Patent Grant
9950510
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus which causes liquid to be ejected from nozzles, when a piezoelectric element is driven by being applied with a driving signal.
2. Related Art
The liquid ejecting apparatus is an apparatus which can cause liquid to accurately land on a predetermined position in a target (landing target of liquid), by causing the liquid to be ejected from nozzles of a liquid ejecting head. The above described liquid ejecting head is configured so that a pressure fluctuation is caused in a space in which liquid is stored, by driving an actuator such as a piezoelectric element, and liquid is ejected from nozzles using the pressure fluctuation (for example, refer to JP-A-07-81055). As the liquid ejecting apparatus, for example, there is an image recording apparatus such as an ink jet printer, or an ink jet plotter, and recently, the liquid ejecting apparatus is also applied to various manufacturing apparatuses, by bringing out a merit that it is possible to make liquid of a minute amount accurately land on a predetermined position. For example, the apparatus is applied to a display manufacturing apparatus which manufactures a color filter of a liquid crystal display, or the like, an electrode forming apparatus which forms an electrode of an organic electro luminescence (EL) display, a surface light emitting display (FED), or the like, and a chip manufacturing apparatus which manufactures a biochip (biotip). In a recording head for an image recording apparatus, liquid ink is ejected, and a solution of each coloring material of R (Red), G (Green), and B (Blue) is ejected in a coloring material ejecting head for the display manufacturing apparatus. In addition, an electrode material of liquid is ejected in an electrode material ejecting head for the electrode forming apparatus, and a solution of a bio-organic material is ejected in a bio-organic material ejecting head for the chip manufacturing apparatus.
Meanwhile, since an amount of liquid which is ejected from a nozzle, a flying speed, or the like, is different depending on a use of a liquid ejecting apparatus (for example, use for recording image, or the like, on recording sheet, cloth, or the like, or use as various manufacturing apparatuses described above), a type of liquid to be ejected (water-base ink, photocurable ink, or various functional liquid of electrode material, or the like), viscosity, or the like, a nozzle, a flow path which communicates with the nozzle, and forming density or disposing density of an actuator are different between liquid ejecting apparatuses of which uses, or the like, are different. Similarly, a circuit for generating a driving signal which is applied to an actuator such as a piezoelectric element, or a signal path from the circuit to the actuator is also different depending on a use, or the like. In the related art, since an exclusive structure and components have been designed and manufactured, respectively, it caused cost rise.
An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to commonize constituent components between liquid ejecting apparatuses of which uses, or the like, are different.
[Aspect 1]
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a liquid ejecting apparatus which includes a liquid ejecting head including a plurality of nozzles from which liquid is ejected, a plurality of pressure chambers which communicate with each nozzle, respectively, and an actuator which causes liquid to be ejected from the nozzle by causing a pressure fluctuation in the liquid in the pressure chamber; a driving circuit which is connected to the actuator through a driving signal line, and supplies a driving signal for driving the actuator through the driving signal line, in which the driving signal line is provided as many as n times (here, n is natural number of 2 or more) or more of the number of pressure chambers.
According to the configuration of Aspect 1, since the driving signal line is provided as many as n times or more of the number of pressure chambers, it is possible to commonize a configuration at least from the driving circuit to an end on an output side of the driving signal line between liquid ejecting apparatuses in which forming density/disposing density of a nozzle, a pressure chamber, or the like, is different.
[Aspect 2]
In the configuration of Aspect 1, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which a plurality of actuators are provided as one set with respect to one pressure chamber, driving signal lines are respectively connected to each actuator, and the same driving signal is applied to each of actuator as one set.
According to the configuration of Aspect 2, since a plurality of actuators are provided in one pressure chamber as a set, it is possible to commonize a configuration at least from the driving circuit to the actuator between a liquid ejecting apparatus in which the pressure chamber and the driving signal line perform one-to-one correspondence and a liquid ejecting apparatus in which the number of pressure chambers and nozzles are smaller than those in the above described liquid ejecting apparatus. In addition, since each of actuators as one set which corresponds to one pressure chamber is driven at the same time by being applied with the same driving signal, it is possible to obtain a large driving force. In this manner, it is possible to eject liquid with high viscosity.
[Aspect 3]
In the configuration of Aspect 2, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which a driving face which partitions one face of the pressure chamber includes an island portion to which the actuator is connected, and a flexible film with flexibility which surrounds the island portion, and the island portion has an integrated structure which is common to each of actuators as the one set.
According to the configuration of Aspect 3, since the island portion has the integrated structure which is common to each of actuators as one set, it is possible to further efficiently transmit a driving force of these actuators to liquid in the pressure chamber, and accordingly, ejecting efficiency is improved.
[Aspect 4]
In the configuration of Aspect 1, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which one actuator is provided with respect to one pressure chamber, a plurality of the driving signal lines are connected to the one actuator, an end on an output side of each driving signal line is electrically connected, and the same driving signal is applied to the actuator, respectively, through each driving signal line.
According to the configuration of Aspect 4, it is possible to commonize a configuration at least from the driving circuit to an end on the output side of the driving signal line between the liquid ejecting apparatus in which the pressure chamber and the driving signal line perform one-to-one correspondence and the liquid ejecting apparatus in which the number of pressure chambers and nozzles is smaller than those in the above described liquid ejecting apparatus. In addition, it is possible to make the actuator large in the latter liquid ejecting apparatus. Due to this, rigidity of the actuator is further increased, and it is possible to obtain a large driving force. Due to this, it is possible to eject liquid with high viscosity.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements.
Hereinafter, embodiments for executing the invention will be described with reference to accompanying drawings. The embodiments which will be described below are variously limited as specific examples of the invention, which are preferable; however, the scope of the invention is not limited to these embodiments when there is no description for limiting the invention, particularly, in the following descriptions. Hereinafter, an ink jet printer (hereinafter, referred to as printer) as a type of a liquid ejecting apparatus on which an ink jet recording head (hereinafter, referred to as recording head) as a type of a liquid ejecting head is mounted will be described as an example.
A printer 1 is provided with a carriage 4 on which a recording head 2 which is a type of a liquid ejecting head is mounted, and to which an ink cartridge 3 (a type of liquid storage member) is detachably attached, a platen 5 which is provided below the recording head 2, a carriage moving mechanism 7 which moves the carriage 4 in a sheet width direction of a recording sheet S (a type of landing target), that is, a main scanning direction, a transport mechanism 6 which transports the recording sheet S in a sub-scanning direction which is a direction orthogonal to a head movement direction, a printer controller 9 (refer to
The carriage 4 is attached in a state of being axially supported by a guide rod 11 which is built in the main scanning direction, and is configured so as to move in the main scanning direction along the guide rod 11 when the carriage moving mechanism 7 is operated. A position of the carriage 4 in the main scanning direction is detected by a linear encoder 12, and a detection signal is transmitted to a control unit 43 (refer to
The piezoelectric element 21 is a layered type which is manufactured by cutting and divide a piezoelectric plate in which a piezoelectric layer and an electrode layer are alternately layered in a comb tooth shape, and is a piezoelectric element of a longitudinal vibration mode which expands and contracts in a direction orthogonal to a layering direction. The wiring member 23 is configured of a film shaped member such as a tape carrier package (TCP), or the like. A driving IC 24 which performs a selective applying control of a driving signal with respect to the piezoelectric element 21 is mounted on the wiring member 23, in a region which faces the fixing plate 22. A tip end side of the wiring member 23 is electrically connected to an external electrode (individual electrode and common electrode) of the piezoelectric element 21. In addition, a rear end side of the wiring member 23 is electrically connected to a relay substrate (not illustrated) which relays a driving signal, or the like, from the FFC 10 side. In the actuator unit 18 according to the embodiment, each piezoelectric element 21 is aligned in forming density of two times of those in a nozzle 35 and a pressure chamber 33. Specifically, 180 piezoelectric elements 21 are formed in one inch, in contrast to 90 nozzles 35 and 90 pressure chambers 33 which are formed in one inch.
The flow path unit 19 has a configuration in which a nozzle plate 28 is bonded to one face of a flow path forming substrate 27, and a vibrating plate 29 is bonded to the other face of the flow path forming substrate 27, respectively. A common liquid chamber (reservoir) 31, an ink supply port 32, the pressure chamber 33, a nozzle communicating port 34, and the nozzle 35 are provided in the flow path unit 19. In the flow path forming substrate 27, an empty portion such as the pressure chamber 33 is formed by performing an anisotropic etching process with respect to a silicon wafer, for example. The above described pressure chamber 33 is formed as a chamber which is thin and long in a direction orthogonal to a column direction (nozzle column direction) of the nozzle 35. In addition, the common liquid chamber 31 is a space to which ink stored in the ink cartridge 3 is introduced through a case flow path 16, or the like, which is formed by penetrating the case 17 in a height direction. One end of the pressure chamber 33 in the longitudinal direction communicates with the common liquid chamber 31 through the ink supply port 32 which is individually provided in each pressure chamber. In addition, the other end of the pressure chamber 33 in the longitudinal direction communicates with a nozzle communicating port 34 which penetrates the flow path forming substrate 27 in the thickness direction, and communicates with the nozzle 35 through the nozzle communicating port 34.
The above described nozzle plate 28 is a thin metal plate in which the plurality of nozzles 35 are open in a column shape at a pitch corresponding to dot forming density. According to the embodiment, the nozzle plate 28 is manufactured, using a stainless steel plate member or a silicon plate member, and in which a plurality of columns of the nozzle 35 (nozzle column) are provided. According to the embodiment, one nozzle column has a configuration in which 90 nozzles 35 (forming density corresponding to 90 dpi) are arranged in one inch, for example. For this reason, the nozzle communicating port 34, the pressure chamber 33, and the ink supply port 32 are formed by using forming density corresponding to 90 dpi, in the above described flow path forming substrate 27.
The above described vibrating plate 29 is formed in a double structure in which a flexible film 38 with flexibility is stacked on the surface of a support plate 37 with relatively high rigidity. According to the embodiment, the vibrating plate 29 is manufactured, using a composite plate member which is obtained by setting a stainless steel plate as a type of a metal plate to the support plate 37, and laminating a resin film on the surface of the support plate 37 as the flexible film 38. In the vibrating plate 29, a diaphragm portion 39 is provided at a position corresponding to an upper opening of the pressure chamber 33, as a driving face which changes a volume of the pressure chamber 33. In addition, a compliance unit 40 which seals a part of the common liquid chamber 31 is provided in the vibrating plate 29.
The above described diaphragm portion 39 is manufactured by partially eliminating the support plate 37 using etching, or the like. That is, the diaphragm portion 39 is configured when the support plate 37 at the periphery of an island portion is eliminated, using etching, in a state in which a portion to which a tip end face of the piezoelectric element 21 is connected is left as an island portion 41 which is independent from another portion of the support plate 37. For this reason, the periphery of the island portion 41 is surrounded with the flexible film 38. The island portion 41, and the flexible film 38 at the periphery thereof function as the diaphragm portion 39. According to the embodiment, as illustrated in
The above described compliance unit 40 is manufactured by eliminating the support plate 37 in a region facing an opening face of the common liquid chamber 31 using etching, or the like, similarly to the diaphragm portion 39, and functions as a damper which absorbs a pressure fluctuation of liquid which is stored in the common liquid chamber 31.
In the recording head 2, when a driving signal is applied to the piezoelectric element 21 from a driving signal generating circuit 44 of the printer controller 9, through a signal path which is formed of the FFC 10, a relay substrate, and the wiring member 23, the piezoelectric element 21 expands and contracts in the longitudinal direction of the element, and the island portion 41 is displaced in a direction approaching the nozzle plate 28 or a direction separated from the nozzle plate 28, along with expanding and contracting of the piezoelectric element. Due to this, a volume of the pressure chamber 33 is changed, and a pressure fluctuation occurs in ink in the pressure chamber 33. As described above, since the piezoelectric elements 21a and 21b as a set displace the common island portion 41 at the same time in one pressure chamber 33, it is possible to cause a large pressure fluctuation using ink in the pressure chamber 33, compared to a configuration in which a single piezoelectric element of the same size as the piezoelectric elements 21a and 21b is provided in one pressure chamber. For this reason, the above described printer 1 is suitable for ejecting of ink with viscosity of 8 mPa·s or more in a normal temperature (25° C.), a so-called viscosity in high viscosity region, like photocurable ink which is cured by being radiated with light such as uv light, for example. In particular, since two piezoelectric elements 21 as a set are connected to one common island portion 41 in the embodiment, it is possible to further effectively transmit a driving force of the piezoelectric element 21 to ink in the pressure chamber, and accordingly, ejecting efficiency improves.
The main control circuit 42 develops printing data which is transmitted from an external device into ejecting data corresponding to a dot pattern, and transmits thereof to the recording head 2. In this case, the main control circuit 42 reads out printing data in a receiving buffer, converts the printing data into intermediate code data, and stores the intermediate code data in an intermediate buffer. In addition, the main control circuit 42 analyzes the intermediate code data which is read out from the intermediate buffer, and develops the intermediate code data into ejecting data (dot pattern data) for each dot, with reference to font data, graphic function, or the like, in the storage unit 43. The developed ejecting data is temporarily stored in an output buffer, and when ejecting data of one line corresponding to one main scanning is obtained, the ejecting data of one line is transmitted to the recording head 2 in series through the FFC 10. When the ejecting data of one line is transmitted from the output buffer, contents of the intermediate buffer is eliminated, and a conversion with respect to the subsequent intermediate code data is performed. In addition, in the recording head 2, a switch 48 is controlled based on the above described ejecting data, using a head controller 50 (refer to
As illustrated in
The above described driving IC 24 is provided with the head controller 50 and the switch 48. The head controller 50 outputs a switch control signal which controls the switch 48 which is provided corresponding to each piezoelectric element 21, respectively, based on ejecting data SI from the main control circuit 42. A driving signal COM from the driving signal generating circuit 44 side is input to the switch 48. The switch 48 switches an output state and a non-output state of the driving signal COM with respect to the individual electrode 46 of each piezoelectric element 21 based on a switch control signal from the head controller 50. As described above, in the printer 1 according to the embodiment, the piezoelectric element 21 is formed by using forming density corresponding to 180 dpi, in contrast to the above described flow path unit 19 in which the nozzle 35, the nozzle communicating port 34, the pressure chamber 33, and the ink supply port 32 are formed by using forming density corresponding to 90 dpi, in order to cause the elements to correspond to ejecting of ink with high viscosity. In addition, two piezoelectric elements 21 are formed as a set with respect to one pressure chamber 33. For this reason, in the embodiment, the switch 48 is controlled so that the same driving signal is applied to the piezoelectric elements 21 as a set, at the same time, definitely.
In this manner, since the plurality of individual signal lines 49 correspond to one pressure chamber 33, it is possible to commonize constituent components at least from the driving circuit (printer controller 9) to an end on the output side of the individual signal line 49, between liquid ejecting apparatuses in which a use, or a type of liquid to be ejected is different. That is, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
According to the embodiment, it is not possible to commonize the piezoelectric element 21″ between liquid ejecting apparatuses in which forming density of a nozzle, or the like, is different (different in use, or the like); however, it is possible to commonize a configuration from the printer controller 9 to the end of the individual signal line 49 of the wiring member 23 between different liquid ejecting apparatuses, similarly to the above described first embodiment. In the piezoelectric element 21″ in the second embodiment, one piezoelectric element 21″ is provided with respect to one pressure chamber 33, and a width of the piezoelectric element 21″ in a nozzle column direction is larger than that of the piezoelectric element 21 in the first embodiment. For this reason, in the embodiment, rigidity of the piezoelectric element 21″ becomes high, and compliance becomes small compared to those in the first embodiment. Due to this, it becomes a configuration which is suitable for ejecting of ink with high viscosity. That is, in a case of ejecting ink with high viscosity, since transmission efficiency of a driving force of the piezoelectric element 21 with respect to the ink deteriorates when compliance of the piezoelectric element is large (rigidity of piezoelectric element is weak), it is necessary to drive the piezoelectric element using a high voltage. In contrast to this, in the embodiment, since rigidity of the piezoelectric element 21″ increases, and compliance becomes small, it is possible to efficiently eject ink with high viscosity.
In each of the above described embodiments, the configuration in which the individual signal line 49 is provided twice of the number of pressure chambers 33 has been exemplified; however, it is not limited to this, and for example, three or more (three times or more) driving signal lines may be provided with respect to one pressure chamber 33. In this manner, it is possible to commonize constituent components such as a driving circuit between liquid ejecting apparatuses corresponding to a high resolution. In short, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the individual signal line 49 is provided as many as n times (here, n is natural number of 2 or more) or more of the number of pressure chambers 33.
In the above described each embodiment, the configuration in which the piezoelectric element 21 of a so-called longitudinal vibration type which expands and contracts in a direction orthogonal to a layering direction (electric-field direction) has been exemplified; however, it is not limited to this, and for the piezoelectric element, it is possible to apply the invention also in a configuration in which a so-called bending vibration-type piezoelectric element which is deformed in a bending manner in the electric-field direction is adopted. Also in the configuration, it is possible to commonize the configuration from the driving circuit to the end of the individual signal line of the wiring member, between liquid ejecting apparatuses in which uses, or the like, are different, similarly to that in each of the above described embodiments, by having a configuration in which the individual signal line (driving signal line) which is connected to the individual electrode of the piezoelectric element is provided as many as n times or more of the number of pressure chambers.
As the actuator, it is not limited to the piezoelectric element, and for example, it is possible to apply the invention to a configuration in which another actuator such as a so-called electrostatic actuator in which a part of a pressure chamber is displaced by using an electrostatic force, or a heating element which causes a pressures fluctuation in a pressure chamber using bubbles which are generated in liquid due to heating is adopted.
Hitherto, a printer which is used in a use of recording an image, or the like, by ejecting ink onto a recording sheet, or the like, has been exemplified; however, it is not limited to this, and it is also possible to apply the invention to a printer which is used in a use of ejecting liquid other than ink. For example, it is also possible to apply the invention to another liquid ejecting apparatus which is provided with a coloring material ejecting head which is used in manufacturing of a color filter of a liquid crystal display, or the like, an electrode material ejecting head which is used in forming of electrodes of an organic electro luminescence (EL) display, a surface light emitting display (FED), or the like, a bio-organic material ejecting head which is used in manufacturing of a biochip (biotip), and the like.
The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-167391, filed Aug. 27, 2015 is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-167391 | Aug 2015 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20060170717 | Kondoh | Aug 2006 | A1 |
| 20060197811 | Kuwahara | Sep 2006 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 07-081055 | Mar 1995 | JP |
| 1997-011459 | Jan 1997 | JP |
| 1997-011459 | Jan 1997 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20170057223 A1 | Mar 2017 | US |
