JPS6277944A - Operation method of ink jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To achieve the stabilization of ink discharge, by a method wherein suction under negative pressure of the inside of a cap is repeated many times to detect the state of ink empty, in the case of ink empty, a discharge port is washed by inducing washing liquid to put the recorder under a waiting state, and in the case of ink filling the recorder immediately becomes under a waiting state. CONSTITUTION:When a power source switch 22 is turned on and a specific key 24 is turned on, CPU13 is operated by different programs. After many time of repeating the suction under negative pressure of a cap 7, that is, the drive of a suction pump 8, whether the inside of the cap is of ink empty or not is detected with an empty sensor 21. In the case of ink empty, an electromagnetic valve 12 is opened, the washing liquid in a washing liquid tank 10 being introduced into the cap under the negative pressure generated in the cap 7, and an ink discharge port being washed to put the recorder under a print waiting state. In the case of ink filling, the recorder immediately becomes under a print waiting state. Because the suction of ink is forcedly thereby carried out many times in a suction mode, the filling of ink to the ink discharge port can be easily certainly carried out even after no usage for a long time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field] The present invention relates to an operating method for an inkjet recording apparatus, and more particularly to an operating method for reliably filling ink to an ink ejection port at the start of printing.

[Prior art]

In inkjet recording devices, the ink ejection ports may become clogged due to ink thickening due to evaporation of ink solvent, adhesion of dust, air bubbles, etc. In order to eliminate this and obtain stable ink ejection, an ink recovery operation is performed. It has been implemented.

This ink recovery operation can be performed, for example, by closing the ink ejection ports of the print head with a cap, and when the temperature of the print head is below a set value when the power is turned on, a pump is used to suction negative pressure inside the cap and ink is sucked from the ink ejection ports. However, if the value exceeds the set value, the system immediately enters a standby state.

However, if the ink at the ink ejection port becomes extremely viscous or solidified when the ink arrives or has not been used for a long time, ink suction becomes extremely difficult with only this type of ink recovery operation. Ink could not be sucked into the cap, and empty ink inside the cap could not be resolved, making it impossible to obtain stable ejection.

〔the purpose〕

It is an object of the present invention to solve the problems of the conventional operation method, to easily and reliably eliminate the empty state of ink due to ink sticking to the ink discharge port, and to stabilize ink discharge. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for operating an inkjet recording apparatus that can be used to operate an inkjet recording apparatus.

〔overview〕

The present invention provides an inkjet recording device that seals the ink ejection opening of a recording head with a cap and recovers ink by suctioning negative pressure inside the cap. After repeating this several times, it is detected whether or not the ink inside the cap is empty. If the ink is empty, the cleaning liquid is introduced into the cap using the negative pressure inside the cap to clean the ink ejection port. The above object is achieved by immediately entering a standby state when the ink is filled.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the main parts of an inkjet recording apparatus suitable for implementing the method of the present invention, in which a guide shaft 3 is installed in front of a recording medium 2 such as paper or plastic sheet backed up by a platen 1, and the guide shaft 3 is A recording head 5 is mounted on a carriage 4 that moves along a shaft.

A plurality of ink ejection ports are formed on the front surface of the recording head 5, and by driving each ink ejection port based on a data signal, flying ink droplets are formed and attached to the recording medium 2. Recording takes place.

An ink recovery means 6 is provided at the home position HP of the carriage 4. This ink recovery means includes a cap 7 that is driven forward and backward in the direction of arrow A with respect to the recording head 5 to close and open the ink ejection openings of the recording head, and a negative electrode connected to the inside of the cap via a suction tube 9. A pressure suction means (suction pump) 8 is provided.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a longitudinal section of the ink recovery means 6 of FIG. 1 when the cap is closed.

1 and 2, the ink recovery means 6 also serves as a capping means, and when the cap 7 is closed, the suction pump 8 suctions the inside of the cap 7 under negative pressure to suck ink from the ink discharge port. It is something to do.

The recording device includes a cleaning liquid tank 10 that stores cleaning liquid such as water.
The inside of the cap 7 is connected to a cleaning liquid tank 10 via a tube 11 and a solenoid valve 12.

In the recording apparatus described above, the carriage 4 is at the home position while the power is off, and the ink ejection openings of the recording head 5 are sealed with the caps 7. Further, the solenoid valve 12 is closed.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the control system of the above recording apparatus.

In FIG. 3, the CPU of the recording device <control circuit) 13
is a carriage motor 15 via a first driver 14;
Paper feed motor 16, suction motor 17, cap motor 1
8 and the electromagnetic valve 12, etc., and is connected to control and drive the recording radar 5 via a second driver 19. A detection signal from a temperature sensor 20 attached to the recording head 5 is input to the CPU 13. Furthermore, cap 7
There is an empty sensor 21 that detects whether the ink is empty (ink does not come out even if it is sucked).
is provided, and its detection signal is input to the CPU 13.

Power is supplied to the CPU 3, the first driver 14, and the second driver 19 from a power supply 23 via a power switch 22. Further, a key 24 for changing the control mode is connected to the CPUI 3.

The control program is stored in a ROM attached to the CPU 13.

Note that the reference numbers in FIG. 3 that are the same as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 indicate corresponding parts.

The operation is as follows.

When the power switch 22 is turned on at the start of normal use, the temperature detected by the sensor 2o of the recording head 5 will be lower than the set value (
For example, when the temperature is low (eg, 5° C. or lower), the suction pump 8 is driven to perform one ink suction operation, and then enter a printing standby state. If the temperature of the recording head 5 is higher than the set value, the printer enters a printing standby state without ink suction operation.

On the other hand, when the power switch 22 is turned on and a specific key 24 is intentionally operated (turned on), the CPU 13 operates with a different program and suctions the negative pressure inside the cap 7, that is, drives the suction pump 8 multiple times ( After repeating the process (for example, 6 times), the empty sensor 21 detects whether or not the ink inside the cap is empty. If the ink is empty, the electromagnetic valve 12 is opened and the negative pressure generated inside the cap 7 is used to remove the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank IO. After introducing water (such as water) into the cap to clean the ink ejection port, the printer enters a printing standby state. On the other hand, if the ink discharge port is filled with ink rather than the ink being empty, the cleaning liquid is not introduced and the printer immediately enters the print standby state.

FIG. 4 shows the ON operation of the power switch 22 and the specific key 24.
FIG. 5 shows a timing chart when the suction pump 8 is forcibly operated in the suction mode multiple times by performing the operations shown in FIG.
It is a graph illustrating a state in which negative pressure becomes stronger in stages.

Unless the ink source is empty, ink suction becomes difficult when the ink outlet becomes clogged due to extreme thickening or sticking of ink, and this causes the ink to fill up in the ink outlet. In other words, the ink in the cap is empty. According to the method of the present invention,
Since the cleaning liquid is introduced into the cap when such ink is empty, it is possible to easily dissolve and clean the stuck ink, especially when the ink is stuck when the ink arrives or is used after a long stop. , it is possible to ensure sealed ink discharge.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operating procedure of the operating method according to the present invention. When the power switch 22 is turned on and a specific key 24 is operated in step 100, the process proceeds to step 101 and the suction pump 8 is continuously operated multiple times. Ink is suctioned through the cap 7 multiple times in suction mode.

After this suction operation, it is determined in step 102 whether or not the ink is empty, and if the ink is empty, the process advances to step 103 to execute a cleaning liquid suction mode in which cleaning liquid is introduced into the cap 7. Step 1
04 enters the print standby state.

If it is determined in step 102 that the ink is not empty, the process immediately proceeds to step 104 and enters a print standby state.

According to the operating method described above, ink is forcibly suctioned multiple times in suction mode, so ink can be easily and reliably filled into the ink ejection port even when a shipment arrives or after a long period of non-use. .

Further, if the ink at the ink ejection port becomes extremely thick and stuck to the point where the ink is empty, the cleaning liquid suction mode is automatically set to melt and wash the stuck ink, so that stable ink ejection can be ensured.

Note that the present invention can be similarly applied to inkjet recording apparatuses having multiple heads, such as those for color printing.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of essential parts of an ink jet recording apparatus suitable for carrying out the method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ink recovery means shown in FIG. 1 when the cap is closed, and FIG. 4 is a timing chart of the operation of the method of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating the state of negative pressure inside the cap in the method of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a method of the present invention. 3 is a flowchart showing the operating procedure. 4-...-carriage, 5-...-recording head, 6--1-
----Ink recovery means, 7---Cap, 8
・−・−・・〜Suction pump, 10−−−−−1・Cleaning liquid tank, 12−・・・・Solenoid valve, 13−−−−−−
CPU, 21... Empty sensor, 2
2.--Power switch, 24.--Specific key. Agent Patent Attorney Yasushi Oton Yiwo 10 Chopsticks 2B4

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In an inkjet recording device that seals the ink ejection opening of the recording head with a cap and recovers the ink by suctioning negative pressure inside the cap, the negative pressure suction inside the cap is activated by turning on the power and operating a specific key. After repeating this several times, it is detected whether or not the ink is empty inside the cap. If the ink is empty, the cleaning liquid is introduced into the cap using the negative pressure inside the cap to clean the ink ejection port, and then the system enters a standby state. , an operating method for an inkjet recording device characterized by immediately entering a standby state when ink is filled.