Inkjet printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10434806-B2
Application number	US-201815933476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2018
Priority date	Jul 28, 2017
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

An inkjet printer includes an inkjet head having a first nozzle for ejecting first ink supplied from a first tank and a second nozzle for ejecting second ink supplied from a second tank, and a controller. The controller determine whether a replenishment condition is satisfied. When print data instructing to print with the first ink is received, in a case of determining that the replenishment condition is not satisfied, the controller causes the inkjet head to perform a first ejecting operation of ejecting ink from the first nozzle toward a medium and prohibiting ejection of ink from the second nozzle. When print data instructing to print with the first ink is received, in a case of determining that the replenishment condition is satisfied, the controller causes the inkjet head to perform a second ejecting operation of ejecting ink from at least the second nozzle toward a medium.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inkjet printer comprising:
an inkjet head having a first nozzle for ejecting first ink supplied from a first tank and a second nozzle for ejecting second ink different from the first ink, the second ink supplied from a second tank;
a first passage that fluidly connects the first nozzle and the first tank;
a second passage that fluidly connects the second nozzle and the second tank; and
a controller,
wherein the controller is configured to:
determine whether a replenishment condition related to replenishment of at least one of the first tank and the first passage with ink having physical properties different from those of the first ink is satisfied;
when print data instructing to print with the first ink is received, in a case of determining that the replenishment condition is not satisfied, cause the inkjet head to perform a first ejecting operation of ejecting ink from the first nozzle toward a medium and prohibiting ejection of ink from the second nozzle toward the medium; and
when print data instructing to print with the first ink is received, in a case of determining that the replenishment condition is satisfied, cause the inkjet head to perform a second ejecting operation of ejecting ink from at least the second nozzle toward a medium.

2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller determines whether there is a possibility that the first ink contained in the inkjet head is in a flocculated state, by determining whether the replenishment condition is satisfied.

3. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the print data instructing to print with the first ink is print data of a facsimile or a report related to facsimiles.

4. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to:
when print data instructing to print with the first ink is received, in a case where determining that the replenishment condition is satisfied and a data format of the print data is a predetermined data format, cause the inkjet head to perform the second ejecting operation; and
when print data instructing to print with the first ink is received, in a case where determining that the replenishment condition is satisfied and the data format of the print data is different from the predetermined data format, cause the inkjet head to perform the first ejecting operation.

5. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first input unit to which print data instructing to print with the first ink is input with a first communication system; and
a second input unit to which print data instructing to print with the first ink is input with a second communication system different from the first communication system,
wherein the controller is configured to:
when print data instructing to print with the first ink is received, in a case where determining that the replenishment condition is satisfied and the received print data is data input through the first input unit, cause the inkjet head to perform the second ejecting operation; and
when print data instructing to print with the first ink is received, in a case where determining that the replenishment condition is satisfied and the received print data is data input through the second input unit, cause the inkjet head to perform the first ejecting operation.

6. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to:
when print data instructing to print with the first ink is received, in a case where determining that the replenishment condition is satisfied and a printing is not performed according to an instruction by a user of the inkjet printer, cause the inkjet head to perform the second ejecting operation, and
when print data instructing to print with the first ink is received, in a case where determining that the replenishment condition is satisfied and the printing is performed according to an instruction by the use of the inkjet printer, cause the inkjet head to perform the first ejecting operation.

7. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a memory configured to store information relating to a maximum storage amount that is a maximum ink storage amount of the first tank,
wherein the first tank has an ink replenishment inlet, and
the controller is configured to:
calculate a total consumption of ink consumed from the first nozzle of the inkjet head;
in a case where the total consumption is smaller than the maximum storage amount, determine that the replenishment condition is not satisfied; and
in a case where the total consumption is equal to or larger than the maximum storage amount, determine that the replenishment condition is satisfied.

8. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a discharging unit configured to discharge ink contained in the inkjet head,
wherein when the controller causes the inkjet head to perform the first ejecting operation in a state that the controller determines that the replenishment condition is satisfied, and the controller subsequently causes the inkjet head to perform a next first ejecting operation without discharging ink from the first nozzle by the discharging unit, the controller is configured to determine that the replenishment condition is not satisfied afterward.

9. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a light emitter configured to radiate light toward a medium; and
a photo-receiver configured to receive light radiated from the light emitter,
wherein the controller is configured to:
when causing the inkjet head to perform the first ejecting operation in a state that the controller determines that the replenishment condition is satisfied, cause the light emitter to irradiate light on a printed medium, and detect whether there is the first ink on the medium based on a receiving amount of the photo-receiver; and
determine that the replenishment condition is not satisfied afterward in a case where detecting that there is the first ink on the medium.

10. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a discharging unit configured to discharge ink contained in the inkjet head,
wherein when controller causes the discharging unit to discharge ink from the first nozzle in a state that the controller determines that the replenishment condition is satisfied, the controller is configured to determine that the replenishment condition is not satisfied afterward.

11. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a memory configured to store information relating to a maximum storage amount that is a maximum ink storage amount of the first tank,
wherein the first tank has an ink replenishment inlet, and
the controller is configured to:
calculate a total consumption of ink consumed from the first nozzle of the inkjet head; and
when determining that the replenishment condition is not satisfied in a state that the total consumption is equal to or larger than ([N−1]×R1) and is smaller than (N× R1), in a case where the total consumption thereafter becomes equal to or larger than (N× R1), determine that the replenishment condition is satisfied afterward, wherein the parameter “R1” is the maximum storage amount and the parameter “N” is an integer of 2 or greater.

12. The inkjet printer according to claim 8 , further comprising a memory configured to store information relating to a maximum storage amount that is a maximum ink storage amount of the first tank, and information relating to an ink filling amount of a unused ink bottle filled with ink supplied in the first tank,
wherein the first tank has an ink replenishment inlet,
the ink filling amount is equal

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd
• Brother Kogyo Kabusiki Kaisha

Inventors

• Arakane Satoru

Classifications

• B41J2/17553

  Outer structure · CPC title

• B41J2/17546

  electronically · CPC title

• B41J2/17533

  Storage or packaging of ink cartridges · CPC title

• B41J29/13

  Cases or covers · CPC title

• H04N2201/0093

  Facsimile machine (H04N2201/0094 takes precedence) · CPC title