Inkjet recording apparatus with cover and method therefor including decision and inquiry features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9579913-B2
Application number	US-201615001612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2016
Priority date	Jan 21, 2015
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

An inkjet recording apparatus includes an ink tank forming an ink chamber and including an injection inlet, a cover, a cover sensor, a recording head, a monitor, and a controller. The cover is movable between a covering position and an exposing position. The cover sensor is positioned to output a signal depending on the position of the cover. The controller controls operation of the recording head, the monitor. The controller receives either a first positional signal or a second positional signal of the cover sensor, and based on receipt of the first positional signal after receipt of the second positional signal from the cover sensor, performs a decision process deciding whether an operation regarding ink injection into the ink chamber is completed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:
an ink tank forming an ink chamber and including an injection inlet;
a recording head configured to eject ink in the ink chamber to record an image on a sheet;
a cover movable between a covered position and an exposed position;
a cover sensor positioned to output a signal depending on the position of the cover; and
a monitor;
an operation panel configured to receive user input; and
a controller configured to control operation of the recording head, the monitor, and the operation panel, the controller configured to:
receive either a first positional signal or a second positional signal from the cover sensor;
based on receipt of the first positional signal after receipt of the second positional signal from the cover sensor, perform a decision process deciding whether an operation regarding ink injection into the ink chamber is completed, the first positional signal from the cover sensor being positioned in the covered position in which the cover covers the injection inlet and the second positional signal from the cover sensor corresponding to the cover being positioned in the exposed position in which the injection inlet is exposed; and,
based on decision that the operation regarding the ink injection into the ink chamber is completed, control the monitor to perform an inquiry processing to display inquiry information on the monitor regarding whether the ink injection into the ink chamber is completed and control the operation panel to allow receipt at the operation panel of a response to the inquiry information.

2. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to further perform, based on receipt of the second positional signal from the cover sensor, restricting discharging ink from the recording head.

3. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to further perform, based on either complement of the inquiry processing or the decision that the operation regarding of the ink injection into the ink chamber is completed, cancelling the restriction of ink discharging.

4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to further perform counting an amount of ink discharged from the recording head, the counted amount of ink corresponding to an amount of ink corresponding to an amount of ink discharged during a period from the receipt of the first positional signal until the receipt of the second positional signal.

5. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to perform in the decision process based on counted amount of ink is greater than the prescribed value, deciding that the operation regarding the ink injection into the ink chamber is completed.

6. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to perform in the decision process based on the counted amount of ink is less than or equal to a prescribed value, deciding that the operation regarding ink injection into the ink chamber is not completed.

7. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to further perform initializing the counted amount of ink to an initial value based on receipt of a first response to the inquiry information in the inquiry processing, the first response corresponding to completion of the ink injection.

8. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to perform, in the decision process, based on the counted amount of ink at a time when the receipt of the first positional signal different form the initial value, deciding that the operation regarding ink injection into the ink chamber is completed.

9. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to perform, in the decision process, based on the counted amount of ink at the time when the receipt of the first positional signal equal to the initial value, deciding that the operation regarding ink injection into the ink chamber is not completed.

10. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to further perform, based on the counted amount discharged ink having reached a threshold value, controlling the monitor to perform notification process to display a notification on the monitor.

11. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the notification includes a prompt to inject ink into the ink chamber.

12. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to perform, based on the receipt of the first positional signal, controlling the monitor to perform the notification process.

13. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to further perform counting an elapsed time, the elapsed time corresponding to a period from the receipt of the second positional signal until the receipt of the first positional signal.

14. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to perform, in the decision process, based on the elapsed time being greater than a threshold time, deciding that the operation regarding ink injection into the ink chamber is completed.

15. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to perform, in the decision process, based on the elapsed time being less than or equal to the threshold time, deciding that the operation regarding ink injection into the ink chamber is not completed.

16. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of ink chambers and a plurality of injection inlets, each of the plurality of ink chambers associated with a different one of the plurality of injection inlets.

17. A method for controlling operation of an inkjet recording apparatus, the method comprising:
receiving either a first positional signal or a second positional signal of a cover sensor positioned to output a signal depending on the position of a cover, the first positional signal from the cover sensor corresponding to the cover being positioned in which the cover covers an injection inlet associated with an ink chamber of an inkjet recording apparatus and the second positional signal from the cover sensor corresponding to the cover being positioned in which injection inlets are exposed;
based on receipt of a first positional signal after receipt of a second positional signal, performing a decision process deciding whether an operation regarding ink injection into the ink chamber is completed; and,
based on decision that the operation regarding the ink injection into the ink chamber is completed, controlling the monitor to perform an inquiry process to display inquiry information on the monitor regarding whether the ink injection into the ink chamber is completed and controlling the operation panel to allow receipt at the operation panel of a response to the inquiry information.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Honoki Mana

Classifications

• B41J29/02

  Framework · CPC title

• B41J29/13

  Cases or covers · CPC title

• B41J2/1754

  with means attached to the cartridge, e.g. protective cap · CPC title

• B41J2/17513

  Inner structure · CPC title

• B41J2/17509

  Whilst mounted in the printer · CPC title