Liquid Discharging Apparatus And Driving Circuit

• US 20200130390A1
• Filed: 10/29/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: KAMIJIMA, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 11,059,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 19/005 Cable or belt constructions for driving print, type or paper-carriages, e.g. attachment, tensioning means
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 19/207 Encoding along a bar
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04541 Specific driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0458 controlling heads based on heating elements forming bubbles
• 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 2/15 for serial printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/20 Modules
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/02 Framework
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/13 Cases or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism

Abstract

In a liquid discharging apparatus, a head unit includes a driving element, a first circuit that controls drive of the driving element based on a first signal including a first data signal and a second data signal, and a first conversion circuit that converts a first optical signal into the first data signal, and converts a second optical signal into the second data signal, a driving circuit includes a second circuit that outputs a second signal including a third data signal and a fourth data signal, a second conversion circuit that converts the third data signal into the first optical signal, and converts the fourth data signal into the second optical signal, a first cable, and a second cable, the first cable propagates the first optical signal during a first period, and the second cable propagates the second optical signal during a second period.

Claims

1. A liquid discharging apparatus comprising:

a head unit;

a carriage on which the head unit is mounted and which moves while facing a medium; and

a driving circuit that controls drive of the head unit, wherein

the head unit includes

a liquid discharging head that includes a driving element, and discharges a liquid with respect to the medium by driving the driving element,

a first circuit that controls drive of the driving element based on a first signal including a first data signal and a second data signal, and

a first conversion circuit that is electrically coupled to the first circuit, converts a first optical signal into the first data signal, and converts a second optical signal into the second data signal,

the driving circuit includes

a second circuit that outputs a second signal including a third data signal and a fourth data signal,

a second conversion circuit that is electrically coupled to the second circuit, converts the third data signal into the first optical signal, and converts the fourth data signal into the second optical signal,

a first cable, and

a second cable,

the first cable propagates the first optical signal during a first period, and

the second cable propagates the second optical signal during a second period which is different from the first period.

2. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the carriage moves in a first direction during the first period, and moves in a second direction, which is different from the first direction, during the second period.

3. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first cable does not propagate the second optical signal during the second period, and

the second cable does not propagate the first optical signal during the first period.

4. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an abnormality detection circuit; and

a third cable, wherein

the first circuit outputs a first handshake signal indicative of whether or not to receive the first data signal,

the second circuit generates a second handshake signal indicative of a timing at which the second data signal is transmitted,

the third cable propagates the first handshake signal and the second handshake signal, and

the abnormality detection circuit detects whether or not the first cable is abnormal based on at least one of the first handshake signal and the second handshake signal.

5. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the first optical signal is propagated through the first cable during the first period before an abnormality occurs in the first cable, and

the first optical signal is propagated through the second cable during the first period after the abnormality occurs in the first cable.

6. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

an abnormality notification circuit, wherein

the abnormality notification circuit provides a notification when an abnormality occurs in the first cable.

7. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the third cable is a flexible flat cable.

8. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first cable and the second cable have structures which are different from each other.

9. A driving circuit for driving a head unit including a liquid discharging head that includes a driving element, and that discharges a liquid with respect to a medium by driving the driving element, a first circuit that controls drive of the driving element based on a first signal including a first data signal and a second data signal, and a first conversion circuit that is electrically coupled to the first circuit, converts a first optical signal into the first data signal, and converts a second optical signal into the second data signal, the head unit being mounted on a carriage that moves while facing the medium, the driving circuit comprising:

a second circuit that outputs a second signal including a third data signal and a fourth data signal;

a second conversion circuit that is electrically coupled to the second circuit, converts the third data signal into the first optical signal, and converts the fourth data signal into the second optical signal;

a first cable; and

a second cable, wherein

the first cable propagates the first optical signal during a first period, and

the second cable propagates the second optical signal during a second period which is different from the first period.