Nozzle inspecting device in fluid discharge apparatus, fluid discharge apparatus, and nozzle inspection method
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorKeigo ITO
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nozzle inspection device includes an inspection electrode placed apart from a discharge unit with a gap therebetween, an inspection unit for inspecting the presence of a defective nozzle by discharging a fluid with respect to the inspection electrode in a state in which the electric field is generated by application of a voltage between the discharge unit and the inspection electrode, a detection unit for detecting whether the inspection unit is in a non-inspectiable state, and a gap adjustment unit for adjusting the gap by transferring either the discharge unit or the inspection electrode in a case in which the inspection unit is in the non-inspectable state.
Claims6
A nozzle inspection device for inspecting presence of a defective nozzle in a fluid discharge apparatus including a discharge unit having nozzles which can discharge fluid to a target, comprising:
- an inspection electrode placed apart from the discharge unit with a gap therebetween;
- an inspection unit for inspecting the presence of the defective nozzle on the basis of a detection value obtained by detecting a change of an intensity of an electric field which is attributable to a discharge of the fluid by discharging the fluid with respect to the inspection electrode from the discharge unit in a state in which the electric field is generated by application of a voltage between the discharge unit and the inspection electrode;
- a detection unit for detecting whether the inspection unit is in a non-inspectiable state;
- and
- a gap adjustment unit for adjusting the gap by transferring either the discharge unit or the inspection electrode in a case in which the inspection unit is in the non-inspectable state,
- wherein the inspection unit inspects the presence of the defective nozzle after performing gap adjustment by using the gap adjustment unit.
A nozzle inspection method in a fluid discharge apparatus including a discharge unit having nozzles which can discharge fluid to a target, an inspection electrode placed apart from the discharge unit with a gap therebetween, and an inspection unit which inspects presence of a defective nozzle on the basis of a detection value obtained by detecting a change of an intensity of an electric field when fluid is discharged by discharging the fluid to the inspection electrode from the discharge unit in a state in which an electric field is generated by applying a voltage between the discharge unit and the inspection electrode, the nozzle inspection method comprising:
- a detection step of detecting that the inspection unit is in a non-inspectable state;
- a gap adjustment step of adjusting the gap to come in a range in which the inspection unit is in an inspectable state by transferring either the discharge unit or the inspection electrode in a case in which it is detected such that the inspection unit is in the non-inspectable state;
- and
- an inspection step of discharging fluid to the inspection electrode from the discharge unit after the gap adjustment step and inspecting presence of the defective nozzle on the basis of the detection value obtained by detecting the change of the intensity of the electric field which is attributable to a discharge of the fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.