Liquid ejecting apparatus, liquid ejecting method, and computer program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10189267-B2
Application number	US-201715831792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2017
Priority date	Dec 28, 2016
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

A liquid ejecting apparatus is provided with a liquid chamber which communicates with a nozzle for ejecting liquid; an inflow path which is connected to the liquid chamber; a liquid supply unit which supplies the liquid to the inflow path; an outflow path which is connected to the liquid chamber, and through which the liquid is caused to flow out from the liquid chamber; a moving object which causes the liquid to be ejected from the nozzle by reciprocating toward the nozzle in the liquid chamber; and an actuator which causes the moving object to reciprocate. In an ejecting state in which liquid is continuously ejected from the nozzle due to at least reciprocating of the moving object, a flow path resistance of the outflow path is larger than that of the inflow path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
a liquid chamber which communicates with a nozzle for ejecting liquid;
an inflow path which is connected to the liquid chamber;
a liquid supply unit which supplies the liquid to the inflow path;
an outflow path which is connected to the liquid chamber, and through which the liquid is caused to flow out from the liquid chamber;
a moving object which causes the liquid to be ejected from the nozzle by reciprocating toward the nozzle in the liquid chamber; and
an actuator which causes the moving object to reciprocate,
wherein, at least in an ejecting state in which the liquid is continuously ejected from the nozzle due to reciprocating of the moving object, a flow path resistance of the outflow path is larger than that of the inflow path.

2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a changing mechanism which can change a flow path resistance of at least one of the inflow path and the outflow path; and
a control unit which sets the flow path resistance of the outflow path in the ejecting state to be larger than that of the inflow path, by controlling the changing mechanism.

3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the control unit sets the flow path resistance of the outflow path in a standby state in which the moving object stands by in a state in which the nozzle is closed to be smaller than that of the outflow path in the ejecting state, by controlling the changing mechanism.

4. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the changing mechanism changes the flow path resistance by changing at least a part of flow path sectional area of at least one of the inflow path and the outflow path.

5. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a circulation path through which the liquid which flows out to the outflow path is resupplied to the liquid supply unit.

6. A method of controlling a liquid ejecting apparatus which includes a liquid chamber which communicates with a nozzle for ejecting liquid, an inflow path which is connected to the liquid chamber, a liquid supply unit which supplies the liquid to the inflow path, an outflow path which is connected to the liquid chamber, and through which the liquid is caused to flow out from the liquid chamber, a moving object which causes the liquid to be ejected from the nozzle by reciprocating toward the nozzle in the liquid chamber, an actuator which causes the moving object to reciprocate, and a changing mechanism which can change a flow path resistance of at least one of the inflow path and the outflow path, the method comprising:
setting the flow path resistance of the outflow path in an ejecting state in which the liquid is continuously ejected from the nozzle due to reciprocating of the moving object to be larger than that of the inflow path, by controlling the changing mechanism.

7. A computer program for controlling a liquid ejecting apparatus which includes a liquid chamber which communicates with a nozzle for ejecting liquid, an inflow path which is connected to the liquid chamber, a liquid supply unit which supplies the liquid to the inflow path, an outflow path which is connected to the liquid chamber, and through which the liquid is caused to flow out from the liquid chamber, a moving object which causes the liquid to be ejected from the nozzle by reciprocating toward the nozzle in the liquid chamber, an actuator which causes the moving object to reciprocate, a moving object which causes the liquid to be ejected from the nozzle by reciprocating toward the nozzle in the liquid chamber, an actuator which causes the moving object to reciprocate, and a changing mechanism which can change a flow path resistance of at least one of the inflow path and the outflow path, the computer program causing a computer to execute a function of:
setting the flow path resistance of the outflow path in an ejecting state in which the liquid is continuously ejected from the nozzle due to reciprocating of the moving object to be larger than that of the inflow path, by controlling the changing mechanism.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Sakai Hirofumi
• Nakamura Shinichi
• Sano Junichi
• Katakura Takahiro
• Sugai Keigo

Classifications

• B33Y30/00

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• B41J2/04581

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• B41J2/14201

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