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REV.-A
2.4.3.9 Cap Damper and Ink Reservoir
A cap damper is installed between the head cap and the valve. The cap damper expands, or shrinks,
to absorb the pressure fluctuations which occur when the cap is opened or closed.
If capping is maintained, air within the cap expands as the temperature rises, and cause ink to retract
in the nozzle; this can cause dot failure. The damper prevents this problem by absorbing the expanding
air.
The ink reservoir is installed between the head cap and the pump. An absorbent material in the reservoir
is continually moistened by wasted ink. The moisture is transferred, through the head, to the cap; this
prevents the nozzle from drying.
Air
~
Printhead
Head Cap
Cap Damper
Ink Reservoir
Ink Cartridge
~MoistAir
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 > ' ' > Wasted Ink
Figure 2-83. Cap Damper and Ink Reservoir
2.4.3.10 Ink Cartridge and Ink End Sensor
The composition of the ink cartridge is shown in Figure 2-83. The cartridge is formed of two layers:
the upper layer is an absorbent that takes in wasted ink, and the lower layer is the ink pack. The ink
pack also contains the cleaner cartridge, which holds the cleaning liquid used for maintenance. The
draining cartridge contains only the wasted ink absorbent.
The ink pack is continuously compressed by the ink-end detection plate spring. As ink is consumed
and the pack shrinks, the ink-end detection lever rotates counterclockwise, causing to ink-end detection
plate (to the right, as indicated in the Figure). This movement drives the ink level indicator.
At the moment when the ink completely runs out, the part of the ink-end detection lever marked as
A in the Figure completely unlocks, and the detection plate jumps out.
The composition of the ink cartridge holder is shown in Figure 2-84. When the cartridge is installed,
the ink supply needle penetrates the ink pack, and the ink disposal needle penetrates the wasted ink
absorbent. Because a small amount of ink always remains at the tip of the ink supply needle, a special
cover is provided to prevent ink from dripping into the case; when the cartridge is removed, the cover,
pulled by a string, covers the needle.
There are two microswitches within the cartridge holder: an ink-end sensor (the upper switch), and an
ink-cartridge sensor. The ink-end sensor detects the status of the ink-end detecting plate; the
ink-cartridge sensor detects the presence or absence of the cartridge. Detection signals (lE, ICE) are
sent to PHC I/O ports P6 and P7.
If a full ink pack is utilized to completion, it will be empty, and the ink-end indication will be output,
after about 200 lines of printing. If no ink cartridge is detected, the ink-end indication will be output
immediately.
2-68
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