Liquid ejection apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11518171-B2
Application number	US-202117212604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2021
Priority date	Mar 26, 2020
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

A liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid ejection head and a controller. The controller configured to perform: determining whether a discharge failure occurs in a first nozzle; in a case where it is determined that the discharge failure occurs in the first nozzle, determining whether a certain condition is satisfied; in a case where it is determined that the certain condition is satisfied: applying a flushing signal to a second driving element; applying a driving signal to the second driving element; determining whether the discharge failure occurs in a second nozzle; in a case where it is determined that the discharge failure does not occur in the second nozzle, executing a first purge; and in a case where it is determined that the discharge failure occurs in the second nozzle, executing a second purge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid ejection apparatus comprising:
a liquid ejection head comprising:
a common channel;
a first individual channel connected to the common channel, the first individual channel including a first nozzle and a first pressure chamber;
a first driving element corresponding to the first pressure chamber;
a second individual channel connected to the common channel, the second individual channel including a second nozzle and a second pressure chamber; and
a second driving element corresponding to the second pressure chamber, and

a controller configured to perform:
determining whether a discharge failure occurs in the first nozzle;
in a case where it is determined that the discharge failure occurs in the first nozzle, determining whether a certain condition is satisfied;
in a case where it is determined that the certain condition is satisfied:
applying a flushing signal to the second driving element; and
applying a driving signal to the second driving element;

determining whether the discharge failure occurs in the second nozzle;
in a case where it is determined that the discharge failure does not occur in the second nozzle, executing a first purge; and
in a case where it is determined that the discharge failure occurs in the second nozzle, executing a second purge.

2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprises:
a subtank including a communication channel connected to the common channel, and an exhaustion port communicated with the communication channel;
a first cap configured to cover the first nozzle and the second nozzle;
a second cap configured to cover the exhaustion port;
a pump; and
a switching unit configured to cause the pump to be selectively communicated with the first cap or the second cap,
wherein the first purge is executed when the pump is communicated with the first cap, and
wherein the second purge is executed when the pump is communicated with the second cap.

3. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the liquid ejection head includes a connection portion that connects to the common channel, and
wherein the second individual channel is disposed closer to the connection portion than the first individual channel is to the connection portion.

4. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the second individual channel is disposed closer to the connection portion than any other individual channel is to the connection portion.

5. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first purge is a first liquid purge that discharges liquid from one or more nozzles in a corresponding individual channel,
wherein the second purge is a second liquid purge that discharges liquid from one or more nozzles included in a corresponding individual channel, and
wherein the second liquid purge enables discharging liquid more than the first liquid purge.

6. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the liquid ejection apparatus further includes:
a communication channel connected to the common channel; and
an exhaustion channel that branches from the communication channel,

wherein the first purge is a liquid purge that discharges liquid from one or more nozzles in a corresponding individual channel, and
wherein the second purge is an exhaustion purge that discharges air from one or more nozzles in a corresponding individual channel.

7. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the liquid ejection apparatus further comprises:
a cartridge attachment member configured to be attached a liquid cartridge; and
a connection channel that connects to each of the attached cartridge and the liquid ejection head,

wherein the controller is configured to determine that the certain condition is satisfied in a case where an elapsed time from a timing when the cartridge is attached to the cartridge attachment member is greater than a predetermined time.

8. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the liquid ejection apparatus further comprises a signal output member that outputs a signal in accordance with a determination of whether liquid is ejected from a nozzle, and
wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the discharge failure occurs in each of the first nozzle and the second nozzle based on the signal outputted from the signal output member.

9. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the liquid ejection apparatus further comprises:
a communication channel connected to the common channel; and
a filter disposed between the common channel and the communication channel.

10. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the controller is configured to apply the flushing signal to the second driving element such that a volume of liquid defined by the filter and the pressure chamber in the second individual channel is discharged from the second nozzle.

11. A liquid ejection apparatus comprising:
a liquid ejection head comprising:
a common channel;
a first individual channel connected to the common channel, the first individual channel including a first nozzle and a first pressure chamber;
a first driving element corresponding to the first pressure chamber;
a second individual channel connected to the common channel, the second individual channel including a second nozzle and a second pressure chamber;
a second driving element corresponding to the second pressure chamber, and
a controller configured to perform:
determining whether a discharge failure occurs in the first nozzle;
in a case where it is determined that the discharge failure occurs in the first nozzle:
determining whether a certain condition is satisfied; and
determining whether air flows into the first nozzle from outside of the first nozzle, in a case where it is determined that the certain condition is satisfied and where it is determined that the air does not flow into the first nozzle from outside of the first nozzle:
applying a flushing signal to the second driving element;
applying a driving signal to the second driving element;

determining whether the discharge failure occurs in the second nozzle;
in a case where it is determined that the discharge failure does not occur in the second nozzle, executing a first purge; and
in a case where it is determined that the discharge failure occurs in the second nozzle, executing a second purge.

12. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein in a case where it is determined that the air storing member does not store air therein and that the air does not flow into the first nozzle from outside of the first nozzle, the controller is configured to execute a first liquid purge for one or more nozzles.

13. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein in a case where it is determined that the air flows into the first nozzle from outside of the first nozzle, the controller is configured to execute a second liquid purge for one or more nozzles.

14. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein the second liquid purge enables discharging more liquid than the first liquid purge.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Iida Shotaro

Classifications

• B41J2002/14459

  Matrix arrangement of the pressure chambers · CPC title

• B41J2/16508 Primary

  connected with the printer frame · CPC title

• B41J2002/14306

  Flow passage between manifold and chamber · CPC title

• B41J2/17509

  Whilst mounted in the printer · CPC title

• B41J29/38

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