JPH07132602A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide electric power to a pair of electrodes corresponding to one nozzle by a supply means of the same supply unit by providing a means to supply electric power to multiple electrodes and connecting different multiple electric power supply means to specific electrodes. CONSTITUTION:When a controller 26 retains signals ENB1, 2, 3, 6 at a level H, outputs OUT1, 2, 3, 6 of drivers 12, 13, 14, 17 will be high in impedance. Therefore, electrodes 1, 2, 3, 5 will have high impedance, preventing electric current from flowing in a conductive ink between a pair of electrodes corresponding to nozzles 6, 7, 9, preventing the conductive ink from being discharged. The controller 26 retains signals ENB4, 5 at a level L and makes drivers 15, 16 active. At this state, the controller 26 outputs several pulses 180 degrees in phase difference to CON4, 5, changing the potential of OUT4, 5 in response to signals H and L of CON4, 5 and also electrodes 3 and 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus used for output printing of an office computer, a personal computer, etc., and in particular, a uniform positive and negative current is made to flow through a filled conductive ink and the flowing current causes the current to flow. The present invention relates to a current-carrying inkjet type printing apparatus that boils a conductive ink and causes ink to fly from a nozzle by a bubble pressure generated at that time.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, ink jet printers have come to be widely used as output printers for office computers because of their quietness during printing.

First, a conventional energizing ink jet type printing apparatus will be described below. FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of a conventional printing apparatus. In FIG. 4, 1 to 5 are electrodes for energizing the conductive ink, 6 to 9 are nozzles 10, 1
1 is a drive I with 3 drivers built in each
C, 12 to 14 are drivers for driving the electrodes 1 to 3 built in the driver IC 10, and 15 to 17 are drive ICs.
Driver for driving electrodes 4 and 5 built in 11
Reference numerals 8 to 22 denote wirings respectively connecting the drivers 12 to 16 and the electrodes 1 to 5, 28 is a control device for controlling the drive ICs 10 and 11, 24 is an energizing inkjet head in which the electrodes 1 to 5 and the nozzles 6 to 9 are arranged. Is. The nozzle 6 corresponds to the electrodes 1 and 2, the nozzle 7 corresponds to the electrodes 2 and 3, the nozzle 8 corresponds to the electrodes 3 and 4, and the nozzle 9 corresponds to the electrodes 4 and 5.

Further, regarding the operation of each drive IC 10 and 11, taking the driver 12 as an example, when the input ENB1 is at H level, the output OUT1 is high impedance, ENB1.
Is L level, the output OUT1 changes to H and L levels according to the H and L levels of the input CON1.

In the printing apparatus constructed as described above, the operation when ink is ejected from only the nozzles 8 will be described with reference to the timing chart of the conventional printing apparatus shown in FIG.

When the control device 28 holds the signals ENB1, 2, 5 at H level, OUT1, 2, 5 become high impedance and the pair of electrodes 3, 3 corresponding to the nozzle 8 is made.
The electrodes 1, 2, 5 other than 4 also have high impedance.
Therefore, no current flows through the conductive ink between the pair of electrodes corresponding to the nozzles 6, 7, and 9, and the conductive ink is not ejected.

Next, the pair of electrodes 3 and 4 corresponding to the nozzle 8 will be described. Control device 28 is ENB3,4
Is set to L level, and the drivers 14 and 15 are activated. Further, in this state, the control device 28 controls the CON3, 4
Then, several pulses each having a phase difference of 180 degrees are output. As a result, the potentials of OUT3 and 4 change according to the H and L signals of CON3 and 4, and the electrodes 3 and 4 also change.

Therefore, when the potential of the electrode 3 is H level, the potential of the electrode 4 becomes L level, and a current flows from the electrode 3 to the electrode 4 in the conductive ink. Further, when the potential of the electrode 3 is L level, the potential of the electrode 4 becomes H level, and a current flows from the electrode 4 toward the electrode 3 to the conductive ink.

As described above, positive and negative currents flow through the conductive ink between the pair of electrodes 3 and 4 corresponding to the nozzle 8, the conductive ink starts to boil, and bubbles generated at that time cause the conductive ink to flow. Flies out of the nozzle 8.

[0010]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional printing apparatus, like the nozzle 8, a separate drive I is used.
As compared with the case where a pair of electrodes 3 and 4 must be driven by C10 and C11 and a pair of electrodes is driven using one drive IC, the driver characteristics are different for each drive IC. There is a problem that the positive and negative current waveforms flowing between the electrodes are not uniform and stable ink boiling cannot be performed.

[0011]

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention supplies electric power to a plurality of electrodes which are provided between adjacent nozzles and which energize the conductive ink filled in the nozzles on both sides. A plurality of supplying devices each having a predetermined number of supplying means are provided, and a plurality of supplying devices of different supplying devices are connected to a specific electrode.

[0012]

With the above structure, the present invention can always supply electric power to the pair of electrodes corresponding to one nozzle by the supply means of the same supply device.

[0013]

1 is a control block diagram of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 to 5 are electrodes for energizing the conductive ink, 6 to 9 are nozzles 10, 11
Drive I with 3 drivers in each
C, 12 to 14 are drivers for driving the electrodes 1 to 3 built in the drive IC 10, and 15 to 17 are drive ICs.
Driver for driving electrodes 3 to 5 built in 11
8 to 23 are wirings respectively connecting the drivers 12 to 17 and the electrodes 1 to 5, 26 is a control device for controlling the drive ICs 10 and 11, 24 is an energizing inkjet head in which the electrodes 1 to 5 and the nozzles 6 to 9 are arranged. Is. The nozzle 6 corresponds to the electrodes 1 and 2, the nozzle 7 corresponds to the electrodes 2 and 3, the nozzle 8 corresponds to the electrodes 3 and 4, and the nozzle 9 corresponds to the electrodes 4 and 5. Further, of the pair of electrodes 3 and 4 forming the nozzle 8, the electrode 3 is connected to the driver 14 by the wirings 20 and 21.
15 connected to both.

Further, regarding the operation of each drive IC 10 and 11, taking the driver 12 as an example, when the input ENB1 is at H level, the output OUT1 is high impedance, ENB1.
Is L level, the output OUT1 changes to H and L levels according to the H and L levels of the input CON1.

Further, FIG. 2 shows an energized ink jet head 2
4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, 25 is a conductive ink filled between each pair of electrodes, and 27 is a positive and negative current flowing in the conductive ink 25 between the pair of electrodes 3 and 4 forming the nozzle 8.

The operation of ejecting ink only from the nozzles 8 in the printing apparatus constructed as described above will be described with reference to the timing chart of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG.

The controller 26 controls the signals ENB1, 2, 3, 3.
If 6 is held at H level, the drivers 12, 13, 1
The outputs OUT1, 2, 3, 6 of 4, 17 have high impedance.

Therefore, the electrodes 1, 2, 3, 5 have high impedance, no current flows through the conductive ink 25 between the pair of electrodes corresponding to the nozzles 6, 7, 9 and the conductive ink 25 Do not eject.

Further, the control unit 26 sets ENBs 4 and 5 to the L level and activates the drivers 15 and 16. Further, in this state, the control device 26 outputs several pulses each having a phase difference of 180 degrees to the CONs 4 and 5. As a result, the potentials of the OUTs 4 and 5 change according to the H and L signals of the CONs 4 and 5, and the electrodes 3 and 4 also change.

Here, the driver 14 is connected to the electrode 3 by the wiring 20 and the driver 15 is connected by the wiring 21. However, since the output OUT3 of the driver 14 is high impedance, the driver 14 is not connected to the electrode 3. It is the same state as.

Therefore, the input signal C of the drivers 15 and 16 is
A potential is generated in the pair of electrodes 3 and 4 forming the nozzle 8 in response to ON and 4,5, and a uniform positive and negative current 27 flows in the conductive ink 25 between the electrodes 3 and 4 to cause conductivity. The ink 25 starts to boil and the conductive ink 25 is ejected from the nozzle 8.

[0022]

As described above, the present invention has a predetermined number of supply means for supplying electric power to each of a plurality of electrodes which are provided between adjacent nozzles and which energize the conductive ink filled in the nozzles on both sides. By providing a plurality of supply devices and connecting a plurality of supply means of different supply devices to a specific electrode,
Electric power can be supplied to a pair of electrodes corresponding to one nozzle by the same supply device of the same supply device, and even if the supply characteristics of each supply device vary, the current flowing in the conductive ink between the pair of electrodes The waveform is uniform and stable ink ejection is possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a control block diagram of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a current-carrying inkjet head of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of a conventional printing device.

FIG. 5 is a timing chart of a conventional printing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,2,3,4,5 Electrode 6,7,8,9 Nozzle 10,11 Drive IC 12,13,14,15,16,17 Driver 8,19,20,21,22,23 Wiring 24 Current-carrying inkjet Head 26 controller

Front page continuation (72) Inventor Akihiro Yamashita 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of nozzles for ejecting filled conductive ink, a plurality of electrodes provided between adjacent nozzles for energizing the conductive ink filled in the nozzles on both sides, and the electrodes. A printing apparatus comprising: a plurality of supply devices each having a predetermined number of supply means for supplying electric power to each of the plurality of supply means, and a plurality of the supply means of different supply devices are connected to the specific electrode. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the supply device is a semiconductor integrated circuit.