Printing apparatus and printhead

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9365036-B2
Application number	US-201514613706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2015
Priority date	Feb 28, 2014
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A printing apparatus includes N (N is an integer equal to or larger than two) printing element substrates each including a printing element, wherein each of the N printing element substrates includes a first terminal serving as a terminal on a high-potential side to receive a power supply voltage to be supplied to the printing element and a second terminal serving as a terminal on a low-potential side to receive the power supply voltage, and a first wiring connects the first terminal of a kth (k is an integer of one (inclusive) to N−1 (inclusive)) printing element substrate and the second terminal of a (k+1)th printing element substrate with each other, and is connected to one end of a second wiring to which a power supply voltage is supplied.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus comprising:
first and second printing element substrates, each including a printing element;
first and second voltage sources, which correspond to the first and second printing element substrates, respectively, each configured to supply a power supply voltage to a corresponding one of the first and second printing element substrates, wherein each of the first and second printing element substrates includes a first terminal and a second terminal for receiving the power supply voltage from a corresponding one of the first and second voltage sources, each first terminal serving as a terminal on a high-potential side and each second terminal serving as a terminal on a low-potential side;
a first wiring which connects the second terminal of the first printing element substrate and the first terminal of the second printing element substrate with each other;
a second wiring having one end connected to the first wiring; and
a third wiring configured such that the first and second voltage sources are connected in series, the third wiring being grounded and connected to the other end of the second wiring.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an adjusting circuit configured to suppress a fluctuation of a potential of a first node, the first node being a node on the first wiring, wherein the adjusting circuit is arranged between the first node and a second node, the second node being a node on the third wiring.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second substrates each include plural printing elements, and the adjusting circuit outputs, to the first node, a voltage corresponding to a difference between the number of printing elements driven on the first printing element substrate and that on the second printing element substrate.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the adjusting circuit includes a first current source and a second current source arranged in series,
the first current source supplies a current having an amount corresponding to the number of printing elements driven on the first printing element substrate,
the second current source supplies a current having an amount corresponding to the number of printing elements driven on the second printing element substrate, and
the adjusting circuit outputs a voltage corresponding to a difference between the current amount of the first current source and that of the second current source.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the adjusting circuit includes a first path and a second path arranged in series,
each of the first path and the second path includes a plurality of resistance elements arranged in parallel to each other and a switch unit,
in the first path, the switch unit drives the number of resistance elements corresponding to the number of printing elements driven on the first printing element substrate,
in the second path, the switch unit drives the number of resistance elements corresponding to the number of printing elements driven on the second printing element substrate, and
the adjusting circuit outputs a voltage corresponding to a difference between the number of resistance elements driven in the first path and that in the second path.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a printhead including the first and second printing element substrates is of a full-line type.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the first and second printing element substrates are arranged in a staggered arrangement.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a printing agent supply unit configured to supply a printing agent to each of the first and second printing element substrates.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second wiring includes a resistance component larger than that of each of the first wiring and the third wiring.

10. A printhead comprising:
first and second printing element substrates, each including a printing element;
first and second voltage sources, which correspond to the first and second printing element substrates, respectively, each configured to supply a power supply voltage to a corresponding one of the first and second printing element substrates, wherein each of the first and second printing element substrates includes a first terminal and a second terminal for receiving the power supply voltage from a corresponding one of the first and second voltage sources, each first terminal serving as a terminal on a high-potential side and each second terminal serving as a terminal on a low-potential side;
a first wiring which connects the second terminal of the first printing element substrate and the first terminal of the second printing element substrate with each other;
a second wiring having one end connected to the first wiring; and
a third wiring configured such that the first and second voltage sources are connected in series, the third wiring being grounded and connected to the other end of the second wiring.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Hirayama Nobuyuki

Classifications

• B41J2/14072 Primary

  Electrical connections, e.g. details on electrodes, connecting the chip to the outside... · CPC title

• B41J2/14112

  Resistive element · CPC title

• B41J2202/20

  Modules · CPC title

• B41J2/0458

  controlling heads based on heating elements forming bubbles · CPC title

• B41J2/04543 Primary

  Block driving · CPC title