IP Library Granted Patent US 6,974,198
Granted Patent B2
US 6,974,198 · App. 10/628,883 · Granted Dec 13, 2005

Drive device of liquid droplet discharge head, film manufacturing apparatus, drive method of liquid droplet discharge head, film manufacturing method, and electronic equipment and device production method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,974,198
App. No.
10/628,883
Granted
Dec 13, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

This drive device of a liquid droplet discharge head inhibits deterioration of a piezoelectric vibrator, enabling stable liquid droplets to be discharged from the liquid droplet discharge head over a long period of time. This drive device of a liquid droplet discharge head is provided with a piezoelectric vibrator 20 that extends and retracts according to a predetermined drive waveform, a drive control circuit 10 that functions as a drive control unit, and a drive wave generation circuit 30 . The drive control circuit 10 drives the piezoelectric vibrator 20 by generating a drive waveform that is free of sharp edges and composed of a curved waveform based on a waveform generated by the drive waveform generation circuit 30.

Claims (19)

1. A drive device of a liquid droplet discharge head comprising a piezoelectric vibrator which discharges liquid droplets from a discharge section by applying a predetermined drive waveform to said piezoelectric vibrator, wherein

a drive control unit is provided that drives said piezoelectric vibrator according to said drive waveform composed of a curved shape, and

said drive waveform is free of sharp edges.

2. A drive device of a liquid droplet discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein said drive waveform is generated by being converted from a rectangular or trapezoidal square wave by a waveform conversion unit.

3. A drive device of a liquid droplet discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein said drive waveform contains a discharge waveform for discharging said liquid droplets, and a microvibration waveform that minutely vibrates said piezoelectric vibrator to a degree that it does not discharge said liquid droplets.

4. A film manufacturing apparatus provided with a drive device of a liquid droplet discharge head according to claim 1 that performs film manufacturing treatment at a predetermined location on a treated object by discharging a functional liquid from said liquid droplet discharge head.

5. A film manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said film manufacturing apparatus is a device that produces a color filter.

6. A film manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said film manufacturing apparatus is a device that forms a film having for its constituent element an organic electroluminescence element.

7. A film manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein, said film manufacturing apparatus is a device that discharges a liquid containing metallic fine particles from said liquid droplet discharge head, and which forms a film to serve as metal wiring by discharging said liquid onto a desired surface.

8. A drive method of a liquid droplet discharge head comprising discharging of liquid droplets from a discharge section by extending and retracting a piezoelectric vibrator according to a predetermined drive waveform, wherein

said method has a process of driving said piezoelectric vibrator according to said drive waveform composed of a curved waveform, and

said drive waveform is free of sharp edges.

9. A drive method of a liquid droplet discharge head according to claim 8 , wherein said drive waveform is generated based on a rectangular or trapezoidal square wave.

10. A drive method of a liquid droplet discharge head according to claim 8 , wherein said drive waveform contains a discharge waveform for discharging said liquid droplets, and a microvibration waveform that minutely vibrates said piezoelectric vibrator to a degree that it does not discharge said liquid droplets.

11. A film manufacturing method that forms a film using the drive method of a liquid droplet discharge head according to claim 8 .

12. A film manufacturing method according to claim 11 , wherein, said film manufacturing method is used when forming a film to serve as a constituent element of a color filter.

13. A film manufacturing method according to claim 11 , wherein, said film manufacturing method is used when forming a film serving as constituent element of an organic electroluminescence element.

14. A film manufacturing method according to claim 11 , wherein, said film manufacturing method forms a film to serve as metal wiring by discharging a liquid containing metallic fine particles from said liquid droplet discharge head onto a desired surface.

15. A device production method for producing a device by coating a functional liquid at a predetermined location on a substrate, wherein a step is contained in which the functional liquid is discharged at a predetermined location of said substrate from said liquid droplet discharge head using a drive method of a liquid droplet discharge head according to claim 8 .

Assignments (7)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 19, 2022
From: KATEEVA CAYMAN HOLDING, INC.
To: HB SOLUTION CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 059727/0111 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 17, 2022
From: KATEEVA, INC.; KATEEVA CAYMAN HOLDING, INC.
To: SINO XIN JI LIMITED
Reel/Frame 059382/0053 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 23, 2020
From: KATEEVA, INC.
To: SINO XIN JI LIMITED
Reel/Frame 051682/0212 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 22, 2020
From: EAST WEST BANK, A CALIFORNIA BANKING CORPORATION
To: KATEEVA, INC.
Reel/Frame 051664/0802 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 4, 2019
From: KATEEVA, INC.
To: EAST WEST BANK
Reel/Frame 048806/0639 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 6, 2017
From: SEIKO EPSON CORP
To: KATEEVA, INC.
Reel/Frame 044719/0414 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 18, 2004
From: USUDA, HIDENORI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 015482/0800 →