Drive circuit unit, head unit, and liquid discharge apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12576634-B2
Application number	US-202318476381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2023
Priority date	Sep 30, 2022
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

Provided is a drive circuit unit that drives a head including a discharge section discharging a liquid in a first direction, the drive circuit unit including: a power supply board extending in a second direction and B-to-B-coupled to the head; a drive circuit mounted on a first surface and generating the drive signal; and a cooling mechanism cooling the drive circuit, in which the cooling mechanism includes an air guide portion guiding an airflow created by a fan and covering the drive circuit on the first surface, and a straightening plate that intersects the first direction and straightens, toward the second direction, an airflow flowing in a direction intersecting the second direction, or that straightens, toward a direction intersecting the first direction, an airflow flowing in the first direction, and the straightening plate is disposed on a first direction side with respect to the drive circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A drive circuit unit that drives a head including a discharge section discharging, based on a drive signal, a liquid from a nozzle in a first direction, the drive circuit unit comprising:
a power supply board extending in a second direction opposite to the first direction and B-to-B-coupled to the head; a drive circuit generating the drive signal and mounted on a first surface of the power supply board such that the drive circuit is positioned on a side in a third direction relative to the power supply board, the third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction; and a cooling mechanism cooling the drive circuit, the cooling mechanism including
an air guide portion guiding an airflow created by a fan and covering the drive circuit on the first surface, the air guide portion being positioned on the side in the third direction relative to the power supply board,
a straightening plate that straightens, toward the second direction, an airflow flowing in a direction intersecting the first direction, or that straightens, toward the direction intersecting the first direction, an airflow flowing in the first direction, the straightening plate being disposed on a side in the first direction relative to the drive circuit, and
an intake port for supplying air flowing in an order of the straightening plate and the air guide portion, the intake port opening in the third direction and being formed by at least an end portion on a side in the third direction of the straightening plate and an end portion on a side in the first direction of the air guide portion.

2 . The drive circuit unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the intake port is provided with a slit.

3 . The drive circuit unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the cooling mechanism includes the fan, and the fan is disposed at at least one of a space between the first surface and the air guide portion and an air inlet/outlet of the air guide portion.

4 . The drive circuit unit according to claim 3 , wherein
the fan blows air so as to create an airflow flowing in the first direction.

5 . The drive circuit unit according to claim 3 , wherein
the fan blows air so as to create an airflow flowing in the second direction.

6 . The drive circuit unit according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a control circuit generating a control signal, wherein the drive circuit generates the drive signal based on the control signal generated by the control circuit, and the drive circuit, the fan, and the control circuit are arranged in an order of the drive circuit, the fan, and the control circuit, or in an order of the drive circuit, the control circuit, and the fan, in the second direction.

7 . The drive circuit unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the cooling mechanism includes the fan, and the air guide portion is disposed between the fan and the intake port.

8 . The drive circuit unit according to claim 7 , wherein
the fan blows air so as to create an airflow flowing in the first direction.

9 . The drive circuit unit according to claim 7 , wherein
the fan blows air so as to create an airflow flowing in the second direction.

10 . The drive circuit unit according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a control circuit generating a control signal, wherein the drive circuit generates the drive signal based on the control signal generated by the control circuit, and the drive circuit, the fan, and the control circuit are arranged in an order of the drive circuit, the fan, and the control circuit, or in an order of the drive circuit, the control circuit, and the fan, in the second direction.

11 . A head unit comprising:
a head including a discharge section discharging, based on a drive signal, a liquid from a nozzle in a first direction; and a drive circuit unit driving the head, the drive circuit unit including
a power supply board extending in a second direction opposite to the first direction and B-to-B-coupled to the head,
a drive circuit generating the drive signal and mounted on a first surface of the power supply board such that the drive circuit is positioned on a side in a third direction relative to the power supply board, the third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction, and
a cooling mechanism cooling the drive circuit, the cooling mechanism including
an air guide portion guiding an airflow created by a fan and covering the drive circuit on the first surface, the air guide portion being positioned on the side in the third direction relative to the power supply board,
a straightening plate that straightens, toward the second direction, an airflow flowing in a direction intersecting the first direction, or that straightens, toward the direction intersecting the first direction, an airflow flowing in the first direction, the straightening plate being disposed on a side in the first direction relative to the drive circuit, and
an intake port for supplying air flowing in an order of the straightening plate and the air guide portion, the intake port opening in the third direction and being formed by at least an end portion on a side in the third direction of the straightening plate and an end portion on a side in the first direction of the air guide portion.

12 . A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a transport unit transporting a medium; a head including a discharge section discharging, based on a drive signal, a liquid from a nozzle in a first direction; and a drive circuit unit driving the head, the drive circuit unit including
a power supply board extending in a second direction opposite to the first direction and B-to-B-coupled to the head,
a drive circuit generating the drive signal and mounted on a first surface of the power supply board such that the drive circuit is positioned on a side in a third direction relative to the power supply board, the third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction, and
a cooling mechanism cooling the drive circuit, the cooling mechanism including
an air guide portion guiding an airflow created by a fan and covering the drive circuit on the first surface, the air guide portion being positioned on the side in the third direction relative to the power supply board,
a straightening plate that straightens, toward the second direction, an airflow flowing in a direction intersecting the first direction, or that straightens, toward the direction intersecting the first direction, an airflow flowing in the first direction, the straightening plate being disposed on a side in the first direction relative to the drive circuit, and
an intake port for supplying air flowing in an order of the straightening plate and the air guide portion, the intake port opening in the third direction and being formed by at least an end portion on a side in the third direction of the straightening plate and an end portion on a side in the first direction of the air guide portion.

13 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein
the head and the drive circuit unit constitute a head unit, the liquid discharge apparatus includes at least two head units as a first head unit and a second head unit, the first head unit and the second head unit are arranged in a third direction, and the third direction is a direction parallel to the straightening plate.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Yanagihara Hirokazu

Classifications

• B41J29/377 Primary

  Cooling or ventilating arrangements · CPC title

• B41J2/04581

  controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements · CPC title

• B41J2/04541 Primary

  Specific driving circuit · CPC title

• B41J2002/14362

  Assembling elements of heads · CPC title

• B41J2/14233

  of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm · CPC title