Liquid ejecting apparatus, drive circuit, and integrated circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11345143-B2
Application number	US-202016911544-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2020
Priority date	Jun 28, 2019
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a head unit that ejects liquid, in which the head unit includes an integrated circuit and an ejector, the integrated circuit includes a drive signal input terminal that inputs a first drive signal, a first signal input terminal that inputs a first signal, a second signal input terminal that inputs a second signal, a first reference voltage signal input terminal that inputs a first reference voltage signal, a differential signal receiving circuit that converts a pair of first differential signals into a control signal and outputs the control signal, a drive signal selection circuit that outputs a second drive signal based on the control signal and the first drive signal, and a drive signal output terminal that outputs the second drive signal to the ejector, and the first signal input terminal and the first reference voltage signal input terminal are located adjacent to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
a drive signal output circuit that outputs a first drive signal;
a control signal output circuit that outputs a first original control signal;
a differential signal output circuit that is electrically coupled to the control signal output circuit, converts the first original control signal into a pair of first differential signals, and outputs the pair of first differential signals;
a drive signal wiring that is electrically coupled to the drive signal output circuit and through which the first drive signal propagates;
a first signal wiring that is electrically coupled to the differential signal output circuit and through which a first signal of one of the pair of first differential signals propagates;
a second signal wiring that is electrically coupled to the differential signal output circuit and through which a second signal of the other of the pair of first differential signals propagates;
a first reference voltage signal wiring through which a first reference voltage signal propagates; and
a head unit that is electrically coupled to the drive signal wiring, the first signal wiring, the second signal wiring, and the first reference voltage signal wiring and ejects a liquid, wherein
the head unit includes
an integrated circuit that receives the first drive signal and outputs a second drive signal, and
an ejector that is electrically coupled to the integrated circuit, includes a drive element driven based on the second drive signal, and ejects a liquid from nozzles by driving the drive element,

the integrated circuit includes
a drive signal input terminal that is electrically coupled to the drive signal wiring and inputs the first drive signal,
a first signal input terminal that is electrically coupled to the first signal wiring and inputs the first signal,
a second signal input terminal that is electrically coupled to the second signal wiring and inputs the second signal,
a first reference voltage signal input terminal that is electrically coupled to the first reference voltage signal wiring and inputs a first reference voltage signal,
a differential signal receiving circuit that is electrically coupled to the first signal input terminal, the second signal input terminal, and the first reference voltage signal input terminal, receives the first signal and the second signal, converts the pair of first differential signals into a control signal, and outputs the control signal,
a drive signal selection circuit that is electrically coupled to the drive signal input terminal and the differential signal receiving circuit and outputs the second drive signal based on the control signal and the first drive signal,
a drive signal output terminal that is electrically coupled to the drive signal selection circuit and outputs the second drive signal to the ejector, and
the first signal input terminal and the first reference voltage signal input terminal are located adjacent to each other, and

wherein the integrated circuit has a first side and a second side intersecting the first side,
the first side is longer than the second side, and
the first signal input terminal, the differential signal receiving circuit, and the drive signal selection circuit are arranged side by side in a direction along the first side.

2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second reference voltage signal wiring through which a second reference voltage signal propagates, wherein
the integrated circuit includes a second reference voltage signal input terminal that is electrically coupled to the second reference voltage signal wiring and inputs the second reference voltage signal, and
the first signal input terminal and the second signal input terminal are located between the first reference voltage signal input terminal and the second reference voltage signal input terminal.

3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the control signal output circuit outputs a second original control signal, and
the differential signal output circuit converts the second original control signal into a pair of second differential signals and outputs the pair of second differential signals,
the liquid ejecting apparatus further includes
a third signal wiring that is electrically coupled to the differential signal output circuit and through which a third signal of one of the pair of second differential signals propagates,
a fourth signal wiring that is electrically coupled to the differential signal output circuit and through which a fourth signal of the other of the pair of second differential signals propagates,
a third reference voltage signal wiring through which a third reference voltage signal propagates, and
a power supply voltage signal wiring through which a power supply voltage signal propagates,

the integrated circuit includes
a third signal input terminal that is electrically coupled to the third signal wiring and inputs the third signal,
a fourth signal input terminal that is electrically coupled to the fourth signal wiring and inputs the fourth signal,
a third reference voltage signal input terminal that is electrically coupled to the third reference voltage signal wiring and inputs the third reference voltage signal, and
a power supply voltage signal input terminal that is electrically coupled to the power supply voltage signal wiring and inputs the power supply voltage signal, and
the third signal input terminal, the fourth signal input terminal, the third reference voltage signal input terminal, and the power supply voltage signal input terminal are electrically coupled to the differential signal receiving circuit,
the third signal input terminal and the third reference voltage signal input terminal are located adjacent to each other, and
the power supply voltage signal input terminal is located between the first reference voltage signal input terminal and the third reference voltage signal input terminal.

4. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a distance between the first signal input terminal and the differential signal receiving circuit is shorter than a distance between the first signal input terminal and the drive signal input terminal and is also shorter than a distance between the first signal input terminal and the drive signal output terminal.

5. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first signal input terminal, the second signal input terminal, and the first reference voltage signal input terminal are arranged side by side in a direction along the second side.

6. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the head unit has a plurality of the ejectors,
the nozzles of each of the ejectors are arranged side by side along a nozzle row direction, and
the first signal input terminal, the differential signal receiving circuit, and the drive signal selection circuit are arranged side by side along the nozzle row direction.

7. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the number of the nozzles of each of the ejectors in the head unit is 600 or more, and the nozzles are arranged at a density of 300 or more per inch.

8. A drive circuit comprising:
a drive signal output circuit that outputs a first drive signal;
a control signal output circuit that outputs a first original control signal;
a differential signal output circuit that is electrically coupled to the control signal output circuit, converts the first original control signal into a pair of first differential signals, and outputs the pair of first differential signals;
a drive signal wiring that is electrically coupled to the drive signal output circuit and th

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Yamada Tomokazu

Classifications

• B41J2/04588

  using a specific waveform · CPC title

• B41J2/04563

  detecting head temperature; Ink temperature · CPC title

• B41J2/04593

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

• B41J2002/14354

  Sensor in each pressure chamber · CPC title

• B41J2/0451

  for detecting failure, e.g. clogging, malfunctioning actuator · CPC title