Print head, liquid ejection apparatus, and piezoelectric element control circuit
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorsTomokazu YAMADA, Motonori CHIKAMOTO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A print head includes a first piezoelectric element that includes a first electrode supplied with a drive signal and a second electrode supplied with a reference voltage signal, a second piezoelectric element that includes a third electrode supplied with the drive signal and a fourth electrode supplied with the reference voltage signal, a first switch circuit that switches between supplying and not supplying the drive signal to the first electrode, a second switch circuit that switches between supplying and not supplying the drive signal to the third electrode, and a third switch circuit that switches between electrically connecting and not electrically connecting the first electrode and the third electrode.
Claims18
A print head comprising:
- a first piezoelectric element that includes a first electrode supplied with a drive signal and a second electrode supplied with a reference voltage signal and is displaced by a difference in electric potential between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- a second piezoelectric element that includes a third electrode supplied with the drive signal and a fourth electrode supplied with the reference voltage signal and is displaced by a difference in electric potential between the third electrode and the fourth electrode;
- a cavity that is filled with a liquid ejected from a nozzle along with the displacement of the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element;
- a vibration plate that is disposed between the cavity and the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element;
- a first switch circuit that switches between supplying and not supplying the drive signal to the first electrode;
- a second switch circuit that switches between supplying and not supplying the drive signal to the third electrode;
- and
- a third switch circuit that switches between electrically connecting and not electrically connecting the first electrode and the third electrode.
A liquid ejection apparatus comprising:
- a drive circuit that outputs a drive signal;
- a first piezoelectric element that includes a first electrode supplied with the drive signal and a second electrode supplied with a reference voltage signal and is displaced by a difference in electric potential between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- a second piezoelectric element that includes a third electrode supplied with the drive signal and a fourth electrode supplied with the reference voltage signal and is displaced by a difference in electric potential between the third electrode and the fourth electrode;
- a cavity that is filled with a liquid ejected from a nozzle along with the displacement of the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element;
- a vibration plate that is disposed between the cavity and the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element;
- a first switch circuit that switches between supplying and not supplying the drive signal to the first electrode;
- a second switch circuit that switches between supplying and not supplying the drive signal to the third electrode;
- and
- a third switch circuit that switches between electrically connecting and not electrically connecting the first electrode and the third electrode.
A piezoelectric element control circuit controlling a first piezoelectric element and a second piezoelectric element of a print head including the first piezoelectric element that includes a first electrode supplied with a drive signal and a second electrode supplied with a reference voltage signal and is displaced by a difference in electric potential between the first electrode and the second electrode, the second piezoelectric element that includes a third electrode supplied with the drive signal and a fourth electrode supplied with the reference voltage signal and is displaced by a difference in electric potential between the third electrode and the fourth electrode, a cavity that is filled with a liquid ejected from a nozzle along with the displacement of the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element, and a vibration plate that is disposed between the cavity and the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element control circuit comprising:
- a first switch circuit that switches between supplying and not supplying the drive signal to the first electrode;
- a second switch circuit that switches between supplying and not supplying the drive signal to the third electrode;
- and
- a third switch circuit that switches between electrically connecting and not electrically connecting the first electrode and the third electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.