# US 10,118,382 B2 · Liquid discharge apparatus and head unit

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- Number: US 10,118,382 B2
- Document ID: US10118382B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/456,978
- Filed: 2017-03-13
- Published: 2017-09-21
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-17
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Noboru Tamura; Toru Matsuyama
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118382B2

## CPC

- B41J 2/04541: {Specific driving circuit}
- B41J 2/04505: {aiming at correcting alignment}
- B41J 2/04548: {Details of power line section of control circuit}
- B41J 2/04581: {controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements}
- B41J 2/04588: {using a specific waveform}
- B41J 2/04593: {Dot-size modulation by changing the size of the drop}
- B41J 2/16526: {by applying pressure only}
- B41J 19/005: {Cable or belt constructions for driving print, type or paper-carriages, e.g. attachment, tensioning means}
- B41J 29/13: Cases or covers
- B41J 29/38: Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
- B41J 2/16517: {Cleaning of print head nozzles (B41J2/16505, B41J2/1707 take precedence)}
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

A liquid discharge apparatus has a head provided with discharge sections which discharge a liquid, a drive circuit configured to generate driving signals for driving the discharge sections and discharging the liquid, a carriage mounted with the head and the drive circuit, a motor configured to move the carriage, and a flushing box configured and arranged to receive the liquid discharged from the discharge sections. The drive circuit is mounted at a position so as not to pass above the flushing box while the carriage is being moved.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a head provided with discharge sections including nozzles which discharge a liquid;
a drive circuit configured to generate driving signals for driving the discharge sections and discharging the liquid;
a carriage mounted with the head and the drive circuit, the carriage being positioned at a home position when in standby; and
a motor configured to move the carriage,
the drive circuit being mounted on a surface of the carriage which is located forward in a direction where the carriage moves from the home position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the drive circuit is further configured to generate the driving signals using a class D amplifier.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the drive circuit is further configured to generate the driving signals using a regeneration circuit formed from a capacitive element or a secondary battery.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the head is provided with a discharge section row which is formed from a plurality of the discharge sections and a supply opening which supplies the liquid to the plurality of discharge sections included in the discharge section row, and
a distance between the supply opening and a discharge section which is at a center of the discharge section row is shorter than distances between the supply opening and each of the two discharge sections which are at both ends of the discharge section row.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 4,
wherein a distance between the supply opening and the discharge section which is at one end of the discharge section row and a distance between the supply opening and the discharge section which is at the other end of the discharge section row are substantially the same.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising
a flushing box disposed below the discharge sections in a vertical direction, the flushing box being configured and arranged to receive the liquid discharged from the discharge sections,
wherein the drive circuit is mounted at a position so as not to overlap the flushing box viewed from an upper side of the liquid discharge apparatus during a printing operation, and
the carriage is configured and arranged to move above the flushing box.