Liquid jetting method and liquid jetting apparatus using the method

A method of jetting liquid droplets, comprising the steps of:

• providing a liquid jetting head which includes:
• a plurality of nozzle orifices;
• a plurality of pressure generation chambers associated with the nozzle orifices;
• and a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators for respectively varying the volume of the associated pressure generation chamber to jet a liquid droplet from the associated nozzle orifice;
• setting a single jetting cycle as a period in which N serial drive signals are applicable to the piezoelectric vibrators to jet liquid droplets from the nozzle orifices, N being an integer;
• providing ID data for identifying the respective nozzle orifices;
• providing a reference drive signal to instruct the piezoelectric vibrator to jet a reference liquid droplet having a designated amount from the nozzle orifice;
• applying the reference drive signal to the respective piezoelectric vibrators to jet liquid droplets from the nozzle orifices;
• measuring amounts of the respective liquid droplets jetted from the respective identified nozzle orifices by the reference drive signal;
• identifying a difference between the designated amount and the measured amount of each liquid droplet;
• providing correction data for reducing the difference so that the designated amount is jetted from the nozzle orifice;
• associating the correction data with the respective nozzle orifices identified by the ID data;
• and
• storing the associated correction data;
• selecting M drive signals from the N serial drive signals based on the associated correction data, M being an integer which is equal to or less than N, where N>1;
• and
• applying the M drive signals to the piezoelectric vibrators within the single jetting cycle.

A liquid jetting apparatus, comprising:

• a liquid jetting head including:
• a plurality of nozzle orifices;
• a plurality of pressure generation chambers associated with the nozzle orifices;
• and a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators for respectively varying the volume of the associated pressure generation chamber to jet a liquid droplet from the associated nozzle orifice;
• a drive signal generator, for generating a plurality of serial drive signals, respectively driving the piezoelectric vibrators, within a single jetting cycle of the liquid jetting head;
• an ID data storage, for storing ID data which identifies the respective nozzle orifices;
• a reference drive signal generator, for generating a reference drive signal to instruct the piezoelectric vibrator to jet a reference liquid droplet having a designated amount from the nozzle orifice;
• a reference drive signal applier, for applying the reference drive signal to the respective piezoelectric vibrators to jet liquid droplet from the nozzle orifices;
• an identifier, for measuring amounts of the respective liquid droplets jetted from the respective identified nozzle orifices by the reference drive signal, and identifying a difference between the designated amount and the measured amount of each liquid droplet;
• a correction data storage, for storing correction data which reduces the difference so that the designated amount is jetted from the nozzle orifice, and the correction data associated with the respective nozzle orifices identified by the ID data;
• and
• a drive signal supplier, for selecting at least one drive signal from the serial drive signals to adjust a displacement behavior of a piezoelectric vibrator associated with the identified nozzle orifice, based on the associated correction data.

A liquid jetting apparatus, comprising:

• a liquid jetting head including:
• a plurality of nozzle orifices;
• a plurality of pressure generation chambers associated with the nozzle orifices;
• and a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators for respectively varying the volume of the associated pressure generation chamber to jet a liquid droplet from the associated nozzle orifices;
• at least one drive signal generator, for generating N serial drive signals, respectively driving the piezoelectric vibrators, within a single jetting cycle of the liquid jetting head, N being an integer which is not less than 3;
• an ID data storage, for storing ID data which identifies the respective nozzle orifices;
• a reference drive signal generator, for generating a reference drive signal to instruct the piezoelectric vibrator to jet a reference liquid droplet having a designated amount from the nozzle orifice;
• a reference drive signal applier, for applying the reference drive signal to the respective piezoelectric vibrators to jet liquid droplets from the nozzle orifices;
• an identifier, for measuring amounts of the respective liquid droplets jetted from the respective identified nozzle orifices by the reference drive signal, and identifying a difference between the designated amount and the measured amount of each liquid droplet;
• a correction data storage, for storing correction data which reduces the difference so that the designated amount is jetted from the nozzle orifice, and the correction data associated with the respective nozzle orifices identified by the ID data;
• and
• a drive signal supplier, for identifying a nozzle orifice in which the jetting amount is to be corrected, through use of the ID data, and selecting M drive signals from the N serial drive signals to adjust a displacement behavior of a piezoelectric vibrator associated with the identified nozzle orifice, based on the associated correction data, M being an integer which is equal to or less than N.