LIQUID DISCHARGE DEVICE

• US 20200130360A1
• Filed: 12/27/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: HORADE, Kenta
• Granted Patent: US 11,059,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 2002/17573 using optical means for ink level indication
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/17576 using a floater for ink level indication
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/13 Cases or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism

Abstract

A liquid discharge device includes a case receiving a cartridge having a first liquid chamber, a tank having a second liquid chamber, a head, a liquid level sensor, an alarm and a controller configured to: receive a first signal or a second signal when a position of a liquid level in the second liquid chamber is equal to or higher than or lower than a predetermined position; operate the alarm when receiving the second signal after the first signal; cancel the operation of the alarm based on determining of installation of the cartridge; and operate the alarm based on determining that a first elapsed time from a time when determining the installation of the cartridge reaches a predetermined time and the second signal is received from the liquid level sensor without receiving the first signal.

Claims

1. A liquid discharge device comprising:

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

a tank comprising;

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 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;

a liquid level sensor;

an interface; and

a controller configured to;

receive, from the liquid level sensor, a first signal in a case a position of a liquid level in the second liquid chamber is equal to or higher than a predetermined position;

receive, from the liquid level sensor, a second signal in a case the position is lower than the predetermined position;

based on receiving the second signal after receiving the first signal, operate the alarm;

determine that the cartridge is installed in the installation case;

based on determining that the cartridge is installed in the installation case, read first information from a cartridge memory through the interface, the first information indicating an amount of liquid in the first liquid chamber; and

based on the first information, determine whether the operation of the alarm is cancelled.

2. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to, based on read first information, calculate a total amount of the liquid in the first liquid chamber and the second liquid chamber.

3. The liquid discharge device according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to, in a case the calculated total amount is equal to or larger than a liquid amount at which the position of the liquid level in the second liquid chamber is equal to or higher than the predetermined position, determine that the operation of the alarm is cancelled.

4. The liquid discharge device according to claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to, in a case it is determined that the operation of the alarm is cancelled, cancel the operation of the alarm.

5. The liquid discharge device according to claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to, based on determining that a first elapsed time from a time when it is determined that the cartridge is installed in the installation case reaches a predetermined time and the second signal is received from the liquid level sensor, operate the alarm.

6. The liquid discharge device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a memory,

wherein the controller is configured to;

measure a second elapsed time until a time when receiving the first signal from the liquid level sensor from a time when it is determining that the cartridge is initially installed in the installation case, and

store the second elapsed time as the predetermined time in the memory.

7. The liquid discharge device according to claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive a discharge instruction to discharge a liquid through the head;

based on receiving the second signal after receiving the first signal, update a first count value with a value equivalent to an amount of the liquid instructed to be discharged by the discharge instruction;

in a case the total amount of the liquid stored in the first liquid chamber and the second liquid chamber is equal to or larger than the liquid amount at which the position of the liquid level in the second liquid chamber is equal to or higher than the predetermined position, store the first count value in the memory, the total amount being calculated based on the first information read from the cartridge memory and the amount of liquid stored in the second liquid chamber; and

based on determining that a first elapsed time from a time when it is determined that the cartridge is installed in the installation case reaches a predetermined time and the second signal is received from the liquid level sensor without receiving the first signal, read the first count value stored in the memory and update the read firsts count value with a value equivalent to the amount of the liquid instructed to be discharged by the discharge instruction.

8. The liquid discharge device according to claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to:

in a case the total amount of the liquid stored in the first liquid chamber and the second liquid chamber is equal to or larger the liquid amount at which the position of the liquid level in the second liquid chamber is equal to or higher than the predetermined position, update a second count value with a value equivalent to the amount of the liquid instructed to be discharged by the discharge instruction;

based on determining that the first elapsed time reaches the predetermined time and the second signal is received without receiving the first signal, read the first count value stored in the memory and calculate a third count value obtained by adding the second count value to the first count value; and

update the third count value with the value equivalent to the amount of the liquid instructed to be discharged by the discharge instruction.

9. The liquid discharge device according to claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to:

based on receiving the second signal from the liquid level sensor without receiving the first signal and the third count value reaching a first threshold, wait for a discharge of the liquid through the head based on the discharge instruction; and

based on receiving the first signal from the liquid level sensor after receiving the second signal, resume the discharging of the liquid through the head.

10. The liquid discharge device according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to:

based on determining that the cartridge is installed in the installation case, cancel the operation of the alarm, the operation of the alarm comprising performing a first notification;

in a case waiting for the liquid to be discharged through the head based on the discharge instruction, operate the alarm to perform a second notification, the second notification being different from the first notification canceled; and

based on receiving the first signal from the liquid level sensor after receiving the second signal, cancel the second notification of the alarm.

11. The liquid discharge device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a memory,

wherein the controller is configured to;

based on determining that the cartridge is installed in the installation case, read identification information of the cartridge from the cartridge memory of the cartridge through the interface;

in a case the identification information of the cartridge after exchanged read from the cartridge memory is different from identification information stored in the memory, cancel the operation of the alarm; and

store the identification information read from the cartridge memory in the memory.

12. The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to, update the first information to a second information, the second information indicating that a liquid less than the initial filling amount is stored in the first liquid chamber.

13. The liquid discharge device according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to, in a case it is determined the operation of the alarm is cancelled, cancel the operation of the alarm.

14. The liquid discharge device according to claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive a discharge instruction to discharge a liquid through the head;

update a first count value with a value equivalent to an amount of the liquid instructed to be discharged by the discharge instruction;

based on determining, on a condition that the first information is not read, that the cartridge is installed in the installation case, read the first information from a cartridge memory of the cartridge through the interface, the first information being amount of liquid stored in the first liquid chamber; and

in a case a total amount of liquid stored in the first liquid chamber and the second liquid chamber is equal to or larger a liquid amount at which a position of the liquid level in the second liquid chamber is equal to or higher than a predetermined position, cancel the operation of the alarm, the total amount of liquid being calculated based on the first information read from the cartridge memory and a second liquid amount, the second liquid amount being amount of liquid stored in the second liquid chamber obtained based on the first count value.

15. The liquid discharge device according to claim 13, further comprising:

a memory,

wherein the controller is configured to;

measure a second elapsed time until a time when receiving the first signal from the liquid level sensor from a time when it is determining that the cartridge is initially installed in the installation case, and

store the second elapsed time as the predetermined time in the memory.

16. The liquid discharge device according to claim 13, further comprising:

a memory,

wherein the controller is configured to;

based on determining that the cartridge is installed in the installation case, read identification information of the cartridge from the cartridge memory of the cartridge through the interface;

in a case the identification information of the cartridge after exchanged read from the cartridge memory is different from identification information stored in the memory, cancel the operation of the alarm; and

store the identification information read from the cartridge memory in the memory.

17. The liquid discharge device according to claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive a discharge instruction to discharge a liquid through the head;

based on receiving the second signal after receiving the first signal, update a first count value with a value equivalent to an amount of the liquid instructed to be discharged by the discharge instruction;

based on reading the first information from the cartridge memory, store the first count value in the memory; and

based on a first elapsed time from a time when it is determined that the cartridge is installed in the installation case reaches a predetermined time and the second signal is received from the liquid level sensor without receiving the first signal, read the first count value stored in the memory and update the read first count value with a value equivalent to the amount of the liquid instructed to be discharged by the discharge instruction.

18. The liquid discharge device according to claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to:

based on reading the first information from the cartridge memory, update a second count value with the value equivalent to the amount of the liquid instructed to be discharged by the discharge instruction;

based on determining that the first elapsed time reaches the predetermined time and the second signal is received without receiving the first signal, read the first count value stored in the memory and calculate a third count value obtained by adding the second count value to the first count value; and

update the third count value with the value equivalent to the amount of the liquid instructed to be discharged by the discharge instruction.

19. The liquid discharge device according to claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to:

based on receiving the second signal from the liquid level sensor without receiving the first signal and the third count value reaching a first threshold, wait for a discharge of the liquid through the head based on the discharge instruction; and

based on receiving the first signal from the liquid level sensor after receiving the second signal, resume the discharging of the liquid through the head.

20. The liquid discharge device according to claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to:

based on determining that the cartridge is installed in the installation case, cancel the operation of the alarm, the operation of the alarm comprising performing a first notification;

in a case waiting for the liquid to be discharged through the head based on the discharge instruction, operate the alarm to perform a second notification, the second notification being different from the first notification canceled; and

based on receiving the first signal from the liquid level sensor after receiving the second signal, cancel the second notification of the alarm.

21. A method executed by a controller of a liquid discharge device including a tank to be communicated with a cartridge, comprising:

receiving, from a liquid level sensor of the liquid discharged device, a first signal in a case a position of a liquid level in the tank is equal to or higher than a predetermined position;

receiving, from the liquid level sensor, a second signal in a case the position is lower than the predetermined position;

based on receiving the second signal after receiving the first signal, operating an alarm;

determining that the cartridge is installed in an installation case of the liquid discharge device;

based on determining that the cartridge is installed in the installation case, read a first information from a cartridge memory through the interface the first information indicating an amount of liquid in the installed cartridge; and

based on read first information, determine whether that the operation of the alarm is cancelled.