Liquid ejecting apparatus, control method of liquid ejecting head, and control method of liquid ejecting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9475280-B2
Application number	US-201514720657-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2015
Priority date	May 28, 2014
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

When a nozzle abnormality detecting mechanism detects an abnormality of the nozzle, in the maintenance process of causing the drive waveform to be applied plural times to the actuator corresponding to the nozzle that the detecting mechanism detects as being abnormal, and thereby causing the ejecting operation to be performed, at least a first-time drive waveform applied to the actuator is a flushing pulse which causes a meniscus in the nozzle not to be positively attracted from an initial position to the pressure chamber, but causes the meniscus to be extruded to the ejection side and thereby causes the liquid to be ejected from the nozzle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid ejecting apparatus, comprising:
a liquid ejecting head that includes pressure chambers communicating with nozzles, and actuators causing a pressure variation of liquid in the pressure chamber to occur, the liquid ejecting head being able to eject the liquid from the nozzle through an action of the actuator; and
a detecting mechanism that detects an abnormality of the nozzle in liquid ejection,
wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus drives the actuator with a drive waveform to perform a maintenance process,
wherein in the maintenance process of causing the drive waveform to be applied plural times to the actuator corresponding to the nozzle that the detecting mechanism detects as being abnormal, and thereby causing the ejecting operation to be performed, at least a first-time drive waveform applied to the actuator is a maintenance drive waveform which causes a meniscus in the nozzle not to be positively attracted from an initial position to the pressure chamber, but causes the meniscus to be extruded to the ejection side and thereby causes the liquid to be ejected from the nozzle, and
wherein a flushing pulse which causes a meniscus in the nozzle to be positively attracted from an initial position to the pressure chamber is to be applied to the actuator after the maintenance drive waveform.

2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the maintenance process, among the drive waveforms which are applied three or more times, at least the first-time to the third-time drive waveforms are the maintenance drive waveform.

3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the maintenance drive waveform is a drive waveform that causes the largest liquid amount which the liquid ejecting head can eject to be ejected.

4. A control method of a liquid ejecting head that includes pressure chambers communicating with nozzles, and actuators causing a pressure variation of liquid in the pressure chamber to occur, wherein the liquid ejecting head drives the actuator with a drive waveform to able to eject the liquid from the nozzle, the control method comprising:
in a maintenance process of causing the drive waveform to be applied plural times to the actuator corresponding to the nozzle that is detected as being abnormal in liquid ejection, and thereby causing the ejecting operation to be performed, applying a maintenance drive waveform to the actuator in at least a first time, the maintenance drive waveform causing a meniscus in the nozzle not to be positively attracted from an initial position to the pressure chamber, but causing the meniscus to be extruded to the ejection side, and thereby causing the liquid to be ejected from the nozzle; and
applying a flushing pulse which causes a meniscus in the nozzle to be positively attracted from an initial position to the pressure chamber to the actuator after the maintenance drive waveform is applied.

5. A control method of a liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting head that includes pressure chambers communicating with nozzles, and actuators causing a pressure variation of liquid in the pressure chamber to occur, the liquid ejecting head being able to eject the liquid from the nozzle through an action of the actuator; and a detecting mechanism that detects an abnormality of the nozzle in liquid ejection, wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus drives the actuator with a drive waveform to perform a maintenance process, the control method comprising:
in the maintenance process of causing the drive waveform to be applied plural times to the actuator corresponding to the nozzle that is detected as being abnormal in liquid ejection, and thereby causing the ejecting operation to be performed, applying a maintenance drive waveform to the actuator in at least a first time, the maintenance drive waveform causing a meniscus in the nozzle not to be positively attracted from an initial position to the pressure chamber, but causing the meniscus to be extruded to the ejection side, and thereby causing the liquid to be ejected from the nozzle; and
applying a flushing pulse which causes a meniscus in the nozzle to be positively attracted from an initial position to the pressure chamber to the actuator after the maintenance drive waveform is applied.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Zhang Junhua

Classifications

• B41J2/04586

  controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type · CPC title

• B41J2/04588 Primary

  using a specific waveform · CPC title

• B41J2/165

  Prevention {or detection} of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles · CPC title

• B41J2/0451 Primary

  for detecting failure, e.g. clogging, malfunctioning actuator · CPC title

• B41J2/16526

  by applying pressure only · CPC title