Printing apparatus and control method of printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11097555-B2
Application number	US-202016738259-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2020
Priority date	Jan 11, 2019
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

The thermal printer includes a heating element, and a voltage supply circuit that supplies a drive voltage and a test voltage to the heating element. The voltage supply circuit includes a drive voltage supply circuit that is coupled to the heating element and that turns ON the supply of the drive voltage to the heating element, a test voltage supply circuit that is coupled to the heating element and that turns ON the supply of the test voltage to the heating element, a drive voltage stop circuit setting the supply of the drive voltage of the drive voltage supply circuit OFF, and a test voltage stop circuit setting the supply of the test voltage of the test voltage supply circuit OFF.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus comprising:
a print head including a head element; and
a voltage supply circuit configured to supply, to the head element, a first voltage and a second voltage lower than the first voltage, wherein
the voltage supply circuit includes
a first voltage supply circuit that is coupled to the head element and that turns ON a supply of the first voltage to the head element in response to an input of a first signal,
a second voltage supply circuit that is coupled to the head element and that turns ON a supply of the second voltage to the head element in response to an input of a second signal,
a first voltage stop circuit setting a supply of the first voltage of the first voltage supply circuit OFF in response to an input of the second signal, and
a second voltage stop circuit setting a supply of the second voltage of the second voltage supply circuit OFF in response to an input of the first signal,
wherein, the voltage supply circuit is coupled to a first voltage supply line to which the first voltage is supplied and a second voltage supply line for supplying the second voltage,
wherein, the first voltage supply circuit includes a first switch turning ON in response to the first signal and couples the head element to the first voltage supply line when the first switch is in an ON state,
wherein, the second voltage supply circuit includes a second switch turning ON in response to the second signal and couples the head element to the second voltage supply line when the second switch is in an ON state, and
wherein, the first voltage stop circuit sets the first switch OFF in response to an input of the second signal, and wherein the second voltage stop circuit sets the second switch OFF in response to an input of the first signal.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first delay circuit delaying an input of the first signal to the first voltage supply circuit.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second delay circuit delaying an input of the second signal to the second voltage supply circuit.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first switch is composed of a first field effect transistor, and wherein
the first voltage stop circuit sets the first field effect transistor OFF when an input of the second signal is in an ON state.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the second switch is composed of a second field effect transistor, and wherein
the second voltage stop circuit sets the second field effect transistor OFF when an input of the first signal is in an ON state.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first switch and the second switch are coupled to a common contact coupled to the head element.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a control circuit controlling the first signal and the second signal each of which is input to the voltage supply circuit.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Takeuchi Katsuo

Classifications

• G05F1/56

  using semiconductor devices in series with the load as final control devices (G05F1/461 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B41J2/3553

  Heater resistance determination · CPC title

• B41J2/375

  Protection arrangements against overheating · CPC title

• B41J2/36

  Print density control · CPC title

• B41J2/355

  Control circuits for heating-element selection · CPC title