Seiko Epson Corporation

Shinya Komatsu

Hironori Endo

Yuichi Nishihara

Tomohiro Sayama

Kenji Otokita

Hitotoshi Kimura

Masaaki Ando

Keiji Matsumoto

Kazuhito Hori

Yuji Yoshida

A printer includes an ink ejecting section that ejects ink from a nozzle, an ink circulation path including an ink flow path through which the ink can be supplied to an ink ejecting section and an ink return path through which the ink supplied to the ink ejecting section is returned, a warming device including a temperature control module provided in the ink circulation path, where the warming device can heat the ink in the temperature control module, and a feed pump that can flow the ink in the ink circulation path, wherein the flow rate of the ink, in the ink circulation path, heated by the warming device is adjusted.

Liquid ejecting apparatus and maintenance method of liquid ejecting apparatus

A liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting portion that ejects a liquid in a pressure chamber from a nozzle that communicates with the pressure chamber, a liquid supply flow path that supplies the liquid stored in a liquid storing portion to the liquid ejecting portion, a degas module provided in the liquid supply flow path, a vacuum degree adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a vacuum degree of the degas module, a state detecting mechanism configured to detect a state inside the pressure chamber, and a control portion that drives and controls the vacuum degree adjustment mechanism based on a detecting result of the state detecting mechanism.

A recording device includes: an ink flow path that couples a liquid reservoir to the ejection head such that the ink stored in the liquid reservoir is supplied to the ejection head; a feeding pump exchangeably provided in the ink flow path and configured to feed the ink toward the ejection head; a deaerator provided in the ink flow path; a vacuum level adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a vacuum level in the deaerator; and a control portion that controls the vacuum level adjustment mechanism to adjust the vacuum level in the deaerator in accordance with a status of an operation to be executed.

Recording device and maintenance method for recording device

A printing apparatus includes an ink discharge head that discharges ink, a wiper that wipes the ink discharge head, a sub tank that stores the ink to be supplied to the ink discharge head, an ink circulation flow path, a circulation pump that causes the ink to circulate in the ink circulation flow path, and a first pressurizing unit that pressurizes the inside of the sub tank in the wiping operation in which the ink discharge head is wiped with the wiper to a first pressure that is higher than the pressure in the sub tank in the print operation for discharging the ink toward a print medium with the ink discharge head. The circulation pump stops the operation in the wiping operation.

Printing apparatus and maintenance method for printing apparatus

A liquid discharge apparatus is provided with a cavity which is configured to be filled with an ink, an ink supply path configured to supply the ink to the cavity, a nozzle linked with the cavity and configured to discharge the ink which is filled into the cavity, and a detecting section configured to detect the state of the ink supply path which is supplied based on the amount of the ink which is filled into a plurality of the nozzles.

Liquid discharge apparatus and liquid supply path state detection method

An ink jet printer is provided with discharge heads configured to discharge ink which is filled into a cavity from a nozzle which is linked with a cavity due to the capacity of the cavity changing according to vibrating of a vibration plate which is vibrated by a piezoelectric element, a head driver configured to drive the piezoelectric element, and a detecting section configured to detect the state of the discharge heads. The detecting section is configured to detect the state of the discharge heads within a specific period of time after driving of the piezoelectric element is stopped.

Liquid discharge apparatus and liquid discharge state detecting method

A liquid discharge device includes a head having a piezoelectric element that vibrates a vibrating plate, a pressure chamber for which the internal pressure is increased and decreased by vibration of the vibrating plate, and a nozzle in communication with the pressure chamber, that can discharge a liquid by increasing and decreasing the pressure of the pressure chamber, a drive unit that outputs drive signals to the piezoelectric element, a testing unit that tests discharge abnormality of the nozzle based on a vibration pattern of residual vibration inside the pressure chamber that occurs due to the drive signals, and a control unit that has the drive unit output a second drive signal after having it output a first drive signal, and that has the testing unit detect the discharge abnormality of the nozzle after the second drive signal is output.

Liquid discharge device, and discharge abnormality testing method

A liquid-discharging device includes a nozzle that discharges liquid including a substance having sedimentation properties, a liquid supply channel, an inspection part, stirring part and a control part. The inspection part brings the liquid to be discharged from the nozzle to a first electric potential by a first electrode, discharges the liquid toward a second electrode of a second electric potential, and inspects a discharge state of the liquid based on a change of an electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode. The control part causes the nozzle to eject the liquid in order to substitute the liquid in an area downstream side than a predetermined area with the liquid stirred by the stirring part in the predetermined area. The control part determines a timing of ejection completion of the liquid based on the change of the electrostatic capacitance.

Liquid-discharging device, and method for substituting liquid

A first discharge inspection part is configured to inspect and judge a first target nozzle regarding whether or not the first target nozzle discharges the liquid, and is configured to again inspect the first target nozzle if noise is detected. A second discharge inspection part is configured to inspect and judge a second target nozzle regarding whether or not the second target nozzle discharges the liquid, and is configured to again inspect the second target nozzle if noise is detected. The first discharge inspection part and the second discharge inspection part inspect the first target nozzle and the second target nozzle in parallel. The first target nozzle and the second target nozzle shift, if the first target nozzle has been judged, regardless of or not the noise is detected during the first target nozzle being again inspected.

Liquid-discharging device, inspection method of liquid-discharging device, and program

A discharge inspection apparatus includes: a first electrode for detection which faces a nozzle, that discharges liquid of a first potential, at a predetermined interval and has a second potential different from the first potential; a second electrode for detection which faces a nozzle, that discharges the liquid of the first potential, at a predetermined interval and has the second potential; an inspection section which inspects whether or not liquid is discharged from the nozzle on the basis of electrical changes which occur at the first electrode for detection and the second electrode for detection due to the discharging of the liquid of the first potential from the nozzle; a first insulating receiving section which holds the first electrode for detection; and a second insulating receiving section which holds the second electrode for detection and is disposed with a space interposed between the second receiving section and the first receiving section.

Discharge inspection apparatus and discharge inspection method

A liquid ejecting apparatus including: (A) a nozzle that ejects a liquid; (B) a sensor that outputs a signal in accordance with a temperature change of the liquid; (C) a driving signal generation section that generates a driving signal for ejecting the liquid from the nozzle; (D) an inspection section that ejects the liquid of a first electrical potential; and (E) a controller that corrects the driving signal that is generated at the driving signal generation section in accordance with the liquid temperature.

Liquid ejecting apparatus and ejection inspecting method

A printing apparatus includes an ejection unit that ejects fluid from nozzles onto a target and a nozzle inspection unit that performs nozzle inspection to inspect whether the fluid is ejected. An automatic print setting unit sets a check pattern automatic print mode in which a check pattern for confirming whether the fluid is ejected from the nozzles. An automatic inspection setting unit, when a predetermined automatic inspection condition is established, sets an automatic nozzle inspection mode in which the nozzle inspection is performed. A cleaning unit performs nozzle cleaning to clean abnormal nozzles that are detected. When the automatic nozzle inspection mode is set, a control unit controls the nozzle inspection unit so as not to perform the nozzle inspection during a period from when one of printing based on the print data and printing of the check pattern is started until the other is finished.

Printing apparatus and method of controlling the same

A liquid discharging apparatus includes a discharging device, a liquid receiving device, a voltage applying device, and a control device. The discharging discharges liquid from a nozzle to a target on the basis of discharge data, where it is received by a liquid receiving device. The voltage applying device applies a predetermined voltage between the discharging device and the liquid receiving device. When discharging on the basis of the discharge data, the control device controls the discharging device to discharge using a generated discharge data driving signal. When performing nozzle testing, the control device controls the voltage applying device to apply the predetermined voltage between the discharging device and the liquid receiving device and controls the discharging device using a generated test driving signal to discharge liquid from the nozzle to determine on the basis of a detected electrical change whether liquid is discharged from the nozzle.

Liquid discharging apparatus, method of controlling the same, and program that implements the method

An ejection inspecting device which inspects an ejection state of an ejection head, including nozzles ejecting fluid, includes fluid receiving areas corresponding to the ejection head so as to receive the fluid ejected from the nozzles. A potential difference generating unit generates predetermined potential differences between the ejection head and the fluid receiving areas. Electrical variation detecting units detect electrical variations of the fluid receiving areas. A control unit drives the ejection head to eject the fluid to the fluid receiving areas from the nozzles in a state in which the predetermined potential differences are generated between the ejection head and the fluid receiving areas by the potential difference generating unit. The ejection inspecting device also inspects the nozzles to determine whether the fluid is ejected from the nozzles on the basis of the detection results of the electrical variation detecting units in the fluid receiving areas.

Ejection inspecting device, printing device, and ejection inspecting method

A liquid discharging apparatus includes a discharging device, a liquid receiving device, a voltage applying device, an electrical change detection device, a driving signal generating device, and a control device. The discharging device discharges liquid from a nozzle to a target on the basis of discharge data. At the time of discharging, the control device controls the discharging device so as to perform discharging on the basis of the discharge data using a generated discharge data driving signal. At the time of the nozzle testing, the control device controls the voltage applying device so as to apply a predetermined voltage between the discharging device and the liquid receiving device and controls the discharging device using a test driving signal to determine on the basis of an electrical change detected by the electrical change detection device whether the liquid is discharged to thereby perform the nozzle testing.

Growing community of inventors

Nagano-ken, Japan

Shinya Komatsu