Liquid ejecting apparatus, control device, recording system, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9937710-B2
Application number	US-201615247139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2016
Priority date	Aug 27, 2015
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that is provided with a plurality of nozzle openings that discharge a liquid, and pressure generation units that generate pressure changes in pressure generation chambers that are respectively in communication with the nozzle openings, a detection unit that detects a discharge fault of liquid droplets of the liquid ejecting head for each of the nozzle openings, and a control unit that controls the pressure generation units, in which the control unit has a discharge prohibition mode in which the driving of a pressure generation unit that corresponds to a nozzle opening in which a discharge fault is detected, is prohibited after the corresponding discharge fault is detected while recording is underway.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid ejecting apparatus for recording on a recording medium, the liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
a liquid ejecting head comprising:
a plurality of nozzle openings configured to discharge a liquid,
a plurality of pressure generation chambers that are in communications with the plurality of nozzle openings, and
a plurality of pressure generation units configured to generate pressure changes in the pressure generation chambers;

a detection unit configured to detect a discharge fault of a liquid droplet of the liquid ejecting head for each of the nozzle openings; and
a control unit configured to control the pressure generation units,
wherein the control unit is configured such that, when the discharge fault is detected for one or more of the nozzle openings while recording is underway, the control unit operates in a discharge prohibition mode, in which (i) the control unit prevents driving of one or more pressure generation units corresponding to the one or more nozzle openings for which the discharge fault is detected, and (ii) while the control unit prevents driving of one or more pressure generation units corresponding to the one or more nozzle openings for which the discharge fault is detected, the control unit causes the liquid ejecting apparatus to continue recording using nozzle openings other than the one or more nozzle openings for which the discharge fault is detected.

2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the control unit operates in the discharge prohibition mode, the control unit causes the liquid ejecting apparatus to continue recording using recording data in which discharge from the one or more nozzle openings for which the discharge fault is detected is supplemented by discharge from one or more other nozzle openings.

3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the detection unit is configured to detect an excessive voltage that is generated in the pressure generation units after the pressure generation units are driven, and to detect the discharge fault using a vibration state of the pressure generation units.

4. A control device configured to be connected to a liquid ejecting apparatus comprising a liquid ejecting head that comprises a plurality of nozzle openings configured to discharge a liquid, a plurality of pressure generation chambers that are in communications with the plurality of nozzle openings, and a plurality of pressure generation units configured to generate pressure changes in the pressure generation chambers, the control device comprising:
a controller configured to:
transmit a control command that includes information that causes the liquid ejecting apparatus to execute recording, and
detect a discharge fault of liquid droplets of the liquid ejecting head of the liquid ejecting apparatus for each of the nozzle openings,

wherein the controller is configured such that, when the discharge fault is detected for one or more of the nozzle openings while recording is underway, the controller operates in a discharge prohibition mode, in which (i) the controller prevents driving of one or more pressure generation units corresponding to the one or more nozzle openings for which the discharge fault is detected, and (ii) while the controller prevents driving of one or more pressure generation units corresponding to the one or more nozzle openings for which the discharge fault is detected, the controller causes the liquid ejecting apparatus to continue recording using nozzle openings other than the one or more nozzle openings for which the discharge fault is detected.

5. The control device according to claim 4 ,
wherein, when the controller operates in the discharge prohibition mode, the controller causes the liquid ejecting apparatus to continue recording using recording data in which discharge from the one or more nozzle openings for which the discharge fault is detected is supplemented by discharge from one or more other nozzle openings.

6. A recording system comprising:
the control device according to claim 5 ; and
said liquid ejecting apparatus.

7. The control device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the controller is configured to detect an excessive voltage that is generated in the pressure generation units after the pressure generation units are driven, and to detect the discharge fault using a vibration state of the pressure generation units.

8. A recording system comprising:
the control device according to claim 7 ; and
said liquid ejecting apparatus.

9. A recording system comprising:
the control device according to claim 4 ; and
said liquid ejecting apparatus.

10. A non-transient computer readable medium for controlling a controller connected to a liquid ejecting apparatus comprising a liquid ejecting head that comprises a plurality of nozzle openings configured to discharge a liquid, a plurality of pressure generation chambers that are in communications with the plurality of nozzle openings, and a plurality of pressure generation units configured to generate pressure changes in the pressure generation chambers, the non-transient computer readable medium comprising a program for causing the controller to perform steps of:
transmitting a control command that includes information that causes the liquid ejecting apparatus to execute recording;
detecting a discharge fault of liquid droplets of the liquid ejecting head of the liquid ejecting apparatus for each of the nozzle openings; and
when the discharge fault is detected for one or more of the nozzle openings while recording is underway, operating in a discharge prohibition mode, in which (i) the controller prevents driving of one or more pressure generation units corresponding to the one or more nozzle openings for which the discharge fault is detected, and (ii) while the controller prevents driving of one or more pressure generation units corresponding to the one or more nozzle openings for which the discharge fault is detected, the controller causes the liquid ejecting apparatus to continue recording using nozzle openings other than the one or more nozzle openings for which the discharge fault is detected.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Zhang Junhua

Classifications

• B41J2/2142

  Detection of malfunctioning nozzles (generating single droplets or particles on demand by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers B41J2/045, B41J2/05; jet deflection sensors B41J2/125; for cleaning purposes B41J2/16579) · CPC title

• B41J2/04581

  controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements · CPC title

• B41J2/04588

  using a specific waveform · CPC title

• B41J2/0451 Primary

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

• B41J2/2139

  Compensation for malfunctioning nozzles creating dot place or dot size errors (generating single droplets or particles on demand by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers B41J2/045) · CPC title