Ink-jet recording apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9604465-B2
Application number	US-201615158463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2016
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A recording apparatus includes a recording head, a sub tank, an ink tank containing ink supplied to the sub tank, a detector that detects an amount of ink contained in the sub tank, a variable volume member provided between the recording head and the sub tank and having variable inner volume, and a controller that repeatedly performs first and second operations, thereby supplying ink from the ink tank to the sub tank. In the first operation, the member is caused to switch from a first state to a second state, while in the second operation, the member is caused to switch from the second state to the first state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ink-jet recording apparatus, comprising:
a recording head configured to eject ink;
a sub tank containing ink to be supplied to the recording head;
an ink tank containing ink to be supplied to the sub tank;
a detector configured to detect an amount of ink contained in the sub tank;
a variable volume member provided between the recording head and the sub tank and configured to change inner volume; and
a controller configured to repeatedly perform first operation and second operation, thereby supplying the ink from the ink tank to the sub tank, the first operation causing the variable volume member to switch from a first state to a second state, the second operation causing the variable volume member to switch from the second state to the first state, wherein volume of the variable volume member in the second state is larger than the volume in the first state,
wherein the controller prohibits the detector from detecting the amount of the ink during a period of time in which the first operation is performed.

2. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in the second state, the controller prohibits the detector from detecting the amount of the ink before lapse of a predetermined period of time after completion of the first operation.

3. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller prohibits the detector from detecting the amount of the ink in the second state.

4. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller permits the detector to detect the amount of the ink during a period of time in which the second operation is performed.

5. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the variable volume member causes the ink to be supplied from the ink tank to the sub tank when the first operation is performed and causes air to be sent from the sub tank to the ink tank when the second operation is performed.

6. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the variable volume member closes an ink flow passage between the recording head and the sub tank in the first state and opens the ink flow passage in the second state.

7. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pair of electrodes provided at least partially inside the sub tank, wherein the detector detects the amount of the ink contained in the sub tank by measuring a voltage value or a current value between the pair of electrodes.

8. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein either one of the pair of electrodes serves as an ink flow passage between the sub tank and the ink tank.

9. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein time taken for the first operation is shorter than that for the second operation.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Suzuki Kazuo
• Uetsuki Masaya
• Danzuka Toshimitsu
• Kato Masataka
• Ibe Tsuyoshi
• Tomida Asako
• Genta Shin

Classifications

• B41J2/17566 Primary

  Ink level or ink residue control · CPC title

• B41J2002/17579

  Measuring electrical impedance for ink level indication · CPC title

• B41J2/17509

  Whilst mounted in the printer · CPC title

• B41J2/175

  Ink supply systems {; Circuit parts therefor} · CPC title