The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-219655, filed Nov. 10, 2016 is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus such as an ink jet type recording apparatus, in particular to a liquid ejecting apparatus that causes a nozzle to eject liquid by generating pressure variation in liquid in a hollow portion that communicates with the nozzle by deforming a vibration portion that delimits a part of the hollow portion.
The liquid ejecting apparatus is an apparatus that has a liquid ejecting head and ejects (discharges) various liquids from nozzles of the liquid ejecting head. An example of a typical liquid ejecting apparatus is an image recording apparatus such as an ink jet type recording apparatus (printer) that has an ink jet type recording head (hereinafter referred to as a recording head) and performs recording by ejecting ink in a liquid state as ink droplets from nozzles of the recording head. Further, the liquid ejecting apparatus is used to eject various types of liquids such as color materials used for a color filter of a liquid crystal display and the like, an organic material used for an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, and an electrode material used to form an electrode. A recording head for an image recording apparatus ejects ink in a liquid state, and a color material ejecting head for a display manufacturing apparatus ejects solution of each color material of R (Red), G (Green), and B (Blue). An electrode material ejecting head for an electrode forming apparatus ejects an electrode material in a liquid state, and a bioorganic material ejecting head for a chip manufacturing apparatus ejects solution of bioorganic material.
For example, in the liquid ejecting apparatus described above, there is a case where liquid is not normally ejected from a nozzle of the liquid ejecting head due to factors such as clogging due to thickening of liquid and foreign objects or bubbles existing in a flow path, that is, a case where the amount or the speed of the liquid ejected from the nozzle is different from an original target value or the liquid is not ejected from the nozzle at all in the worst case. Therefore, a technique that inspects whether or not the liquid is normally ejected from all the nozzles is proposed. For example, JP-A-2014-177127 discloses a technique that inspects ejection abnormality of ink based on residual vibration of liquid in a cavity (a hollow portion or a pressure chamber) when driving a piezoelectric element.
In the liquid ejecting head described above, a plurality of components such as a substrate where nozzles are formed and a substrate where cavities are formed are bonded with adhesive or the like. Therefore, a positional relationship between the cavities and the piezoelectric elements and dimensions of components may be different from target values due to variation in manufacturing or an adhesive that bonds substrates together may extrude to a cavity and attach to a flexible plane that delimits the cavity, so that there is a case where a vibration period of a vibration portion including a piezoelectric element and a flexible plane corresponding to the piezoelectric element may be different from a design target value (reference value). As a result, there is a risk that inspection accuracy is degraded.
An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus that can improve detection accuracy of ejection abnormality in a configuration that inspects the ejection abnormality based on the residual vibration generated by driving the piezoelectric element.
According to an aspect of the invention, the liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head including a substrate where a plurality of hollow portions are formed, a flexible plane that delimits a part of the hollow portion in the substrate, and a piezoelectric element provided corresponding to and opposite to the hollow portion with the flexible plane in between, an inspection mechanism that inspects ejection of liquid from a nozzle that communicates with the hollow portion based on an electromotive force of the piezoelectric element caused by vibration generated when the piezoelectric element is driven, and a signal generation circuit that generates a first drive signal applied to a first piezoelectric element to be inspected among a plurality of piezoelectric elements corresponding to the plurality of hollow portions and a second drive signal applied to a second piezoelectric element different from the first piezoelectric element. The second drive signal maintains a state where a second vibration portion including the second piezoelectric element and the flexible plane corresponding to the second piezoelectric element is deformed during at least a detection period in which the inspection mechanism performs inspection based on vibration caused when a first vibration portion including the first piezoelectric element and the flexible plane corresponding to the first piezoelectric element is driven.
According to this invention, it is possible to change a tensile force applied to the flexible plane of the first vibration portion by causing the second vibration portion to be in a deformed state during the detection period, so that it is possible to change a vibration period of the first vibration portion. Therefore, when a unique vibration period of the first vibration portion is different from a design target value (reference vibration period) due to, for example, manufacturing variation and the like, it is possible to adjust (correct) the vibration period so as to be close to the target value by using the second vibration portion. Thereby, it is possible to improve the detection accuracy of ejection abnormality.
In the configuration described above, it is preferable to employ a configuration where the second drive signal is maintained at a constant adjustment voltage during the detection period.
According to this configuration, the second vibration portion does not vibrate and maintains a constant shape in a period of time in which the first vibration portion vibrates in the detection period, so that it is suppressed that the vibration of the second vibration portion is superimposed on the vibration of the first vibration portion to cause adverse effects.
Further, in the configuration described above, it is preferable to employ a configuration where a temperature detection mechanism that detects temperature of the liquid ejecting head is included and the adjustment voltage varies according to the temperature detected by the temperature detection mechanism.
According to this configuration, even when the vibration period of the first vibration portion varies from the reference vibration period according to variation of temperature, it is possible for the second vibration portion to adjust the vibration period so as to be close to the reference vibration period.
Further, in the configuration described above, it is preferable to employ a configuration where the second drive signal has a plurality of different adjustment voltages.
According to this configuration, it is possible to easily select a more suitable adjustment voltage.
Further, in the configuration described above, it is preferable to employ a configuration where the second drive signal generates a waveform element that amplifies vibration of the first vibration portion by vibrating the second vibration portion during a vibration generation period in which the first vibration portion is vibrated by the first drive signal before the detection period.
According to this configuration, it is possible to amplify the vibration of the first vibration portion, so that it is possible to further improve the detection accuracy of ejection abnormality.
Further, in the configuration described above, it is preferable to employ a configuration where the first vibration portion and the second vibration portion are adjacent to each other with a wall delimiting the hollow portions in between.
According to this configuration, it is possible to more efficiently change a tensile force which is applied to the flexible plane of the first vibration portion by deformation of the second vibration portion.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements.
Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. n the embodiments described below, there are various limitations as preferable concrete examples of the invention. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the embodiments as long as a description limiting the invention is not given in particular in the description below. In the description below, as the liquid ejecting apparatus of the invention, an ink jet type recording apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a printer 1) in which an ink jet recording head (hereinafter referred to as a recording head 2) that is a type of a liquid ejecting head is mounted will be described as an example.
The carriage 4 is attached in a state of being pivotally supported by a guide rod 9 provided along the main scanning direction and reciprocates in the main scanning direction along the guide rod 9. The printer 1 is configured to be able to perform so-called bidirectional recording which records characters and images on the recording paper 6 in both directions including a forward direction in which the carriage 4 moves from a home position that is a standby position of the recording head 2 provided at one end (right side in
The case 18 is a box-shaped member made of synthetic resin. A housing hollow portion 19 that is recessed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape from a lower surface of the case 18 to middle of the case 18 in a height direction is formed on the lower surface of the case 18. When the communicating substrate 13 of the laminated body is bonded to the lower surface, the actuator substrate 12 (the pressure chamber forming substrate 14, the vibrating plate 15, the piezoelectric element 16, and the sealing plate 17) of the laminated body is housed in the housing hollow portion 19. An ink introduction passage 20 is formed in the case 18. Ink from the ink cartridge 3 is introduced to a common liquid chamber 26 through the ink introduction passage 20.
The pressure chamber forming substrate 14 of the present embodiment is made of a silicon single crystal substrate (hereinafter, also referred to as simply a silicon substrate). In the pressure chamber forming substrate 14, a plurality of pressure chamber hollow portions, each of which is a pressure chambers 21 that is a type of a hollow portion in the invention, are formed. An opening portion on one side (upper surface side) of the pressure chamber hollow portion in the pressure chamber forming substrate 14 is sealed by the vibrating plate 15. The communicating substrate 13 is bonded to a surface of the pressure chamber forming substrate 14 opposite to the vibrating plate 15, and an opening portion on the other side of the pressure chamber hollow portion is sealed by the communicating substrate 13. Thereby, the pressure chamber 21 is delimited and formed. Here, a portion where the upper opening of the pressure chamber 21 is sealed by the vibrating plate 15 is a flexible plane 22 that is displaced when the piezoelectric element 16 (active portion) is driven. It is also possible to employ a configuration in which the pressure chamber forming substrate 14 and the flexible plane 22 are integrated together. Specifically, etching is performed from the lower surface of the pressure chamber forming substrate 14 to leave a thin portion whose thickness is thin on the supper surface, so that the pressure chamber hollow portion is formed. It is possible to employ a configuration in which the thin portion functions as the flexible plane 22.
The pressure chamber 21 of the present embodiment is a hollow portion elongated in a direction (second direction) crossing a direction in which nozzles 24 are arranged side by side in parallel, that is, a nozzle row direction (first direction). One end portion of the pressure chamber 21 in the second direction communicates with the nozzle 24 through a nozzle communicating port 23 of the communicating substrate 13. The other end portion of the pressure chamber 21 in the second direction communicates with the common liquid chamber 26 through an individual communicating port 27 of the communicating substrate 13. A plurality of pressure chambers 21 are arranged side by side in parallel while being separated by partition walls 25 (see
The communicating substrate 13 is a plate member made of a silicon substrate in the same manner as the pressure chamber forming substrate 14. In the communicating substrate 13, a hollow portion to be the common liquid chamber 26 (also called a reservoir or a manifold) provided in common for a plurality of pressure chambers 21 of the pressure chamber forming substrate 14 is formed by anisotropic etching. The common liquid chamber 26 is a hollow portion elongated along a direction in which the pressure chambers 21 are arranged side by side in parallel (that is, the first direction). As described above, the common liquid chamber 26 communicates with each pressure chamber 21 through the individual communicating port 27.
The nozzle plate 11 is a plate member in which a plurality of nozzles 24 are provided in a row shape. In the present embodiment, the nozzle row is formed by providing a plurality of nozzles 24 in a row at a pitch corresponding to a dot formation density. The nozzle plate 11 of the present embodiment is made of a silicon substrate, and the cylindrically shaped nozzles 24 are formed by dry-etching the substrate. Corresponding to each nozzle 24, an ink flow path is formed from the common liquid chamber 26 described above to the nozzle 24 through the individual communicating port 27, the pressure chamber 21, and the nozzle communicating port 23.
The piezoelectric element 16 is arranged on an outer surface of the vibrating plate 15, which is opposite to the pressure chamber 21, corresponding to each pressure chamber 21. The illustrated piezoelectric element 16 is a piezoelectric element of a so-called flexural vibration mode and is formed by a drive electrode and a common electrode which are not shown in the drawings and which sandwich a piezoelectric layer. When a drive signal (drive pulse) is applied to the drive electrode of the piezoelectric element 16, an electric field according to a voltage difference is generated between the drive electrode and the common electrode. The electric field is applied to the piezoelectric layer and the piezoelectric layer is deformed according to the strength of the applied electric field. Specifically, the higher the voltage of the drive electrode is, the more a central portion in the width direction (nozzle row direction) of the piezoelectric layer bends into the pressure chamber 21 (toward the nozzle plate 11), so that the flexible plane 22 of the vibrating plate 15 is deformed so as to decrease the volume of the pressure chamber 21. On the other hand, the lower the voltage of the drive electrode is (the closer to 0 the voltage is), the more a central portion in the short length direction of the piezoelectric layer bends away from the nozzle plate 11, so that the vibrating plate 15 is deformed so as to increase the volume of the pressure chamber 21.
The drive signal generation circuit 36 outputs a drive signal COM to be applied to the drive electrode of the piezoelectric element 16 and also outputs a common DC voltage VBS to be applied to the common electrode of the piezoelectric element 16. The drive signal generation circuit 36 is electrically connected to the drive electrode of the piezoelectric element 16 through a pulse selection switch 37 provided for each piezoelectric element 16. Further, the drive signal generation circuit 36 is electrically connected to the common electrode of the piezoelectric element 16 through a switch 39 provided in common for each piezoelectric element 16 belonging to the same nozzle row and the vibration detection circuit 38 connected in parallel with the switch 39.
A head controller 30 of the recording head 2 performs ink ejection control based on gradation data SI transmitted from the printer controller 31. In the present embodiment, the gradation data SI including two bits is transmitted in synchronization with a clock signal and sequentially inputted into a shift register and a latch circuit (that are not shown in the drawings) of the head controller 30. Then, the latched gradation data SI is outputted to a decoder not shown in the drawings. The decoder generates pulse gradation data for selecting a drive pulse included in the drive signal COM based on a high-order bit group and a low-order bit group of recording data.
The drive signal COM from the drive signal generation circuit 36 is supplied to the head controller 30. The drive signal COM is inputted into the pulse selection switch 37 of the head controller 30. The drive electrode of the piezoelectric element 16 is connected to the output side of the pulse selection switch 37. The pulse selection switch 37 selectively applies the drive pulse included in the drive signal COM to the drive electrode of the piezoelectric element 16 based on the pulse gradation data described above. The pulse selection switch 37 functions as a switching mechanism that switches a connection state or a disconnection state between the drive signal generation circuit 36 and the piezoelectric element 16 when inspection processing described later is performed.
The vibration detection circuit 38 connected in parallel with the switch 39 is provided to the common electrode side of the piezoelectric element 16. The switch 39 is switch-controlled according to a switching signal CS outputted from the CPU 35. The switch 39 is turned off during a detection period described later and is turned on during the other period. The vibration detection circuit 38 includes a detection resistor and an A/D converter which are not shown in the drawings and outputs an electromotive force signal of the piezoelectric element 16 based on vibration (residual vibration during the detection period) generated in ink in the pressure chamber when the piezoelectric element 16 is driven by an inspecting drive pulse Pd shown in
The printer 1 according to the invention is configured to perform inspection processing of the recording head 2 so as to detect ejection abnormality due to thickening of ink and the like. As an inspection execution condition, it is possible to use a condition that a usage time of the printer 1 (for example, an integrated value of time while the printer 1 performs an operation to eject ink from the nozzles 24), the number of ejection times (for example, the sum of the numbers of ejection times of all the nozzles or an integrated value of average values of the numbers of ejection times of all the nozzles), or the total number of recording media that have been printed exceeds a predetermined determination value. Further, a case where execution of the inspection processing is instructed by a user through a printer driver or the like may be used as the inspection execution condition. When the inspection execution condition is established, the printer controller 31 proceeds to the inspection processing, selects a nozzle to be inspected from all the nozzles 24 of the recording head 2, and performs the inspection processing based on an electromotive force generated in the piezoelectric element 16 corresponding to the nozzle to be inspected when applying, for example, the inspecting drive pulse Pd shown in
As the inspection drive pulse described above, a pulse of various waveforms can be employed if the pulse can give pressure variation to the ink in the pressure chamber 21. However, in the present embodiment, the inspecting drive pulse Pd shown in
When the inspecting drive pulse Pd configured as described above is applied to the piezoelectric element 16 of the inspection target vibration portion, first, the inspection target vibration portion is bent in a direction away from the nozzle plate 11 by the preliminary expansion element p1, and accordingly the pressure chamber 21 expands from a reference volume corresponding to the reference voltage VB to an expansion volume corresponding to the expansion voltage VL. An expansion state of the pressure chamber 21 is maintained for a certain period of time by the expansion hold element p2. After a hold by the expansion hold element p2, the inspection target vibration portion is bent inside the pressure chamber 21 (toward the nozzle plate 11) by the contraction element p3. Accordingly, the pressure chamber 21 is rapidly contracted from the expansion volume to a contraction volume corresponding to the contraction voltage VH. Thereby, the ink in the pressure chamber 21 is pressurized and the pressure vibration is generated in the ink. Subsequently, the return element p5 is applied, so that the inspection target vibration portion returns to a steady position corresponding to the reference voltage VB. Accordingly, the pressure chamber 21 expands and returns to the reference volume corresponding to the reference voltage VB. When the inspection target vibration portion is driven by the inspecting drive pulse Pd of the present embodiment, ink may be or may not be ejected from the nozzle 24.
On the other hand, the adjusting drive signal COM2 is a drive signal that is constant at an adjustment voltage Vad. That is, the adjusting drive signal COM2 is constant at an adjustment voltage Vad over the entire period from the period T1 to the period T3. In the present embodiment, the adjustment voltage Vad is set to the expansion voltage VL of the inspecting drive signal COM1. However, the adjustment voltage Vad may be a voltage different form the expansion voltage VL according to the degree of adjustment. The adjusting drive signal COM2 is a signal that maintains a deformed state of an adjusting vibration portion constant by continuously applying a constant voltage (adjustment voltage Vad) to the adjusting vibration portion described later at least in the detection period (period T3) of the inspection target vibration portion. The adjusting drive signal COM2 is not limited to a signal formed from only the adjustment voltage Vad, but may have an element where a voltage varies as described below.
Here, after the inspection target vibration portion is driven in the period T2 by the inspecting drive pulse Pd of the inspecting drive signal COM1, a constant reference voltage VB is continuously applied to the piezoelectric element 16 of the inspection target vibration portion. However, the inspection target vibration portion is vibrated by the pressure vibration (residual vibration) generated in the ink in the pressure chamber 21. Thereby, an electromotive force based on the vibration is generated in the piezoelectric element 16 of the inspection target vibration portion. The vibration detection circuit 38 obtains an electromotive force signal Sc (detection signal) of the piezoelectric element 16. In the case of abnormality such as a case of a so-called missing dot where ink is not ejected from the nozzle 24 and a case where even if ink is ejected from the nozzle 24, the amount of ink or a flying speed of ink is extremely lower than those ejected from a normal nozzle 24, a periodical component and an amplitude component of the aforementioned detection signal are different from a vibration period (hereinafter, reference vibration period) and an amplitude of normal time which are acquired in advance. A detection method of ejection abnormality based on the electromotive force signal Sc has been publicly known, so that detailed description will be omitted. However, it is possible to detect ejection abnormality due to ink thickening and/or bubbles by the detection method.
By the way, the aforementioned reference vibration period is a value acquired under a predetermined condition (temperature, humidity, and the like) in an inspection stage before the printer 1 is shipped from a factory. However, the recording head 2 of the present embodiment is formed by bonding a plurality of substrates with an adhesive or the like, so that due to, for example, manufacturing variation and extrusion of adhesive to a flow path (pressure chamber 21), the vibration period of vibration portion corresponding to the nozzle 24 is different from the reference vibration period depending on the nozzle 24. As a result, the vibration periods may vary between the nozzles 24. Therefore, the printer 1 according to the invention is configured so that the degree of deformation (amount of bending/magnitude of bending) of the adjusting vibration portion is adjusted by the adjusting drive signal COM2 (second drive signal) when the piezoelectric element 16 of the inspection target vibration portion is driven and thereby inspection is performed in a state where the vibration period of the inspection target vibration portion is matched to the reference vibration period. A difference from the reference vibration period of each piezoelectric element 16 is acquired in advance in an inspection stage before shipment from a factory and stored in, for example, the storage unit 34. When the piezoelectric element 16 is driven as the inspection target vibration portion, the adjustment voltage Vad of the adjusting drive signal COM2 is set based on the difference stored in the storage unit 34.
As shown in
Specifically, when the tension applied to the flexible plane 22 of the inspection target vibration portion increases, the hardness (compliance C [mm/N]) of the flexible plane 22 of the inspection target vibration portion becomes greater than the original hardness of the flexible plane 22 of the inspection target vibration portion of when the inspection target vibration portion is independently driven. On the other hand, when the tension applied to the flexible plane 22 of the inspection target vibration portion decreases, the hardness of the flexible plane 22 of the inspection target vibration portion becomes smaller than the original hardness of the flexible plane 22 of the inspection target vibration portion of when the inspection target vibration portion is independently driven. The vibration period of the inspection target vibration portion changes according to the compliance C. In other words, the vibration period of the inspection target vibration portion changes according to the change of hardness of the flexible plane 22 of the inspection target vibration portion. For example, when it is assumed that the tension applied to the flexible plane 22 of the inspection target vibration portion becomes the smallest when the adjustment voltage Vad applied to the piezoelectric element 16 of the adjusting vibration portion is the ground voltage (GND), the higher the adjustment voltage Vad, the greater the tension applied to the flexible plane 22 and the smaller the compliance C, so that the vibration period of the inspection target vibration portion further decreases. The closer the adjustment voltage Vad of the adjusting drive signal COM2 is to the ground voltage (GND), the smaller the tension applied to the flexible plane 22 and the greater the compliance C, so that the vibration period of the inspection target vibration portion further increases. Therefore, when a unique vibration period of each vibration portion including the piezoelectric element 16 and the flexible plane 22 corresponding to the piezoelectric element 16 is different from the reference vibration period due to manufacturing variation and the like, it is possible for the adjusting vibration portion to adjust (correct) the unique period so that the unique period becomes close to the reference vibration period. In the present embodiment, the inspection target vibration portion and the adjusting vibration portion are adjacent to each other with one partition wall 25 in between, so that it is possible to more efficiently adjust the tensile force applied to the flexible plane 22 of the inspection target vibration portion, which is caused by deformation of the adjusting vibration portion.
As shown in
By the way, the viscosity of the ink changes when the environmental temperature (the temperature around (inside) the printer 1, in particular, the temperature near the nozzle 24) changes, and the vibration period of the ink during inspection also changes according to the viscosity of the ink, so that the inspecting drive signal COM1 is corrected according to the environmental temperature detected by the temperature sensor 40. More specifically, in a configuration where the temperature when the reference vibration period is acquired (for example, 25° C.) is defined as a reference temperature and the reference voltage VB is set for the inspecting drive signal COM1 at the reference temperature, when the temperature becomes higher than the reference temperature (for example, the temperature becomes 40° C.), as shown in
In the present embodiment, a configuration is illustrated where the tension applied to the inspection target vibration portion is adjusted by setting the adjustment voltage Vad lower than the reference voltage VB. However, the tension adjustment is not limited to this, and it is possible to employ a configuration where the tension applied to the inspection target vibration portion is adjusted by setting the adjustment voltage Vad higher than the reference voltage VB. That is, in this case, the higher the adjustment voltage Vad, the more the central portion in the width direction of the adjusting vibration portion bends into the pressure chamber 21 (toward the nozzle plate 11). Thereby, a greater tension is applied to the inspection target vibration portion.
The adjusting vibration portion does not necessarily have to be used to eject ink. That is, the adjusting vibration portion only have to include at least the piezoelectric element 16, the flexible plane 22, and the pressure chamber 21. The pressure chamber 21 may be a so-called dummy pressure chamber that does not communicate with the nozzle 24. The size of the dummy pressure chamber need not be the same as that of the pressure chamber 21 used to eject ink. Further, the dummy pressure chamber need not be filled with ink, but may be filled with air. In the first embodiment described above, a configuration is illustrated where the nozzles 24 are provided in a row shape and accordingly the pressure chambers 21 are arranged side by side in parallel. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the invention can be applied to, for example, a configuration where the pressure chambers and the vibration portions corresponding to the pressure chambers are arranged in a matrix shape. Among the vibration portions arranged in this way, a vibration portion located in a position where the vibration portion can apply tension to the inspection target vibration portion can function as the adjusting vibration portion.
The adjusting drive signal COM2a is a drive signal having an adjustment pulse Pa1 of an inverted trapezoidal wave that varies from the reference voltage VB to the adjustment voltage Vad (the expansion voltage VL in the present embodiment) lower than the reference voltage VB in the first period T1, maintains the adjustment voltage Vad in the second period T2, the third period T3, and the fourth period T4, and there after varies from the adjustment voltage Vad to the reference voltage VB. That is, the adjusting drive signal COM2a is different from the adjusting drive signal COM2 that is constant at the adjustment voltage Vad according to the first embodiment in that the adjusting drive signal COM2a has an element in which voltage varies. A waveform element in which voltage varies from the reference voltage VB to the adjustment voltage Vad is not limited to a waveform element generated at an illustrated timing, but may be generated, for example, before the fourth period T4, which is the detection period, as shown by dashed lines. When the inspection target vibration portion is driven by the inspecting drive signal COM1a, the constant adjustment voltage Vad is continuously applied to the piezoelectric element 16 of the adjusting vibration portion in the fourth period T4 which is the detection period. Also in this configuration, in the same manner as in the first embodiment, it is possible to adjust the unique vibration period of the inspection target vibration portion. The adjustment voltage Vad may be different from the expansion voltage VL.
The adjusting drive signal COM2b is a drive signal having a first stage pulse Pa2a having the same shape as that of the inspecting drive pulse Pd′ that varies from the reference voltage VB to the adjustment voltage Vad (expansion voltage VL) and thereafter returns to the reference voltage VB in the second period T2 and a second stage pulse Pa2b having an inverted trapezoidal wave that varies from the reference voltage VB to the adjustment voltage Vad again in the third period T3, maintains the adjustment voltage Vad constant in the fourth period, and thereafter returns from the adjustment voltage Vad to the reference voltage VB. The adjusting drive signal COM2b can amplify the amplitude of the vibration of the inspection target vibration portion by applying the first stage pulse Pa2a having the same shape as that of the inspecting drive pulse Pd′ to the adjusting vibration portion at a timing when the inspecting drive pulse Pd′ of the inspecting drive signal COM1 is applied to the inspection target vibration portion. In other words, the inspection target vibration portion and the adjusting vibration portion are driven in a similar manner and their vibrations resonate, so that the amplitude of the vibration of the inspection target vibration portion is amplified. Thereby, it is possible to further improve the detection accuracy. In this case, the greater the number of the vibration portions that are driven at the same time, the more difficult the bending of the partition wall 25 that delimits the pressure chamber 21 corresponding to the inspection target vibration portion when the inspection target vibration portion vibrates, so that it is possible to further amplify the vibration of the inspection target vibration portion. In the fourth period T4 which is the detection period, the constant adjustment voltage Vad is continuously applied to the piezoelectric element 16 of the adjusting vibration portion. Also in this configuration, in the same manner as in the first embodiment, it is possible to adjust the vibration period of the inspection target vibration portion to match the reference vibration period.
The adjusting drive signal COM2c is a drive signal having an adjustment pulse Pa3 that varies from the reference voltage VB to a first adjustment voltage Vad1 in the first period T1, and then maintains the first adjustment voltage Vad1 in the second period T2, varies from the first adjustment voltage Vad1 to a second adjustment voltage Vad2 slightly higher than the first adjustment voltage Vad1 (Vad1<Vad2<VB) in the second period T3, maintains the second adjustment voltage Vad2 in the fourth period T4, and thereafter returns from the second adjustment voltage Vad2 to the reference voltage VB. That is, the adjusting drive signal COM2c is different from the other adjusting drive signals in that the adjusting drive signal COM2c has two different adjustment voltages Vad1 and Vad2. In the adjusting drive signal COM2c, it is possible to select either one of the first adjustment voltage Vad1 and the second adjustment voltage Vad2 as the adjustment voltage applied to the adjusting vibration portion in the fourth period T4 by the pulse selection switch 37. For example, when setting the adjustment voltage applied to the adjusting vibration portion in the fourth period T4 to the first adjustment voltage Vad1, the pulse selection switch 37 is set to a connection state and the adjusting drive signal COM2c is applied to the adjusting vibration portion in the first period T1 and the second period T2, and the pulse selection switch 37 is set to a disconnection state at a boundary between the second period T2 and the third period T3. The piezoelectric element 16 behaves like a capacitor, so that the voltage of the piezoelectric element 16 is maintained at the first adjustment voltage Vad1 that is a voltage immediately before the pulse selection switch 37 is disconnected. For example, when setting the adjustment voltage applied to the adjusting vibration portion in the fourth period T4 to the second adjustment voltage Vad2, the pulse selection switch 37 is set to the connection state so that the entire pulse Pa3 of the adjusting drive signal COM2c is applied to the adjusting vibration portion in the periods T1 to T4. Alternatively, the pulse selection switch 37 is set to the disconnection state in the periods T1 to T3 and the pulse selection switch 37 is switched to the connection state in the period T4. In this way, a plurality of adjustment voltages are included in the adjusting drive signal COM2c, so that it is possible to easily select a more suitable adjustment voltage according to data of a difference from the reference vibration period.
The drive signal COMs shown in an upper section in
As shown in a middle section of
The configuration of the drive signal is not limited to those illustrated in each embodiment, but it is possible to employ drive signals of various waveforms. In short, any waveform can be employed which can adjust the vibration period of the inspection target vibration portion by driving the inspection target vibration portion to generate pressure vibration in the ink in the pressure chamber 21 in the inspection processing and applying a constant adjustment voltage to the adjusting vibration portion at least in the detection period to maintain a state where the adjusting vibration portion is deformed.
Further, like a fifth embodiment shown in
Further, a piezoelectric element 41 in a sixth embodiment shown in
The invention can be applied to any liquid ejecting apparatus, which drives a piezoelectric element to eject liquid from a nozzle by pressure vibration generated in ink in the pressure chamber, such as various ink jet type recording apparatuses including not only a printer, but also a plotter, a facsimile apparatus, and a copy machine, and liquid ejecting apparatuses other than the recording apparatuses, such as, for example, a display manufacturing apparatus, an electrode manufacturing apparatus, and a chip manufacturing apparatus.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2016-219655 | Nov 2016 | JP | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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8371676 | Shinkawa | Feb 2013 | B2 |
20040252144 | Higuchi | Dec 2004 | A1 |
20050057596 | Shinkawa | Mar 2005 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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2014-177127 | Sep 2014 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20180126738 A1 | May 2018 | US |