IP Library Granted Patent US 12703181
Granted Patent B2
US 12703181 · App. 18/476,373 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Liquid ejection apparatus and print head

Inventors: Sukehiro Ito (Matsumoto, JP); Masayuki Kawakami (Matsumoto, JP)
Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
B41J2/14233B41J2/04541B41J2/0455B41J2/04563B41J2/04581B41J2/04588B41J2002/14241B41J2002/14354
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12703181
App. No.
18/476,373
Filed
Sep 28, 2023
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2853
USPC
347/70
Abstract

A liquid ejection apparatus includes a control circuit, a drive signal output circuit that outputs a drive signal, and a print head that ejects a liquid, in which the print head includes a piezoelectric element that is driven by receiving the drive signal, a pressure chamber substrate that is provided with a plurality of pressure chambers of which volumes change due to deformation, a switch circuit that switches whether or not to supply the drive signal to the piezoelectric element, a wiring substrate that is provided with the switch circuit, and a temperature detection portion that detects temperature information of the pressure chamber, and the temperature information detected by the temperature detection portion in a period in which the switch circuit does not supply the drive signal to the piezoelectric element is input to the control circuit.

Claims (44)

1 . A liquid ejection apparatus comprising:

a control circuit that outputs a control signal;

a drive signal output circuit that outputs a drive signal;

a carriage configured to reciprocate along a scanning axis intersecting a transport direction in which a medium is transported; and

a print head that receives the control signal and the drive signal and ejects a liquid, the print head being mounted on the carriage, wherein

the print head includes

a piezoelectric element that includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric body and in which the piezoelectric body is located between the first electrode and the second electrode in a stacking direction in which the first electrode, the second electrode, and the piezoelectric body are stacked, and that is driven by receiving the drive signal,

a vibration plate that is located on one side of the stacking direction with respect to the piezoelectric element and is deformed by driving the piezoelectric element,

a pressure chamber substrate that is located on the one side of the stacking direction with respect to the vibration plate and is provided with a plurality of pressure chambers of which volumes change due to deformation of the vibration plate,

a switch circuit that switches whether or not to supply the drive signal to the piezoelectric element,

a wiring substrate that is provided with the switch circuit, and

a temperature detection portion that is located on the other side of the stacking direction with respect to the vibration plate, is electrically coupled to the wiring substrate, and detects temperature information of the pressure chamber, and

the temperature information detected by the temperature detection portion in a period in which the switch circuit does not supply the drive signal to the piezoelectric element and in which the carriage is stopped and is located in a reverse region in which a scanning direction of the carriage along the scanning axis is reversed is input to the control circuit.

2 . The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

at least a part of the temperature detection portion is stacked on the vibration plate.

3 . The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the print head further includes

a plurality of the piezoelectric elements, and

a plurality of the switch circuits that switch whether or not to supply the drive signal to the plurality of piezoelectric elements, and

the temperature information detected by the temperature detection portion in the period in which further none of the plurality of switch circuits supply the drive signal to the plurality of piezoelectric elements is input to the control circuit.

4 . The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the temperature information detected by the temperature detection portion in the period in which the the carriage is further located in a non-printing region in which the print head does not ejects ink onto the medium.

5 . The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the drive signal output circuit includes a class-D amplification circuit.

6 . A print head that receives a control signal output by a control circuit and a drive signal output by a drive signal output circuit and ejects a liquid, the print head comprising:

a piezoelectric element that includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric body and in which the piezoelectric body is located between the first electrode and the second electrode in a stacking direction in which the first electrode, the second electrode, and the piezoelectric body, and that is driven by receiving the drive signal,

a vibration plate that is located on one side of the stacking direction with respect to the piezoelectric element and is deformed by driving the piezoelectric element,

a pressure chamber substrate that is located on the one side of the stacking direction with respect to the vibration plate and is provided with a plurality of pressure chambers of which volumes change due to deformation of the vibration plate,

a switch circuit that switches whether or not to supply the drive signal to the piezoelectric element,

a wiring substrate that is provided with the switch circuit, and

a temperature detection portion that is located on the other side of the stacking direction with respect to the vibration plate, is electrically coupled to the wiring substrate, and detects temperature information of the pressure chamber,

wherein the print head is mounted on a carriage configured to reciprocate along a scanning axis intersecting a transport direction in which a medium is transported,

the temperature information detected by the temperature detection portion in a period in which the switch circuit does not supply the drive signal to the piezoelectric element and in which the carriage is stopped and is located in a reverse region in which a scanning direction of the carriage along the scanning axis is reversed is output.

7 . The print head according to claim 6 , wherein

at least a part of the temperature detection portion is stacked on the vibration plate.

8 . The print head according to claim 6 , further comprising:

a plurality of the piezoelectric elements; and

a plurality of the switch circuits that switch whether or not to supply the drive signal to the plurality of piezoelectric elements, wherein

the temperature information detected by the temperature detection portion in the period in which further none of the plurality of switch circuits supply the drive signal to the plurality of piezoelectric elements is output.

9 . The print head according to claim 6 , wherein

the print head is mounted on a carriage configured to reciprocate along a scanning axis intersecting a transport direction in which a medium is transported, and

the temperature information detected by the temperature detection portion in the period in which the carriage is further located in a non-printing region in which the print head does not ejects ink onto the medium is output.

10 . The print head according to claim 6 , wherein

the print head ejects the liquid by receiving the drive signal output by the drive signal output circuit including a class-D amplification circuit.