LIQUID DISCHARGE APPARATUS AND CARTRIDGE
First Claim
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 being configured to communicate 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 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 communicated 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 the liquid stored in the second liquid chamber; and
a controller configured to;
receive a discharge instruction to discharge a liquid;
based on the received discharge instruction, discharge the liquid through the head;
determine a discharge amount Dh of the liquid indicated in the discharge instruction;
based on the determined discharge amount Dh, calculate an outflow amount Qa indicating amount of the liquid flowed out from the fourth flow path toward the head for a time period Δ
t during which the liquid is discharged through the head;
based on the calculated outflow amount Qa calculate an outflow amount Qc indicating amount of the liquid flowed out from the first liquid chamber toward the second liquid chamber for the time period Δ
t;
based on the calculated outflow amount Qc and the liquid amount Vc read out from the apparatus memorycalculate a new liquid amount Vc;
based on the calculated outflow amount Qa, the liquid amount Vs read out from the apparatus memory and the calculated outflow amount Qc, calculate a new liquid amount Vs; and
update the liquid amount Vc and the liquid amount Vs stored in the apparatus memory with the calculated new liquid amount Vc and the calculated new liquid amount Vs.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A liquid discharge apparatus includes a case receiving a cartridge having a first chamber, a tank having a second chamber, a head, and a controller to: calculate outflow amount Qa flowed from the second chamber for a time period Δt based on discharge amount Dh; calculate outflow amount Qc flowed from the first chamber toward the second chamber for the time period Δt based on the outflow amount Qa and flow path resistances; read liquid amounts Vc and Vs of the first and second chambers from a memory; subtract the outflow amount Qc from the read liquid amount Vc to calculate new liquid amount Vc; subtract the outflow amount Qa from the read liquid amount Vs and add the outflow amount Qc to calculate new liquid amount Vs; and store the calculated liquid amounts Vc and Vs in the memory.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
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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 being configured to communicate 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 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 communicated 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 the liquid stored in the second liquid chamber; and a controller configured to; receive a discharge instruction to discharge a liquid; based on the received discharge instruction, discharge the liquid through the head; determine a discharge amount Dh of the liquid indicated in the discharge instruction; based on the determined discharge amount Dh, calculate an outflow amount Qa indicating amount of the liquid flowed out from the fourth flow path toward the head for a time period Δ
t during which the liquid is discharged through the head;based on the calculated outflow amount Qa calculate an outflow amount Qc indicating amount of the liquid flowed out from the first liquid chamber toward the second liquid chamber for the time period Δ
t;based on the calculated outflow amount Qc and the liquid amount Vc read out from the apparatus memory calculate a new liquid amount Vc; based on the calculated outflow amount Qa, the liquid amount Vs read out from the apparatus memory and the calculated outflow amount Qc, calculate a new liquid amount Vs; and update the liquid amount Vc and the liquid amount Vs stored in the apparatus memory with the calculated new liquid amount Vc and the calculated new liquid amount Vs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18)
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15. A cartridge comprising:
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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, wherein the cartridge is to be installed in an installation case of a liquid discharge apparatus, the liquid discharge apparatus including; 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 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 communicated 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; and a controller configured to; receive a discharge instruction to discharge a 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 discharge instruction; based on the determined discharged amount Dh, calculate an outflow amount Qa indicating amount of the liquid flowed out from the fourth flow path toward the head for a time period Δ
t during which the liquid is discharged through the head;based on the calculated outflow amount Qa, calculate an outflow amount Qc indicating an amount of the liquid flowed out from the first liquid chamber toward the second liquid chamber for the time period Δ
t;based on the calculated outflow amount Qc and a liquid amount Vc stored in the first liquid chamber, calculate the liquid amount Vc after the time period Δ
t elapses; andbased on the calculated outflow amount Qa and a liquid amount Vs stored in the second liquid chamber and the calculated outflow amount Qc, calculate the liquid amount Vs after the time period Δ
t elapses,wherein the cartridge further comprises a memory communicatable with an interface of the liquid discharge apparatus, the interface being coupled to the controller, and wherein the memory includes a first region for storing the calculated liquid amount Vc. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification