Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Ejector mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-21
2001-11-20
Yockey, David F. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Ejector mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318834
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and a method of controlling the same, and more particularly to a cleaning technique for carrying out cleaning after replacement of ink cartridges and a warning technique for issuing a warning when the ink jet recording apparatus is left without an ink cartridge.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, there has been proposed an ink jet recording apparatus which is capable of carrying out cleaning operation automatically after replacement of ink cartridges for delivering ink therefrom, so as to ensure reliable printing operations and positively fill a recording head with ink.
The cleaning operation is an operation of drawing ink by suction from an ink reservoir within an ink cartridge mounted in the ink jet recording apparatus into a cap arranged in a non-printing area of a printing mechanism of the ink jet recording apparatus via nozzles of the recording head, so as to prevent the nozzles from being clogged and remove air bubbles from ink passages.
In the cleaning operation, the recording head is hermetically capped, and then a pump creates negative pressure in a gap formed between the recording head and the cap. As a result, ink is drawn from the recording head into the cap, whereby the recording head is cleaned.
The conventional ink jet recording apparatus has no problem in cleaning when a new ink cartridge is mounted therein immediately after removal of an old one. However, if the apparatus is left without an ink cartridge for a long time, ink remaining within the recording head (i.e. within the ink passage and the nozzle) dries and solidifies.
As a result, a cleaning operation performed when an ink cartridge is mounted in the apparatus after a long interval requires an increased amount of ink to be sucked from the ink cartridge through execution of an increased number of times of cleaning, which shortens the service life of the ink cartridge. Further, the amount of waste ink which is not used for actual printing is increased, which results in an increase in running costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus and a method of controlling the same which make it possible to save a user's time and labor required for cleaning when the apparatus has an ink cartridge mounted therein after being left without an ink cartridge for a long time period.
It is a second object of the invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus and a method of controlling the same which are capable of issuing a warning to a user when the apparatus has been left without an ink cartridge for a long time period and reducing the amount of ink to be sucked for cleaning when an ink cartridge is mounted in the apparatus.
To attain the first object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an ink jet recording apparatus for recording by using a replaceable ink cartridge mounted therein, comprising:
a recording head for delivering ink therefrom;
cleaning means for carrying out cleaning of the recording head by sucking ink therefrom;
cartridge absence time-detecting means for detecting a cartridge absence time period over which continues a cartridge-unmounted state of the ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge is removed from the ink jet recording apparatus; and
suction amount-setting means for setting an amount of ink to be sucked for the cleaning, based on the cartridge absence time period, when the ink cartridge is mounted in the ink jet recording apparatus.
Preferably, the ink jet recording apparatus further comprises cartridge-unmounted state-detecting means for detecting the cartridge-unmounted state of the ink jet recording apparatus.
More preferably, the cartridge absence time-detecting means includes timer means for counting duration of the cartridge-unmounted state of the ink jet recording apparatus detected by the cartridge-unmounted state-detecting means.
Preferably, the suction amount-setting means includes storage means for storing predetermined values of the amount of ink to be sucked corresponding respectively to predetermined time periods to be detected as the cartridge absence time period.
To attain the first object, according to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of controlling an ink jet recording apparatus for recording by using a replaceable ink cartridge mounted therein, the ink jet recording apparatus having a recording head connected to the ink cartridge for delivering ink supplied from the ink cartridge,
the method comprising the steps of:
detecting a cartridge absence time period over which continues a cartridge-unmounted state of the ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge is removed from the ink jet recording apparatus; and
setting an amount of ink to be sucked for cleaning of the recording head, based on the cartridge absence time period, when the ink cartridge is mounted in the ink jet recording apparatus; and
carrying out the cleaning of the recording head by sucking ink therefrom.
Preferably, the step of detecting the cartridge absence time period includes the step of detecting whether or not the cartridge is mounted in the ink jet recording apparatus.
To attain the second object, according to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an ink jet recording apparatus for recording by using a replaceable ink cartridge mounted therein, comprising:
cartridge absence time-detecting means for detecting a cartridge absence time period over which continues a cartridge-unmounted state of the ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge is removed from the ink jet recording apparatus; and
warning means for issuing a warning to a user so as to prompt the user to mount the ink cartridge in the ink jet recording apparatus each time that the cartridge absence time period reaches at least one predetermined time period.
Preferably, the ink jet recording apparatus further comprises cartridge-unmounted state-detecting means for detecting the cartridge-unmounted state of the ink jet recording apparatus.
More preferably, the cartridge absence time-detecting means includes timer means for counting duration of the cartridge-unmounted state of the ink jet recording apparatus detected by the cartridge-unmounted state-detecting means.
Preferably, the warning means includes a liquid crystal display device for displaying thereon a message for the warning.
Alternatively, the warning means includes a buzzer device for making a buzzing sound for the warning.
Alternatively, the warning means includes an LED display device having at least one LED for being flashed for the warning.
To attain the second object, according to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of controlling an ink jet recording apparatus for recording by using a replaceable ink cartridge mounted therein,
the method comprising the steps of:
detecting a cartridge absence time period over which continues a cartridge-unmounted state of the ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge is removed from the ink jet recording apparatus; and
issuing a warning to a user so as to prompt the user to mount the ink cartridge in the ink jet recording apparatus each time that the cartridge absence time period reaches at least one predetermined time period.
Preferably, the step of detecting the cartridge absence time period includes the step of detecting whether or not the cartridge is mounted in the ink jet recording apparatus.
In the second and fourth aspects of the invention, more preferably, the ink jet recording apparatus includes timer means, and the step of detecting the cartridge absence time period includes the steps of starting the timer means for counting duration of the cartridge-unmounted state of the ink jet recording apparatus when it is detected that the ink cartridge is not mounted in the ink jet recording apparatus, and the step of stopping the timer means for terminating the counting of the cartridge-unmounted state of the ink jet recording
Kosaka Zenta
Otsuka Nobutoshi
Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.
Seiko Epson Corporation
Yockey David F.
LandOfFree
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