Plural Pulses Patents (Class 347/11)
  • Patent number: 6899409
    Abstract: A drive signal generating unit sequentially generates a first pulse in the shape of a rectangular wave expanding the capacity of a pressure chamber, a second pulse contracting the capacity of the pressure chamber, a third pulse in the shape of a rectangular wave expanding the capacity of the pressure chamber, and a fourth pulse contracting the capacity of the pressure chamber, as drive signals when an ink droplet is ejected after the capacity of the pressure chamber is changed to be expanded or contracted. When ½ of a specific vibration period of the ink in the pressure chamber is defined as 1AL, the time interval between the pulse width center of the first pulse and that of the third pulse is set to 1AL, and the time interval between the pulse width center of the second pulse and that of the fourth pulse is set to 1AL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryutaro Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 6893103
    Abstract: An ink jet printing device and a manufacturing method of a functional liquid applied substrate, which can equalize the discharge amount of the functional liquid with simple operations and structures. An ink jet printing device (100) comprises a plurality of nozzles (111) for discharging the functional liquid and the plurality of nozzles are divided into a plurality of groups, the number of the groups being less than the number of the nozzles, and the discharge amount of the functional liquid discharged from the nozzles is controlled in every group. A manner of grouping of the nozzles is performed such that a part of an ink jet head (1a), onto which the nozzles are located, is divided into a plurality of areas and those nozzles belonging to each area belong to one group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuko Okada, Yutaka Takano, Hiroshi Kiguchi
  • Patent number: 6871927
    Abstract: This invention provides an image printing apparatus in which, when the printhead temperature rises in driving the printhead at a high speed, the ink discharge amount is optimized in accordance with the temperature rise to achieve high-quality, high-efficiency printing. For this purpose, in an image printing system using a time division simultaneous driving method of grouping a predetermined number of printing elements into a plurality of blocks every predetermined number of printing elements and driving printing elements belonging to the same block at the same driving timing, if the printhead falls within a predetermined temperature range, droplets are discharged using all blocks to print an image. To the contrary, if the printhead reaches the predetermined temperature or higher, blocks to be used are restricted in accordance with the printhead temperature, the total number of droplets is decreased, and the amount of one droplet is increased to print an image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaki Oikawa
  • Patent number: 6869157
    Abstract: An increase in variation in resistance value resulting from a reduction in thickness of heaters is dealt with without increasing the manufacture costs of the print head, by allowing smaller ink droplets to be efficiently ejected. A setting for a pulse voltage essentially varied depending on the ejection threshold energy of the head is employed so that optimum drive power conditions can be reasonably set over a range of varying resistance values resulting from differences among manufactured print heads. This provides a print head and a printing apparatus which can deal with an increase in differences among manufactured heads by allowing smaller ink droplets to be efficiently ejected without reducing the yield of manufactured print heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshimori Miyakoshi, Shuichi Murakami
  • Patent number: 6866356
    Abstract: The present invention provides a head drive unit capable of discharging a required amount of viscous body from a head having a pressure generating element, such as a piezoelectric element, and a method of the same, a droplet discharge unit having the head drive unit, a head drive program, and a device manufacturing method having a process of discharging the viscous body by the method as one of manufacturing processes. In the invention, a driving signal is a signal to be applied to a pressure generating element, such as a piezoelectric element, provided to a head and is generated in synchronization with a clock signal. The driving signal has a period to vary the voltage and a period to hold the voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hidenori Usuda, Yoshiaki Yamada
  • Patent number: 6857715
    Abstract: A drop emitting device that includes a drop generator and a drive signal waveform that includes in sequence a first pulse of a first polarity, a pulse of a second polarity and a second pulse of the first polarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Douglas D. Darling
  • Patent number: 6851779
    Abstract: A Liquid ejecting method for ejecting liquid using a bubble, includes using a liquid ejecting head having an ejection outlet for ejecting the liquid, a bubble generating region where a bubble is generated in the liquid, a movable member which is disposed faced to the bubble generating region, and which is displaceable between a first position and a second position farther from the bubble generating region than the first position and which has a free end at a downstream side thereof; displacing the movable member from the first position to the second position by pressure based on generation of the bubble in the bubble generating region, wherein the bubble expands more to the downstream side than to the upstream side with respect to a direction toward the ejection outlet by the displacement of the movable member, thus directing the bubble toward the ejection outlet to eject the liquid through the ejection outlet; and imparting an operation to the liquid ejecting head to normalize a state of the liquid in a liqu
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Okazaki, Toshio Kashino, Aya Yoshihira, Kiyomitsu Kudo, Yoshie Asakawa
  • Patent number: 6853161
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus which can improve detection accuracy of control information and stabilize a control system includes a detector for detecting first pulse information which corresponds to the drive speed of a driven object and second pulse information out of phase with the first pulse information; edge detectors for detecting rising edges and falling edges of the detected first pulse information and second pulse information; edge interval measuring units for measuring edge-to-edge periods using the detected rising edges and falling edges; a calibrator for calibrating the measured edge-to-edge periods with a reference period for driving the driven object at constant speed; a corrector for correcting the first pulse information and second pulse information based on the calibration; and a controller for generating control commands to drive the driven object based on the corrected first pulse information and second pulse information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobutsune Kobayashi, Michiharu Shoji
  • Patent number: 6851780
    Abstract: In order that the volume of a liquid drop can increase and the drop can reach with high precision even if the distance between a head nozzle and a plotted base is short, there is provided a driving method for a liquid discharge head including: a discharge port for discharging liquid; a pressure-applying portion communicating with the discharge port, for applying a pressure for discharge to the liquid; and a pressure generating device for generating the pressure, the method including a step of applying a first discharge pulse for discharging liquid and a second discharge pulse for discharging liquid to the pressure generating device in a sequential manner in response to an instruction of one-dot discharge, in which the pulse width of the first discharge pulse, the pulse width of the second discharge pulse, and a rest time between the first discharge pulse and the second discharge pulse are determined so that a first liquid discharged in response to the first discharge pulse has a volume equal to or greater tha
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidehiko Fujimura, Ryoko Horie
  • Patent number: 6848764
    Abstract: A method for generating an electrical signal with a plurality of pulses used to operate a continuous inkjet printer having plurality of nozzles, including the steps of generating a data table with a plurality of segment values, each segment value designating one of a high pulse and a low pulse of the electrical signal, and designating the pulse width of the designated pulse, reading a segment value from the data table, and generating at least one of a high pulse and a low pulse, the generated pulse and pulse width of the generated pulse being designated by the read segment value. In addition, a control circuit for implementing the method includes a memory device adapted to store a data table with a plurality of segment values, a counter for sequentially counting based on a segment value from the data table, and a synchronization device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Manh Tang
  • Patent number: 6848763
    Abstract: A drive unit for a liquid ejection head in which shrinkage of a pressure chamber and ejection of the liquid are caused by the application of a voltage to a piezoelectric body, wherein: (A) a drive pulse with an electric field exceeding the coercive electric field of the piezoelectric body is applied to the piezoelectric body during the liquid ejection operation such as printing, and (B) a pulse that eliminates polarization remaining in the piezoelectric body is applied to the piezoelectric body when no liquid ejection operation is conducted. As a result, a difference between the elements can be prevented even as time elapses, and a stable ejection characteristic can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Sumi
  • Patent number: 6846054
    Abstract: A liquid discharging method is disclosed for a liquid discharge head which includes a discharge port constituting the portion for discharging liquid, an energy generating element generating the energy for discharging liquid, and liquid flow paths communicating with the discharge port and equipped with the energy generating element, which forms a plurality of droplets by discharging the liquid from the discharge port by the energy of the energy generating element, and which performs recording by shooting the plurality of droplets onto a recording medium. Herein, the plurality of dots is formed of a main droplet which flies at the start; and a droplet formed by coalescing, after capturing, a plurality of satellite droplets which is discharged as a result of the discharge action of the main droplet, before the satellite droplets have been shot onto the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ishinaga, Fumihiro Gotoh, Masao Kato, Akitoshi Yamada, Hiroyuki Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 6840595
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a pressure chamber stored with ink, a nozzle communicating with the pressure chamber and capable of discharging the ink from the pressure chamber, and an actuator for increasing and reducing the capacity of the pressure chamber in response to driving signals from a driving signal generator. The driving signal generator successively generate, an expansion pulse for increasing the capacity of the pressure chamber and a contraction pulse for reducing the capacity of the pressure chamber with a timing such that a time lag between the respective centers of the expansion pulse and the contraction pulse matches the resonance period of a meniscus generated in the nozzle by the ink in the pressure chamber. Thus, the ink jet recording apparatus continuously discharges a plurality of ink drops through the nozzle to form a pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryutaro Kusunoki
  • Publication number: 20040257391
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head is provided with a nozzle orifice communicated with a pressure chamber, and a pressure generating element, which generates pressure fluctuation in liquid which is contained in the pressure chamber. A drive signal generator generates a drive signal containing, within one cycle thereof, a first drive subsignal which contains a plurality of first drive pulses each of which drives the pressure generating element to generate the pressure fluctuation so as to eject the liquid from the nozzle orifice, and a second drive pulse which drives the pressure generating element to generate the pressure fluctuation so as not to eject the liquid from the nozzle orifice, and at least one second drive subsignal which contains only the first drive pulses. 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 from the nozzle orifice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoru Hosono
  • Patent number: 6830305
    Abstract: A high-quality gray scale printing is attained by using an ink jet recording head having a simple and low-cost configuration and a general-purpose structure, and ink having common components. An ink jet recording head driving method to be disclosed comprises repeating a plurality of times a dot forming process for forming a plurality of dots on a recording medium, while an ink jet recording head is moved in a sub-scanning direction; the process comprising the steps of moving the ink jet recording head in a main scanning direction, generating a plurality of drive waveform signals according to a jet amount of ink droplets, selecting any one or none of the plurality of waveform signals for each of a plurality of nozzles according to gray scale information of printing data, and applying voltage to corresponding piezolectric actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Fuminori Takizawa
  • Patent number: 6827428
    Abstract: A method of operation of a fluid ejection printhead within a predetermined thermal range to print an image, wherein the printhead temperature is measured and if the temperature is below a predetermined threshold, the printhead is heated by pulses of energy to a desired temperature above the predetermined threshold temperature before printing. Where thermal bend actuators are used in the printhead, heating is controlled such that the pulses of energy are insufficient to cause ejection of fluid from the printhead and their duration is tuned in accordance with the fluid composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research PTY LTD
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 6827418
    Abstract: A printing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a printing medium, print-control information, identifying means, determining means, and controlling means. Here, a printing medium has a storage element storing print-control information adapted to the type of the printing medium. The print-control information is provided in advance in the printing apparatus. The identifying means identifies the type of the printing medium being set. The determining means determines whether or not print-control information adapted to the type of the printing medium identified by the identifying means is included in the print-control information provided in advance. The controlling means controls printing using either the print-control information provided in advance or the print-control information stored in the storage element according to the result of determination by the determining means. The printing apparatus can carry out appropriate printing according to the printing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Otokita
  • Patent number: 6824238
    Abstract: A drive signal generator generates a drive signal including a drive pulse supplied to a pressure generating element. The drive pulse including a first expanding element, which drives the pressure generating element so as to expand a pressure chamber, so that a meniscus of liquid in a nozzle orifice is pulled toward the pressure chamber, a first contracting element, which drives the pressure generating element so as to contract the pressure chamber expanded by the first expanding element, so that a center portion of the meniscus is swelled in an ejecting direction of a liquid drop, and a second expanding element, which drives the pressure generating element so as to expand the pressure chamber contracted by the first contracting element, so that a marginal portion of the swelled center portion of the meniscus is pulled toward the pressure chamber. The first expanding element is supplied for a time period which is not greater than a half a natural vibration period of the pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Junhua Chang
  • Patent number: 6820958
    Abstract: An optimum drive energy for a print head is supplied over an extended period of time to provide consistently good image quality without troublesome operation by the user. Temperature of the print head is monitored while varying the drive energy. A threshold value of drive energy required for ink ejection is judged using the drive energy and temperature data. An optimum drive condition is determined on the basis of the threshold value and, when the determined drive condition is different from drive condition information stored in the ink jet print head, the drive energy supplied to the ink jet print head is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshimori Miyakoshi
  • Patent number: 6817704
    Abstract: In a liquid ejecting device having a head formed by a liquid ejecting portion or liquid ejecting portions arranged in parallel, the direction of ejected liquid is controlled for each liquid ejecting portion. In the head of the liquid ejecting device, heating resistors which are connected in series to one other in a liquid cell are arranged in parallel in a predetermined direction. The liquid ejecting device includes a main operation controller which performs control for ejecting liquid by supplying equal amounts of currents to the connected heating resistors, and a sub operation controller including a current-mirror circuit connected to a junction of heating resistors and its switching element. By using the current-mirror circuit and the switching element to allow a current to flow into or from a junction of the heating resistors, the amounts of currents supplied to the heating resistors are controlled and the direction of ejected liquid is controlled (changed).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Eguchi, Iwao Ushinohama, Kazuyasu Takenaka, Yuichiro Ikemoto
  • Patent number: 6811238
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes an ink jet head having a nozzle, an ink channel, a diaphragm, and an electrode and a part applying first and second driving signals to the ink jet head. The first driving signal generates electrostatic force that deforms the diaphragm so as to eject an ink droplet from the nozzle. The second driving signal for controlling deformation of the diaphragm is applied after a predetermined period of time passes since application of the first driving signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Mitsuru Shingyohuchi
  • Patent number: 6805420
    Abstract: In a drive unit and a drive method for liquid ejection head, a voltage applied to a piezoelectric thin film has an electric potential stable period in the course of returning from an electric potential, when pressure chamber has contracted for the ejection of liquid, such as ink, to another electric potential prior to a drive for the next ejection. Intermittently disconnecting a circuit during residual vibration of meniscus suppresses changes of the electric potential. Deformation of the piezoelectric thin film and vibrations of the diaphragm are also suppressed. Compliance of the diaphragm and the natural vibration period Tc of pressure chambers are decreased. A significant effect can be obtained when using a piezoelectric thin film. Thus, a liquid ejection head drive unit and drive method are provided which effectively suppress the vibration of meniscus with a simple configuration and apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Sumi
  • Patent number: 6799821
    Abstract: To enable fine droplets of a diameter smaller than a nozzle diameter to be stably ejected at a high driving frequency. The present invention relates to a method for driving an ink jet recording head which method applies a driving voltage to a piezoelectric actuator 4 to change a pressure in a pressure generating chamber 2, thus ejecting ink droplets 1 through a nozzle 7 in communication with the pressure generating chamber 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masakazu Okuda
  • Publication number: 20040179051
    Abstract: A multi-media printer includes an engine controller, a printhead controller, and a pulse activation table. The engine controller transmits a row of energy values. The printhead controller receives the row of energy values and transmits an activation signal. The activation signal is transmitted based on a comparison of an activating energy level for each pulse position in a pulse stream with the energy values in the row of energy values. Comparison logic performs the comparison and transmits an activation signal if the energy value for the row of energy values is greater than or equal to the activating energy level for the corresponding pulse positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Applicant: CODONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher M. Tainer, Joseph A. Miller, Gary W. Keefe, Peter O. Botten, William F. Stevens, James C. Bias, Jeremy F. Audino
  • Publication number: 20040174402
    Abstract: A drop emitting device that includes a drop generator and a drive signal waveform that includes in sequence a first pulse of a first polarity, a pulse of a second polarity and a second pulse of the first polarity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Douglas D. Darling
  • Patent number: 6786564
    Abstract: An inkjet printer for recording dot patterns corresponding to image contents is disclosed. The printer comprises an inkjet head (51) for performing recording by moving in a main scanning direction of a recording medium and injecting ink particles, drive waveform generating sections (24, 25) for generating drive waveforms for injecting said ink particles, and a head drive section (50) for selecting said drive waveforms and driving said inkjet head (51) in accordance with print data. The drive waveform generating sections (24, 25) generate drive waveforms for injecting said ink particles having different ink speeds within a unit cycle, in cycles each corresponding to one of the parts obtained by dividing the unit cycle by an integer. Thereby, by varying the speed of the ink particles injected in one cycle of the drive waveforms, the landing position of each dot in the cycle is controlled and hence the dot pattern in one cycle is varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yukio Morikawa
  • Patent number: 6779863
    Abstract: The present invention provides a head driving device and method capable of ejecting a necessary amount of a viscous body from a head including a pressure generating element, such as a piezoelectric element, a droplet ejecting apparatus including the head driving device, a head driving program, and a device manufacturing method including, as one manufacturing step, a step of ejecting a viscous body using the method. The invention can be achieved by applying a drive signal COM to a pressure generating element, such as a piezoelectric element included in a head. A clock signal can be supplied to a drive signal generating circuit that generates the drive signal COM. The drive signal generating circuit generates the drive signal in synchronization with the clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hidenori Usuda
  • Patent number: 6776469
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a unit which counts the number of drive pulses applied to a print head and accumulatively stores the number of the drive pulses from the start of initial use of the printing head, and a unit which measures a temperature of the printing head and a time elapsed at the temperature in conjunction with each other, and stores a temperature history. The printing apparatus controls a timing of ink ejection from the printing head and an amount of ink to be ejected by adjusting a width of the drive pulses dependently on stored contents (a use history of the printing head) to maintain a stable image quality by adequately preventing ejecting characteristics and dot forming locations on a printing medium from being varied due to a use history of the print head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Minoru Nozawa
  • Patent number: 6773085
    Abstract: An ink chamber plate 20 for defining a common ink chamber 21 communicating with chambers 17 is bonded onto a substrate 16 on which the chambers 17 are provided. The common ink chamber 21 is provided with a section 30 for partitioning the chambers 17 and the common ink chamber 21 and the partitioning section 30 is provided with a plurality of interconnecting holes 31 for defining the pump length, at an interval equivalent to the pump length, along the longitudinal direction of the chamber. A drive means generates a drive field in both the sidewalls 18 defining the chamber 17 such that a preliminary drive field for temporarily increasing the volume in the chamber 17 has a drive time substantially equal to that of an ejection drive field for ejecting ink by temporarily reducing the volume in the chamber 17 continuously to the preliminary drive field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: SII Printek Inc.
    Inventor: Katsuhisa Sakuma
  • Publication number: 20040141019
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead assembly includes at least one inkjet printhead having nozzles and firing resisters. The inkjet printhead assembly includes fire pulse generator circuitry responsive to a start fire signal to generate fire signals, each having a series of fire pulses. The fire pulse generator circuitry generates the fire signals by controlling the initiation and duration of the fire pulses. The fire pulses control timing and activation of electrical current through the firing resisters to thereby control ejection of ink drops from the nozzles. One embodiment of the inkjet printhead assembly includes multiple printheads disposed on a carrier to form a wide-array inkjet printhead assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2003
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Inventors: Dennis J. Schloeman, Jeffery S. Beck, Michael J. Barbour
  • Patent number: 6764152
    Abstract: In an ink jet printer, a print head is provided with a plurality of nozzles. Each of piezoelectric elements is associated with one of the nozzles, and is provided with a drive electrode and a common electrode. A head driver generates a drive signal for driving the piezoelectric elements, and selectively supplies the drive signal to at least one of the piezoelectric elements to eject an ink droplet from at least one associated nozzle. A bias power source applies a bias voltage having a predetermined potential to the common electrode of each piezoelectric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Umeda, Takakazu Fukano, Hideyuki Isamoto, Seiji Takamatsu
  • Patent number: 6761423
    Abstract: An ink-jet printing apparatus comprises a plurality of nozzles that eject ink, the nozzles being grouped into two or more nozzle groups; pressure chambers, each being provided to one of the nozzles; ink-ejection energy generators, each being provided for one of the pressure chambers; and a vibration controller configured to supply a non-ejecting vibration signal to the ink-ejection energy generators of each nozzle group at a different timing. The non-ejecting vibration signal causes the corresponding ink-ejection energy generator to produce energy so as not to cause the ink to eject from the nozzle, but cause the liquid surface of the ink to slightly vibrate in the associated nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., LTD
    Inventors: Mitsuo Ozaki, Shino Tokuyo, Shigeharu Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20040130584
    Abstract: During a printing operation, a recording device is switched from a normal mode to a refresh ejection mode so as to temporarily increase an ejection frequency. A refresh ink droplet ejected in the refresh ejection mode is deflected to impinge on an ink collector. Recording ink droplets ejected in the refresh ejection mode are deflected and impinge on a recording sheet at positions that are shifted by gradually smaller distances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: Shinya Kobayashi, Takahiro Yamada, Kunio Satou, Hitoshi Kida
  • Patent number: 6758544
    Abstract: In an ink jet printer, a control unit converts externally provided printing data into jetting data associated with a size of dot to be printed. A drive signal generator generates a drive signal including a plurality of drive pulses. In a printing head, a pressure chamber is communicated with a nozzle. A pressure generating element varies pressure inside of the pressure chamber when at least one of the drive pulses is applied. A decoder decodes the jetting data into pulse select information in accordance with a predetermined conversion relationship. A switcher selects at least one of the drive pulses to be applied to the pressure generating element in accordance with the pulse select information. Pattern data defines the conversion relationship. A common signal line transfers the jetting data and the pattern data from the control unit to the printing head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takakazu Fukano
  • Patent number: 6752482
    Abstract: There is disclosed a head driving device which drives a plurality of pressure generating elements for generating pressure fluctuation in a jetted object contained in each of associated pressure chambers formed in a jetting head of a jetting apparatus to eject the jetted object from each of nozzles communicated with the associated pressure chambers. In the device, a head driver generates a drive signal which is selectively applied to at least one of the pressure generating elements to be driven. A bias potential provider selectively applies a bias potential to at least one of the pressure generating elements not to be driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takakazu Fukano, Noboru Tamura
  • Publication number: 20040113961
    Abstract: A method for forming an ink-jet image, comprising the steps of:
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Wataru Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 6742859
    Abstract: The liquid jetting apparatus includes a head member having a nozzle, a supporting member that that can support a medium, a scanning mechanism that can cause the head member to relatively move with respect to the medium, and a liquid jetting unit that can jet liquid from the nozzle. An area storing unit stores a relative area to which liquid can be jetted from the nozzle while the head member is caused to relatively move by the scanning mechanism. An out-of-jetting micro-vibrating-area setting unit can set out-of-jetting micro-vibrating areas before and after the relative area. A micro-vibrating unit causes liquid in the nozzle to minutely vibrate. An out-of-jetting micro-vibrating controlling unit causes the micro-vibrating unit to operate when the head member is located in the out-of-jetting micro-vibrating areas, while the head member is caused to relatively move by the scanning mechanism, based on the out-of-jetting micro-vibrating areas and head-position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuji Yonekubo, Ryoichi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6745331
    Abstract: This invention concerns an authentication chip including an OverUnderPower detection unit to prevent power supply attacks. The unit comprises: a first comparator to detect voltage rises above a predetermined limit, and a second comparator connected to detect voltage drops below a predetermined limit. The output provides a RESET signal to clear all volatile memory in the chip in the event of the power supply voltage exceeding the predetermined limits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Publication number: 20040100514
    Abstract: An exemplary method, which can be used to reduce errors related to pen-to-pen misalignment and/or paper-shape variation, entails changing the drop-ejection velocity of an ink-jet pen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: Matthew G. Lopez, Mark A. Overton
  • Patent number: 6739690
    Abstract: A drop emitting device that includes a drop generator and a drive signal waveform that includes in sequence a first negative pulse, a positive pulse and a second negative pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Douglas D. Darling
  • Patent number: 6739684
    Abstract: Within a printer, compensation is provided for color migration within ink drops. Color compensation is provided by varying firing frequency of each print nozzle so as to fire high frequency bursts of ink drops. Each print nozzle is idle, not being used to eject ink drops, between high frequency bursts of ink drops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ronald A. Askeland, Jason R. Arbeiter, Isabel Borrell Bayona
  • Publication number: 20040090476
    Abstract: In an apparatus for ejecting droplets comprising nozzles that eject droplets, liquid containing chambers each connected at one longitudinal end thereof with a corresponding nozzle, and an actuator that changes a volume of each of the liquid containing chamber, an ejection pulse signal and an additional pulse signal each increasing the volume of the liquid containing chamber are sequentially applied in accordance with a one-dot printing instruction. When the volume of the liquid containing chamber decreases upon completion of the application of the ejection pulse signal, liquid becomes protruding from the nozzle. The additional pulse signal is then applied to pull a tail portion of the liquid back toward the liquid containing chamber, thereby ejecting a fine droplet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 6726299
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus is operated under a basic recording mode for recording through use of a basic unit pixel which is associated with a unit recording area corresponding to a unit print cycle, and a high-resolution recording mode for recording through use of a fine unit pixel, a plurality of fine unit pixels being arranged within the unit recording area in a main scanning direction of the recording head. The print data is developed into the jetting data such that each bit therein indicates whether the recording is conducted or not in each associated fine unit pixel, when the high-resolution recording mode is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoaki Takahashi, Noboru Tamura
  • Patent number: 6719389
    Abstract: During a print cycle, fire pulses of different profiles are delivered to ink-jets of a print head. Selected ones of the ink-jets are enabled in coordination with the occurrence of selected ones of the fire pulses to control a characteristic of drops that are jetted by the respective ink-jets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Spectra, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul A. Hoisington, Marc A. Torrey
  • Patent number: 6715852
    Abstract: The liquid jetting apparatus includes a head member having a nozzle, and a micro-vibrating unit that can cause liquid in the nozzle to minutely vibrate. A serial-signal generating unit can generate a serial periodical signal. A mode-signal generating unit can generate a mode signal depending on the liquid supplied to the nozzle. A micro-vibrating controlling unit can cause the micro-vibrating unit to operate, based on the serial periodical signal and the mode signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shuji Yonekubo
  • Publication number: 20040061731
    Abstract: In order that the volume of a liquid drop can increase and the drop can reach with high precision even if the distance between a head nozzle and a plotted base is short, there is provided a driving method for a liquid discharge head including: a discharge port for discharging liquid; a pressure-applying portion communicating with the discharge port, for applying a pressure for discharge to the liquid; and a pressure generating device for generating the pressure, the method including a step of applying a first discharge pulse for discharging liquid and a second discharge pulse for discharging liquid to the pressure generating device in a sequential manner in response to an instruction of one-dot discharge, in which the pulse width of the first discharge pulse, the pulse width of the second discharge pulse, and a rest time between the first discharge pulse and the second discharge pulse are determined so that a first liquid discharged in response to the first discharge pulse has a volume equal to or greater tha
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidehiko Fujimura, Ryoko Horie
  • Patent number: 6712445
    Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus of the invention includes: a head member having a nozzle; a pressure-changing unit that can cause pressure of liquid in the nozzle to change in such a manner that the liquid is jetted from the nozzle; a jetting-mode setting unit that can set a selected jetting mode from a plurality of jetting modes; a driving-signal generator that can generate a common jetting-driving signal; a driving-pulse generator that can generate a full-jetting driving pulse, based on the selected jetting mode and the common jetting-driving signal; and a full-jetting main controller that can cause the pressure-changing unit to operate, based on the full-jetting driving pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shuji Yonekubo
  • Patent number: 6705696
    Abstract: A method of driving an inkjet recording head designed to eject an ink droplet (67) via an ink nozzle (62) communicated to a pressure chamber filled with ink by generating a pressure wave in the pressure chamber by applying a driving voltage to a piezoelectric actuator of the inkjet recording head. The driving voltage waveform has a voltage rise portion (11) for contracting a volume of the pressure chamber (61) and a voltage fall portion (12) for expanding the volume of the pressure chamber. A rise time t1 of the voltage rise portion (11) and a voltage fall time t2 of the voltage fall portion 12 are set smaller than an inherent vibration period Ta of the piezoelectric actuator. An ink droplet having a smaller diameter can be produced, thereby improving the printing precision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Masakazu Okuda, Masatoshi Araki
  • Publication number: 20040036725
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes an ink jet head, a reference pulse generation circuit, and switch circuits. The reference pulse generation circuit is a circuit for generating, at a predetermined cycle, a first reference pulse P4a based on which a driving pulse is produced. A preliminary pulse P1 is for vibrating an ink meniscus in the tip portion of a nozzle. A discharge pulse P2 is for discharging an ink droplet through the nozzle. The switch circuits selectively input, to piezoelectric actuators, the preliminary pulse P1 and the discharge pulse P2 generated by the reference pulse generation circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Inventors: Kouji Ikeda, Koichi Baba, Masaichiro Tatekawa
  • Patent number: 6685293
    Abstract: A liquid jetting head is provided with a pressure chamber, a piezoelectric vibrator which causes pressure fluctuation to the pressure chamber and a nozzle orifice communicated with the pressure chamber. A drive signal generator generates, in every jetting period, a drive signal including a base potential, an initial and termination potential which is a drive potential higher than the base potential, and at least one ejection pulse signal for ejecting a liquid droplet from the nozzle orifice. A drive signal supplier selectively supplies the ejection pulse signal to the piezoelectric vibrator in accordance with jetting data which indicates whether a liquid jetting is performed. A jetting data storage stores the jetting data with regard to each of successive two jetting periods including a present jetting period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Chang Junhua