Liquid ejecting apparatus, control method for liquid ejecting apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing control program for liquid ejecting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025242591-A1
Application number	US-202519039372-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 28, 2025
Priority date	Jan 30, 2024
Publication date	Jul 31, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a pump that applies a pressure for supplying the ink to the common flow path to the common flow path, a pump that applies a pressure for discharging the ink from the other common flow path to the other common flow path, a detection circuit that detects residual vibration in the pressure chamber after applying a voltage to the piezoelectric element, and a circulation control portion that determines the pressure for supplying the ink and the pressure for discharging the ink based on the residual vibration detected by the detection circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
a piezoelectric element; a plurality of individual flow paths each including a nozzle and a pressure chamber; a common supply flow path which communicates in common with the plurality of individual flow paths and through which a liquid is supplied to the plurality of individual flow paths; a common discharge flow path which communicates in common with the plurality of individual flow paths and through which the liquid is discharged from the plurality of individual flow paths; a first pressure applying portion that applies a first pressure for supplying the liquid to the common supply flow path, to the common supply flow path; a second pressure applying portion that applies a second pressure for discharging the liquid from the common discharge flow path, to the common discharge flow path; a detection portion that detects residual vibration in the pressure chamber after a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element; and a pressure determination portion that determines each of the first pressure and the second pressure based on the residual vibration detected by the detection portion.

2 . The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a change in flow path resistance according to a viscosity of the liquid differs between the common supply flow path and the common discharge flow path.

3 . The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
in one flow path resistance of the common supply flow path and the common discharge flow path, a viscous resistance is more than an inertial resistance, and in another flow path resistance of the common supply flow path and the common discharge flow path, the inertial resistance is more than the viscous resistance.

4 . The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a filter is provided at only one of a first flow path between the first pressure applying portion and the plurality of individual flow paths and a second flow path between the second pressure applying portion and the plurality of individual flow paths, the first flow path includes the common supply flow path, and the second flow path includes the common discharge flow path.

5 . The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
a cross-sectional area of the common supply flow path in a flow direction of the liquid and a cross-sectional area of the common discharge flow path in the flow direction of the liquid are the same as each other at positions which are symmetrical to a plane passing through the nozzle, among planes having the flow direction of the liquid in the plurality of individual flow paths as a normal direction.

6 . The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
only the plurality of individual flow paths serve as a flow path that communicates between the common supply flow path and the common discharge flow path.

7 . The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a bypass flow path that is a flow path separate from the plurality of individual flow paths and that communicates between the common supply flow path and the common discharge flow path, wherein a flow path resistance of the bypass flow path is equal to or more than ⅓ of a combined flow path resistance obtained by combining flow path resistances of the plurality of individual flow paths.

8 . The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the pressure determination portion
calculates a candidate for a combination of the first pressure and the second pressure based on the residual vibration detected by the detection portion,
presents the candidate to a user,
acquires selection information indicating a candidate selected by the user, among candidates presented to the user, and
determines each of the first pressure and the second pressure based on the selection information.

9 . The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the pressure determination portion recommends some of the candidates when the candidates are presented to the user.

10 . A control method for a liquid ejecting apparatus including
a piezoelectric element, a plurality of individual flow paths each including a nozzle and a pressure chamber, a common supply flow path which communicates in common with the plurality of individual flow paths and through which a liquid is supplied to the plurality of individual flow paths, a common discharge flow path which communicates in common with the plurality of individual flow paths and through which the liquid is discharged from the plurality of individual flow paths, a first pressure applying portion that applies a first pressure for supplying the liquid to the common supply flow path, to the common supply flow path, a second pressure applying portion that applies a second pressure for discharging the liquid from the common discharge flow path, to the common discharge flow path, and a detection portion that detects residual vibration in the pressure chamber after a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element, the method comprising: determining each of the first pressure and the second pressure based on the residual vibration detected by the detection portion.

11 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a control program for a liquid ejecting apparatus including
a piezoelectric element, a plurality of individual flow paths each including a nozzle and a pressure chamber, a common supply flow path which communicates in common with the plurality of individual flow paths and through which a liquid is supplied to the plurality of individual flow paths, a common discharge flow path which communicates in common with the plurality of individual flow paths and through which the liquid is discharged from the plurality of individual flow paths, a first pressure applying portion that applies a first pressure for supplying the liquid to the common supply flow path, to the common supply flow path, a second pressure applying portion that applies a second pressure for discharging the liquid from the common discharge flow path, to the common discharge flow path, and a detection portion that detects residual vibration in the pressure chamber after a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element, the control program causing a computer to function as: a pressure determination portion that determines each of the first pressure and the second pressure based on the residual vibration detected by the detection portion.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Okui Hiroaki
• Ito Nobuaki

Classifications

• B41J2/04501

  Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits · CPC title

• B41J2/04581

  controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements · CPC title

• B41J2/14201

  Structure of print heads with piezoelectric elements · CPC title

• B41J2/01 Primary

  Ink jet · CPC title

• B41J2002/1437

  Back shooter · CPC title