Liquid discharge apparatus and control method of liquid discharge apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9259919-B2
Application number	US-201514699326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2015
Priority date	May 2, 2014
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a piezoelectric element in which a drive signal is applied and which is displaced to eject a liquid; a zeroth wire of a zeroth potential; a first wire of a first potential that is higher than the zeroth potential; a second wire of a second potential that is higher than the first potential; and a connection path selecting section that electrically connects one end of the piezoelectric element to the zeroth wire, the first wire, or the second wire in response to a voltage of a source drive signal that controls the voltage of the drive signal and a hold voltage of the piezoelectric element. Here, a first potential difference from the zeroth potential to the first potential is different from a second potential difference from the first potential to the second potential.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a piezoelectric element in which a drive signal is applied to one end thereof and which is displaced in response to voltages of the one end and the other end thereof;
a cavity which is filled with a liquid and of which an inside volume is expanded and contracted due to the displacement of the piezoelectric element;
a nozzle that communicates with the cavity and is capable of discharging the liquid by the expansion and contraction of the inside volume of the cavity;
a zeroth wire of a zeroth potential;
a first wire of a first potential that is higher than the zeroth potential;
a second wire of a second potential that is higher than the first potential; and
a connection path selecting section that electrically connects one end of the piezoelectric element to the zeroth wire, the first wire, or the second wire in response to a voltage of a source drive signal that controls the voltage of the drive signal and a hold voltage of the piezoelectric element,
wherein a first potential difference from the zeroth potential to the first potential is different from a second potential difference from the first potential to the second potential.

2. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second potential difference is higher than the first potential difference.

3. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second potential difference is greater than the first potential difference in a case where a time for which the potential of the drive signal is maintained in a first range from the zeroth potential or higher to lower than the first potential is longer than a time for which the potential of the drive signal is maintained in a second range from the first potential or higher to lower than the second potential, and
wherein the second potential difference is lower than the first potential difference in a case where the time for which the potential of the drive signal is maintained in the first range is shorter than the time for which the potential of the drive signal is maintained in the second range.

4. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a p-th wire of a p-th potential;
a (p+1)-th wire of a (p+1)-th potential which is higher than the p-th potential;
a q-th wire of a q-th potential; and
a (q+1)-th wire of a (q+1)-th potential which is higher than the q-th potential,
wherein the connection path selecting section electrically connects one end of the piezoelectric element to the p-th wire, the (p+1)-th wire, the q-th wire, or the (q+1)-th wire in response to a voltage of a source drive signal that controls the voltage of the drive signal and a hold voltage of the piezoelectric element, and
wherein, when a predetermined standby non-discharge potential is between the n-th potential or higher and lower than the (n+1)-th potential, the p-th potential difference from the p-th potential to the (p+1)-th potential is lower than the q-th potential difference from the q-th potential to the (q+1)-th potential.

5. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when a voltage waveform of the source drive signal is changed, at least one of the first potential difference or the second potential difference is changed.

6. A control method of a liquid discharge apparatus which includes
a piezoelectric element in which a drive signal is applied to one end thereof and which is displaced in response to voltages of the one end and the other end thereof,
a cavity which is filled with a liquid and of which an inside volume is expanded and contracted due to the displacement of the piezoelectric element,
a nozzle that communicates with the cavity and is capable of discharging the liquid by the expansion and contraction of the inside volume of the cavity,
a zeroth wire of a zeroth potential,
a first wire of a first potential that is higher than the zeroth potential, and
a second wire of a second potential that is higher than the first potential, and in which
a first potential difference from the zeroth potential to the first potential is different from a second potential difference from the first potential to the second potential,
the method comprising:
electrically connecting one end of the piezoelectric element to the zeroth wire, the first wire, or the second wire in response to a voltage of a source drive signal that controls the voltage of the drive signal and a hold voltage of the piezoelectric element.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Otsuka Shuji
• Kiyuna Tadashi
• Asanuma Toshifumi

Classifications

• B41J2/04598

  Pre-pulse · CPC title

• B41J2/04596

  Non-ejecting pulses · CPC title

• B41J2/04593

  Dot-size modulation by changing the size of the drop · CPC title

• B41J2/0459

  Height of the driving signal being adjusted · CPC title

• B41J2/04588

  using a specific waveform · CPC title