Inkjet recorder and method of detecting malfunction
AssigneeKonica Minolta, Inc.
InventorsKyohei Hayashi, Akira Takeya
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inkjet recorder includes at least one nozzle ejecting ink, at least one piezoelectric element, a power unit, and a processor. The at least one piezoelectric element deforms in response to an applied voltage and causing a change in pressure of ink to be supplied to the nozzle. The power unit supplies power for application of a driving voltage to the piezoelectric element. The processor cyclically applies the driving voltage in accordance with a predetermined driving voltage pattern to the piezoelectric element, acquires a representative value corresponding to the power supplied by the power unit in response to the application of the driving voltage, and detects an abnormal capacitance of the piezoelectric element determined based on the representative value.
Claims29
An inkjet recorder comprising:
- at least one nozzle ejecting ink;
- at least one piezoelectric element deforming in response to an applied voltage and causing a change in pressure of ink to be supplied to the nozzle;
- a power unit supplying power for application of a driving voltage to the piezoelectric element;
- and
- a processor cyclically applying the driving voltage in accordance with a predetermined driving voltage pattern to the piezoelectric element, acquiring a representative value corresponding to an average value of the power supplied by the power unit in response to the application of the driving voltage, and detecting an abnormal capacitance of the piezoelectric element determined based on the representative value.
A method of detecting a malfunction of an inkjet recorder comprising a nozzle ejecting ink;
- a piezoelectric element deforming in response to an applied voltage and applying varied pressure to ink supplied to the nozzle;
- and a power unit supplying power for application of a driving voltage to the piezoelectric element, the method comprising a malfunction detection steps of:
- cyclically applying a driving voltage in accordance with a predetermined driving voltage pattern to the piezoelectric element;
- acquiring a representative value corresponding to a variable component in a predetermined low frequency band among power supplied by the power unit in association with application of the driving voltage;
- and
- detecting an abnormal capacitance in the piezoelectric element calculated from the representative value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.