Seiko Epson Corporation

Hiroaki Tojyo

Atsushi Kobayashi

Hitotoshi Kimura

Yoshiharu Aruga

Noboru Tamura

Takashi Mano

Satoshi Shinada

Toshio Kumagai

Minoru Usui

Takahiro Naka

Toshihisa Saruta

Kazunaga Suzuki

In an ink jet recording apparatus, a recording head is mounted on a carriage which reciprocately moves in a widthwise direction of recording paper. A subtank is mounted on the carriage for supplying ink. A main tank stores ink which is replenished to the subtank. An ink amount detector detects an amount of ink stored in the subtank. A replenishment controller controls replenishment of ink stored in the main tank to the subtank, in accordance with the ink amount detected by the ink amount detector.

Ink jet recording apparatus, method of replenishing ink to subtank in the apparatus, and method of checking the replenished amount of ink

An ink cartridge placed in an ink jet printer stores cartridge management data containing &ldquo;ink capacity&rdquo;, &ldquo;ink total consumption amount&rdquo;, and &ldquo;cartridge identification information&rdquo;. A host stores host management data containing &ldquo;ink total consumption amount&rdquo; and cartridge identification information for each cartridge. The host collates the cartridge management data read by the printer with the host management data stored in the host and determines the precise &ldquo;ink total consumption amount.&rdquo; After print processing terminates, the printer calculates the amount of ink consumed in the print (ink consumption amount) and the host updates the &ldquo;ink total consumption amount&rdquo; based on the calculated ink consumption amount. The printer updates the &ldquo;ink total consumption amount&rdquo; recorded in the cartridge management data to the &ldquo;ink total consumption amount&rdquo; updated by the host.

Ink cartridge management system, printer, and ink cartridge

An ink storage chamber has an indicator formed from magnetic material. A float member whose upper position is limited is housed in the ink storage chamber. Two magnetic-field detection system are provided at a position on the exterior of a sub-tank at which the detection system can detect a magnetic flux of the indicator simultaneously, such that the longitudinal direction of the detection system is oriented vertically with a specified ink level of the sub-tank sandwiched between the detection system. On the basis of signals output from the magnetic-field detection system, it is determined whether the ink level is in any one of an excessively low ink level state, a state in which injection of ink must be started, a state in which injection of ink must be stopped, and an excessively supplied state. Thus, an ink level in the sub-tank can be controlled within a specific range without involvement of an undesired increase in the number of sensors.

Ink-jet recording apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Nagano, Japan

Hiroaki Tojyo