HK1051017B - Method and apparatus for detecting consumption of ink - Google Patents

Description

Method and device for detecting ink consumption

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for detecting the consumption state of ink in an ink container, an ink jet recording apparatus, and an ink container using the detection method and apparatus.

Technical Field

A general ink jet recording apparatus is configured such that the ink jet recording apparatus includes a carriage on which an ink jet type recording head is mounted, which is equipped with a pressure generating device for applying pressure to a pressure generating chamber, and a nozzle opening from which pressurized ink in the form of ink droplets is discharged, and an ink tank for containing ink which is supplied to the recording head through a passage and which is capable of continuous printing. The ink container is generally configured as an ink cartridge that can be attached to a recording apparatus and detached, and it is convenient for a user to replace the ink container when the ink is completely consumed.

Conventionally, as a method of managing ink consumption of an ink cartridge, there are known a method of managing ink consumption by a mathematical method of software, counting up ink droplets discharged from a recording head, and managing an absorption amount of ink in a print head maintenance step, another method of managing ink consumption by installing two pieces of electrodes, directly detecting an ink level on the ink cartridge, detecting a time point from which an actual consumption reaches a predetermined amount, and the like.

However, the method of managing ink consumption by accumulating the count of discharged ink droplets and the amount of absorbed ink by a mathematical method using software has a problem that the pressure and viscosity of ink in an ink cartridge vary depending on the use environment, such as high and low temperatures and humidities of a room where the ink cartridge is placed, the time elapsed after opening the sealed ink cartridge, a difference in the frequency of use by a user, and the like, and a non-negligible error may occur between the mathematically accumulated amount of consumed ink and the actual amount of consumed ink. In addition, if the same ink cartridge is removed and reinstalled, there is a problem that the accumulated count value has been reset, and the actual remaining amount of ink is not known at all.

On the other hand, with the method of managing the ink end point in time with the electrode, since the actual amount of ink at a certain point in time can be detected, the remaining amount of ink can be managed with high reliability. However, in order to detect the ink level, the ink must be conductive, thus limiting the types of inks that can be used. Further, there is a problem that a fluid sealing structure between the electrode and the ink cartridge is complicated. In addition, since a noble metal having good conductivity is generally used as an electrode material, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost of the ink cartridge is increased. Further, since two electrodes need to be mounted at different positions, there is a problem in that the number of manufacturing steps increases, and as a result, the manufacturing cost also increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conditions, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for detecting ink consumption, which can accurately detect a liquid consumption state.

The technique for detecting the remaining amount of liquid provided by the present invention particularly utilizes an oscillation, and particularly can accurately and finely detect a change in the volume of liquid.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a liquid container which can accurately detect the consumption state of a liquid and does not require a complicated sealing structure.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an ink cartridge which can accurately detect the consumption state of ink without requiring a complicated sealing structure.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the ink cartridge, and may be applied to other liquid containers.

Disclosure of Invention

An aspect of the present invention is a method of detecting an ink consumption state of an ink container for an inkjet recording apparatus. The method employs a combination of an estimated consumption calculation procedure and an actual consumption detection procedure. An estimated consumption state of ink in an ink container is required in an estimated consumption calculation program. The ink consumption is ink consumption (which can be obtained from the amount of printing) caused by printing, ink consumption for maintaining an ink head, and the like. The actual amount of the consumption detection process is an actual amount of the consumption state detected by detecting an oscillation state corresponding to the ink consumption state by a piezoelectric device.

According to the present invention, the actual consumption state can be detected using the piezoelectric device. On the other hand, according to an estimation procedure, a consumption state can be established in detail despite some errors. This enables the precise ink consumption state to be specifically established by a combination of the two procedures.

The actual consumption detecting program detects the ink level as an actual consumption state by the piezoelectric device. When a certain ink level passes through the piezoelectric device, the output of the piezoelectric device varies greatly. This ensures that the ink level is detected. At least one ink consumption state before and after the liquid surface portion passes is specifically established by an estimated consumption calculation program. For example, the ink level may be passed as a starting point to calculate subsequent consumption. Accurate and specific ink consumption states are established by executing these programs.

When it is detected that the ink level passes through the piezoelectric device, the detection of the actual consumption state is completed. Therefore, the piezoelectric device is limited to operate only when necessary. Specifically, the ineffective operation of the piezoelectric device and its corresponding actual consumption detection procedure are omitted.

In the estimated consumption calculation program, the estimated consumption state can be established by accumulating the number of ink droplets ejected from one recording head. In addition, in the estimated consumption calculation program, an estimated consumption state may be established based on the size of ink droplets ejected from the recording head.

In the estimated consumption calculation program, consumption conversion information indicating a relationship between an operation amount of the ink jet recording apparatus and an ink consumption amount is to be corrected in accordance with a detection result of the actual consumption detection program. The consumption conversion information may be information of the amount of ink consumed during maintenance. The consumption conversion information may be an ink amount corresponding to an ink droplet ejected from the recording head. Due to the relationship between the inkjet recording apparatus and the ink container and further combinations thereof, the conversion parameters for indicating the relationship between the printing amount and the consumption state are slightly different. Errors due to differences in parameters can be reduced, thereby more accurately establishing the consumption state.

The corrected consumption conversion information may also be used to limit the ink container that is the target of the correction. The corrected consumption conversion information is not limited to the ink container to be corrected, and may be used for an ink container to be mounted later. For example, the latter is advantageous for a case where the influence is caused due to a large individual difference in consumption conversion parameters of the inkjet head. Each ink jet recording apparatus can employ consumption conversion information suitable for its recording head.

In the estimated consumption calculation program, the estimated consumption state is corrected based on the detection result of the actual consumption detection program. The estimated consumption calculation routine described above can obtain the estimated consumption state by accumulating the number of ink droplets ejected from the recording head. Once the detection result of the actual consumption detection routine is obtained, the estimated consumption state established by the accumulation so far is corrected. In this form, when the actual consumption state is detected, the error that has occurred so far in the estimated consumption calculation routine is corrected. This enables an ink consumption state to be accurately established.

Examples of consumption state information according to the present invention are: how much possible printing amount is still possible with the remaining ink can be indicated according to the obtained already established consumption state. The remaining amount of ink can be indicated based on the consumption state that has been established. A different color corresponding to the amount of ink remaining may be used in indicating the amount of ink remaining. In indicating the remaining ink amount, a different pattern corresponding to the amount of ink applied may be employed. The inkjet recording apparatus can be controlled in various forms according to the consumption state information. For example, the printing process is stopped when the ink container is emptied.

Further, according to the present invention, the necessity and time for replenishing ink or replacing an ink container can be determined based on the estimated consumption state. The necessity and time for replenishing ink or replacing an ink container can be determined based on the actual consumption state.

The above-described piezoelectric device employed in the actual consumption detecting process may be provided in the vicinity of the ink supply opening of the ink container.

The interior of the ink container may be partitioned into a plurality of chambers communicating with each other by at least one partition wall. The piezoelectric device used in the actual consumption detecting process may be provided in the upper part of the chamber, and the ink in the chamber is continuously consumed. The volume of a chamber in which ink can be used later is set to be smaller than the volume of a chamber in which ink has run out.

The consumption state is preferably stored in a storage means, for example a consumption state memory. The storage device may be a memory device mounted on the ink container. This form is useful for disassembling the ink container. It is convenient to establish the consumption state of the removed ink container when it is remounted.

The above-mentioned consumption conversion information may be stored in the consumption state memory. Consumption state information corrected according to the actual consumption state may also be stored subsequently. This information is read from the memory and utilized when the ink container is mounted.

The above-described actual consumption detection processing section detects an actual consumption state from an acoustic impedance accompanying liquid consumption using a piezoelectric device. The output signal of the piezoelectric device is used to indicate the state of the residual oscillation after an oscillation has occurred. The actual consumption state is detected based on a change in the remaining oscillation state with the ink consumption state.

In addition, the piezoelectric device may generate an elastic wave directed to the inside of the liquid container, and generate a detection signal corresponding to a reflected wave with respect to the elastic wave.

When the actual consumption state is detected by the actual consumption detecting program, the remaining possible effective printing amount can be calculated from the actual consumption state. In printing the possible effective printing amount, the print data may be stored in the print data storage portion before printing.

Another aspect of the present invention is an ink jet recording apparatus having a consumption information memory for storing ink consumption state information on an ink container. The consumption information memory is constituted by a semiconductor memory. In the consumption information memory, there are stored an estimated consumption state of ink in the ink container, an actual consumption state obtained by detecting an oscillation state corresponding to the ink consumption state with the piezoelectric device, and information of ink-end obtained from the actual consumption state, the information of ink-end being used to indicate that the ink has been used up, and an ink level passing through the piezoelectric device. It is preferable that the information on the ink-end stored in the consumption information memory is read out when the ink container is attached. It is determined by the inkjet recording apparatus whether the ink level can pass through the piezoelectric device, and if so, a predetermined operation is performed.

According to this aspect, information of the estimated consumption state, the actual consumption state, and the ink-end is stored in the semiconductor memory. This information is available for reading and use. The information of ink-end is preferably stored in a separate storage area from the other consumption state information. If only information on the ink end is seen, it is easy to find whether the ink level has passed through the piezoelectric device. This information may be used, for example, in the operation of mounting the ink container. The user is informed of the presence or absence of ink in the mounted ink container. The ink jet recording apparatus can be appropriately operated according to the ink consumption state using the information of ink end.

Another aspect of the present invention is an ink container mounted in an ink jet recording apparatus, which has a consumption information memory for storing information on a consumption state of ink. The consumption information memory may be constituted by one semiconductor memory. Information on the estimated consumption state of the ink container and the ink end obtained with the piezoelectric device as the actual consumption state is stored in the consumption information memory, and is used to indicate that the ink end result is produced by the ink level of the piezoelectric device. According to this aspect, an effect similar to the ink-end result described with respect to the inkjet recording apparatus can also be obtained.

Another aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for detecting an ink consumption state of an ink container used in an inkjet recording apparatus. The ink consumption detecting apparatus includes an estimated consumption calculation processing section which calculates an ink consumption state of the ink container based on consumption conversion information for establishing an ink consumption state, an actual consumption detection processing section which detects the actual consumption state using a piezoelectric device mounted on the ink container, a conversion information correction processing section which corrects the estimated conversion information based on the actual consumption state, and a consumption information storage section which stores and supplies the corrected consumption conversion information for the estimated consumption calculation processing section before and after correction of the reference consumption conversion information.

The consumption information storage portion is preferably mounted on the ink container. The consumption information storage portion stores corrected consumption conversion information and correction target identification information for identifying the inkjet recording apparatus to which the ink container has been mounted when the consumption conversion information is corrected. When the corrected consumption conversion information is obtained, the above-described estimated consumption calculation processing section stores this ink jet recording apparatus as a target in the consumption information storage section using the consumption conversion information corrected by the same. When the corrected consumption conversion information is obtained, the estimated consumption calculation processing section targets this ink jet recording apparatus with the reference consumption conversion information without storing in the consumption information storage section. It is preferable that the reference consumption conversion information or the corrected consumption conversion information is selected by the estimated consumption information storing section based on the correction target identification information at the time of replacement of the ink container.

According to the present invention, the correction consumption conversion information is used only when the correction is performed on the inkjet recording apparatus with reference to the correction target identification information. It is possible to avoid the occurrence of a situation where this correction consumption conversion information is used in another ink jet recording apparatus. The reference consumption conversion information may be used, for example, when one ink container is detached from a recording apparatus and attached to another recording apparatus. The previous correction consumption conversion information is used when the ink container is mounted again on the same recording apparatus. Thus, since appropriate consumption conversion information is used, an ink consumption state can be accurately established.

The correction target identification information may be information for identifying the type of the inkjet recording apparatus. The above-described correction target identification information may be information for individually identifying ink consumption related to the configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus. The above-mentioned correction target identification information may be information for identifying a recording head of the inkjet recording apparatus.

It is preferable to provide a plurality of piezoelectric devices at different positions of the ink container. The ink level passing through each piezoelectric device is detected by the above-described actual consumption detection processing section. The above conversion information correction processing section creates correction consumption conversion information based on an estimated consumption amount (the amount of printing and/or the number of times of maintenance can be adopted) obtained from a point of time when one piezoelectric device detects the passage of one liquid level portion to a point of time when the next piezoelectric device detects the passage of this liquid level portion. When the corrected consumption conversion information is obtained, the estimated consumption calculation processing unit switches from the basic consumption conversion information to the corrected consumption conversion information, thereby establishing the consumption state thereof. It is preferable that this correction consumption conversion information is established when the plurality of piezoelectric devices detect the ink level after the ink tank is replaced, and that switching is made from the basic consumption conversion information to the correction consumption conversion information.

In this way, when the ink container is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus, the corrected consumption conversion information targeted for this recording apparatus is used after it is obtained. For example, even in the case where a used half of the ink containers are removed and then mounted on another recording apparatus, appropriate consumption conversion information can be used.

The present invention may have various embodiments. The present invention is not limited to the ink consumption detecting device, and may be a control device of an ink jet recording apparatus, an ink container, or other applications. In the case where the present invention is applied to an ink container, the ink container preferably has a consumption information memory and provides necessary information, particularly consumption conversion information, for the various processes described above. One typical ink container is an ink cartridge that can be attached/detached to/from a recording apparatus.

An aspect of the present invention is a method for detecting an ink consumption state of an ink container used in an inkjet recording apparatus. The method employs a combination of an estimated consumption calculation procedure and an actual consumption detection procedure. In the estimated consumption calculation program, an ink consumption state is calculated based on ink consumption of the ink container, thereby establishing an estimated consumption state. The ink consumption may be ink consumption caused by printing or ink consumption for maintaining an ink head. On the other hand, the actual consumption detecting program detects an oscillation state corresponding to the ink consumption state by a piezoelectric device, thereby detecting the actual consumption state. According to the present invention, the actual consumption detecting program is a program that can detect the actual consumption states of a plurality of stages with a plurality of piezoelectric devices mounted at different positions of an ink container.

According to the present invention, a consumption state can be specifically established based on an estimation program for ink consumption, despite some errors. On the other hand, the consumption state can be accurately detected by using the piezoelectric device without requiring a complicated sealing structure. In particular, a plurality of piezoelectric elements can be used to establish a multi-stage actual consumption state. An ink consumption state can be accurately and specifically established based on the actual consumption state and the estimated consumption state of the plurality of stages.

In the actual consumption detection program, it is preferable that the detected ink level passing through each piezoelectric device is regarded as an actual consumption state. In the estimated consumption calculation program, a consumption state from a point in time when one piezoelectric device detects the passage of one liquid level portion to a point in time when the next piezoelectric device detects the passage of the liquid level portion is taken as an estimated consumption state. In addition, in the estimated consumption calculation program, a consumption state after the lowest-voltage device detects passage of one liquid level portion is taken as an estimated consumption state. By means of these procedures, the consumption state can be detected accurately when a liquid level portion passes, and the consumption state before and after the passage is supplemented by estimation. This makes it possible to accurately and specifically continuously replenish the ink consumption state.

In the estimated consumption calculation program, it is preferable that the consumption conversion information is corrected when one liquid level passes through each of the piezoelectric devices, and the estimated consumption state thereof is established based on the corrected consumption conversion information. The consumption conversion information may be an ink amount corresponding to the number of ink droplets ejected from the recording head. This consumption conversion information may be volume information of ink consumed when performing maintenance. The consumption conversion parameter may be slightly different due to the inkjet recording apparatus and the ink container and further combinations thereof. Such errors due to different transformation parameters can be reduced to more accurately establish the consumption state.

The use of the correction consumption conversion information may be limited to only one ink tank as a correction target. Alternatively, the correction consumption conversion information may be used for an ink container to be mounted later, not limited to only the ink container as the correction target. The latter is advantageous, for example, in the case where the consumption conversion parameter is affected due to a great individual difference of the inkjet heads. Each of the ink jet recording apparatuses can apply the consumption conversion information to their recording heads.

According to the method of the present invention, when the lowest-voltage device detects the passage of one liquid level portion, it is also possible to establish the consumption conversion information which has been finalized so far based on the correction result of the consumption conversion information obtained a plurality of times following the plurality of detected liquid level passages. The estimated consumption state is established using the final consumption transition information after the lowest piezoelectric device among the respective plurality of piezoelectric devices detects the passage of a liquid level portion.

The estimated consumption calculation program is preferably a program for correcting the estimated consumption state thus far created by accumulation by accumulating the number of ink droplets ejected from the recording head when the respective plural piezoelectric devices detect the passage of a liquid surface portion. In this way, the error generated by the estimated consumption calculation program can be corrected when the actual consumption state is detected. This enables the ink consumption state to be accurately established.

The above-described actual consumption detection processing section may detect the actual consumption state from a change in acoustic impedance accompanying liquid consumption using the piezoelectric device. The output signal of the piezoelectric device may indicate a remaining oscillation state after an oscillation is generated. The actual consumption state is detected based on a change in the remaining oscillation state with the ink consumption state.

Alternatively, the piezoelectric device may generate a detection signal corresponding to a reflected wave with respect to an elastic wave, and may also generate an elastic wave directed to the inside of the liquid container.

The above-described ink container, which is a typical target for detection of the state of consumption of ink, is an ink cartridge that can be attached to an inkjet recording apparatus and detached. However, the ink container is not limited to the ink cartridge, and may be applied to an auxiliary container fixed to a recording apparatus or the like.

Another aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for detecting an ink consumption state of an ink container for use in an ink jet recording apparatus, the apparatus including an estimated consumption calculation processing section that calculates the ink consumption state based on the ink container, establishes an estimated consumption state, a plurality of piezoelectric devices mounted at different positions of the ink container, and an actual consumption detection processing section that detects the actual consumption state of the ink in a plurality of stages by using the plurality of piezoelectric devices to detect an oscillation state corresponding to the ink consumption state.

An inkjet recording apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention can attach and detach an ink container for containing ink having a piezoelectric device, supply ink to a recording head that discharges ink droplets, and record and detect the ink. In addition, the corresponding ink jet recording apparatus further includes an estimated consumption calculation processing section which establishes an estimated consumption state for the ink inside the ink container based on reference consumption conversion information relating to an amount of the ink consumed by a recording head, an actual consumption detection processing section which detects the actual consumption state by detecting an oscillation state corresponding to the ink consumption state inside the ink container using the piezoelectric device, and a correction section which corrects the reference consumption conversion information based on a decision concerning whether or not the given reference consumption conversion information is a correct result and takes it as a correction target.

The ink jet recording apparatus concerned preferably establishes an estimated consumption state by adding the number of times the ink consumed by the recording head is consumed and the amount of ink obtained from the reference consumption conversion information.

It is preferable that the reference consumption conversion information is divided into at least two unit information different from each other. In addition, the correction section determines at least one unit information out of the two unit information as a correction target at least based on the estimated consumption state. In addition, the correction unit may be provided in advance, and at least one piece of unit information may be determined as the correction target.

At least two units of information may be divided according to the amount of discharge of ink droplets from the recording head. The at least two units of information may be divided by a printing state and a non-printing state. At least two units of information may be divided according to the ambient temperature recorded by the recording head. The at least two units of information may be divided according to the peripheral temperature recorded by the recording head.

The correcting section preferably corrects the reference consumption conversion information by using a ratio between the estimated consumption state and the actual consumption state.

The ink jet recording apparatus preferably has a storage section for storing reference consumption conversion information. The ink jet recording apparatus preferably has a storage section for storing the reference consumption information corrected by the correcting section.

One element of the reference consumption conversion information may be represented by the amount of ink droplets discharged by the recording head. One element of the reference consumption conversion information may be represented by the mass of ink droplets discharged by the recording head. One element of the reference consumption conversion information may be represented with one scale constituting the optimal unit information as a reference. The estimated consumption calculation processing portion may establish an estimated consumption state based on any one of the plurality of reference consumption conversion information.

An ink container according to an aspect of the present invention is provided with a container for containing ink supplied to a recording head which discharges ink droplets, a liquid supply opening for supplying the ink to the recording head, a piezoelectric device for detecting an ink consumption state inside the container, and a storage section for storing reference consumption conversion information which is divided into at least two kinds of unit information related to an ink consumption amount of the recording head and different from each other. The ink container concerned can be attached/detached to/from an ink jet recording apparatus which records by discharging ink droplets.

The storage section is preferably configured to store reference consumption conversion information divided into unit information corrected on the basis of an estimated consumption state of the ink in the ink container based on the reference consumption conversion information and an actual consumption state detected by the piezoelectric device from an oscillation state corresponding to the consumption state of the ink in the ink container.

The storage section may store a plurality of reference consumption conversion information different from each other. The number of the plurality of reference consumption conversion information is determined in accordance with the number of the piezoelectric devices.

An aspect of an ink consumption detecting method of the present invention is a method for detecting an ink consumption state of an ink container having a piezoelectric device thereon, being used to contain ink supplied to a recording head discharging ink droplets and detecting the ink, which is attachable and detachable at the time of mounting on an ink jet recording apparatus, and having a detecting step of establishing an estimated consumption state based on reference consumption conversion information on an ink consumption amount from the recording head and detecting an actual consumption state by detecting an oscillation state corresponding to the ink consumption state with the piezoelectric device, a correction determining step of determining whether the reference consumption conversion information gives a correct result, and a correcting step of correcting the reference consumption conversion information based on the result determined to be correct at the time of performing the correction determining step.

In the correction determining step, the correcting section may determine whether or not to correct the reference consumption conversion information in the correcting step using a relationship between the estimated consumption state before the detecting step and the reference consumption conversion information in the detecting step.

It is preferable that the reference consumption conversion information is divided into at least two kinds of unit information different from each other regarding the amount of ink droplets discharged from the recording head.

It is preferable that whether or not the at least two kinds of unit information give the correct result is determined by the relevant method for detecting ink consumption based on the estimated consumption state in the correction determining step.

In the correction determination step, if the estimated consumption state with respect to the amount of ink consumption or the consumption ratio according to the second unit information is larger than the estimated consumption state according to the unit information other than the first unit information, the second unit information may be regarded as a correct result.

In the correction determination step, if the estimated consumption state with respect to the amount of ink consumption or the consumption ratio based on the information on the unit in the detection step is larger than any estimated consumption state based on the information on the unit before this detection step, the information on the unit can be determined as a correct result.

In the correction determination step, the unit information whose estimated consumption state with respect to the ink consumption amount or the consumption ratio is larger than a predetermined threshold may be determined as a correct result.

In the estimated consumption calculation program, linear calculation between the elements of the reference consumption transformation information may be suitably employed to establish the estimated consumption.

In the correction determining step, at least one unit information among the unit information may be determined as a correct result using an error probability value between the estimated consumption state and the actual consumption state.

Another aspect of the ink consumption detecting method according to the present invention has a first step of establishing an estimated consumption state based on first reference consumption conversion information among a plurality of reference consumption conversion information relating to the amount of ink consumption from the recording head and detecting an oscillation state corresponding to the ink consumption state with a piezoelectric device, and a second detecting step of establishing an estimated consumption state based on second reference consumption conversion information different from the first reference consumption conversion information among the plurality of reference consumption conversion information and detecting an actual consumption state by detecting an oscillation state corresponding to the ink consumption state with a piezoelectric device.

This aspect may have a modified determining step of determining whether to change the first reference consumption transformation information into second reference consumption transformation information different from the first reference consumption transformation information between the first detecting step and the second detecting step. In this case, in the second detection step, an estimated consumption state is established based on the first reference consumption conversion information or the second reference consumption conversion information in accordance with the result of the modified determination step, and the actual consumption state is detected by detecting an oscillation state corresponding to the ink consumption state with a piezoelectric device.

In the estimated consumption calculation program, it is preferable to establish an estimated consumption state by accumulating the amount of ink consumed by the recording head and the amount of ink obtained from the reference consumption conversion information.

In the actual consumption detection processing section, it is preferable to detect the actual consumption state from a change in acoustic impedance accompanying ink consumption using a piezoelectric device.

In the actual consumption detection processing section, it is preferable to detect an ink consumption state based on a counter electromotive force generated with respect to a residual oscillation remaining in the oscillation section equipped with the piezoelectric device.

The present invention may further comprise:

a method for detecting an ink consumption state of an ink tank of an inkjet recording apparatus, the method comprising combining:

estimated consumption calculation processing for calculating an estimated consumption state of the ink in the ink tank using consumption conversion information indicating a relationship between a workload and an ink consumption amount of the ink jet recording apparatus,

an actual consumption detection process of detecting an actual consumption state of the ink in the ink tank by detecting an oscillation state of the piezoelectric element corresponding to an actual ink consumption state of the ink in the ink tank using a piezoelectric device having a piezoelectric element;

The piezoelectric device includes an oscillating portion that contacts the ink in the ink tank through an opening that defines a region of the oscillating portion;

the piezoelectric device outputs a signal indicating a residual oscillation state of the oscillation section, and the actual consumption state is detected based on a phenomenon that the residual oscillation state changes in accordance with the ink consumption state.

An apparatus for detecting an ink consumption state of an ink tank used for an ink jet recording apparatus, said apparatus for detecting ink consumption comprising:

an estimated consumption calculation processing section for calculating an estimated consumption state of the ink in the ink tank using consumption conversion information representing a relationship between a workload and an ink consumption amount of the ink jet recording apparatus;

a piezoelectric device having a piezoelectric element, said piezoelectric device being mounted on said ink tank;

an actual consumption detection processing section for detecting an actual consumption state of the ink in the ink tank by detecting an oscillation state of the piezoelectric element corresponding to the consumption state of the ink in the ink tank, using the piezoelectric device;

the piezoelectric device includes an oscillating portion that contacts the ink in the ink tank through an opening that defines a region of the oscillating portion;

The piezoelectric device outputs a signal indicating a residual oscillation state of the oscillation section, and the actual consumption state is detected based on a phenomenon that the residual oscillation state changes in accordance with the ink consumption state.

An apparatus for detecting an ink consumption state of an ink tank used for an ink jet recording apparatus, said apparatus for detecting ink consumption comprising:

an estimated consumption calculation processing section for calculating an estimated consumption state of the ink in the ink tank using consumption conversion information representing a relationship between a workload and an ink consumption amount of the ink jet recording apparatus;

an actual consumption detection processing section for detecting an actual consumption state of the ink in the ink tank by detecting an oscillation state of the piezoelectric element corresponding to a consumption state of the ink in the ink tank, using a piezoelectric device having a piezoelectric element;

a conversion information correction processing unit that corrects the consumption conversion information based on the actual consumption state;

a consumption information storage unit for storing reference consumption conversion information as the consumption conversion information before being corrected and consumption conversion information as correction of the consumption conversion information after being corrected, and supplying the reference consumption conversion information and the corrected consumption conversion information to the estimated consumption calculation processing unit;

The piezoelectric device includes an oscillating portion that contacts the ink in the ink tank through an opening that defines a region of the oscillating portion;

the piezoelectric device outputs a signal indicating a residual oscillation state of the oscillation section, and the actual consumption state is detected based on a phenomenon that the residual oscillation state changes in accordance with the ink consumption state.

An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:

a consumption information memory for storing information on an ink consumption state of an ink tank,

wherein the consumption information memory stores:

an estimated consumption state of the ink in the ink tank, which is calculated using a consumption conversion information representing a relationship between a workload and an amount of ink consumption of the ink jet recording apparatus;

the actual consumption state of the ink in the ink tank is detected by a piezoelectric device having a piezoelectric element mounted on the ink tank;

ink end event information obtained from the actual consumption state, the ink end event information indicating an ink end event occurring by the piezoelectric element of the piezoelectric device in correspondence with an ink liquid level;

the piezoelectric device includes an oscillating portion that contacts the ink in the ink tank through an opening that defines a region of the oscillating portion;

The piezoelectric device outputs a signal indicating a residual oscillation state of the oscillation section, and the actual consumption state is detected based on a phenomenon that the residual oscillation state changes in accordance with the ink consumption state.

Drawings

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of an ink cartridge for a single color ink, such as black;

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of an ink cartridge for containing a plurality of inks;

FIG. 3 shows an ink jet recording apparatus to which the ink cartridge shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is applied

Example (c);

fig. 4 shows a sectional view of one sub-tank unit 33 in detail;

fig. 5 is a schematic view of one method of manufacturing elastic-wave generating devices 3, 15, 16, and 17;

fig. 6 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the elastic wave generating device 3 shown in fig. 5;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of yet another embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of yet another embodiment of an ink cartridge of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of yet another embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention;

FIGS. 12A and 12B are schematic views of still another embodiment of the ink cartridge shown in FIG. 11;

FIGS. 13A and 13B are schematic views of an ink cartridge according to still another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 14A, 14B and 14C show schematic plan views of another embodiment of a through hole 1C;

FIGS. 15A and 15B are sectional views showing one embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention;

FIGS. 16A and 16B show an example of an ink cartridge suitable for use in the recording apparatus shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B;

FIG. 17 shows another embodiment of an ink cartridge 272 of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a sectional view showing still another example of the ink cartridge 272 and the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the ink cartridge 272 shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B;

FIGS. 20A, 20B and 20C show a schematic view of actuator 106 in detail;

FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of the periphery of the driver 106 and its equivalent circuit;

FIGS. 22A and 22B graphically illustrate the relationship between ink density and ink resonant frequency as detected by actuator 106;

fig. 23A and 23B graphically illustrate the back emf waveform of actuator 106;

FIG. 24 is a schematic view of another embodiment of actuator 106;

FIG. 25 is a partial cross-sectional view of actuator 106 of FIG. 24;

fig. 26 is an overall cross-sectional view of the actuator 106 shown in fig. 25;

FIG. 27 is a schematic illustration of one method of making the actuator 106 of FIG. 24;

28A, 28B and 28C are schematic views of yet another embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention;

FIGS. 29A, 29B and 29C are schematic views showing another embodiment of the penetration hole 1C;

FIG. 30 shows a schematic view of another embodiment of an actuator 660;

FIGS. 31A and 31B show a schematic view of another embodiment of an actuator 670;

FIG. 32 is a perspective view of one module body 100;

FIG. 33 is an exploded view of the module body 100 of FIG. 32;

FIG. 34 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the module body 100;

FIG. 35 is an exploded view of the module body 100 of FIG. 34;

FIGS. 36A, 36B and 36C are schematic views of yet another embodiment of the module body 100;

FIG. 37 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an ink container 1 having the module body 100 of FIG. 32 mounted thereon;

FIGS. 38A, 38B and 38C show cross-sectional views of another embodiment of the module body 100;

FIG. 39 is a perspective view of an ink cartridge and an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus employing the actuator 106 shown in FIGS. 20A, 20B, 20C and 21;

FIG. 40 is a schematic view showing an ink jet recording apparatus in detail;

FIGS. 41A and 41B are schematic views of another embodiment of the ink cartridge 180 shown in FIG. 40;

FIGS. 42A, 42B, and 42C are schematic views of still another embodiment of an ink cartridge 180;

FIGS. 43A, 43B, and 43C are schematic views of still another embodiment of an ink cartridge 180;

FIGS. 44A, 44B and 44C are schematic views of another embodiment of the ink cartridge 180;

FIGS. 45A, 45B and 45C are schematic views of still another embodiment of the ink cartridge 180 shown in FIG. 44C;

FIGS. 46A, 46B, 46C and 46D are schematic views showing still another embodiment of an ink cartridge employing the module body 100;

FIG. 47 is a block diagram showing a configuration in which estimated consumption calculation and actual consumption detection are adopted in combination, and an ink jet recording apparatus;

FIG. 48 is a graph showing a consumption detection routine employing the configuration shown in FIG. 47;

FIG. 49 is a flowchart showing a consumption detecting program adopting the configuration shown in FIG. 47;

FIG. 50 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a display format for displaying a consumption status for a user;

FIG. 51 depicts a schematic of one embodiment of a suitable layout of a liquid sensor and consumption information storage;

FIGS. 52A and 52B show a schematic view of one embodiment of a suitable layout of a liquid sensor and consumption information storage;

fig. 53 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus of another embodiment;

fig. 54 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus of another embodiment;

FIG. 55 is a block diagram showing a constitution of employing estimated consumption calculation and actual consumption detection in combination and an ink jet recording apparatus;

FIG. 56 is a flowchart showing a procedure for employing the correction target identification information in the configuration of FIG. 55;

fig. 57 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus of another embodiment;

FIG. 58 is a schematic view showing a layout of the liquid sensor in the ink cartridge shown in FIG. 57;

FIG. 59 is a flowchart showing a procedure for employing the correction target identification information in the configuration of FIG. 58;

FIG. 60 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the routine of FIG. 59;

FIG. 61 is a block diagram showing a configuration in which estimated consumption calculation and actual consumption detection are adopted in combination, and an ink jet recording apparatus;

FIG. 62 is a schematic view showing one example of a layout of sensors and memories on one ink cartridge;

FIG. 63 is a graph showing a consumption detection routine employing the configuration shown in FIG. 61;

FIG. 64 is a flowchart showing a consumption detecting program adopting the configuration shown in FIG. 61;

fig. 65 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus of another embodiment;

FIG. 66 shows an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus;

FIG. 67 is a schematic view of one embodiment of an ink cartridge for a single color ink, such as black;

FIG. 68 is a schematic view of one embodiment of an ink cartridge for containing multiple inks;

FIG. 69 is a block diagram showing a constitution of employing estimated consumption calculation and actual consumption detection in combination and an ink jet recording apparatus;

fig. 70 shows a matrix table showing one example of the reference consumption conversion information stored in the consumption conversion information storage section 808;

FIG. 71 is a graph showing a consumption detection routine using the configuration shown in FIG. 69;

FIG. 72 is a graph showing a consumption detection routine using the configuration shown in FIG. 69;

fig. 73A and 73B are a table and a flowchart showing how the correction determining section 815 determines whether or not ink is used up;

FIGS. 74A and 74B are flowcharts of a consumption detection program adopting the configuration shown in FIG. 69;

FIG. 75 shows a cross-sectional view of an ink cartridge having multiple actuators as an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 76 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus of another embodiment;

FIG. 77 is an enlarged schematic view showing a portion of the ink cartridge having an actuator attached thereto;

FIG. 78 is a flowchart showing a detection routine and a correction routine for an ink cartridge having a plurality of actuators;

Fig. 79 is a table showing correction performed using a digital value per unit information;

fig. 80 is a table showing correction performed using a digital value per unit information;

FIGS. 81A and 81B are flowcharts showing the determination of a calibration target (S22) and the calibration of unit information with respect to the calibration target (S26) of FIG. 74A, FIG. 74B or FIG. 78;

FIG. 82 is a flowchart showing the determination of a calibration target (S22) and a calibration of unit information with respect to the calibration target (S26) of FIG. 74A, FIG. 74B, or FIG. 78; and

fig. 83 is a flowchart showing a correction routine executed using the threshold value of the estimated consumption rate of fig. 80.

Detailed Description

The present invention will be explained below by way of examples of the present invention, however, the following examples do not limit the scope of the invention of the claims, and it is not necessarily required to have all combinations of the features described in these examples in order to solve the problems.

The principle of the present embodiment will be explained first. In the present embodiment, the application of the present invention is a technique of detecting the ink consumption state inside one ink container. The ink consumption state is established in cooperation with both procedures. One is an estimated consumption calculation program, and the other is an actual consumption detection program.

In the estimated consumption calculation program, an estimated consumption state is established by calculating an ink consumption state based on ink consumption of the ink container. The ink consumption includes ink consumption for printing and ink consumption required for maintenance of the recording head. The present invention may be used for either or both. Regarding the ink amount, the ink consumption amount is established in accordance with the number of ink droplets ejected from the recording head or the number of generated ink droplets and the ink amount per one droplet. The maintenance aspect is to establish ink consumption by the number of times of maintenance procedures, the amount of processing, the amount of conversion from the amount of processing to the number of ink drops, and the like.

In the actual consumption detecting program, an oscillation state corresponding to the ink consumption state is detected by a piezoelectric device, thereby detecting the actual consumption state. Preferably, a piezoelectric device is used to detect changes in acoustic impedance that accompany ink consumption.

According to the estimation procedure, a consumption state can be established in particular, despite some errors. On the other hand, a consumption state can be accurately detected by using the piezoelectric device without using any complicated sensor sealing structure. This makes it possible to accurately and specifically establish the ink consumption state by a combination of the two procedures.

In the present embodiment described below, the actual consumption detecting program detects the ink level as the actual consumption state by the piezoelectric device. When a certain ink level passes through the piezoelectric device, the output of the piezoelectric device varies greatly. This ensures that the portion of the liquid level passing through is detected. The ink consumption state before and after the liquid surface portion passes is specifically established by the estimated consumption calculation program. Further, it is possible to correct an error generated by the estimation calculation routine when the liquid level portion passes through the piezoelectric device. It is also possible to correct the variation information used by the estimation calculation program. Executing these programs enables an ink consumption program to be accurately and specifically established.

The present embodiment will be explained in detail below with reference to the drawings. The operation principle of detecting ink consumption based on oscillation using a piezoelectric device will be explained first. Various applications of this detection technique will then be explained. The ink consumption detecting technique of the present embodiment, particularly one employing an estimated consumption calculating program and an actual consumption detecting program, will be described below with reference to fig. 47.

In this embodiment, the piezoelectric device is incorporated in a liquid sensor. The "exciter" and the "elastic wave generating device" described hereinafter are both equivalent to a liquid sensor.

[ ink Cartridge for detecting ink consumption ]

The basic principle of the present invention is to detect the liquid state (including the presence or absence of liquid in the liquid container, the amount of liquid, the liquid level, the type of liquid, and the composition of liquid) in the liquid container by using an oscillation phenomenon. Some specific methods utilizing the oscillation phenomenon may be considered as a method of detecting the state of the liquid in the liquid container. For example, there is a method in which an elastic wave is generated by an elastic wave generating device with respect to the inside of a liquid container, a reflected wave reflected by a liquid surface or an opposing wall is received, and a medium and a change in state thereof inside the liquid container are detected. Another method is to detect a change in acoustic impedance based on the oscillation characteristics of an oscillating object. As a method of utilizing the acoustic impedance, there are a method of detecting a change in the acoustic impedance with an oscillating member of a piezoelectric device having a piezoelectric element or an oscillating actuator, continuously measuring a counter electromotive force generated by a residual oscillation remaining in the oscillating member, and detecting a resonance frequency or an amplitude of a waveform of the counter electromotive force, a method of measuring a change in a current value and a voltage value, or a method of measuring an impedance characteristic of a liquid or an admittance characteristic of the liquid with an impedance analyzer such as a measuring device such as a transmission circuit, thereby measuring a change in a current value and a voltage value due to a frequency when the liquid is oscillated. The operation of the elastic wave generating device and the piezoelectric device or actuator will be explained in detail below.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an ink cartridge for a single color ink, such as black, employing the present invention. The ink cartridge of fig. 1 is based on a method of detecting the position of the liquid surface in the liquid container and the presence or absence of liquid by receiving a reflected wave of an elastic wave from the above-described method. An elastic wave generating device 3 is used to generate and receive elastic waves. An ink supply opening 2 connected to an ink supply needle of a recording apparatus is provided in a container 1 for containing ink. The elastic wave generator 3 is attached to the outside of the bottom surface 1a of the container 1, and the elastic wave emitter 3 can emit one type of elastic wave to the ink inside the container. At the level at which the ink k is almost completely consumed, particularly at the point in time when the ink is about to be used up, the elastic wave generating device 3 is at a position slightly higher than the ink supply opening 2 so that the medium that propagates the elastic wave is changed from ink to air. It is to be noted that the receiving means is provided independently, and the elastic wave generating means 3 may be used only as the generating means.

In the ink supply opening 2 there is a seal 4 and a valve member 6. As shown in fig. 3, the seal member 4 engages in a liquid-tight manner with an ink supply needle 32 connected to one recording head 31. The valve member 6 is always in contact with the sealing member 4 by a spring 5. When the ink supply needle 32 is inserted, the ink supply needle 32 pushes the valve member 6 to open to allow the ink to flow, and the ink in the container 1 is supplied to the recording head 31 through the ink supply opening 2 and the ink supply needle 32. Mounted on the upper wall of the container 1 is a semiconductor memory device 7 in which information relating to the ink inside the ink cartridge is stored.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view seen from the back, showing an embodiment of an ink cartridge for containing a plurality of inks. The container 8 is divided by partition walls into three ink compartments 9, 10 and 11. Each ink chamber has an ink supply opening 12, 13 and 14. Elastic wave generating devices 15, 16 and 17 are provided on the bottom surface 8a of each of the ink tanks 9, 10 and 11, and these devices can emit an elastic wave through the tank 8 toward the ink contained in each of the ink tanks.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing an example of main parts of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the ink cartridge shown in fig. 1 and 2 is applied. A sub-tank unit 22 is mounted on a carriage 30 capable of reciprocating in the width direction of the recording paper, and a recording head 31 is mounted below the sub-tank unit 33. Further, one ink supply needle 32 is attached to a side surface of the cartridge mounting surface of the sub-tank unit 33.

The cross-sectional view of fig. 4 shows details of the sub-tank unit 33. The sub-tank unit 33 has an ink supply needle 32, an ink tank 34, a membrane valve 36 and a filter 37. Ink supplied from the ink cartridge through the ink supply needle 32 is contained in the ink tank 34. The diaphragm valve 36 is designed to open and close by the pressure difference between the ink tank 34 and the ink supply path 35. The arrangement is such that the ink supply path 35 communicates with the recording head 31 to supply ink to the recording head 31.

When the ink supply opening 2 of the container 1 is inserted and communicated with the ink supply needle 32 of the sub-tank unit 33 as shown in fig. 3, the valve element 6 abuts against the spring 5 to form an ink passage, and the ink in the container 1 flows into the ink tank 34. On the step where the ink tank 34 is filled with ink, one nozzle opening of the recording head 31 is subjected to negative pressure, the ink is charged into the ink tank 34, and the recording operation is performed therewith.

When the recording operation consumes the ink in the recording head 31, the diaphragm valve 36 is separated from the valve element 38 because the pressure on the downstream side of the diaphragm valve 36 is reduced, and the valve is opened as shown in fig. 4. As the thin film valve 36 is opened, the ink in the ink tank 34 flows into the recording head 31 through the ink supply path 35. As the ink flows into the recording head 31, the ink in the tank 1 flows into the sub-tank unit 33 through the ink supply needle 32.

During the operation of the recording apparatus, a drive signal is supplied to the elastic wave generation device 3 at a preset detection timing, for example, at a certain period. The elastic wave generated by the elastic wave generating device 3 propagates through the bottom surface 1a of the container 1, is transmitted to the ink, and propagates through the ink.

The elastic wave generator 3 is connected and fixed to the container 1, and can provide a continuous detection function for the ink cartridge itself. According to the present invention, since it is not necessary to insert electrodes for detecting a level at the time of molding the container 1, the injection molding process is simplified, leakage at the electrode insertion region is not generated, and the reliability of the ink cartridge can be improved.

Fig. 5 shows a method of manufacturing elastic wave generating apparatuses 3, 15, 16, and 17. A fixing substrate 20 that can be fired is made of a material such as ceramic. First, as shown in fig. 5(I), a conductive material layer 21 as one electrode is formed on the surface of a fixed substrate 20. Next, as shown in fig. 5(II), a green sheet 22 of piezoelectric material is laminated on the surface of the conductive material layer 21. Next, as shown in FIG. 5(III), the green sheet 22 is formed into a predetermined shape such as a shape pressed into a shaker, and fired at a firing temperature of, for example, 1200 ℃ after natural drying. Next, as shown in fig. 5(IV), one conductive material layer 23 as the other electrode is formed on the surface of the green sheet 22, and polarized by bending oscillation. Finally, the fixed substrate 20 is cut into individual elements as shown in fig. 5 (V). An ink cartridge having a residual quantity detecting function is manufactured by fixing a fixing substrate 20 to a predetermined surface of a container 1 by a glue and fixing an elastic wave generating device 3 to the predetermined surface of the container 1.

Fig. 6 shows another embodiment of the elastic wave generation device 3 shown in fig. 5. In the embodiment of fig. 5, a layer of conductive material 21 is used as the conductive electrode. On the other hand, in the embodiment of fig. 6, the conductive terminals 21a and 23a are formed at positions higher than the surface of the piezoelectric material layer constituted by the green sheet 22 by soldering. The elastic wave generating device 3 can be directly mounted on the circuit substrate by using the conductive terminals 21a and 23a, and connection leads are not required.

In addition, an elastic wave is a wave that can propagate through air, liquids, and solid media. Thus, wavelength, amplitude, phase, number of oscillations, propagation direction, propagation speed, etc. vary with the medium. On the other hand, the wave state and characteristics of the reflected wave of the elastic wave also change with the change of the medium. The state of the medium can be known by using the change of the reflected wave caused by the change of the medium through which the elastic wave propagates. If the liquid state in the liquid container is detected by this method, an elastic wave transmitter and receiver is used. Explained in simplified form in fig. 1 to 3, an elastic wave is first transmitted by the transmitter and receiver to a medium, for example a liquid in a liquid container, the elastic wave propagating through the medium and reaching the surface of the liquid. Because of the interface between the liquid and the air at the surface of the liquid, there is a reflection back to the transmitter and receiver. The transmitter and receiver receive this reflected wave and can measure the distance between the transmitter or receiver and the liquid surface from the time period of the reciprocation of the elastic wave and its reflected wave, the attenuation ratio generated between the amplitude generated by the elastic wave and the amplitude of the reflected wave reflected by the liquid surface or the like. The liquid state in the liquid container can be detected by using the liquid detection device. The elastic wave generating apparatus 3 adopting the reflected wave method generated by the change in propagation of the elastic wave through the medium may be a single transmitter and receiver, or a dedicated receiving apparatus may be separately installed.

As described above, when the elastic wave generated by the elastic wave generating device 3 propagates through the ink liquid, the time for the reflected wave generated on the surface of the ink liquid to enter the elastic wave generating device 3 varies depending on the density and the liquid level of the ink liquid. Therefore, the entry time of the reflected wave generated on the surface of the ink liquid depends on the amount of ink without changing the ink composition. This makes it possible to detect the amount of ink by measuring the time period elapsed from the time point at which the elastic wave generating means 3 generates the elastic wave to the time point at which the reflected wave emitted from the surface of the ink liquid reaches the elastic wave generating means 3. In addition, since the ink contains elastic wave vibration particles, if a pigment is used as a coloring agent of the ink, the pigment can also be prevented from being precipitated.

Since the elastic wave generating device 3 is mounted on the container 1, if the ink in the ink cartridge is reduced to near ink end due to the printing operation and the maintenance operation and the elastic wave generating device 3 cannot receive the reflected wave any more, it can be determined that the ink is near end and the ink cartridge can be replaced promptly.

Fig. 7 shows another embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention. A plurality of elastic wave generating devices 41 to 44 are mounted on the side wall of the container 1. With the ink cartridge of fig. 7, the presence or absence of ink at the installation level of each of elastic wave generating devices 41 to 44 can be detected based on the presence or absence of ink at the respective positions of elastic wave generating devices 41 to 44. For example, when the ink level is at a level between elastic wave generating devices 44 and 43, since elastic wave generating device 44 detects the absence of ink and elastic wave generating devices 41, 42, and 43 detect the presence of ink, it can be determined that the ink level is between elastic wave generating devices 44 and 43. Therefore, the ink remaining amount can be detected step by step as long as the plurality of elastic wave generating devices 41 to 44 are provided.

Fig. 8 and 9 show other embodiments of the ink cartridge of the present invention, respectively. In the embodiment shown in fig. 8, the elastic wave generating device 65 is mounted on the bottom surface 1a formed in a vertically inclined manner away from the lowermost portion of the ink tank. In addition, in the embodiment shown in fig. 9, elastic wave generating devices 66 elongated in the vertical direction are mounted on the side walls 1b at positions close to the bottom surface.

According to the embodiment of fig. 8 and 9, when the ink is consumed and a part of each of the elastic wave generating devices 65 and 66 is exposed to the liquid surface, the arrival time period and the acoustic impedance of the reflected wave of the elastic wave generated by the elastic wave generating devices 65 and 66 are continuously changed corresponding to the change in the liquid surface Δ h1 and Δ h2, respectively. This makes it possible to accurately detect the progress from the near-end state of the ink remaining amount to the end of ink by detecting the arrival time period of the reflected wave of the elastic wave or the degree of change in the acoustic impedance.

The ink cartridge form exemplified in the above embodiments is to directly contain ink in a liquid container. As another example of the ink cartridge, the above-described elastic wave generating device mounted on the ink cartridge may take a form in which a porous elastic body is filled in the container 1 and the liquid is immersed in the elastic body. In addition, although the height of the ink cartridge is limited by the use of the flexural oscillation type piezoelectric oscillator in the above-described embodiment, a longitudinal oscillation type piezoelectric oscillator may be used. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the elastic waves are transmitted and received by the same elastic wave generating device. As another example, it is also possible to use different elastic wave generating means for detecting the remaining amount of ink, for example, one echo sounding transmitter and the other echo sounding receiver.

Fig. 10 shows another embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention. On a bottom surface 1a of one container 1 formed in a vertically inclined manner, a plurality of elastic wave generating devices 65a, 65b, and 65c are provided at regular intervals in the vertical direction. According to this embodiment, the arrival time periods of the reflected waves of the elastic waves at the respective elastic wave generating devices 65a, 65b and 65c at the levels of the installation positions are different depending on the presence or absence of ink at the respective positions of the plurality of elastic wave generating devices 65a, 65b and 65 c. Therefore, by scanning the elastic wave generating devices 65 and detecting the arrival time periods of the reflected waves of the elastic waves in the elastic wave generating devices 65a, 65b, and 65c, the presence or absence of ink at the level of the installation position of each of the elastic wave generating devices 65a, 65b, and 65c can be detected. Thereby, the ink remaining amount can be detected step by step. For example, if the ink level is between elastic wave generating device 65b and elastic wave generating device 65c, elastic wave generating device 65c can detect the absence of ink, and on the other hand, elastic wave generating devices 65a and 65b can detect the presence of ink. By evaluating these results in combination, the position of the ink level between the elastic wave generating device 65b and the elastic wave generating device 65c can be known.

FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention. In the ink cartridge of fig. 11, in order to increase the intensity of the reflected wave reflected by the liquid surface, a flat plate member 67 is provided on a float 68 and covers the liquid surface. The plate member 67 is made of a material having high acoustic impedance and ink resistance, such as a ceramic plate member.

Fig. 12A and 12B show another example of the ink cartridge shown in fig. 11. In the ink cartridge of fig. 12A and 12B, similarly to the ink cartridge of fig. 11, in order to increase the intensity of the reflected wave reflected by the liquid surface, a flat plate member 67 is provided on a float 68 and covers the liquid surface. In fig. 12A, elastic wave generating device 65 is fixed to bottom surface 1a formed in a vertically inclined manner. When the amount of ink remaining is reduced and the elastic wave generating device 65 is exposed to the liquid surface, the presence or absence of ink at the level of the installation position of the elastic wave generating device 65 can be detected because the arrival time period of the reflected wave of the elastic wave generated by the elastic wave generating device 65 at the elastic wave generating device 65 changes. Since the elastic wave generating device 65 is mounted on the bottom surface 1a formed in a vertically inclined manner, even after the elastic wave generating device 65 detects that there is no ink, some ink remains in the tank 1, so that the ink remaining amount can be detected at the point when the ink is nearly used up.

In fig. 12B, a plurality of elastic wave generating devices 65a, 65B, and 65c are provided at regular intervals in the vertical direction on the bottom surface 1a of one container 1 formed in a vertically inclined manner. According to the embodiment of fig. 12B, the arrival time periods of the reflected waves at the respective elastic wave generating devices 65a, 65B, and 65c at the respective levels of the installation positions of the elastic wave generating devices 65a, 65B, and 65c are different depending on whether or not there is ink at the respective positions of the plurality of elastic wave generating devices 65a, 65B, and 65c, so that the remaining amount of ink can be detected step by step. For example, if the ink level is between elastic wave generating device 65b and elastic wave generating device 65c, elastic wave generating device 65c can detect the absence of ink, and on the other hand, elastic wave generating devices 65a and 65b can detect the presence of ink. By evaluating these results in combination, the position of the ink level between the elastic wave generating device 65b and the elastic wave generating device 65c can be known.

Fig. 13A and 13B show still another embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention. In the ink cartridge shown in fig. 13A, an ink absorber 74 is provided as at least one ink absorber 74 facing a penetration hole 1c provided in the inside of the container 1. The elastic wave generator 70 is fixed to the bottom surface 1a of the container 1 facing the through hole 1 c. In the ink cartridge shown in fig. 13B, an ink absorber 75 is provided facing a passage 1h communicating with the penetration hole 1 c.

According to the embodiment shown in fig. 13A and 13B, when the ink in the container 1 is consumed and the ink absorbers 74 and 75 expose the ink, the ink in the ink absorbers 74 and 75 flows out by its own weight and is supplied to the recording head 31. When the ink is completely consumed, the ink may completely leak from the recess of the penetration hole 1c because the ink absorbents 74 and 75 upwardly attract the ink remaining in the penetration hole 1 c. In this way, the state of the reflected wave of the elastic wave generated by the elastic wave generator 70 changes when the ink runs out, and the ink run-out can be detected more reliably.

Fig. 14A, 14B and 14C show plan views of still another embodiment of the penetration hole 1C. As shown in fig. 14A to 14C, the planar shape of the penetration hole 1C may be selected from circular, rectangular, triangular, and the like shapes suitable for mounting the elastic wave generator.

Fig. 15A and 15B show still another embodiment of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention. Fig. 15A shows a cross section of the inkjet recording apparatus itself. Fig. 15B shows a cross section after one ink cartridge 272 is mounted on the inkjet recording apparatus. A recording head 252 is provided under a carriage 250 capable of reciprocating in the width direction of the ink jet recording paper. The carriage 250 has a sub-tank unit 256 on the upper side of the recording head 252. The sub-tank unit 256 is similar in construction to the sub-tank unit 33. An ink supply needle 254 is provided on the side of the mounting surface of the ink cartridge 272 of the sub-tank unit 256. The bracket 250 has a projection 258 facing a base portion of the ink cartridge 272, on which area the ink cartridge 272 can be mounted. The projection 258 has an elastic wave generating device 260, such as a piezoelectric oscillator.

Fig. 16A and 16B show an example of an ink cartridge suitable for use in the recording apparatus shown in fig. 15A and 15B. Fig. 16A shows an example of an ink cartridge for a single color ink such as black. The ink cartridge 272 of the present embodiment has a container 274 for containing ink, and an ink supply opening 276 connected to the ink supply needle 254 of the recording apparatus. A projection 278 of the container 274 engages a projection 258 on the bottom surface 274 a. The protrusion 278 contains an ultrasound emitting material such as a gel material 280.

The ink supply opening 276 has a seal 282, a valve member 286 and a spring 284. Seal 282 engages ink supply needle 254 in a fluid-tight manner. The valve member 286 is always in contact with the seal 282 by the action of the spring 284. When the ink supply needle 254 is inserted into the ink supply opening 276, the ink supply needle 254 pushes the valve member 286 to open the ink path. On the upper surface of the container 274, a semiconductor memory device 288 is mounted, in which information relating to the ink inside the ink cartridge 272 is stored.

FIG. 16B shows an embodiment of an ink cartridge containing multiple inks. The container 290 is divided into a plurality of zones by walls, namely ink tanks 292, 294 and 296. Ink tanks 292, 294, and 296 have ink supply openings 298, 300, and 302, respectively. Gel materials 304, 306, and 308 are contained in cylindrical recesses 310, 312, and 314 in the regions of the respective ink tanks 292, 294, and 296 facing the bottom surface 290a of the container 290, away from the elastic waves generated by the transmitting elastic-wave generating device 260.

As shown in fig. 15, when the ink supply opening 276 of the ink cartridge 272 is inserted to communicate with the ink supply needle 254 of the sub-tank unit 256, an ink passage is formed because the valve member 286 is biased against the spring 284, and the ink in the ink cartridge 272 flows into the ink tank 262. When the ink tank 262 is filled with ink, the nozzle openings of the recording head 252 are subjected to negative pressure, the recording head is charged with ink, and the recording operation is continuously performed. When the ink in the recording head 252 is consumed by the recording operation, the diaphragm valve 266 is separated from the valve member 270 due to a pressure decrease on the downstream side of the diaphragm valve 266, and the valve is opened as shown in fig. 4. Once the thin film valve 266 is opened, the ink in the ink tank 262 flows into the recording head 252. As ink flows into the recording head 252, the ink in the ink cartridge 272 flows into the sub-tank unit 256.

During the operation of the recording apparatus, a drive signal is supplied to the elastic wave generation means 260 at a preset detection timing, for example, at a certain period. The elastic wave generated by the elastic wave generating device 260 is emitted from the recess 258, propagates through the gel material of the bottom surface 274a of the ink tank 272 and is emitted to the ink inside the ink tank 272. In fig. 15A and 15B, an elastic wave generator 260 is provided, however, the elastic wave generator 260 may be provided within the sub-tank unit 256.

Since the elastic wave generated by the elastic wave generating device 260 propagates through the ink liquid, the arrival time of the reflected wave reflected from the surface of the ink liquid to the elastic wave generating device 260 varies depending on the ink liquid density and the liquid surface. Therefore, the arrival time of the reflected wave generated on the surface of the ink liquid with the ink composition unchanged depends only on the ink amount. Thus, the amount of ink inside the ink cartridge 272 can be detected by detecting the time period that elapses from the time point when the elastic wave generating device 260 is excited to the time point when the reflected wave reflected from the surface of the ink liquid reaches the elastic wave generating device 260. In addition, since the elastic wave generated by elastic wave generating device 260 vibrates particles in the ink, the occurrence of precipitation of the pigment can also be prevented.

In the case where the ink inside the ink cartridge 272 is reduced to near ink end due to the printing operation and the maintenance operation and after the elastic wave generated by the elastic wave generating device 260 is no longer received, it can be determined that the ink is near end and the ink cartridge can be replaced in time. It is to be noted that, in the case where the ink cartridges 272 are not regularly mounted on the carriage 250, the propagation pattern of the elastic wave generated by the elastic wave generating device 260 changes abruptly. A warning is issued to alert the user to quickly check the ink cartridge 272 if a sharp change in the elastic wave is detected.

The arrival time period of the reflected wave of the elastic wave generated by the elastic wave generating device 260 is affected by the density of the ink contained in the reservoir 274. The density of ink may vary depending on the kind of ink, and data on the kind of ink contained in the ink cartridge 272 is stored in the semiconductor memory device 288, from which a detection program is executed to accurately detect the remaining amount of ink.

Fig. 17 shows another embodiment of the ink cartridge 272 of the present invention. The bottom surface 274a of the ink cartridge 272 shown in fig. 17 is formed in a vertically inclined manner. With the ink cartridge 272 of fig. 17, when the remaining amount of ink decreases and a part of the elastic wave emitting region of the elastic wave generating device 260 is exposed outside the liquid surface, the arrival time period of the reflected wave of the elastic wave generated by the elastic wave generating device 260 changes with the change in the liquid surface Δ h 1. Δ h1 represents the difference in height of bottom surface 274a at the ends of gel material 280. In this way, the progress from the near-end state of the ink remaining amount to the end of ink can be accurately detected by detecting the degree of change in the arrival time period of the reflected wave at the elastic wave generating device 260.

Fig. 18 shows still another embodiment of the ink cartridge 272 and the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention. In the ink jet recording apparatus of fig. 18, a projection 258' is provided on one side 274b of an ink supply opening 276 on the side of an ink cartridge 272. The projection 258 'is backed by an elastic wave generating device 260'. On the side 274b of the cartridge 272, a gel material 280 ' is provided, the gel material 280 ' engaging the protrusion 258 '. According to the ink cartridge 272 of fig. 18, when the remaining amount of ink decreases and a part of the elastic wave emitting region of the elastic wave generating device 260 'is exposed to the outside of the liquid surface, the arrival time period and acoustic impedance of the reflected wave of the elastic wave generated by the elastic wave generating device 260' continuously change with the change in the liquid surface Δ h 2. Δ h2 represents the height difference between the upper and lower ends of the gel material 280'. Thus, the process from the near-end state of the ink remaining amount to the end of ink can be accurately detected by detecting the arrival time period of the reflected wave at the elastic wave generating device 260' or the degree of change in the acoustic impedance.

The ink cartridge exemplified and explained in the above embodiments takes a form in which ink is directly contained in the liquid container. As another example of an ink cartridge, the elastic wave generating device 260 may act on an ink cartridge in the form of a porous elastomer in the reservoir 174 and allow liquid ink to soak into the elastomer. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, in the case of detecting the remaining amount of ink based on the reflected wave on the liquid surface, the elastic wave is transmitted and received by the same elastic wave generating devices 260 and 260'. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and elastic waves may be transmitted and received by elastic-wave generating devices 260 different from each other.

Fig. 19 shows yet another example of the ink cartridge 272 shown in fig. 16A and 16B. In the ink tank 272, in order to increase the intensity of the reflected wave reflected by the liquid surface, a flat member 316 is attached to a float 318 and covers the ink liquid surface. The plate member 316 is preferably made of a material having high acoustic impedance and ink resistance properties, such as a ceramic plate member.

Fig. 20A, 20B, 20C and 21 show details and equivalent circuits of the actuator 106 as one embodiment of the piezoelectric device. The actuator described herein employs a method of detecting at least a change in acoustic impedance of the liquid in the liquid container and detecting a consumption state. Specifically, a method of detecting the resonance frequency from the residual oscillation and detecting the consumption state of the liquid in the liquid container is employed. Fig. 20A is an enlarged plan view of the actuator 106. Fig. 20B shows a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B. Fig. 20C shows a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C. Fig. 21(a) and 21(B) show equivalent circuits of the actuator 106. In addition, fig. 21(C) and 21(D) respectively show peripheral devices including the actuator 106 and its equivalent circuit when the ink cartridge is filled with ink, and fig. 21(E) and 21(F) respectively show peripheral devices including the actuator 106 and its equivalent circuit when the ink cartridge is not filled with ink.

The actuator 106 has a circular opening 161 at the center of its substrate 178, an oscillation plate 176 is disposed on one face (hereinafter referred to as a surface) of the substrate 178 to cover the opening 161, a piezoelectric layer is disposed on the surface side of the oscillation plate 176, the piezoelectric layer 160 is sandwiched from both sides by an upper electrode 164 and a lower electrode 166, an upper electrode terminal 168 is electrically connected to the upper electrode 164, a lower electrode terminal 170 is electrically connected to the lower electrode 166, and an auxiliary electrode 172 is disposed between the upper electrode 164 and the upper electrode terminal 168 to be electrically connected to each other. The body portions of each of the piezoelectric layer 160, the upper electrode 164, and the lower electrode 166 are circular. The piezoelectric element is constituted by respective circular portions of the piezoelectric layer 160, the upper electrode 164, and the lower electrode 166.

The vibrating plate 176 covers the opening 161 on the surface of the substrate 178. A cavity 162 is formed by the portion of the vibrating plate 176 facing the opening 161 and the opening 161 on the surface of the substrate 178. The surface of the substrate 178 opposite to the piezoelectric element (hereinafter referred to as the "opposite surface") faces the liquid container side, and the cavity 162 is in contact with the liquid when the cavity 162 is disposed. The oscillation plate 176 is mounted in a fluid-tight manner with respect to the substrate 178 so that even if a liquid enters the cavity 162, the liquid does not leak to the surface side of the substrate 178.

The lower electrode 166 is positioned on the surface of the oscillation plate 176, that is, on the opposite side of the liquid container, and is mounted such that the center of the circular portion, which is the main body of the lower electrode 166, and the center of the opening 161 are substantially coincident with each other. It should be noted that the lower electrode 166 is provided with a circular portion having a smaller area than the opening 161. On the other hand, the piezoelectric layer 160 is formed on the surface side of the lower electrode 166 so that the center of the circular portion and the center of the opening 161 are substantially aligned with each other. So that it is arranged that the area of the circular portion of the piezoelectric layer 160 is smaller than that of the opening 161 and larger than that of the circular portion of the lower electrode 166.

On the other hand, the upper electrode 164 is formed on the surface side of the piezoelectric layer 160 so that the center of the circular portion as the main body portion thereof and the center of the opening 161 are substantially aligned with each other. The area of the circular portion of the upper electrode 164 is made smaller than the areas of the opening 161 and the circular portion of the piezoelectric layer 160 and larger than the area of the circular portion of the lower electrode 166 in the arrangement.

This constitutes a main body portion of the piezoelectric layer 160, which is sandwiched from the front side and the rear side by the main body portions of the upper electrode 164 and the lower electrode 166, respectively, so that the piezoelectric layer 160 can be efficiently deformed and driven. The piezoelectric element in the actuator 106 is constituted by circular portions each serving as a body portion of the piezoelectric layer 160, the upper electrode 164, and the lower electrode 166. The piezoelectric element is brought into contact with the oscillation plate 176 as described above. In addition, the largest area among the circular portion of the upper electrode 164, the circular portion of the piezoelectric layer 160, the circular portion of the lower electrode 166, and the opening 161 is the area of the opening 161. With this structure, the actual oscillation area other than the oscillation plate 176 is determined by the opening 161. In addition, because the circular portions of the upper electrode 164, the piezoelectric layer 160, and the lower electrode 166 are smaller than the opening 161, the oscillation plate 176 oscillates more easily. In addition, if the circular portion of the upper electrode 164 and the circular portion of the lower electrode 166 electrically connecting the piezoelectric layer 160 are compared, the circular portion of the lower electrode 166 is relatively small. It is therefore the circular portion of the lower electrode 166 that determines the portion of the piezoelectric layer 160 that produces the piezoelectric effect.

The upper electrode terminal 168 is provided in front of the oscillation plate 176 and electrically connected to the upper electrode 164 via the auxiliary electrode 172. On the other hand, the lower electrode terminal 170 is provided on the front surface side of the oscillation plate 176 and electrically connected to the lower electrode 166. The upper electrode 164 is provided on the front surface side of the piezoelectric layer 160, and needs to have a step equal to the sum of the thickness of the piezoelectric layer 160 and the thickness of the lower electrode 166 in the middle of connection to the upper electrode terminal 168. It is difficult to form such a step difference only by the upper electrode 164, and the connection state between the upper electrode 164 and the upper electrode terminal 168 is fragile and easily broken, if possible. Thus, the auxiliary electrode 172 is used as an auxiliary element to connect the upper electrode 164 and the upper electrode terminal 168. In this way, a structure in which the piezoelectric layer 160 and the upper electrode 164 are supported by the auxiliary electrode 172 can be obtained, a desired mechanical strength can be obtained, and connection between the upper electrode 164 and the upper electrode terminal 168 can be ensured.

It should be noted that the oscillation region of the piezoelectric element and the oscillation plate 176 directly facing this piezoelectric element is the oscillation portion of the actuator 106 where oscillation is actually generated. In addition, the components included in the actuator 106 are preferably formed integrally with each other by firing. By integrally forming the actuator 106, the actuator 106 may be made easier to handle. In addition, strengthening the strength of the substrate 178 can improve the oscillation characteristics. If the strength of the substrate 178 is strengthened, only the oscillating portion of the actuator 106 will vibrate, and the portion other than the oscillating portion will not vibrate. In addition, if the piezoelectric element of the actuator 106 is made thin and small and the oscillation plate 176 is made thin, contrary to the strength of the reinforcing substrate 178, the purpose of not vibrating the other parts of the actuator 106 except the oscillation part can be achieved.

The piezoelectric layer 160 is preferably made of lead zirconate titanate (PZT), lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT), or a lead-free piezoelectric layer without lead, and the substrate 178 is preferably made of zirconium dioxide or aluminum. The vibrating plate 176 is preferably made of the same material as the substrate 178. The upper electrode 164, the lower electrode 166, the upper electrode terminal 168 and the lower electrode terminal 170 may be made of a conductive material, such as gold, silver, copper, platinum, aluminum, nickel, or the like.

The actuator 106 constructed as described above may be used for a container containing liquid. For example, the actuator may be mounted on an ink cartridge and an ink tank, or a tank containing a cleaning solvent for dissolving the recording head.

The actuator 106 shown in fig. 20A, 20B, 20C and 21 is mounted at a predetermined position on the liquid container such that the cavity 162 is in contact with the liquid contained within the liquid container. In case the liquid contained in the liquid container is sufficient, the inside of the cavity 162 and the outside thereof are filled with the liquid. On the other hand, when the liquid in the liquid container is consumed and the liquid level falls to a point below the actuator mounting position, a state occurs in which there is no liquid in the cavity 162, or there is only liquid in the cavity 162 and air outside. The driver 106 is able to detect at least the difference in acoustic impedance resulting from this change in state. With this, the actuator 106 can detect a state where the liquid container contains a sufficient amount of liquid therein or the liquid is consumed more than a certain amount. Further, the actuator 106 can detect the type of ink in the liquid container.

The principle of detecting the liquid level with the actuator will be explained below.

In order to detect a change in the acoustic impedance of the medium, it is necessary to measure the impedance characteristics or admittance characteristics of the medium. To measure the impedance or admittance characteristics of the medium, a transmission circuit may be employed. The transmitting circuit applies a certain voltage to the medium and measures the current supplied to the medium by changing the frequency. Alternatively, a transmission circuit is used to supply a certain current to the medium and the voltage applied to the medium is measured by changing the frequency. A change in the value of the current or voltage measured in the transmitting circuit may indicate a change in the acoustic impedance. In addition, a change in the frequency fm at which the current value or the voltage value becomes maximum or minimum may also indicate a change in the acoustic impedance.

Unlike the above method, the actuator may also detect a change in the acoustic impedance of the liquid using only a change in the resonant frequency. As a method of utilizing acoustic impedance of a liquid, there is a method of detecting a resonance frequency by measuring a counter electromotive force generated by residual oscillation in a piezoelectric element using an oscillating portion, such as a piezoelectric element, following the oscillating portion of an exciter. The piezoelectric element can generate a counter electromotive force by the residual oscillation remaining in the oscillation portion of the exciter, and a large counter electromotive force is generated by the amplitude of the excitation oscillation portion. Thus, the larger the amplitude of the oscillating portion of the exciter, the easier it is to detect. In addition, the variation period of the large back electromotive force varies with the frequency of the residual oscillation in the oscillation portion of the exciter. Thus, the frequency of the oscillating portion of the exciter corresponds to the frequency of the back emf. The resonant frequency is a frequency at which an oscillating portion of the exciter and a medium in contact with the oscillating portion are in a resonant state.

In order to obtain the resonance frequency fs, Fourier transform is performed on a waveform obtained by measuring back electromotive force while the oscillating portion and the medium are in a resonance state. Since the oscillation of the exciter is accompanied by not only deformation in one direction but also various deformations such as twist, stretch, and the like, which have various frequencies including the resonance frequency fs. Therefore, the resonance frequency fs can be determined by performing Fourier transform on the waveform of the counter electromotive force when the piezoelectric element and the medium are in a resonance state, and specifying the most dominant frequency component.

The frequency fm represents the frequency at which the admittance of the medium is at a maximum or the impedance of the medium is at a minimum. Assuming that the resonance frequency is fs, the frequency fm may cause a slight error with respect to the resonance frequency fs due to dielectric loss or mechanical loss of the medium. However, since it is troublesome to derive the resonance frequency fs from the actually measured frequency fm, the resonance frequency is generally replaced with the frequency fm. By inputting the output of the driver 106 to the transmission circuit, the driver 106 can detect at least the acoustic impedance.

Experiments have demonstrated that there is almost no difference between the resonance frequency specified in the method of measuring the impedance characteristic or the admittance characteristic of the medium and measuring the frequency fm and the resonance frequency specified in the method of measuring the resonance frequency fs by measuring the counter electromotive force generated by the residual oscillation in the oscillating portion of the exciter.

The oscillation region of the exciter 106 is a portion of the cavity 162 defined by the opening 161 other than the oscillation plate 176. The oscillation region contacts the liquid in the liquid container when the liquid container contains sufficient liquid. On the other hand, if the liquid container is not filled with liquid, the oscillation area is exposed to the remaining liquid in the internal cavity of the container, or the oscillation area is not exposed to the liquid but to air or vacuum.

In the actuator 106 according to the invention, a cavity 162 is provided, by means of which the liquid in the liquid reservoir can be held in the oscillation region of the actuator 106. The reason for this is as follows.

Depending on the mounting position and mounting angle of the actuator on the liquid container, the liquid can adhere to the oscillation region of the actuator even though the liquid level of the liquid in the liquid container is lower than the mounting position of the actuator. If the actuator relies solely on the presence or absence of liquid in the oscillation region to detect the presence or absence of liquid, the liquid adhering to the oscillation region of the actuator may interfere with its accuracy in detecting the presence or absence of liquid. For example, in a state where the liquid level is lower than the mounting position of the actuator, if the liquid container swings due to the reciprocation of the carriage, the liquid container may generate ripples, and a droplet is attached to the oscillation region, the actuator may erroneously determine that there is sufficient liquid in the liquid container. Thus, in contrast, if a cavity is designed appropriately, in order to accurately detect the presence or absence of liquid even if liquid is still present, malfunction of the actuator can be prevented if the liquid container is swung and the liquid surface is rippled. The use of such an actuator having a cavity prevents malfunction.

In addition, as shown in fig. 21(E), a case where the liquid in the liquid container is not present in the liquid container and the liquid in the liquid container remains in the cavity 162 of the actuator 106 is made a threshold value. Specifically, if there is no liquid at the periphery of the cavity 162 and the liquid in the cavity is below this threshold, it is determined that there is no ink, and if there is liquid at the periphery of the cavity 162 and the liquid is above this threshold, it is determined that there is ink. For example, if the actuator 106 is mounted on the side wall of the liquid container, the mounting position where the liquid in the liquid container is lower than the actuator is determined as the case where there is no ink, and the mounting position where the liquid in the liquid container is higher than the actuator is determined as the case where there is ink. Since such a threshold value is provided, even in the case where the ink in the cavity has been dried and there is no ink, the absence of ink can be determined, and the absence of ink in the cavity and the adhesion of ink to the cavity due to the swinging of the carriage can be determined as the absence of ink because it does not exceed the above threshold value.

An operation principle of detecting a state of liquid in the liquid container from a resonance frequency of the medium and the oscillating portion of the exciter 106 by measuring a counter electromotive force will be explained with reference to fig. 20A, 20B, 20C, and 21. In the actuator 106, a voltage is applied to the upper electrode 164 and the lower electrode 166 through the upper electrode terminal 168 and the lower electrode terminal 170. An electric field is generated in a region outside the area of the piezoelectric layer 160, sandwiched between the upper electrode 164 and the lower electrode 166. This electric field deforms the piezoelectric layer 160. The deformed piezoelectric layer 160 distorts and vibrates the oscillation region outside the oscillation plate 176. The oscillating portion of the actuator 106 will also have torsional oscillations after the piezoelectric layer 160 is deformed.

The residual oscillation is the free oscillation of the oscillating portion of the exciter 106 and the medium. Therefore, the resonance state of the oscillation section and the medium is easily obtained by transforming the voltage applied to the piezoelectric layer 160 into a pulse waveform or a rectangular wave after the voltage is applied. The residual oscillation can also deform the piezoelectric layer 160, which in turn deforms the oscillating portion of the actuator 106. Thus, a back electromotive force is generated in the piezoelectric layer 160. The counter electromotive force thereof is detected by the upper electrode 164, the lower electrode 166, the upper electrode terminal 168 and the lower electrode terminal 170. Since the resonance frequency can be determined by detecting the counter electromotive force, the state of the liquid in the liquid container can be detected.

The resonant frequency fs is generally represented by the following equation:

fs＝1/(2*π*(M*Cact)^1/2) (formula 1)

Where M represents the sum of the inertia Mact and the additional inertia M' of the oscillating portion, and Cact represents the compliance (compliance) of the oscillating portion.

Fig. 20C is a cross-sectional view of the actuator 106 in this embodiment when no ink remains in the cavity. Fig. 21(a) and 21(B) are equivalent circuits of the oscillating portion of the actuator 106 and the cavity 162 when there is no ink left in the cavity.

Mact represents the product of the thickness of the oscillating portion and the density of the oscillating portion divided by the area of the oscillating portion, and can be expressed as shown in fig. 21 (a):

Mact Mpzt + M electrode1+ M electrode2+ Mvib (equation 2)

Where Mpzt is the product of the thickness of the piezoelectric layer 160 in the oscillation layer 160 and the density of the piezoelectric layer 160 divided by the area of the piezoelectric layer 160, M electrode1 represents the product of the thickness of the upper electrode 164 and the density of the upper electrode 164 in the oscillation section divided by the area of the upper electrode 164, Melectrode2 represents the product of the thickness of the lower electrode 166 and the density of the lower electrode 166 in the oscillation section divided by the area of the lower electrode 166, and mvib represents the product of the thickness of the oscillation plate 176 in the oscillation section and the density of the oscillation plate 176 divided by the area of the oscillation region. However, in the most preferred form of the present embodiment, the respective areas of the piezoelectric layer 160, the upper electrode 164, the lower electrode 166, and the oscillation region of the oscillation plate 176 have the above-described greater or lesser relationship, and the difference between the areas is small, and Mact can be calculated from the thickness, the density, and the area of the entire oscillation portion. In addition, in the present embodiment, it is preferable to narrow the portion other than the circular portion as the main body portion to such an extent that it can be ignored in the piezoelectric layer 160, the upper electrode 164, and the lower electrode 166. Thus, in the actuator 106, Mact can represent the sum of the respective inertias of those oscillation regions other than the upper electrode 164, the lower electrode 166, the piezoelectric layer 160, and the oscillation plate 176. In addition, the compliance Cact represents a compliance of a portion constituted by an oscillation region other than the upper electrode 164, the lower electrode 166, the piezoelectric layer 160, and the oscillation plate 176.

It should be noted that fig. 21(a), 21(B), 21(D) and 21(F) show equivalent circuits of the oscillating part of the actuator 106 and the cavity 162, however, in these equivalent circuits, Cact represents the compliance of the oscillating part of the actuator 106. C pzt, Celectrode1, Celectrode2, and C vib represent the compliance of the piezoelectric layer 160, the upper electrode 164, the lower electrode 166, and the oscillation plate 176, respectively, in the oscillation section. Cact may be represented by equation 3 below.

1/C act ═ 1/C pzt) + (1/C electrode1) + (1/C electrode2) + (1/C vib) (equation 3)

Fig. 21(a) can be represented as fig. 21(B) using formula 2 and formula 3.

The compliance cact represents the amount of the medium that can be received by the deformation that occurs when the pressure per unit area of the oscillating portion is increased. The compliance C may be used to represent the ease of deformation.

Fig. 21(C) shows a cross-sectional view in the case where the actuator 106 contains a sufficient amount of liquid in the liquid container and the liquid fills the periphery of the oscillating portion of the actuator 106. M' max in fig. 21(C) represents the maximum value of the additional inertia in the case where the liquid container contains a sufficient amount of liquid and the liquid fills the periphery of the oscillating portion of the exciter 106. The expression for M' max is

M′max＝(π*ρ/(2*K³))*(2*(2*K*a)³/(3*π))/(π*a²)²(formula 4)

Where a represents the diameter of the oscillating portion, ρ represents the density of the medium, and K represents the number of waves.

It should be noted that equation 4 is satisfied in the case where the oscillating portion of the exciter 106 is a circle having a diameter a. The additional inertia M' represents an amount indicative of an increase in the mass of the oscillating portion. As can be seen from equation 4, M' max varies greatly with the diameter a of the oscillating portion and the density ρ of the medium.

The number of waves, K, can be expressed as:

k2 pi f act/C (formula 5)

Where f represents the resonant frequency of the oscillating portion when no liquid is in contact, and C represents the velocity of sound propagating through the medium.

Fig. 21(D) shows an equivalent circuit of the oscillating portion of the exciter 106 and the cavity 162 in the case of fig. 21(C), in which case the liquid container contains enough liquid and the liquid fills the periphery of the oscillating region of the exciter 106.

Fig. 21(E) shows a cross-sectional view of the actuator 106 in a situation where the liquid in the liquid reservoir is consumed, and there is no liquid around the periphery of the oscillation region of the actuator 106, but there is liquid in the cavity 162 of the actuator 106. Equation 4 represents the maximum value M' max determined from the relation of the densities ρ, for example in the case of a liquid container filled with liquid. On the other hand, in the case where the liquid in the liquid container is consumed, and the liquid in the periphery of the oscillation region of the actuator 106 becomes air or vacuum, and the liquid remains in the cavity 162, the following formula can be expressed:

M' ═ ρ × t/S (equation 6)

Where t represents the thickness of the medium participating in the oscillation and S represents the area of the oscillation region of the exciter 106. If the oscillation area is circular with a diameter a, S ═ pi × a2 is satisfied. Thus, in the case where the liquid container contains sufficient liquid and the liquid fills the periphery of the oscillation region of the exciter 106, the additional inertia M' follows equation 4. On the other hand, in the case where the liquid is consumed and the liquid in the periphery of the oscillation region of the actuator 106 becomes air or vacuum, and the liquid remains in the cavity 162, equation 6 is observed.

As shown in fig. 21(E), in the case where the liquid is consumed, the liquid is not present on the periphery of the oscillation region of the actuator 106, but the liquid is present in the cavity 162 of the actuator 106, the additional inertia M ' is defined as M ' cav, which is identified from the additional inertia M ' max in the case where the periphery of the oscillation region of the actuator 106 is filled with the liquid.

Fig. 21(F) shows an equivalent circuit of the oscillating portion of the actuator 106 and the cavity 162 in the case of fig. 21(E), in which case the liquid in the liquid container is consumed, and there is no liquid around the periphery of the oscillating area of the actuator 106, but there is liquid in the cavity 162 of the actuator 106.

At this time, the parameters related to the medium state are the medium density ρ and the medium thickness t in equation 6. In the case where the interior of the liquid container contains sufficient liquid, the liquid may contact the oscillating portion of the actuator 106, and in the case where the interior of the liquid container contains sufficient liquid, the liquid may remain in the cavity, or the oscillating portion of the actuator 106 may contact air or a vacuum. The liquid in the periphery of the actuator 106 is consumed, and if the additional inertia is defined as M 'var in the process of changing from M' max of fig. 21(C) to M 'cav of fig. 21(E), since the thickness t of the medium is changed depending on the state of the liquid contained in the liquid container, the additional inertia M' var is changed, and the resonance frequency fs is also changed. Therefore, the presence or absence of liquid in the liquid container can be detected by determining the resonance frequency fs. As shown in fig. 21(E), assuming that t ═ d, M' cav is expressed by equation 6, and the depth d of the cavity is substituted for t in equation 6.

M' cav ═ ρ × d/S (equation 7)

In addition, even if the media are liquids different from each other, since the density ρ is different for different components, the additional inertia M' is changed, and the resonance frequency fs is also changed. Therefore, the presence or absence of liquid in the liquid container can be detected by determining the resonance frequency fs.

It should be noted that the difference in M' can be detected even by the calculation according to equation 4 in the case where only either of ink or air contacts the oscillating portion of the actuator 106 and is not confused.

The graph of fig. 22A shows the relationship between the amount of ink in the ink container and the resonance frequency fs of the ink and the oscillation portion. Ink is used as the liquid in one embodiment. The ordinate axis represents the resonance frequency fs, and the abscissa axis represents the ink amount. When the ink composition is not changed, the resonance frequency fs rises as the remaining ink amount decreases.

In the case where the ink container contains sufficient ink and the ink fills the periphery of the oscillation region of the actuator 106, the maximum additional inertia M' max is the value represented by equation 4. On the other hand, in the case where the ink is consumed, the periphery of the oscillation region of the actuator 106 is not filled with the ink, and the ink remains in the cavity 162, the additional inertia M' var is calculated from the thickness of the medium by equation 6. Since t in equation 6 represents the thickness of the medium participating in the oscillation, the progress of the ink consumption step by step can be detected as long as d of the cavity of the actuator 106 is reduced (see fig. 20B), that is, the substrate 178 is made sufficiently thin (see fig. 21 (C)). T ink is defined as the thickness of the ink participating in the oscillation, and whereas-max is defined as t ink at M' max. For example, the actuator 106 may be disposed on the bottom surface of the ink cartridge, generally parallel to the ink level. When the ink is consumed and the ink level reaches a level lower than t ink-max of the actuator 106, M' var is changed stepwise according to equation 6 and the resonance frequency fs is changed stepwise according to equation 1. Therefore, as long as the ink level is within the range of t, the actuator 106 can detect a state in which ink is gradually consumed.

In addition, as long as the oscillation region of the actuator 106 is made larger and arranged in the longitudinal direction, S in equation 6 changes with the liquid level position due to ink consumption. In this way, the actuator 106 can detect the progress of the progressive consumption of ink. For example, the actuator 106 is disposed on a sidewall of the ink cartridge, substantially perpendicular to the ink level. When the ink is consumed and the ink level reaches the oscillation region of the actuator 106, the resonance frequency fs gradually increases because the additional inertia M' decreases as the liquid level decreases. Therefore, as long as the ink level is within the range of the radius 2a of the cavity 162 (see fig. 21(C)), the actuator 106 can detect the state in which the ink is gradually consumed.

The curve X of fig. 22A represents the relationship between the amount of ink contained in the ink container and the ink and the oscillation portion in the case where the cavity 162 of the actuator 106 is made sufficiently shallow or the oscillation area of the actuator 106 is made larger and larger. It can be seen that the resonance frequency of the ink and the oscillation section is changed stepwise as the amount of ink in the ink tank decreases.

Specifically, a case where the ink gradually consuming process can be detected is a case where liquid and air having different densities from each other coexist and participate in oscillation. As the ink is gradually consumed, the air increases while the liquid decreases as a medium that participates in the oscillation at the periphery of the oscillation region of the actuator 106. For example, if the actuator 106 is arranged parallel to the ink level, and in the case where t ink is less than t ink-max, the medium participating in the oscillation of the actuator 106 includes both ink and air. Therefore, assuming that the area of the actuator oscillation region is S, a state lower than M' max of formula 4 is expressed by the additional mass of ink and air as follows:

M ' ═ M ' air + M ' ink ═ ρ air × t air/S + ρ ink × t ink/S (formula 8)

Where M 'air represents the inertia of air, M' ink represents the inertia of ink, ρ air represents the density of air, ρ ink represents the density of ink, t air represents the thickness of air participating in the oscillation, and t ink represents the thickness of ink participating in the oscillation. Outside the medium that participates in the oscillation at the periphery of the oscillation region of the actuator 106, air increases as the liquid decreases, and in the case where the actuator 106 is arranged in parallel with the ink level, t air increases and t ink decreases, so that M' var decreases and the resonance frequency increases. Thus, the amount of ink remaining in the ink container or the amount of ink consumed can be detected. It should be noted that the reason that equation 7 includes only the liquid density is because the case assumed here is that the air density is negligibly small.

In the case where the actuator 106 is disposed substantially perpendicular to the ink level, two parallel equivalent circuits (not shown) are considered in which the region of the medium participating in the oscillation of the actuator 106 is only ink and the region of the medium participating in the oscillation of the actuator 106 is only air outside the region of the oscillation of the actuator 106. It is assumed that when the region of the medium participating in the oscillation of the actuator 106 is ink only, its area is S ink, and when the region of the medium participating in the oscillation of the actuator 106 is air only, its area is S air:

1/M ' ═ 1/M ' air +1/M ' ink ═ Sair/(ρ air × t air) + S ink/(ρ ink × tair) (formula 9)

Equation 9 is used when there is no ink in the cavity of actuator 106. If ink is still in the cavity of the actuator 106, it can be calculated using equation 7, equation 8, and equation 9.

On the other hand, in the case where the substrate 178 is thick, i.e. the depth d of the cavity 162 is deep, d being close to the thickness t ink-max of the medium, or in the case where the oscillation area of the actuator is small compared to the liquid container used, the progress of the gradual consumption of the ink is in fact detected more or less always, whether the ink level is at a higher or lower position than the position where the actuator is mounted. In other words, the presence or absence of ink in the oscillation region of the actuator can be detected. For example, a curve Y of fig. 22A represents a relationship between the amount of ink in the ink container and the resonance frequency fs of the ink and the oscillating portion in the case of a small circular oscillation region. In the range of the ink quantity Q before and after the ink level in the ink container passes the actuator mounting position, the resonance frequency fs of the ink and the oscillation part can be visually changed remarkably, and whether a predetermined amount of ink is left in the ink container can be detected.

Fig. 22B shows the relationship between the density of the ink in the curve Y of fig. 22A and the resonance frequency fs of the ink and the oscillating portion. As shown in fig. 22B, in the case of ink as an example of the liquid, as the ink density increases, the additional inertia increases and the resonance frequency fs decreases. Specifically, the resonant frequencies of different types of ink are different. Therefore, by measuring the resonance frequency fs during ink replenishment, it can be checked whether or not inks of different densities are mixed.

This allows the ink containers containing different types of ink to be identified.

As will be explained below, the cavity 162 of the actuator 106 can accurately detect the liquid state even when there is no liquid in the liquid container if the shape and size of the cavity are appropriately set. If the actuator 106 is able to detect the fluid condition when the cavity 162 is filled with fluid, it can detect the fluid condition even when the cavity 162 is not filled with fluid.

The resonant frequency fs is a function of the inertia M. The inertia M is the sum of the inertia M act and the additional inertia M', and the additional inertia is related to the state of the liquid. The additional inertia M' is an indication of the amount by which the mass of the oscillating portion has increased due to the action of the medium in the vicinity of the oscillating portion. In particular, an increase in the mass of the oscillating portion due to the apparent absorption of the medium by the oscillation of the oscillating portion.

Accordingly, where M 'cav is greater than M' max in equation 4, the medium that is significantly absorbed is all liquid remaining in the cavity 162 and the air or vacuum within the liquid container. At this time, since M' is not changed, the resonance frequency fs is not changed. Thus, the actuator 106 can detect the state of the liquid in the liquid container.

On the other hand, in the case where M 'cav in equation 4 is less than M' max, the medium that is significantly absorbed is the liquid remaining in the cavity 162 and the air or vacuum in the liquid container. At this time, the resonance frequency fs changes due to a change in M' and a state in which the liquid container is filled with the liquid. Thus, the actuator 106 can detect the state of the liquid in the liquid container.

Specifically, in the case where the liquid in the liquid container is in an empty state and the cavity 162 of the actuator 106 can still have liquid, the condition for the actuator 106 to be able to accurately detect the liquid state is that M 'cav is smaller than M' max. It should be noted that the condition M 'max > M' cav under which the actuator 106 is able to accurately detect the liquid state is not related to the shape of the cavity 162.

Where M' cav is the mass of liquid approximately equal to the volume of cavity 162. Thus, according to the inequality M 'max > M' cav, the condition of the volume of the cavity 162 may be used to indicate the condition required for the actuator 106 to be able to accurately detect the fluid condition. For example, assuming that the diameter of the opening 161 of the circular cavity 162 is a, and the depth of the cavity 162 is d,

M’max＞ρ*d/πa²(formula 10)

Expanding equation 10 yields the following condition:

a/d > 3 π/8 (equation 11)

It should be noted that as long as the shape of the cavity 162 is circular, equation 10 and equation 11 are satisfied. If the expression of M' max is adopted and the area pi a is replaced in the case of non-circular shape²By substituting equation 10, the relationship between cavity dimensions such as width and length and cavity depth can be obtained.

Thus, even in the case where there is no liquid in the liquid container and there is a liquid in the cavity 162, one actuator 106 whose cavity 162 has the dimensions of the radius a and the cavity depth d of the opening 161 satisfying the formula 11 can detect the liquid state without fail.

Since the additional inertia M' affects the acoustic impedance characteristics, it can be said that the method of measuring the back emf generated by the exciter 106 due to residual oscillations can at least detect a change in the acoustic impedance.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, an oscillation is generated by the exciter 106, and the back electromotive force of the exciter 106 due to the residual oscillation that occurs later is measured. However, it is not necessarily required that the oscillating portion of the actuator 106 provide oscillation to the liquid by its own oscillation under the action of the driving voltage. Specifically, if the oscillating portion itself does not oscillate, the piezoelectric layer 160 is distorted and deformed by oscillation of a certain range of the liquid in contact with the oscillating portion. This residual oscillation causes the piezoelectric layer 160 to generate a back emf voltage and transmit its back emf voltage to the upper electrode 164 and the lower electrode 166. The state of the medium can be detected by utilizing this phenomenon. For example, in a flat recording apparatus, a print head is scanned during printing, and the state of an ink container or the ink therein is detected by oscillation occurring at the periphery of an oscillation portion of an actuator due to oscillation of a carriage in a reciprocating motion.

Fig. 23A and 23B illustrate waveforms of residual oscillations and one method of measuring the residual oscillations of the exciter 106 after the exciter 106 vibrates. After the actuator 106 oscillates, the upper and lower ink levels at the level of the mounting position of the actuator 106 inside the ink tank can be detected by the change in the residual oscillation frequency and the change in the amplitude. In fig. 23A and 23B, the vertical axis represents the voltage of the counter electromotive force generated by the residual oscillation of the exciter 106, and the horizontal axis represents time. The voltage analog signals shown in fig. 23A and 23B are generated by residual oscillation of the exciter 106. The analog signal is then converted to a digital value corresponding to the frequency of the signal.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 23A and 23B, the presence or absence of ink is detected by measuring a time period made up of four segments from the fourth pulse to the eighth pulse of the analog signal.

Specifically, the number of times the preset reference voltage transits from the low voltage side to the high voltage side after the actuator 106 oscillates is counted. A digital signal ranging from four counts to 8 counts is defined as High, and a time period spanning from four counts to 8 counts is measured in accordance with a predetermined clock pulse.

Fig. 23A shows a waveform when the ink level is higher than the mounting position level of the actuator 106. On the other hand, fig. 23B shows a waveform when there is no ink at the level of the mounting position of the actuator 106. Comparing fig. 23A and 23B, the waveform of fig. 23A is longer than that of fig. 23B in the time span from the fourth count to the eighth count. In other words, the time span from the fourth count to the eighth count is different with or without ink. The ink consumption state can be detected by using such a difference in time span. Counting from the fourth count of the analog waveform is because counting should be started after the oscillation of the exciter 106 is stabilized. Counting from the fourth count is only one embodiment, and counting from a preferred one of the sequential count values may be performed. Here, the signals from the fourth count to the eighth count are detected, and the time span from the fourth count to the eighth count is measured, from which the resonance frequency is found. The clock pulse is preferably the same clock pulse as that used to control the semiconductor device mounted on the ink cartridge. It is noted that it is not necessary to measure the time span until the eighth count, and the count may end up to a preferred sequential count value. In fig. 23A and 23B, the time span from the fourth count to the eighth count is measured, however, the time span within different count intervals may be measured depending on the specific circuit configuration used to detect the frequency.

For example, in the case where the quality of the ink is stable and the amplitude variation between the peaks is small, in order to accelerate the detection speed, the resonance frequency may be established by detecting the time span from the fourth to sixth counts. In addition, in the case where the quality of the ink is unstable and the pulse amplitude is greatly changed, in order to be able to accurately detect the residual oscillation, a time span from the fourth count to the twelfth count may be detected.

In addition, as another embodiment, the number of waveforms of the back electromotive force voltage waveform may be counted in a predetermined period (not shown). The resonant frequency can also be established in this way. Specifically, after the exciter 106 oscillates, the digital signal becomes High only for a predetermined period, and the predetermined reference voltage transits from the low voltage side to the High voltage side. The presence or absence of ink can be detected by measuring the count value thereof.

In addition, as can be seen from comparing fig. 23A and 23B, the magnitude of the counter electromotive force is different between the case where the ink cartridge is filled with ink and the case where the ink cartridge is not filled with ink. Therefore, the ink consumption state in the ink cartridge can be detected by measuring the magnitude of the counter electromotive force. Specifically, for example, the reference voltage is set between the vertex of the counter electromotive force of fig. 23A and the vertex of the counter electromotive force of fig. 23B. After the actuator 106 oscillates, a digital signal will become High and if the back emf crosses the reference voltage, it is determined that there is no ink. If the back EMF does not cross the reference voltage, it is determined that there is ink.

Fig. 24 illustrates one method of manufacturing actuator 106. A plurality of actuators 106 (4 pieces in the embodiment of fig. 24) are integrally formed. The actuator 106 shown in fig. 25 is made by cutting the integrally molded multiple actuators shown in fig. 24 into the form of a single actuator 106. If the piezoelectric elements of the respective actuators 106 of the integrally molded body shown in fig. 24 are circular, the actuators 106 shown in fig. 20A, 20B and 20C can be produced by simply cutting the integrally molded body into the form of a single actuator 106. The efficient fabrication of the first actuator 106 at the same time is facilitated by the integral formation of the plurality of actuators 106 and the ease of handling when applying the material. The actuator 106 has a thin plate or oscillation plate 176, a substrate 178, an elastic wave generating device or piezoelectric element 174, a terminal forming material or upper electrode terminal 168, and a terminal forming member or lower electrode terminal 170. The piezoelectric element 174 includes a piezoelectric oscillation plate or layer 160, an upper or top electrode 164, and a lower or bottom electrode 166. The oscillation plate 176 is provided on the upper surface of the substrate 178, and the lower electrode 166 is provided on the upper surface of the oscillation plate 176. The piezoelectric layer 160 is disposed on the lower electrode 166, and the upper electrode 164 is disposed on an upper surface of the piezoelectric layer 160. The main portion of the piezoelectric layer 160 thus formed is sandwiched between the main portions of the upper electrode 164 and the lower electrode 166 from both above and below.

A plurality of piezoelectric elements 174 (4 pieces in the embodiment of fig. 24) are formed on the oscillation plate 176. The lower electrode 166 is disposed in front of the oscillation plate 176, the piezoelectric layer 160 is disposed in front of the lower electrode 166, and the upper electrode 164 is disposed on an upper surface of the piezoelectric layer. Upper and lower electrode terminals 168 and 170 are provided at ends of the upper and lower electrodes 164 and 166. The 4 pieces of actuators 106 were cut separately and used separately.

Fig. 25 shows a partial cross-sectional view of an actuator 106 in which the piezoelectric element is rectangular.

Fig. 26 shows an overall cross-sectional view of the actuator 106 shown in fig. 25. A penetrating hole 178a is formed on a surface of the substrate 178 facing the piezoelectric element 174. The penetration hole 178a is sealed with the oscillation plate 176. The oscillation plate 176 has electrical insulation such as alumina and zirconia, and is made of an elastic and deformable material. The piezoelectric element 174 is provided on the oscillation plate 176 facing the through hole 178 a. The lower electrode 166 is provided on the front face of the oscillation plate 176, extending to the left side of fig. 26 in a direction away from the penetration hole 178 a. The upper electrode 164 is provided on the front face of the piezoelectric layer 160, extending to the right in fig. 26, opposite to the direction of the lower electrode away from the through hole 178 a. An upper electrode terminal 168 and a lower electrode terminal 170 are formed on the auxiliary electrode 172 and the lower electrode 166, respectively. The lower electrode terminal 170 is electrically connected to the lower electrode 166, and the upper electrode terminal 168 is electrically connected to the upper electrode 164 via the auxiliary electrode 172, and receives and transmits a signal between the piezoelectric element and the outside of the actuator 106. The height of the upper electrode terminal 168 and the lower electrode terminal 170 is higher than the height of the piezoelectric element plus the electrodes and piezoelectric layer.

Fig. 27 illustrates one method of manufacturing the actuator 106 of fig. 24. First, a through hole 940a is punched in a blank sheet 940 by a pressure or laser processing method. The substrate 178 is formed from the green sheet 940 by firing. The green sheet 940 is made of a material such as ceramic. Next, a blank sheet 941 is laminated on the blank sheet 940. The oscillation plate 176 is formed from the green sheet 941 by firing. The blank sheet 941 is made of a material such as zirconia. Next, a conductive layer 942, a piezoelectric layer 160 and a conductive layer 944 are sequentially formed on the surface of the green sheet 941 by a method such as die printing. Conductive layer 942 later serves as lower electrode 166 and conductive layer 944 later serves as upper electrode 164. The formed green sheet 940, green sheet 941, conductive layer 942, piezoelectric layer 160 and conductive layer 944 are then dried and fired. The bottoms of the gasket members 947 and 948 are stacked together and higher than the piezoelectric element, thereby heightening the heights of the upper electrode terminal 168 and the lower electrode terminal 170. Shim members 947 and 948 are formed by printing blank sheets 940 and 941 from the same material or from stacked blank sheets. By means of these gasket members 947 and 948, not only can the metal material of the upper electrode terminal 168 and the lower electrode terminal 170 be reduced, but also the thicknesses of the upper electrode terminal 168 and the lower electrode terminal 170 can be made thin, the upper electrode terminal 168 and the lower electrode terminal 170 can be printed for refinement, and a stable height can be obtained.

In forming the conductive layer 942, if the connection portion 944' and the spacer members 947 and 948 are formed at the same time, the upper electrode terminal 168 and the lower electrode terminal 170 are easily formed and firmly fixed. Finally, conductive layer 942 and conductive layer 944 are formed over the end regions. The electrical connection of the upper electrode terminal 168 and the lower electrode terminal 170 to the piezoelectric layer 160 is formed when the upper electrode terminal 168 and the lower electrode terminal 170 are formed.

Fig. 28A, 28B and 28C show still another example of an ink cartridge applicable to the present invention. Fig. 28A is a sectional view of the bottom of the ink cartridge according to the present embodiment. The ink cartridge of the present embodiment has a penetrating hole 1c in the bottom surface 1a of the container 1 containing ink. The bottom of the through hole 1c is sealed with the actuator 650 to form an ink reservoir.

Fig. 28B shows a fine cross-sectional view of the actuator 650 and the penetration hole 1c in fig. 28A. Fig. 28C shows a plan view of the actuator 650 and the penetration hole 1C shown in fig. 28B. The actuator 650 has an oscillation plate 72 and a piezoelectric element 73 fixed to the oscillation plate 72. The actuator 650 is fixed to the bottom surface of the container 1 so that the piezoelectric element 73 faces the penetration hole 1c through the vibrating plate 72 and the substrate 71. The oscillation plate 72 is elastic and deformable, and has ink resistance.

The magnitude and frequency of the back electromotive force generated by the residual oscillation of the piezoelectric element 73 and the oscillation plate 72 are changed according to the amount of ink in the tank 1. A penetration hole 1c is formed at a position facing the actuator 650, and a small amount of ink is stored in the penetration hole 1 c. This makes it possible to reliably detect the ink end in the container 1 by measuring the oscillation characteristic of the actuator 650 determined by the amount of ink held in the penetration hole 1c in advance.

Fig. 29A, 29B and 29C show another embodiment of the penetration hole 1C. In fig. 29A, 29B, and 29C, the left side figure shows a state where the ink K is not present in the penetration hole 1C, and the right side figure shows a state where the ink K is present in the penetration hole 1C. In fig. 28A, 28B, and 28C, the side wall formed by the through hole 1C is a vertical wall. In fig. 29A, a side wall 1d is formed in a penetrating hole 1c in a vertically inclined manner, and the opening widens outward. In fig. 29B, steps 1e and 1f are formed on the side wall of the penetration hole 1 c. The step portion 1f at the upper position is wider than the step portion 1e at the upper position. In fig. 29C, the through hole 1C has a passage 1g extending in a direction in which the ink K is liable to leak, that is, in a direction of the ink supply opening 2.

According to the shape of the penetration hole 1C shown in fig. 29A to 29C, the ink amount K at the ink storage position can be reduced. Thus, M 'cav and M' max shown in fig. 20A, 20B, 20C and 21 are comparable and can be made small, and since the oscillation characteristic of the actuator 650 at the time of ink end is greatly different from that in the case where the amount of ink K that can be printed is still present in the container 1, the ink end can be detected more reliably.

Figure 30 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of an actuator. The actuator 660 has a sealing member 76 which is located further outside than the penetration hole 1c on the substrate or the mounting plate 78 for disposing the actuator 660. Embossed holes 77 are formed on the periphery of the actuator 660. The actuator 660 is fixed to the container 1 by molding through the molding hole 77.

Fig. 31A and 31B are perspective views of still another embodiment of the actuator. In this embodiment, the actuator 670 has a convex substrate 80 and a piezoelectric element 82. The convex portion 81 is formed on one surface of the convex substrate 80, and the piezoelectric element 82 is mounted on the other surface. The bottom of the convex portion 81 except for the convex-shaped substrate 80 serves as an oscillation region. Thus, the oscillation region of the exciter 670 is defined by the edge portion of the boss 81. In addition, the structure of the actuator 670 is similar to that of the substrate 178 and the oscillating plate 176 formed integrally except for the actuator 106 in the embodiment according to fig. 20A, 20B and 20C. This can shorten the manufacturing steps and reduce the cost of the ink cartridge when manufacturing the ink cartridge. The actuator 670 is sized to fit into the through hole 1c provided in the container 1, so that the boss 81 can be regarded as a cavity. It is to be noted that the actuator 106 according to fig. 20A, 20B and 20C may be embedded in the penetration hole 1C as the actuator 670 according to fig. 31A and 31B.

Fig. 32 is a perspective view showing the construction of actuator 106 integrally formed as a single mounting module body 100. The module body 100 is equipped at a predetermined position on the container 1. According to the configuration of the module body 100, it can detect the consumption state of the liquid inside the container 1 by detecting at least the change in the acoustic impedance in the ink liquid. The module body 100 of the present embodiment has a liquid container mounting portion 101 for mounting an actuator 106 on the container 1. The liquid container mounting portion 101 is configured to include a cylindrical portion 116 of the actuator 106 that oscillates by a driving signal, and is mounted on a base 102 having a substantially rectangular plane. This arrangement prevents the actuator 106 of the module body 100 from coming into contact with the outside when mounted on the ink cartridge, and protects the actuator 106 from coming into contact with the outside. It should be noted that the rim on the top side of the cylindrical portion 116 is rounded to facilitate loading when fitted into a hole provided in the ink cartridge.

Fig. 33 is an exploded view of the module body 100 of fig. 32. The module body 100 includes a liquid container mounting portion 101 made of resin, a plate 110, and a piezoelectric device mounting portion 105 having a boss portion 113. In addition, module body 100 has leads 104a, 104b, actuator 106 and a membrane 108. The plate 110 is made of a material that is not susceptible to corrosion, such as stainless steel or stainless steel alloys, among others. An opening portion 114, which may include the leads 104a and 104b, is formed in a central portion of the base 102 included in the cylindrical portion 116 and the liquid container mounting portion 101, and a boss portion 113 is formed so as to accommodate the actuator 105, the film 108, and the plate 110. The actuator 106 is bonded to the plate 110 via the film 108, and the plate 110 and the actuator 106 are fixed to the liquid container mounting portion 101. Thus, the leads 104a and 104b, the actuator 106, the film 108, and the plate 110 can be integrally mounted on the liquid container mounting part 101. Leads 104a and 104b are connected to the upper electrode and the lower electrode, respectively, and emit a drive signal to the piezoelectric layer while emitting a signal of the resonance frequency detected by the actuator 106 to the recording apparatus. The exciter 106 oscillates briefly in accordance with the drive signals emitted from the leads 104a and 104 b. The exciter 106 performs residual oscillation after the oscillation, and a counter electromotive force is generated by the oscillation thereof. At this time, the resonance frequency corresponding to the state of the ink in the liquid container can be detected by detecting the oscillation cycle of the counter electromotive force. The membrane 108 bonds the actuator 106 and the plate 110 together and seals the actuator in a fluid-tight manner. The film 108 is made of polyolefin or the like and can be bonded by hot melting.

The plate 110 is a circular plate and forms a cylindrical opening 114 of the base 102. The actuator 106 and the membrane 108 are made rectangular. The leads 104, actuator 106, membrane 108 and plate 110 may be attached/detached to the base 102. The base 102, leads 104, actuators 106, membrane 108 and plate 110 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the central axis of the module body 100. In addition, the centers of the base 102, the actuator 106, the membrane 108 and the plate 110 are disposed approximately on this central axis.

The opening 114 of the base 102 has a larger area than the area of the oscillation region of the exciter 106. A through hole 112 is provided at the center of the plate 110 facing the oscillation region of the exciter 106. In the actuator 106 shown in fig. 20A, 20B, 20C and 21, a cavity 162 is formed, and an ink reservoir is formed by the through hole 112 and the cavity 162. The thickness of the plate 110 should be smaller than the radius of the through-holes 112 in order to reduce the influence of residual ink. For example, the depth of the penetration hole 112 is preferably less than one third of its radius. The through-hole 112 is a substantially complete circle that is symmetrical about the central axis of the module body 100. In addition, the area of the penetration hole 112 is larger than the opening area of the cavity 162 of the actuator 106. The circumference of the penetration hole 112 may be tapered or stepped. The module body 100 is mounted on a sidewall, upper portion or bottom portion of the container 1. When ink is consumed and there is no ink on the periphery of the actuator 106, a change in the ink level can be detected because the resonant frequency of the actuator 106 can vary greatly.

Fig. 34 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a module body. In the module body 400 of the present embodiment, one piezoelectric device mounting portion 405 is formed on the liquid container mounting portion 401. A cylindrical portion 403 having a cylindrical shape is formed in one base 402 having a substantially square planar surface and rounded corners in the liquid container mounting portion 401. In addition, the piezoelectric device mounting portion 405 includes one planar element 406 standing on the cylindrical portion 403 and the boss 413. Actuator 106 is disposed on a boss 413 provided on a side wall of planar element 406. It should be noted that the tip of the planar element 406 is inclined at a predetermined angle to facilitate installation when installed in a hole provided in an ink cartridge.

Fig. 35 is an exploded view of the module body 400 of fig. 34. Similar to the module body 100 shown in fig. 32, the module body 400 includes a liquid container mounting portion 401 and a piezoelectric device mounting portion 405. The liquid container mounting portion 401 has a base 402 and a cylindrical portion 403, and the piezoelectric device mounting portion 405 has a planar element 406 and a boss portion 413. Actuator 106 is engaged with plate 410 and is secured to boss 413. The module body 400 also has leads 404a and 404b, an actuator 106, and a membrane 408.

According to the present embodiment, the plate 410 is rectangular, and the opening portion 414 provided in the plane element 406 is also rectangular. The leads 404a and 404b, the actuator 106, the membrane 408 and the plate 410 are configured to be attachable/detachable to/from the base 402. The actuator 106, the membrane 408 and the plate 410 pass through the center of the opening 414 and are symmetrically arranged with respect to a central axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the opening portion 414. In addition, the centers of the exciter 106, membrane 408 and plate 410 are disposed substantially on this central axis.

The area of the through-hole 412 formed in the center of the plate 410 is larger than the area of the cavity 162 opening of the actuator 106. An ink reservoir is formed by the actuator 106 opening of the cavity 162 and the through-hole 412. The thickness of the plate 410 should be less than the radius of the through-hole 412. For example, the depth of the penetration hole 412 is preferably less than one third of its radius. The through-hole 412 is a substantially complete circle that is symmetrical about the central axis of the module body 400. The circumference of the penetration hole 412 may be tapered or stepped. The module body 400 may be mounted to the bottom of the container 1 with the penetration aperture 412 in the container 1. Since the actuator 106 is disposed in the container 1 and the actuator 106 extends in the vertical direction, how to change the height of the base 402 can change the disposition height of the actuator 106 inside the container 1, which facilitates changing the setting of the ink end time point.

FIGS. 36A, 36B and 36C illustrate yet another embodiment of a module body. Similar to the module body 100 shown in fig. 32, the module body 500 of fig. 36A, 36B and 36C includes a liquid container mounting portion 501 having a base 502 and a cylindrical portion 503. The module body 500 also has leads 504a and 504b, actuator 106, membrane 508 and plate 510. An opening 514 including leads 504a and 504b is formed in a central portion of the base 502 included in the liquid container mounting portion 501, and a projection 513 capable of including the actuator 106, the film 508, and the plate 510 is formed. The actuator 106 is fixed to the piezoelectric device mounting portion 505 via a plate 510. This enables the leads 504a and 504b, the actuator 106, the film 508, and the plate 510 to be integrally mounted on the liquid container mounting portion 501. In the module body 500 of the present embodiment, a cylindrical portion 503 is formed on the upper surface thereof in a vertically inclined manner on one base having a substantially square plane and rounded corners. The actuator 106 is disposed on a boss 513 provided on the cylindrical portion 503 in a vertically inclined manner.

The tip of module body 500 is inclined and actuator 106 is mounted on the inclined surface thereof. Thus, when the module body 500 is mounted to the bottom or side of the vessel 1, the actuator 106 has a slope with respect to the vertical direction of the vessel 1. The tip of the module body 500 is preferably inclined at an angle of 30 to 60 in consideration of the requirement of detection performance.

The module body 500 is mounted to the bottom or sidewall of the vessel 1 with the actuator 106 inside the vessel 1. With module body 500 mounted on the side of vessel 1, actuator 106 is mounted on vessel 1 such that actuator 106 is angled and faces upward, downward, or to one lateral side. On the other hand, in the case where the module body 500 is mounted on the bottom of the container 1, the actuator 106 is mounted on the container 1 such that the actuator 106 is inclined and faces the ink supply opening of the container 1.

Fig. 37 is a cross-sectional view of the module body 100 of fig. 32 as mounted to the container 1, near the bottom of the ink container. The module body 100 penetrates the sidewall of the container 1 when installed. An O-ring 365 is provided on the interface of the sidewall of the container 1 with the module body 100 and holds the module body 100 and container 1 in a fluid-tight manner. The module body 100 can preferably be provided with a cylindrical portion as shown in fig. 32 to seal the module body 100 with an O-ring. The tip of the module body 100 is inserted into the interior of the container 1 so that the ink inside the container 1 contacts the actuator 106 through the penetration hole 112 of the plate 110. Since the resonance frequency of the residual oscillation of the actuator 106 is different depending on the presence or absence of the liquid or gaseous medium at the periphery of the oscillating portion of the actuator 106, the ink consumption state can be detected with this module body 100. Further, not only the module body 100, the module body 400 shown in fig. 34, the module body 500 shown in fig. 36A, 36B and 36C, or the module bodies 700A and 700B shown in fig. 38A, 38B and 38C and a molded structure body 600 may be mounted on the container 1 for detecting the presence or absence of ink.

Fig. 38A shows a cross-sectional view of the ink container when the module body 700B is mounted on the container 1. In the present embodiment, the module body 700B is used as one of the mounting members. The module body 700B is attached to the container 1 such that the liquid container attaching portion 360 protrudes into the container 1. A penetration hole 370 is formed in the mounting plate 350, and the penetration hole 370 is made to face the oscillating portion of the exciter 106. In addition, a hole 382 and a piezoelectric device mounting portion are formed on the bottom surface of the module body 700B. One side of the bore 382 is sealed with an actuator 106. The ink contacts the oscillation plate 176 through the hole 382 of the piezoelectric device mounting portion 363 and the penetration hole 370 of the mounting plate 350. The hole 382 of the piezoelectric device mounting portion 363 and the through hole 370 of the mounting plate 350 cooperate to constitute an ink storage portion. The piezoelectric device mounting portion 363 and the actuator 106 are fixed by the mounting plate 350 and the thin film member. A sealing structure 372 is provided at a contact portion between the liquid container mounting portion 360 and the container 1. The sealing structure 372 may be made of a material having plasticity such as synthetic resin or the like, or an O-ring made of one. The module body 700B and the container 1 of fig. 38A are independent bodies, however, the piezoelectric device mounting portion of the module body 700B may be constituted by a part of the container 1.

In the module body 700B of fig. 38A, it is not necessary to embed a lead in the module body as in fig. 32 to 36A, 36B, and 36C. This simplifies the molding process. It is also possible to replace the module body 700B and to recover it.

When the cartridge is swung, there is a risk that ink will adhere to the top or side of the container 1 and the actuator 106 will malfunction as ink flows over the top and side walls of the container 1. However, since the liquid container mounting portion 360 of the module body 700B projects into the container 1, the actuator 106 does not malfunction due to the flow of ink on the upper surface and the side wall of the container 1.

In addition, in the embodiment of fig. 38A, the module body 700B is mounted on the container 1, and only a portion of the oscillation plate 176 and the mounting plate 350 is in contact with the ink inside the container 1. In the embodiment of fig. 38A, it is not necessary to embed the leads 104a, 104B, 404a, 404B, 504a, and 504B shown in fig. 32 through fig. 36A, fig. 36B, and fig. 36C in the electrodes of the module body. This simplifies the molding process. It is also possible to replace the module body 700B and to recover it.

Fig. 38B shows a cross-sectional view of the ink container when the actuator 106 is mounted to the container 1. In the ink cartridge according to the embodiment of fig. 38B, a protection member 361 is provided on the container 1 as a separate body from the actuator 106. Thus, the protection member 361 and the actuator 106 are not integral as a module, however, on the other hand, the protection member 361 protects the actuator 106 from the user's hand. In front of the actuator 106, an aperture 380 is arranged in the side wall of the container 1. Actuator 106 includes a piezoelectric layer 160, an upper electrode 164, a lower electrode 166, an oscillation plate 176, and a mounting plate 350. The oscillation plate 176 is disposed on the upper surface of the mounting plate 350, and the lower electrode 166 is disposed on the upper surface of the oscillation plate 176. The piezoelectric layer 160 is disposed on top of the lower electrode 166, and the upper electrode 164 is disposed on top of the piezoelectric layer 160. The main portion of the piezoelectric layer 160 thus formed is sandwiched between the main portion of the upper electrode 164 and the main portion of the lower electrode 166 from both the top and bottom. The piezoelectric element is constituted by a circular portion as a main body portion of each of the piezoelectric layer 160, the upper electrode 164, and the lower electrode 166. The piezoelectric element is provided on the oscillation plate 176. The oscillation area of the piezoelectric element and the oscillation plate 176 is an oscillation portion where the actuator actually oscillates. A through hole 370 is provided on the mounting plate 350. In addition, a through hole 380 is provided in the side wall of the container 1. Thus, ink can contact the oscillation plate 176 through the holes 380 of the tank 1 and the penetration holes 370 of the mounting plate 350. An ink reservoir is formed by the cooperation of the hole 380 in the container 1 and the through hole 370 in the mounting plate 350. In addition, in the embodiment of fig. 38B, since the actuator 106 is protected by the protective member 361, the actuator 106 can be prevented from being accessed from the outside.

It is noted that the mounting plate 350 of fig. 38A and 38B may be replaced with the substrate 178 of fig. 20A, 20B, and 20C.

Fig. 38C shows an embodiment having a molded structure 600 that includes actuators 106. In the present embodiment, the molded structure body 600 is used as one mounting structure body. The molded structure 600 has an actuator 106 and a molded portion 364. Actuator 106 and molded portion 364 are integrally molded. The molding portion 364 is molded with a material having plasticity such as silicone rubber or the like. Inside the molded portion 364, there are leads 362. The molded portion 364 is formed with two legs extending from the actuator 106. The ends of the legs of the mould part 364 are made hemispherical in order to fix the mould part 364 and the container 1 in a liquid-tight manner. The control portion 364 is mounted on the tank 1 so that the actuator 106 protrudes inside the tank 1 and so that the oscillating portion of the actuator 106 comes into contact with the ink in the tank 1. The molded portion 364 may protect the upper electrode 164, the piezoelectric layer 160 and the lower electrode 166 from contacting the ink.

In the molded structure body 600, since it is not necessary to provide the sealing structure 372 between the molding portion 364 and the container 1, ink does not easily leak. In addition, since the configuration of the molded structure body 600 is not projected outside the container 1, the actuator 106 can be protected from the outside. There is a risk that ink may adhere to the upper surface or the side wall of the tank 1 when the ink cartridge is swung, and the actuator 106 may malfunction because ink flowing from the upper surface or the side wall of the tank 1 contacts the actuator 106. However, with the molded structure 600, since the molded portion 364 protrudes into the interior of the container 1, the actuator 106 does not malfunction due to the flow of ink over the upper surface and the side wall of the container 1.

FIG. 39 shows an example of an ink cartridge and an ink jet recording apparatus using the actuator 106 shown in FIG. 20A, FIG. 20B and FIG. 20C. A plurality of ink cartridges 180 are mounted on one inkjet recording apparatus having a plurality of ink inlet portions 182 and holders 184 corresponding to the respective ink cartridges 180. The plurality of ink cartridges 180 each contain different types of ink, for example, different colors. An exciter 106 for detecting at least acoustic impedance is provided on the bottom surface of each of the plurality of ink cartridges 180. The remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 180 can be detected by mounting the actuator 106 on the ink cartridge 180.

Fig. 40 shows details of the head periphery of the inkjet recording apparatus. The ink jet recording apparatus has an ink inlet portion 182, a holder 184, a head plate 186 and a nozzle plate 188. A plurality of nozzles 190 for ejecting ink are formed on the nozzle plate 188. The ink inlet portion 182 has an air supply opening 181 and an inlet 183. The air supply opening 181 supplies air to the ink cartridge 180. The ink inlet 183 introduces ink from the ink cartridge 180. The ink cartridge 180 has an air inlet 185 and an ink supply opening 187. The air supply inlet 185 introduces air from the air supply opening 181 of the inlet portion 182. Ink supply opening 187 supplies ink to ink inlet 183 of ink inlet portion 182. The ink cartridge 180 introduces air from the ink inlet portion 182, causing ink to be supplied from the ink cartridge 180 to the ink inlet portion 182. The bracket 184 communicates ink supplied from the ink cartridge 180 to the head plate 186 through the ink inlet part 182.

The following is another embodiment of the ink cartridge 180 shown in fig. 41A, 41B and 40.

In the ink cartridge 180 shown in fig. 41A, the actuator 106 is mounted on the bottom surface 194a formed in a vertically inclined manner. Inside the ink tank 194 of the ink cartridge 180, a water blocking wall 192 is provided at a position facing the actuator 106 at a predetermined height from the inner bottom surface of the ink tank 194. Since the actuator 106 is mounted on the ink tank 194 in a vertically inclined manner, ink can be smoothly discharged.

A gap filled with ink is formed between the actuator 106 and the water stop wall 192. In addition, the spacing of this gap between the water stop wall 192 and the actuator 106 does not trap ink due to capillary attraction. When the ink tank 194 is swung sideways, the ink in the tank 194 is fluctuated by the sideways swing, and the actuator 106 may detect air or air bubbles due to an impact, causing the actuator 106 to malfunction. The provision of the water blocking wall 192 prevents the occurrence of ink surges near the actuator 106 and prevents malfunction of the actuator 106.

The actuator 106 of the ink cartridge 180B shown in fig. 41B is mounted on the side wall of the supply opening of the ink tank 194. The actuator 106 may be mounted on a side wall or a bottom surface of the ink tank 194 as long as it can be close to the ink supply opening 187. Further, the actuator 106 is preferably attached to the center of the ink tank 194 in the cross direction. Since the ink is supplied to the outside through the ink supply opening 187, if the actuator 106 is disposed near the ink supply opening 187, it is possible to ensure that the ink and the actuator 106 are in contact with each other until the time point when the ink is near the end. In this way, the actuator 106 can reliably detect the point in time when the ink is nearly exhausted.

In addition, if the actuator 106 is disposed near the ink supply opening 187, the contact positioning of the actuator 106 on the carriage can be accurately performed when the ink container is mounted to the cartridge holder or carriage. This is done because of the most important in the engagement of the ink container with the carriage is the reliable engagement of the ink supply opening and the supply needle. Even with slight misalignment, the tip of the supply needle may be damaged, or a sealing structure such as an O-ring may be damaged to cause ink leakage. To avoid these problems, ink jet printers typically have a special configuration that allows for precise positioning when the ink container is mounted on the carriage. Therefore, as long as the actuator is arranged in the vicinity of the supply opening, the positioning of the actuator can be reliably performed at the same time. In addition, if the actuator 106 is installed in the center of the ink tank 194 in the cross direction, more reliable positioning can be performed. This is because, when the ink container is mounted on the holder, the container is most gently swung when the ink container is swung in the axial direction about the center line in the cross direction.

Fig. 42A, 42B, and 42C show still another example of the ink cartridge 180. Fig. 42A is a sectional view of the ink cartridge 180C, fig. 42B is an enlarged sectional view of the side wall 194B of the ink cartridge 180C shown in fig. 42A, and fig. 42C is a perspective view seen from the front. For the ink cartridge 180C, the semiconductor memory device 7 and the actuator 106 are formed on the same circuit substrate 610.

As shown in fig. 42B and 42C, the semiconductor memory device 7 is formed on an upper portion of the circuit substrate 610, and the actuator 106 is formed on a lower portion of the semiconductor memory device 7 on the same circuit substrate 610. A specially shaped O-ring 614 is mounted on side wall 194b around actuator 106. A plurality of embossed portions 616 are provided on the side wall 194b for joining the circuit substrate 610 to the ink tank 194. The circuit substrate 610 engages the ink reservoir 194 through the coined portion 616 and pushes against the circuit substrate 610 with a specially shaped O-ring 614 to maintain the exterior and interior of the cartridge in a fluid-tight manner while allowing the oscillation region of the actuator 106 to be exposed to the ink.

One terminal 612 is formed at the semiconductor memory device 7 and near the semiconductor memory device 7. The terminal 612 receives and transmits a signal between the semiconductor memory device 7 and the outside, for example, an ink jet recording device. The semiconductor memory device 7 may be constituted by a programmable semiconductor memory EEPROM or the like, for example. Since the semiconductor memory device 7 and the actuator 106 are formed on the same circuit substrate 610, only one mounting process step is required when the actuator 106 and the semiconductor memory device 7 are mounted on the ink cartridge 180C. In addition, the processing steps in manufacturing and recycling the ink cartridge 180C are also simplified. In addition, since the number of parts is reduced, the manufacturing cost of the ink cartridge 180C can be reduced.

The actuator 106 detects the ink consumption state in the ink tank 194. The semiconductor memory device 7 stores ink information, such as the ink remaining amount detected by the actuator 106. Specifically, the semiconductor storage device 7 stores information on characteristic parameters such as ink and ink cartridge used at the time of detection. One characteristic parameter stored in the semiconductor memory device 7 is a resonance frequency, that is, a resonance frequency when the ink tank 194 is in a pre-filled state, that is, when the ink tank 194 is filled with ink, or a resonance frequency when the ink is used up, that is, when the ink in the ink tank 194 is used up. When the ink container is first attached to an inkjet recording apparatus, the resonance frequency in a state where the ink container 194 is filled with ink or in a state where the ink is completely consumed and used up can be stored. In addition, when the ink container 194 is manufactured, a resonance frequency in a state where the ink container 194 is filled with ink or in a state where ink is completely consumed and used up may be stored. In detecting the remaining amount of ink, the discrete value can be adjusted by using the resonance frequency stored in advance in the semiconductor storage device 7 when the ink tank 194 is full of ink or when the ink is used up, and reading the data of the resonance frequency on the side of the ink jet recording device, so that the remaining amount of ink falling to the reference value can be detected accurately.

Fig. 43A, 43B and 43C show still another example of the ink cartridge 180. In the ink cartridge 180D of fig. 43A, a plurality of actuators 106 are mounted on the side wall 194b of the ink tank 194. The plurality of actuators 106 is preferably a plurality of actuators 106 integrally molded as shown in fig. 24. The plurality of exciters 106 are arranged on the side wall 194b at intervals in the vertical direction. The ink remaining amount can be detected step by arranging a plurality of actuators 106 on the side wall 194b at regular intervals in the vertical direction.

In the ink cartridge 180E shown in fig. 43B, an actuator 606 elongated in the vertical direction is mounted on the side wall 194B of the ink tank 194. The actuator 606, which is elongated in the vertical direction, can continuously detect a change in the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank 194. The length of the driver 606 is preferably such that the length is greater than half the height of the side wall 194B, and in fig. 43B the length of the driver 606 spans from near the top end of the side wall 194B to near the bottom end thereof.

In the ink cartridge 180F shown in fig. 43C, similarly to the ink cartridge 180D shown in fig. 43A, a plurality of actuators 106 are mounted on a side wall 194b of an ink tank 194, and a water blocking wall 192 is provided at a predetermined interval facing the plurality of actuators 106, the water blocking wall 192 being elongated in the vertical direction. The plurality of actuators 106 is preferably a plurality of actuators 106 integrally molded as shown in fig. 24. A gap filled with ink is formed between the actuator 106 and the water stop wall 192. In addition, the spacing of this gap between the water stop wall 192 and the actuator 106 does not trap ink due to capillary attraction. When the ink tank 194 is swung sideways, the ink in the tank 194 is fluctuated by the sideways swing, and the actuator 106 may detect air or air bubbles due to an impact, causing the actuator 106 to malfunction. According to the present invention, the water blocking wall 192 is provided to prevent ink fluctuation from occurring in the vicinity of the actuator 106, and to prevent malfunction of the actuator 106. In addition, the water blocking wall 192 prevents air bubbles generated by the oscillation from intruding into the exciter 106.

Fig. 44A, 44B, 44C and 44D show still another example of the ink cartridge 180. The ink cartridge 180G of fig. 44A has a plurality of partition walls 212 extending from the upper surface 194c to the lower portion of the ink tank 194. The bottom of the ink tank 194 is communicated because a predetermined gap is left between the lower end of each partition wall 212 and the bottom surface of the ink tank 194. The ink cartridge 180G has a plurality of accommodation compartments 213 that are expanded piece by a plurality of partition walls 212. The bottoms of the plurality of accommodation compartments 213 communicate with each other. An actuator 106 is mounted on an upper surface 194c of each ink container 194 in the plurality of accommodation compartments 213. The plurality of actuators 106 is preferably a plurality of actuators 106 integrally molded as shown in fig. 24. The actuator 106 is disposed substantially at the center of the upper surface 194c of the accommodation chamber 213 of the ink container 194. The maximum volume of the accommodation chamber 213 is the volume of the accommodation chamber 213 on the side of the ink supply opening 187, and the volume of the accommodation chamber 213 is gradually reduced as the accommodation chamber is gradually distanced from the ink supply opening 187 toward the rear of the ink cartridge 194. Thus, the interval at which the actuator 106 is disposed on the side of the ink supply opening 187 is relatively wide, and the interval from the ink supply opening 187 to the inside of the ink tank 194 becomes narrower.

Since ink is discharged from the ink supply opening 187 and air enters from the air inlet 185, ink is gradually consumed from the accommodation chamber 213 on the side of the ink supply opening 187 to the accommodation chamber 213 located at the back of the ink cartridge 180G. For example, the ink in the accommodation chamber 213 closest to the ink supply opening 187 is consumed, and when the ink level in the accommodation chamber 213 closest to the ink supply opening 187 is lowered, the other accommodation chambers 213 are filled with ink. When the ink in the accommodation chamber 213 closest to the ink supply opening 187 is completely consumed, air invades the accommodation chamber 213 located second from the ink supply opening 187, the ink in the second accommodation chamber 213 starts to be consumed, and the ink level in the second accommodation chamber 213 starts to drop. At this point in time, the ink in the accommodation chamber 213 that is third and later from the ink supply opening 187 among the accommodation chambers is full. This causes ink to be consumed in sequence from the accommodation chamber 213 closest to the ink supply opening 187 to the accommodation chamber 213 farthest from the ink supply opening 187.

Thus, since the actuators 106 are arranged on the upper surface 194a of the ink tank 194 at intervals of one for each accommodation chamber 213, the actuators 106 can detect the stepwise decrease in the amount of ink. Further, the volume of the accommodation chamber 213 gradually decreases from the volume of the accommodation chamber on the ink supply opening 187 side to the volume of the accommodation chamber 213 on the rear side, and the time interval from the time point at which the actuator 106 detects the decrease in the amount of ink to the next time point at which the actuator 106 detects the decrease in the amount of ink gradually decreases, and the detection becomes more frequent as the ink is near the end of ink.

The ink cartridge 180H of fig. 44B has one partition wall 212 extending from the upper surface 194a to the lower portion of the ink tank 194. The bottom of the ink tank 194 is communicated due to a predetermined interval between the lower end of the partition wall 212 and the bottom surface of the ink tank 194. The ink cartridge 180H has two accommodation compartments 213a and 213b separated by a partition wall 212. The bottoms of the accommodation compartments 213a and 213b are communicated with each other. The volume of the accommodation chamber 213a on the side of the ink supply opening 187 is larger than that of the accommodation chamber 213b facing away from the ink supply opening 187. The volume of the accommodation compartment 213b is preferably less than half of the volume of the accommodation compartment 213 a.

The exciter 106 is mounted on the upper surface 194c of the accommodation compartment 213 b. Further, a buffer 214, which is a passage for trapping bubbles entering at the time of manufacturing the ink cartridge 180H, is provided in the accommodation chamber 213 b. In fig. 44B, a passage extending from the side wall 194B of the ink tank 194 to the upper portion is formed by the buffer 214. Since the buffer 214 catches the air bubbles intruding into the ink containing chamber 213b, it can prevent the actuator 106 from erroneously detecting the ink end due to the air bubbles. Further, the actuator 106 is provided on the upper surface 194c of the ink containing compartment 213b, and the amount of ink from the time point at which the near-end of ink is detected to the time point at which the ink completely-end state is detected is corrected in accordance with the ink consumption state in the containing compartment 213a grasped by the dot counter, and the ink can be consumed up to the end. In addition, as long as the volume of the accommodation chamber 213b is adjusted by changing the length and interval of the partition wall 212 or the like, the amount of ink that is still available for consumption after the near-end of ink is detected can be changed.

In fig. 44C, the accommodation chamber 213B of the ink cartridge 180I of fig. 44B is filled with a porous member 216. The porous member 216 is embedded in the entire space from the upper side to the lower side in the accommodation chamber 213 b. The porous member 216 contacts the actuator 106. When the ink container is dropped or reciprocated on the carriage, air may intrude into the accommodation chamber 213b, causing the actuator 106 to be in danger of malfunction. However, if the porous member 216 is provided, the porous member 216 can trap air and prevent the air from invading the exciter 106. In addition, since the porous member 216 can hold ink, the ink can be prevented from flowing over the actuator 106, preventing the actuator 106 from erroneously detecting that no ink is present due to the oscillation of the ink tank. The porous member 216 is preferably disposed in the accommodation chamber 213 having the smallest volume. In addition, the actuator 106 is disposed on the upper surface 194c of the accommodation compartment 213b, and corrects the amount of ink from the time point when the near-exhaustion of ink is detected to the time point when the ink is completely exhausted, and the ink can be exhausted until the end. In addition, by adjusting the volume of the accommodation chamber 213b by changing the length and interval of the partition wall 212 or the like, the amount of ink that is still available for consumption after the near-end of ink is detected can be changed.

Fig. 44D shows an ink cartridge 180J composed of two kinds of porous members 216A and 216B having different pore diameters instead of the porous member 216 of the ink cartridge 180I shown in fig. 44C. The porous member 216A is disposed above the porous member 216B. The pore diameter of the upper porous member 216A is larger than that of the lower porous member 216B. Alternatively, the porous member 216A may have a higher affinity for liquid than the porous member 216B. Since the porous member 216B having a small pore diameter has a larger capillary attraction than the porous member 216A having a large pore diameter, the ink in the accommodation chamber 213B is collected and held to the underlying porous member 216B. Thus, once air contacts the actuator 106 and no ink is detected, there is no chance that ink will again contact the actuator 106 and cause it to detect ink. Further, since the ink is sucked by the porous member 216B away from the actuator 106, the ink in the vicinity of the actuator 106 is smoothly discharged, and thus a change value of the acoustic impedance with or without the ink can be detected. In addition, the actuator 106 is disposed on the upper surface 194c of the accommodation compartment 213b, and corrects the amount of ink from the time point when the near-exhaustion of ink is detected to the time point when the ink is completely exhausted, and the ink can be exhausted until the end. In addition, by adjusting the volume of the accommodation chamber 213b by changing the length and interval of the partition wall 212 or the like, the amount of ink that is still available for consumption after the near-end of ink is detected can be changed.

Fig. 45A, 45B and 45C show sectional views of an ink cartridge 180K as still another example of the ink cartridge 180I shown in fig. 44C. The porous member 216 of the ink cartridge 180 shown in fig. 45A, 45B and 45C is designed such that the cross-sectional area of the lower portion of the porous member 216 in the horizontal direction is compressed, gradually decreases toward the bottom surface of the ink tank 194, and the pore diameter thereof becomes smaller. A rib for compressing the porous member is provided on the side wall of the ink cartridge 180K of FIG. 45A so that the pore diameter of the porous member 216 becomes smaller below. Since the pore diameter of the lower portion of the porous member 216 is compressed to be smaller, the ink is gathered toward the lower portion of the porous member 216 and held therein. Since the ink is attracted by the porous member 216B on the side away from the actuator 106, the ink near the actuator 106 can be smoothly discharged, and the change in the acoustic impedance can be detected with or without the presence of the ink. This also prevents ink from flowing over the actuator 106 mounted on the upper surface of the ink cartridge 180K due to ink wobble, preventing the actuator 106 from erroneously detecting that there is ink without ink.

On the other hand, in the ink cartridge 180L of fig. 45B and 45C, the cross-sectional area of the lower portion of the porous member 216 in the horizontal direction is compressed, gradually decreases toward the bottom surface of the ink tank 194, and the pore diameter thereof also becomes smaller. Since the pore diameter of the lower portion of the porous member is compressed and becomes small, the ink is gathered toward the lower portion of the porous member 216 and held therein. Since the ink is attracted by the porous member 216B on the side away from the actuator 106, the ink near the actuator 106 can be smoothly discharged, and the change in the acoustic impedance can be detected with or without the presence of the ink. This also prevents ink from flowing over the actuator 106 mounted on the upper surface of the ink cartridge 180K due to ink wobble, preventing the actuator 106 from erroneously detecting that there is ink without ink.

FIGS. 46A, 46B, 46C and 46D show yet another embodiment of an ink cartridge employing an actuator 106. The ink cartridge 220A of fig. 46A has a first partition wall 222 extending from the upper side to the lower side. Since a predetermined gap is left between the lower end of the first partition wall 222 and the bottom surface of the ink cartridge 220A, ink can flow into the ink supply opening 230 through the bottom surface of the ink cartridge 220A. On the side of the ink supply opening 230 away from the first partition wall 222, a second partition wall 224 is formed vertically upward from the bottom surface of the ink cartridge 220A. Since a predetermined gap is left between the upper end of the second partition wall 224 and the upper surface of the ink cartridge 220A, ink may flow into the ink supply opening 230 through the upper surface of the ink cartridge 220A.

A first accommodation chamber 225a is formed on the rear surface side of the first partition wall 222 as viewed from the ink supply opening 230 to the distant side of the first partition wall 222. On the other hand, a second containing chamber 225b is formed on the side of the second partition wall 224 as viewed from the ink supply opening 230 to the side of the second partition wall 224 near. The first accommodation compartment 225a has a larger volume than the second accommodation compartment 225 b. Only a portion of the gap between the first partition wall 222 and the second partition wall 224, in which the capillary phenomenon can occur, forms the capillary passage 227. Therefore, the ink of the first accommodation chamber 225a is collected into the capillary channel 227 by the capillary attraction of the capillary channel 227. This prevents air and air bubbles from entering the second accommodation chamber 225 b. In addition, the ink level in the second accommodation chamber 225b gradually and stably decreases. Since the first containing chamber 225a is located behind the second containing chamber 225b as viewed from the ink supply opening 230 side, the ink in the second containing chamber 225b is consumed after the ink in the first containing chamber 225a is consumed.

The actuator 106 is mounted on the side wall of the ink cartridge 220A on the side of the ink supply opening 230, that is, on the side wall of the second accommodating chamber 225b on the side of the ink supply opening 230. The actuator 106 detects the ink consumption state in the second containing chamber 225 b. The actuator 106 mounted on the side wall of the second containing chamber 225b can stably detect the remaining amount of ink at the point of time when the ink is nearly exhausted. In addition, the remaining amount of ink at the point of time when the ink is used up can be set at will by changing the mounting height of the actuator 106 on the side wall of the second containing chamber 225 b. Since the ink is supplied from the first containing chamber 225a to the second containing chamber 225b through the capillary passage 227, the actuator 106 is not affected by the lateral swing of the ink in the ink cartridge 220A, and the actuator 106 can reliably measure the remaining amount of ink. In addition, since the capillary passage 227 can hold ink, the ink is prevented from flowing back from the second accommodation chamber 225b to the first accommodation chamber 225 a.

A check valve 228 is provided on the upper surface of the ink cartridge 220A. When the ink cartridge 220A swings laterally, it can prevent the ink of the ink cartridge 220A from leaking to the outside through the check valve 228. In addition, providing the blocking valve 228 on the upper surface of the ink cartridge 220A can prevent the ink in the ink cartridge 220A from evaporating. When the ink in the ink cartridge 220A is consumed and the negative pressure inside the ink cartridge 220A exceeds the pressure of the check valve 228, the check valve 228 opens, drawing air into the ink cartridge 220A, and then closes to maintain the pressure inside the ink cartridge 220A at a certain level.

Fig. 46C and 46D specifically show a sectional view of the check valve 228. The valve 232 of the check valve 228 of FIG. 46C has a flap 232a made of rubber. An air hole 233 communicating with the outside of the ink cartridge 220 is provided in the ink cartridge 220 facing the valve flap 232 a. The air hole 233 is opened and closed by the valve flap 232 a. In the check valve 228, when the ink in the ink cartridge 220 decreases and the negative pressure inside the ink cartridge 220 exceeds the pressure of the check valve 228, the valve flap 232a inside the ink cartridge 220 opens to suck the outside air into the ink cartridge 220. The check valve 228 of fig. 46D has a valve 232 comprised of rubber and a spring 235. In the check valve 228, when the negative pressure inside the ink cartridge 220 exceeds the pressure of the check valve 228, the valve 232 pushes and presses the spring 235 to open, and external air is sucked into the ink cartridge 220. And then shut off to maintain the negative pressure inside the ink cartridge 220A at a certain level.

In the ink cartridge 220B of fig. 46B, a porous member 242 is arranged instead of the check valve 228 in the ink cartridge 220A of fig. 46A. The porous member 242 can prevent the ink from leaking to the outside of the ink cartridge 220B when the ink cartridge 220B swings laterally, and the porous member 242 can hold the ink inside the ink cartridge 220B.

Although the actuator 106 has been described as being mounted on the ink cartridge which is mounted on the carriage and the ink cartridge is separated from the carriage, or the actuator 106 is mounted on a carriage and the ink cartridge is separated from the carriage, the actuator 106 may be mounted on an ink container formed integrally with the carriage and mounted on the inkjet recording apparatus together with the carriage. Alternatively, the actuator 106 may be mounted on a carriage-separated ink container separated from the carriage, and the carriage may be supplied with ink through a single conduit. Further, the actuator of the present invention may be mounted on an ink cartridge comprising an integrated recording head and ink tank, and may be replaced.

[ combination of actual consumption State detection and estimated consumption State calculation ]

Up to this point, various ink cartridges of the present invention equipped with an ink consumption detection function have been explained. These ink cartridges have a liquid sensor (actuator or the like) composed of a piezoelectric device. The liquid sensor is used to detect the actual consumption state, i.e. the actual consumption state. The consumption state is further estimated in this embodiment. Ink consumption is ink consumption due to printing or head maintenance, and either or both may be estimated. An estimation procedure mainly based on the amount of printing as the operation amount of the ink jet recording apparatus will be described in this embodiment. The consumption state established in this way is referred to as an estimated consumption state. An ink consumption state can be more accurately and specifically established by combining the detection of the actual consumption state and the calculation of the actual consumption state. An optimum configuration combining the actual detection state and the estimated consumption state will be described below.

Fig. 47 shows a system configuration having the ink consumption detection function of the present embodiment. The ink cartridge 800 corresponds to fig. 1, for example. The ink cartridge 800 has a liquid sensor 802 and a consumption information memory 804. The liquid sensor 802 is constituted by a piezoelectric device. The liquid sensor 802 is specifically constituted by the above-described elastic wave generating device or actuator, and outputs a signal corresponding to the ink consumption state. The consumption information memory 804 is a rewritable memory such as an EEPROM, which corresponds to the above-described semiconductor storage device (reference numeral 7 in fig. 1).

The recording apparatus control section 810 is constituted by a computer for controlling the ink jet recording apparatus. The inkjet recording apparatus may also be equipped with a recording apparatus control section 810. The external device connected to the recording device is, for example, another computer provided with one or all of the functions of the recording device control section 810.

The recording apparatus control unit 810 includes a consumption detection processing unit 812. The ink consumption detection device is composed of a consumption detection processing unit 812, a liquid sensor 802, and a consumption information memory 804. The consumption detection processing unit 812 establishes a consumption state using the liquid sensor 802 and the consumption information memory 804. The established consumption state is then stored in the consumption information storage 804.

The recording apparatus control section 810 further includes a printing operation control section 818, a print data storage section 824, and a consumption information display section 826. These configurations are explained below.

The consumption detection processing section 812 of the recording apparatus control section 810 includes an estimated consumption calculation processing section 814 and an actual consumption detection processing section 816. The actual consumption detection processing unit 816 detects the actual consumption state by controlling the liquid sensor 802, and writes the actual consumption state in the consumption information memory 804. The actual consumption state is detected according to the principles described above. For example, the actual consumption detection processing unit 816 drives one piezoelectric element of the liquid sensor 802 in order to detect the actual consumption state from the acoustic impedance. The piezoelectric element outputs a signal representing a residual oscillation state after the oscillation is generated. The actual consumption state is detected from the state of the residual oscillation that changes with the ink consumption state.

According to the present embodiment, whether or not the ink level is detected as the actual consumption state by the liquid sensor 802. The output signal of the sensor is greatly changed before and after the liquid level part passes through. This makes it possible to reliably detect the passage of the liquid surface. Hereinafter, a state before the liquid surface portion passes is referred to as "a state with ink", and a state after the liquid surface portion passes is referred to as "a state without ink".

On the other hand, the estimated consumption calculation processing part 814 establishes an estimated consumption state based on the ink consumption of the ink cartridge 800. Printing and maintenance operations of the recording head consume ink. This establishes an ink consumption amount based on the number of ink drops used for printing and the number of maintenance times. However, within the scope of the present invention, the ink consumption amount of any one of them may be established. The following mainly describes a procedure for establishing the ink consumption amount in accordance with the print amount.

Specifically, the estimated consumption calculation processing section 814 calculates the ink consumption state based on the amount of printing when ink in the ink cartridge 800 is used, thereby establishing an estimated consumption state. A print amount is created by the print amount calculation part 822 of the print operation control part 818 and supplied to the estimated consumption calculation processing part 814. The printing operation control section 818 receives print data and controls a recording head and the like to perform printing. Thus, the printing operation control unit 818 can grasp the printing amount. If the printing amount is grasped, the ink consumption amount corresponding to the printing amount can be estimated. The estimated consumption state thus established is close to the actual consumption state, and is stored in the consumption information memory 804 of the ink cartridge 800.

Consumption transformation information is employed for the estimated consumption. The consumption conversion information is information indicating a relationship between a printing amount as an operation amount of the ink jet recording apparatus and an estimated consumption state. The consumption conversion information in the present embodiment employs the ink amount corresponding to the ink droplets ejected from the recording head (ink amount per ink droplet). In this case, the number of print dots corresponds to the print amount. One consumption amount can be estimated by merely multiplying the ink amount of each ink droplet by the number of dots.

It should be noted that, as already explained above, the number of dots is proportional to the amount of ink consumed. The number of dots can be directly treated as a parameter representing the amount of ink consumed.

Further, the estimation of the consumption amount is preferably performed based on the size of the ink droplets. The recording apparatus ejects a plurality of ink droplets of different sizes in accordance with print data. The ink volume of each ink droplet is different depending on the size of the ink droplet. Therefore, more accurate estimation can be performed using different transform values corresponding to this size.

For example, assume that the ejected ink droplets have three sizes a, b, and c. Assume that the ink amounts of each ink droplet are Va, Vb, and Vc. And assume that the cumulative number of ejected ink droplets is Na, Nb, and Nc, respectively. In this case, the ink consumption amount can be expressed as:

Va*Na+Vb*Nb+Vc*Nc

In such a consumption estimation procedure, since the number of dots is multiplied and added by software means, the procedure is also called a soft estimation procedure.

The conversion information for establishing the estimated consumption state is stored in the consumption information memory 804 of the ink cartridge 800. The consumption information memory 804 is provided with a consumption conversion information storage unit 808 for storing conversion information.

Generally, the consumption transformation information includes a certain degree of error. The main sources of this error are dispersion in the discharge amount of the recording head, individual differences in ink cartridges and ink jet recording apparatuses, conditions of use, and combinations thereof. For example, the amount of ink per dot may vary due to variations in the viscosity of the ink in the plurality of dots. Therefore, the reference consumption conversion information and the corrected consumption conversion information are stored in the consumption conversion information storage section 808. The reference consumption transform information is standard transform information. And the corrected consumption conversion information is obtained by correcting the reference consumption conversion information according to the actual consumption state when the actual consumption state is detected using the liquid sensor 802.

The reference consumption transform information is used until the corrected consumption transform information is obtained. The corrected consumption conversion information is used when the corrected consumption conversion information is obtained. This makes it possible to make the detection more accurate.

Fig. 48 shows an example of ink consumption detection according to the present embodiment. Fig. 48 also shows a correction procedure for the consumption conversion information. The completely filled state of ink is a state when one ink cartridge is used for the first time, and the value of the ink consumption amount is zero. First, although the estimated consumption amount is created by multiplying the number of dots by the estimated consumption calculation processing section 814, this employs the reference consumption conversion information that has been read out from the consumption state storage section 806.

As described above, the estimated consumption amount is the product of the number of print dots and the amount of ink per dot (conversion information). Therefore, the estimated consumption amount increases in proportion to the number of dots. The gradient (a) of the estimated consumption amount corresponds to the transformation information.

As the ink is consumed, the ink level reaches the liquid sensor 802. At this time, the liquid sensor 802 detects the passage of the liquid surface portion as an actual consumption state. The amount of ink consumed, which is actually measured when the liquid level passes, is the volume of the ink cartridge in which the liquid level is higher than the liquid sensor, and this volume is known in advance. This information is preferably stored in the consumption information memory 804. The liquid sensor 802 is preferably provided at a position of the liquid surface when the remaining amount of ink is reduced. In this way, the liquid sensor 802 can detect the passage of the liquid surface when the ink is nearly used up, and set the state as the actual consumption state.

As shown in fig. 48, when the actual consumption state is detected, an error occurs between the actually measured consumption amount and the estimated consumption amount (the accumulated value of the ink amount per ink droplet). This is because the estimation procedure uses transform values that are different from the values that actually occur. Therefore, when the actual consumption state is detected, the estimated consumption amount as the accumulated value is corrected to the actual measurement value. The correction value is stored in the consumption state storage unit 806 of the consumption information memory 804.

The conversion information is additionally corrected according to the actual consumption state. It is assumed that the number of dots from the completely filled state to the passage of the liquid surface is Nx. Further, assume that the amount of consumption from the state of full ink to the passage of the liquid surface is Vx. In this case, the corrected transformation information is Vx/Nx. The corrected conversion information is stored in the consumption conversion information storage unit 808 of the consumption information memory 804.

After the actual consumption state is detected, its consumption is estimated again by multiplying the number of dots. Whereas the subsequent consumption is calculated from the corrected accumulated value. In addition, the corrected conversion information is used in calculating the consumption amount. Specifically, in FIG. 48, the gradient of the estimated consumption amount after correction is Vx/Nx as described above.

This enables an ink consumption state to be accurately established from the time point when the ink is nearly exhausted to the time point when the ink is completely exhausted by using the corrected data.

In particular, when the amount of ink is small, it is more important to accurately detect the amount of ink consumption than at a point in time when the amount of ink is large. According to the present embodiment, since the estimated consumption amount and the conversion information are corrected at the point in time when the ink is near end, these requirements can be appropriately satisfied. With this, poor printing due to lack of ink can be prevented. In addition, the user can be reminded to replace the ink box timely.

Fig. 49 shows a detection routine of the consumption detection processing unit 812. When the ink cartridge 800 is mounted, the reference consumption conversion information is obtained from the consumption conversion information storage part 808 (S10). The estimated consumption state thereof is then calculated by the estimated consumption calculation processing part 814 (S12). The actual consumption detection processing unit 816 detects the actual consumption state of the liquid by the liquid sensor 802 (S14). The "ink present state" detected until the ink level reaches the liquid sensor 802 is regarded as the actual consumption state.

The actual consumption amount can be detected at appropriate intervals. In addition, when the estimated consumption amount is small, the frequency of detection is low, and when the estimated consumption amount reaches a predetermined switching value, the frequency of detection is increased. Or the actual consumption state may not be detected until the estimated consumption amount reaches the predetermined switching value.

The predetermined switching value is set at an appropriate value before the ink level reaches the liquid sensor 802. This predetermined switching value is preferably the amount of consumption at the point in time when the ink level is close to the liquid sensor 802. When the switching value is set, the difference between the consumption amount at the time of switching and the consumption amount at the time of liquid level passage is made larger than the maximum error of the estimated consumption amount at the time of liquid level passage.

By means of these procedures, the number of actual consumption detections when a liquid level passage may be detected is limited. This can reduce the operation of the piezoelectric device and the procedure for such operation. The piezoelectric device can be effectively utilized.

Returning to fig. 49, after step S14, the calculation result of the estimated consumption amount and the detection result of the actual consumption state are stored in the consumption state storage unit 806 (S16). Consumption information is then displayed for the user (S18). The process of step S18 is executed by the consumption information display section 826 of the recording apparatus control section 810 (fig. 47). This procedure is explained further below.

Next, whether or not the liquid level has passed is detected and determined as an actual consumption state (S20). In the following procedure, the result is obtained by adding the subsequent consumption amount to the estimated consumption amount as the last estimated consumption amount.

In step S20, if YES is indicated, the detection of the actual consumption state by the liquid sensor 802 is stopped (S22). When the liquid surface passes the sensor, the actual detection state is switched from the state with ink to the state without ink. Then, the state of no ink is continuously detected. This eliminates the need to detect the actual consumption state. The detection of the actual consumption state is therefore stopped. By means of these procedures, the operation of the piezoelectric device and procedures for such operation can be reduced, and the piezoelectric device can be effectively utilized.

Next, as shown in fig. 48, the consumption state (accumulated value) is estimated next in step S24 and stored in the consumption conversion information storage 808 in step S26 (S28).

The estimated consumption state is calculated in step S30 as in step S12. However, the difference from step S12 is that the corrected transform information is used. The subsequent consumption amount is calculated with the consumption state corrected in step S24 as a reference. Then, the consumption state is displayed for the user in step S32, and the calculation result of the consumption amount is stored in the consumption state storage 806 in step S34. It is determined in step S36 whether the estimated consumption amount has reached the total amount of ink (whether it is completely consumed), and if the given indication is NO, it returns to step S30. In the case where the ink is completely exhausted, that is, there is no ink, the print data before printing is saved (S38).

[ estimation of consumption amount during maintenance ]

In the above-described procedure, the ink consumption amount is established based on the number of ink droplets. In addition, in the inkjet recording apparatus, a maintenance program of the recording head is executed at appropriate intervals. Ink is also consumed during maintenance procedures, and this consumption is often too great to be negligible. The consumption due to maintenance should also be taken into account.

Preferably, the execution of the maintenance program is transmitted from the recording device control section to the estimated consumption calculating section. The amount of ink consumption per maintenance execution is stored in the consumption conversion information storage unit. The estimated consumption calculation processing section multiplies the number of times maintenance is performed by the amount of consumption per one time. By this, the ink consumption amount according to the ink consumption can be established. The sum of the consumption amount due to the maintenance performed and the consumption amount established from the ink droplets is taken as an estimated consumption amount.

As described above, the ink consumption amount can be expressed in terms of the number of ink droplets. Both are proportional. In this case, the amount of maintenance consumed can be converted into the number of ink droplets. The converted number of ink droplets is added to the number of ink droplets used for printing. The added number may be regarded as a parameter showing the ink consumption amount.

According to the present embodiment, the ink consumption amount for maintenance is estimated in addition to the ink consumption amount for printing, so that the ink consumption state can be estimated in a more accurate manner.

This maintenance procedure is also included in another embodiment described below.

[ use of consumption State ]

Next, how to utilize the consumption state obtained as described above will be explained. Referring to fig. 47, the print operation control section 818 is a control section for controlling the print operation section 820, and completes printing in accordance with print data. The printing operation part 820 includes a printing head, a printing head moving device, and a sheet changing device, etc. As described above, the print amount for estimating the ink consumption amount is supplied to the consumption detection processing section 812 by the print amount calculation section 822 of the print operation control section 818.

The printing operation control section 818 operates in accordance with the consumption state information detected by the consumption detection processing section 812. In the present embodiment, if it is determined that there is no ink based on the estimated consumption amount, operations that consume ink, such as printing operations and maintenance operations, are stopped. The print data is then stored in the print data storage section 824 before printing. This print data is printed after a new ink cartridge is mounted. This routine corresponds to step S38 of fig. 49.

It should be noted that, in order to prevent poor printing due to lack of ink, it is preferable to determine a state where an appropriate amount of ink remains as no ink.

There is also a case where it is preferable not to stop printing halfway in printing one page. In this case it is preferable to determine whether there is a lack of ink on the basis of a reference to one sheet of paper. For example, the amount of ink required to print one sheet of paper can be set appropriately. It is determined that there is no ink at a point of time when the remaining amount is less than this ink amount.

Similar decisions may also be performed based on print data. For example, assume that a large amount of document data is to be printed. It is determined that there is no ink at a point of time when the remaining amount is smaller than the amount of ink corresponding to the number of printed pages.

In another processing embodiment of the printing operation control section 818, when the actual consumption state is detected by the actual consumption detecting program, the remaining printable amount is calculated based on the actual consumption state. When the remaining printable amount is printed, the print data is stored in the print data storage section 824 before printing. The program can be reliably executed according to the actual consumption state.

In yet another processing embodiment, other devices are controlled based on the detected consumption state. For example, it can be used to control an ink replenishing device, a cartridge replacing device, and the like existing devices. Specifically, it is determined whether ink needs to be replenished, the ink container is replaced, or the timing is timed based on the consumption state (actual consumption state and/or estimated consumption state), and replenishment or replacement is performed according to the result of the determination. Thus, the user can replenish ink or replace the ink cartridge in time.

The consumption information display section 826 of fig. 47 is another device that needs to use the consumption state. The consumption information display section 826 displays the consumption state information detected by the consumption detection processing section 812 for the user using a display 818 and a speaker 820. A graphic representing the consumption state or the like is displayed on the display 818, and a prompt sound or a synthesized voice is output. Synthetic speech may be used to direct the appropriate action.

The consumption status can be displayed according to the user's needs. And may also be displayed periodically at appropriate intervals. In addition, an appropriate event, such as an event to start printing or the like, may be displayed. In addition, when the ink remaining amount reaches a predetermined value, it can be automatically displayed.

FIG. 50 illustrates one embodiment of a display of a depletion state. The remaining ink amount is displayed in this form. The amount of ink is displayed in different forms corresponding to the consumption state. Specifically, the length of one stick indicating the ink amount is changed corresponding to the ink amount. In addition, the color of the bar graph may be changed according to blue, yellow, and red as the amount of ink decreases.

The display 828 is, for example, a display panel of a recording apparatus. Alternatively, the display 828 may be the screen of a computer connected to the recording apparatus.

The ink remaining amount is shown in fig. 50. In this regard, the print amount printable with the remaining ink may be established and a display provided according to the consumption state. The printable print amount is, for example, the number of sheets of paper. As one calculated example, the printable print volume may be established by dividing the ink remaining volume by the standard consumption per page of paper.

[ arrangement of liquid sensor and consumption information memory ]

An optimum layout of the liquid sensor 802 and the consumption information storage 804 will be described below with reference to fig. 51. As shown in fig. 51, the liquid sensor 802 and the consumption information storage 804 are provided near the supply opening 840.

With this arrangement the following advantages can be obtained. Generally, the positioning of the supply opening requires high positioning accuracy, and a structure capable of satisfying the positioning requirement is required. For example, a protrusion for positioning and a stopper for positioning may be provided. The configuration for positioning the supply opening may also be used as a positioning configuration of the liquid sensor and the reservoir, which are provided on the wall portion near the supply opening. One configuration for the positioning of the supply opening works with both the supply opening, the liquid sensor and the reservoir. Thus, the detection precision can be effectively improved. It should be noted that any one of the liquid sensor and the reservoir may be disposed in the vicinity of the supply opening.

Fig. 52A and 52B illustrate one embodiment of a positioning configuration for the supply opening 840. A rectangular positioning protrusion 842 is provided at the periphery of the supply opening 840 below the ink cartridge. The detent protrusion 842 is fitted into a detent boss 844 of the side of the recording apparatus. The positioning boss 844 has a shape corresponding to the positioning protrusion 842.

In the above configuration, the liquid sensor is disposed in the vicinity of the supply opening. However, the liquid sensor may be provided at an appropriate position corresponding to a specific ink cartridge. In an embodiment of the most preferred configuration, the inside of the ink cartridge is divided into a plurality of compartments communicating with each other by at least one partition wall. The liquid sensor is installed on the upper portion of the ink to be consumed later. The volume of the ink tank to be used later is set smaller than the volume of the ink tank to be used earlier. These configurations have been described above with reference to the drawings when the ink cartridge with a detection function is explained.

Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

Fig. 53 shows an ink jet recording apparatus having an ink consumption detecting function according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, unlike the configuration of fig. 47, a consumption conversion information storage section 850 is provided on the recording apparatus control section 810.

In this form, it is assumed that the consumption conversion information is corrected in accordance with the actual consumption state when the ink cartridge is mounted. The obtained corrected consumption conversion information is stored in the consumption conversion information storage unit 850 inside the control unit 810. The corrected consumption conversion information in the consumption conversion information storage portion 850 is read out when another ink cartridge is mounted, and is used to estimate the amount of ink consumption.

In the manner of the present embodiment, since the consumption conversion information is stored on the recording apparatus side, it is possible to continue to use the corrected consumption conversion information even after the ink cartridge is replaced. The present embodiment has a particular advantage in the case where the individual difference of the inkjet recording apparatus has an influence on the actual consumption conversion value. The individual difference between recording devices is often reflected as an individual difference between recording heads.

In addition, a plurality of ink cartridges can be used in this form, and if the correction process is performed a plurality of times, the conversion information can be made closer to an appropriate value. With this value, a more accurate estimation process can be accomplished.

In addition, as a modification of the present embodiment, the consumption conversion information storage unit 850 may be provided in another device, for example, an external computer connected to the inkjet recording apparatus.

In addition to this, in the present embodiment, a value (information) is stored in the memory for each cartridge ID (serial number), and if the same cartridge is mounted, the stored value can be read out and used.

In addition, as a modified example of the present embodiment, a storage unit for consumption conversion information is provided in both the ink cartridge and the recording apparatus. These storage units can rewrite both storage contents at the same time, or download data from the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is removed.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

Fig. 54 shows an ink jet recording apparatus having an ink consumption detecting function according to the present embodiment. The difference from the configuration of fig. 47 is that an ink-end event information storage section 860 is added to the consumption information storage 804 of the ink cartridge 800.

The ink end event information storage unit 860 stores the ink end event information under the control of the consumption detection processing unit 812. The ink-end event information is information obtained from an actual consumption state and information indicating that the ink level passes through the liquid sensor. The fluid level pass is considered herein to be an ink-out event. Specifically, the ink-end event is a phenomenon in which the transition from the "ink-present state" before the liquid surface passes to the "ink-absent state" after the liquid surface passes. When the liquid surface passage is detected by the consumption detection processing section 812, the ink-end event information storage section 860 is rewritten from "event not occurred" to "event occurred".

The consumption detection processing section 812 can easily grasp whether or not the ink level has passed by recording the ink end event information. Various programs are executed based on the liquid level using this information. In the consumption state storage unit 806, more specific information about the actual consumption state may be stored.

The advantage of this embodiment is for the operation when the ink cartridge is mounted. The stored ink-end event information is read out when the ink cartridge is mounted. It is determined by the inkjet recording apparatus whether the ink level has passed the liquid sensor, and in the case where it has passed the sensor, a predetermined operation is performed. Such as immediately notifying the user that little ink remains. In addition, even in the case where the recording apparatus is not in an appropriate manner, it is easy to find that the remaining ink is small.

Thus, the present embodiment is advantageous in that information on the ink-end event which is particularly useful as the actual consumption state is easily obtained.

[ advantages of the present embodiment ]

The present embodiment has been explained so far. The advantages of this embodiment will be explained together next. Other advantages have been described above.

According to the present embodiment, estimated consumption calculation and actual consumption detection are used in combination. The actual consumption state is a more accurate detection performed using the piezoelectric device, and ink leakage can be effectively prevented due to the use of the piezoelectric device. On the other hand, according to the estimation procedure, a specific consumption state can be established, although with some accompanying errors. Therefore, the ink consumption state can be accurately and specifically established using the two processes.

The passage of the ink level through the piezoelectric device is detected by the actual consumption detection program in this embodiment. When the ink level passes through the piezoelectric device, the output of the piezoelectric device varies greatly. This allows the passage of the liquid level to be reliably detected. Specifically, the ink consumption state before and after the liquid surface passes is estimated. The ink consumption state can be accurately and specifically established by these procedures.

In addition, in the present embodiment, when it is detected that the ink level passes through the piezoelectric device, the detection of the actual consumption state is stopped. By means of which the operation of the piezoelectric device can be limited to the necessary limits. Specifically, unnecessary operations of the piezoelectric device and its accompanying actual consumption detection program are omitted.

In the present embodiment, the consumption conversion information is corrected based on the detection result of the actual consumption state. By this, an error of the consumption state estimation process can be reduced, and a more accurate consumption state can be estimated.

The corrected consumption conversion information may be used to limit the ink container as the correction target. Alternatively, the ink container to be corrected may be limited without using the corrected consumption conversion information, and may be used for an ink container to be mounted later. In the latter case, the corrected information can be continuously used even after the ink cartridge is replaced.

In addition, in the present embodiment, referring to fig. 48, the estimated consumption state is corrected based on the detection result of the actual consumption detection routine. The subsequent estimation is accurately performed based on the corrected consumption state.

In the present embodiment, the information of the consumption amount is displayed on the display using the estimated consumption state. For example, the amount of printing that can be printed with the remaining ink is displayed according to the already established consumption state. In addition, the remaining ink amount is displayed according to the consumption state that has been established. A pattern of different colors and shapes corresponding to the amount of ink applied is used at this time. This facilitates informing the user of the ink consumption state.

In the present embodiment, the liquid sensor is disposed in the vicinity of the ink supply opening of the ink cartridge. By means of which the liquid sensor can be positioned more accurately. In addition, a consumption information memory is also arranged in the vicinity of the supply opening and by means of this a more precise positioning is achieved.

In the present embodiment, the consumption state that has been established is stored in the consumption information storage. The consumption information memory is mounted on the ink cartridge. Thus, the consumption state of the ink cartridge can be easily established when the ink cartridge is remounted after being detached.

In addition, the consumption conversion information is also stored in the consumption information memory. This information is also read from the memory and used optimally when the cartridge is installed.

On the other hand, the corrected consumption conversion information may be stored on the recording apparatus side. In this case, the corrected conversion information can be continuously used even after the ink cartridge is replaced. This transformation information is brought close to an appropriate value when the correction is repeated, and the estimation procedure is performed more accurately.

In addition, in the present embodiment, if it is determined that there is no ink, the print data is stored in the storage section. By means of which no print data is lost.

In addition, in another embodiment, the remaining printable printing amount is calculated upon detection of the actual consumption state. When the remaining printable printing amount is printed, the print data before printing is stored in the print data storage unit. By which print data is even less lost.

In addition, an ink event information storage portion is provided in another embodiment. It is used to store event information that is particularly useful as actual consumption information. This event information is read when the ink cartridge is mounted on the recording apparatus. If the ink level has passed the liquid sensor, the user is immediately shown that the ink remaining amount is small. For example, even in a case where the recording apparatus is not in an appropriate manner, it is easy to find that the remaining ink is small.

Various aspects of the invention may be implemented in various forms. The present invention may be a method of detecting ink consumption, an ink consumption detecting apparatus, an inkjet recording apparatus, a control apparatus for an inkjet recording apparatus, and an ink cartridge, and the like. For the ink cartridge, it is preferable that the ink cartridge has a consumption information memory and provides necessary information for the above-described various programs.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Fig. 55 shows a configuration of a system having an ink consumption detection function according to the present embodiment. In contrast to the embodiment of fig. 47, in the present embodiment, a correction target identification information storage section 809 is provided in addition to the consumption information storage 804 of the ink cartridge 800. This storage section 809 stores correction target identification information. The identification information may be used to identify the inkjet recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge is mounted when the consumption conversion information is corrected. When the consumption conversion information is corrected, the consumption detection processing section 812 writes the identification information into the storage section 809.

Actually, the consumption conversion information storage section 808 and the correction target identification information storage section 809 may be integrated. This makes it possible to store the corrected consumption conversion information in association with the identification information indicating the recording apparatus as the correction target.

The correction target identification information may be information for identifying the kind of the inkjet recording apparatus or information for identifying the individual inkjet recording apparatus. The identification information may be information for identifying the inkjet recording apparatus. The structure relating to ink consumption is, for example, a recording head. In addition, the configuration related to ink consumption also includes printing related to control software.

In the present embodiment, the individual numbers of the recording apparatus and the recording head can be used as one embodiment of the identification information. When the consumption conversion information is corrected, such an individual number is written into the consumption state memory 804 together with a correction value thereof.

Fig. 56 shows a program in which the consumption detection processing unit 812 uses the correction target identification information. This program is executed when the printer is powered on or when the ink cartridge is mounted on the recording apparatus. The mounting of the ink cartridge is determined by a suitable switch (not shown) provided on the recording apparatus.

In fig. 56, first, the identification information of the correction target is read out from the consumption information memory (S10), and it is determined whether the identification information and the inkjet recording apparatus coincide with each other. If they do not coincide with each other (including the case where the identification information has not been recorded yet), the reference consumption conversion information is read out. This reference information is used in the consumption estimate calculation thereafter.

On the other hand, if the determination of step S12 is YES, the corrected consumption conversion information obtained with the current recording apparatus as the target is stored. The corrected consumption conversion information is thus read out (S16). This corrected information is used in the consumption estimate calculation thereafter.

According to the present embodiment, the corrected consumption conversion information is used only when the correction of the inkjet recording apparatus is performed with reference to the correction target identification information. This case can avoid the use of this corrected consumption conversion information in another inkjet recording apparatus when the ink cartridge is removed and mounted on another recording apparatus, at which time the decision of step S12 indicates NO and the reference consumption conversion information is employed. When an ink container is remounted to the same recording apparatus, the decision of step S12 indicates YES, and the consumption conversion information that has been previously corrected is employed. When the ink cartridge is not attached or detached but only the power supply is turned on or off, the same as the above-described case. Thus, since appropriate consumption conversion information is employed, an ink consumption state can be accurately established.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

Fig. 57 shows an ink jet recording apparatus having an ink consumption detecting function according to the present embodiment. The present embodiment is different from the configuration shown in fig. 55 in that a plurality of liquid sensors 802 are provided in the ink cartridge 800. Seven sensors are provided in the embodiment of fig. 57. These liquid sensors 802 are controlled by a consumption detection processing unit 812 of the recording apparatus control unit 801, specifically, by an actual consumption detection processing unit 816.

Fig. 58 shows the layout of a plurality of liquid sensors 802 in the ink cartridge 800. The seven sensors are arranged at seven different height positions apart from each other in a direction in which the liquid surface descends as the ink is consumed. This structure is suitable for an ink cartridge containing a relatively large amount of ink, such as a so-called carriage-separated type ink cartridge. The carriage-separate type ink cartridge is mounted at a position away from the recording head during use. The ink cartridge and the recording head are connected to each other through a pipe or the like.

Referring to fig. 57, the consumption detection processing section 812 detects the consumption state using seven independent liquid sensors 802. This allows the detection of consumption (passage of the liquid level) in seven different levels.

It is preferable not to use all liquid sensors simultaneously but in sequence. Assume that there is a liquid sensor that detects the passage of a liquid level. Specifically, it is assumed that the detection result of one sensor changes from the state with ink to the state without ink. The sensor is deactivated and the next sensor located low next to this sensor is used. When the lowest one of the sensors detects the state of no ink, the actual consumption detection using the sensors is ended. This reduces the number of sensors and their associated processing operations and allows for efficient use of the sensors.

Next, the correction processing of the consumption conversion information in the system of the present embodiment will be explained. In this system, if the liquid level passing is detected twice, the consumption conversion information is corrected. The passage of the liquid level is detected with one of the sensors in the first detection. The passage of the liquid level is detected in the second detection by the sensor located next to the first detection sensor, which is located low. Upon performing the second detection, corrected consumption conversion information is established according to the amount of printing between the two detections. Specifically, the number of print dots between two tests is established. The amount of ink whose liquid level is between the two sensors is then divided by the number of print dots.

It is assumed that one ink cartridge is used from a completely filled state and the sensor located at the uppermost position has detected the passage of the liquid level. In this case, the first detected liquid level is regarded as the second liquid level and the correction routine is executed. This establishes the amount of printing from the fully filled condition to when the level is detected. Corrected consumption conversion information is created based on the amount of ink and the amount of printing at a position above the highest sensor.

In addition, when the ink cartridges are continuously used in the same recording apparatus, the passage of the liquid surface is sequentially detected. In this case, a corrected consumption change information is established each time a liquid level passage is detected. Corrected consumption conversion information is created based on the amount of printing between the previous detection and the current detection. Thus, the corrected consumption conversion information is updated once every time the liquid level passage is detected.

Next, the processing of the correction target identification information in the present system will be explained. As described above, the correction target identification information is information for identifying the ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge is loaded when the consumption conversion information is corrected. In the present embodiment, an individual number of a recording apparatus or a recording head is employed as one embodiment of the identification information. Similarly to the first embodiment described above, when the consumption conversion information is corrected, this identification information is stored in the storage section 809 of the consumption information memory 804 under the control of the consumption detection processing section 812.

Fig. 59 shows a program in which the consumption detection processing unit 812 uses the correction target identification information. This program is executed when the printer is powered on or when the ink cartridge is mounted on the recording apparatus. The mounting of the ink cartridge is determined by a suitable switch (not shown) provided on the recording apparatus.

In fig. 59, first, the identification information of the correction target is read out from the consumption information memory (S20), and it is determined whether the identification information and the inkjet recording apparatus coincide with each other (S22). If they do not coincide with each other (including the case where the identification information has not been recorded yet), the reference consumption conversion information is read out (S24). This reference information is used in the consumption estimate calculation thereafter.

It is determined whether the passing of the liquid level has reached two times during the consumption of the ink (S26). If the decision of step S20 indicates YES, the reference consumption conversion information is corrected (S28). The corrected consumption conversion information is stored in the consumption state memory 804 together with correction target identification information indicating the recording apparatus that is the correction target. The corrected consumption conversion information is employed in the consumption estimation calculation thereafter.

On the other hand, in the case where the determination of step S22 indicates YES, the corrected consumption conversion information obtained with the current recording apparatus as the target is stored. The corrected consumption conversion information is thus read out (S30). This corrected information is used in the consumption estimate calculation thereafter.

Next, it is determined whether the number of detection times of liquid surface passage has reached two times in the process of consuming the ink (S32). In the case where the decision of step S32 indicates YES, the corrected consumption conversion information is established again (S34). The corrected consumption conversion information is stored in the consumption state memory 804 together with correction target identification information indicating the recording apparatus that is the correction target. This enables updating of the corrected consumption conversion information. The consumption conversion information after the re-correction is employed in the consumption amount estimation calculation thereafter.

Fig. 60 shows an example of the above-described routine. First to seventh sensors 802-1 to 802-7 are arranged on the ink cartridge 800. It is assumed that the ink cartridge is mounted on an ink jet recording apparatus which has not been targeted for consumption change information correction. Assume that the ink level is between the third sensor 802-3 and the fourth sensor 802-4 when the ink cartridge is installed.

When the ink is consumed, the fourth sensor 802-4 will detect the liquid level passing (first detection). Further, the fifth sensor 802-5 will detect the liquid level passing (second detection). Assume that the liquid level is at an ink volume Vy from the fourth sensor 802-4 to the fifth sensor 802-5. Further assume that the number of print dots between two detections is Ny. In this case, the corrected consumption transform information can be expressed as Vy/Ny. This correction value is stored in the consumption information memory together with identification information for identifying the recording apparatus. This correction value is thereafter used to calculate the ink consumption amount.

It should be noted that according to the above-described procedure, when the ink cartridges are mounted to a plurality of recording apparatuses, corrected consumption conversion information is created on the respective recording apparatuses. In this case, a plurality of corrected consumption conversion information and identification information of the respective recording apparatuses are to be recorded. The respective correction information is then employed for the relevant recording device.

[ advantages of the present embodiment ]

The present embodiment has been explained so far. The advantages of this embodiment will be described together. Other advantages have been described above.

According to the present embodiment, the liquid sensor composed of the piezoelectric device is used to detect the actual consumption state without using a complicated sealing structure and without causing ink leakage.

And estimating the consumption before and after the liquid level is detected by the liquid sensor when the liquid level passes through the liquid sensor. With these procedures, an ink consumption state can be accurately and specifically established.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the consumption conversion information is corrected in accordance with the actual consumption state. The use of the corrected consumption conversion information can improve the estimation accuracy of the ink consumption amount.

In addition, the ink cartridge is provided with a consumption information memory. The consumption information memory stores therein corrected consumption conversion information and correction target identification information for identifying the ink jet recording apparatus on which the ink cartridge is mounted when the correction program is executed. With reference to this correction target identification information, the inkjet recording apparatus uses the consumption conversion information of this correction only when the correction is performed. Since appropriate consumption conversion information is employed, the ink consumption state can be accurately obtained.

In addition, a plurality of liquid sensors are provided in the present embodiment. Then, it waits for the passage of the liquid level detected by the two sensors while the ink cartridge is mounted, and the consumption conversion information thereof is corrected. Thus, the corrected consumption conversion information is adopted after the corrected consumption conversion information targeted for the recording apparatus is obtained. For example, if one used half of the ink cartridge is removed and mounted on another recording apparatus, appropriate consumption conversion information can be used.

Various aspects of the invention may be implemented in various forms. The present invention is not limited to the ink consumption detecting device, but may be an ink jet recording apparatus, a control device for an ink jet recording apparatus, and an ink cartridge, among others. For the ink cartridge, it is preferable that the ink cartridge has a consumption information memory and provides necessary information for the above-described various programs.

[ modified example ]

It goes without saying that the present embodiment may be modified within the scope of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, the liquid sensor is composed of a piezoelectric device. As described above, a change in acoustic impedance can be detected with the piezoelectric device. The consumption state can be detected using the reflected wave of the elastic wave. The time from the generation of the elastic wave to the arrival of the reflected wave is established. The consumption state can be detected based on various principles of the use function of the piezoelectric device.

In the present embodiment, the liquid sensor generates oscillation and also generates a detection signal indicating the state of ink consumption. Conversely, the liquid sensor itself may not be used to generate the oscillation. In particular, both oscillation generation and detection signal output may not be performed. The oscillation is generated by another exciter. Alternatively, when oscillation is generated in the ink cartridge as the carriage moves, a detection signal indicating the ink consumption state is generated by the liquid sensor. The oscillation need not be actively generated in detecting the ink consumption, but is naturally generated by the printer operation.

The function of the recording apparatus control unit is not necessarily realized by the computer of the recording apparatus. Some or all of its overall functionality may be located on an external computer. The display and speakers may also be provided on an external computer.

The liquid container in this embodiment is an ink cartridge, and the apparatus using the liquid is an ink jet recording apparatus. However, the liquid container may be an ink container other than the ink cartridge, such as an ink tank. It may be, for example, a sub-tank mounted on the side of the recording head. In addition, the ink cartridge may be a so-called carriage separation type ink cartridge. In addition, the present invention can also be applied to a container that contains liquid other than ink.

Other embodiments of the present invention will be explained below.

First, a technique of detecting ink consumption on the basis of oscillation using a piezoelectric device will be explained. Various applications of this detection technique will be explained next. Next, an ink consumption detection technique, particularly a detection technique using an estimated consumption calculation program and an actual consumption detection program will be explained with reference to fig. 61.

In this embodiment, the piezoelectric device is provided on the liquid sensor. Hereinafter, the "exciter" or the "elastic wave generating device" corresponds to a liquid sensor, respectively.

[ combination of actual consumption State detection and estimated consumption State calculation ]

The various ink cartridges with the ink consumption detection function of the present embodiment have been explained so far. These ink cartridges are equipped with a liquid sensor (actuator, etc.) composed of a piezoelectric device. The actual consumption state is detected by the liquid sensor. Thus, as shown in fig. 7, providing a plurality of sensors makes it possible to detect a plurality of actual consumption states.

In addition, the consumption state is also estimated from the ink consumption in the present embodiment. Ink consumption is the consumption of ink due to printing and printhead maintenance, and either or both can be considered in the estimation. The estimation procedure based on the print amount is mainly described in the present embodiment. The consumption state thus established is referred to as an estimated consumption state. Combining the actual consumption state with the calculation of the estimated consumption state allows a more accurate and specific ink consumption state to be established. The optimum combination of the actual consumption state and the estimated consumption state will be described below.

Fig. 61 shows a configuration of a system having an ink consumption detection function of the present embodiment. The ink cartridge 800 has a plurality of liquid sensors 802 (4 in the embodiment of fig. 61) and a consumption information memory 804. Each liquid sensor 802 is comprised of a piezoelectric device. The liquid sensor 802 is specifically constituted by the above-described elastic wave generating device or an actuator, and outputs a signal corresponding to the ink consumption state. The consumption information memory 804 is a rewritable memory such as an EEPROM, which corresponds to the above-described semiconductor storage device (reference numeral 7 in fig. 1).

Fig. 62 shows a suitable layout of a liquid sensor 802 and a consumption information store 804. The four liquid sensors 802 are arranged along the direction in which the ink level moves as the ink is consumed. Four liquid sensors 802 may be used for the detection procedure alone. By means of this, four levels, i.e. four liquid level passes, with different heights can be detected.

As shown in fig. 62, the intervals between the four liquid sensors 802 are not fixed. The liquid sensor 802 is arranged such that the arrangement interval thereof becomes gradually narrower along the ink level moving direction. The spacing of the sensors is narrower in the lower portion of the ink cartridge than in the upper portion of the ink cartridge. With this, when the ink decreases, the detection interval becomes narrow. The consumption state information when the ink is reduced is more important than when the ink is sufficient, and therefore, it is preferable to specifically detect the consumption state thereof. The consumption state is notified to the user or used to control the recording apparatus. This requirement is achieved according to the present embodiment by arranging the sensors at different intervals.

Fig. 63 shows an example of ink consumption detection according to the present embodiment. An optimal combination procedure of the multi-stage detection of the actual consumption state and the estimation of the estimated consumption state is shown in fig. 63. Fig. 63 also shows a correction procedure for consuming conversion information.

In fig. 63, the horizontal axis represents the print amount (number of print dots), and the vertical axis represents the consumption amount established by this system. The completely filled state is a state immediately after the ink cartridge is used, and the amount of ink consumed at this time is zero.

First, the estimated consumption calculation processing unit 814 multiplies and adds the number of print dots to create an estimated consumption. At this time, the reference consumption conversion information read from the consumption state storage unit 806 is used. As described above, the estimated consumption amount is the product of the number of print dots and the amount of ink per dot (conversion information). Therefore, the estimated consumption amount increases in proportion to the number of dots. The gradient of the estimated consumption corresponds to the transformation information. As the ink is consumed, the ink level reaches the liquid sensor 802 having the highest level.

The highest liquid sensor 802 is defined herein as the first sensor, and so on as the second sensor, the third sensor and the fourth sensor. The volume of the ink cartridge above the respective sensors is predetermined. The consumption of the liquid level as it passes the respective sensor is known. These consumption amount information are stored in advance in the consumption information storage 804. Thus, when the first sensor detects the passage of the liquid level, the precise consumption amount at that point in time can be identified.

As described above, there is a certain deviation between the reference consumption transform information and the actual transform information. Therefore, there is also an error in the amount of consumption estimated using the transform information. The error becomes larger as the ink consumption progresses. As shown in fig. 63, in the present embodiment, this error is corrected at the point in time when the first sensor detects the passage of the liquid level. The correction value is stored in the consumption state storage section 808 of the consumption information memory 804.

The conversion information is further corrected in accordance with the actual consumption state. Assume that the number of dots from "ink is completely filled" to "liquid level detected by the first sensor" is N × 1. It is also assumed that the ink consumption amount in the same period is V × 1. In this case, the corrected transform information can be expressed as V × 1/N × 1. The corrected conversion information is stored in the consumption conversion information storage unit 808 of the consumption information memory 804.

After the actual consumption state is detected, the consumption amount is again multiplied by the number of dots to estimate the consumption amount. However, the consumption amount thereafter is calculated based on the corrected accumulated value. In addition, the corrected conversion information is used in calculating the consumption amount. Specifically, after the liquid level passes the first sensor, the gradient (b) of the estimated consumption amount is Vx/Nx as described above.

The procedure when the second, third and fourth sensors detect the passage of the liquid level is similar to that for the first sensor. When the liquid level passage is detected, the estimated consumption amount established by the dot accumulation is corrected. In addition, the consumption conversion information is corrected. For example, assume that the second sensor detects the passage of a liquid level. The print amount (the number of dots) detected from the first sensor to the second sensor is represented by N × 2. Further assume that the volume of the ink cartridge between the first sensor and the second sensor is V × 2. In this case, the corrected transform information may be expressed as V × 2/N × 2. And estimating a consumption as the consumption after 0 times of correction by using the corrected transformation information.

After the fourth sensor, that is, after the fourth sensor detects the passage of the liquid level, a consumption state is estimated by accumulating the number of dots, and printing is stopped when the ink is completely consumed. In particular by estimation, to establish the final ink end. The user is then prompted to replace the ink cartridge.

As described above, the consumption amount is estimated by accumulating the number of dots according to the present embodiment. This consumption and the transformation parameters are corrected when the sensor detects the passage of the liquid level. The correction routine is executed each time one of the plurality of sensors detects the passage of the liquid level. By means of this, large deviations between the estimated value and the actual consumption can be avoided.

In addition, in the above-described program, the consumption conversion information is corrected according to the print amount per sensor interval. Specifically, the amount of printing is established from the point in time when one sensor detects the passage of the liquid level to the point in time when the next sensor detects the passage of the liquid level. The amount of ink between the sensors is divided by the print volume. By limiting the data for correction by means of such a procedure, it is advantageous from the viewpoint of reducing the influence caused by environmental changes during use of the ink cartridge.

In addition, when the lowest liquid sensor (fourth sensor) detects the liquid level passage, it is possible to establish final consumption conversion information based on the result of correction of the plurality of consumption conversion information performed so far with the plurality of detected liquid level passages. For example, by averaging the corrected transformation information obtained by four correction calculations. The final depletion transform information is used to establish an estimated depletion state after the lowest piezoelectric device detects the passage of the liquid level. In this form, more accurate transformation information can be obtained with multiple correction results. This makes it possible to accurately estimate the consumption state when the ink remaining amount is small.

On the other hand, as another modified example of the correction program, the accumulated print amount from the time when the ink cartridge is completely filled may be adopted. For example, assume that the second sensor detects the passage of a liquid level. It is possible to divide the amount of ink from the fully filled state to the second sensor position by the total amount of printing so far and to establish corrected consumption conversion information. The corrected consumption conversion information can be expressed by the following equation in the embodiment of fig. 63:

(V×1+V×2)/(N×1+N×2)

fig. 64 shows a detection routine of the consumption detection processing unit 812. When the ink cartridge 800 is mounted, the reference consumption conversion information is acquired from the consumption conversion information storage part 808 (S10). The estimated consumption state is then calculated by the estimated consumption calculation processing part 814 (S12). The actual consumption state is detected by the actual consumption detection processing unit 816 using the liquid sensor 802 (S14). Only the highest liquid sensor 802, i.e., the first sensor, is used at this stage. Until the ink level reaches the first liquid sensor 802, the detected actual consumption state is "a state with ink".

After step S14, the calculation result of the estimated consumption amount and the detection result of the actual consumption state are stored in the consumption state storage unit 806 (S16). Consumption information is then displayed for the user (S18). The process of step S18 is executed by the consumption information display section 826 of the recording apparatus control section 810 (fig. 61). This procedure is explained further below.

Next, it is determined whether an actual consumption state of the liquid level passage can be detected (S20). If it indicates NO, it returns to step S12. In the following subroutine, the subsequent consumption is added to the last estimated consumption as an estimated consumption to obtain a result.

In the case where YES is indicated in step S20, as shown in fig. 63, the estimated consumption state (accumulated value) is corrected in step S22, and the consumption transition information is corrected in step S24. These correction values are stored in the consumption state storage unit 806 and the consumption conversion information storage unit 808, respectively (S26).

In step S28, it is determined whether the liquid level has passed the last sensor. When the lowest sensor (fourth sensor) detects the passage of the liquid level, step S28 indicates YES. When the first to third sensors detect the passage of the liquid level, step S28 indicates NO. In the case where it indicates NO, the liquid sensor for detecting the actual consumption state is switched to the next relevant sensor (S30), and returns to step S12. Thus, the estimated consumption amount and the consumption conversion information are corrected each time the liquid level passes through a certain sensor, and the corrected value is used to estimate the subsequent consumption amount. In addition, the actual consumption state is detected only by necessary sensors. The operations of the piezoelectric device and the procedures for these operations can be reduced, so that the piezoelectric device can be effectively utilized.

On the other hand, if YES is indicated in step S28, the detection of the actual consumption state by the liquid sensor 802 is stopped (S32). After the ink level passes the last sensor, either sensor successively detects a state of no ink. It is then no longer necessary to detect the actual consumption state. Thus stopping the detection of the actual consumption state. By means of such a procedure together with the above-described sensor switching procedure, the operation of the piezoelectric device and procedures for such operations can be reduced, so that the piezoelectric device can be effectively utilized.

In step S34, an estimated consumption state is calculated similarly to step S12. Then, the consumption state is displayed for the user in step S36, and the calculation result of the consumption state is stored in the consumption state storage unit 806 in step S38. It is determined in step S40 whether the estimated consumption amount has reached the full ink amount (whether it is completely consumed), and if it indicates NO, it returns to step S34. If the print data is completely exhausted, the print data before printing is saved (S42).

In the embodiment of fig. 62, the liquid sensor is disposed on a vertical wall of the ink cartridge. However, the liquid sensor may be disposed at an appropriate position according to a specific ink cartridge. In a preferred structural embodiment, the inside of the ink cartridge is divided by at least one partition wall into a plurality of compartments communicating with each other. A plurality of liquid sensors are mounted on the upper portions of the plurality of tanks. The volume of the ink tank used late is set smaller than the volume of the ink tank used early. This configuration has been explained with reference to the drawings for explaining the ink cartridge having the detection function. In this form, the sensor is disposed along the direction of ink consumption, and thus can indicate the actual consumption state step by step. In addition, since the size of the chamber is different, there is an advantage that the detection interval is shortened when the amount of ink is small, as in the above-described embodiment.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

Fig. 65 shows an ink jet recording apparatus having an ink consumption detecting function according to the present embodiment. According to the present embodiment, unlike the configuration of fig. 61, the consumption conversion information storage section 850 is provided on the recording apparatus control section 810.

In this form, it is assumed that the consumption conversion information is corrected based on the actual consumption state when any one of the ink cartridges is mounted. The obtained corrected consumption conversion information is stored in the consumption conversion information storage unit 850 inside the control unit 810. When another ink cartridge is mounted, the corrected consumption conversion information is read out and used to estimate the amount of ink consumption.

Thus, according to the present embodiment, since the consumption conversion information is stored on the recording apparatus side, the corrected consumption conversion information can be continuously used even after the ink cartridge is replaced. The present embodiment is particularly useful in the case where individual differences of the inkjet recording apparatus have an influence on the actually measured consumption conversion value. The individual difference between recording devices is generally expressed as an individual difference between recording heads.

In addition, a plurality of ink cartridges can be used in this form, and the conversion information can be made closer to a more appropriate value when the correction process is performed a plurality of times. With this value a more accurate estimation can be achieved.

In addition, as a modification of the present embodiment, the consumption conversion information storage portion 850 may be provided in another configuration, such as an external computer connected to the inkjet recording apparatus.

In addition to this, in the present embodiment, an ID (serial number) value (information) of each ink cartridge is stored in a memory, and such a stored value can be read out and utilized when the same ink cartridge is mounted.

In addition, as a modification of the present embodiment, both the ink cartridge and the recording apparatus are provided with a storage unit for consumption conversion information. These storage sections may have their stored contents rewritten at the same time or may have data downloaded from the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is mounted.

The present embodiment has been explained so far. The advantages of this embodiment will be described together. Other advantages are as described above.

A combination of estimated consumption calculation and actual consumption detection is used in this embodiment. Although some error may accompany the estimation procedure, the actual consumption state thereof can be specifically established. On the other hand, the actual consumption state can be accurately detected using the piezoelectric device, and it is also possible to prevent ink leakage because of the use of the piezoelectric device. In particular, if a plurality of piezoelectric devices are employed, the multistage actual consumption state can be recognized. An accurate and specific ink consumption state can be established based on the multi-stage actual consumption state and the estimated consumption state.

Specifically, in the actual consumption detection program, each of the plurality of piezoelectric devices detects the passage of the liquid level. The ink consumption amount is estimated during a period from a point of time when the liquid level passage is detected by one piezoelectric device to a period when the liquid level passage is detected by the next piezoelectric device. Even when the ink level is outside the level of the piezoelectric devices at both ends, the ink consumption amount can be estimated. By this, the ink consumption amount can be continuously established.

In the present embodiment, the estimated consumption amount is corrected when the passage of the liquid level is detected. Further, consumption conversion information for estimating the consumption amount is corrected. Since a plurality of piezoelectric devices are arranged, correction is performed in multiple stages during ink consumption. By this, it is possible to limit the deviation of the estimated consumption amount from the measured consumption amount, and to accurately and specifically establish the ink consumption state.

In the present embodiment, all the piezoelectric devices are not used simultaneously but sequentially. If a piezoelectric device detects an ink-free state, the piezoelectric device is deactivated, and the piezoelectric device is activated immediately below the relevant piezoelectric device. When the lowest-order piezoelectric device detects a state where there is no ink, the actual consumption detection using the piezoelectric device is stopped. By means of these procedures, the operation and procedures for the piezoelectric device can be reduced, and the piezoelectric device can be effectively utilized.

In the present embodiment, the information of the consumption amount is displayed on the display with the estimated consumption state. For example, the printable print volume is displayed with the remaining ink according to the consumption state that has been established. In addition, the remaining ink amount is displayed according to the consumption state that has been established. A pattern of different colors and shapes corresponding to the amount of ink applied is used at this time. This makes it easy to inform the user of the ink consumption state.

In the present embodiment, the consumption state that has been established is stored in the consumption information storage. The consumption information memory is mounted on the ink cartridge. Thus, the consumption state of the ink cartridge can be easily established when the ink cartridge is removed and reinstalled.

In addition, the consumption conversion information is also stored in the consumption information memory. This information can also be read from the memory and utilized when the ink cartridge is mounted.

On the other hand, the corrected consumption conversion information may be stored on the recording apparatus side. In this case, the corrected consumption conversion information can be continuously used even after the ink cartridge is replaced. The consumption conversion information is made to approach an appropriate value when the correction is repeated, and the estimation process is performed more accurately.

In addition, in the present embodiment, if it is determined that there is no ink, the print data is stored in the storage section. By means of which no print data is lost.

In addition, in another embodiment, the remaining printable printing amount is calculated upon detection of the actual consumption state. When the remaining printable printing amount is printed, the print data before printing is stored in the print data storage unit. With this, print data is not lost.

Various aspects of the invention may be implemented in various forms. The present invention may be a method of detecting ink consumption, an ink consumption detecting apparatus, an inkjet recording apparatus, a control apparatus for an inkjet recording apparatus, and an ink cartridge, and the like. For the ink cartridge, it is preferable that the ink cartridge has a consumption information memory and provides necessary information for the above-described various programs.

[ modified example ]

It goes without saying that the present embodiment is deformable within the scope of the present invention. For example, the number of liquid sensors is not limited to 4.

In addition, the ink consumption amount is calculated from the print amount in the present embodiment. As described above, in the ink jet recording apparatus, the ink is consumed by the head maintenance work. Therefore, maintenance issues should also be taken into account when estimating ink consumption. For example, a standard amount of ink consumed in the maintenance work (maintenance consumption amount) has been stored in the consumption information memory 804. The product of the number of maintenance times and the maintenance consumption is added to the estimated consumption. The correction value is also established in consideration of the part of consumption caused by maintenance in the correction program consuming the conversion information.

In the present embodiment, the liquid sensor is composed of a piezoelectric device. As described above, a change in acoustic impedance can be detected using the piezoelectric device. The consumption state can be detected by using the reflected wave of the elastic wave. The time from the generation of the elastic wave to the arrival of the reflected wave is established. The consumption state can be detected according to any principle utilizing the function of the piezoelectric device.

In this embodiment, the oscillation is generated by the liquid sensor, and a detection signal indicating the ink consumption state is also generated. Conversely, the liquid sensor itself may not be used to generate the oscillation. In particular, both oscillation generation and detection signal output may not be performed. The oscillation is generated by another exciter. Alternatively, when oscillation is generated in the ink cartridge as the carriage moves, a detection signal indicating the ink consumption state is generated by the liquid sensor. The oscillation need not be actively generated in detecting the ink consumption, but is naturally generated by the printer operation.

The function of the recording apparatus control unit is not necessarily realized by the computer of the recording apparatus. Some or all of its overall functionality may be located on an external computer. The display and speakers may also be provided by an external computer.

The liquid container in this embodiment is an ink cartridge, and the apparatus using the liquid is an ink jet recording apparatus. However, the liquid container may be an ink container other than the ink cartridge, such as an ink tank. It may be, for example, a sub-tank mounted on the side of the recording head. In addition, the ink cartridge may be a so-called carriage separation type ink cartridge. In addition, the present invention can also be applied to a container that contains liquid other than ink.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention will be explained below.

The principle of the present embodiment will be explained first. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a technique for detecting the ink consumption state in an ink container. Two types of programs are used in cooperation to establish an ink consumption state. One is an estimated consumption calculation program, and the other is an actual consumption detection program.

In the estimated consumption calculation program, an ink consumption state is calculated based on ink consumption of the ink container, thereby establishing an estimated consumption state. Ink consumption includes ink consumption for printing and ink consumption for head maintenance. The present invention can be applied to either one or both of them. As for the ink amount, the ink consumption amount is established by the number of ink droplets ejected from the recording head, or a product value of the number of ink droplets and the ink amount per ink droplet is used. The ink consumption amount with respect to the maintenance is established by the number of times of maintenance, the processing amount, the amount converted from the processing amount to the number of ink drops, and the like.

In the actual consumption detection program, the actual consumption state is detected by detecting an oscillation state corresponding to the ink consumption state by the piezoelectric device. Preferably, a piezoelectric device is used to detect changes in acoustic impedance that accompany ink consumption.

According to the estimation procedure, a consumption state can be specifically established, although with some errors. On the other hand, the consumption state can be accurately detected using the piezoelectric device without providing a complicated sensor sealing structure. This makes it possible to accurately and specifically establish an ink consumption state by the combination of these two procedures.

In the present embodiment described below, the actual consumption detecting program takes the detected ink level passing through the piezoelectric device as the actual consumption state. When the ink level passes through the piezoelectric device, the output of the piezoelectric device varies greatly. This allows the passage of the liquid level portion to be accurately detected. The ink consumption state before and after the passage of the liquid surface portion is specifically established by the estimated consumption calculation program. In addition, the error of the estimation calculation routine up to this time is corrected while the ink level passes through the piezoelectric device. In addition, reference consumption conversion information to be referred to by the estimated consumption program is also corrected. These procedures are used to accurately and specifically establish an ink consumption process.

It should be noted that in the present embodiment, the actual consumption detecting program takes the detected actual consumption amount of ink as the actual consumption amount, and the estimated consumption calculating program establishes the estimated consumption amount of ink.

The present embodiment will be explained more specifically below with reference to the drawings.

One embodiment of the piezoelectric device provided in the present embodiment is an actuator, and it is used as the actuator.

The basic principle of the present invention is to detect the liquid state (including the presence or absence of liquid in the liquid container, the amount of liquid, the liquid level, the type of liquid, and the composition of liquid) in the liquid container by using an oscillation phenomenon. Some specific methods may be considered as a method for detecting the state of the liquid inside the liquid container by using the oscillation phenomenon. For example, there is a method of generating an elastic wave with respect to the inside of the liquid container by an elastic wave generating device, receiving a reflected wave reflected by the liquid surface or the opposite wall, and detecting a change in the medium inside the liquid container and its state. In addition, there is a method of detecting a change in acoustic impedance based on oscillation characteristics of the oscillating body. As a method of utilizing the change in acoustic impedance, it is possible to oscillate a piezoelectric device having a piezoelectric element or an oscillating portion of an actuator and continuously measure back electromotive force generated by residual oscillation of the remaining oscillating portion, detect the resonance frequency or the amplitude of the back electromotive force waveform and detect the change in acoustic impedance as a result, and there is also a method of measuring the impedance characteristic or admittance characteristic of a liquid with an impedance analyzer, such as a measuring device such as a transmission circuit, and measuring the change in current value and voltage value or the change in current value and voltage value caused by the frequency thereof when oscillation is applied to the liquid. The present embodiment adopts a method of oscillating the oscillating portion of the exciter and detecting a change in acoustic impedance by detecting the resonance frequency thereof.

Fig. 66 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of an inkjet recording apparatus as an embodiment of the present invention. A carriage 1206 connected to a drive motor 1204 by a timing belt 1202 has a housing compartment 1236 for housing a black ink cartridge containing black ink at the upper portion, and a housing compartment 1237 for housing a color ink cartridge containing color ink. The carriage 1206 also has a recording head 1250 for receiving a supply of ink from a lower portion thereof. The black ink cartridge and the color ink cartridge supply ink to the recording head 1250 through ink supply needles 1232 and 1234. The timing belt 1202 and the drive motor 1204 are controlled by a recording apparatus control section 1210. While the timing belt 1202 and the drive motor 1204 perform scanning, the recording head 1250 receiving the supply of ink discharges ink onto the recording medium 1200.

Fig. 67 is a sectional view of an ink cartridge for a single color ink, for example, a black ink, as an embodiment of the present invention. Such an ink cartridge as an embodiment of the ink container of the present invention has a container 2001 containing ink, an ink supply opening 2002 for supplying ink to the outside of the container 2001, and an actuator 106 for detecting a change in acoustic impedance and detecting the amount of ink consumed. The ink supply opening 2002 is arranged on the bottom surface 1a at a low level with respect to the liquid surface of the ink. The actuator 106 is disposed near the bottom surface 1a and on a side wall 2010 of the container 2001 which is closer to the ink supply opening 2002. In addition, a storage device 7 storing information on ink in the ink cartridge is mounted on an upper portion of the container 2001.

A seal 2030 is disposed inside the ink supply opening 2002. The seal 2030 seals the ink from leaking from the container 2001 to the outside. On the other hand, when the ink supply needle 1232 (see fig. 66) is inserted into the ink supply opening 2002 through the seal 2030, ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to the recording head 1250 through the ink supply needle 1232. The seal 2030 is preferably made of an elastomer, such as rubber. With this, a gap existing between the ink supply needle and the seal 2030 can be maintained in a liquid-tight state.

Fig. 68 is a perspective view seen from the back of an ink cartridge of an embodiment for containing a plurality of inks. The container 8 is divided by partition walls into three ink compartments 9, 10 and 11. Ink supply openings 12, 13 and 14 are provided in each chamber. Actuators 15, 16 and 17 are mounted on the side walls 8a of the respective ink tanks 9, 10 and 11 so as to be able to access the ink contained in the respective ink tanks through the tank 8.

The ink jet recording apparatus, ink cartridge, and actuator of the present embodiment have been explained so far. In this ink cartridge, the measured consumption amount, that is, the actual consumption amount is detected by using an actuator. In the present embodiment, the further consumption amount is estimated by measuring the amount of ink droplets discharged by the recording head. The consumption established by this estimation is referred to as estimated consumption. An optimum configuration of the combination of the actual consumption state and the estimated consumption state will be described hereinafter.

Fig. 69 shows a system configuration having an ink consumption detection function of the present embodiment. The ink cartridge 800 corresponds to the ink cartridge of fig. 66, for example. The ink cartridge 800 has an actuator 106 and a consumption information memory 804. The actuator 106 is composed of a piezoelectric device. The actuator 106 is specifically constituted by the above-described actuator, and outputs a signal corresponding to the ink consumption state. The consumption information memory 804 is an EEPROM rewritable memory, and corresponds to the above-described semiconductor storage device (reference numeral 7 in fig. 67 or 7).

The recording apparatus control section 810 is composed of a computer for controlling the inkjet recording apparatus. The recording apparatus control portion 810 is disposed on the inkjet recording apparatus as a recording apparatus control portion 1210. The reference consumption conversion information is stored in the consumption information memory 804. The recording apparatus control unit 810 includes a consumption detection processing unit 812 and a correction unit 813.

The consumption detecting means is composed of a consumption detection processing section 812, an actuator 106, and a consumption information memory 804. The consumption detection processing part 812 creates a consumption amount using the actuator 106 and the consumption information storage 804. This enables the established consumption to be stored in the consumption information storage 804.

The recording apparatus control section 810 further includes a printing operation control section 818, a print data storage section 824, and a consumption information display section 826. The configuration thereof will be explained below.

The consumption detection processing unit 812 of the recording apparatus control unit 810 includes an estimated consumption calculation processing unit 814 and an actual consumption processing unit 816.

The actual consumption detection processing unit 816 detects the actual consumption amount by controlling the actuator 106, and writes the actual consumption amount in the consumption information memory 804. The actual consumption is detected according to the above principle. For example, the actual consumption detection processing unit 816 drives one piezoelectric element of the actuator 106 in order to detect the actual consumption amount from the acoustic impedance. The signal output by the piezoelectric element indicates a residual oscillation state accompanying the generation of the oscillation. The actual consumption amount is detected from the state of residual oscillation that changes in accordance with the amount of ink consumption.

In particular, in the present embodiment, whether or not the liquid level passes through the actuator 106 is detected as the actual consumption amount. The output signal of the sensor varies greatly before and after the liquid level portion passes through it. This ensures that the passage of the liquid surface portion is found. Hereinafter, a state before the liquid surface portion passes is referred to as "a state with ink", and a state after the liquid surface portion passes is referred to as "a state without ink".

On the other hand, the estimated consumption calculation processing part 814 establishes an estimated consumption amount based on the ink consumption of the ink cartridge 800. In the printing state, ink is consumed for printing, and even in the non-printing state, ink is consumed for maintenance operation of the recording head. Therefore, it is preferable to establish an ink consumption amount based on the number of ink drops used for printing and the number of maintenance times. In addition, the amount of ink consumed for both printing and maintenance operations varies depending on the external environment in which the recording head is located when performing printing. For example, in the case where the recording head peripheral temperature and the ink temperature are relatively high, the ink consumption amount is large. On the other hand, when the recording head peripheral temperature and the ink temperature are low, the ink consumption is small. In addition, it is considered that the amount of ink consumed may be changed even when the humidity of the printing site is different. However, within the scope of the present invention, the ink consumption amount may be established depending on any one of the conditions. Here, a procedure for establishing the ink consumption amount based on the print amount is mainly explained. However, the amount of ink droplets (the amount of ink per one drop) corresponding to the ejection of ink droplets by the recording head described below may also be applied to the amount of ink consumption for the maintenance of the recording head. The program executed in this case can consider the amount of each drop of ink as a part of the one-time maintenance process. In this case, the number of ink consumptions is considered as the number of ink droplets ejected from the recording head or the number of maintenance processes.

The estimated consumption calculation processing part 814 calculates the amount of ink consumption according to the amount of printing when using the ink of the ink cartridge 800, thereby establishing an estimated consumption state. The print amount is established by the print amount calculation part 822 of the print operation control part 818 and the data supplied to the estimated consumption calculation processing part 814. The printing operation control section 818 receives print data and controls printing with the recording head. Thus, the printing operation control unit 818 can grasp the printing amount. If the printing amount is grasped, the ink consumption amount corresponding to the printing amount can be estimated. The estimated consumption amount thus established is also stored in the consumption information memory 804 of the ink cartridge 800, similarly to the actual consumption amount.

The reference consumption transformation information is used for estimation of the consumption amount. The reference consumption conversion information shown in fig. 70 is a kind of information used to express the relationship between the print amount and the estimated consumption state. In the present embodiment, the amount of ink per drop is adopted as one element of the reference consumption conversion information. In this case, the number of print dots corresponds to the print amount. The number of dots is multiplied by the volume of each drop to estimate a consumption.

It is noted above that the number of dots is proportional to the amount of ink consumed. Thus, the number of dots can be treated as a parameter directly representing the amount of ink consumed.

The estimation of the consumption amount should also be performed according to the size of the ink droplets. The recording device ejects ink droplets of various sizes in accordance with print data. The amount of ink per drop varies with drop size. Thus, a more accurate estimation can be performed using different transform values corresponding to the magnitude.

For example, assume that the ejected ink droplets have three different sizes a, b, and c. Assume that the ink amounts of each ink droplet are Va, Vb, and Vc. And assume that the cumulative number of each of the ejected ink droplets is Na, Nb, and Nc, respectively. In this case, the ink consumption amount can be expressed by the following equation:

Va*Na+Vb*Nb+Vc*Nc

in this consumption estimation procedure, since the number of dots is multiplied and added by software means, this procedure may also be referred to as a soft calculation procedure.

The conversion information for establishing the estimated consumption amount is stored in the consumption information memory 804 of the ink cartridge 800. The consumption information memory 804 is provided with a reference consumption conversion information storage unit 808 for storing reference consumption conversion information.

The recording apparatus control unit 810 further includes a correction unit 813. The correction unit 813 includes a correction determination unit 815. The correction section 813 receives one estimated consumption amount and one actual consumption amount of ink in the ink cartridge from the consumption detection processing section 812.

The correction decision unit 815 in the correction unit 813 decides whether or not this reference consumption conversion information should be used as a correction target.

In particular, the correction determination section 815 in the correction section 813 determines whether to take any unit information (see fig. 70) other than the unit information included in the reference consumption conversion information as a correction target. The correction determination section 815 may determine specific unit information as a correction target or determine the entire reference consumption conversion information as a correction target. In addition, the calibration target can be determined according to the following determination.

The correction unit 813 corrects the unit information as the correction target based on the determination result of the correction determination unit 815. When the correction determination unit 815 does not determine the correction target, the correction unit 813 does not correct the unit information.

The reference consumption conversion information including the corrected unit information is stored in the consumption conversion information storage 808 as the reference consumption conversion information corrected as a whole. After the reference consumption conversion information is corrected, the estimated consumption calculation processing part 814 detects an estimated consumption amount from the corrected reference consumption conversion information.

It should be noted that, as another form, the consumption information storage 804 may be provided in the inkjet recording apparatus, for example, the recording apparatus control section 1210 in the embodiment of fig. 66. In addition, a part of or all of the functions of the consumption information storage 804 may be provided in other external devices such as a computer connected to the recording apparatus. In addition, a part of or all of the functions of the recording apparatus control section 810 may be provided in an external device such as a computer connected to the recording apparatus. The reference consumption conversion information may be stored in the recording apparatus control unit 810, or may be stored in another configuration, for example, in an external computer connected to the inkjet recording apparatus. Further, a plurality of reference consumption conversion information different from each other is stored in the consumption information memory 804 or the recording apparatus control section 810. By these means, the estimated consumption calculation processing part 814 can establish an estimated consumption amount using an optimized reference consumption conversion information among the plurality of reference consumption conversion information. Alternatively, the correction unit 813 may be replaced with a modification and determination unit (not shown) that determines appropriate reference consumption conversion information. The estimated consumption calculation processing part 814 may establish an estimated consumption amount using an appropriate one of the plurality of reference consumption conversion information data.

In this embodiment, the ID (serial number) value of each ink cartridge is stored in a memory, and this stored value can be read out and utilized when the same ink cartridge is mounted.

As a modification of this embodiment, the storage unit for the reference number conversion information may be provided in both the ink cartridge and the recording apparatus. These storage units may rewrite the contents of both memories at the same time, or may download data from the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is removed.

The table of fig. 70 shows an example of the reference consumption conversion information stored in the consumption conversion information storage unit 808. In the present embodiment, as one element of the reference consumption conversion information, the amount of ink per one drop in the printed state is shown, the amount of ink required per one ejection in ejection is shown by pl (picoliter), and the amount of ink required per one cleaning in cleaning is shown by ml (milliliter).

The reference consumption conversion information data is divided into printing state information and non-printing state information. Further, the printing state information data is divided into information of the dots 1 and 2 different in droplet amount from each other. The non-printing state information data is divided into information of ejection and maintenance, and amounts of ink to be consumed for the ejection and maintenance are different from each other. Ejection refers to maintenance for removing foreign matter in nozzle openings and recovering the function thereof, ink droplets being to be discharged from all the nozzle openings of the recording head. Cleaning refers to maintenance in which a suction pump is used to supply a negative pressure from the outside of the recording head to remove foreign matter from the nozzle openings and restore the function thereof. Further, the ejection information data is divided into information of ejection 1 and ejection 2, which are different in droplet amount. The cleansing information data is also divided into cleansing 1 and cleansing 2 information, which are different in ink consumption amount.

It should be noted that one element of the reference consumption conversion information is defined as the amount of ink per drop. Thus, in the control, the ejection and purge operations are handled by the printing operation control section 818, and the processing operation per ejection and purge is handled as the amount of ink per droplet in the printing operation.

Further, the reference consumption conversion information indicates the amount of ink consumption for each of the printing state and the non-printing state, the dots 1 and 2, the purge 1 and 2, and the ejection 1 and the ejection 2 in the case where the peripheral temperature of the recording head is different.

The unit information for classifying the reference consumption conversion information may be classified into two types, one type of unit information being the amount of ink per drop in the entire printing state, and the other type of unit information being the amount of ink in the non-printing state. In addition, the unit information may be classified into six types by the unit of the ink amount information in the dots 1 and 2, the purge 1 and 2, the ejection 1 or the ejection 2.

In addition, the unit of information can be classified into three types as the unit of ink amount information in the case where the peripheral temperature of the recording head is different.

In addition, the unit information may be further classified into eight types as all information units of the amount of ink per droplet indicated in the reference consumption conversion information and different from each other.

It should be noted that in the case where there is a substantially linear relationship between two elements of the reference consumption transformation information, in order to obtain information between the two elements of the reference consumption transformation information, it may be necessary to perform a calculation for establishing a linear correlation. For example, in fig. 70, in order to obtain information on the amount of each ink drop in which the peripheral temperature of the recording head of the dot 1 is in the range of 10 ℃ to 25 ℃, calculation for establishing a linear correlation is performed for each ink drop at each temperature. Specifically, the amount of ink per drop at a recording head peripheral temperature of 20 ℃ can be calculated by the following linear function expression:

30(pl)+(20(℃)-10(℃))*((31(pl)30(pl))/(25(℃)-10(℃))＝30.66(pl)

whether or not the reference consumption conversion information or the unit information shown in fig. 70 is to be a correction target is decided by the correction decision section 815 in fig. 69.

For example, the correction determination unit 815 determines whether or not to perform correction in accordance with the difference between the estimated consumption amount and the actual consumption amount of ink. Since no correction is required in the case where the estimated consumption amount and the actual consumption amount are approximately the same. The correction determination unit 815 determines information in any unit as a correction target according to the consumption amount or the consumption rate per unit of information in the consumed ink. If the unit information calculated for the proportion of the total amount of ink consumed at a low consumption rate is corrected, the corrected unit information value may deviate from the actually measured amount of ink per drop. The calibration determination unit 815 determines whether or not a calibration target is to be determined.

Fig. 71 and 72 show an example of ink consumption detection according to the present embodiment. The ink full state is a state when the ink cartridge is first used and the ink consumption value is zero. First, an estimated consumption amount is created by multiplying the number of words by the estimated consumption calculation processing unit 814, and at this time, the reference consumption conversion information that has been read out from the consumption state storage unit 806 is used.

The estimated consumption amount is a product of the number of print dots and the ink amount per dot of the reference consumption conversion information. Therefore, the estimated consumption amount increases in proportion to the number of dots. The gradient (a) of the estimated consumption amount corresponds to the amount of ink per drop of the reference consumption conversion information.

As the ink consumption progresses, the ink level reaches the actuator 106. The portion of the liquid level detected by the actuator 106 is passed through as an actual consumption state. The measured amount of ink consumed during the passage of the liquid level is the amount of ink in the cartridge above the actuator 106 at the liquid level, which is known in advance. This information is preferably stored in the consumption information memory 804. The actuator 106 is preferably disposed at a position where the liquid surface is located when the ink remaining amount is reduced. With this, the liquid level detected by the actuator 106 in the ink near-end state can be passed as an actual consumption amount.

As shown in fig. 71 and 72, when the actual consumption amount is detected, there is an error between the actual consumption amount and the estimated consumption amount (the integrated value of the amount of ink per droplet). Specifically, the gradient (a) of the estimated consumption amount is different from the actually measured amount of ink per drop (b). This is because the transformed values used for the estimation process are different from the measured values.

In general, the reference consumption transformation information includes a certain degree of error. The main causes of errors are dispersion of the discharge amount of the recording head, individual differences of the ink cartridge and the ink jet recording apparatus, use conditions, and a combination of these factors. For example, the amount of ink per dot may vary due to variations in ink viscosity among a large number of dots. In addition, there is a case where the error between the measured ink amount and the estimated amount per unit information per droplet is different.

Fig. 71 shows a case where all inks are discharged as ink droplets in the dot 1 mode or the dot 2 mode. The units of information are divided into at least two categories, a word point 1 and a word point 2. This is not the best in the case of the present embodiment because correcting all unit information means that those information units of the useless patterns are also corrected. Therefore, the correction determination section 815 sets the information unit of the discharged ink droplet as the correction target.

Specifically, for example, it is assumed that unit information of discharging ink droplets is composed of only the dots 1. The correction determination unit 815 sets only the unit information of the dot 1 as the correction target. Since the reference values to be corrected are only the estimated consumption amount and the actual consumption amount of the character dot 1, the correction section 813 corrects only the unit information of the character dot 1, and does not correct the unit information of the character dot 2.

The number of dots 1 from the completely filled state to the end of the passage of the liquid surface is Nx. Further, it is assumed that the amount of consumption from the state of full ink to the state of passing the liquid surface is Vx. In this case, the measured amount of ink per drop can be expressed as Vx/Nx. Thus, the correction unit 813 corrects the unit information to Vx/Nx. It is preferable that the history of the unit information that has been corrected is stored in the consumption conversion information storage section 808 of the consumption information memory 804.

The correction unit 813 may correct the unit information of the dot 1 by multiplying the unit information by a ratio Vx/Nx of the estimated consumption Vl equal to Nx · 30(pl) and using the actual consumption Vx as a correction coefficient. The correction coefficient Vx/Vlis is preferably stored in the consumption state storage unit 806 of the consumption information memory 804.

In addition, the estimated consumption amount as the integrated value is also corrected to the actual measurement value. The correction value is stored in the consumption state storage unit 806 of the consumption information memory 804.

After the actual consumption state is detected, the amount of consumption is estimated again by multiplication of the number of words. However, the subsequent consumption amount is calculated from the corrected integrated value. In addition, the corrected conversion information is used in calculating the consumption amount. Specifically, the gradient (b) of the estimated consumption amount corrected in fig. 71 is Vx/Nx as described above.

The corrected data are employed as such, and by means of this, the ink consumption state from the point in time when the ink is nearly exhausted to the point in time when it is completely exhausted can be accurately established.

Particularly, in the case of a small amount of ink, it is more important to accurately detect the amount of ink consumed than when the amount of ink is large. According to the present embodiment, since the estimated consumption amount and the conversion information are corrected at the point in time when the ink is near the end state, these requirements can be appropriately satisfied. With this, poor printing due to lack of ink can be prevented. In addition, the user can be informed to replace the ink box at the right time.

On the other hand, fig. 72 shows a case where ink is consumed for each unit information of the dot 1 and the dot 2. In this case, it is not known how much the unit information differs from the actually measured amount of ink per drop. For example, in fig. 72, ink of the actual consumption Vx is consumed in units of information of a word point 1 and a word point 2. However, it is not clear whether the actual consumption amount Vx is consumed by unit information of a word point 1 or a word point 2. It is therefore not clear whether the error between the actual consumption Vx and the estimated consumption V1+ V2 is due to the unit information of word point 1 or word point 2.

Thus, referring to the determination in the correction determination section 815, first, the unit information having a large estimated consumption amount is determined as the correction target, and second, the unit information having a large expected value of error in the estimated consumption amount is determined as the correction target.

Fig. 73A and 73B are a table showing whether or not the correction determining section 815 determines to be the correction target, and a flowchart showing processing for determining when ink is consumed for each unit of information of a dot 1 and a dot 2 as in the embodiment of fig. 72. The decision of the correction decision unit 815 is represented by dividing into case 1 and case 2.

The error that is expected for the estimated ink volume per drop relative to the measured ink volume per drop can be predicted experimentally from the design, manufacture and use of the inkjet recording device and the cartridge displayed by the recording.

For example, cases 1 and 2 are such that, due to errors in the design of the recording head and in its manufacture, it is expected that errors occurring with dots 2 having relatively small ink droplets will be larger than errors occurring with dots 1 having relatively large ink droplets. It is also expected that the use of the word point 2 will result in less error for the estimated ink volume per drop relative to the measured ink volume per drop than the use of the word point 1. The expected error of the estimated ink volume per drop relative to the measured ink volume per drop is taken as an expected record of error (hereinafter referred to as an expected record of error).

Case 1 is a case where the estimated ink consumption amount of the dot 2 is larger than the dot 1. Case 2 is a case where the estimated ink consumption amount of the dot 2 is smaller than the dot 1.

According to the flowchart of fig. 73B, a procedure for determining whether to take the word point 1 and the word point 2 as the correction targets will be explained below. First, the correction determination section 815 determines an expected record of an error. In this embodiment it is determined whether the expected record of error is greater than or equal to 5. It is then determined whether the estimated consumption is a predetermined value. In the present embodiment, when the expected record of error is greater than or equal to 5, it is determined whether the estimated consumption amount is greater than or equal to 400, and when the expected record of error is less than or equal to 5, it is determined whether the estimated consumption amount is greater than or equal to 750. Specifically, in the case where a large error is expected in the estimated ink amount per droplet with respect to the actually measured ink amount per droplet, the relevant unit information is set as the correction target even if the estimated consumption amount is relatively small. On the other hand, in the case where an error is expected in the estimated ink amount per droplet with respect to the actual ink amount per droplet, and the expected record of the error is below a predetermined value, the relevant unit information is not used as the correction target for the case where the estimated consumption amount is relatively large.

More specifically, in case 1, the expected record of error for word point 1 is 3. It is therefore determined whether the estimated consumption of word point 1 is greater than or equal to 750. Since the estimated consumption amount of the word point 1 is 200, which is less than 750, it is determined that the relevant unit information of the word point 1 is not a correction target. On the other hand, the expected record of error for word point 2 is 8. It is therefore determined whether the estimated consumption of word point 1 is greater than or equal to 400. Since this estimated consumption amount is 800 and more than 750, the information on the unit of word point 2 is determined as the correction target. On the other hand, in case 2, the estimated consumption of word point 1 is 700, and word point 2 is 300. Thus, it is determined that none of them is a correction target.

In the present embodiment, although the expected recording threshold of the error is defined to be 5, the predetermined value of the estimated consumption amount as the comparison reference is set to 400 or 750, these values may be set to an optimum value in advance. It is also possible to provide a plurality of thresholds for the expected recording of errors. The value of the estimated consumption amount is set corresponding to the case where the expected record of each error is above and below the threshold value. It is also possible to determine unit information about the case where this estimated consumption amount value is exceeded as the correction target. In addition, the unit information to be targeted for correction may also be determined by comparing a value obtained by multiplying the expected record of error by the estimated consumption amount with a predetermined value.

Predetermined values for reference determination, such as an expected record of error, a predetermined value for an estimated consumption amount for reference comparison, and the like are stored in an external computer, which is connected to a memory provided on the consumption information memory 804 and the ink jet recording apparatus, or to the ink jet recording apparatus of fig. 69.

Next, the correction value in the case where ink is consumed in the mode of the number of dots and the number of dots 2 will be explained with reference to fig. 72. The actual consumption of word point 1 and word point 2 is Vx. The estimated consumption corresponding thereto is V1+ V2. Therefore, the correction coefficient is Vx/(V1+ V2), and the reference consumption conversion information is corrected by multiplying the correction coefficient by the unit information that has been determined as the correction target by the correction determination section 815.

The corrected reference consumption conversion information is employed in correcting the reference consumption conversion information, and an estimation calculation program is executed. By means of which a more accurate detection can be achieved.

When the actual consumption amount is detected, the estimated consumption amount, which is an integrated value, is corrected to the actual consumption amount. The correction value is stored in the consumption state storage unit 806 of the consumption information memory 804.

Instead of following the embodiment of fig. 73A and 73B when the determination of the consumption amount is performed, it is not necessary to perform the determination of the expected record of the error in the flow of fig. 73B. Specifically, as long as the correction condition is specified such that the estimated consumption amount is larger than the predetermined value, the correction portion 813 can determine that the unit information satisfying the correction condition is the correction target. Further, the correction section 813 can determine, as a correction target, unit information satisfying a determination condition that specifies correction instead of the determination condition that specifies an estimated consumption amount in which the number of dots discharged from the recording head is larger than a predetermined value. In addition, the determination condition that prescribes correction is unit information whose estimated consumption amount ratio for calculating the entire consumption amount ratio is large and whose estimated consumption amount ratio for calculating the entire consumption amount ratio is larger than a predetermined ratio, and unit information that satisfies this determination condition can be determined as a correction target. The unit information to be corrected is set in advance for a large error or a small error in the estimated ink amount per droplet with respect to the actual ink amount per droplet, and does not need to be determined by the correction determination unit 815.

Fig. 74A and 74B show a detection routine of the consumption detection processing section 812 and a correction routine of the correction section 813. When the ink cartridge 800 is mounted, the reference consumption conversion information is acquired from the consumption conversion information storage part 808 (S10). This estimated consumption state is then calculated by the estimated consumption calculation processing part 814 (S12). The actual consumption detection processing unit 816 detects the actual consumption amount by the actuator 106 (S14). The actual consumption state detected until the ink level reaches the actuator 106 is "state with ink".

The actual consumption amount can be detected at appropriate intervals. In addition, when the estimated consumption amount is small, the detection frequency is low, and when the estimated consumption amount reaches the predetermined switching value, the detection frequency is increased. Or the actual consumption state may not be detected until the estimated consumption amount reaches the predetermined switching value.

The predetermined switch value is set at an appropriate value before the ink level reaches the actuator 106. This predetermined switch value is preferably the amount of consumption at the point in time when the ink level is near the actuator 106. When the switching value is set, the difference between the consumption amount at the time of switching and the consumption amount at the time of liquid surface passage is made larger than the maximum error of the estimated consumption amount at the time of liquid surface passage.

With these procedures, it is possible to reduce the actual consumption detection when the possibility of detecting the passage of the liquid level is low. This can reduce the operation of the piezoelectric device and the procedures for these operations. The piezoelectric device can be effectively utilized.

Returning to fig. 74A, after step S14, the calculation result of the estimated consumption amount and the detection result of the actual consumption state are stored in the consumption state storage unit 806 (S16). Consumption information is then displayed for the user (S18). The process of step S18 is executed by the consumption information display unit 826 of the recording apparatus control unit 810 (fig. 69). This procedure is also explained below.

Next, whether or not the liquid level passes is detected as an actual consumption state (S20). If NO is indicated, the process returns to step S12. In the following subroutine, the subsequent consumption amounts are added to the estimated consumption amount that was the last estimated consumption amount to obtain a result. When the liquid surface passes the sensor, the actual consumption state is switched from the state with ink to the state without ink. The flow proceeds to the case where step S20 is YES in the flow of fig. 74A. In the case where only one actuator 106 is mounted on the container as the ink cartridge of fig. 67, the actual consumption amount cannot be detected any more. Thus stopping the detection of the actual consumption state. By means of these procedures, the operation of the piezoelectric device and procedures for these operations can be reduced, and accordingly the piezoelectric device can be effectively utilized.

Next, in step S21, the correction determination unit 815 of the correction unit 813 determines whether or not to perform correction.

When the difference between the actual consumption amount and the estimated consumption amount is close to zero or less than a predetermined value, the correction determination unit 815 is determined not to correct the difference. With this, the program proceeds to step S30 without interruption to calculate the estimated consumption amount, and the correction section 813 does not correct the reference consumption conversion information.

It should be noted that in the case where the error between the actual consumption amount and the estimated consumption amount is close to zero, the correction portion 813 need not correct the estimated consumption amount (accumulated value) in step S24. In addition, in the case where the difference between the actual consumption amount and the estimated consumption amount is smaller than the predetermined value, it may be set such that the correction portion 813 corrects the estimated consumption amount (accumulated value) in step S24, but does not perform the correction of the reference consumption conversion information.

On the other hand, in the case where the difference between the actual consumption amount and the estimated consumption amount is larger than the predetermined value, the correction determination section 815 determines that the reference consumption conversion information is to be corrected. Next, in step S22, the correction determination unit 815 selects unit information to be a correction target. The correction section 813 corrects the estimated consumption amount (accumulated value) in step S24, and corrects the reference consumption conversion information in step S26. These correction values are stored in the consumption state storage unit 806 and the consumption conversion information storage unit 808 (step S28).

An estimated consumption state is calculated in step S30 similarly to S12. However, it is different from step S12 in that the corrected reference consumption transform information is used. In addition, the subsequent consumption amount is calculated with reference to the estimated consumption amount (accumulated value) corrected in step S24. Then, the consumption state is displayed for the user in step S32, and the calculation result of the consumption amount is stored in the consumption state storage 806 in step S34. It is determined in step S36 whether the estimated consumption amount has reached the total amount of ink (completely consumed or not), and if NO is indicated, it returns to step S30. In the case where the ink is completely exhausted, that is, there is no ink, the print data is saved before printing (S38).

Also, as shown in fig. 74B, the order of correction of the accumulated value (S24) and correction of the consumption conversion information (S26) may be the exchange processing. By executing the routine of fig. 74B, in the case where the correction determination section 815 determines not to determine the reference consumption conversion information as the correction target, the correction section 813 may continue to execute the routine to correct only the accumulated value without correcting the reference consumption conversion information.

The correction of the unit information during printing has been explained in the above-described procedure. Maintenance procedures for the recording head are also performed at appropriate intervals in the inkjet recording apparatus. Ink is consumed in the maintenance program, and the amount of consumption may be as much as not negligible. Therefore, the amount of ink per drop also includes the amount of consumption for the maintenance of the recording head.

Specifically, the reference consumption conversion information stored in the recording apparatus control section has the ink consumption amount of the maintenance program in the non-printing state shown in fig. 70 as one unit information. The estimated consumption calculation processing portion multiplies the amount of consumption per one time by the number of times of maintenance, similarly to the case of multiplying the amount of ink per one drop by the printing state time. By means of which the ink consumption for maintenance is estimated. This consumption amount and the sum of the consumption amounts established based on the number of ink droplets are used to establish an estimated consumption amount. The correction determining section 815 of the correcting section 813 determines whether any unit information (see fig. 70) is included in the unit information included in the reference consumption conversion information as a correction target based on the estimated consumption amount. The correction determination unit 815 may determine specific unit information as a correction target, or may determine the entire reference consumption conversion information as a correction target. In this case, the printing state and the non-printing state may be divided, and each of them may be defined as unit information in its entirety. In addition, maintenance of a non-defined whole may be divided into injection and maintenance, and may be each defined as unit information. Further, the ejection and the washing may be divided into ejection 1 and ejection 2 and washing 1 and washing 2, and may be each defined as unit information.

The ink consumption amount can be represented by the number of ink droplets. Since the ink consumption is proportional to the number of ink drops. In this case, the consumption amount due to maintenance can be converted into the number of ink droplets. This converted number of ink droplets is added to the number of ink droplets used for printing. The accumulated number of ink droplets is used as a parameter indicating the amount of ink consumed.

In addition, the present embodiment can express the reference consumption conversion information in terms of the amount of ink per droplet, however, the expression form thereof is not particularly limited. For example, since the amount of a word dot 1 is three times as much as 10pl, that is, 30pl, as the amount of a word dot 2, 10pl can be referred to as 3 times thereof. In addition, the reference consumption conversion information may be represented by the mass of each ink drop.

In addition, the reference consumption conversion information data of the present embodiment may also be divided by the temperature of the periphery of the recording head and the ink amount of each ink droplet. However, it may also be divided according to other environmental factors at the periphery of the recording head, and there is no need to limit the temperature at the periphery of the recording head. For example, it may be divided in terms of humidity and atmospheric pressure.

In order to measure the temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure at the periphery of the recording head, a thermometer, a hygrometer, and a barometer (not shown) are arranged at the periphery of the nozzle opening of the recording head. The thermometer, hygrometer and barometer are preferably small and light devices that do not interfere with the scanning of the recording head. In addition, the thermometer, hygrometer and barometer are preferably remotely controllable.

The ink consumption amount is estimated according to the present embodiment by estimating the ink consumption amount for maintenance in addition to the ink consumption amount for printing, making the sum of both, and considering the influence of the environment around the recording head on the amount of ink per drop.

Next, a configuration of how to utilize the consumption amount obtained in the above-described manner will be explained with reference to fig. 69. The print operation control unit 818 is a control unit for controlling the print operation unit 820 and realizing printing in accordance with print data. The printing operation part 820 is composed of a printing head, a printing head moving device, a paper feeder, and the like. The print amount calculation section 822 of the printing operation control section 818 supplies the consumption detection processing section 812 with a print amount for estimating the amount of ink consumption.

The printing operation control unit 818 operates in accordance with the consumption amount detected by the consumption detection processing unit 81. In the present embodiment, if it is determined that there is no ink based on the estimated consumption amount, operations that consume ink, such as printing operations and maintenance operations, are stopped. The print data before printing is then stored in the print data storage section 824. This print data is stored after the new ink cartridge is mounted. This routine corresponds to step S38 in fig. 74A and 74B.

It should be noted that, in order to prevent poor printing due to lack of ink, a state in which a small amount of ink remains should be determined as no ink.

There is also a case where printing should not be stopped halfway through printing of one page. In this case, it is preferable to determine whether or not there is a shortage of ink with reference to one sheet of paper. For example, the amount of ink required to print one sheet of paper can be set appropriately. When the remaining ink amount is less than the ink amount, it is determined that there is no ink.

Similar decisions may also be performed based on print data. For example, assume that a batch of document data is to be printed. When the remaining amount of ink is less than the amount of ink corresponding to the number of printed pages, it is determined that there is no ink.

In another processing embodiment of the printing operation control section 818, when the actual consumption state is detected by the actual consumption detecting program, the remaining printable amount is calculated based on the actual consumption state. When the remaining printable amount is printed, the print data is stored in the print data storage section 824 immediately before printing. This procedure is safely executed according to the data consumption state.

In yet another embodiment of the process another configuration is controlled based on the actual consumption state. For example, an ink replenishing device, a cartridge replacing device, and the like may be provided, which are controllable. Specifically, it is determined whether there is no need to replenish ink, replace the ink cartridge, or be timing based on the consumption state (actual consumption state and/or estimated consumption state), and replenishment or replacement is performed according to the result of the determination. Therefore, the user can be reminded to replenish ink or replace the ink box in time.

The consumption information display section 826 in fig. 69 is another structure utilizing the consumption state. The consumption information display unit 826 displays the consumption state information detected by the consumption detection processing unit 812 for the user using the display 818 and the speaker 820. Graphics representing the consumption state and the like are displayed on the display 818, and a cue sound or a synthesized voice is output from the speaker 820. Synthetic speech may be used to direct the appropriate action.

The consumption status can be displayed according to the user's needs. Alternatively, the display may be periodic at appropriate intervals. In addition, when an appropriate event occurs, for example, an event such as start of printing, it may be displayed. In addition, when the ink remaining amount reaches a predetermined value, it can be automatically displayed.

The reference consumption conversion information is corrected in the present embodiment, however, the actual amount of ink per drop can also be corrected by changing the voltage applied to the recording head without correcting the reference consumption conversion information. In this case, the correction portion 813 corrects the corrected estimated consumption amount (accumulated value) to the actual consumption amount. In addition, the correction section 813 transmits a predetermined signal to the print operation control section 818, and corrects the voltage supplied to the print operation section 820.

FIG. 75 shows a cross-sectional view of an ink cartridge 800 having multiple actuators 802. In the present embodiment seven exciters are arranged. The seven sensors are arranged at seven different height positions spaced apart from each other in a direction in which the liquid level decreases with the ink signal. This configuration is suitable for use with an ink cartridge of the type that contains a relatively large amount of ink, such as a so-called carriage-separated type ink cartridge. The carriage separation type ink cartridge is fixed to a position away from the recording head for use. The ink cartridge and the recording head are connected by a tube.

Fig. 76 shows an ink jet recording apparatus having the ink signal detection function of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, unlike the configuration of fig. 69, a plurality of liquid sensors 802 are provided on the ink cartridge 800. In the embodiment of fig. 76 there are seven pieces of sensors. The plurality of liquid sensors 802 are controlled by a signal detection processing unit 812 of the recording apparatus control unit 801, specifically, by an actual consumption detection processing unit 816.

The consumption detection processing unit 812 detects the consumption state individually using the seven liquid sensors 802. This allows the consumption (passage of liquid level) to be detected in seven different levels.

It should be especially noted that all liquid sensors are not used simultaneously but in sequence. Assume that there is a sensor that detects the passage of a liquid level. Specifically, it is assumed that the detection result of one sensor changes from the state with ink to the state without ink. This sensor is deactivated and the next sensor located low next to this sensor is activated. When the lowest one of the sensors detects the state of no ink, the actual consumption detection using the sensors is ended. By means of such a procedure, the associated operations and processes can be reduced and the sensors can be utilized efficiently.

The recording apparatus control unit 810 further includes a correction unit 813. The correction unit 813 includes a correction determination unit 815. The operation of the correction portion 813 is similar to that of the correction portion 813 of fig. 69.

Next, the correction processing of the reference consumption conversion information in the system of the present embodiment will be explained. In the present embodiment, when the liquid level passage is detected twice, the reference consumption conversion information is corrected. At the first detection, the passage of the liquid level is detected by one of the sensors. Next, in the second detection, the passage of the liquid surface is detected by the sensor located immediately below the first sensor. At the time of performing the second detection, the corrected reference consumption conversion information is corrected in accordance with the print amount between the two detections. Specifically, the estimated consumption calculation processing section 814 uses two detections by the consumption detection processing section to establish one estimated consumption. The actual consumption detection processing section 816 detects the actual consumption amount between the two sensors. The correction section 813 corrects the reference consumption conversion information based on the estimated consumption amount and the actual consumption amount as explained in fig. 69 to 74A and 74B.

Assume that an ink cartridge is used from a completely full state and that the sensor at the highest position has detected the passage of the liquid level. In this case, the first detection of the liquid level is regarded as the second liquid level and the correction routine is executed. A consumption from a fully filled condition to the time the liquid level passage is detected is established. The reference consumption conversion information is corrected based on the ink amount and the print amount of the portion above the sensor located at the highest position.

In addition, when the ink cartridges are continuously used on the same recording apparatus, the passage of the liquid surface is detected one by one. In this case, the reference consumption conversion information is corrected every time the liquid level passage is detected. The reference consumption conversion information is created based on the print amount between the previous detection and this detection. In this way, the reference consumption change information is updated every time the liquid level passage is detected. It should be noted that it is preferable to store the corrected reference consumption conversion information and the correction value thereof in the consumption information memory 804.

Even in the case where a used ink cartridge is detached from an ink jet recording apparatus and the ink cartridge is mounted again, the amount of ink consumed in the ink cartridge can be detected accurately.

A plurality of reference consumption conversion information different from each other may be stored in the consumption information memory 804 of the recording apparatus control section 810. With this, the estimated consumption calculation processing part 814 can establish the estimated consumption amount using a preferable one of the plurality of reference consumption conversion information. In addition, the correction portion 813 may be replaced with a modification and determination portion (not shown), which may be an appropriate reference consumption conversion information. The estimated consumption calculation processing part 814 may use an appropriate one of the plurality of reference consumption transformation information to establish the estimated consumption amount according to the determination result of the modification and determination part. In addition, the number of reference consumption conversion information stored in the consumption information memory 804 may be the above-described number of sensors plus 1. By virtue thereof, the modifying and determining section determines a predetermined or preferred reference consumption conversion information each time the ink level passes a sensor within the cartridge. The estimated consumption calculation processing part 814 may use this reference consumption conversion information to establish the estimated consumption amount according to the determination result of the modification and determination part.

Fig. 77 shows a partially enlarged view of an ink cartridge 800 provided with an actuator 802. First to seventh actuators 802-1 to 802-7 are arranged on the ink cartridge 800. It is assumed that one ink cartridge is mounted to one ink jet recording apparatus which has not been a correction target of the reference consumption conversion information. Assume that the ink level when the ink cartridge is installed is between the third actuator 802-3 and the fourth actuator 802-4.

When the ink is consumed, the fourth actuator 802-4 will detect the passing of the liquid level (first detection). The fifth actuator 802-5 will then detect the passage of the liquid level (second detection). Assume that the ink volume at the fluid level between the fourth actuator 802-4 to the fifth actuator 802-5 is Vy. It is also assumed that the number of print dots between two detections is Ny. At this time, the lower information as the correction target is corrected to Vy/Ny. This correction value is preferably stored in the consumption information memory together with identification information for the particular recording device. The estimated consumption is then multiplied and added using the corrected reference consumption transformation information.

It should be noted that according to the above-described procedure, when the ink cartridges are mounted on a plurality of recording apparatuses, the reference consumption conversion information is corrected on these recording apparatuses. In this case, a plurality of reference consumption conversion information and identification information of each recording apparatus are to be recorded. The respective corrected information data are then used for the relevant recording device.

Fig. 78 is a flowchart showing a detection routine of the consumption detection processing section 812 and a correction routine of the correction section 813 corresponding to the ink cartridge having a plurality of actuators. In fig. 78, a series of flow blocks B is repeatedly executed three times, followed by processing as instructed until completely exhausted. However, the number of times of the flow block B is not particularly limited. For example, in an ink cartridge having 7 actuators 802 according to the embodiment of FIG. 75, block B is repeated seven times. Since the flow block B is the same as a part of the procedure described in fig. 74A and 74B, the description thereof is omitted. In such an ink cartridge provided with a plurality of actuators, the flow block B is repeatedly executed each time the ink level passes through the actuators, so that it is possible to determine whether or not the unit information of the reference consumption conversion information is to be a correction target, and the correction can be executed according to the determination result thereof.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, parameters such as the respective estimated consumptions, the actual consumptions between the respective actuators, and the like can be obtained. Thus, the correction determination section 815 can determine whether to use the unit information as the correction target using known parameters such as the estimated consumption amount, the actual consumption amount between actuators through which the ink level passes, and the like. Fig. 79 and 80 show a method of correcting unit information using a known parameter.

The tables in fig. 79 and 80 show the correction of the digital value per unit information using the word point 1 and the word point 2. The embodiment shown in fig. 79 does not provide a threshold value relating to the estimated consumption amount. Fig. 80 is in contrast to the embodiment of fig. 79, in which a threshold value relating to the estimated consumption is provided.

An example from case 1 to case 6 is shown in fig. 79. ACT stands for an actuator. Specifically, seven pieces of actuators are provided in the present embodiment, respectively indicating the number of ink drops when the ink level passes through the actuators 1 to 7.

In the present embodiment, it is conventionally assumed that ink is consumed by referring to two types of unit information, dot 1 and dot 2, among the conversion information. In addition, in the present embodiment, the ink amount per droplet of the dots 1 and 2 is said to be the estimated ink droplet amount. The measured droplet amount of the character dot 1 is 28, and the estimated droplet amount previously set in the reference consumption conversion information is 30. The measured droplet amount of the character dot 2 is 13, and the estimated droplet amount previously set in the reference consumption conversion information is 10.

Assuming that the number of ink droplets of a dot 1 is a, the number of ink droplets of a dot 2 is G, the estimated droplet amount that is the estimated droplet amount of the dot 1 is B, the estimated droplet amount that is the estimated droplet amount of the dot 2 is H, the estimated consumption amount of the dot 1 is C, the estimated consumption amount of the dot 2 is I, the consumption amount actually consumed by the dot 1 is D, the consumption amount actually consumed by the dot 2 is J, the correct droplet amount of the dot 1 is E, the correct droplet amount of the dot 2 is K, the estimated consumption rate of the dot 1 is F, the estimated consumption rate of the dot 2 is L, the consumption amount actually consumed is M, the total estimated consumption amount is N, and the correction coefficient is 0, the following formula is satisfied.

It should be noted that n in brackets represents the ink level passing the nth actuator. Specifically, the numerical values of the 1 st to 7 th ACTs in fig. 79 are shown. Thus, n-1 represents the ink level passing through the actuator immediately preceding the nth actuator.

B (n) ═ B (n-1) · O (n-1) (expression 1)

C (n) ═ a (n) · b (n) (expression 2)

D (n) ═ a (n) · 28 (expression 3)

E (n) ═ c (n)/d (n) (expression 4)

F (n) ═ c (n)/n (n) (expression 5)

H (n) ═ H (n-1) · O (n-1) (expression 6)

I (n) ═ g (n) · h (n) (expression 7)

J (n) ═ g (n) · 13 (expression 8)

K (n) ═ i (n)/j (n) (expression 9)

L (n) ═ i (n)/n (n) (expression 10)

M (n) ═ d (n) + j (n) (expression 11)

N (n) ═ c (n) + i (n) (expression 12)

O (n) ═ m (n)/n (n) (expression 13)

The number of ink droplets a and the number of ink droplets G are the number of ink droplets of the dot 1 and the dot 2, respectively, calculated by the consumption detection processing portion 812.

The estimated droplet amount B (n) is obtained by multiplying the estimated droplet amount B (n-1) before correction by a correction coefficient 0 (n-1). The correction of the estimated ink droplet amount is performed only in the case of being determined as the correction target by the correction determination section 815. Thus, in the case where it is decided not to execute the correction target, the correction coefficient is 1.

The estimated consumption amount C is an amount obtained by multiplying the estimated ink droplet amount B by the ink droplet number a. The estimated consumption amount C is calculated in the estimated consumption calculation processing section 814.

The actually consumed consumption amount D is an amount obtained by multiplying the actually measured droplet amount by the number a of droplets. Since the amount of ink droplets actually consumed is unknown, the amount of consumption D actually consumed is also an unknown amount in the consumption detection process.

The droplet amount correctness E is a ratio of the estimated consumption amount C with respect to the consumption amount D actually consumed. It is apparent that the closer the droplet quantity correctness E is to 1, the closer the actually consumed consumption D is to the estimated consumption C. In fig. 79, for understanding the present embodiment, the droplet amount correctness E is indicated by convention.

The estimated consumption rate F represents a ratio of the estimated consumption amount C to the total estimated consumption amount N. The estimated consumption rate F is calculated by the estimated consumption calculation processing unit 814. The correction determination section 815 can determine whether to take this unit information as the correction target based on this estimated consumption rate F.

The actual consumption amount of ink is detected by the actual consumption detection processing section 816 when the ink level passes through the actuator 802. Thus, since the consumption amount M of actual consumption is defined as the sum of the consumption amount D of actual consumption of the dot 1 and the consumption amount J of actual consumption of the dot 2, there may be a certain degree of deviation between the actual consumption amount detected by the actual consumption detection processing section 816 and it. However, in explaining the advantages of the present embodiment, there is no problem if the consumption amount M of actual consumption is adopted in expression 11. For example, as the correction coefficient in expression 13, the actual consumption amount detected by the actual consumption detection processing section 816 is actually employed, however, the consumption amount M of actual consumption is employed in the present embodiment.

The total estimated consumption N is the sum of the estimated consumption C and the estimated consumption I for word point 1 and word point 2.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the unit information data is divided into the word dot 1 and the word dot 2. In addition, the coefficients referring to the consumption conversion information are the estimated ink droplet amount B and the estimated ink droplet amount H of the character dot 1 and the character dot 2. Thus, the present embodiment aims to correct the information of the character dot 1 and the character dot 2 as the unit information so that the estimated droplet volume B and the estimated droplet volume H are close to the measured droplet volumes 28 and 13, respectively, that is, the droplet volume correctness E and K are closer to 1.

It should be noted that since G, H, I, J, K and L of the character point 2 correspond to A, B, C, D, E and F, the description thereof is omitted.

Cases 1 to 6 are now classified corresponding to cases where correction targets for estimating the amounts of ink droplets are determined by different methods, and specifically, the method used to determine unit information of reference consumption conversion information as a correction target is different. In case 1, all the unit information data are always determined as the correction target. In case 2, case 3 and case 5, the estimated consumption rate detected at this time is larger than the maximum value of the estimated consumption rates that have been detected in the past and before the detection at this time, the relevant unit information is determined as the correction target. In the cases 4 and 6, the relevant unit information is determined as the correction target by determining the relevant unit information as the correction target if the estimated consumption rate detected at this time is larger than the maximum value of the estimated consumption rates that have been detected in the past and before the detection at this time, and comparing the estimated consumption rates between the unit information. In case 2, case 3, and case 5, the determination is performed according to the determination method described in the following fig. 81A. The determination is performed according to the combination determination method of fig. 82 and 81A in case 4 and case 6.

In case 1, every time the ink level passes the actuator, all the estimated drop amounts are targeted for correction by the correction coefficient O. Therefore, in case 1, the correction determination unit 815 always determines this amount as the correction target. As a result, the drop amount correctness E and K are repeatedly made to approach and depart from the value 1. This is for correcting the estimated droplet amount toward a direction away from the measured droplet amount, and includes as a target of correction an estimated droplet amount in which the estimated consumption rates F and I are low and slightly away from the measured droplet amount.

Case 2 is a case where the estimated consumption rates F (n) and L (n) calculated in the actuators through which the ink level has passed are larger than any of the estimated consumption rates F (n to n-1) and L (n to n-1) previously calculated in the actuators through which the ink level has passed, and the correction decision section 815 determines the estimated ink droplet amount as the correction target. For example, the estimated droplet amount B is not corrected for ACT4 and ACT5 of case 2. With this, the droplet amount correctness E converges toward the value 1. Similar for word point 2.

Fig. 81A, 81B and 82 further specifically show determination (S22) of a correction target and correction (S26) of unit information with respect to the correction target of fig. 74A, 74B or 78 in a flowchart. A procedure of determining the correction target (S22) and correcting the unit information (S26) about the correction target in case 2, case 3, or case 5 will be described below with reference to fig. 81A and 81B. Also, referring to fig. 81A, 81B and 82, the procedure of determining the correction target (S22) and correcting the unit information (S26) related to the correction target in cases 4 and 6 will be explained.

In fig. 81A, after the ink level is detected in act (n), the correction determination unit 815 performs individual determination for all the unit information. The correction determining section 815 compares the estimated consumption rate F (n) of the relevant unit information with the maximum value Fmax of the estimated consumption rate F (1 to n-1) when the ink level is detected by ACT (1 to n-1). When f (n) is smaller than Fmax, the correction determination unit 815 determines the relevant unit information as the correction target. On the other hand, if f (n) is equal to Fmax, the correction decision section 815 determines the relevant unit information as the correction target (S22-4). In addition, F (n) is used as Fmax (S22-6), and in the case where there is a decision on other unit information or another type of decision, other decisions are performed (S22-8, S22-10). In case other decisions are performed, a correction for the next estimated consumption is also performed.

Next, as shown in fig. 81B, the unit information on the correction is corrected based on the determination result of the correction determination unit 815 according to the correction execution subroutine (S26). The correction unit 813 corrects the unit information based on the determination result of the correction determination unit 815 (S26). It is first determined by the correction portion 813 whether the unit information is determined as a correction target (S26-2). The unit information that is not targeted for correction is corrected with a correction coefficient o (n) ═ 1. The correction is specifically expressed by the formula B (n) ═ B (n-1) × O (n-1) to represent the estimated droplet volume as unit information in the present embodiment. On the other hand, the unit information as the correction target is corrected, and the correction coefficient thereof is expressed by the formula o (n) ═ m (n)/n (n). Specifically, the estimated droplet amount as unit information in the present embodiment is expressed by the formula B (n) ═ B (n-1) × O (n-1) (S26-4). Further detection of the estimated consumption is then performed using the corrected unit information.

Case 3 is a case where it is assumed that the ink jet recording apparatus used by the user is dedicated to character recording. Thus, the estimated consumption rate F of the dot 1 having a relatively large drop amount is larger than the estimated consumption rate L of the dot 2. Case 3 is similar to case 2, and when the estimated consumption rate F (n) or L (n) is greater than any of the estimated consumption rates F (1 to 1-n), L (1 to n-1), the correction determination section 815 determines to correct the estimated droplet volume.

In case 3, the drop amount correctness E of the character dot 1 is closer to 1 than in case 2. This is because the correction of the specific unit information has been performed more accurately because the ink jet recording apparatus is dedicated to character recording.

Case 4 is a case assuming that the purpose of the inkjet recording apparatus is exclusive to character recording, similarly to case 3. In addition, the estimated consumption rates between the unit information data are compared in case 4. First, the estimated consumption rates f (n) and l (n) of each of the dots 1 and 2 are compared according to the subroutine of fig. 82 (S22-12). The estimated consumption rate F (n) or L (n) having a larger consumption rate is used as a correction target according to the comparison result (S22-14). In addition, as another decision, in order to compare it with Fmax or Lmax, steps S22-16 are executed in the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 81A (S22), and if NO is indicated in steps S22-8, step S26 is executed. If the correction target decided in step S22-14 of fig. 82 is l (n), f (n) in steps S22-2 and S22-6 of fig. 81A is replaced with l (n), and Fmax is replaced with Lmax.

In the case 4 embodiment, it is assumed that the user's usage is fixed, because the estimated consumption rate f (n) in case 4 is always larger than the estimated consumption rate l (n), only the dot 1 is the correction target.

As an example of case 4, unit information as a correction target may be set in advance, assuming that the use of the user is fixed. This makes it possible to omit the determination operation of the correction determination unit 815. In case 4, the value of the drop amount correctness is dispersed as compared with case 3. However, since it is not necessary to store unit information other than the unit information as the correction target in the consumption conversion information storage section 808, the capacity of the memory can be made smaller. Since the time period for correction is shortened and the apparatus can be reduced to some extent while performing correction of the unit information accurately, the case 4 is practical.

Case 5 is a case where it is assumed that the purpose of the inkjet recording apparatus is exclusive to image recording. Therefore, in case 5, the estimated consumption rate L of the dot 2 having a relatively large drop amount is larger than the estimated consumption rate F of the dot 1. Case 5 is similar to case 2, and when the estimated consumption rate F (n), L (n), is greater than any of the estimated consumption rates F (1 to 1-n), L (1 to n-1), the correction determination section 815 determines to correct the estimated drop volume.

In case 5, the drop amount correctness L of the character dot 2 is closer to 1 than in case 2. This is because the correction of the specific unit information has been performed more accurately because the inkjet recording apparatus is dedicated to image recording.

Case 6 is a case assuming that the purpose of the inkjet recording apparatus is exclusive to image recording, similarly to case 5. In addition, in case 6, the estimated consumption rates between the unit information data are compared as in case 4. First, the estimated consumption rates f (n) and l (n) of each of the dots 1 and 2 are compared according to the subroutine of fig. 82 (S22-12). The estimated consumption rate F (n) or L (n) having a larger consumption rate is used as a correction target according to the comparison result (S22-14). In addition, as another decision, in order to compare it with Fmax or Lmax, steps S22-16 are executed in the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 81A (S22), and if NO is indicated in steps S22-8, step S26 is executed. If the correction target decided in step S22-14 of fig. 82 is l (n), f (n) in steps S22-2 and S22-6 of fig. 81A is replaced with l (n), and Fmax is replaced with Lmax.

In the case 4 and case 6 embodiments, it is assumed that the usage of the user is fixed. Therefore, only the character point 1 is a correction target in the case 4, whereas only the character point 2 is a correction target in the embodiment of the case 6.

In the embodiment of case 6, since it is assumed that the usage of the user is fixed, the unit information as the correction target can be set in advance similarly to case 4. The case 6 is also practical because the time period for correction is shortened and the apparatus can be reduced to some extent while performing correction of unit information accurately.

Fig. 80 is a table showing further correction performed for the correction of fig. 79 with the threshold value of the estimated consumption rate. When the ink level passes through the actuator, if the estimated consumption rate of the preferred unit information exceeds a predetermined threshold, the correction determination section 815 determines this unit information as the correction target. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 80, the threshold for the estimated consumption rate for word point 1 is limited to 0.5 and the threshold for the estimated consumption rate for word point 2 is limited to 0.6. If the estimated consumption rate of the dot 1 exceeds 0.5, the correction decision section 815 determines the estimated ink droplet amount of the dot 1 as the correction target. If the estimated consumption rate of the dot 2 exceeds 0.6, the correction decision section 815 determines the estimated ink droplet amount of the dot 2 as the correction target. With this, the estimated ink droplet amount can be prevented from deviating from the actually measured ink droplet amount.

Fig. 83 is a flowchart of a correction target determination subroutine executed with the threshold value of the estimated consumption information according to fig. 80.

First, the correction determination unit 815 determines unit information (S22-18). In this embodiment, the correction determination unit 815 specifies the dot 1 or the dot 2 as unit information. Subsequently, the next decision unit 815 determines whether the estimated consumption rate of the dot 1 or the dot 2 is greater than the threshold value (S22-20). For example, in the case where the estimated consumption rate f (n) of the dot 1 is greater than the threshold value 0.5, the dot 1 is set as the correction target. In the case where the estimated consumption rate l (n) of the dot 2 is greater than the threshold value 0.6, the dot 2 is set as the correction target. Other decisions are performed for other unit information than the word point 1 and the word point 2 (S22-22). The correction is performed if other unit information exists. In the embodiment of fig. 80, the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 83 is used in the following manner.

Case 1 of fig. 80 is a case where determination of the correction target is performed only by the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 83. Specifically, after the correction determining section 815 has executed the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 83, if there is another unit information to be determined, the correcting section 813 executes the correcting steps of fig. 74A, 74B, or 78 (S24 and S26).

The correction execution subroutine of fig. 81B may be executed in the correction step S26. According to the present embodiment, the unit information of which the estimated consumption rate does not exceed the threshold is not taken as the correction target. On the other hand, unit information of the type in which the estimated consumption rate exceeds the threshold value is set as the correction target.

The case 2, the case 3, and the case 5 in fig. 80 are cases where the determination of the correction target is performed by the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 83 and the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 81A. The correction determination unit 815 executes the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 83, and then executes the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 81A. The correction section 813 corrects the unit information determined as the correction target by the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 83 and the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 81A in the correction steps (S24 and S26) of fig. 74A, 74B, or 78. The correction execution subroutine of fig. 81B may be executed in accordance with the correction of step S26. According to the present embodiment, the unit information of which the estimated consumption rate does not exceed the threshold is not taken as the correction target. On the other hand, unit information that is further determined as a correction target by the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 81A, that is, unit information whose estimated consumption rate exceeds the threshold value is taken as the correction target. In addition, unit information that is not determined as a correction target by the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 81A is not taken as a correction target.

Cases 4 and 6 of fig. 80 are cases where determination of the correction target is performed by the determination subroutine of fig. 83, the correction target of fig. 81A, and the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 82. The correction determination unit 815 executes the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 83, executes the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 82, and then executes the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 81A. The correction portion 813 corrects the unit information determined as the correction target by the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 83, the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 81A, and the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 82 in the correction steps (S24 and S26) of fig. 74A, 74B, or 78. The correction execution subroutine of fig. 81B may be executed in accordance with the correction of step S26. According to the present embodiment, the unit information of which the estimated consumption rate does not exceed the threshold is not taken as the correction target. On the other hand, unit information that is further determined as a correction target by the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 82 and the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 81A, that is, unit information whose estimated consumption rate exceeds the threshold value is taken as the correction target. In addition, unit information that is not determined as a correction target by the correction target determination subroutine of fig. 81A is not taken as a correction target.

If the proportion of the ink droplet correctness in ACT2 in case 3 of fig. 79 and fig. 80 is compared, it is easy to find the effect obtained by providing the threshold value for the estimated consumption rate. In fig. 79 where no threshold is provided, the proportion of the droplet quantity correctness K is corrected from 0.769 of ACT1 to 0.728 of ACT2 in a direction in which the proportion of the droplet quantity correctness K is away from the 1 value. This is because the estimated consumption rate of ACT1 is low, 0.036, but the estimated drop amount H is corrected. On the other hand, in the map 80 in which the threshold value is provided, the proportion of the droplet amount correctness K is the same for ACT1 and ACT 2. Therefore, the proportion of the drop amount correctness does not deviate from the value of 1. This is because the estimated droplet volume H is not corrected with the threshold value because the estimated consumption rate of ACT1 is low, being 0.036.

The threshold value may be determined according to the use of the inkjet recording apparatus. For example, in the case where the usage of the inkjet recording apparatus is to manage character recording using information included in print data sent from the print operation control portion 818 of fig. 80, the threshold value of the estimated consumption rate of the dot 1 is set at a high value. On the other hand, in the case where the purpose is image recording, the threshold value of the estimated consumption rate of the word dot 2 is set at a higher value.

The present embodiment has been explained so far. The advantages of this embodiment will be described together below. Other advantages are as described above.

According to this embodiment, estimated consumption calculation and actual consumption detection are used in combination. The actual consumption amount can be detected more accurately by using the piezoelectric device, and leakage of ink or the like is effectively avoided due to the use of the piezoelectric device. On the other hand, according to the estimation procedure, a specific consumption can be established, although with some accompanying errors. This makes it possible to accurately and specifically establish the ink consumption amount with a combination of the two procedures.

In the present embodiment, an actual consumption detection program is employed to detect the ink level passing through the piezoelectric device. When the ink level passes through the piezoelectric device, the output of the piezoelectric device varies greatly. This ensures that the passage of the liquid level is detected. The ink consumption before and after the liquid surface passes is estimated. With these procedures, the ink consumption amount can be accurately and specifically established.

In the present embodiment, the reference consumption conversion information is taken as a correction target according to the detection result of the actual consumption amount. By this, the error of the consumption estimation program can be reduced, and the more accurate consumption can be estimated.

In addition, whether or not to correct the information data of the reference consumption conversion information as the target of the information correction per unit is determined in the correction of the reference consumption conversion information. With this, only the unit information that needs to be corrected is corrected, and it is not necessary to correct the unit information that does not need to be corrected among the reference consumption conversion information. This reduces the error of the consumption estimation routine and enables the estimated consumption to be compared to the actual consumption.

The decision methods that have been explained in the present embodiment are a method of comparing the estimated consumption rate with a threshold value as shown in fig. 83, a method of comparing the estimated consumption rate with a threshold value as shown in fig. 73A and 73B, a method of comparing the estimated consumption rate between unit information as shown in fig. 82, a method of comparing the estimated consumption rate with the maximum value among the estimated consumption rates measured before the estimated consumption rate concerned as shown in fig. 81A and 81B, and a method of comparing the expected records of errors as shown in fig. 73A and 73B. Although these comparisons may be performed separately, any two comparisons may be used in combination, two or more comparisons may be used in combination, or even all comparisons may be used in combination.

The corrected consumption conversion information may be adopted only by the ink cartridge as the correction target. Or not only to be adopted by an ink cartridge as a calibration target but also to be used for an ink cartridge to be mounted later. In the latter case, the corrected information can be continuously employed even after the ink cartridge is replaced.

In addition, in the present embodiment, as described with reference to fig. 71, the estimated consumption amount is corrected in accordance with the detection result of the actual consumption detection routine. The subsequent estimation is performed more accurately on the basis of the corrected consumption. As also described with reference to fig. 74B, if the reference consumption conversion information is not corrected, only the accumulated value of the estimated consumption calculation program is available for correction.

In the present embodiment, the information of the consumption amount is displayed on the display using the estimated consumption amount. For example, the printable print amount is displayed with the remaining ink amount according to the consumption amount that has been established. In addition, the remaining ink amount is displayed according to the consumption amount that has been established. A pattern of different colors and shapes corresponding to the amount of ink applied is used at this time. This facilitates reporting of the ink consumption amount to the user.

In the present embodiment, the consumption amount that has been established is stored in the consumption information storage. The consumption information memory is mounted on the ink cartridge. Thus, the consumption state is easily established when the ink cartridge is removed and then mounted.

In addition, the reference consumption conversion information is also stored in the consumption information memory. This information is also read from the memory and utilized when the ink cartridge is mounted.

On the other hand, the corrected reference consumption conversion information may be stored on the recording apparatus side. In this case, the reference consumption conversion information can be continuously used even after the ink cartridge is replaced. The reference consumption transformation information is approximated to an appropriate value when the correction is repeated, and the estimation process is performed more accurately.

In addition, in the present embodiment, when it is determined that there is no ink, the print data is stored in the storage section. By means of which no print data is lost.

In addition, in another embodiment, the remaining printable print amount is calculated upon detecting the actual consumption amount. When the remaining printable print amount is printed, the print data is stored in the print data storage portion immediately before printing. By means of which no print data is lost.

Various embodiments of aspects of the invention are possible. The present aspect may be a method of detecting ink consumption, a consumption detecting apparatus, an inkjet recording apparatus, an ink cartridge, and others. For the ink cartridge, such an ink cartridge should be provided with a consumption information memory and provide necessary information for the various programs described above.

The present embodiment can of course also be varied within the scope of the invention.

The actuator in this embodiment is composed of a piezoelectric device. As described above, a change in acoustic impedance can be detected using the piezoelectric device. The consumption state can be detected by reflected waves of the elastic waves. A time span is established from the generation of the elastic wave to the arrival of the reflected wave. The consumption amount can be detected according to any principle using a piezoelectric device.

In this embodiment, an oscillation is generated by the actuator, and a detection signal indicating the amount of ink consumed is also generated. Conversely, the exciter itself may not be used to generate the oscillation. Specifically, neither oscillation generation nor detection signal output may be performed. The oscillation is generated by another exciter. Alternatively, an oscillation may be generated in the ink cartridge as the carriage moves, and a detection signal indicative of the state of consumption of the ink may be generated by the liquid sensor. Instead of actively generating an oscillation, the oscillation naturally generated by the operation of the printer is used to detect ink consumption.

The function of the recording apparatus control unit is not necessarily realized by the computer of the recording apparatus. Some or all of the functions may be provided on an external computer. A display and speakers may be provided on the external computer.

The liquid container in this embodiment refers to an ink cartridge, and the apparatus using the liquid is an ink jet recording apparatus. However, the liquid container may be an ink container other than the ink cartridge, such as an ink tank. It may be, for example, a sub-tank attached to the side of the recording head. In addition, the ink cartridge may be a so-called carriage separation type ink cartridge. In addition, the present invention can also be applied to a container containing liquid other than ink.

The present invention has been explained so far with the present embodiment, however, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. Various modifications or improvements may also be added to the above-described embodiments. Such modifications and improvements are intended to be included within the scope of this invention and may be embodied within the scope of the following claims.

As described above, according to the present invention, the actual consumption state can be accurately detected using the piezoelectric device without using a complicated sealing structure. The ink consumption state can then be accurately and specifically established by a combination of estimated consumption calculation and actual consumption detection.

According to the present invention, the ink consumption state can be accurately and specifically established by correcting the conversion information used to establish the estimated consumption state. In addition, the consumption conversion information for correction and the identification information of one recording apparatus that is the target of correction can be recorded using the consumption conversion information as appropriate.

According to the present invention, an ink consumption amount can be accurately and specifically established by correcting the reference consumption conversion information used to establish the estimated consumption amount. In addition, it is also possible to further establish an accurate and specific ink consumption amount by correcting the information per unit information included in the reference consumption conversion information.

Industrial applicability

The present invention can be used to detect the ink consumption state inside an ink tank used for an ink jet recording apparatus.

Claims (61)

1. A method for detecting an ink consumption state of an ink tank of an inkjet recording apparatus, the method comprising combining:

estimated consumption calculation processing for calculating an estimated consumption state of the ink in the ink tank using consumption conversion information indicating a relationship between a workload and an ink consumption amount of the ink jet recording apparatus,

an actual consumption detection process of detecting an actual consumption state of the ink in the ink tank by detecting an oscillation state of the piezoelectric element corresponding to an actual ink consumption state of the ink in the ink tank using a piezoelectric device having a piezoelectric element;

the piezoelectric device includes an oscillating portion that contacts the ink in the ink tank through an opening that defines a region of the oscillating portion;

the piezoelectric device outputs a signal indicating a residual oscillation state of the oscillation section, and the actual consumption state is detected based on a phenomenon that the residual oscillation state changes in accordance with the ink consumption state.

2. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 1, wherein said actual consumption detecting program detects whether or not the ink level passes a position of said piezoelectric element of said piezoelectric device as said actual consumption state, and

The estimated consumption calculation program calculates the estimated consumption state at least before or after the actual consumption detection program detects that the ink level passes through the position of the piezoelectric element.

3. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 2, wherein detection of said actual consumption state is stopped when it is detected that said ink level passes through said position of said piezoelectric element of said piezoelectric device.

4. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 1, wherein said estimated consumption calculating program calculates said estimated consumption state by accumulating the number of ink droplets ejected from the recording head.

5. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 4, wherein said estimated consumption calculating program calculates said estimated consumption state based on the number of said ink droplets ejected from said recording head and the size of said ink droplets.

6. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 1, wherein said estimated consumption calculating program corrects said consumption conversion information based on a detection result of said actual consumption detecting program, and calculates said estimated consumption state based on the corrected consumption conversion information.

7. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 6, wherein said consumption conversion information is an ink amount corresponding to an ink droplet discharged from the recording head.

8. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 1, wherein said estimated consumption calculation program corrects said consumption conversion information based on a detection result of said actual consumption detection program.

9. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 8, wherein said estimated consumption calculating program is a program for calculating said estimated consumption state by multiplying the number of ink droplets discharged from the recording head, and

when the detection result of the actual consumption detecting program is obtained, the estimated consumption calculating program corrects the estimated consumption state obtained so far based on the detection result of the actual consumption detecting program.

10. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 1, wherein said ink consumption state obtained by said estimated consumption calculation program and said actual consumption detection program is stored in a storage device.

11. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 10, wherein said storage means is a memory device mounted on said ink tank.

12. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said piezoelectric devices mounted at different positions of said ink tank are used to detect a plurality of stages of said actual consumption state.

13. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 12, wherein said actual consumption detecting program detects whether or not the ink level passes through said position of each of said piezoelectric elements of said piezoelectric device as said actual consumption state.

14. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 13, wherein said estimated consumption calculation program calculates a consumption state from a point in time when a liquid level passage is detected by one of said piezoelectric devices to a point in time when a liquid level passage is detected by a next one of said piezoelectric devices as said estimated consumption state.

15. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 13, wherein said estimated consumption calculation program calculates a consumption state after a point of time at which said piezoelectric device disposed at the lowest position detects passage of the liquid surface as said estimated consumption state.

16. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 13, wherein said estimated consumption calculating program corrects said consumption conversion information when said ink level passes through the positions of said respective piezoelectric elements of said piezoelectric device, and calculates said estimated consumption state based on said corrected consumption conversion information.

17. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 16, wherein when said piezoelectric device disposed at the lowest position detects the liquid level passage, said estimated consumption calculating program calculates final consumption conversion information so far based on a plurality of correction results of said consumption conversion information with a plurality of detected liquid level passages, and

the estimated consumption calculation program calculates the estimated consumption state using the final consumption conversion information after the passage of the liquid level is detected by the piezoelectric device disposed at the lowest position.

18. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 13, wherein said estimated consumption calculating program is a program for calculating said estimated consumption state by multiplying the number of ink droplets discharged from the recording head, and said estimated consumption calculating program corrects said estimated consumption state accumulated so far when the passage of the liquid level is detected by each of a plurality of said piezoelectric devices.

19. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 1, wherein said ink tank as a detection object of said ink consumption state is an ink cartridge which is attachable to and detachable from said ink jet recording apparatus.

20. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 1, further comprising:

a correction and decision program for determining whether or not to take the consumption conversion information as a correction target; and

a correction program for correcting the consumption conversion information based on the result of the correction and the decision program deciding that the correction should be executed.

21. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 20, wherein said consumption conversion information is divided into at least two kinds of unit information which are related to the amount of ink consumed by the recording head and are different from each other, and

in the correction and determination process, whether to use the at least two types of unit information as a correction target is determined based on the estimated consumption state.

22. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 21, wherein in said correction and determination process concerning the amount of ink consumption or the consumption rate, when said estimated consumption state based on second unit information is larger than said estimated consumption state based on said first unit information, said second unit information is set as a correction target.

23. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 21, wherein in said correction and decision process regarding the amount of ink consumption or the consumption rate, if said estimated consumption state obtained is larger than any of said estimated consumption states previously calculated using the common unit information, said common unit information is taken as a correction target.

24. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 21, wherein in said correction and decision process, if said estimated consumption state obtained using said unit information is larger than a predetermined threshold value with respect to said ink consumption amount or consumption rate, said unit information is determined as a correction target.

25. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 20, wherein said consumption conversion information is divided into at least two kinds of unit information which are related to the amount of ink consumed by the recording head and are different from each other, and

in the correction and decision process, at least one of the unit information is determined as a correction target if an error between the estimated consumption state and the actual consumption state exceeds an expected value.

26. The method of detecting ink consumption according to claim 20, wherein said consumption conversion information is divided into at least two kinds of unit information which are related to the amount of ink discharged from said recording head and are different from each other, and

in the correction and determination program, at least one piece of the unit information selected in advance is determined as a correction target.

27. An apparatus for detecting an ink consumption state of an ink tank used for an ink jet recording apparatus, said apparatus for detecting ink consumption comprising:

An estimated consumption calculation processing section for calculating an estimated consumption state of the ink in the ink tank using consumption conversion information representing a relationship between a workload and an ink consumption amount of the ink jet recording apparatus;

a piezoelectric device having a piezoelectric element, said piezoelectric device being mounted on said ink tank;

an actual consumption detection processing section for detecting an actual consumption state of the ink in the ink tank by detecting an oscillation state of the piezoelectric element corresponding to the consumption state of the ink in the ink tank, using the piezoelectric device;

the piezoelectric device includes an oscillating portion that contacts the ink in the ink tank through an opening that defines a region of the oscillating portion;

the piezoelectric device outputs a signal indicating a residual oscillation state of the oscillation section, and the actual consumption state is detected based on a phenomenon that the residual oscillation state changes in accordance with the ink consumption state.

28. The apparatus for detecting ink consumption according to claim 27, wherein a plurality of said piezoelectric devices are provided at different positions of said ink tank, respectively, and

the actual consumption detection processing unit detects the multistage actual consumption state by using the plurality of piezoelectric devices.

29. An apparatus for detecting an ink consumption state of an ink tank used for an ink jet recording apparatus, said apparatus for detecting ink consumption comprising:

an estimated consumption calculation processing section for calculating an estimated consumption state of the ink in the ink tank using consumption conversion information representing a relationship between a workload and an ink consumption amount of the ink jet recording apparatus;

an actual consumption detection processing section for detecting an actual consumption state of the ink in the ink tank by detecting an oscillation state of the piezoelectric element corresponding to a consumption state of the ink in the ink tank, using a piezoelectric device having a piezoelectric element;

a conversion information correction processing unit that corrects the consumption conversion information based on the actual consumption state;

a consumption information storage unit for storing reference consumption conversion information as the consumption conversion information before being corrected and consumption conversion information as correction of the consumption conversion information after being corrected, and supplying the reference consumption conversion information and the corrected consumption conversion information to the estimated consumption calculation processing unit;

the piezoelectric device includes an oscillating portion that contacts the ink in the ink tank through an opening that defines a region of the oscillating portion;

The piezoelectric device outputs a signal indicating a residual oscillation state of the oscillation section, and the actual consumption state is detected based on a phenomenon that the residual oscillation state changes in accordance with the ink consumption state.

30. The apparatus for detecting ink consumption according to claim 29, wherein said consumption information storing portion is provided in said ink tank, and

the corrected consumption conversion information is stored in the consumption information storage portion together with correction target identification information for identifying the inkjet recording apparatus in which the ink tank is installed when the consumption conversion information is corrected.

31. The apparatus for detecting ink consumption according to claim 30, wherein said estimated consumption calculation processing section determines whether or not said corrected consumption conversion information on the ink jet recording apparatus in which said ink tank is installed is stored in said consumption information storage section based on said correction target identification information, and if this information is stored, uses said corrected consumption conversion information.

32. The apparatus for detecting ink consumption according to claim 30, wherein said estimated consumption calculation processing section determines whether or not said corrected consumption conversion information on the ink jet recording apparatus in which said ink tank is installed is stored in said consumption information storage section based on said correction target identification information, and uses said reference consumption conversion information if this information is not stored.

33. The apparatus for detecting ink consumption according to claim 30, wherein said estimated consumption calculation processing section selects said reference consumption conversion information or said corrected consumption conversion information based on said correction target identification information when said ink tank is mounted on said ink jet recording apparatus.

34. The apparatus for detecting ink consumption according to claim 30, wherein said calibration target identification information is information for identifying a type of said ink jet recording apparatus.

35. The apparatus for detecting ink consumption according to claim 30, wherein said calibration target identification information is information for individually identifying said ink jet recording apparatus.

36. The apparatus for detecting ink consumption according to claim 34, wherein said calibration target identification information is information for identifying a component relating to ink consumption of said ink jet recording apparatus.

37. The apparatus for detecting ink consumption according to claim 36, wherein said calibration target identification information is information for identifying a recording head of said ink jet recording apparatus.

38. The apparatus for detecting ink consumption according to claim 29, wherein a plurality of said piezoelectric devices are provided at different positions of said ink tank,

The actual consumption detection processing unit detects whether or not the ink level passes through the position of the piezoelectric element of each piezoelectric device,

the conversion information correction section calculates the corrected consumption conversion information based on an estimated consumption amount from a time point when one of the piezoelectric devices detects the passage of the ink liquid level to a time point when the next of the piezoelectric devices detects the passage of the ink liquid level, and

the estimated consumption calculation processing unit calculates the estimated consumption state by switching the consumption conversion information from the reference consumption conversion information to the corrected consumption conversion information when the corrected consumption conversion information is obtained.

39. The apparatus for detecting ink consumption according to claim 38, wherein said corrected consumption conversion information is obtained when a plurality of said piezoelectric devices detect passage of said ink liquid level after said ink tank is mounted to said ink jet recording apparatus, and said consumption conversion information is switched from said reference consumption conversion information to said corrected consumption conversion information.

40. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:

a consumption information memory for storing information on an ink consumption state of an ink tank,

Wherein the consumption information memory stores:

an estimated consumption state of the ink in the ink tank, which is calculated using a consumption conversion information representing a relationship between a workload and an amount of ink consumption of the ink jet recording apparatus;

the actual consumption state of the ink in the ink tank is detected by a piezoelectric device having a piezoelectric element mounted on the ink tank;

ink end event information obtained from the actual consumption state, the ink end event information indicating an ink end event occurring by the piezoelectric element of the piezoelectric device in correspondence with an ink liquid level;

the piezoelectric device includes an oscillating portion that contacts the ink in the ink tank through an opening that defines a region of the oscillating portion;

the piezoelectric device outputs a signal indicating a residual oscillation state of the oscillation section, and the actual consumption state is detected based on a phenomenon that the residual oscillation state changes in accordance with the ink consumption state.

41. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 40, wherein when said ink tank is mounted to said ink jet recording apparatus, said ink end event information stored in said consumption information memory as to whether or not said ink level has passed through the position of said piezoelectric element is read out, and if so, a predetermined operation is performed.

42. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 40, further comprising an estimated consumption calculation processing section for calculating said estimated consumption state,

the estimated consumption calculation processing unit corrects the consumption conversion information based on the detection result of the actual consumption state, and calculates the estimated consumption state based on the corrected consumption conversion information.

43. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 42, wherein said consumption conversion information is an ink amount corresponding to an ink droplet discharged from said recording head.

44. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 40, further comprising an estimated consumption calculation processing section for calculating said estimated consumption state,

the estimated consumption calculation processing unit corrects the estimated consumption state based on a detection result of the actual consumption state.

45. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said estimated consumption calculation processing section calculates said estimated consumption state by adding up the number of ink droplets ejected from the recording head, and when a detection result of said actual consumption state is obtained, said estimated consumption calculation processing section corrects said estimated consumption state obtained so far based on the detection result of said actual consumption state.

46. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 40, wherein said detection of said actual consumption state is stopped when said ink-end event occurs.

47. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 40, wherein said actual consumption state is detected by said piezoelectric device based on a change in acoustic impedance accompanying ink consumption.

48. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 47, wherein said piezoelectric device outputs a signal representing a residual oscillation state of said piezoelectric element, and said actual consumption state is detected based on a change in said residual oscillation state with a consumption state of said ink.

49. An ink jet recording apparatus to which and from which an ink tank containing ink supplied to a recording head for ejecting ink droplets and for recording is attachable and detachable, said ink tank having a piezoelectric device for detecting said ink, said ink jet recording apparatus comprising:

an estimated consumption calculation processing section for calculating an estimated consumption state of the ink in the ink tank based on reference consumption conversion information representing a relationship between a workload and an ink consumption amount of the ink jet recording apparatus;

an actual consumption detection processing section that detects an actual consumption state of the ink in the ink tank by detecting an oscillation state of one of the piezoelectric elements corresponding to a consumption state of the ink in the ink tank; and

A correcting section for determining whether or not the reference consumption conversion information is a correction target, and correcting the reference consumption conversion information based on the determination that the reference consumption conversion information is the correction target.

50. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 49, wherein said reference consumption conversion information is divided into at least two kinds of unit information different from each other, and

the correction unit determines one of the at least two types of unit information as a correction target at least based on the estimated consumption state.

51. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 49, wherein said reference consumption conversion information is divided into at least two kinds of unit information different from each other, and

the correction unit is provided in advance, and at least one type of predetermined unit information is determined as a correction target.

52. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 51, wherein said at least two types of unit information are classified according to the amount of ink droplets discharged from the recording head.

53. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 51, wherein said at least two types of unit information are classified according to a printing state and a non-printing state.

54. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 51, wherein said at least two types of unit information are classified according to a peripheral temperature of the recording head at the time of performing recording.

55. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 51, wherein said at least two types of unit information are classified according to a peripheral humidity of the recording head at the time of performing recording.

56. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 49, wherein said correcting section corrects said reference consumption conversion information using a ratio of said estimated consumption state to said actual consumption state.

57. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 49, further comprising a storage section for storing said reference consumption conversion information.

58. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 49, further comprising a storage section for storing said reference consumption conversion information corrected by said correcting section.

59. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 49, wherein an element constituting said reference consumption conversion information is represented by an amount of ink droplets discharged from the recording head.

60. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 49, wherein an element constituting said reference consumption conversion information is represented by the mass of an ink droplet discharged from the recording head.

61. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 49, wherein an element constituting said reference consumption conversion information is represented by a scale based on an element constituting optimum reference consumption conversion information.