CN-115366542-B - Liquid supply device, liquid discharge device, and control method therefor

Abstract

Provided are a liquid supply device, a liquid discharge device, and a control method therefor, which can prevent a liquid container from being detached by mistake during use. The liquid supply device is provided with a supply flow path which communicates with a liquid ejecting head capable of ejecting liquid, a1 st supply flow path which communicates a1 st liquid container which contains liquid with the supply flow path, and a2 nd supply flow path which communicates a2 nd liquid container with the supply flow path, wherein the 2 nd liquid container contains liquid of the same kind as the liquid contained in the 1 st liquid container. The liquid ejecting apparatus includes a switching unit capable of switching between a1 st supply channel and a2 nd supply channel and a channel communicating with the supply channel, and a movement restricting unit capable of selectively restricting movement of the 1 st liquid container and the 2 nd liquid container in conjunction with switching by the switching unit.

Inventors

• TANAKA ERI
• FUJIOKA KAZUYUKI
• UCHIYAMA MASAHIRO

Assignees

• 精工爱普生株式会社
• 精工爱普生株式会社

Dates

Publication Date

20260421

Application Date

20220517

Priority Date

20210519

Claims (11)

1. 1. A liquid supply device is characterized by comprising: A supply flow path which communicates with a liquid ejecting head capable of ejecting liquid; A1 st supply channel for communicating the 1 st liquid container containing the liquid with the supply channel; a 2 nd supply channel that communicates the 2 nd liquid container with the supply channel, the 2 nd liquid container containing the same type of liquid as the liquid contained in the 1 st liquid container; a switching unit capable of switching between a1 st supply channel and a2 nd supply channel, the 1 st supply channel and the 2 nd supply channel being in communication with the supply channel, and A movement restricting unit configured to selectively restrict movement of the 1 st liquid container and the 2 nd liquid container in conjunction with switching of the switching unit, The switching unit and the movement restricting unit are driven by a common drive source.
2. 2. The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The movement restricting portion restricts movement of the 1 st liquid container when the switching portion communicates the 1 st supply passage with the supply passage, and restricts movement of the 2 nd liquid container when the switching portion communicates the 2 nd supply passage with the supply passage.
3. 3. The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The switching unit includes: a1 st opening/closing valve for opening/closing the 1 st supply channel; A 2 nd opening/closing valve for opening/closing the 2 nd supply channel, and A1 st driving mechanism for switching the opening and closing of the 1 st opening and closing valve and the 2 nd opening and closing valve, The movement restricting section has: A1 st engagement portion engageable with the 1 st liquid container; A 2 nd engaging portion engageable with the 2 nd liquid container, and A 2 nd driving mechanism capable of selectively switching between a restricted state in which movement is restricted and an unrestricted state in which movement is not restricted with respect to the 1 st engagement portion and the 2 nd engagement portion, respectively, The drive source drives the 1 st drive mechanism and the 2 nd drive mechanism.
4. 4. A liquid supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, The 1 st engagement portion includes a1 st operation portion for releasing the engagement with the 1 st liquid container by a user, The 2 nd engaging portion has a2 nd operating portion for releasing the engagement with the 2 nd liquid container by a user, The 2 nd driving mechanism is selectively switchable between a restricted state in which the release of the engaged state is restricted and an unrestricted state in which the release is not restricted, with respect to the 1 st operation unit and the 2 nd operation unit, respectively.
5. 5. The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The switching unit includes: a1 st opening/closing valve for opening/closing the 1 st supply channel; A 2 nd opening/closing valve for opening/closing the 2 nd supply channel, and A1 st driving mechanism for switching the opening and closing of the 1 st opening and closing valve and the 2 nd opening and closing valve, The movement restricting section has: A1 st engagement portion engageable with the 1 st liquid container; A 2 nd engaging portion engageable with the 2 nd liquid container, and A2 nd driving mechanism capable of selectively switching between an engaged state and a non-engaged state with respect to the 1 st engaging portion and the 2 nd engaging portion, respectively, The drive source drives the 1 st drive mechanism and the 2 nd drive mechanism.
6. 6. A liquid supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, The 1 st drive mechanism includes: A 1 st cam mounted on a shaft portion rotatable in conjunction with driving of the driving source and capable of switching opening and closing of the 1 st opening/closing valve, and A2 nd cam attached to the shaft portion and capable of switching the opening/closing of the 2 nd opening/closing valve, The 2 nd drive mechanism has: A 3 rd cam attached to the shaft portion and capable of switching the state of the 1 st engaging portion, and And a 4 th cam attached to the shaft portion and capable of switching the state of the 2 nd engaging portion.
7. 7. A liquid ejecting apparatus is characterized by comprising: A liquid ejection head capable of ejecting a liquid; the liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1, and And a control unit that controls the switching unit and the movement restricting unit.
8. 8. The liquid ejection device of claim 7, wherein, When the amount of liquid in one of the liquid containers restricted from moving by the movement restricting unit is lower than a predetermined threshold value, the control unit switches the flow path communicating with the supply flow path, and releases the restriction of the movement of the one of the liquid containers to restrict the movement of the other liquid container.
9. 9. The liquid ejection device of claim 8, wherein, When one of the liquid containers, which is not restricted from moving by the movement restricting unit, is replaced with a new liquid container, the control unit switches the flow path communicating with the supply flow path, and releases the restriction of the movement of the other liquid container to restrict the movement of the new liquid container.
10. 10. A method for controlling a liquid discharge device is characterized by comprising: a liquid ejection head that performs recording by ejecting liquid to a medium; a supply flow path communicating with the liquid ejecting head; A1 st supply channel for communicating the 1 st liquid container containing the liquid with the supply channel; A2 nd supply channel for communicating a2 nd liquid container containing the same type of liquid as the liquid contained in the 1 st liquid container with the supply channel; a switching unit capable of switching between a1 st supply channel and a2 nd supply channel, the 1 st supply channel and the 2 nd supply channel being in communication with the supply channel, and A movement restricting unit configured to selectively restrict movement of the 1 st liquid container and the 2 nd liquid container in conjunction with switching of the switching unit, The switching section and the movement restricting section are driven by a common driving source, The control method of the liquid ejection device includes: When there is a command to consume liquid, the switching unit communicates one of the 1 st supply channel and the 2 nd supply channel with the supply channel, and the movement restricting unit restricts movement of the liquid container on the side communicating with the supply channel; Performing an action of consuming the liquid, and After the operation is performed, the 1 st supply channel and the 2 nd supply channel are not communicated with the supply channel together by the switching unit, and the restriction of the movement of the 1 st liquid container and the 2 nd liquid container is released together by the movement restricting unit.
11. 11. A method for controlling a liquid discharge device is characterized by comprising: a liquid ejection head that performs recording by ejecting liquid to a medium; a supply flow path communicating with the liquid ejecting head; A1 st supply channel for communicating the 1 st liquid container containing the liquid with the supply channel; A2 nd supply channel for communicating a2 nd liquid container containing the same type of liquid as the liquid contained in the 1 st liquid container with the supply channel; a switching unit capable of switching between a1 st supply channel and a2 nd supply channel, the 1 st supply channel and the 2 nd supply channel being in communication with the supply channel, and A movement restricting unit configured to selectively restrict movement of the 1 st liquid container and the 2 nd liquid container in conjunction with switching of the switching unit, The switching section and the movement restricting section are driven by a common driving source, The control method of the liquid ejection device includes: When the power supply is connected, either one of the 1 st supply channel and the 2 nd supply channel is communicated with the supply channel by the switching part, and the movement of the liquid container communicated with the supply channel is limited by the movement limiting part, and When there is a command to shut off the power supply, the 1 st supply channel and the 2 nd supply channel are not communicated with the supply channel together by the switching unit, and the movement restriction of the 1 st liquid container and the 2 nd liquid container is released by the movement restriction unit.

Description

Liquid supply device, liquid discharge device, and control method therefor Technical Field The invention relates to a liquid supply device, a liquid ejection device and a control method thereof. Background Patent document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus of an inkjet recording system as an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus that switches between a plurality of liquid containers (for example, ink tanks) that can supply liquid to a liquid ejecting head 20 that can eject liquid. The image forming apparatus includes two liquid containers for each color, a common pipe through which ink flowing out of the liquid containers and introduced into the recording head flows in common, and a switching valve for selectively switching one of the two liquid containers to supply ink to the recording head. When the sensor detects that one of the two liquid containers is used up, the switching valve is controlled based on the detection result to switch the liquid container for supplying ink to the recording head from one to the other. This enables continuous image formation without interrupting image formation. In this image forming apparatus, when switching from one liquid container to the other liquid container, the liquid container currently in use is displayed on the operation panel. Thus, the user using the image forming apparatus can know the liquid container currently in use and replace the liquid container that is depleted of ink with a new liquid container as needed. The image forming apparatus described in patent document 1 has a so-called hot-plug function in which a liquid container that is used up in ink can be removed during printing and replaced with a new liquid container. Patent document 1 Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2010-194915 However, in the liquid ejecting apparatus capable of hot-spot printing, there is a possibility that the liquid container to be replaced is misplaced with the liquid container to be replaced and the liquid container to be used is detached. In this case, there is a problem that the liquid ejecting apparatus may be in a defective state due to the removal of the liquid container in use. In addition to printing, there is a possibility that a problem may occur in the same manner when the liquid container in use is removed during execution of the liquid consuming operation in which the liquid ejecting head consumes liquid. As a liquid consuming operation other than printing, there is a maintenance operation for discharging liquid from nozzles of a liquid ejection head for maintenance purposes, or the like. Disclosure of Invention The liquid supply device for solving the above problems comprises a supply channel which communicates with a liquid ejecting head capable of ejecting liquid, a1 st supply channel which communicates a1 st liquid container which contains liquid with the supply channel, a2 nd supply channel which communicates a2 nd liquid container with the supply channel, the 2 nd liquid container containing the same kind of liquid as the liquid contained in the 1 st liquid container, a switching unit which can switch the channel which communicates with the supply channel in the 1 st supply channel and the 2 nd supply channel, and a movement restriction unit which can selectively restrict the movement of the 1 st liquid container and the 2 nd liquid container in conjunction with the switching of the switching unit. The liquid ejecting apparatus for solving the above-described problems includes a liquid ejecting head capable of ejecting a liquid, the liquid supplying apparatus, and a control unit for controlling the switching unit and the movement restricting unit. The control method of the liquid ejecting apparatus for solving the above-described problems includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid to a medium to perform recording, a supply channel that communicates with the liquid ejecting head, a 1 st supply channel that communicates a 1 st liquid container that contains the liquid with the supply channel, a 2 nd supply channel that communicates a 2 nd liquid container that contains a liquid of the same kind as the liquid contained in the 1 st liquid container with the supply channel, a switching unit that can switch a channel that communicates with the supply channel from among the 1 st supply channel and the 2 nd supply channel, and a movement restriction unit that can selectively restrict movement of the 1 st liquid container and the 2 nd liquid container in conjunction with switching of the switching unit, wherein in the case where a command to consume a liquid operation is present, the control method of the liquid ejecting apparatus includes restricting movement of the 1 st supply channel and the 2 nd supply channel by the switching unit, and restricting movement of the 1 st liquid container by the switching unit, and restricting movement of the liquid container by the first supply channel and the first liquid container from the first supply chan