Plural Pulses Patents (Class 347/11)
  • Publication number: 20080204493
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device having firing cells, signal lines configured to receive a series of pulses, and an address generator configured to receive pulses from the series of pulses and generate a set of address signals in response to the received pulses, wherein the set of address signals is adapted to enable the firing cells for activation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Inventors: Trudy L. Benjamin, James P. Axtell
  • Patent number: 7416269
    Abstract: An ink jet printer is provided with an ink jet head and a controller. The ink jet head comprises a nozzle, an ink chamber communicating with the nozzle, a pressure chamber located between the nozzle and the ink chamber, and an actuator that changes volume of the pressure chamber. The controller controls the actuator to perform a first performance. The first performance includes a first change in which the volume of the pressure chamber increases and a second change in which the volume of the pressure chamber decreases. A period from the first change to the second change is 2/3×AL or below, or within a range between (2s?1/2)×AL and (2s+2/3)×AL, s is a positive integer. Discharging speed of ink discharged from the nozzle is substantially maximum if the period from the first change to the second change is set to AL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoto Iwao
  • Patent number: 7416268
    Abstract: The drive circuit drives a plurality of piezoelectric elements connected in a matrix connection, each of the piezoelectric elements having a first electrode and a second electrode, and the drive circuit comprises: a drive signal generating device which generates a drive signal with voltage of a single polarity to be applied to the piezoelectric elements; a drive controlling device which controls a timing for applying the drive signal to each of the piezoelectric elements; and a plurality of switching devices which apply the drive signal to the piezoelectric elements according to control of the drive controlling device, a number of the plurality of switching devices being smaller than a number of the plurality of piezoelectric elements, wherein the drive controlling device sequentially applies the drive signal with voltage of the single polarity to the first electrode and the second electrode in succession.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Seiichiro Oku
  • Publication number: 20080198192
    Abstract: An ink ejecting device includes a plurality of nozzles, a plurality of pressure chambers respectively corresponding to the plurality of nozzles, an actuator capable of changing capacity of each of the plurality of pressure chambers. A first drive pulse signal is selected in accordance with dot information indicating dots to be formed on a recording medium successively. When the dot information for the current ejection cycle and the dot information for the succeeding ejection cycle indicate a first condition where ejection of a large amount of ink drop and no ejection of an ink drop, respectively, driving pulse signals for the current ejection cycle and the succeeding ejection cycle are selected, respectively. The driving pulse signals for the current ejection cycle and the succeeding ejection cycle are then output in the current ejection cycle and within the succeeding ejection cycle, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventor: Akira Iriguchi
  • Patent number: 7413272
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods and apparatus for controlling the quantity of fluid output (e.g., drop size) by individual nozzles of a print head to a very high precision at a frequency equal to the frequency at which fluid is normally dispensed. This is achieved by mapping fluid quantity control information into the data that represents the image to be printed. Data representative of an image is received and converted into pixel data. In at least one embodiment, the pixel data includes pixels represented by N bits, and the N bits may represent a drop size for the pixel and a union of the N bits may represent a nozzle status. A print head may be controlled based on the pixel data, and the print head may include nozzles that are each adapted to deposit at least one drop size quantity of a fluid on a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Bassam Shamoun, Janusz Jozwiak, Quanyuan Shang, Hongbin Ji
  • Patent number: 7413292
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for driving a piezoelectric ink jet head comprising a piezoelectric actuator AC that includes two piezoelectric ceramic layers 7a, 7b having such a size that covers the plurality of pressure chambers 2, wherein an electric field of opposite sense to the polarizing direction is applied to the second piezoelectric ceramic layer 7b by using the common electrodes 8a, 8b and, (1) for the pressure chambers 2 from which the ink is discharged, an electric field of the same sense as the polarizing direction of the layer is applied to the first piezoelectric ceramic layer 7a by using the individual electrode 10 and the first common electrode 8a, thereby causing the region of the piezoelectric actuator AC to deflect toward the pressure chamber 2, while (2) for the pressure chambers 2 from which the ink should not be discharged, an electric field of the opposite sense to the polarizing direction is applied to the first piezoelectric ceramic layer 7a by using the electrodes 10
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Satake, Hisamitsu Sakai
  • Patent number: 7410232
    Abstract: An ink-droplet ejecting apparatus includes a nozzle; an ink pressure chamber; an actuator which produces a pressure wave in the ink; and a control device which, when a first print command corresponding to a first print period for ejecting the ink and a second print command corresponding to a second print period next to the first print period for ejecting the ink, outputs, within the first print period, a first drive waveform for driving the actuator, and which, when the first print command is to eject the ink and the second print command is not to eject the ink, outputs a second drive waveform extending over the first and second print periods. The control device outputs, as the second drive waveform, a first ejecting pulse signal, then a first canceling pulse signal, then a second ejecting pulse signal and then a second canceling pulse signal driving the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7410233
    Abstract: A liquid droplet ejecting apparatus having: a pressurizing device; a pressure generation chamber whose volume expands or contracts by a movement of the pressurizing device; a liquid droplet ejecting head having a nozzle communicating with the pressure generation chamber; and a drive signal generator which generates the drive signal for operating the pressurizing device, and causing to eject liquid droplets through the nozzle, wherein the drive signal comprises: an expansion pulse to expand the volume of the pressure generation chamber; a first contraction pulse following the expansion pulse to contract the volume; and a second contraction pulse after the first contraction pulse to contract the volume, wherein a pulse width of the expansion pulse is 0.7AL through 1.3AL, and a pulse width of the first contraction pulse is 0.3 AL through 1.5 AL, where AL is ½ of an acoustic resonance period of the pressure generation chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Akiko Kitami, Kazuo Asano
  • Publication number: 20080180474
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus capable of preventing a peak current from being introduced into internal units of the electronic apparatus when the internal units are simultaneously activated and a method to control one or more internal units thereof. The electronic apparatus includes at least one internal unit and a signal generator to generate a drive pulse having a width that gradually changes in an edge region and to drive the at least one internal unit. Accordingly a peak current is prevented from being introduced into the internal units by gradually increasing or decreasing the drive pulse to drive the internal units as time changes or by dividing the internal units into a block unit and sequentially providing the drive pulse to the internal units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seong-nam Jeon, Chun-ku Han
  • Patent number: 7404612
    Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method which are capable of stabilizing the amount of ink ejection and of printing a high-definition image by selecting a driving condition with heat conductivity of an electrothermal converter being taken into consideration. The heat conductivity from a heater to ink is classified into heater ranks, and, on the basis of the heater rank, a voltage of a drive pulse to be applied to the heater is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideaki Takamiya, Hitoshi Nishikori, Daisaku Ide, Hiroshi Tajika, Takashi Sato
  • Publication number: 20080174621
    Abstract: The invention provides for an inkjet printhead having a plurality of micro-electromechanical vapor bubble generators. Each bubble generator includes a nozzle in fluid communication with an ink chamber, and a heater positioned in thermal contact with ink in the chamber. Each generator also includes drive circuitry configured to provide a modulated pulse to the heater to generate a vapor bubble in the ink in said chamber, the pulse comprising a pre-heat series of a predetermined number of pulses separated by a predetermined period, followed by a trigger pulse of a period twice that of said predetermined period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Inventors: Angus John North, Samuel James Myers, Kia Silverbrook
  • Publication number: 20080170091
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a passage unit; an actuator unit including a plurality of individual electrodes; a plurality of waveform output circuits which output pulse signals to be supplied to the plurality of individual electrodes; one or more variable resistance elements connected to the actuator unit; a temperature sensor which detects environmental temperature; and a controller which controls the one or more variable resistance elements so that the one or more variable resistance elements decrease in their resistance values with a decrease in the environmental temperature detected by the temperature sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koji Ito
  • Patent number: 7396094
    Abstract: A serial transmission control system accesses data based on status signal, includes a timing register for storing a predetermined times of a basic period width and a predetermined number of trigger times, a data buffer for storing data, a timing control state machine for outputting the status signal until receiving a terminal signal. The status signals have a period width complying with the predetermined time of the basic period width. While the terminal signal is received and a number of outputting the status signals does not comply with the predetermined number of trigger times, the status signal will keep outputting until complying with the predetermined number of trigger times. A transforming circuit is for accessing the data stored in the data buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Qisda Corporation
    Inventor: Hao-Feng Hung
  • Patent number: 7396096
    Abstract: An inkjet recording device includes a nozzle module, a switching unit, a waveform generating unit, an image recognizing unit and a pulse width modulating unit. The image recognizing unit determines an ejection condition of the ink droplet ejected from the nozzle while referring to ejection data indicating a type of each pixel to be recorded, and generates switch pulse width data that includes the ejection data and the ejection condition. The pulse width modulating unit generates the switch pulse based on the switch pulse width data. The switching unit opens and closes in response to a switch pulse. An opening duration of the switch unit is variable depending on the switch pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Kobayashi, Hitoshi Kida, Takahiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 7393072
    Abstract: A method of driving an ink-jet printhead, the ink-jet printhead having a pressure chamber to be filled with ink, a piezoelectric actuator for varying a volume of the pressure chamber, and a nozzle, through which an ink droplet is ejected, connected to the pressure chamber, the method including applying a driving pulse to the piezoelectric actuator to change the volume of the pressure chamber, thereby ejecting the ink droplet through the nozzle due to a change in pressure in the pressure chamber caused by the change in volume of the pressure chamber, and changing a volume of the ink droplet ejected through the nozzle by maintaining a rising time of the driving pulse constant and adjusting a duration time of a maximum voltage of the driving pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seong-taek Lim, Jae-woo Chung, Jong-beom Kim, Kwang-ho Lee
  • Publication number: 20080150983
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed that includes a recording head including a nozzle from which liquid droplets are ejected, a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle and containing liquid, and a pressure generation part changing the volume of the pressure chamber; and a drive signal generation part generating a drive signal including multiple drive pulses and causing the pressure generation part to operate so that the liquid droplets are ejected. The drive signal generated by the drive signal generation part includes, within a single print cycle, a resonant drive pulse causing a first one of the liquid droplets to be ejected using the natural vibration period of the pressure chamber, a non-resonant drive pulse causing ejected without using the natural vibration period of the pressure chamber, and a slight drive pulse prevented from causing the ink droplets to be ejected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY LTD.
    Inventor: Shino Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20080150984
    Abstract: A selection circuit receives heat-enable signals to drive heaters, whereby signals are selected to drive the heaters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryo Kasai, Nobuyuki Hirayama
  • Publication number: 20080150982
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes printer motor detection and control. One exemplary method may generating a first printer motor voltage and a second printer motor voltage and supplying said first printer motor voltage and a second printer motor voltage to a printer motor; detecting a first printer motor speed corresponding to the first printer motor voltage and a second printer motor speed corresponding to the second printer motor voltage; determining at least one physical characteristic of the printer motor based on, at least in part, the first motor speed and said second motor speed; and controlling the operation of the printer motor based on, at least in part, the at least one physical parameter of the printer motor. Of course, many variations and modifications are possible without departing from this embodiment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Inventor: Brian A. Reichert
  • Publication number: 20080150985
    Abstract: A disc drive apparatus includes: a rotational driving unit rotating a disc-shaped recording medium; a recording and/or reproducing unit recording and/or reproducing an information signal on the information recording surface of the disc-shaped recording medium; a print head printing visible information onto a label surface of the disc-shaped recording medium; and a pulse signal generating unit detecting rotation of the rotational driving unit and generating a pulse signal. Further, the apparatus includes a signal processing unit generating a specified address signal where a pulse is generated when a specified address on the disc-shaped recording medium is reproduced; and a control unit carrying out, based on the pulse signal and the specified address signal, disc correlating processing correlating a disc base position where the specified address is recorded on the disc-shaped recording medium and the pulse signal to obtain position information for the disc-shaped recording medium from the pulse signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichiro Ikemoto, Tatsumi Ito, Takeshi Matsui, Koji Ashizaki
  • Patent number: 7390070
    Abstract: An ink-jet printer including: an ink-jet head in which are disposed a plurality of nozzles that are divided into a plurality of nozzle groups; a plurality of actuators which are provided to respectively correspond to the plurality of nozzles and which are divided into a plurality of actuator groups respectively corresponding to the plurality of nozzle groups; a plurality of drive circuits which are provided respectively for the plurality of nozzle groups and each of which outputs a drive signal used for ejecting an ink, to the plurality of actuators of a corresponding one of the plurality of actuator groups; a controller which controls the ink-jet printer to perform printing such that, by driving any of the plurality of actuators which are determined on the basis of print data, the ink is ejected, toward a recording medium, from any of the plurality of nozzles that correspond to said any of the plurality of actuators; and an adjusting portion which adjusts the drive signal to be outputted from each of the plu
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuhei Hiwada, Tomoyuki Kubo
  • Publication number: 20080143766
    Abstract: A method of forming a liquid pattern according to liquid pattern data on a receiving medium using a liquid drop emitter that emits a continuous stream of liquid from a nozzle that is broken into drops of predetermined volumes by the application of drop forming energy pulse is disclosed comprising associating a pixel area of the recording medium with a nozzle and a time interval during which a plurality of fluid drops ejected from the nozzle can impinge the pixel area of the recording medium. The time interval is divided into a plurality of subintervals that are, in turn, grouped into a plurality of blocks. Each block is defined as a printing block or a non-printing block. A drop forming energy pulse is provided between each pair of consecutive blocks and between the subintervals of each printing block. No drop forming energy pulses are provided between the subintervals of the non-printing blocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Inventors: Gilbert A. Hawkins, Douglas W. Couwenhoven, Bradley A. Phillips, Stephen F. Pond
  • Patent number: 7387354
    Abstract: A measurement unit obtains, when a droplet ejected from an ejecting head adheres to an electrode of a crystal oscillator, a viscosity and a mass of the droplet on the basis of a changed value in resonance frequency and of a resonance resistance of crystal oscillator. Measurement unit then supplies to a control unit droplet information ID showing the obtained viscosity and mass. Control unit determines, on the basis of the viscosity and the mass included in droplet information ID, an appropriate drive waveform to be supplied to ejecting head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hidenori Usuda
  • Patent number: 7384112
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium, including a recording head, a drive circuit and a control device. The head includes an ink passage, a nozzle communicated with the passage, an actuator applying energy to ink in the passage to eject a droplet of the ink from the nozzle onto the medium. The drive circuit outputs a signal for driving the actuator to eject the ink droplet such that at least three ink droplets are ejected for printing one dot. The control device controls operation of the circuit and includes a high-temperature control portion and a low-temperature control portion. The former portion operates, in a first case where an environmental temperature is higher than a threshold, to control the circuit to output a first kind of the signal according to which a dot is formed by a number of ink droplets ejected in series and landing on the medium sequentially in the order of ejection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shin Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 7384111
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a nozzle orifice communicated with a pressure chamber, and a pressure generating element. A drive signal generator generates a drive signal containing, within one cycle thereof, a first drive subsignal containing first drive pulses driving the pressure generating element so as to eject the liquid, and a second drive pulse driving the pressure generating element so as not to eject the liquid, and at least one second drive subsignal containing the first drive pulses without containing the second drive pulse. A pulse supplier selectively supplies at least one of the first drive pulses and the second drive pulse to the pressure generating element, in accordance with an amount of the liquid to be ejected. Each of the first drive subsignal and the second drive subsignal is associated with a minimum area subjected to the liquid ejection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Satoru Hosono
  • Publication number: 20080129771
    Abstract: A driving apparatus and method of a piezoelectric inkjet printhead includes applying an auxiliary pulse to neutralize a pressure wave remaining in a pressure chamber after ejecting ink, the auxiliary pulse being applied between a plurality of driving pulses applied to a piezoelectric actuator for ejecting ink. Accordingly, the remaining pressure wave is neutralized by applying the auxiliary pulse after applying a driving pulse, thereby securing stable ink ejection of the inkjet printhead.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Woo-sik KIM
  • Publication number: 20080122888
    Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus of the present invention includes one or more ink-jet heads, a drive waveform generation circuit, a plurality of drive waveform selection circuits, and a plurality of drive signal generation circuits. The drive waveform generation circuit generates m different drive waveforms (m is equal to or greater than three). The drive waveform selection circuit selects n drive waveforms (n is smaller than m, and equal to or greater than two) from the m drive waveforms. The drive signal generation circuit selects in every predetermined recording cycle one drive waveform for one nozzle from the n drive waveforms selected by the drive waveform selection circuit, and generates a drive signal based on the drive waveform thus selected. At least one of the n drive waveforms selected by any one of the plurality of drive waveform selection circuits is the same as the drive waveform selected by another one of the drive waveform selection circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuaki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7370924
    Abstract: There is disclosed an ink-droplet ejecting apparatus including a pressure chamber filled with an ink, an actuator which varies an inner volume of the pressure chamber, and a control unit which has a drive-signal generator. The drive-signal generator generates a drive signal and applies the drive signal to the actuator when a droplet of the ink is to be ejected onto a recording medium The drive signal is generated to be in one of at least one waveform including a waveform including a main pulse Pm in order to eject the ink droplet, and a stabilizing pulse Ps applied after the main pulse Pm in order not to eject an ink droplet. A pulse width Ts of the stabilizing pulse Ps is smaller than a rising time of the stabilizing pulse Ps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 7370921
    Abstract: A recording apparatus including: (a) a recording head unit for forming a recording operation with recording materials; (b) a main circuit for outputting drive waveform signal sets each including drive waveform signals; and (c) a head driver unit for receiving each drive waveform signal set, generating a drive signal based on one of the drive waveform signals that is selected among each received drive waveform signal set, and supplying the drive signal to each actuators of the recording head unit. The main circuit is connected to the head driver unit through signal wires that transmit the drive waveform signals of the drive waveform signal sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Isao Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20080106558
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head having a pressure chamber communicating with a nozzle opening and a pressure generator capable of causing pressure fluctuation to liquid in the pressure chamber, the liquid ejecting head causing pressure fluctuation to the liquid in the pressure chamber by driving the pressure generator, and discharging the liquid from the nozzle opening due to the pressure fluctuation, and a driver that supplies a discharge pulse to the pressure generator to drive the pressure generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2007
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuaki AZAMI
  • Patent number: 7367658
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus comprises an ink jet recording head in which a volume of a pressure chamber is caused to vary by deflecting actuators according to drive signals applied between an electrode relative to a pressure chamber from which ink is ejected and actuators relative to two pressure chambers sandwiching the former, and a drive signal generator that generates drive signals for operating the recording head in the four time-divisional drive method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryutaro Kusunoki, Tomoka Takanose
  • Patent number: 7367640
    Abstract: A printing apparatus and related methods are provided that precisely control the transition of an electrical signal that causes a printing substance to be deposited. In particular, in some embodiments, a circuit is configured to control the application of a firing pulse to a printing element, and the printing element is configured to control the application of a printing substance. The circuit in this embodiment is configured to condition or control the transition of the firing pulse from the first state to the second state such that current through the printing element dissipates to zero over a period of time that is neither too fast nor too slow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven W. Bergstedt, Jason K. Young
  • Publication number: 20080100653
    Abstract: A method of driving a liquid ejecting head is provided. The liquid ejecting head varies pressure of a liquid in a pressure-generating chamber as a result of operating a pressure-generating element by supplying an ejection pulse, to eject liquid drops from a nozzle opening due to the pressure variation. The method includes performing a first contraction and performing a second contraction. In the first contraction, the liquid drops are ejected from the nozzle opening as a result of contracting the pressure-generating chamber. In the second contraction, the pressure-generating chamber is contracted so as to reduce withdrawal towards the pressure-generating chamber, of a meniscus after the ejection of the liquid drops A time from a start of the first contraction to a start of the second contraction is between ¼ to ¾ of a Helmholtz vibration period Tc of the pressure-generating chamber. A time of the first contraction is less than or equal to a natural vibration period Ta of the pressure-generating element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Junhua ZHANG
  • Patent number: 7364247
    Abstract: A controller of an ink jet head includes a waveform information storage section for storing waveform patterns concerning a plurality of types of drive signals capable of making positions of dots formed on print paper by ejecting ink from nozzles different from each other with respect to a predetermined direction orthogonal to a relative moving direction between the print paper and the ink jet head. The controller further includes a waveform selection section for selecting one drive signal from among the plurality of drive signals stored in the waveform information storage section so that the same type of drive signal is not selected n or more successive times (where n is a natural number of two or more) for each nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Iwao, Atsuo Sakaida, Ayumu Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20080088656
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes actuators provided in an inkjet head, and a drive voltage generator that drives each actuator. The drive voltage generator is configured to set the cycle time Tc, the drop cycle Td, the number of ink droplets N for a maximum tone, and the inactive period Te in a relationship of Tc=Td×N+Te, set the drop cycle Td and the inactive period Te, by referencing pressure propagation time Ta in relationships of Td=n×Ta (where n=1, 2, 3, . . . ) and Te=(0.5+m)×Ta (where m=1, 2, 3, . . . ), and make an output timing of the final drive pulse signal for a dot of a tone other than the maximum tone coincide with an output timing of the final drive pulse signal for the maximum tone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Applicant: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Norigoe
  • Publication number: 20080084436
    Abstract: A printhead IC comprising: an array of nozzles; and, drive circuitry for receiving print data and sending drive pulses to the nozzles in accordance with the print data; wherein, the drive pulses consist of ejection pulses with sufficient energy to eject printing fluid from the nozzles designated to fire at that time, and sub-ejection pulses with insufficient energy to eject printing fluid from the nozzles not designated to fire at that time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Publication date: April 10, 2008
    Inventors: John Robert Sheahan, Mark Jackson Pulver, Brian Christopher Morahan, Alireza Moini, Timothy Peter Gillespie, Michael John Webb, Angus John North, Kia Silverbrook
  • Publication number: 20080068410
    Abstract: An inkjet head driving apparatus, wherein serial data indicating emission or non emission of nozzles respectively for a plurality of heads, is latched and memorized, and the nozzles are driven respectively based on the data memorized, the inkjet head driving apparatus having: an emission timing signal outputting device disposed in common for a plurality of heads so as to output a plurality of emission timing signals in one emission cycle; a setting device disposed respectively for the plurality of the heads so as to select the sequential emission timing signals at which emission starts synchronously, among the emission timing signals outputted from the emission timing signal outputting device in one emission cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Arakawa, Tetsuo Uno, Masakazu Mori
  • Publication number: 20080049056
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head and a driving signal generating device. The liquid ejecting head includes a pressure chamber and a pressure generating device. The pressure chamber is in communication with a nozzle opening. The pressure generating device is capable of generating pressure fluctuation in liquid present in the pressure chamber. The liquid ejecting head discharges the liquid present in the pressure chamber from the nozzle opening in the form of a liquid droplet by operation of the pressure generating device. The driving signal generating device generates a driving signal that includes a discharge pulse for discharging the liquid droplet by driving the pressure generating device during every discharge period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hirofumi TERAMAE
  • Patent number: 7334856
    Abstract: A liquid-drop-ejecting recording head carries out image recording by applying a jetting pulse having a binary digital driving waveform to a piezoelectric element, providing a vibration wave to liquid accommodated in an accommodating chamber, and ejecting a liquid drop from a eject opening. The liquid-drop-ejecting recording head classifies each pixel in accordance with density data thereof. When recording a pixel belonging to a high density range, plural jetting pulses, whose pulse width is ½ times a natural vibration period of a liquid flow at a flow path of the liquid, are applied within a single printing cycle at an interval which is set in advance in accordance with density data of the pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinobu Hamazaki, Toshinori Ishiyama
  • Patent number: 7331645
    Abstract: The method of detecting a liquid amount includes applying a drive signal to a piezoelectric element provided at a predetermined position in a liquid containing section for containing a liquid, detecting an output signal from the piezoelectric element due to a residual vibration after the application of the drive signal, and detecting whether or not the liquid is present at the predetermined position based on the output signal utilizing difference in resonance frequency of the residual vibration depending on whether or not the liquid is present at the predetermined position. The drive signal includes a first drive waveform portion for driving the piezoelectric element at a resonance frequency of the residual vibration when the liquid is present at the predetermined position and a second drive waveform portion for driving the piezoelectric element at a resonance frequency of the residual vibration when the liquid is not present at the predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yuichi Nishihara
  • Publication number: 20080036807
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head with a pressure chamber communicating with a nozzle opening and a pressure generator capable of causing a pressure fluctuation to liquid in the pressure chamber. The liquid ejecting head discharges liquid droplets by operating the pressure generator. The drive signal generator generates a drive signal including a drive pulse which includes a first expanding element that expands the pressure chamber, a first discharging element that contracts the pressure chamber expanded by the first expanding element in order to discharge a liquid droplet, a second expanding element that expands the pressure chamber, and a second contracting element that contracts the pressure chamber. The time from the beginning of the first discharging element to the end of the second contracting element is set to ½ to 1 of the natural vibration period of the liquid in the pressure chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Seiji IHARA
  • Publication number: 20080030534
    Abstract: A hand-held micro-fluid ejection device for manually ejecting fluid droplets onto a substrate during relative translational motion between the ejection device and a target area on the substrate. The ejection device includes a frequency generator to set a designated frequency signal for fluid droplet ejection by the device. The frequency generator is configured to operate open-loop with respect to the relative translational motion between the ejection device and the target area. An electronic processor uses the designated frequency signal to drive a micro-fluid ejection head that produces a predetermine droplet pattern. In some embodiments a manual tuner is provided to adjust the designated frequency. In some embodiments the designated frequency signal includes more than one component to control different elements of fluid being ejected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Inventors: Adam Jude Ahne, Douglas Laurence Robertson, Barry Baxter Stout
  • Patent number: 7314262
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus of the invention includes a distance obtaining unit that obtains a distance between the nozzle of the head and a medium to which the liquid is ejected. The driving signal is a periodical signal including a first pulse-wave capable of ejecting a drop of the liquid having a predetermined volume at a relatively low speed, and a second pulse-wave capable of ejecting a drop of the liquid having the predetermined volume at a relatively high speed, the predetermined volume corresponding to a predetermined level data. The driving-pulse generator is adapted to generate, when the selected level data is the predetermined level data: a driving-pulse including only the first pulse-wave when a distance obtained by the distance obtaining unit is not less than a predetermined value; and a driving-pulse including only the second pulse-wave when the distance is less than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Togashi, Satoru Hosono
  • Publication number: 20070291058
    Abstract: Satellite droplets that have a lifetime selectable between an infinite lifetime and a finite lifetime are formed with a continuous fluid-jet system having a drop generator, a stimulation device, and a nozzle plate with at least one nozzle opening. A force is applied to eject a fluid jet having a diameter D from the nozzle openings and an adjustable energy drive pulse is applied to the stimulation device in a manner to create a series of perturbations on the ejected fluid jet, such that the perturbations are separated by a distance ?. The drive pulse is defined by a pulse shape, a pulse amplitude, and a pulse duty cycle. A first satellite formation state is established by adjusting the energy of the drive pulse while operating the continuous fluid-jet system in a state wherein the ?/D values are greater than ? and correspond to the measured normalized Rayleigh growth rate within or beyond the first minimum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Inventors: Randy L. Fagerquist, Qing Yang
  • Publication number: 20070273719
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a pressure generating unit capable of changing a pressure of liquid contained in the pressure chamber; a liquid ejecting head capable of discharging liquid droplets from a nozzle opening by actuating the pressure generating unit; a passage extending from a common liquid chamber through a pressure chamber to the nozzle opening; and a driving signal generating unit that repeatedly generates a plurality of driving signals each including a discharge pulse capable of causing the liquid droplets to be discharged by actuating the pressure generating unit, wherein the driving signal generating unit generates a first driving signal including a first discharge pulse and a second driving signal including a second discharge pulse, wherein the second discharge pulse is generated at a period of time after to the first discharge pulse corresponding to a characteristic vibration period of the liquid contained in the pressure chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Noriaki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 7296865
    Abstract: A liquid ejection method includes outputting liquid ejection data and a first clock signal. The liquid ejection data is associated with nozzle groups having plural nozzles arranged in a predetermined order. The liquid ejection data is taken successively to a second shift register in synchronization with the first clock signal. The liquid ejection data is latched, in synchronization with the first clock signal after the predetermined number of the liquid ejection data has been taken into the second shift register. Subsequently, the latched liquid ejection data is sent to a first shift register corresponding to the respective nozzle groups, in synchronization with a second clock signal generated from the first clock signal. The method includes driving an element based on the liquid ejection data that has been taken into the first shift register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Noboru Tamura
  • Publication number: 20070257948
    Abstract: An operating method for an inkjet head is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2007
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD
    Inventors: Young-Jae Kim, Jae-Woo Joung, Chang-Sung Park, Young-Seuck Yoo
  • Patent number: 7290848
    Abstract: A printhead driving method in a power source device to output a printhead driving voltage, for generating an optimum voltage for a characteristic of the printhead attached to a printing apparatus, without controlling an output voltage with high accuracy. The printhead is provided with a reference voltage source to set an output voltage of a head driving power source. A head driving power circuit incorporated in the printing apparatus compares a value obtained by dividing the reference voltage with a value obtained by dividing the output voltage from the power circuit and performs control so as to eliminate an error. Further, the printhead is provided with a non-volatile memory, and data to supply driving energy to optimize a discharge characteristic of the printhead is obtained upon final test of manufacturing process by using a test device having a similar construction to that of the head driving power circuit incorporated in the printing apparatus. The data is written into the non-volatile memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazunori Masuda
  • Patent number: 7281778
    Abstract: In general, in one aspect, the invention features a method for driving a droplet ejection device having an actuator, including applying a multipulse waveform that includes two or more drive pulses to the actuator to cause the droplet ejection device to eject a single droplet of a fluid, wherein a frequency of the drive pulses is greater than a natural frequency, fj, of the droplet ejection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Dimatix, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Hasenbein, Paul A. Hoisington, Deane A. Gardner, Steven H. Barss
  • Patent number: 7278698
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a driving signal generating section which generates plural driving signals each having at least one or more driving pulses; a driving pulse selecting section which selectively combines the driving pulses of the driving signals with each other; and driving elements which are disposed to respectively correspond to plural nozzles, and which conduct a driving operation to eject liquid droplets from the nozzles on the basis of the combined driving pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Noboru Tamura
  • Publication number: 20070229561
    Abstract: An actuator can selectively switch a volume of a pressure chamber between a first state V1 and a second state V2, which is greater than V1. The actuator changes from the first state into the second state and then changes back into the first state to eject ink from an ejection port. A controller controls the actuator such that To/Tc falls within a range from 0.51 to 0.54. To represents the time period between time the actuator starts to change from the first state into the second state, to a time the actuator starts to change from the second state into the first state. Tc represents the period of proper oscillation of ink filling up the individual ink passage. The actuator is controlled so that a variation in ink ejection speed is prevented from being too large relative to the variation in the degree of deformation of the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicants: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoto Iwao, Manabu Hibi, Kenichi Satake, Shin Ishikura