Liquid ejecting apparatus driving method, and liquid ejecting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10449768-B2
Application number	US-201715710594-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2017
Priority date	Sep 23, 2016
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A method for driving a liquid ejecting apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head having nozzles in a nozzle surface and being configured to eject a liquid from the nozzles, a wiper being used for wiping the nozzle surface, and a maintenance liquid supply mechanism being configured to supply a maintenance liquid with which it is possible to suppress deterioration of recovery performance of, among the nozzles, a defective nozzle from which the liquid is not ejected properly. The method includes: a first liquid ejection of performing liquid ejecting operation to eject the liquid from the nozzles toward a medium; a wiping of performing wiping operation to wipe the nozzle surface by means of the wiper, with the liquid ejecting operation suspended, and put the maintenance liquid into the nozzles; and a second liquid ejection of resuming the liquid ejecting operation after the wiping.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid ejecting apparatus driving method for driving a liquid ejecting apparatus, the apparatus including a liquid ejecting head, a wiper, and a maintenance liquid supply mechanism, the liquid ejecting head having nozzles in a nozzle surface, pressure compartments communicating with the nozzles, and actuators corresponding to the pressure compartments, and configured to eject a liquid from the nozzles communicating with the pressure compartments corresponding to the driven actuators, the wiper configured to wipe the nozzle surface, and the maintenance liquid supply mechanism configured to supply a maintenance liquid to suppress deterioration of recovery performance of, among the nozzles, defective nozzles from which the liquid is not ejected properly, the method comprising:
performing a liquid ejecting operation to eject the liquid from the nozzles toward a medium;
putting the maintenance liquid into the nozzles by wiping the nozzle surface by means of the wiper, with the liquid ejecting operation suspended; and
resuming the liquid ejecting operation after the wiping using the nozzles, exclusive of the nozzles identified as being defective nozzles, wherein the actuators corresponding to the pressure compartments communicating with the defective nozzles are not driven such that the maintenance liquid remains in the defective nozzles until a subsequent cleaning operation.

2. The liquid ejecting apparatus driving method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus further includes a nozzle inspection mechanism configured to detect the defective nozzle from which the liquid is not ejected properly; and
wherein the nozzle surface is wiped by the wiper in a case where the defective nozzle is detected by the nozzle inspection mechanism.

3. The liquid ejecting apparatus driving method according to claim 2 ,
wherein an amount of the maintenance liquid put into the nozzles in the wiping is adjusted depending on a length of time from the detection of the defective nozzle by the nozzle inspection mechanism to scheduled completion of the liquid ejecting operation onto the medium.

4. The liquid ejecting apparatus driving method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
performing a flushing operation to eject the liquid from the nozzles toward an area outside an area of the medium after the wiping and before the resurgence in the liquid ejection operation after the wiping,
wherein, in the flushing operation, the actuators corresponding to the pressure compartments communicating the defective nozzles are not driven to not eject the liquid from the defective nozzles.

5. A liquid ejecting apparatus driving method for driving a liquid ejecting apparatus, the apparatus including a liquid ejecting head, a wiper, and a maintenance liquid supply mechanism, the liquid ejecting head having nozzles in a nozzle surface, pressure compartments communicating with the nozzles, and actuators corresponding to the pressure compartments, and configured to eject a liquid from the nozzles communicating with the pressure compartments corresponding to the driven actuators, the wiper configured to wipe the nozzle surface, and the maintenance liquid supply mechanism configured to supply a maintenance liquid that contains a surface-active agent, the method comprising:
performing a liquid ejecting operation to eject the liquid from the nozzles toward a medium;
putting the maintenance liquid into the nozzles by wiping the nozzle surface by means of the wiper, with the liquid ejecting operation suspended; and
resuming the liquid ejecting operation after the wiping using the nozzles, exclusive of the nozzles identified as being defective nozzles, wherein the actuators corresponding to the pressure compartments communicating the defective nozzles are not driven such that the maintenance liquid remains in the defective nozzles until a subsequent cleaning operation.

6. The liquid ejecting apparatus driving method according to claim 5 ,
wherein the liquid contains a surface-active agent;
wherein the surface-active agent contained in the maintenance liquid is the same material as the surface-active agent contained in the liquid; and
wherein concentration of the surface-active agent contained in the maintenance liquid is higher than concentration of the surface-active agent contained in the liquid.

7. The liquid ejecting apparatus driving method according to claim 5 ,
wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus further includes a nozzle inspection mechanism configured to detect the defective nozzle from which the liquid is not ejected properly; and
wherein the nozzle surface is wiped by the wiper in a case where the defective nozzle is detected by the nozzle inspection mechanism.

8. The liquid ejecting apparatus driving method according to claim 7 ,
wherein an amount of the maintenance liquid put into the nozzles in the wiping is adjusted depending on a length of time from the detection of the defective nozzle by the nozzle inspection mechanism to scheduled completion of the liquid ejecting operation onto the medium.

9. The liquid ejecting apparatus driving method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
performing a flushing operation to eject the liquid from the nozzles toward an area outside an area of the medium after the wiping and before the resurgence in the liquid ejection operation after the wiping,
wherein, in the flushing operation, the actuators corresponding to the pressure compartments communicating the defective nozzles are not driven to not eject the liquid from the defective nozzles.

10. A liquid ejecting apparatus driving method for driving a liquid ejecting apparatus, the apparatus including a liquid ejecting head, a wiper, and a maintenance liquid supply mechanism, the liquid ejecting head having nozzles in a nozzle surface, pressure compartments communicating with the nozzles, and actuators corresponding to the pressure compartments, and configured to eject a liquid from the nozzles communicating with the pressure compartments corresponding to the driven actuators, the wiper configured to wipe the nozzle surface, and the maintenance liquid supply mechanism configured to supply a maintenance liquid that is less volatile than the liquid and does not mix well with the liquid, the method comprising:
performing a liquid ejecting operation to eject the liquid from the nozzles toward a medium;
putting the maintenance liquid into the nozzles by wiping the nozzle surface by means of the wiper, with the liquid ejecting operation suspended; and
resuming the liquid ejecting operation after the wiping using the nozzles, exclusive of the nozzles identified as being defective nozzles, wherein the actuators corresponding to the pressure compartments communicating the defective nozzles are not driven such that the maintenance liquid remains in the defective nozzles until a subsequent cleaning operation.

11. The liquid ejecting apparatus driving method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus further includes a nozzle inspection mechanism configured to detect the defective nozzle from which the liquid is not ejected properly; and
wherein the nozzle surface is wiped by the wiper in a case where the defective nozzle is detected by the nozzle inspection mechanism.

12. The liquid ejecting apparatus driving method according to claim 11 ,
wherein an amount of the maintenance liquid put into the nozzles in the wiping is adjusted depending on a length of time from the detection of the defective nozzle by the nozzle inspection mechanism to scheduled completion of the liquid ejecting operation onto the medium.

13. The liquid eje

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Zhang Junhua
• Seguchi Kenichi

Classifications

• B41J2/14201

  Structure of print heads with piezoelectric elements · CPC title

• B41J29/38

  Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism · CPC title

• B41J2002/16558

  Using cleaning liquid for wet wiping · CPC title

• B41J2/16535 Primary

  using wiping constructions (B41J2/16552 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B41J2/17563

  Ink filters · CPC title