Ink jet printer having an ink cleaning mechanism

• US 6,341,843 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2000
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takemura, Makoto, Kawanabe, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGHIEM, MICHAEL P
• Application Number:
  US09/699,388
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 347/49, 347/50, 347/86, 347/22, 347/23
• US Class Current: 347/49
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16517 Cleaning of print head nozzles B41J2/16505, B41J2/1707 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1753 Details of contacts on the cartridge, e.g. protection of contacts

Abstract

A cartridge receptacle is mounted on a carriage for releasably receiving a cartridge having a print head and at least one removable ink reservoir. The receptacle includes a pivoting lever which permits removal of the at least one ink reservoir. The lever extends over at least a portion of the at least one ink reservoir so as to prevent access to the at least one ink reservoir until such time as the lever is pivoted away from the at least one ink reservoir. When the lever is pivoted away from the at least one ink reservoir, and then the lever is pivoted over the at least a portion of the at least one ink reservoir, a signal is output which prompts cleaning of the print head.

Claims

1. An ink jet printer for performing a recording operation by using ink in a removal ink reservoir mounted on a carriage and using a print head, said ink jet printer comprising:

an operational member releasably mounted in an operational position on the carriage so as to prevent removal of said ink reservoir from the carriage, and said operational member permitting removal of said ink reservoir from said carriage when said operational member is moved to a non-operational position away from said ink reservoir when said ink reservoir is removed from the carriage; and

a detector for detecting the movement of said operational member;

wherein the movement of said operational member triggers cleaning of the print head.

2. An ink jet printer according to claim 1, further comprising a print head release mechanism actuated by said operational member;

wherein the print head includes a circuit contact and the detector includes a circuit contact which is contactable with the circuit contact mounted on the print head; and

wherein said operational member is moved so as to permit removal of said ink reservoir, the circuit contact on the print head breaks contact with the circuit contact on the detector.

3. An ink jet printer according to claim 2, wherein a break in contact between the circuit contact on the detector and the circuit contact on the print head breaks an electrical circuit which triggers cleaning of the print head.

4. An ink jet printer according to claim 1, further comprising:

a housing which encloses the carriage and which has an access door which operates in open and closed positions; and

a sensor which senses when the access door is in the open position and when the access door is in the closed position;

wherein, in response to the sensor sensing that the access door is in the open position, the ink reservoir moves to a position corresponding to the access door.

5. An ink jet printer according to claim 4, further comprising an ink cleaning mechanism, wherein in response to the sensor sensing that the access door is in the closed position, the print head is moved to a position which corresponds to the ink cleaning mechanism.

6. An ink jet printer according to claim 5, wherein the ink cleaning mechanism comprises a mechanism for suctioning excess ink from nozzles on the print head;

and

wherein the ink cleaning mechanism suctions ink from nozzles on the print head.

7. An ink jet printer for performing a recording operation by using ink in a removal ink reservoir mounted on a carriage and using a print head, said ink jet printer comprising:

an operational member which allows said ink reservoir to be removed from said carriage; and

a detector which detects operation of said operational member,

wherein detection by said detector of operation of said operational member triggers cleaning of said print head.

8. An ink jet printer according to claim 7, further comprising a print head release mechanism actuated by said operational member, wherein the print head includes a circuit contact and the detector includes a circuit contact which is contactable with the circuit contact mounted on the print head, and

wherein the operation of said operational member allows removal of said ink reservoir of said carriage, the circuit contact on the print head breaking contact with the circuit contact on the detector upon removal of said ink reservoir.

9. An ink jet printer according to claim 8, wherein a break in contact between the circuit contact on the detector and the circuit contact on the print head breaks an electrical circuit which triggers cleaning of the print head.

10. An ink jet printer according to claim 7, further comprising:

a housing which encloses the carriage and which has an access door which operates in open and closed positions; and

a sensor which senses when the access door is in the open position and when the access door is in the closed position,

wherein, in response to the sensor sensing that the access door is in the open position, the ink reservoir moves to a position corresponding to the access door.

11. An ink jet printer according to claim 10, further comprising an ink cleaning mechanism, wherein in response to the sensor sensing that the access door is in the closed position, the print head is moved to a position which corresponds to the ink cleaning mechanism.

12. An ink jet printer according to claim 11, wherein the ink cleaning mechanism comprises a mechanism for suctioning excess ink from nozzles on the print head, and

wherein the ink cleaning mechanism suctions ink from nozzles on the print head.

13. An ink jet printer for performing a recording operation by using ink in a removal ink reservoir mounted on a carriage and using a print head, said ink jet printer comprising:

an operational member releasably mounted in an operational position on the carriage so as to prevent removal of said ink reservoir from the carriage, and said operational member permitting removal of said ink reservoir from said carriage when said operational member is moved to a non-operational position away from said ink reservoir when said ink reservoir is removed from the carriage;

a detector for detecting the movement of said operational member;

a carriage moving mechanism for moving the carriage to a recording area for recording and to a recovery area for conducting a recovery process of said print head respectively; and

a control means which controls said carriage moving mechanism for moving said print head to said recovery area for said recovery process when said operational member moves from an operational position to a non-operational position and when said operational member moves from the non-operational position to the operational position, in response to a detected signal from said detector.

14. An ink jet printer according to claim 13, further comprising:

a housing which encloses the carriage and which has an access door which operates in an open position and a closed position; and

a sensor which senses when the access door is in the open position and when the access door is in the closed position,

wherein, in response to the sensor sensing that the access door is in the open position, the ink reservoir moves to a position corresponding to the access door.

15. An ink jet printer according to claim 14, wherein in response to the sensor sensing that the access door is in the closed position, the print head is moved to a position which corresponds to an ink cleaning mechanism.

16. An ink jet printer according to claim 15, wherein the ink cleaning mechanism comprises a mechanism for suctioning excess ink from nozzles on the print head, and

wherein the ink cleaning mechanism suctions ink from nozzles on the print head.