# US 2018/0022089 A1 · Drive signal adjustment method of liquid ejecting head and liquid ejecting apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0022089 A1 - Document ID: US20180022089A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/645,051 - Filed: 2017-07-10 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-20 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Seiji IZUO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180022089A1 ## CPC - B41J 2/04541: {Specific driving circuit} - B41J 2/04581: {controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements} - B41J 2/04586: {controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type} - B41J 2/04588: {using a specific waveform} - B41J 29/38: Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract A drive signal adjustment method adjusts a drive signal including a drive pulse to be supplied to a drive element of a liquid ejecting head. The liquid ejecting head includes a nozzle, a pressure generation chamber communicating with the nozzle, and the drive element generating a pressure change in a liquid inside the pressure generation chamber. The drive pulse includes an expansion element, an expansion maintenance element, a contraction element, a contraction maintenance element, and an expansion restoration element. A plurality of test patterns are printed by using adjusting drive pulses including modification values in which either one or both of a time of the contraction maintenance element and a period of the drive pulse are modified. The adjusting drive pulse corresponding to a specific test pattern selected from among the plurality of test patterns set as the drive pulse at the time of printing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A drive signal adjustment method of a liquid ejecting head, wherein the drive signal adjustment method adjusts a drive signal which includes a drive pulse to be supplied to a drive element of the liquid ejecting head which includes a nozzle, a pressure generation chamber which communicates with the nozzle, and the drive element which generates a pressure change in a liquid inside the pressure generation chamber, wherein the drive pulse includes an expansion element which expands a volume of the pressure generation chamber from a reference volume, an expansion maintenance element which maintains the volume of the pressure generation chamber which is expanded by the expansion element, a contraction element which contracts the volume of the pressure generation chamber, a contraction maintenance element which maintains the volume of the pressure generation chamber which is contracted by the contraction element, and an expansion restoration element which restores the volume of the pressure generation chamber to the reference volume, the method comprising: printing a plurality of test patterns which are image data using a adjusting drive pulse which includes modification values in which either one or both of a time of the contraction maintenance element and a period of the drive pulse are modified, and setting the adjusting drive pulse including the modification values corresponding to a specific test pattern being selected from among the plurality of test patterns as the drive pulse to be supplied to the drive element at the time of printing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The drive signal adjustment method of a liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein the test patterns includes the test patterns printed by using the adjusting drive pulses having the modification values in which at least a time of the contraction maintenance element are modified, and the method comprising: displaying a selection screen for selecting a modification amount and a range to modify of the time of the contraction maintenance element, setting the modification values in which a time of the contraction maintenance element is modified based on the modification amount and the range to modify which are selected from the selection screen. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The drive signal adjustment method of a liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of test patterns are disposed in a matrix formation and output onto a medium using a drive pulse which includes the modification values in which both the time and the period of the contraction maintenance element are modified. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The drive signal adjustment method of a liquid ejecting head according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of test patterns in which the times of the contraction maintenance elements are different are provided to line up in a movement direction with respect to the medium of the liquid ejecting head, and wherein the plurality of test patterns which have different periods are provided to line up in a direction which is orthogonal to the movement direction which is a transport direction of the medium. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The drive signal adjustment method of a liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein after a specific one of the test patterns is selected, a modification amount and a range to modify of the modification value of the drive pulse are further specified and a plurality of test patterns are output. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The drive signal adjustment method of a liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein the modification value which is previously set is stored, and the modification value may be restored. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The drive signal adjustment method of a liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein by selecting the liquid, the modification value, in which either one or both of a time and a period of a contraction maintenance element of the drive pulse which is associated with the liquid is set in advance, is acquired, a value is modified from the modification value which is acquired, and a plurality of test patterns are output. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The drive signal adjustment method of a liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein when it is detected that the liquid is exchanged or added to, the plurality of test patterns are output to allow a specific test pattern to be selected. ### Claim 9 A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: a nozzle which ejects a liquid; a pressure generation chamber which communicates with the nozzle; a drive element which generates a pressure change in a liquid inside the pressure generation chamber due to a drive signal being applied; a drive signal generation unit which generates, as the drive signal, a drive signal which includes a drive pulse which includes an expansion element which expands a volume of the pressure generation chamber from a reference volume, an expansion maintenance element which maintains the volume of the pressure generation chamber which is expanded by the expansion element, a contraction element which contracts the volume of the pressure generation chamber, a contraction maintenance element which maintains the volume of the pressure generation chamber which is contracted by the contraction element, and an expansion restoration element which restores the volume of the pressure generation chamber to the reference volume; a control unit which controls the drive signal generation unit to generate a reference drive pulse which is the drive pulse which is generated using reference values in which a time of the contraction maintenance element and a period of the drive pulse are references, and a adjusting drive pulse which is the drive pulse which is generated using modification values in which the time and the period of the contraction maintenance element are different from the reference values, and drives the drive element using each of the reference drive pulse and the adjusting drive pulse which are generated to output a plurality of test patterns; and a presentation unit which presents a specific test pattern from the plurality of test patterns in a selectable manner, wherein the control unit sets the modification values which are used for the output of the specific test pattern based on the specific test pattern which is selected on the presentation unit.