An ink-jet recording apparatus including: a cartridge mount; a recording head; an ink passage; an ink discharger; and a controller. An ink cartridge that stores ink is to be replaceably mounted on the cartridge mount. The recording head ejects the ink toward a recording medium. Through the ink passage, the ink is supplied from the cartridge mount to the recording head. The ink discharger discharges the ink. The controller includes a cartridge judgment section and a discharger control section. The cartridge judgment section judges whether the ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mount is a subject cartridge that satisfies a predetermined condition or not. The discharger control section controls the ink discharger to discharge at least the ink in the ink passage when the cartridge judgment section has judged that the ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mount is the subject cartridge.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-050335, which was filed on Feb. 28, 2007, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an ink-jet recording apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art

There is conventionally known an ink-jet recording apparatus in which ink supplied from its supply source such as an ink cartridge is ejected on a recording sheet on the basis of image data so as to record an image. In such an ink-jet recording apparatus, the ink is supplied in a state in which the ink cartridge is mounted on a cartridge mount. When the ink-jet recording apparatus performs a recording operation, a genuine ink cartridge storing predetermined genuine ink is basically used.

In this respect, in order to prevent clogging in nozzles and a malfunction of the apparatus, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-156118) discloses a technology of forbidding the recording operation where a non-genuine ink cartridge which stores non-genuine ink is mounted on the apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

However, the non-genuine ink cartridge is widely available today. Thus, where the apparatus using the technology in Patent Document 1 is used, it often happens that the recording operation of the apparatus is forbidden. That is, when a user operates the apparatus to perform the recording operation, the recording operation is not performed. This may cause a risk of dissatisfaction of the user with respect to the apparatus.

Further, where the genuine ink cartridge is replaced with the non-genuine ink cartridge, genuine ink and non-genuine ink are mixed with each other. In this case, a mixture of the inks may be coagulated, thereby causing the risk of a generation of the clogging in nozzles.

Such a coagulation to be generated in the mixture of the inks may also be generated when an ink cartridge is replaced with another ink cartridge whose type is different from that of the replaced ink cartridge, even though both of the ink cartridges store one of the genuine ink and the non-genuine ink.

The present invention has been developed in view of the above-described situations, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an ink-jet recording apparatus configured to perform a recording operation desired by a user and prevent the coagulation and the like when an ink cartridge is newly mounted.

The object indicated above may be achieved according to the present invention which provides an ink-jet recording apparatus, including: a cartridge mount on which an ink cartridge that stores ink is to be replaceably mounted; a recording head which ejects the ink toward a recording medium; an ink passage through which the ink is supplied from the cartridge mount to the recording head; an ink discharger which discharges the ink; and a controller including (a) a cartridge judgment section which judges whether the ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mount is a subject cartridge that satisfies a predetermined condition or not and (b) a discharger control section which controls the ink discharger to discharge at least the ink in the ink passage when the cartridge judgment section has judged that the ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mount is the subject cartridge.

In the image recording apparatus constructed as described above, the ink in the ink passage can be replaced with the ink supplied from the ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mount when a coagulation to be generated in a mixture of the inks is likely to occur. As a result, the ink in the ink passage which has a risk of causing the coagulation is discharged by the ink discharger, thereby reducing the risk of causing the coagulation to be generated in the mixture of inks having different types from each other.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, there will be described preferred embodiments of the present invention by reference to the drawings. It is to be understood that the following embodiments are described only by way of example, and the invention may be otherwise embodied with various modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.FIG. 1is an external perspective view of an ink-jet recording apparatus1. Ink cartridges11(shown inFIG. 7) storing respective inks14(shown inFIG. 7) are replaceably mounted on a cartridge mount2. InFIG. 1, the cartridge mount2is covered with a cover, but the ink cartridges11are mounted on the cartridge mount2with the cover opened. Various operations of a user such as a replacement of any of the ink cartridges11are performed using an operation panel4. Various messages relating to a recording operation of the ink-jet recording apparatus1are displayed on an information display device5. A cross-sectional view taken along line A-A inFIG. 1as seen from a right side of the ink-jet recording apparatus1is shown inFIG. 5. On the other hand, a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B as seen from an upper side of the ink-jet recording apparatus1is shown inFIG. 6.

FIG. 2is a block diagram showing a control system of the ink-jet recording apparatus1. A controller100controls an entirety of the ink-jet recording apparatus1and includes a CPU101which mainly controls processings of the ink-jet recording apparatus1, a ROM102in which programs for performing operations of the ink-jet recording apparatus1are stored, a RAM103in which data or programs are developed, and an EEPROM104that is a nonvolatile memory. Commands are transmitted from the controller100to an ASIC130via a bus107. The ASIC130converts the commands into forms respectively suitable for circuits or boards such as a head-control board33for controlling recording heads8, drive circuits81,82for driving a motor and the like, a scanner section86, the operation panel4through which the user operates the ink-jet recording apparatus1, a rotary encoder83used to measure a rotation angle of a roller and the like, a linear encoder84for accurately moving a carriage38, and an ID reading portion85for reading an ID of an IC chip mounted on each of the ink cartridges11. Then, the converted commands are transmitted to the circuits or the boards. Signals transmitted via the drive circuit82are transmitted to the carriage38via a CR motor79for driving the carriage38and then operate the carriage38. On the other hand, signals transmitted via the drive circuit81are respectively transmitted to an ink discharger10and the like via a LF motor80for driving a supply roller and the like and then operate them. Each of signals transmitted from the circuits or the boards such as the head-control board33, the drive circuits81,82, the scanner section86, the operation panel4, the rotary encoder83, the linear encoder84, and the ID reading portion85is converted by the ASIC130into a signal having a timing suitable for the bus107and transmitted to the controller100.

FIG. 5is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A inFIG. 1as seen from the right side of the ink-jet recording apparatus1. A recording sheet is supplied from a sheet supply cassette3. Then, an image is recorded on the supplied recording sheet, that is, a recording operation is performed.

FIG. 6is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B inFIG. 1as seen from the upper side of the ink-jet recording apparatus1. Each of the inks14from a corresponding one of the ink cartridges11is supplied through a corresponding one of ink passages which includes a corresponding one of ink passages of the cartridge mount2, a corresponding one of ink passages of the recording heads8, and a corresponding one of ink tubes9and ejected from the corresponding recording head8, so that the recording operation is performed. The recording heads8are mounted on the carriage38. More specifically, where the replacement of any of the ink cartridges11is recognized, the recording heads8are moved by the carriage38to the ink discharger10. Then, a purging operation described below is performed.

FIG. 7is an example of ink passages respectively extending from the ink cartridges11to the recording heads8. In the recording operation, each ink14from the corresponding ink cartridge11is supplied to the corresponding recording head8via the corresponding ink tube9, and is ejected through corresponding nozzles13by a corresponding one of piezoelectric elements12. The ejected inks14are sprayed over a recording medium15in the form of, e.g., a paper sheet, whereby the recording operation is performed.

Hereinafter, there will be explained the purging operation (hereinafter, may be referred to as a “normal purging operation”) performed in the ink-jet recording apparatus1. It is noted that the explanation below will be described for one of the ink cartridges11for the purpose of simplification.

In the vicinity of openings of the nozzles13, the ink14directly contacts ambient air. Thus, a solvent of the ink14volatilizes, so that dye components or pigments of the ink14are accumulated in the nozzles13. This causes a risk of clogging in the nozzles13. To prevent the clogging, the purging operation needs to be regularly performed.

The ink discharger10for discharging the ink by performing the purging operation includes a purging device which sucks and discharges the ink from the recording head8, and an absorbing member which receives the ink discharged by the purging device. More specifically, the purging device sucks the ink from the nozzles13. Then, the ink sucked by the purging device is absorbed in the absorbing member. As a result, a negative pressure is produced in the ink passage including the ink passage of the recording head8and the ink tube9, so that new ink is supplied from the ink cartridge11. The absorbing member is replaceable, so that even where the purging device sucks a large amount of the ink, the ink jet recording apparatus1can cope with the large amount of ink. The absorbing member is frequently formed of a felt under present circumstances. In addition, the absorbing member formed of cellulose has been proposed. The purging operation is also performed in the replacement of the ink cartridge11.

Hereinafter, there will be explained a processing performed in the replacement of any of the ink cartridges in the present invention. A flow of the processing is indicated inFIG. 3. It is noted that the explanation below will also be described for one of the ink cartridges for the purpose of simplification.

In S100, when the ink-jet recording apparatus1recognizes a start of the replacement of the ink cartridge by, for example, detecting that the cover of the cartridge mount2has been opened or detecting that the ink cartridge has been removed, the flow goes to S200in which to reset a remaining amount of the ink. When the remaining amount of the ink has been reset in S200, the flow goes to S300.

In S300, in order to identify whether a type of a new ink cartridge which is newly mounted on the cartridge mount2and a type of a previous ink cartridge which is mounted immediately before the new ink cartridge are different from each other or not, the controller100outputs, to the ID reading portion85, a command for reading an electronic information (e.g., an ID) of the new ink cartridge. When receiving the command outputted from the controller100, the ID reading portion85reads, from an electronic-information storing chip87mounted on the new ink cartridge, the electronic information stored in the same87. When the ID reading portion85has read the electronic information, the flow goes to S400.

In S400, whether the electronic information read from the new ink cartridge is an electronic information (e.g., an ID) unique to a manufacturer of the ink-jet recording apparatus1or not is judged. Where the read electronic information coincides with the electronic information which is unique to a model of the ink-jet recording apparatus1and which is registered by the manufacturer, the controller100identifies that the type of the new ink cartridge and the type of the previous ink cartridge are the same as each other. Then, the flow goes to S600.

In S600, a cartridge-replacement-purging operation is performed. In the cartridge-replacement-purging operation, the normal purging operation is performed, and the replacement of the ink cartridge is completed, that is, the processing is completed.

Where the electronic information cannot be read in S300or where, in S400, the controller100recognizes, on the basis of the electronic information read in S300, that the new ink cartridge is for a recording apparatus manufactured by a manufacturer different from that of the ink-jet recording apparatus1or is for another model of the recording apparatus1manufactured by the manufacturer of the same1, the controller100identifies, in S400, that the type of the new ink cartridge and the type of the previous ink cartridge are different from each other. Then, the flow goes to S410.

In view of the above, in S400, the controller100is considered to judge whether the new ink cartridge is a subject cartridge that satisfies a predetermined condition or not. More specifically, the new ink cartridge is judged to the subject cartridge where the new ink cartridge is recognized to have a high possibility of storing ink which adversely affects the recording operation of the ink-jet recording apparatus1.

Before describing S410, a powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation in the present invention will be explained.

In the replacement of the ink cartridge, ink remaining in the ink passage contacts ink in an ink supply portion of a new ink cartridge. The inks contacting each other start to diffuse into each other. Where characteristics of respective inks in the new ink cartridge and a replaced previous ink cartridge are different from each other, the inks having the different characteristics are mixedly contained in the ink passage owing to the diffusion, thereby causing a risk of coagulation to be generated in the mixture of the inks in the ink passage. Further, the inks having the different characteristics have the risk of the coagulation in the new ink cartridge in some cases. Thus, at least the ink in the ink passage needs to be discharged. To meet this need, where the controller100identifies that the type of the new ink cartridge and the type of the previous ink cartridge are different from each other, that is, the controller100judges that the new ink cartridge is the subject cartridge, the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation is performed. The powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation is an operation in which the ink remaining in the ink passage is completely replaced with the ink in the new ink cartridge to prevent the coagulation to be generated in the mixture of the inks having the different characteristics. That is, in the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation, the controller100controls the ink discharger10to discharge at least a part of the ink in the new ink cartridge in addition to the ink in the ink passage when the controller100has judged that the new ink cartridge is the subject cartridge.

In the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation, a large amount of the ink is discharged when compared with the normal purging operation. That is, the ink discharger10discharges a larger amount of the ink when the controller100has judged that the new ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mount2is the subject cartridge than when the controller100has judged that the new ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mount2is not the subject cartridge. More specifically, the amount of the ink discharged in the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation is from one to five times larger than a capacity of the ink passage or is the total amount of the capacity of the ink passage and volume ranging from 0 to 10 ml. That is, at least a part of the ink in the ink cartridge is discharged in some cases.

The capacity of the ink passage is about 2 ml while a capacity of the ink cartridge is about 9 ml. Thus, where the large amount of the ink is required in the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation, a plurality of ink cartridges may be required.

When performing the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation, a warning message relating to the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation is displayed in S410. The warning message shows a risk of consumption of the large amount of the ink, for example. That is, the controller100performs a processing for informing, through the information display device5, a fact that the subject cartridge is being mounted, when the controller100has judged that the new ink cartridge is the subject cartridge. Where a user agrees to a performance of the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation after confirming the warning message, the user indicates an intention of the agreement. For example, as the indication of the intention of the agreement, the user presses an OK button or a button corresponding to the OK button provided on the operation panel4. The controller100judges, in S420, whether the user indicates the intention of the agreement or not. The display of the warning message permits the user to understand risks in the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation.FIG. 8shows an example of the warning message.

Where the plurality of the ink cartridges are required in the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation, a required number of the ink cartridges may be displayed on the information display device5in displaying the warning message, thereby permitting a user to grasp the required number of the ink cartridges. This prevents a shortage of the ink cartridges in the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation. Further, the ink-jet recording apparatus1may be configured such that, where the ink in a new ink cartridge is used up in the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation, the ink cartridge is replaced after the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation is canceled. Alternatively, the ink-jet recording apparatus1may be configured such that, where the ink in the new ink cartridge is used up in the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation, the ink cartridge is replaced in a state in which the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation pauses, whereby the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation can be restarted after the replacement of the ink cartridge.

The EEPROM104stores a history of the use of ink cartridges each of which has a type different from that of an ink cartridge mounted immediately before each ink cartridge. That is, the EEPROM104stores information with respect to whether the new ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mount2is the subject cartridge that satisfies the predetermined condition or not. Where the controller100judges, in S420, that the user indicates the intention of the agreement by, e.g., the press of the OK button, the use of the new ink cartridge whose type is different from that of the previous cartridge is recorded, in S510, in the history stored in the EEPROM104. Thus, where the ink-jet recording apparatus1fails due to the coagulation, the user can judge, using the history, whether the failure is caused because the previous ink cartridge is replaced with the new ink cartridge whose type is different from that of the previous ink cartridge or not. After the recording of the new ink cartridge, the flow goes to S520. In S520, the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation is performed, and the processing shown inFIG. 3is completed.

FIG. 4is a flow chart indicating a flow of a processing performed in the replacement of any of the ink cartridges in a case where the ink cartridges are classified into genuine one and non-genuine one. In this processing, whether a type of a new ink cartridge and a type of a previous ink cartridge are different from each other or not is judged on the basis that each of the ink cartridges is the genuine one or the non-genuine one. More specifically, the controller100judges that the new ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mount2is the subject cartridge where the new ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mount2is non-genuine one. In other words, the controller100judges that the new ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mount2is the subject cartridge on the condition that the previous ink cartridge is replaced with the new ink cartridge whose type is different from that of the previous ink cartridge. In this judgment, whether the type of the new ink cartridge and the type of the previous ink cartridge are different from each other or not is judged on the basis that each of the ink cartridges is the genuine one or the non-genuine one. The flow of the processing will be explained below. It is noted that the explanation below will also be described for one of the ink cartridges for the purpose of simplification.

Initially, in S1100, when the ink-jet recording apparatus1recognizes a start of the replacement of the ink cartridge, the flow goes to S1200in which to reset a remaining amount of the ink. When the remaining amount of the ink has been reset in S1200, the flow goes to S1300.

In S1300, in order to identify that a new ink cartridge is the genuine one or the non-genuine one, the controller100outputs, to the ID reading portion85, a command for reading an electronic information (e.g., an ID) of the new ink cartridge. When receiving the command outputted from the controller100, the ID reading portion85reads, from the electronic-information storing chip87provided for or mounted on the new ink cartridge, the electronic information stored in the same87. When the ID reading portion85has read the electronic information, the flow goes to S1400.

In S1400, the electronic information read by the ID reading portion85is transmitted to the controller100. Then, the controller100identifies the new ink cartridge is the genuine one or the non-genuine one by judging whether the electronic information read from the new ink cartridge is the electronic information (e.g., the ID) unique to the manufacturer of the ink-jet recording apparatus1or not. That is, whether the new ink cartridge is the subject cartridge that satisfies the predetermined condition or not is judged on the basis of the electronic information stored in the electronic-information storing chip87, thereby leading to higher reliability of the judgment. Where the read electronic information coincides with the electronic information which is unique to the model of the ink-jet recording apparatus1and which is registered by the manufacturer, the controller100identifies the new ink cartridge is the genuine one. On the other hand, where the electronic information cannot be read in S1300or where, in S1400, the controller100recognizes, on the basis of the electronic information read in S1300, that the new ink cartridge is for a recording apparatus manufactured by a manufacturer different from that of the ink-jet recording apparatus1or for another model of the recording apparatus1which is manufactured by the manufacturer of the same1, the controller100identifies, in S1400, that the new ink cartridge is the non-genuine one.

Where the controller100has identified that the new ink cartridge is the genuine one, the flow goes to the S1500. In S1500, electronic information with respect to the previous ink cartridge is read from the EEPROM104which records various electronic information. Then, the controller100identifies, on the basis of the read electronic information, that the previous ink cartridge is the genuine one or the non-genuine one.

Where the controller100has identified, in S1500, that the previous ink cartridge is the genuine one, the flow goes to S1600. In S1600, the normal purging operation is performed, and the replacement of the ink cartridge is completed, that is, the processing is completed.

Where the controller100has identified, in S1400, that the new ink cartridge is the non-genuine one, that is, the controller100has identified that the new ink cartridge is the subject cartridge, the above-described powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation is performed in S1520. In other words, the controller100judges that the new ink cartridge is the subject cartridge where the new ink cartridge is recognized to have the high possibility of storing ink which adversely affects the recording operation of the ink-jet recording apparatus1. More specifically, the controller100judges that the new ink cartridge is the subject cartridge where the new ink cartridge is non-genuine one.

When performing the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation, the warning message relating to the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation is displayed on the information display device5in S1410. That is, the controller100performs the processing for informing, through the information display device5, a fact that the subject cartridge is being mounted, when the controller100has judged that the new ink cartridge is the subject cartridge. Where a user agrees to the performance of the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation after confirming the warning message, the user indicates the intention of the agreement. The controller100judges, in S1420, whether the user indicates the intention of the agreement or not. The display of the warning message permits the user to understand the risks in the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation.FIG. 8shows the example of the warning message.

Where the controller100has identified, in S1500, that the previous ink cartridge is the non-genuine one, the warning message may be displayed like in S1410. Thus, the user can understand the risks in the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation like in S1410.

The EEPROM104stores a history of the use of non-genuine ink cartridges. When the intention of the agreement is confirmed by, e.g., the press of the OK button in S1420, the use of the new ink cartridge is recorded, in S1510, in the history stored in the EEPROM104. After this recording, the flow goes to S1520. In S1520, the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation is performed, and the processing shown inFIG. 4is completed.

In view of S510and S1510, the EEPROM104may be referred to as a cartridge-information storing section storing information with respect to whether the new ink cartridge is the subject cartridge or not. Further, in view of the above, the controller100can be considered to include a discharger control section which controls the ink discharger10to discharge at least the ink in the ink passage when the controller100has judged that the ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mount2is the subject cartridge, and which is constituted by a portion of the controller100for executing S520and S1520. This configuration can reduce the coagulation to be generated in the mixture of the inks in the new ink cartridge.

Further, in view of the above, the controller100can be considered to include a cartridge judgment section which judges whether an ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mount2is the subject cartridge that satisfies the predetermined condition or not, and which is constituted by a portion of the controller100for executing S400, S1400, and S1500. Furthermore, the controller100can be considered to include an informing section which performs a processing for informing, through the information display device5, a fact that the subject cartridge is being mounted, when the cartridge judgment section has judged that the new ink cartridge is the subject cartridge, and which is partly constituted by a portion for executing S410, and S1410.

Displaying equipments for warning such as an LED may be provided on the ink-jet recording apparatus1instead of the warning message, and may be controlled to blink and/or simply light up when the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation needs to be performed. This configuration permits an ink-jet recording apparatus not including a relatively large display device (e.g., a liquid crystal display) to employ the configuration of the ink-jet recording apparatus of the present invention.

The warning message is displayed on the information display device5in the above-described embodiment, but the ink-jet recording apparatus1may be configured to be connectable to an external terminal (e.g., a PC) such that the informing section performs the processing for informing the fact that the subject cartridge is being mounted (i.e., the warning message) through the external terminal. More specifically, the ink-jet recording apparatus1may be configured such that, in above-described S420and S1420, the user can click on an OK image or an image corresponding to the OK image displayed on the external terminal connected to the ink-jet recording apparatus1instead of pressing the OK button or the button corresponding to the OK button provided on the operation panel4. As a result, the user can understand the fact that the subject cartridge is being mounted at a position far from the ink-jet recording apparatus1. In addition, the operation panel4can be smaller in size, leading to a size reduction of the ink-jet recording apparatus1. In this case, the user can confirm whether the powerful cartridge-replacement-purging operation is to be performed or not by operating the information display device5or the external terminal.

Further, as a modification of the above-described method, the ink-jet recording apparatus1may be configured to be connectable to a communication network such as an internet. As a result, where the non-genuine ink cartridge is used, the history of the use of the non-genuine ink cartridges may be transmitted to a support center of the manufacturer via the communication network. The support center can use the history. In view of this modification, the controller100can be considered to include a cartridge-information sending section which sends, via the communication network, information with respect to whether the new ink cartridge is the subject cartridge or not, and which is constituted by a portion of the controller100for executing S510, and S1510.