Patent ID: 7455381
Filing Date: 2008-11-25
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising: a control unit; a cartridge holder for housing a removable ink cartridge, said cartridge holder having an ink cover for selectively opening and closing said cartridge holder for removing and inserting said ink cartridge, said cartridge holder being further effective for maintaining a housed ink cartridge in a pressurized state when said ink cover is closed; and a recording head connected to the cartridge holder for discharging ink based on printing control data to form an image on a recording medium using ink supplied from the housed ink cartridge in a pressurized state; wherein ink pressure to the housed ink cartridge is relieved when said ink cover is opened, and ink leakage from the ink cartridge during its removal from the cartridge holder is absorbed by an ink absorbing material disposed on the cartridge holder; and wherein said control unit tracks a cartridge removal time from when the ink cover is opened till the ink cartridge is removed from the cartridge holder, and based on this cartridge removal time, obtains a measure of the amount of ink leakage from the ink cartridge and ink cartridge communicating tube during its removal from the cartridge holder.