Liquid discharge apparatus and cooling unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12558909-B2
Application number	US-202418613382-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2024
Priority date	Mar 24, 2023
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A liquid discharge apparatus including: a first drive circuit generating a first drive signal; a second drive circuit generating a second drive signal; a first discharge section discharging a liquid onto a medium based on the first drive signal; a second discharge section discharging a liquid onto the medium based on the second drive signal; a blowing section generating an airflow; a first wind tunnel guiding the airflow to a first path; and a second wind tunnel guiding the airflow to a second path different from the first path, wherein the first drive circuit is disposed inside the first wind tunnel, the second drive circuit is disposed inside the second wind tunnel, and the first discharge section and the second discharge section are disposed outside the first wind tunnel and the second wind tunnel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a first drive circuit generating a first drive signal; a second drive circuit generating a second drive signal; a first discharge section discharging a liquid onto a medium based on the first drive signal; a second discharge section discharging a liquid onto the medium based on the second drive signal; a blowing section generating an airflow; a first wind tunnel guiding the airflow to a first path; and a second wind tunnel guiding the airflow to a second path different from the first path, wherein the first drive circuit is disposed inside the first wind tunnel, the second drive circuit is disposed inside the second wind tunnel, and the first discharge section and the second discharge section are disposed outside the first wind tunnel and the second wind tunnel.

2 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an adjustment section adjusting a blowing amount to the first wind tunnel and a blowing amount to the second wind tunnel.

3 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a control section controlling the adjustment section such that, when a heat generation amount of the first drive circuit is larger than a heat generation amount of the second drive circuit, the blowing amount to the first wind tunnel is larger than the blowing amount to the second wind tunnel.

4 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a housing encompassing the first drive circuit, the second drive circuit, the first discharge section, and the second discharge section, wherein the first wind tunnel and the second wind tunnel constitute a duct disposed inside the housing, and the duct includes an intake port for sucking air from an outside of the housing.

5 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the duct includes an exhaust port for discharging air to the outside of the housing.

6 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the blowing section includes a first blowing section sucking air from the intake port and a second blowing section discharging air from the exhaust port, and a blowing amount of the first blowing section is larger than a blowing amount of the second blowing section.

7 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat exchange section performing heat exchange, wherein the first wind tunnel and the second wind tunnel constitute a duct, the duct is a closed circuit in which air circulates, and the air in the duct is cooled by the heat exchange section.

8 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first drive circuit is included in a first module including a first substrate, the first discharge section is included in a second module including a second substrate, and the first substrate and the second substrate are B-to-B coupled.

9 . A cooling unit attached to a first head unit including a first drive circuit that generates a first drive signal and a first discharge section that discharges a liquid onto a medium based on the first drive signal, and a second head unit including a second drive circuit that generates a second drive signal and a second discharge section that discharges a liquid onto the medium based on the second drive signal, the cooling unit comprising:
a blowing section generating an airflow; a first wind tunnel guiding the airflow to a first path; and a second wind tunnel guiding the airflow to a second path different from the first path, wherein the first drive circuit is disposed inside the first wind tunnel, the second drive circuit is disposed inside the second wind tunnel, and the first discharge section and the second discharge section are disposed outside the first wind tunnel and the second wind tunnel.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Yanagihara Hirokazu

Classifications

• H05K7/20209

  Thermal management, e.g. fan control · CPC title

• H05K7/20145

  Means for directing air flow, e.g. ducts, deflectors, plenum or guides · CPC title

• B41J29/38

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

• B41J29/377 Primary

  Cooling or ventilating arrangements · CPC title

• B41J29/393

  Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine {; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns} · CPC title