LIQUID EJECTING DEVICE, METHOD OF CONTROLLING LIQUID EJECTION DEVICE, AND CONTROL PROGRAM OF LIQUID EJECTING DEVICE

• US 20160059549A1
• Filed: 08/26/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Toshiyuki, Shinkawa, Osamu, KAMIYANAGI, Masashi
• Application Number:
  US14/835,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20160059549A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0451 for detecting failure, e.g. clogging, malfunctioning actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04541 Specific driving 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: B41J 2002/14354 Sensor in each pressure chamber

Abstract

A liquid ejecting device including: an ejection unit that includes a piezoelectric element which is shifted according to a driving signal, and a nozzle that ejects a liquid which the shift of the piezoelectric element; a generating unit that generates the driving signal based on a designation signal; a supply unit that supplies the designation signal to the generating unit; a detecting unit that detects residual vibration generated in the ejection unit after the piezoelectric element is shifted according to the driving signal; and a determining unit that determines an ejection state of the liquid in the ejection unit based on the detection results of the detecting unit, in which the detecting unit detects the residual vibration during a detection period, and the supply unit supplies the designation signal to the generating unit during a period other than the detection period.

Claims

1. A liquid ejecting device comprising:

an ejection unit that includes a piezoelectric element which is shifted according to a driving signal, a pressure chamber whose inside is filled with a liquid so that the pressure in the inside is decreased or increased due to the shift of the piezoelectric element, and a nozzle that communicates with the pressure chamber and ejects a liquid which fills the inside of the pressure chamber in response to the decrease or the increase in the pressure in the inside of the pressure chamber;

a generating unit that generates the driving signal based on a driving waveform signal having one or a plurality of waveforms and a designation signal designating a waveform to be supplied to the piezoelectric element from one or the plurality of waveforms included in the driving waveform signal;

a supply unit that supplies the designation signal to the generating unit for each unit period;

a detecting unit that detects residual vibration generated in the ejection unit after the piezoelectric element is shifted according to the driving signal; and

a determining unit that determines an ejection state of the liquid in the ejection unit based on the detection results of the detecting unit,

wherein the detecting unit detects the residual vibration during a detection period in the unit period, and

the supply unit supplies the designation signal to the generating unit during a period other than the detection period in the unit period.

2. The liquid ejecting device according to claim 1, wherein the supply unit supplies the designation signal to the generating unit during a first period which is a period after the detection period in the unit period is finished.

3. The liquid ejecting device according to claim 2,

wherein, when supplied to the piezoelectric element, the driving waveform signal includes a microvibration waveform that shifts the piezoelectric element to the extent that the liquid cannot be ejected from the nozzle, and

the microvibration waveform is provided during the first period.

4. The liquid ejecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the supply unit supplies the designation signal to the generating unit during a second period which is a period before the detection period in the unit period is started.

5. The liquid ejecting device according to claim 1, wherein the supply unit supplies the designation signal to the generating unit during a first period which is a period after the detection period in the unit period is finished and during a second period which is a period before the detection period in the unit period is started.

6. A method of controlling a liquid ejecting device which includes an ejection unit including a piezoelectric element which is shifted according to a driving signal, a pressure chamber whose inside is filled with a liquid so that the pressure in the inside is decreased or increased due to the shift of the piezoelectric element, and a nozzle that communicates with the pressure chamber and ejects a liquid which fills the inside of the pressure chamber in response to the decrease or the increase in the pressure in the inside of the pressure chamber;

and a generating unit that generates the driving signal based on a driving waveform signal having one or a plurality of waveforms and a designation signal designating a waveform to be supplied to the piezoelectric element from one or the plurality of waveforms included in the driving waveform signal, the method comprising;

supplying the designation signal to the generating unit for each unit period;

detecting residual vibration generated in the ejection unit after the piezoelectric element is shifted according to the driving signal; and

determining an ejection state of the liquid in the ejection unit based on the detection results of the residual vibration,

wherein the detecting of the residual vibration is performed during a detection period in the unit period, and

the supplying of the designation signal is performed during a period other than the detection period in the unit period.

7. A control program of a liquid ejecting device which includes an ejection unit including a piezoelectric element which is shifted according to a driving signal, a pressure chamber whose inside is filled with a liquid so that the pressure in the inside is decreased or increased due to the shift of the piezoelectric element, and a nozzle that communicates with the pressure chamber and ejects a liquid which fills the inside of the pressure chamber in response to the decrease or the increase in the pressure in the inside of the pressure chamber;

a generating unit that generates the driving signal based on a driving waveform signal having one or a plurality of waveforms and a designation signal designating a waveform to be supplied to the piezoelectric element from one or the plurality of waveforms included in the driving waveform signal;

a detecting unit that detects the residual vibration generated in the ejection unit after the piezoelectric element is shifted according to the driving signal; and

a computer, the program causing the computer to function as;

a supply unit that supplies the designation signal to the generating unit for each unit period; and

a determining unit that determines an ejection state of the liquid in the ejection unit based the detection results of the detection unit,

wherein the detecting unit detects the residual vibration during a detection period in the unit period, and

the supply unit supplies the designation signal to the generating unit during a period other than the detection period in the unit period.