is displayed on the display 28, the standby screen is displayed on the display 28 again. Therefore, the time and effort of the user to switch the screen is further reduced.

Further, in the present embodiment, the ratio of the first remaining amount value to the fourth predetermined value is determined, and the number of memories of the first object 251 is determined according to the determined ratio. Therefore, one scale of the first object 251 is set. The amount of the colorant shown is constant regardless of the amount of ink remaining in the tank 160 when the cartridge 200 is replaced. Therefore, the remaining amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200 can be recognized by the user without giving the user a sense of discomfort.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the first remaining amount ratio is 100% or more, the number of the first objects 251 is all set to the maximum value (20). That is, the first object 251 displays the full amount (maximum scale display) until the ink remaining in the tank 160 when the cartridge 200 is mounted in the mounting case 150 is used. Therefore, when the cartridge 200 is replaced, the number of scales of the first object 251 does not vary. As a result, the remaining amount of the cartridge 200 can be recognized by the user without causing a sense of discomfort to the user.

Further, in the present embodiment, when it is determined that the output of the liquid level sensor 155 has changed from the low level “L” to the high level “H”, the number of scales of the first object 251 is determined to be zero. That is, at least one scale is displayed on the display 28 until the output of the liquid level sensor 155 changes from the low level “L” to the high level “H”. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the number of scales from becoming zero even though the ink is not used up in the cartridge 200. As a result, it is possible to prevent the cartridge 200 from which the ink has not been used up from being replaced with a new cartridge 200.

Further, in the present embodiment, when it is determined that the output of the liquid level sensor 155 has changed from the low level “L” to the high level “H”, the number of scales of the first object 251 is determined to be zero. That is, if it is determined that the output of the liquid level sensor 155 has changed from the low level "L" to the high level "H" regardless of the calculated first remaining amount value, the number of scales of the first object 251 is set to zero. .. Therefore, the error included in the counted discharge value is reset, and the remaining amount of the cartridge 200 can be displayed more accurately.

Further, in the present embodiment, the second object 252 displays the maximum scale until the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is used up, and then, according to the amount (emission value) of the ink used for printing or the like. The number of scales decreases. Therefore, the user can pay attention to the first object 251 until the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is used up, and after the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is used up, the second object 252 can be used. It can be noticed. As a result, the user can selectively recognize the information regarding the remaining amount of ink.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the liquid level sensor 155 determines whether or not the cartridge 200 has been used up, it is necessary to accurately determine whether or not the cartridge 200 has been used up, rather than making a determination based on the discharge value. Can be done.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the four third objects 253 are displayed on the standby screen, the display is simpler than the case where the four first objects 251 and the four second objects 252 are displayed on the standby screen. be. Therefore, as compared with the case where the four first objects 251 and the four second objects 252 are displayed on the standby screen, the user can easily recognize the remaining amount.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the tank 160 is provided in addition to the cartridge 200, printing can be continued even after the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is used up. The user may replace the cartridge 200 before using up the ink stored in the tank 160.

[Second Embodiment]
In the above-described first embodiment, the ink remaining amount screen including the first object 251 showing the remaining amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200 and the second object 252 showing the remaining amount of ink stored in the tank 160 is displayed 28. The example displayed in is explained. In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which the ink remaining amount screen including the second object 252 without including the first object 251 is displayed on the display 28.

The printer 10 according to the present embodiment has the same configuration as the printer 10 described in the first embodiment.

The display 28 of the printer 10 displays a standby screen as in the first embodiment. The standby screen is an example of the second screen. The third object 253 displayed on the second screen is an example of the second object.

Further, in FIG. 17, the display 28 displays the ink remaining amount screen described below in place of the ink remaining amount screen described in the first embodiment.

[Ink level screen]
On the ink level screen, the tenth object 260M, which is the letter M indicating magenta, the tenth object 260C, which is the letter C indicating cyan, the tenth object 260Y, which is the letter Y indicating yellow, and black are displayed. It has a tenth object 260Bk, which is a character of Bk to indicate. The tenth object 260 may be another character, symbol, or figure as long as it indicates each color. The ink remaining amount screen is an example of the first screen.

Further, the ink remaining amount screen includes a plurality of thirteenth objects 263 showing the ink remaining amount of the tank 160. Each 13th object 263 is located below each 10th object 260. The tenth object 260 indicates the color of the ink corresponding to the thirteenth object 263. The thirteenth object 263 is an example of the first object.

The thirteenth object 263 includes a vertically long rectangular frame portion 65 that is long in the vertical direction 71, and a scale portion 66 having a length corresponding to the remaining amount of ink. That is, when the remaining amount of ink stored in the tank 160 is zero, the thirteenth object 263 is only the frame portion 65. The number of scale portions 66 is displayed according to the remaining amount of ink stored in the tank 160. That is, the thirteenth object 263 has a plurality of display forms displayed in an area corresponding to the remaining amount of ink stored in the tank 160.

Further, the ink remaining amount screen includes the fifth object 255 displayed according to the situation. The fifth object 255 is a symbol of "!" Like the fourth object 254 described above. The fifth object 255 is displayed so as to overlap the frame portion 65 of the thirteenth object 263. Specifically, the fifth object 255 is displayed so as to overlap the frame portion 65 of the thirteenth object 263 which is not the maximum display. In the illustrated example, the fifth object 255 is superimposed on the frame portion 65 of the thirteenth object 263C indicating cyan. The fifth object 255 intuitively recognizes that the ink of the cartridge 200 has been used up. The fifth object 255 may be a character, a symbol, or a figure different from the fourth object 254.

Further, the ink remaining amount screen includes the seventh object 257 displayed according to the situation. The seventh object 257 is a symbol of "x" like the sixth object 256 described above. The seventh object 257 is superimposed on the frame portion 65 of the thirteenth object 263. Specifically, the seventh object 257 is superimposed on the frame portion 65 of the thirteenth object 263, which indicates the tank 160 in which the ink has been used up. In the illustrated example, the seventh object 257 is superimposed on the frame portion 65 of the thirteenth object 263Y indicating yellow. The seventh object 257 intuitively recognizes that printing cannot be continued unless the cartridge 200 is replaced. The seventh object 257 may be a character, a symbol, or a figure different from the sixth object 256.

Further, the ink remaining amount screen includes the ninth object 259 displayed according to the situation, as shown in FIG. The ninth object 259 is a symbol of "?" Like the eighth object 258 described above. The ninth object 259 is superimposed on the frame portion 65 of the thirteenth object 263. Specifically, the ninth object 259 is displayed superimposed on the frame portion 65 of the thirteenth object 263, which cannot display the ink remaining amount. In the illustrated example, the ninth object 259 is superimposed on the frame portion 65 of the thirteenth object 263C showing cyan and yellow. The ninth object 259 makes the user intuitively recognize that the incompatible cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150 and the ink remaining amount cannot be displayed. The ninth object 259 may be a character, a symbol, or a figure different from the eighth object 258.

Further, as shown in FIG. 17, the ink remaining amount screen has the eleventh object 261 which is a character of "printable number of sheets (ISO conversion)", the twelfth object 262M and the twelfth object 262C which indicate the printable number of sheets. It has a twelfth object 262Y and a twelfth object 262Bk. The eleventh object 261 is located below the second object 252. The eleventh object 261 may be another character, figure, or symbol as long as it indicates the number of printable sheets.

The "printable number of sheets (ISO conversion)" indicates the number of sheets of paper that can be printed with the current remaining amount of ink when printing is performed by the test method specified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

The twelfth object 262M is located below the eleventh object 261 and below the tenth object 260M indicating magenta. The twelfth object 262M indicates how many sheets of paper can be printed depending on the remaining amount of magenta ink stored in the cartridge 200 and the tank 160. In the illustrated example, the twelfth object 262M is a number of "700", indicating that printing is possible on 700 sheets of paper.

The twelfth object 262C is located below the eleventh object 261 and below the tenth object 260C indicating cyan. The twelfth object 262C indicates how many sheets of paper can be printed by the remaining amount of cyan ink stored in the cartridge 200 and the tank 160. In the illustrated example, the twelfth object 262C is a number of "150", indicating that printing is possible on 150 sheets of paper.

The twelfth object 262Y is located below the eleventh object 261 and below the tenth object 260Y indicating yellow. The twelfth object 262Y indicates how many sheets of paper can be printed by the remaining amount of yellow ink stored in the cartridge 200 and the tank 160. In the illustrated example, the twelfth object 262Y is a number of "0", indicating that printing is possible on zero sheets of paper.

The twelfth object 262Bk is located below the eleventh object 261 and below the tenth object 260Bk indicating black. The twelfth object 262Bk indicates how many sheets of paper can be printed by the remaining amount of black ink stored in the cartridge 200 and the tank 160. In the illustrated example, the twelfth object 262Bk is a number of "2300", indicating that printing is possible on 2300 sheets of paper.

The number indicated by the twelfth object 262 changes according to the amount of ink remaining in the cartridge 200 and the tank 160.

The first display area S1 which is the display area of the first display area which is the display area of the ink remaining amount screen (FIG. 14) is the second display area where the third object 253 on the standby screen (FIG. 13) is displayed. It is larger than the second display area S2, which is the display area of the display area. That is, only the ink remaining amount of the cartridge 200 is displayed in the second display area of the standby screen having a small display area, and the ink remaining amount of the cartridge 200 and the tank 160 are displayed in the first display area of the ink remaining amount screen having a large display area. The remaining amount of ink and the number of printable sheets (ISO conversion) are displayed. In the illustrated example, the first display area S1 of the ink remaining amount screen is about 30 times the second display area S2 of the standby screen.

The controller 130 of the printer 10 executes the same image forming process, first update process, second update process, third update process, and fourth update process as in the first embodiment.

Further, the controller 130 executes the object determination process shown in FIG.

[Object determination process]
First, the controller 130 determines whether or not the cartridge 200 mounted on the mounting case 150 is compatible (S91). Specifically, when the controller 130 tries to access the IC chip 247 and determines that "the IC chip 247 cannot be accessed" or "the predetermined information such as the type information cannot be read", the controller 130 is mounted on the mounting case 150. It is determined that the cartridge 200 is a non-conforming cartridge. When the controller 130 determines that the cartridge 200 mounted on the mounting case 150 is an incompatible cartridge (S91: No), the controller 130 determines to display the eighth object 258 and the ninth object 259, which are symbols of "?" (S91: No). S92).

Next, the controller 130 has a scale portion 66 of the 13th object 263, a scale portion 77 of the third object 253, a fourth object 254 and a fifth object 255 which are symbols of "!", And a symbol of "x". The sixth object 256 and the seventh object 257, which are the above, are determined to be hidden (S131), and the process is terminated.

On the other hand, when the controller 130 determines that the cartridge 200 mounted on the mounting case 150 is suitable (S91: Yes), the controller 130 reads the updated first remaining value and the second remaining value from the RAM 132 (S94), and the S_Empty flag. Check the set value of (S95). That is, the controller 130 determines whether or not there is enough ink to continuously print.

When the controller 130 determines that the set value of the S_Empty flag is ON and there is not enough ink left to continue printing (S95: ON), the scale portion 77 of the third object 253 is hidden (scale). The number is determined to be zero) (S132), the scale portion 66 of the thirteenth object 263 is determined to be hidden (the number of scales is zero) (S133), and the sixth object 256 and the seventh object, which are symbols of "x", are determined. The object 257 is determined to be displayed (S98), the twelfth object 262 indicating the number of printable sheets is determined to be "0" (S99), and the process is terminated.

When the controller 130 determines that the set value of the S_Empty flag is OFF and there is enough ink left to continue printing (S95: OFF), the controller 130 confirms the output value of the liquid level sensor 155 (S100). That is, the controller 130 determines whether or not the ink stored in the cartridge 200 has been used up.

In the controller 130, the output value of the liquid level sensor 155 is “L”. When it is determined that the ink stored in the cartridge 200 has not been used up (S100: L), a third process is the same as the first (third) object scale determination process (S101) shown in FIG. 9 (A). The object scale determination process is executed (S134).

[Third object scale determination process]
The third object scale determination process is a process of determining the number of scales of the third object 253 based on the determined first remaining amount value. The third object scale determination process is the same process as the first (third) object scale determination process shown in FIG. 9A. However, in the present embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, only the number of scales of the third object 253 is determined.

As shown in FIG. 19, the controller 130 determines the number of scales of the third object 253 (S134), and then determines the number of scales of the thirteenth object 252 to the maximum value “20” (S135). Further, the controller 130 executes the same printable number determination process as in the first embodiment (S103), and ends the process.

As shown in FIG. 19, when the controller 130 determines that the output value of the liquid level sensor 155 is “H” and the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is used up (S100: H), the third object The scale portion 77 of 253 is determined to be hidden (S136). Next, the controller 130 determines to display the fourth object 254 and the fifth object 255, which are symbols of "!" (S105). Next, the controller 130 executes the thirteenth object determination process, which is the same process as the second object scale determination process (S106), which is the same as the first embodiment.

[13th object scale determination process]
The 13th object scale determination process of FIG. 9D is a process of determining the number of scales of the 13th object 263 based on the second remaining amount value determined in the 4th update process shown in FIG. 8D. Is. The thirteenth object scale determination process will be described with reference to FIG. 9D.

The controller 130 reads out the second remaining amount value and the second predetermined value (S71), and determines the second remaining amount ratio (S72). Specifically, the controller 130 calculates the second remaining amount ratio by multiplying the value obtained by dividing the read second remaining amount value by the second predetermined value by 100. The second predetermined value is a value indicating the amount of ink stored in the tank 160 when the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is used up.

The controller 130 determines the number of scales of the 13th object 263 based on the determined second remaining amount ratio (S74). Specifically, when the determined second remaining amount ratio is 0% or more and less than 5%, the controller 130 determines the number of scales to "1", and the second remaining amount ratio is 5% or more to 10 If it is less than%, the number of scales is determined to be "2". Similarly, every time the second remaining amount ratio increases by 5%, the number of scales is increased by one, and when the second remaining amount ratio is 95% or more and less than 100%, the number of scales is the maximum value "20". Is decided.

As shown in FIG. 19, the controller 130 executes the printable number of sheets determination process (S107) after the execution of the thirteenth object scale determination process (S137), and ends the process. The printable number of sheets determination process is the same process as the printable number of sheets determination process of step S103.

Further, the controller 130 executes the same screen selection process as in the first embodiment.

[Effect of the second embodiment]
In the present embodiment, the same configuration as that of the first embodiment has the same effect as that of the first embodiment.

Further, in the present embodiment, the thirteenth object 263 showing the amount of ink stored in the tank 160 is displayed on the ink remaining amount screen, and the third object 253 showing the amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200 is displayed on the standby screen. Is displayed. The user recognizes that the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is sufficient, the ink is insufficient, and the ink is used up by the third object 253 displayed on the standby screen. When the user recognizes that the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is insufficient or the ink is used up, the user taps the third object 253 to display the ink remaining amount screen on the display 28, and the ink remaining amount is displayed. Check the details. By displaying the third object 253 on the standby screen and displaying the thirteenth object 263 on the ink remaining amount screen, the user can easily recognize the ink remaining amount.

Further, in the present embodiment, the details of the ink remaining amount are displayed on the ink remaining amount screen where the area of the display area can be increased, and the ink remaining amount information is limitedly displayed on the standby screen where the display area area cannot be increased. do. Therefore, the user can be made to recognize the minimum necessary information on the standby screen, and the user can be made to recognize the details of the ink remaining amount on the ink remaining amount screen.

[Modification 1]
In the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, an example in which the third object 253 displayed on the standby screen indicates the remaining amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200 has been described. However, as shown in FIG. 16A, the third object 253 may indicate the remaining amount of ink stored in the tank 160. In this modification, the third object 253 is displayed in conjunction with the second object 252 described in the first embodiment and the thirteenth object 263 described in the second embodiment. That is, the third object 253 displays the same number of scales as the number of scales of the second object 252 and the thirteenth object 263.

Further, in the present modification, as in the embodiment, when the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is used up, the fourth object 254 (“!”) Is displayed on the display 28 so as to be superimposed on the third object 253. Further, when the ink stored in the tank 160 is used up, the sixth object 256 (“x”) is displayed on the display 28. Further, when the incompatible cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150, the eighth object 258 (“?”) Is displayed on the display 28.

[Effect of Modification 1]
In this modification, the first object 251 indicating the amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200 and the second object 252 indicating the amount of ink stored in the tank 160 are displayed on the ink remaining amount screen and stored in the tank 160. A third object 253 indicating the amount of ink applied is displayed on the standby screen. The user recognizes that the third object 253 displayed on the standby screen has enough ink stored in the tank 160, insufficient ink, and used up ink. When the user recognizes that the ink stored in the tank 160 is insufficient or the ink is used up, the user taps the third object 253 to display the ink remaining amount screen on the display 28, and the ink remaining amount is displayed. Check the details. By displaying the third object 253 on the standby screen and displaying the first object 251 and the second object 252 on the ink remaining amount screen, the user can easily recognize the ink remaining amount.

Further, in this modification, the fourth object 254 (“!”) Is displayed on top of the third object 253. The user can also easily recognize that the ink stored in the cartridge 200 has been used up.

[Modification 2]
In the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, an example in which the third object 253 displayed on the standby screen indicates the remaining amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200 has been described. However, as shown in FIG. 16B, the third object 253 may indicate the total amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200 and the tank 160.

The controller 130 executes the third object scale determination process shown in FIG. 9C to determine the number of scales of the third object 253. First, the controller 130 reads the first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value from the RAM 133, and reads the initial filling value from the EEPROM 134 (S121). The controller 130 calculates the total remaining amount ratio from the read first remaining amount value, the second remaining amount value, and the initial filling value (S122). Specifically, the controller 130 calculates the total remaining amount value by adding the first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value, and divides the calculated total remaining amount value by the initial remaining amount value to total the total amount. Calculate the remaining amount ratio.

The controller 130 determines the number of scales of the third object 253 based on the calculated total remaining amount ratio (S123). Specifically, when the calculated total remaining amount ratio is 0% or more and less than 5%, the controller 130 determines the number of scales to "1", and the total remaining amount ratio is 5% or more and less than 10%. If, the number of scales is determined to be "2". Similarly, for every 5% increase in the total remaining amount ratio, the number of scales is increased by one. However, when the total remaining amount ratio is 95% or more, the number of scales is all determined to be "20" of the maximum display.

Further, in the present modification, as in the above-described embodiment, when the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is used up, the fourth object 254 (“!”) Is displayed on the display 28 on the third object 253. The object. Further, when the ink stored in the tank 160 is used up, the sixth object 256 (“x”) is displayed on the display 28. Further, when the incompatible cartridge 200 is mounted on the mounting case 150, the eighth object 258 (“?”) Is displayed on the display 28.

[Effect of variant 2]
In this modification, the first object 251 indicating the amount of ink stored in the cartridge 200 and the second object 252 indicating the amount of ink stored in the tank 160 are displayed on the ink remaining amount screen, and the cartridge 200 and the tank are displayed. A third object 253 indicating the total amount of ink stored in 160 is displayed on the standby screen. The user recognizes that there is enough ink, that there is not enough ink, and that the ink has been used up by the third object 253 displayed on the standby screen. When the user recognizes that there is not enough ink or the ink has been used up, the user taps the third object 253 to display the ink remaining amount screen on the display 28 and confirms the details of the ink remaining amount. By displaying the third object 253 on the standby screen and displaying the first object 251 and the second object 252 on the ink remaining amount screen, the user can easily recognize the ink remaining amount.

Further, in this modification, since the fourth object 254 (“!”) Is displayed on the third object 253, the user can easily recognize that the ink stored in the cartridge 200 has been used up. ..

[Other variants]
In the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, the ink has been described as an example of the colorant. However, the colorant is not limited to ink, and may be toner.

Further, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, an example in which ink flows out from the cartridge 200 to the tank 160 due to the head difference has been described. However, gravity may cause ink to flow out of the cartridge 200 into the tank, or ink may flow out of the cartridge 200 into the tank using a drive source such as a pump. When a drive source is used, the tank is mounted on the head 21, for example.

Further, in the above-mentioned first embodiment and the second embodiment, an example in which the cartridge 200 and the tank 160 for storing ink are used has been described. However, only the tank 160 may be used, or only the cartridge 200 may be used. When only the tank 160 is used, for example, the remaining amount of ink stored in the tank 160 when the liquid level sensor 155 changes from “L” to “H” is taken as the initial filling amount. Alternatively, when the user fills the tank 160 with ink, the initial filling amount is input to the controller 130 by the user. The controller 130 calculates the second remaining amount using the initial filling amount and the discharge value, calculates the number of printable sheets in ISO conversion or consumption amount conversion, and displays it on the display 28.

Further, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, an example has been described in which the scales displayed by the first object 251 and the second object 252, the third object 253, and the thirteenth object 263 change stepwise. .. However, the scale may be displayed steplessly. That is, the first object 251 and the third object 253 display the scale of the area corresponding to the first remaining amount value, and the second object 252 and the thirteenth object 263 display the scale of the area corresponding to the second remaining amount value. May be displayed. Further, the scale is not limited to 20 stages, and may be displayed in a plurality of stages such as 10 stages and 5 stages.

Further, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, an example has been described in which the first object 251 and the second object 252 and the third object 253 are long rectangles in the vertical direction 71. However, the first object 251 and the second object 252 and the third object 253 may have other shapes such as a circle.

Further, in the above-mentioned first embodiment and the second embodiment, printing is performed, the ink stored in the cartridge 200 is used up, the ink stored in the tank 160 is used up, and the cartridge 200 that does not fit is used. An example has been described in which the ink remaining amount screen is displayed regardless of the user's operation when the ink is mounted on the mounting case 150. However, the screen may be switched from the standby screen to the ink remaining amount screen only by a user operation such as tapping the third object 253.

Further, in the screen selection process (FIG. 12) in the first embodiment described above, the fourth object 254 and the fifth object 255 (“!”) Are determined to be displayed, and the sixth object 256 and the seventh object 257 (“×”) are determined to be displayed. ") Is determined to be displayed, and when the 8th object 258 and the 9th object 259 ("? ") Are determined to be displayed, the screen is automatically switched from the standby screen to the ink remaining amount screen regardless of the user operation. An alternative example was explained. However, instead of the processing of steps S113 to S115 in FIG. 12, it may be determined whether or not the image forming processing shown in FIG. 7 has been executed. That is, it may be determined whether or not printing has been performed. When the controller 130 determines that printing has been performed, the controller 130 automatically switches the screen from the standby screen to the ink remaining amount screen regardless of the user operation. That is, every time printing is executed and the ink remaining amount is updated, the screen is automatically switched from the standby screen to the ink remaining amount screen. As a result, the user can be made aware of the details of the ink remaining amount each time printing is executed. Whether or not the image forming process (printing) shown in FIG. 7 is executed is an example of the screen transition condition.

10 ... Printer 18 ... Touch sensor 21 ... Head 28 ... Display 35 ... Control program 71 ... Vertical direction 72 ... Horizontal direction 130 ... Controller 134 ... EEPROM
155 ... Liquid level sensor 160 ... Tank 171 ... Liquid chamber 200 ... Cartridge 210 ... Liquid chamber 251 ... First object 252 ... Second object 253 ... Third object 254 ... 4th object 255 ... 5th object 256 ... 6th object 257 ... 7th object 258 ... 8th object 259 ... 9th object 263 ... 13th object

Claims (22)

A first container with a first chamber in which colorants are stored,
A second container having a second chamber connected to the first container,
A recording unit connected to the second room,
With the display
Equipped with a controller,
The controller
A first object having a shape corresponding to the amount of colorant stored in the first chamber of the first container, and a first object having a shape corresponding to the amount of colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container. The first screen containing the two objects is displayed on the display.
A second object containing a third object having a shape corresponding to the total amount of the amount of the colorant stored in the first chamber of the first container and the amount of the colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container. An image forming apparatus for displaying a screen on the display. A first container with a first chamber in which colorants are stored,
A second container having a second chamber connected to the first container,
A recording unit connected to the second room,
With the display
Equipped with a controller,
The controller
A first object having a shape corresponding to the amount of colorant stored in the first chamber of the first container, and a first object having a shape corresponding to the amount of colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container. The first screen containing the two objects is displayed on the display.
A third object having a shape corresponding to either the amount of the colorant stored in the first chamber of the first container or the amount of the colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container is included. The display does not include an object corresponding to the other of the amount of the colorant stored in the first chamber of the first container and the amount of the colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container. Image forming device to be displayed on. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the third object has a shape corresponding to the amount of the colorant stored in the first chamber of the first container. The first object and the third object each have a plurality of display forms displayed in an area corresponding to the amount of the colorant stored in the first chamber of the first container.
In response to the change in the display form of one of the first object and the third object, the display form of the other also changes, and the display ratio to the maximum display area of the first object and the maximum display area of the third object. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, which matches the display ratio with respect to. One of claims 1 to 4, wherein the area of the area where the third object is displayed on the second screen is smaller than the area of the area where the first object and the second object are displayed on the first screen. The image forming apparatus according to. The controller
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a fourth object is displayed on the second screen according to the amount of the colorant in the first chamber of the first container. The controller
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a fifth object is displayed on the first screen according to the amount of the colorant in the first chamber of the first container. The controller
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a sixth object is displayed on the second screen according to the amount of the colorant in the second chamber of the second container. The controller
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a seventh object is displayed on the first screen according to the amount of the colorant in the second chamber of the second container. It also has a memory and a mounting part,
The first container is a cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the mounting portion.
The controller
The image formation according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein when it is determined that the information regarding the amount of the colorant stored in the first container cannot be read from the memory, the eighth object is displayed on the second screen. Device. It also has a memory and a mounting part,
The first container is a cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the mounting portion.
The controller
The image formation according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein when it is determined that the information regarding the amount of the colorant stored in the first container cannot be read from the memory, the ninth object is displayed on the first screen. Device. It also has an input section,
The controller according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the controller receives an input for selecting the first screen and an input for selecting the second screen in the input unit, and displays the selected screen on the display. Image forming device. The input unit is a touch sensor superimposed on the display.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the controller switches the screen from the second screen to the first screen in response to the tapping of the third object on the second screen. It has more memory and
The controller determines whether to display the first screen or the second screen on the display based on the screen transition condition.
The screen transition condition is
The value corresponding to the amount of the colorant stored in the first chamber of the first container became the first threshold value stored in the memory.
The value corresponding to the amount of the colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container became the second threshold value stored in the memory.
That the recording unit used the colorant,
That the first screen is displayed on the display during the threshold time stored in the memory.
Displaying the fourth object on the second screen according to the amount of the colorant in the first chamber of the first container.
Displaying the sixth object on the second screen according to the amount of the colorant in the second chamber of the second container.
When it is determined that the information regarding the amount of the colorant stored in the first container cannot be read from the memory, the eighth object is displayed on the second screen.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, which is at least one of the above. It also has a memory and a mounting part,
The first container is a cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the mounting portion.
The first object has a plurality of display forms having different areas, and has a plurality of display forms.
The controller
A counting process that counts the usage value according to the amount of the colorant used by the recording unit and stores the count value in the memory.
When it is determined that the first container is mounted on the mounting portion, the first remaining amount corresponding to the initial filling value indicating the initial filling amount of the first container and the amount of the colorant stored in the first container. The value, the second remaining amount value according to the amount of the colorant stored in the second container, and the used value are read from the memory, and the initial filling value, the first remaining amount value, and the second remaining amount value are read. Based on the remaining amount value and the used value, a new first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value are determined, and the determined new first remaining amount value and the second remaining amount value are used as described above. Storage processing to store in memory and
The first remaining amount value and the predetermined value are read from the memory, the first remaining amount value read is divided by the predetermined value to determine the remaining amount ratio, and the first remaining amount ratio is determined according to the determined remaining amount ratio. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein a determination process for determining a display form of an object is executed. The controller
The image according to claim 15, wherein the display form of the first object when the remaining amount ratio is 100% or more is the same as the display form of the first object when the remaining amount ratio is 100%. Forming device. The first value is output according to the liquid level of the colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container being equal to or higher than the predetermined position, and the second value is output according to the presence of the colorant being less than the predetermined position. It also has a sensor that outputs the value,
The controller
The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 or 16, wherein when it is determined that the output value of the sensor has changed from the first value to the second value, the area of the first object is determined to be zero. The controller
The area of the first object is changed stepwise between the non-zero minimum area and the maximum area according to the remaining amount ratio and the first remaining amount value.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, wherein when it is determined that the output value of the sensor has changed from the first value to the second value, the area of the first object is set to zero. The second object has a plurality of display forms displayed in an area corresponding to a second remaining amount value, which is the amount of the colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container.
The controller
When it is determined that the amount of the colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container is equal to or more than a predetermined amount, the second object is displayed in the maximum area.
From claim 1, when it is determined that the amount of the colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container is less than a predetermined amount, the second object is displayed in an area corresponding to the second remaining amount value. The image forming apparatus according to any one of 18. The first value is output according to the liquid level of the colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container being equal to or higher than the predetermined position, and the second value is output according to the presence of the colorant being less than the predetermined position. It also has a sensor that outputs the value,
The controller
It is determined that the amount of the colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container is equal to or more than the predetermined amount according to the output value of the sensor being the first value.
The image according to claim 19, wherein it is determined that the amount of the colorant stored in the second chamber of the second container is less than a predetermined amount according to the output value of the sensor being the second value. Forming device. A plurality of sets of the first container and the second container are provided.
The controller
A plurality of the first object and the second object corresponding to each of the plurality of sets are displayed on the first screen.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein a plurality of the third objects corresponding to each of the plurality of sets are displayed on the second screen. The colorant is an ink and
The first room and the second room communicate with the outside, respectively.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein a part of the second chamber is located below the first chamber.

Images