Printing apparatus, method of controlling printing apparatus, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11833827-B2
Application number	US-202217585267-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2022
Priority date	Feb 12, 2021
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a printing apparatus that is capable of obtaining accurately the amount of a waste liquid discharged from a printing unit. The printing apparatus includes a discharge unit that executes a discharge operation to discharge the liquid from the ejection port of the printing unit. The printing apparatus also includes a determination unit that determines filling states of the liquid in a printing apparatus main body and the printing unit and an obtaining unit that obtains, based on the filling states, a waste liquid amount discharged from the ejection port by the discharge operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus, comprising:
a printing head coupled to a tank which accumulates liquid via a tube and which is configured to eject the liquid supplied through the tube from an ejection port to perform a printing operation;
a discharge unit that executes a discharge operation to discharge the liquid from the ejection port;
a determination unit that determines a filling state of the liquid in the tube and a filling state of the liquid in the printing head; and
an obtaining unit that obtains, based on the filling states of the liquid in the tube and the liquid in the printing head, a waste liquid amount discharged from the ejection port by the discharge operation.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the determination unit determines a capacity of an unfilled region with liquid in the tube and the printing head, and
the obtaining unit obtains the waste liquid amount based on the capacity of the unfilled region.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the determination unit determines the filling states based on whether a main body of the printing apparatus is in a state of arrival, and
the obtaining unit obtains the waste liquid amount based on a result determined by the determination unit.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the determination unit determines the filling states based on whether a main body of the printing apparatus is in a state of arrival, and
the obtaining unit obtains the waste liquid amount based on a result determined by the determination unit.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
in a case where the main body and is in the state of arrival, the determination unit determines whether the printing head has a usage history, and in a case where the printing head has a usage history, the determination unit further determines whether the printing head has a liquid draining history, and
in a case where the printing head has no usage history but has a liquid draining history, the obtaining unit obtains a first waste liquid amount, and in a case where the printing head has no liquid draining history, the obtaining unit obtains a second waste liquid amount greater than the first waste liquid amount.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the obtaining unit obtains the first waste liquid amount by subtracting a capacity inside the printing head and a capacity inside the tube from the maximum waste liquid amount that the discharge unit is able to discharge from the ejection port by the discharge operation, and the obtaining unit obtains the second waste liquid amount by subtracting the capacity inside the tube from the maximum waste liquid amount.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the determination unit determines whether the printing head is in a state of replacement, and
the obtaining unit obtains the waste liquid amount based on a result determined by the determination unit.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
in a case where the printing head is in the state of replacement, the determination unit determines whether the printing head has a usage history, and in a case where the printing head has a usage history, the determination unit further determines whether the printing head has a liquid draining history, and
in a case where the printing head has no usage history but has a liquid draining history, the obtaining unit obtains a third waste liquid amount, and in a case where the printing head has no liquid draining history, the obtaining unit obtains a fourth waste liquid amount greater than the third waste liquid amount.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the obtaining unit obtains the third waste liquid amount by subtracting a capacity inside the printing head from the maximum waste liquid amount that the discharge unit is able to discharge from the ejection port by the discharge operation, and the obtaining unit obtains the maximum waste liquid amount as the fourth waste liquid amount.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the obtaining unit obtains the waste liquid amount only in a case where the discharge operation by the discharge unit ends normally.

11. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the discharge unit discharges the liquid by sucking the liquid forcibly from the ejection port of the printing head.

12. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a waste liquid storage unit, which stores a waste liquid discharged from the ejection port by the discharge unit, is mounted in a main body of the printing apparatus.

13. The printing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein
the waste liquid storage unit is provided to be attachable to and detachable from the main body.

14. A method of controlling a printing apparatus, comprising the steps of:
performing printing by ejecting a liquid from an ejection port of a printing head;
executing a discharge operation to discharge the liquid from the ejection port;
determining a filling state of the liquid in a tube which connects a tank accumulating the liquid and the printing head, and determining a filling state of the liquid in the printing head; and
obtaining, based on the filling states of the liquid in the tube and the liquid in the printing head, a waste liquid amount discharged from the ejection port by the discharge operation.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform a method of controlling a printing apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
performing processing to perform printing by ejecting a liquid from an ejection port of a printing head;
executing processing to execute a discharge operation to discharge the liquid from the ejection port;
determining a filling state of the liquid in a tube which connects a tank accumulating the liquid and the printing head, and determining a filling state of the liquid in the printing head; and
obtaining, based on the filling states of the liquid in the tube and the liquid in the printing head, a waste liquid amount discharged from the ejection port by the discharge operation.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Komamiya Eiji

Classifications

• B41J2/16508

  connected with the printer frame · CPC title

• B41J2/16523

  Waste ink transport from caps or spittoons, e.g. by suction (Collecting or collectors of waste ink B41J2/1721) · CPC title

• B41J2/1721 Primary

  Collecting waste ink; Collectors therefor · CPC title

• B41J2/17566

  Ink level or ink residue control · CPC title

• B41J2002/1728

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic