Seiko Epson Corporation

Yuichi Nishihara

Shinya Komatsu

Noboru Tamura

Naomi Kimura

Noboru Asauchi

Masashi Kamiyanagi

Junpei Yoshida

Masaki Tsukida

Munehide Kanaya

Toru Matsuyama

Yasuhiko Kosugi

Masahiko Yoshida

Takakazu Fukano

Takayuki Yazawa

Yasuyuki Kudo

Toshihiko Katayama

Hidetoshi Yokoyama

A liquid discharge apparatus includes: a first discharge section that has a first piezoelectric element and discharges liquid by driving the first piezoelectric element with a driving signal; a driving signal generation section that generates the driving signal; a first selection section that performs a selection operation of selecting whether or not to apply each voltage of a plurality of driving waveforms included in the driving signal to the first piezoelectric element, based on a print data signal; a residual vibration detection section that detects residual vibration of the first discharge section after a voltage of a first driving waveform among the plurality of driving waveforms is applied to the first piezoelectric element; and a control section that generates the print data signal, in which the control section stops the driving signal generation section when causing the residual vibration detection section to detect the residual vibration.

Liquid discharge apparatus

An ink tankA includes an ink containing portion, an ink injection portion, an ink supply portion, and a pair of electrode pinsand. The ink containing portionhas a visual check portionthat enables the position of the liquid surface of ink contained in the ink containing portionto be visually checked from the outside in a reference posture, which is a posture at the time when the ink is supplied from the ink tankto the print head portion. The ink supply portionis connected to a lower portionA located below a lower end of the visual check portionin the reference posture. Leading end portionsandof the electrode pinsandare arranged in the lower portionA.

Tank, tank unit, liquid ejection system, and liquid ejection apparatus

A liquid storage container includes the first electrode, the second electrode which penetrate from an outside to an inside of a storage portion and extend in a direction intersecting a vertical direction, and a support portion which is provided in the storage portion and supports the first electrode. In the vertical direction, a height of the second electrode is equal to a height of the first electrode or is lower than the height of the first electrode. The support portion includes a support wall which supports the first electrode and a side wall intersects the support wall and is wide from the support wall in the vertically downward direction. The support wall is capable of being protruded to the second electrode side further than a meniscus formed in the ink between the first electrode and the support wall in the second electrode of the first electrode.

Liquid storage container

A liquid consumption device of the present invention has a holder in which an opening section is provided in a position to face a prism of an ink cartridge, a light emitting section, and a light receiving section. The holder has a region that changes a light amount of the reflected light emitted from the light emitting section and received by the light receiving section in a position spaced apart from the opening section at a predetermined distance in a main scanning direction.

Liquid consumption device having holder and detecting section

A liquid consuming apparatusincludes a photosensorcapable of facing a prismprovided in a liquid container, and a control unit. The control unitperforms remaining status determination processing for determining remaining status of liquid in the liquid container, based on a detection signal detected by the photosensordue to reflection from the prismwhen light is emitted by the photosensor, performs ambient light determining processing for determining whether or not the remaining status determination processing is affected by ambient light, based on the detection signal detected by the photosensorwhen light is not emitted by the photosensor, and continues printing until the end of printing on a sheet that is being printed, even if the control unitdetermines that the influence of ambient light is present, by the ambient light determination processing during execution of printing.

Liquid consuming apparatus and method for controlling liquid consuming apparatus

A printing apparatus includes a liquid receptacle, a head, a driving unit for the head, a detection unit that detects a remaining state of a liquid, and a control unit that controls the driving unit and, in the case where the liquid receptacle and the detection unit are in a predetermined positional relationship, determines whether or not there is liquid remaining in the liquid receptacle based on a detection signal from the detection unit. In the case where the control unit has determined that greater than or equal to a specified value of the liquid in the liquid receptacle has been consumed without the liquid receptacle and the detection unit arriving at the predetermined positional relationship, the control unit performs forced detection control that sets the liquid receptacle and the detection unit to the predetermined positional relationship and causes the detection unit to detect the remaining state of the liquid.

Liquid consuming apparatus and control method for liquid consuming apparatus

A printing device has a detecting section in which a light emitting section and a light receiving section are provided, liquid reservoirs for storing liquid in which a prism is provided to reflect light emitted from the light emitting section corresponding to a remaining state of the liquid, and a control section. The control section determines whether a process for air bubbles that is a process corresponding to an adhesion state of air bubbles in the prism is to be conducted or not based on a signal of light reception results obtained by receiving reflected light from the prism by the light receiving section.

Liquid consumption device and method for controlling liquid consumption device

A liquid consumption device includes a liquid container, a prism, a light emitting unit, a light receiving unit and a control unit. The prism is provided to the liquid container, and configured to receive light that is made incident from outside and to emit the incident light toward the outside according to a liquid residual state inside the liquid container. The control unit is configured to determine a threshold value of the liquid container for determining a light radiation volume by the light emitting part and/or the liquid residual state, based on a light volume of reflected light reflected by an outer surface of the prism and received by the light receiving unit upon radiation of the light by the light emitting unit. The control unit is configured to determine the liquid residual state based on a light volume of the light received by the light receiving unit.

Liquid consumption device and method

A liquid consumption apparatus includes a detection portion in which a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion are arranged, a liquid container that houses a liquid and in which a prism having a cavity is disposed, a carriage with respect to which the liquid container is attachable and detachable, and in which an opening is provided in a position that opposes the prism, and a light shielding portion disposed in the opening in the carriage. When a driving portion moves the carriage in a direction in which the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are arranged, noise light produced by the prism bottom surface or cavity portion is suppressed, as a result of the light shielding portion blocking part of irradiated light.

Liquid consumption apparatus

A liquid jetting apparatus receives delivery of liquid from a liquid delivery system including a delivery system-side terminal. The liquid jetting apparatus includes a apparatus-side terminal, a contact sensing portion and a remaining level sensor portion. The apparatus-side terminal contacts the delivery system-side terminal when receiving delivery of liquid from the liquid delivery system. The contact sensing portion supplies a first electrical signal to the apparatus-side terminal to sense contact between the apparatus-side terminal and the system-side terminal. The remaining level sensor portion supplies a second electrical signal different from the first electrical signal to the apparatus-side terminal to sense a liquid volume in the liquid delivery system.

Liquid jetting apparatus, liquid delivery system, and circuit board

The invention relates to a liquid detecting apparatus that drives a liquid detecting unit that outputs two detection signals having phases opposite to each other in accordance with the amount of liquid. The liquid detecting apparatus according to an aspect of the invention includes: a driving unit that outputs a driving signal to the liquid detecting unit; a differential amplifying unit that performs differential amplification on said two detection signals that are output from the liquid detecting unit on the basis of the driving signal so as to output a differential amplification detection signal; and a signal detecting unit that makes a judgment as to whether the amount of liquid is not less than a predetermined amount or not by means of the differential amplification detection signal input from the differential amplifying unit.

Liquid detecting apparatus and liquid ejecting apparatus

A liquid detection device that drives a liquid detecting portion includes a driving portion, a signal detecting portion, a high-pass filter portion, a first switch, and a control portion. The driving portion supplies a driving signal or a preliminary charging voltage to the liquid detecting portion. The signal detecting portion receives a detection signal from the liquid detecting portion. The high-pass filter portion has a capacitor portion and is arranged between the liquid detecting portion and the signal detecting portion. The first switch is arranged between the liquid detecting portion and the high-pass filter portion, and electrically connects or interrupts a line between the liquid detecting portion and the high-pass filter portion. The control portion controls the driving portion and the first switch to execute detection of liquid.

Liquid detection device, liquid ejecting apparatus, and method of detecting liquid

A liquid-ejection testing method includes the following steps (A) to (D): (A) a step of making a conductive first detection member and a conductive second detection member opposed, in a non-contact state, to a liquid ejecting nozzle that is to be tested; (B) a step of ejecting a charged liquid from the liquid ejecting nozzle; (C) a step of detecting an induced current generated at each of the first detection member and the second detection member by the liquid that has been ejected from the liquid ejecting nozzle; and (D) a step of judging, on the liquid ejecting nozzle, whether or not ejection of the liquid is being properly performed based on a magnitude of the detected induced current generated at each of the first detection member and the second detection member.

Liquid-ejection testing method, liquid-ejection testing device, and computer-readable medium

A liquid ejection inspecting apparatus includes: (A) a sensing section; (B) a detection section; and (C) a determination section. The sensing section is arranged in a state of non-contact with a liquid ejection nozzle for ejecting a liquid. The sensing section has a sensing surface arranged in a direction in which the liquid is ejected from the liquid ejection nozzle. The detection section is for detecting an induced current generated in the sensing section due to the liquid which has been ejected from the liquid ejection nozzle and charged electrically. The determination section is for determining whether or not ejection of the liquid from the liquid ejection nozzle is being normally performed, based on the induced current detected by the detection section.

Liquid ejection inspecting apparatus, liquid ejection inspecting method, printing apparatus, computer-readable storage medium, and liquid ejection system for inspecting whether or not liquid is ejected from a liquid ejection nozzle normally

Each of a plurality of driver ICs, which drives an associated print head, includes an analog voltage provider, which provides an analog voltage which is inversely proportional to a temperature of the driver IC, a reference temperature provider, which provides a digital value corresponding to a reference temperature, a D/A converter, which converts the digital value into a corresponding analog value, and a comparator, which compares the analog voltage with the analog value and outputs a comparison signal indicating whether the analog voltage is higher than the analog value. A temperature detector determines whether the temperature of at least one of print heads is higher than the reference temperature in accordance with the comparison signal.

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Nagano-ken, Japan

Yuichi Nishihara