Liquid discharge apparatus

• US 10,300,696 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2018
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Takagi, Yuki, Ogawa, Mikio, Ueda, Toshiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Huffman, Julian D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Konczal, Michael T
• Application Number:
  US15/938,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20180281397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04586 controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17523 Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17566 Ink level or ink residue control
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/17569 based on the amount printed or to be printed
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/17573 using optical means for ink level indication
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/17589 using ink level as input for printer mode selection or for prediction of remaining printing capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/13 Cases or covers

Abstract

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a case receiving a cartridge, a tank, a head, and a controller to: when the cartridge is installed in the case, calculate an outflow amount Qc based on heights Hc, Hs and flow path resistances; read the amounts Vc, Vs from a memory; subtract the outflow amount Qc from the read liquid amount Vc to calculate new liquid amount Vc; add the outflow amount Qc to the read liquid amount Vs to calculate new liquid amount Vs; store the calculated liquid amounts Vc, Vs in the memory; after a time period from at the time the calculated liquid amounts Vc, Vs stored elapses, again calculate the outflow amount Qc and the liquid amounts Vc, Vs and store the calculated liquid amounts Vc, Vs in the memory.

Claims

1. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:

an installation case configured to receive a cartridge, the cartridge including;

a first liquid chamber storing a liquid;

a first flow path, one end of the first flow path communicated with the first liquid chamber, the other end of the first flow path communicated with the outside; and

a second flow path, one end of the second flow path communicated with the first liquid chamber;

the other end of the second flow path communicated with the outside;

a tank including;

a second liquid chamber;

a third flow path, one end of the third flow path communicated with the outside, the other end of the third flow path communicated with the second liquid chamber, at least one of the first flow path and the third flow path configured to communicate with the first liquid chamber of the cartridge installed in the installation case and the second liquid chamber;

a fourth flow path, one end of the fourth flow path being below the other end of the third flow path and communicate with the second liquid chamber; and

a fifth flow path, one end of the fifth flow path communicated with the second liquid chamber, the other end of the fifth flow path communicated with the outside;

a head communicated with the other end of the fourth flow path;

an apparatus memory storing a liquid amount Vc and a liquid amount Vs, the liquid amount Vc indicating amount of liquid stored in the first liquid chamber, the liquid amount Vs indicating amount of liquid stored in the second liquid chamber; and

a controller configured to;

determine whether the cartridge is installed in the installation case;

in response to determining that the cartridge is installed in the installation case,

based on a height Hc, a height Hs, a flow path resistance Rc of the second flow path, a flow path resistance Rs of the fifth flow path, and a flow path resistance Rn, calculate an outflow amount Qc, the outflow amount Qc indicating amount of the liquid flowed out from the first liquid chamber toward the second liquid chamber for a time period Δ

t, the height Hc being a height from a reference position to a liquid level of the first liquid chamber, the height Hs being a height from the reference position to a liquid level of the second liquid chamber, the third flow path resistance Rn being a resistance of one or both of the first flow path and the third flow path;

read out the liquid amount Vc and the liquid amount Vs from the apparatus memory;

subtract the outflow amount Qc from the read liquid amount Vc, so as to calculate the liquid amount Vc after the time period Δ

t elapses;

add the outflow amount Qc to the read liquid amount Vs, so as to calculate the liquid amount Vs after the time period Δ

t elapses;

store the calculated liquid amount Vc and the calculated liquid amount Vs in the apparatus memory;

stand by from at the time storing the calculated liquid amount Vc and the calculated liquid amount Vs in the apparatus memory until the time period Δ

t elapses; and

in response to the elapse of the time period Δ

t, again calculate the outflow amount Qc, the liquid amount Vc and the liquid amount Vs and store the calculated liquid amount Vc and the calculated liquid amount Vs in the apparatus memory.

2. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

based on the calculated liquid amount Vc, determine the height Hc; and

based on the calculated liquid amount Vs, determine the height Hs.

3. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to:

based on first correspondence information, determine the height Hc, the first correspondence information indicating a correspondence between the calculated liquid amount Vc and the height Hc; and

based on second correspondence information, determine the height Hs, the second correspondence information indicating a correspondence between the calculated liquid amount Vs and the height Hs.

4. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine whether the calculated liquid amount Vs is equal to or less than a threshold amount;

in a case where the calculated second liquid amount Vs is equal to or less than the threshold amount, determine the height Hs corresponding to the calculated liquid amount Vs as zero; and

in a case where the calculated second liquid amount Vs is greater than the threshold amount, determine the height Hs based on the second correspondence information, and

wherein the threshold amount corresponds to a volume of a part of the second liquid chamber equal to or lower than a communication position with the third flow path.

5. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine whether a difference between the determined height Hc and the determined Hs is less than a threshold height,

in response to determining that the difference between the determined height Hc and the determined Hs is not less than the threshold height, stand by from at the time storing calculated liquid amount Vc and the calculated liquid amount Vs in the apparatus memory until the time period Δ

t elapses.

6. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to, lengthen the time period Δ

t until the outflow amount Qc, the liquid amount Vc and the liquid amount Vs are calculated next time, as the difference between the calculated height Hc and the calculated height Hs comes close to the threshold height.

7. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to, in response to determining that the cartridge is not installed in the installation case, stop the calculating of the outflow amount Qc, the amount Vc and the liquid amount Vs and storing the calculated liquid amount Vc and the calculated liquid amount Vs in the apparatus memory.

8. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to, in response to determining that the difference between the height Hc and the height Hs is less than the threshold height, stop the calculating of the outflow amount Qc, the liquid amount Vc and the liquid amount Vs and the storing of the calculated liquid amount Vc and the calculated liquid amount Vs in the apparatus memory.

9. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an interface,

wherein the cartridge includes a cartridge memory, and

wherein the controller is configured to store the calculated liquid amount Vc in the cartridge memory via the interface.

10. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a cover moveable between a first position and a second position, the cover at the first position covering an opening, the cover at the second position exposing the opening; and

a cover sensor,

wherein the installation case defines the opening through which the cartridge being installed in the installation case is to be passed,

wherein the controller is configured to, in response to receiving one signal from the cover sensor, store the calculated liquid amount Vc in the cartridge memory, the one signal being output from the cover sensor when the cover is located at the exposed position, and

wherein the controller is configured not to, in response to receiving the other signal from the cover sensor, store the calculated liquid amount Vc in the cartridge memory, the other signal being output from the cover sensor when the cover is located at the covering position.

11. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a cover moveable between a first position and a second position, the cover at the first position covering an opening, the cover at the second position exposing the opening, wherein the installation case defines the opening through which the cartridge being installed in the installation case is to be passed,

wherein the controller is configured to detect a position of the cover,

wherein the controller is configured to, in response to detecting that the cover is located at the second position, store the calculated liquid amount Vc in the cartridge memory, and

wherein the controller is configured not to, in response to detecting that the cover is located at the first position, store the calculated liquid amount Vc in the cartridge memory.

12. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an interface,

wherein the cartridge comprises a cartridge memory, and

wherein in response to determining that the cartridge is installed in the installation case, the controller is configured to;

read out the liquid amount Vc from the cartridge memory; and

store the read liquid amount Vc in the apparatus memory via the interface.

13. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive a discharge instruction to discharge liquid;

based on the received discharge instruction, control the head to discharge the liquid;

determine a discharge amount Dh of the liquid indicated in the received discharge instruction;

based on the determined discharge amount Dh, calculate an outflow amount Qa, the outflow amount Qa indicating amount of the liquid flowed out from the fourth flow path toward the head for a discharging time period Δ

t during which the liquid is discharged through the head;

based on the determined height Hc and the determined height Hs, the calculated outflow amount Qa, the flow path resistance Rc, the flow path resistance Rs, and the flow path resistance Rn, calculate the outflow amount Qc of the liquid flowed out from the first liquid chamber toward the second liquid chamber for the discharging time period Δ

t;

read out the liquid amounts Vc and the liquid amount Vs from the apparatus memory;

subtract the outflow amount Qc from the read liquid amount Vc, so as to calculate the liquid amount Vc after the discharging time period Δ

t elapses;

subtract the outflow amount Qa from the read liquid amount Vs and to add the outflow amount Qc to the read liquid amount Vs, so as to calculate the liquid amount Vs after the discharging time period Δ

t elapses; and

store the calculated liquid amount Vc and the calculated liquid amount Vs in the apparatus memory.

14. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to, in response to the discharge of the liquid through the head being terminated,

calculate the discharge amount Dh by dividing a total discharge amount of the liquid indicated in the discharge instruction by a discharge time period;

and

based on the calculated discharge amount Dh, calculate the outflow amount Qa, the outflow amount Qc, the liquid amount Vc, and the liquid amount Vs and store the calculated liquid amount Vc and the calculated liquid amount Vs in the apparatus memory.

15. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display,

wherein the controller is configured to display, on the display, information indicative of each of the calculated liquid amount Vc and the calculated liquid amount Vs.

16. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to, in response to the calculated liquid amount Vs being below a threshold amount, prohibit the liquid from being discharged through the head.

17. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:

a cartridge comprising;

a first liquid chamber storing a liquid;

a first flow path, one end of the first flow path communicated with the first liquid chamber, the other end of the first flow path communicated with the outside; and

a second flow path, one end of the second flow path communicated with the first liquid chamber, the other end of the second flow path communicated with the outside;

an installation case configured to receive the cartridge;

a tank including;

a second liquid chamber;

a third flow path, one end of the third flow path communicated with the outside, the other end of the third flow path communicated with the second liquid chamber, at least one of the first flow path and the third flow path configured to communicate with the first liquid chamber of the cartridge installed in the installation case and the second liquid chamber;

a fourth flow path, one end of the fourth flow path being below the other end of the third flow path and communicate with the second liquid chamber; and

a fifth flow path, one end of the fifth flow path communicated with the second liquid chamber, the other end of the fifth flow path communicated with the outside;

a head communicated with the other end of the fourth flow path;

an apparatus memory storing a liquid amount Vc and a liquid amount Vs, the liquid amount Vc indicating amount of liquid stored in the first liquid chamber, the liquid amount Vs indicating amount of liquid being stored in the second liquid chamber; and

a controller is configured to;

determine whether the cartridge is installed in the installation case;

in response to determining that the cartridge is installed in the installation case,

based on a height Hc, a height Hs, a flow path resistance Rc of the second flow path, a flow path resistance Rs of the fifth flow path, and a flow path resistance Rn, calculate an outflow amount Qc, the outflow amount Qc indicating amount of the liquid flowed out from the first liquid chamber toward the second liquid chamber for a time period Δ

t, the height Hc being a height from a reference position to a liquid level of the first liquid chamber, the height Hs being a height from the reference position to a liquid level of the second liquid chamber, the third flow path resistance Rn being a resistance of one or both of the first flow path and the third flow path;

read out the liquid amount Vc and the liquid amount Vs from the apparatus memory;

subtract the outflow amount Qc from the read liquid amount Vc, so as to calculate the liquid amount Vc after the time period Δ

t elapses;

add the outflow amount Qc to the read liquid amount Vs, so as to calculate the liquid amount Vs after the time period Δ

t elapses;

store the calculated liquid amount Vc and the liquid amount Vs in the apparatus memory;

stand by from at the time storing the calculated liquid amount Vc and the calculated liquid amount Vs in the apparatus memory until the time period Δ

t elapses; and

in response to the elapse of the time period Δ

t, again calculate the outflow amount Qc, the liquid amount Vc, and the liquid amount Vs and store the calculated liquid amount Vc and the calculated liquid amount Vs in the apparatus memory.