Abstract:
An ink jet recording apparatus for recording on a recording medium by using an ink jet recording head for discharging ink includes a conveying device for conveying the recording medium, the conveying device defining a conveyance path through which the recording medium is conveyed, a carriage for reciprocally moving the ink jet recording head across the conveyance path, a recovery device for recovering and/or for maintaining a discharge function of the ink jet recording head, and an ink detecting device for detecting ink discharged from the ink jet recording head, wherein the conveyance path is disposed between the recovery device and the ink detecting device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus capable of detecting the presence and absence of ink with good precision. 
     2. Related Background Art 
     There have been proposed various recording apparatuses that record on a paper sheet, a resin sheet, or other recording media. Of those apparatuses that have been proposed conventionally, an ink jet recording apparatus is to discharge ink from its recording head onto a recording medium directly. It is possible to operate the ink jet recording apparatus at low running costs with a lesser amount of noises. Therefore, together with other advantages, the apparatus is now widely used. 
     Also, in general, an ink jet recording apparatus is provided with recovery means for maintaining and recovering the ink discharging function of an ink jet recording head mounted on it. This recovery means comprises, among others, a cap member to cover the ink discharge ports of the ink jet recording head, and receive ink discharged from the ink discharge ports; a blade formed by an elastic material or the like to clean the head surface by sliding on the head surface having the ink discharge ports; a driving source to enable the cap member to be in contact with or move away from the head, and the blade to move slidably; and a pumping mechanism to cause the waste ink, which has been discharged to the interior of the cap member, to be exhausted outside the cap member. 
     A serial type ink jet recording apparatus is arranged to mount an ink jet recording head on a carriage that reciprocates for recording on a recording medium. This apparatus is provided with a recording area within the traveling range of the carriage, where ink jet recording is possible on a recording medium (in general, a platen is arranged on this recording area), and also, with a non-recordable area on one end portion adjacent to such recording area, where the aforesaid recovery means is inclusively arranged. 
     Among those ink jet recording apparatuses, there are some for which detection means is provided to detect ink. For the structure of such detection means, a method is adopted, among some others, to provide a recording medium or a film sheet with a mark for use of detecting the presence and absence of ink, and then, to detect whether or not such mark is recorded by means of a photosensor or a method is adopted to discharge ink between the light emitting element and photodetecting element of a photointerrupter, and then, to detect the presence and absence of ink by the output that changes when ink crosses the optical axis of the photointerrupter. 
     However, with respect to the ink detection structures described above, there is a need for a structure in which a mark should be recorded directly on a recording medium or a film sheet for detecting the presence and absence of ink. This is the provision of a mark that is not fundamentally needed for the performance of any regular recording, although the detection can be effectuated in high precision by means of this method. 
     Also, for the method to detect the presence and absence of ink by means of output changes when ink crosses the optical axis of a photointerrupter, there is a need for the provision of a system to collect discharged ink as waste ink, simply because ink should be discharged to execute such detection. Therefore, the location where this detection is conveyed out is usually arranged in the vicinity of a suction pump, which is used for preventing the recording head from being clogged. In this way, it is made possible to share the waste ink disposition system for use of such detection and prevention. Nevertheless, the optical components constituting the photointerrupter are stained by ink splash from the blade provided for wiping off unwanted ink droplets adhering to the circumference of nozzles of the head after ink is sucked by the suction pump, as well as by ink splash from some other peripheral members of the blade. If the optical components are stained, there is a fear that detection is erroneously executed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is designed with a view to solving the problems described above with respect to the conventional technique. It is an object of the invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of performing ink detection in good precision without staining the components used during ink detection. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus provided with a carriage for enabling an ink jet type recording head to travel along a recording medium while discharging ink for recording; head recovery means for maintaining the function of the recording head; ink detection means for detecting the presence and absence of ink discharged from the recording head; and conveying means for conveying the recording medium. For this apparatus the head recovery means and the ink detection means are arranged on the sides opposite to each other with the conveying path of a recording medium between them. 
     It is still another object of the invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of detecting the presence and absence of ink accurately without any malfunction of ink detection means resulting from ink stains by arranging the ink detection means and recovery means on the sides opposite to each other. The optical components of the ink detection means of this apparatus are prevented from being stained by ink splash from a suction pump, a blade, and the like, which constitute the recovery means. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus for recording on a recording medium by discharging ink onto the recording medium, which including the following: 
     conveying means for conveying a recording medium in the recording medium conveying path; 
     a carriage mounting on it an ink jet recording head to discharge ink, being movable in an area including the area for the carriage to face the recording medium in the recording medium conveying path; 
     recovery means for recovering or maintaining the ink discharge function of the ink jet recording head, being arranged in an area outside the recording medium conveying path: this area enables the recovery means to face the carriage; and 
     ink detection means for detecting the presence and absence of ink discharged from the ink jet recording head, which is arranged on the side opposite to the installation location of the recovery means with the recording medium conveying path being present between them: this side enables ink detection means to face the carriage. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a view which schematically illustrates an ink jet recording apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a flowchart which shows the procedures to detect presence and absence of ink. 
     FIG. 3 is a view which schematically illustrates the entire structure of a facsimile equipment using a recording apparatus in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Now, with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the specific description will be made of an ink jet recording apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In this respect, FIG. 1 is a structural view which schematically shows the principal part of an ink jet recording apparatus. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the procedures to detect the presence and absence of ink. FIG. 3 is a view which schematically shows the entire structure of a facsimile equipment using the recording apparatus. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, the facsimile equipment is provided with a source document reading apparatus A to read information on a source document, and a recording apparatus B to record information read by the reading apparatus A or by the other reading apparatus. The recording apparatus B is an ink jet recording apparatus provided with means for detecting the presence and absence of ink. Hereinafter, the structure of each unit will be described. 
     (Structure of Source Document Reading Apparatus) 
     As shown in FIG. 3, a source document reading apparatus A detects the presence of a source document by means of a detection sensor (not shown) to detect the presence and absence of a source document when one or plural sheets of source documents  2  on a source document stacking tray  1  arranged on the upper part of the main body of the apparatus. When the operator depresses a start button (not shown) in this state, a stepping motor (not shown) is driven to cause a preliminary feed roller  3  to rotate. With this roller and a preliminary pressure plate  4 , the source document  2  is pinched to deal with the leading end thereof. 
     After that, the source document  2  is conveyed to a separation unit comprising a separation roller  5  driven by the stepping motor described above, and a unit  6  of friction pieces. If the source documents are stacked, these documents are separated one by one in this separation unit. Then, each one of the source documents is pinched and conveyed by the feed roller  7  driven by the stepping motor, and a roller  8  positioned to face the feed roller  7 , and by means of a sensor (not shown) that detects the leading and trailing ends of a source document, the leading end of the source document  2  is detected. 
     While the image information on the source document  2  is being read by means of a contact sensor  9  serving as means for reading a source document, the trailing end of the source document  2  thus conveyed is detected by the aforesaid sensor to read the leading and trailing ends of a source document. Then, an exhaust roller  10  driven by the stepping motor described above is caused to rotate for a given amount in accordance with the output from the sensor to detect the leading and trailing ends of a source document. In cooperation with an exhaust roller  11  arranged to face this roller  10 , the source document is pinched and conveyed onto a cover  12  serving dually as a source document exhaust tray. 
     The structure is arranged in this way to transform the information on the source document thus read into electric signals, which are transmitted to the recording apparatus B if the process is in the copying mode, or to a recording apparatus of the other equipment if the process is in the transmitting mode. 
     (Structure of Recording Apparatus) 
     Now, the structure of a recording apparatus B will be described. This recording apparatus B is to record by recording means while a recording medium  13  is being fed by feeding means. 
     (Feeding Means) 
     A recording medium  13 , which is a cut sheet of a standardized size, is placed one upon another to form a stack of plural sheets thereof and stored in a cassette  14 . Then, feeding means conveys one by one from this stack in accordance with the recording operation. This cassette  14  is detachably mountable on the main body of the apparatus. In accordance with this mode embodying the present invention, a universal cassette is used to store recording sheets of various standardized sizes in it. 
     Each recording medium  13  stored and stacked in the cassette  14  described above is picked up by the feed roller  15  and a separation nail  16 , and pinched and conveyed by means of a carrier roller  17  and a roller  18  positioned to face this carrier roller. The recording medium is then U-turned through a turn over guide  19 . 
     A given recording is performed on the recording medium  13  thus conveyed, and after recording, the recording medium  13  is pinched and conveyed by the exhaust roller  20  and spur  21  positioned to face the exhaust roller  20 . Here, the spur is formed by a material that does not allow ink to be transferred to it even when the spur abuts upon the recorded surface of the recording medium. Then, the recording medium is guided through a rear guide  22  formed by a plurality of ribs, and exhausted by means of a second exhaust roller  23  and a second spur  24  into a cassette cover  26 , which dually serves as an exhaust rib  25  provided for the main body of the apparatus, and an exhaust tray. 
     Here, in FIG. 1, a reference numeral  38  designates a jam sensor arranged on the recording medium conveying path for detecting a jammed (sheet clogging) condition of a recording medium  13  to be conveyed. 
     Also, the cover  12 , which becomes the source document exhaust portion, is arranged to be opened and closed with respect to the main body of the apparatus. When the cover is open, a space needed for replacing recording heads, which will be described later, is released, and also, a space above the rear guide  22  is released simultaneously. 
     (Recording Means) 
     As recording means for recording a given image on the recording medium  13 , a serial type ink jet recording method is adopted for this mode embodying the present invention. As shown in FIG.  1  and FIG. 3, a cartridge type is employed so that the ink jet recording head  27  having an ink tank incorporated therein, is detachably mounted on the carriage  28 , and the recording head  27  is replaced entirely with a new one when ink is completely consumed. 
     The carriage  28  is supported slidably in the direction indicated by an arrow E (main scanning direction) in FIG. 1 by means of a guide shaft  29  and an abutting member arranged in the direction rectangular to the conveying direction (sub-scanning direction) of the recording medium  13  indicated by an arrow H. The carriage  28  is coupled to a timing belt arranged like an endless belt, which is tensioned around pulleys arranged on both ends of the guide shaft  29  (only a pulley on one end is shown). Thus, the carriage can reciprocate in the main scanning direction when the pulley  31  on one end is driven by a carriage motor (not shown). 
     When the carriage travels, the recording head  27  discharges ink in accordance with image signals to record a given image on the recording medium  13 . 
     The ink jet recording head  27  used in this mode embodying the present invention comprises fine liquid discharge ports (orifices); energy activation portions arranged for liquid paths and a part of the liquid paths; and energy generating means for generating the droplet formation energy that acts upon liquid in the energy activating portion. 
     As energy generating means for generating the energy described above, there is, among others, a recording method that uses electromechanical transducing elements, such as piezoelectric elements; a recording method that uses energy generating means for discharging droplets by the action of heat generated by irradiating electromagnetic waves, such as leaser; or a recording method that uses energy generating means for discharging droplets by heating liquid by use of electrothermal transducing elements, such as heat generating elements having heat resistive elements. 
     Of these means, a recording head used for the ink jet recording method that discharges ink by the application of thermal energy makes it possible to arrange liquid discharge ports (orifices) in a high density to discharge liquid for the formation of droplets in order to perform recording in high resolution. Of such recording heads, a recording head that uses electrothermal transducing elements as energy generating means is easily made compact. Also it is possible for this recording head to fully utilize the advantages of the IC technologies and microprocessing techniques whose advancement and reliability have been remarkable in recent years in the field of semiconductors. Therefore, a highly densified assembling of the head is possible at low costs of manufacture. 
     The resolution of a recording head  27  of this mode embodying the present invention is 360 DPI with 128 nozzles. Electric signals are supplied to the electrothermal transducing elements arranged in the nozzles through a flexible cable  33 , respectively, and by the application of heat selectively generated in accordance with such signals, pressure is exerted in ink by film boiling thus created. Ink is then discharged from the respective discharge ports arranged at the leading end of nozzles to form inked images on a recording medium. 
     The home position of the carriage  28  is at one end of the traveling range of the carriage  28 . It is arranged to enable the carriage  28  to be on standby on the home position when recording is at rest. A carriage home sensor  34  is also arranged in this home position, while a light shielding plate  35  is provided at the lower part of the carriage  28 . The sensor  34  is a photointerrupter of light transmission type. When the carriage  28  travels to the home position, its light shielding plate  35  interrupts the light emitted from the light emitting element of the sensor  34 . The arrival of the carriage  28  at the home position is detected by the change of signals obtainable by this sensor arrangement. 
     In the state of the carriage  28  having arrived at the home position, a cap  36  serving as recovery means of the recording head  27  is arranged and positioned to face the nozzles of the recording head  27 . The cap  36  is structured to move up and down. At the time of recording, the cap descends. When recording is at rest and the carriage  28  arrives at the home position, the cap ascends to be in contact closely with the recording head  27  and covers the nozzle portion thereof, hence preventing any dust particles from adhering to the nozzle portion, and also, preventing ink from being evaporated for the maintenance of the function of the recording head  27 . 
     On the side opposite to the side where the cap  36  is arranged with the conveying path of the recording medium  13  being present between them, that is, the opposite side of the traveling range of the carriage  28 , means for detecting ink is arranged to detect the presence and absence of ink droplets discharged from the recording head. This ink detection means is formed by the photointerrupter  37  by this mode embodying the present invention. When detecting the presence and absence of ink, the carriage  28  moves to a position above the optical axis  37   c  of the light emitting element  37   a  to the photodetecting element  37   b.  Here, although not shown in FIG. 1, a sensor, which is structured in the same manner as the sensor  34  that detects the presence of the carriage  28  at its home position, is arranged to detect the movement of the carriage  28  to this position of ink detection. In this way, it is detected that the carriage  28  has moved to such position. Also, in the position of ink detection, an ink receptacle member  37   d  is arranged to face the recording head  27 . Ink discharged for ink detection is exhausted to a waste ink retainer (not shown) through a waste ink absorbent in the ink receptacle member  37   d.    
     The detection as to whether or not enough ink remains in the ink tank of the recording head  27  to continue ink discharge is conveyed out by the procedures described in the flowchart shown in FIG.  2 . In other words, the recording of a first page is executed at first (step S 1 ). Then, the carriage  28  is caused to shift to the position of ink detection where the photointerrupter  37  is arranged. This is the side opposite to the home position of the carriage, and the side where the carriage is allowed to conduct discharging ink (step S 2 ). At this juncture, if enough ink remains to make ink discharge possible, ink is discharged. The discharged ink droplet crosses the optical axis  37   c,  thus causing the output of the photointerrupter  37  to change. On the other hand, if not enough ink remains to continue ink discharge, no ink is discharged. No ink droplet crosses the optical axis  37   c.  Therefore, the photointerrupter does not change its output at all. By the application of such change of outputs, it is possible to detect the presence and absence of a specific amount of ink in the ink tank (step S 3 ). 
     Then, if not enough ink remains in the ink tank to continue ink discharge, an error indication, the absence of ink, is displayed on the indication unit (step S 4 ). Here, if ink is present, the carriage  28  is caused to travel to the home position (step S 5 ) to determine whether or not a next page is to be recorded (step S 6 ). If affirmative, the process returns to the step S 1  for the continuation of recording. 
     With the structure described above, means for detecting ink is arranged on the side opposite to the side where means for recovering the function of a recording head is arranged with the conveying path of a recording medium  13  being present between them. As a result, there is no possibility that the photointerrupter  37  is stained by ink splash or the like at the time of capping executed by the cap  36 . In this way, it is possible to prevent any causes that may lead to an erroneous detection due to the lowered output of the photointerrupter brought about by the stained surfaces of the light emitting and photodetecting elements. 
     (Other Modes Embodying the Invention) 
     Now, the description will be made of other modes embodying the present invention. For the mode described above in accordance with the present invention, a cap  36  that covers the recording head  27  is exemplified as means for recovering the function of recording head, but besides the capping means, the recovery means may be cleaning means using a blade or the like; pressure or suction means; preliminary heating means using elements of electrothermal transducing type or heating elements other than the electrothermal transducing type, or using them in combination; or a predischarge mode that executes discharge other than regular recording for the effective performance of a stabilized recording. 
     Now, the description will be made of a preferable structure of an ink jet recording method serving as recording means in this mode embodying the present invention described above. In accordance with such mode, the structure is arranged to discharge ink by the development and contraction of bubbles formed in ink by the utilization of film boiling created in it by the application of thermal energy generated by electro-thermal transducing elements. Regarding the typical structure and operational principle of such method, it is preferable to adopt those which can be implemented using the fundamental principle disclosed in the specifications of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740,796. This method is applicable to the so-called on-demand type recording system and a continuous type recording system as well. Particularly, for the on-demand type, at least one driving signal, which provides a rapid temperature rise beyond a departure from nucleation boiling point in response to recording information, is applicable to an electrothermal transducing element disposed on a liquid (ink) retaining sheet or liquid path whereby to cause the electrothermal transducing element to generate thermal energy to create film boiling on the thermoactive portion of the recording head, thus effectively leading to the resultant formation of a bubble in the recording liquid one to one in response to each of the driving signals. By the development and contraction of this bubble, the liquid is discharged through a discharge port to produce at least one droplet. The driving signal is more preferably in the form of pulses because the development and contraction of the bubble can be effectuated instantaneously, and, therefore, the liquid is discharged with quicker response. 
     The driving signal in the form of pulses is preferably such as disclosed in the specifications of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262. In this respect, the temperature increasing rate of the heating surface is preferably such as disclosed in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,124 for an excellent recording in a better condition. 
     The structure of the recording head may be as shown in each of the above-mentioned specifications wherein the structure is arranged to combine the discharging ports, liquid passages, and the electrothermal transducing elements (linear type liquid passages or right-angled liquid passages). Besides, the structure such as disclosed in the specifications of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,558,333 and 4,459,600 wherein the thermal activation portions are arranged in a curved area is also included in the present invention. 
     Also, the present invention is effectively applicable to the structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-123670 wherein a common slit is used as the discharging ports for plural electrothermal transducers, and to the structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-138461 wherein an aperture for absorbing pressure wave of the thermal energy is formed corresponding to the discharge ports. 
     In addition, it may be possible for the present invention to use a recording head of an exchangeable chip type, which can be electrically connected with the apparatus main body or to which ink can be supplied from the apparatus main body when it is installed in the apparatus main body, or a recording head of a cartridge type in which an ink tank is formed integrally with the recording head itself. 
     Also, for the kinds or the numbers of recording heads to be mounted on a carriage, it is possible to provide a plurality of heads for plural kinds of ink having different colors or densities besides a single head applicable to only a monochromatic ink. In other words, the present invention is applicable not only to a recording mode in which only main color such as black is used, but also to an apparatus having at least one of multi-color modes with ink of different colors, or a full-color mode using the mixture of the colors, irrespective of whether the recording heads are integrally structured or it is structured by a combination of plural recording heads. 
     Moreover, in the modes embodying the present invention described above, ink has been described as liquid, but it may be an ink material which is solidified below the room temperature but liquefied at the room temperature or the one which is liquefied by the provision of recording signal to be applied to discharging it. 
     In addition, the present invention is applicable to such a case in which, while positively preventing the temperature from rising due to the thermal energy by consuming such energy for changing states of ink from solid to liquid, or by using the ink which will be solidified when left intact for the purpose of preventing the ink from being evaporated, it is made possible to adopt ink having a nature of being liquefied only by the application of thermal energy, such as an ink capable of being discharged as ink liquid by enabling itself to be liquefied anyway when the thermal energy is given in accordance with recording signals, and the ink which will have already begun solidifying itself by the time it reaches a recording medium. 
     In such a case, it may be possible to retain ink in the form of liquid or solid in the recesses or through holes of a porous sheet such as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 54-56847 or 60-71260 so as to allow ink to face the electrothermal transducers. In the present invention, the most effective method applicable to the various kinds of ink mentioned above is the one which is able to implement the film boiling method as described above. 
     Further, as the mode of the recording apparatus in accordance with the present invention, it is not necessarily limited to the mode of a facsimile equipment provided with the functions of transmission and reception. The present invention may be applicable to the mode in which a copying apparatus combined with a reader is used, besides the image output terminal for a computer, or other information processing apparatus. 
     In accordance with the present embodiment, means for detecting ink is arranged on the side opposite to the side where recovery means is arranged with the recording medium conveying path being present between them as has been described above. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the optical components of ink detection means from being stained by ink splash from the suction pump, blade, and others that constitute the recovery means. As a result, there is no possibility that the ink detection means is caused by ink stains to bring about any malfunctions. The presence and absence of ink can be detected accurately. When a recording apparatus of the present invention is adopted for use of a facsimile equipment, for example, it is possible to minimize the occurrence of errors, thus conveying out communication more reliably.