Back to results
US 12,703,180 B2Granted
Liquid ejection apparatus and liquid ejection method
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorYuki Watanabe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A liquid ejection apparatus includes an ejection section that is configured to generate a pressure fluctuation in liquid in a pressure chamber that is communicating with a nozzle by driving a pressure generation unit in accordance with a pulse selected from the ejection pulse and the non-ejection pulse. When the non-ejection pulse is selected in a preceding cycle of two consecutive cycles among the repetitive cycles, and the ejection pulse is selected in a following cycle of the two consecutive cycles, a pulse interval T1 between the non-ejection pulse of the preceding cycle and the ejection pulse of the following cycle satisfies any one of following expressions (1) and (2): 1.7 × Tc × n ≤ T 1 ≤ 1.9 × Tc × n ( 1 ) 1.2 × Tc × n ≤ T 1 ≤ 1.4 × Tc × n . ( 2 )
Claims16
A liquid ejection apparatus comprising:
- an ejection section including a nozzle, a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle, and a pressure generation unit that is configured to generate a pressure fluctuation in liquid in the pressure chamber;
- a drive signal generation section that is configured to repeatedly generate a drive signal including a plurality of pulses including an ejection pulse and a non-ejection pulse;
- and
- a drive control section that is configured to supply a pulse selected from the ejection pulse and the non-ejection pulse included in the drive signal to the pressure generation unit for each of repetitive cycles, wherein
- the ejection pulse is a pulse of which a potential changes to cause the pressure generation unit to generate the pressure fluctuation such that the liquid is ejected from the nozzle,
- the non-ejection pulse is a pulse of which a potential changes to cause the pressure generation unit to generate the pressure fluctuation such that the liquid is not ejected from the nozzle, and
- when the non-ejection pulse is selected in a preceding cycle of two consecutive cycles among the repetitive cycles, and the ejection pulse is selected in a following cycle of the two consecutive cycles,
- a pulse interval T1 between the non-ejection pulse of the preceding cycle and the ejection pulse of the following cycle satisfies any one of following expressions (1) and (2):
- 1.7
- ×
- Tc
- ×
- n
- ≤
- T
-
- 1
- ≤
- 1.9
- ×
- Tc
- ×
- n
- (
- 1
- )
- 1.2
- ×
- Tc
- ×
- n
- ≤
- T
-
- 1
- ≤
- 1.4
- ×
- Tc
- ×
- n
- (
- 2
- )
- where Tc is a natural vibration cycle of the ejection section, and n is a natural number.
42 more elements
A liquid ejection apparatus comprising:
- an ejection section including a nozzle, a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle, and a pressure generation unit that is configured to generate a pressure fluctuation in liquid in the pressure chamber;
- a drive signal generation section that is configured to repeatedly generate a drive signal including a plurality of pulses including an ejection pulse and a non-ejection pulse;
- and
- a drive control section that is configured to supply a pulse selected from the ejection pulse and the non-ejection pulse included in the drive signal to the pressure generation unit for each of repetitive cycles, wherein
- the ejection pulse is a pulse of which a potential changes to cause the pressure generation unit to generate the pressure fluctuation such that the liquid is ejected from the nozzle,
- the non-ejection pulse is a pulse of which a potential changes to cause the pressure generation unit to generate the pressure fluctuation such that the liquid is not ejected from the nozzle, and
- when the non-ejection pulse is selected in a preceding cycle of two consecutive cycles among the repetitive cycles, and the ejection pulse is selected in a following cycle of the two consecutive cycles,
- a coupling interval T2 between the non-ejection pulse of the preceding cycle and the ejection pulse of the following cycle satisfies any one of following expressions (1) and (2):
- 1.7
- ×
- Tc
- ×
- n
- ≤
- T
-
- 2
- ≤
- 1.9
- ×
- Tc
- ×
- n
- (
- 1
- )
- 1.2
- ×
- Tc
- ×
- n
- ≤
- T
-
- 2
- ≤
- 1.4
- ×
- Tc
- ×
- n
- (
- 2
- )
- where Tc is a natural vibration cycle of the ejection section, and n is a natural number.
42 more elements
A liquid ejection method of a liquid ejection apparatus configured to eject liquid, wherein
- the liquid ejection apparatus includes
- an ejection section including a nozzle, a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle, and a pressure generation unit that is configured to generate a pressure fluctuation in liquid in the pressure chamber,
- a drive signal generation section that is configured to repeatedly generate a drive signal including a plurality of pulses including an ejection pulse and a non-ejection pulse, and
- a drive control section that is configured to supply a pulse selected from the ejection pulse and the non-ejection pulse included in the drive signal to the pressure generation unit for each of repetitive cycles,
- the ejection pulse is a pulse of which a potential changes to cause the pressure generation unit to generate the pressure fluctuation such that the liquid is ejected from the nozzle,
- the non-ejection pulse is a pulse of which a potential changes to cause the pressure generation unit to generate the pressure fluctuation such that the liquid is not ejected from the nozzle, and
- when the non-ejection pulse is selected in a preceding cycle of two consecutive cycles among the repetitive cycles, and the ejection pulse is selected in a following cycle of the two consecutive cycles,
- a pulse interval T1 between the non-ejection pulse of the preceding cycle and the ejection pulse of the following cycle satisfies any one of following expressions (1) and (2):
- 1.7
- ×
- Tc
- ×
- n
- ≤
- T
-
- 1
- ≤
- 1.9
- ×
- Tc
- ×
- n
- (
- 1
- )
- 1.2
- ×
- Tc
- ×
- n
- ≤
- T
-
- 1
- ≤
- 1.4
- ×
- Tc
- ×
- n
- (
- 2
- )
- where Tc is a natural vibration cycle of the ejection section, and n is a natural number.
42 more elements
A liquid ejection method of a liquid ejection apparatus configured to eject liquid, wherein
- the liquid ejection apparatus includes
- an ejection section including a nozzle, a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle, and a pressure generation unit that is configured to generate a pressure fluctuation in liquid in the pressure chamber,
- a drive signal generation section that is configured to repeatedly generate a drive signal including a plurality of pulses including an ejection pulse and a non-ejection pulse, and
- a drive control section that is configured to supply a pulse selected from the ejection pulse and the non-ejection pulse included in the drive signal to the pressure generation unit for each of repetitive cycles,
- the ejection pulse is a pulse of which a potential changes to cause the pressure generation unit to generate the pressure fluctuation such that the liquid is ejected from the nozzle,
- the non-ejection pulse is a pulse of which a potential changes to cause the pressure generation unit to generate the pressure fluctuation such that the liquid is not ejected from the nozzle, and
- when the non-ejection pulse is selected in a preceding cycle of two consecutive cycles among the repetitive cycles, and the ejection pulse is selected in a following cycle of the two consecutive cycles,
- a coupling interval T2 between the non-ejection pulse of the preceding cycle and the ejection pulse of the following cycle satisfies any one of following expressions (1) and (2)
- 1.7
- ×
- Tc
- ×
- n
- ≤
- T
-
- 2
- ≤
- 1.9
- ×
- Tc
- ×
- n
- (
- 1
- )
- 1.2
- ×
- Tc
- ×
- n
- ≤
- T
-
- 2
- ≤
- 1.4
- ×
- Tc
- ×
- n
- (
- 2
- )
- where Tc is a natural vibration cycle of the ejection section, and n is a natural number.
42 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.