Drive circuit unit, head unit, and liquid discharge apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024109294-A1
Application number	US-202318476381-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 28, 2023
Priority date	Sep 30, 2022
Publication date	Apr 4, 2024
Grant date	—

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 mounted on a first surface of the power supply board and generating the drive signal; and a cooling mechanism cooling the drive circuit, wherein 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 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, and
the straightening plate is disposed on a first direction side with respect to the drive circuit.

2 . The drive circuit unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the cooling mechanism is formed with an intake port for supplying air flowing in an order of the straightening plate and the air guide portion.

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

4 . 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.

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

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

7 . The drive circuit unit according to claim 4 , 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.

8 . The drive circuit unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the cooling mechanism includes the fan, and the air guide portion is disposed between the fan and the intake port.

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

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

11 . The drive circuit unit according to claim 8 , 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.

12 . 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, wherein the drive circuit unit includes
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 mounted on a first surface of the power supply board and generating the drive signal, and
a cooling mechanism cooling the drive circuit,
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 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, and
the straightening plate is disposed on a first direction side with respect to the drive circuit.

13 . 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, wherein the drive circuit unit includes
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 mounted on a first surface of the power supply board and generating the drive signal, and
a cooling mechanism cooling the drive circuit,
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 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, and
the straightening plate is disposed on a first direction side with respect to the drive circuit.

14 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 13 , 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

• B41J2/14201 Primary

  Structure of print heads with piezoelectric elements · CPC title

• B41J2/04541 Primary

  Specific driving circuit · CPC title

• B41J2/04588

  using a specific waveform · CPC title