Patent ID: 9102144
Filing Date: 2015-08-11
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A liquid consuming apparatus comprising: a liquid receptacle that holds a liquid; a head that discharges the liquid supplied from the liquid receptacle; a driving unit that performs driving that moves the head; a detection unit that detects a remaining state of the liquid in the liquid receptacle when the liquid receptacle and the detection unit are in a predetermined positional relationship; a control unit that controls the driving unit and that determines the remaining state of the liquid in the liquid receptacle based on a detection signal from the detection unit; and a storage unit that stores liquid amount information of the liquid receptacle; wherein after the control unit determines there is liquid remaining in the liquid receptacle based on the detection signal from the detection unit, the control unit determines that the liquid amount consumed from the liquid receptacle is greater than or equal to a specified amount without the detection unit again detecting the remaining state of the liquid in the liquid receptacle, then the control unit performs forced detection control that sets the liquid receptacle and the detection unit to the predetermined positional relationship and causes the detection unit to detect the remaining state of the liquid; wherein the control unit determines whether or not the liquid receptacle and the detection unit are in the predetermined positional relationship with each printing pass of the head, and after control unit determines there is liquid remaining in the liquid receptacle, the control unit determines that the liquid amount consumed from the liquid receptacle is greater than or equal to a specified amount without the detection unit again detecting the remaining state of the id in the liquid receptacle, the forced detection control is performed in the next printing pass of the head; wherein in the case where the liquid receptacle and the detection unit are in the predetermined positional relationship in an ith printing pass of the head (where i is a natural number) and the control unit determines there is liquid remaining in the liquid receptacle, the storage unit stores the liquid amount information of the liquid receptacle as ith liquid amount information; wherein in the case where the liquid receptacle and the detection unit are not in the predetermined positional relationship in a jth pass that follows the ith pass (where j is a natural number greater than i) and the amount of liquid consumed from the ith liquid amount information in the ith pass is less than the specified value, the control unit does not perform the forced detection control in a j+1th pass that follows the jth pass; and wherein in the case where the liquid receptacle and the detection unit are not in the predetermined positional relationship in a kth pass that follows the jth pass (where k is a natural number greater than i) and the amount of liquid consumed from the ith liquid amount information in the ith pass is greater than or equal to the specified value, the control unit performs the forced detection control in the k+1th pass that follows the kth pass.