Liquid ejecting apparatus and cooling unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12370792-B2
Application number	US-202318476400-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2023
Priority date	Sep 30, 2022
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a head that includes an ejecting portion that, upon receiving a drive signal, ejects liquid; a controller that performs control on circulation of liquid through the first flow passage, wherein the controller performs first control of circulating liquid through the first thermal conductive member and the second thermal conductive member in this order in the first flow passage when an amount of heat generated at the first portion is larger than an amount of heat generated at the second portion, and performs second control of circulating liquid through the second thermal conductive member and the first thermal conductive member in this order in the first flow passage when an amount of heat generated at the second portion is larger than an amount of heat generated at the first portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid ejecting apparatus, comprising:
a head that includes an ejecting portion that, upon receiving a drive signal, ejects liquid from a nozzle provided in a nozzle surface;
a drive circuit that is coupled to the head and generates a drive signal; and
a cooling unit that cools the drive circuit, the cooling unit including
a first thermal conductive member that is in contact with a first portion on the drive circuit,
a second thermal conductive member that is in contact with a second portion on the drive circuit,
a first flow passage through which the first thermal conductive member and the second thermal conductive member are in communication with each other, and
a controller that performs control on circulation of liquid through the first flow passage, wherein

the controller performs first control of circulating liquid through the first thermal conductive member and the second thermal conductive member in this order in the first flow passage when an amount of heat generated at the first portion is larger than an amount of heat generated at the second portion, and performs second control of circulating liquid through the second thermal conductive member and the first thermal conductive member in this order in the first flow passage when an amount of heat generated at the second portion is larger than an amount of heat generated at the first portion.

2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the cooling unit further includes a second flow passage through which the first thermal conductive member and the second thermal conductive member are in communication with each other, and
the controller performs first control of circulating liquid through the first thermal conductive member and the second thermal conductive member in this order in the second flow passage when an amount of heat generated at the first portion is larger than an amount of heat generated at the second portion, and performs second control of circulating liquid through the second thermal conductive member and the first thermal conductive member in this order in the second flow passage when an amount of heat generated at the second portion is larger than an amount of heat generated at the first portion.

3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
when an amount of heat generated at the second portion is approximately the same as an amount of heat generated at the first portion, the controller performs third control of circulating liquid through the first flow passage and circulating liquid through the second flow passage such that a direction of circulation of the liquid through the first flow passage and a direction of circulation of the liquid through the second flow passage are different from each other.

4. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
based on print content information, the controller performs switching between the first control and the second control.

5. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
based on temperature information about the first portion and temperature information about the second portion, the controller performs switching between the first control and the second control.

6. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the drive circuit includes a first drive circuit and a second drive circuit,
the first portion is the first drive circuit, and
the second portion is the second drive circuit.

7. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
based on an output waveform of the first drive circuit and an output waveform of the second drive circuit, the controller performs switching between the first control and the second control.

8. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a head unit includes the head and the drive circuit, and
the plurality of head units, each of which is the head unit, is arranged in a sheet width direction.

9. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
a third drive circuit and a fourth drive circuit are included in the drive circuit provided in each of the plurality of head units,
the cooling unit includes
a third thermal conductive member that is in contact with a third portion on the third drive circuit, and
a fourth thermal conductive member that is in contact with a fourth portion on the fourth drive circuit, and

the third thermal conductive member and the fourth thermal conductive member are in communication with each other through the first flow passage.

10. A cooling unit configured to cool a drive circuit provided in a liquid ejecting apparatus, the liquid ejecting apparatus including a head and the drive circuit, the head including an ejecting portion that, upon receiving a drive signal, ejects liquid from a nozzle provided in a nozzle surface, the drive circuit being coupled to the head and generating a drive signal, the cooling unit comprising:
a first thermal conductive member that is in contact with a first portion on the drive circuit;
a second thermal conductive member that is in contact with a second portion on the drive circuit;
a first flow passage through which the first thermal conductive member and the second thermal conductive member are in communication with each other; and
a controller that performs control on circulation of liquid through the first flow passage, wherein
the controller performs first control of circulating liquid through the first thermal conductive member and the second thermal conductive member in this order in the first flow passage when an amount of heat generated at the first portion is larger than an amount of heat generated at the second portion, and performs second control of circulating liquid through the second thermal conductive member and the first thermal conductive member in this order in the first flow passage when an amount of heat generated at the second portion is larger than an amount of heat generated at the first portion.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Yanagihara Hirokazu

Classifications

• B41J2202/08

  dealing with thermal variations, e.g. cooling · CPC title

• B41J2/04563

  detecting head temperature; Ink temperature · CPC title

• B41J2002/14419

  Manifold · CPC title

• B41J2002/14362

  Assembling elements of heads · CPC title

• B41J2202/19

  Assembling head units · CPC title