| 摘要 |
An object is to directly detect the emptiness of a solvent cartridge being mounted. An emptiness detection unit body includes a light transmissive tube which constitutes part of internal piping of a printer body, a light emitter, and a light receiver. The light transmissive tube is composed of a transparent tube, typically, a glass tube or a fluororesin (PFA) tube. The light emitter and the light receiver are arranged to face the light transmissive tube. The light transmissive tube is filled with a solvent supplied from the solvent cartridge. On the other hand, the light transmissive tube is filled with gas when the solvent cartridge is empty. The emptiness of the solvent cartridge is detected by a change in the amount of light received by the light receiver associated with the change in the light transmissive tube. |
| 主权项 |
1. An ink jet recording apparatus, the ink jet recording apparatus being a continuous type ink jet recording apparatus that has a reservoir detachably receiving a solvent cartridge and adjusts the viscosity of an ink liquid by replenishment with a solvent from the solvent cartridge, the ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
a main tank storing an ink liquid therein; a solvent flowing tube connected to the reservoir, the solvent flowing tube allowing a solvent in the solvent cartridge attached to the reservoir to flow therethrough; a pump for sucking the solvent in the solvent cartridge attached to the reservoir to supply the sucked solvent to the main tank through the solvent flowing tube; and an optical emptiness detection mechanism disposed on the middle of a path of the solvent flowing tube,
the optical emptiness detection mechanism includinga light transmissive tube communicating with the solvent flowing tube,a light emitter arranged to face the light transmissive tube, the light emitter for emitting light toward the light transmissive tube, anda light receiver for receiving light reflected by the light transmissive tube or light passing through the light transmissive tube and outputting a signal on the amount of the received light, wherein emptiness detection for the solvent cartridge attached to the reservoir is performed based on the signal output from the light receiver. |
