Liquid discharge apparatus and flexible flat cable grouping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10103467-B2
Application number	US-201615361969-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2016
Priority date	Dec 22, 2015
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A liquid discharge apparatus is provided with a first flexible flat cable, a second flexible flat cable, a head unit, and a liquid absorbing member, the head unit includes discharge section which discharges a liquid due to driving signals being applied, a discharge surface which is provided with a discharge opening for discharging the liquid, a first connection section which is connected to the first flexible flat cable, and a second connection section which is connected to the second flexible flat cable, and the liquid absorbing member is provided between the first flexible flat cable and the second flexible flat cable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a first flexible flat cable;
a second flexible flat cable;
a head unit; and
a liquid absorbing member,
the head unit including a discharge section which discharges a liquid due to driving signals being applied, a discharge surface which is provided with a discharge opening for discharging the liquid, a first connection section which is connected to the first flexible flat cable, and a second connection section which is connected to the second flexible flat cable, and
the liquid absorbing member being provided between the first flexible flat cable and the second flexible flat cable such that the liquid absorbing member contacts a surface of the first flexible flat cable and a surface of the second flexible flat cable.

2. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the first flexible flat cable and the second flexible flat cable includes a first surface, a second surface which is on the reverse side of the first surface, a driving signal line which transfers the driving signals, and a driving signal output terminal which is provided in the first surface and which outputs the driving signals to the head unit,
the first surface of the first flexible flat cable and the first surface of the second flexible flat cable oppose each other, and
the liquid absorbing member is provided between the first surface of the first flexible flat cable and the first surface of the second flexible flat cable.

3. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the head unit includes a discharge selecting section which selects the discharge section which is to discharge the liquid by receiving control signals, and
each of the first flexible flat cable and the second flexible flat cable includes a control signal line which transfers the control signals and a control signal output terminal which is provided in the first surface and which outputs the control signals to the head unit.

4. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first flexible flat cable is connected to the first connection section so that the second surface faces toward the same side as the discharge surface.

5. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first flexible flat cable is connected to the first connection section so that it is easier for mist, which is generated in accompaniment with the liquid being discharged from the discharge opening, to become attached to the second surface than to the first surface.

6. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a plurality of flexible flat cables which include the first flexible flat cable and the second flexible flat cable,
wherein the head unit includes a plurality of connection sections which include the first connection section and the second connection section,
the plurality of flexible flat cables are respectively connected to the plurality of connection sections, and
the first connection section is the closest out of the plurality of connection sections to the discharge surface.

7. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first flexible flat cable includes a reinforcing plate which is provided on the second surface.

8. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the reinforcing plate has an ability to repeal water which is greater than the second surface of the first flexible flat cable.

9. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the reinforcing plate does not have grooves.

10. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein at least one of the first flexible flat cable and the second flexible flat cable includes a short circuit detecting terminal which is provided in the first surface in order to detect short circuiting.

11. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a short circuit detecting section which detects short circuiting based on the short circuit detecting terminal,
wherein supply of the driving signals to the head unit is stopped when the short circuit detecting section detects the short circuiting.

12. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein supply of the control signals to the head unit is stopped when the short circuit detecting section detects the short circuiting.

13. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first flexible flat cable and the second flexible flat cable include a plurality of signal lines, and
the driving signal line is a signal line out of the plurality of signal lines other than the signal lines which are positioned on the ends.

14. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein the signal lines which are positioned on the ends are ground lines.

15. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein a signal line which transfers a signal with a voltage which is lower than the driving signal is provided between the driving signal line and the signal lines which are positioned at the ends.

16. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the driving signal output terminal is not provided in the second surface of the first flexible flat cable and the second surface of the second flexible flat cable.

17. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a binding section for binding the first flexible flat cable and the second flexible flat cable.

18. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the head unit discharges the liquid while sliding.

19. A flexible flat cable grouping, which is connected to a first connection section and a second connection section of a head unit which includes a discharge section which discharges a liquid due to driving signals being applied, a discharge surface which is provided with a discharge opening for discharging the liquid, the first connection section, and the second connection section, comprising:
a first flexible flat cable;
a second flexible flat cable; and
a liquid absorbing member,
the liquid absorbing member being provided between the first flexible flat cable and the second flexible flat cable such that the liquid absorbing member contacts a surface of the first flexible flat cable and a surface of the second flexible flat cable.

20. The flexible flat cable grouping according to claim 19 ,
wherein each of the first flexible flat cable and the second flexible flat cable include a first surface, a second surface which is on the reverse side of the first surface, a driving signal line which transfers the driving signals, and a driving signal output terminal which is provided in the first surface and which outputs the driving signals to the head unit,
the first surface of the first flexible flat cable and the first surface of the second flexible flat cable oppose each other, and
the liquid absorbing member is provided between the first surface of the first flexible flat cable and the first surface of the second flexible flat cable.

21. The flexible flat cable grouping according to claim 20 ,
wherein each of the first flexible flat cable and the second flexible flat cable include a control signal line which transfers control signals for controlling a discharge selecting section, which is included in the head unit and which selects the discharge section which is to discharge the liquid, and a control signal output terminal which is provided in

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Hayashi Hiroki

Classifications

• B41J2/14233

  of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm · CPC title

• B41J2/04596

  Non-ejecting pulses · CPC title

• B41J2002/14491

  Electrical connection · CPC title

• H01R12/79

  connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures · CPC title

• B41J2/04593

  Dot-size modulation by changing the size of the drop · CPC title