Liquid discharge apparatus, circuit substrate, and integrated circuit device

• US 10,457,041 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2018
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yamada, Tomokazu, Yajima, Hidehiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, An H
• Application Number:
  US16/027,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20190009526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 347 9- 12, 347 14
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04541 Specific driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04548 Details of power line section of control circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04581 controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04588 using a specific waveform
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04593 Dot-size modulation by changing the size of the drop
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04596 Non-ejecting pulses
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/6871 the output circuit comprising more than one controlled field-effect transistor

Abstract

There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including: a discharge unit which discharges a liquid by a piezoelectric element; and a driving circuit which drives the piezoelectric element, in which the driving circuit includes a first transistor pair which is driven by a first power source voltage and a second power source voltage, a second transistor pair which is driven by the second power source voltage and a third power source voltage, and a first control circuit which controls on a first input signal, and in which, the shortest distance between the first power source voltage and the first input terminal is shorter than the shortest distance between the second power source voltage and the first input terminal, and the shortest distance between the second power source terminal and the first input terminal is shorter than the shortest distance between the third power source voltage and the first input terminal.

Claims

1. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:

a discharge device including a piezoelectric element, the discharge device being configured to discharge a liquid by applying a first driving signal to the piezoelectric element; and

a first driving circuit which outputs the first driving signal,

wherein the first driving circuit includes;

a first output node configured to output the first driving signal;

a first transistor pair which includes a first transistor and a second transistor which are connected to each other in series between a first power source voltage supply line for supplying a first power source voltage and a second power source voltage supply line for supplying a second power source voltage that is higher than the first power source voltage;

a second transistor pair which includes a third transistor and a fourth transistor which are connected to each other in series between the second power source voltage supply line and a third power source voltage supply line for supplying a third power source voltage that is higher than the second power source voltage;

a first gate driver to which the first power source voltage and the second power source voltage are supplied and which generates a first control signal that controls a switching operation of the first transistor pair;

a second gate driver to which the second power source voltage and the third power source voltage are supplied and which generates a second control signal that controls a switching operation of the second transistor pair; and

a first control circuit which controls the first gate driver and the second gate driver based on a first input signal,

wherein an output end of the first transistor pair and an output end of the second transistor pair are connected to the first output node,

wherein at least a part of the first gate driver, at least a part of the second gate driver, and at least a part of the first control circuit are integrated in an integrated circuit device,

wherein the integrated circuit device includes a first power source terminal to which the first power source voltage is supplied, a second power source terminal to which the second power source voltage is supplied, a third power source terminal to which the third power source voltage is supplied, and a first input terminal to which the first input signal is input,

wherein the first power source terminal is spaced away from the first input terminal by a first linear distance, the second power source terminal is spaced away from the first input terminal by a second linear distance, and the third power source terminal is spaced away from the first input terminal by a third linear distance, and

the first linear distance is shorter than the second linear distance, and the second linear distance is shorter than the third linear distance.

2. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first control circuit includes a D/A conversion circuit which converts a digital signal that defines a waveform of the first driving signal into an original driving signal that serves as an origin of the first driving signal, and controls the first gate driver and the second gate driver based on the original driving signal, and

wherein the first input signal is the digital signal.

3. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first power source terminal is spaced away from a first side of the integrated circuit device by a fourth linear distance, and the first power source terminal is spaced away from a second side of the integrated circuit device by a fifth linear distance,

the first side is different from the second side, and the fourth linear distance is shorter than the fifth linear distance, and

wherein the first input terminal is spaced apart from the second side by a sixth linear distance, and the first input terminal is spaced away from the first side by a seventh linear distance, and

the sixth linear distance is shorter than the seventh linear distance.

4. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the second power source terminal is spaced away from the first side by an eighth linear distance, and the second power source terminal is spaced away from the second side by a ninth linear distance,

the eighth linear distance is shorter than the ninth linear distance, and

wherein the third power source terminal is spaced away from the first side by a tenth linear distance, and the third power source terminal is spaced away from the second side by an eleventh linear distance, and

the tenth linear distance is shorter than the eleventh linear distance.

5. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the discharge device is configured to discharged the liquid by applying one of the first driving signal or a second driving signal to the piezoelectric element,

wherein a second driving circuit which outputs the second driving signal is further provided, the second driving circuit includes:

a second output node configured to output the second driving signal;

a third transistor pair which includes a fifth transistor and a sixth transistor which are connected to each other in series between a fourth power source voltage supply line for supplying a fourth power source voltage and a fifth power source voltage supply line for supplying a fifth power source voltage that is higher than the fourth power source voltage;

a fourth transistor pair which includes a seventh transistor and an eighth transistor which are connected to each other in series between the fifth power source voltage supply line and a sixth power source voltage supply line for supplying a sixth power source voltage that is higher than the fifth power source voltage;

a third gate driver to which the fourth power source voltage and the fifth power source voltage are supplied and which generates a third control signal that controls a switching operation of the third transistor pair;

a fourth gate driver to which the fifth power source voltage and the sixth power source voltage are supplied and which generates a fourth control signal that controls a switching operation of the fourth transistor pair; and

a second control circuit which controls the third gate driver and the fourth gate driver based on a second input signal,

wherein an output end of the third transistor pair and an output end of the fourth transistor pair are connected to the second output node,

wherein at least a part of the third gate driver, at least a part of the fourth gate driver, and at least a part of the second control circuit are integrated in the integrated circuit device,

wherein the integrated circuit device includes a fourth power source terminal to which the fourth power source voltage is supplied, a fifth power source terminal to which the fifth power source voltage is supplied, a sixth power source terminal to which the sixth power source voltage is supplied, and a second input terminal to which the second input signal is input,

wherein the fourth power source terminal is spaced away from the second input terminal by an twelfth linear distance, the fifth power source terminal is spaced away from the second input terminal by a thirteenth linear distance, and the twelfth linear distance is shorter than the thirteenth linear distance,

wherein the sixth power source terminal is spaced away from the second input terminal by a fourteenth fifteenth linear distance, and thirteenth linear distance is shorter than the fourteenth linear distance,

wherein the second input terminal is spaced away from a third side opposite to the second side of the integrated circuit device by a fifteenth linear distance, the second input terminal is spaced away from the first side by a sixteenth linear distance, and the fifteenth linear distance is shorter than the sixteenth linear distance,

wherein the fourth power source terminal is spaced away from the first side by a seventeenth linear distance, the fourth power source terminal is spaced away from the third side by an eighteenth linear distance, and the seventeenth linear distance is shorter than the eighteenth linear distance,

wherein the fifth power source terminal is spaced away from the first side by a nineteenth linear distance, the fifth power source terminal is spaced away from the third side by a twentieth linear distance, and the nineteenth linear distance is shorter than the twentieth linear distance, and

wherein the sixth power source terminal is spaced away from the first side by a twenty-first linear distance, the sixth power source terminal is spaced away from the third side by twenty-second linear distance, and the twenty-first linear distance is shorter than the twenty-second linear distance.

6. A circuit substrate on which an integrated circuit device is mounted, at least a part of a first gate driver, at least a part of a second gate driver, and at least a part of a first control circuit are integrated in the integrated circuit device, the integrated circuit device including:

a first power source terminal to which a first power source voltage is supplied;

a second power source terminal to which a second power source voltage is supplied;

a third power source terminal to which a third power source voltage is supplied; and

a first input terminal to which a first input signal is input, wherein the first gate driver, the second gate driver, and the first control circuit configuring a first driving circuit that is configured to output a first driving signal to a discharge device so as to discharge a liquid, the first driving circuit including;

a first output node configured to output the first driving signal;

a first transistor pair which includes a first transistor and a second transistor which are connected to each other in series between a first power source voltage supply line for supplying the first power source voltage and a second power source voltage supply line for supplying the second power source voltage that is higher than the first power source voltage;

a second transistor pair which includes a third transistor and a fourth transistor which are connected to each other in series between the second power source voltage supply line and a third power source voltage supply line for supplying the third power source voltage that is higher than the second power source voltage

the first gate driver to which the first power source voltage and the second power source voltage are supplied and which generates a first control signal that controls a switching operation of the first transistor pair;

the second gate driver to which the second power source voltage and the third power source voltage are supplied and which generates a second control signal that controls a switching operation of the second transistor pair; and

the first control circuit which controls the first gate driver and the second gate driver based on the first input signal, wherein an output end of the first transistor pair and an output end of the second transistor pair are connected to the first output node, the circuit substrate comprising;

a first electrode to which the first power source terminal is connected;

a second electrode to which the second power source terminal is connected;

a third electrode to which the third power source terminal is connected; and

a fourth electrode to which the first input terminal is connected,

wherein the first electrode is spaced away from the fourth electrode by a first linear distance, the second electrode is spaced away from the fourth electrode by a second linear distance, and the first linear distance is shorter than the second linear distance, and

wherein the third electrode is spaced away from the fourth electrode by a third linear distance, and the second linear distance is shorter than the third linear distance.

7. The circuit substrate according to claim 6,

wherein the first control circuit includes a D/A conversion circuit which converts a digital signal that defines a waveform of the first driving signal into an original driving signal that serves as an origin of the first driving signal, and controls the first gate driver and the second gate driver based on the original driving signal, and

wherein the first input signal is the digital signal.

8. The circuit substrate according to claim 6,

wherein, when the integrated circuit device is mounted on the circuit substrate:

the first electrode is spaced away from a first side of the integrated circuit device by a fourth linear distance, the first electrode is spaced away from a second side of the integrated circuit device by a fifth linear distance, the second side is different from the first side, and the fourth linear distance is shorter than the fifth linear distance, and

the fourth electrode is spaced away from the second side by a sixth linear distance, the fourth electrode is spaced away from the first side by a seventh linear distance, and the sixth linear distance is shorter than the seventh linear distance.

9. The circuit substrate according to claim 8,

wherein the second electrode is spaced away from the first side by an eighth linear distance, the second electrode is spaced away from the second side by a ninth linear distance, and the eighth linear distance is shorter than the ninth linear distance, and

wherein the third electrode is spaced away from the first side by a tenth linear distance, the third electrode is spaced away from the second side by an eleventh linear distance, and the tenth linear distance is shorter than the eleventh linear distance.

10. An integrated circuit device that is used in a first driving circuit, the first driving circuit including:

a first output node configured to output a first driving signal that drives a capacitive load;

a first transistor pair which includes a first transistor and a second transistor which are connected to each other in series between a first power source voltage supply line for supplying a first power source voltage and a second power source voltage supply line for supplying a second power source voltage that is higher than the first power source voltage;

a second transistor pair which includes a third transistor and a fourth transistor which are connected to each other in series between the second power source voltage supply line and a third power source voltage supply line for supplying a third power source voltage that is higher than the second power source voltage;

a first gate driver to which the first power source voltage and the second power source voltage are supplied and which generates a first control signal that controls a switching operation of the first transistor pair;

a second gate driver to which the second power source voltage and the third power source voltage are supplied and which generates a second control signal that controls a switching operation of the second transistor pair; and

a first control circuit which controls the first gate driver and the second gate driver based on a first input signal, wherein an output end of the first transistor pair and an output end of the second transistor pair are connected to the first output node, the integrated circuit device comprising;

at least a part of the first gate driver;

at least a part of the second gate driver;

at least a part of the first control circuit;

a first power source terminal to which the first power source voltage is supplied;

a second power source terminal to which the second power source voltage is supplied;

a third power source terminal to which the third power source voltage is supplied; and

a first input terminal to which the first input signal is input,

wherein the first power source terminal is spaced away from the first input terminal by a first linear distance, the second power source terminal is spaced away from the first input terminal by a second linear distance, and the first linear distance is shorter than the second linear distance, and

wherein the third power source terminal is spaced away from the first input terminal by a third linear distance, and the second linear distance is shorter than the third linear distance.

11. The integrated circuit device according to claim 10,

wherein the first input terminal is spaced away from the first gate driver by a fourth linear distance, the first input terminal is spaced away from the second gate driver by a fifth linear distance, and the fourth linear distance is shorter than the fifth linear distance.

12. The integrated circuit device according to claim 10,

wherein the first power source terminal is spaced away from a first side of the integrated circuit device by a sixth linear distance, the first power source terminal is spaced away from a second side of the integrated circuit device by a seventh linear distance, the second side is different from the first side, and the sixth linear distance is shorter than the seventh linear distance, and

wherein the first input terminal is spaced away from the second side by an eighth linear distance, the first input terminal is spaced away from the first side by a ninth linear distance, and the eighth linear distance is shorter than the ninth linear distance.

13. The integrated circuit device according to claim 12,

wherein the second power source terminal is spaced away from the first side by a tenth linear distance, the second power source terminal is spaced away from the second side by an eleventh linear distance, and the tenth linear distance is shorter than the eleventh linear distance, and

wherein the third power source terminal is spaced way from the first side by a twelfth linear distance, the third power source terminal is spaced away from the second side by a thirteenth linear distance, and the twelfth linear distance is shorter than the thirteenth linear distance.

14. The integrated circuit device according to claim 12,

wherein the first driving circuit further includes a linear amplifier which amplifies a voltage of an original driving signal that serves as the first driving signal and outputs the amplified voltage,

wherein, in a predetermined period, the switching operation of the first transistor pair and the second transistor pair is stopped, and the amplified voltage output from the linear amplifier is applied to the first output node,

wherein the integrated circuit device further includes at least a part of the linear amplifier and a first output terminal from which a signal generated by the linear amplifier is output,

wherein the first output terminal is spaced away from the second side by a fourteenth linear distance, the first output terminal is spaced way from the first side by a fifteenth linear distance, and the fourteenth linear distance is shorter than the fifteenth linear distance, and

wherein the linear amplifier is provided between the second side and the first gate driver.

15. The integrated circuit device according to claim 10,

wherein the first control circuit includes a D/A conversion circuit which converts a digital signal that defines a waveform of the first driving signal into an original driving signal that serves as an origin of the first driving signal, and controls the first gate driver and the second gate driver based on the original driving signal, and

wherein the first input signal is the digital signal.

16. The integrated circuit device according to claim 10,

wherein the first control circuit further includes:

a D/A conversion circuit which converts a digital signal that defines a waveform of the first driving signal into an original driving signal that serves as an origin of the first driving signal; and

a selector which makes the first gate driver operable when a voltage of the first driving signal is between the first power source voltage and the second power source voltage, which makes the second gate driver operable when the voltage of the first driving signal is between the second power source voltage and the third power source voltage, and which controls the first gate driver and the second gate driver based on the original driving signal,

wherein the integrated circuit device further includes at least a part of the D/A conversion circuit and at least a part of the selector, and

wherein the selector is provided between an area in which the first gate driver and the second gate driver are disposed and an area in which the D/A conversion circuit is disposed.