US 8,939,560 B2 · Liquid supplying apparatus and its control method

Abstract

A liquid passage communicates a first reservoir of a main tank with a second reservoir storing a liquid supplied from the first reservoir, and has one end portion on the side communicating with the first reservoir, which joins with or detach from the main tank. To increase the liquid volume in the second reservoir up to a first predetermined volume, a controller feeds the liquid in the first reservoir to the second reservoir when the liquid volume in the second reservoir is less than a second predetermined volume. When the liquid volume in the second reservoir falls short of the first predetermined volume, the end portion of the liquid passage is detached from the main tank. Then, the controller determined whether the liquid volume in the second reservoir is equal to or more than the first predetermined volume.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims10

Dependent claims

A liquid supplying apparatus, comprising:

a tank receiving portion configured to receive a main tank, the main tank comprising a first reservoir configured to store a liquid in such a manner as to seal off the surrounding space and configured to shrink as the liquid is fed to the outside of the first reservoir;
a sub tank disposed in a position lower than a position of the tank receiving portion, which comprises a second reservoir configured to store the liquid supplied from the first reservoir of the main tank set to the tank receiving portion;
a liquid passage configured to communicate the first reservoir of the main tank set to the tank receiving portion with the second reservoir, whose one end portion on the side to be in communication with the first reservoir is configured to be joined with or detached from the main tank;
a mover configured to move the tank receiving portion and the end portion of the liquid passage relatively to each other so as to join or detach the end portion of the liquid passage with or from the main tank set to the tank receiving portion;
a liquid feeder configured to feed the liquid stored in the first reservoir of the main tank set to the tank receiving portion to the second reservoir through the liquid passage;
a sensor disposed at the sub tank and configured to output a signal related to a level of liquid in the second reservoir;
and
a controller configured to:
(a) control the mover and the liquid feeder;
(b) determine whether a liquid volume in the second reservoir is less than a second predetermined volume which is less than a first predetermined volume;
(c) operate the liquid feeder so as to feed the liquid stored in the first reservoir of the main tank set to the tank receiving portion to the second reservoir, when the controller determines that the liquid volume in the second reservoir is less than the second predetermined volume, in order to increase the liquid volume in the second reservoir up to the first predetermined volume or more;
(d) determine whether the liquid volume in the second reservoir is equal to or more than the first predetermined volume based on the signal of the sensor after the operation of (c);
(e) operate the mover so as to detach the end portion of the liquid passage from the main tank set to the tank receiving portion when the controller determines that the liquid volume in the second reservoir is less than the first predetermined volume;
and
(f) determine whether the liquid volume in the second reservoir is equal to or more than the first predetermined volume based on the signal of the sensor after the operation of (e).

12 more elements

A method of controlling a liquid supplying apparatus including:

a tank receiving portion configured to receive a main tank, the main tank comprising a first reservoir configured to store a liquid in such a manner as to seal off the surrounding space and configured to shrink as the liquid is fed to the outside of the first reservoir;
a sub tank disposed in a position lower than a position of the tank receiving portion, which comprises a second reservoir configured to store the liquid supplied from the first reservoir of the main tank set to the tank receiving portion;
a liquid passage configured to communicate the first reservoir of the main tank set to the tank receiving portion with the second reservoir, whose one end portion on the side to be in communication with the first reservoir is configured to be joined with or detached from the main tank;
a mover configured to move the tank receiving portion and the end portion of the liquid passage relatively to each other so as to join or detach the end portion of the liquid passage with or from the main tank set to the tank receiving portion;
a liquid feeder configured to feed the liquid stored in the first reservoir of the main tank set to the tank receiving portion to the second reservoir through the liquid passage;
and
a sensor disposed at the sub tank and configured to output a signal related to a level of liquid in the second reservoir, the method comprising:
(a) controlling the mover and the liquid feeder;
(b) determining whether a liquid volume in the second reservoir is less than a second predetermined volume which is less than a first predetermined volume;
(c) operating the liquid feeder so as to feed the liquid stored in the first reservoir of the main tank set to the tank receiving portion to the second reservoir, when the controller determines that the liquid volume in the second reservoir is less than the second predetermined volume, in order to increase the liquid volume in the second reservoir up to the first predetermined volume or more;
(d) determining whether the liquid volume in the second reservoir is equal to or more than the first predetermined volume based on the signal of the sensor after the operation of (c);
(e) operating the mover so as to detach the end portion of the liquid passage from the main tank set to the tank receiving portion when the controller determines that the liquid volume in the second reservoir is less than the first predetermined volume;
and
(f) determining whether the liquid volume in the second reservoir is equal to or more than the first predetermined volume based on the signal of the sensor after the operation of (e).

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description11,336 words

Summary1,971 words

#The present application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-79747, which was filed on Mar. 30, 2012, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to a liquid supplying apparatus used for supplying a liquid, and to a control method of the liquid supplying apparatus.

Brief description of the drawings11 figures

#Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an inkjet printer having a liquid supplying apparatus related to a first embodiment.

#FIG. 2 is a partial cross sectional view showing a cartridge being set to a tank receiving portion.

Detailed description9,133 words

#The following describes an inkjet printer having a liquid supplying apparatus related to a first embodiment.

#As shown in FIG. 1, an inkjet printer 101 includes: a conveyor 20 configured to convey a sheet P serving as a recording medium; an inkjet head 1 configured to eject ink to the sheet P conveyed by the conveyor 20; and a liquid supplying apparatus 30 configured to supply the ink stored in a cartridge 40 to the inkjet head 1. In the present embodiment, the cartridge 40 corresponds to the main tank.

#The conveyor 20 is a mechanism to convey the sheet P in a conveyance direction, i.e., from the left to the right of FIG. 1, and includes: a first conveyance unit 6, a second conveyance unit 7, a platen 10, a separation plate 13, and a sheet receiving tray 14.

Facts

Application

13/853,228Filed 29 Mar 2013

Priority

JP 2012-07974730 Mar 2012

Published

US 2013/0258004 A13 Oct 2013

Granted

27 Jan 2015

Term ends

20 Apr 2033

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 22 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification4 codes

B41J 2/175
Characterised by ink handling: ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
B41J 2/17509
Refilling of the cartridge: whilst mounted in the printer
B41J 2/17566
Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor: ink level or ink residue control
B41J
Typewriters

Timeline

30 Mar 2012Priority claimedJP 2012-079747
29 Mar 2013Application filedUS 13/853,228
29 Mar 2013Assigned to Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaishaassignment of assignor's interest
3 Oct 2013PublishedUS 2013/0258004 A1
27 Jan 2015GrantedUS 8,939,560 B2
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
20 Apr 2033Term endsEstimated, includes 22 days of adjustment

Liquid supplying apparatus and its control method

Life of this patent

Liquid supplying apparatus and its control method

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims10

Description11,336 words

Drawings

Classification4 codes

Life of this patent

Description11,336 words