Liquid discharge apparatus and liquid discharge method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10363752-B2
Application number	US-201815913066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2018
Priority date	Mar 28, 2017
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid chamber communicating with a nozzle that discharges liquid; a capacity changer that changes a capacity of the chamber; an inflow path connected to the chamber allowing the liquid to enter the chamber; an outflow path connected to the liquid chamber allowing the liquid to exit the chamber; a first resistance changer changing a flow resistance of the inflow path; a second resistance changer changing a flow resistance of the outflow path; and a controller controlling the capacity changer, the first resistance changer, and the second resistance changer. The controller allows the nozzle to discharge the liquid by increasing the flow resistance of the inflow and outflow paths, increasing the capacity of the chamber, and then, while the flow resistance of the inflow and outflow paths remain increased, decreasing the capacity of the chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a liquid chamber fluidly communicating with a nozzle configured to discharge liquid through the nozzle;
a capacity change member configured to change a capacity of the liquid chamber;
an inflow path connected to the liquid chamber and configured to allow the liquid to be flown into the liquid chamber;
an outflow path connected to the liquid chamber and configured to allow the liquid to be flown out from the liquid chamber;
a first flow-path resistance change member configured to change a flow-path resistance of the inflow path;
a second flow-path resistance change member configured to change a flow-path resistance of the outflow path; and
a controller configured to control the capacity change member, the first flow-path resistance change member, and the second flow-path resistance change member,
wherein the controller is configured to perform a first operation in which the flow-path resistance of the outflow path is larger than the flow-path resistance of the inflow path while the flow-path resistance of the inflow path and the flow-path resistance of the outflow path increase by controlling the first flow-path resistance change member and the second flow-path resistance change member, and the capacity of the liquid chamber increases by controlling the capacity change member so as to fill the liquid in the liquid chamber, and
after the controller performs the first operation, the controller is configured to perform a second operation in which the flow-path resistance of the outflow path remains increased and the flow-path resistance of the inflow path increases by controlling the first flow-path resistance change member and the second flow-path resistance change member, and the capacity of the liquid chamber decreases by controlling the capacity change portion so as to discharge the liquid from the nozzle.

2. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, before the controller performs the first operation, the controller is configured to perform a third operation in which the liquid continues to be filled in the liquid chamber while the flow-path resistance of the inflow path is larger than the flow-path resistance of the outflow path by controlling the first flow-path resistance change member and the second flow-path resistance change member so as to make a pressure of the liquid inside the liquid chamber to be lower than or equal to a withstand pressure of meniscus of the liquid inside the nozzle.

3. A liquid discharge method of a liquid discharge apparatus, the liquid discharge apparatus including:
a liquid chamber fluidly communicating with a nozzle configured to discharge liquid through the nozzle;
a capacity change member configured to change a capacity of the liquid chamber;
an inflow path connected to the liquid chamber and configured to allow the liquid to be flown into the liquid chamber;
an outflow path connected to the liquid chamber and configured to allow the liquid to be flown out from the liquid chamber;
a first flow-path resistance change member configured to change a flow-path resistance of the inflow path; and
a second flow-path resistance change member configured to change a flow-path resistance of the outflow path,
the method comprising:
performing a first operation in which the flow-path resistance of the outflow path is larger than the flow-path resistance of the inflow path while the flow-path resistance of the inflow path and the flow-path resistance of the outflow path increase by controlling the first flow-path resistance change member and the second flow-path resistance change member, and the capacity of the liquid chamber increases by controlling the capacity change member so as to fill the liquid in the liquid chamber; and
after the first operation is performed, performing a second operation in which the flow-path resistance of the outflow path remains increased and the flow-path resistance of the inflow path increases by controlling the first flow-path resistance change member and the second flow-path resistance change member, and the capacity of the liquid chamber decreases by controlling the capacity change portion so as to discharge the liquid from the nozzle.

4. The liquid discharge method according to claim 3 ,
wherein, before performing the first operation, performing a third operation in which the liquid continues to be filled in the liquid chamber while the flow-path resistance of the inflow path is larger than the flow-path resistance of the outflow path by controlling the first flow-path resistance change member and the second flow-path resistance change member so as to make a pressure of the liquid inside the liquid chamber to be lower than or equal to a withstand pressure of meniscus of the liquid inside the nozzle.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B41J2/18 Primary

  Ink recirculation systems · CPC title

• B41J2/175

  Ink supply systems {; Circuit parts therefor} · CPC title

• B41J2/17596 Primary

  Ink pumps, ink valves · CPC title

• B41J2/04501 Primary

  Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits · CPC title