# US 9,517,622 B2 · Liquid droplet forming apparatus

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- Number: US 9,517,622 B2
- Document ID: US9517622B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/969,236
- Filed: 2015-12-15
- Published: 2016-06-23
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2014-12-22
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Yuzuru Kuramochi; Yoshio Uchikata; Daisuke Takagi; Manabu Seo
- Inventors: Yuzuru Kuramochi; Yoshio Uchikata; Daisuke Takagi; Manabu Seo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517622B2

## CPC

- B41J 2/14233: {of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm}
- B01L 3/0268: {using pulse dispensing or spraying, eg. inkjet type, piezo actuated ejection of droplets from capillaries}
- B41J 2/04581: {controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements}
- B41J 2/04596: {Non-ejecting pulses}
- B41J 2/14201: {Structure of print heads with piezoelectric elements}
- B01L 2400/0439: ultrasonic vibrations, vibrating piezo elements
- B41J 2202/15: Moving nozzle or nozzle plate
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE

## Abstract

There is provided a liquid droplet forming apparatus comprising: a liquid holding part configured to hold a liquid including precipitating particles; a film member configured to be vibrated so as to eject the liquid held in the liquid holding unit, wherein a nozzle is formed in the film member and the liquid is ejected as a droplet from the nozzle; a vibrating unit configured to vibrate the film member; and a driving unit configured to selectively apply an ejection waveform and a stirring waveform to the vibrating unit, wherein the film member is vibrated to form the droplet in response to applying the ejection waveform and the film member is vibrated without forming the droplet in response to applying the stirring waveform.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A liquid droplet forming apparatus comprising:
a liquid holding part configured to hold a liquid including precipitating particles;
a film member configured to be vibrated so as to eject the liquid held in the liquid holding part, wherein a nozzle is formed in the film member and the liquid is ejected as a droplet from the nozzle;
a vibrating unit configured to vibrate the film member; and
a driving unit configured to selectively apply an ejection waveform and a stirring waveform to the vibrating unit, wherein the film member is vibrated to form the droplet in response to applying the ejection waveform and the film member is vibrated to cause convective flows of the liquid in the liquid holding part without forming the droplet in response to applying the stirring waveform, the film member being vibrated due to the applied stirring waveform.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The liquid droplet forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stirring waveform is generated based on a signal whose frequency is less than a natural frequency of a higher order mode vibration of the film member.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The liquid droplet forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stirring waveform includes a frequency component corresponding to a natural frequency of a basic mode vibration of the film member.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The liquid droplet forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the stirring waveform is generated such that a frequency of the stirring waveform varies from a first frequency to a second frequency, and the natural frequency of the basic mode vibration is included between the first frequency and the second frequency.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The liquid droplet forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a liquid amount detection unit configured to detect an amount of the liquid in the liquid holding part, wherein the driving unit controls the stirring waveform based on the detection result of the liquid amount detection unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The liquid droplet forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving unit periodically applies the stirring waveform to the vibrating unit with a certain time interval.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The liquid droplet forming apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the certain time interval is set according to a property of the precipitating particle.