Epson Stylus Photo 1390 - 2.2.5.3 Cap Unit; 2.2.6 Ink Sequence

EPSON Stylus Photo 1390/1400/1410 Revision B
OPERATING PRINCIPLES Printer Mechanism 33
2.2.5.3 Cap Unit
The Cap Unit is designed to keep inside of the Cap airtight by the Cap sticking to the
Printhead surface with the driving force of the Pump Motor when ink is sucked.
When the printer is in a standby status or its power is OFF, the Cap Unit prevents the
ink from thickening.
The following figures shows the Cap Unit operation.
Figure 2-11. Capping Mechanism
2.2.6 Ink Sequence
The following ink sequence is executed according to various timer, counter, flag and
other information saved on the EEPROM.
 Initial Ink Filling
When the printer is powered on for the first time after purchase, the printer
executes the initial ink filling operation to fill the ink cavities of the Head with ink.
When the initial ink filling operation is performed properly, the printer clears the
flag in the EEPROM so that initial ink filling operation will not be performed
when it is powered on the next time. The EPSON Stylus Photo 1390/1400/1410
requires about 170 seconds to perform the initial ink filling operation.
If the sequence does not end normally during initial filling, the initial filling flag is
not cleared and the CL operating flag is set. Because of these flags, when powered
on the next time, the printer assumes that it was powered off for some reason
during initial filling and executes CL3 instead of the initial filling sequence. (On
the previous model, initial filling was executed again. However, when this
operation was performed, ink was wasted and therefore CL3 is executed to cover
for the ink filling performance.)
When the initial filling flag is set and the CL operating flag is not set, the printer
judges that the initial filling was not executed at all (power was switched on but
the cartridges were not installed), and when the printer is powered on the next
time, it executes initial filling.
 Replacement Cleaning
Replacement cleaning is executed when an Ink Cartridge(s) is replaced.
Slider cap rises to perform
capping.
Printhead
Cap
Carriage Unit