Inkjet Drive Waveform Timing for Power Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet recording devices with multiple drive waveform generation circuits face challenges in reducing instantaneous power consumption while maintaining accurate ink landing positions without increasing structural complexity.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a drive pulse generation circuit that applies drive pulses to piezoelectric elements in sets with delayed timing, using a combination of time-sharing and common drive waveforms to reduce power consumption and minimize ink landing position deviations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple drive waveform generation circuits are used to increase nozzle density and drive frequency, then productivity is improved, but instantaneous power consumption increases causing burden on power supply circuit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by dividing drive waveform generation into multiple phases where circuits are activated in sequence rather than simultaneously. Drive waveform generation circuits are controlled to operate in different time periods within each printing cycle, creating a periodic pattern of power consumption that reduces peak instantaneous power while maintaining overall productivity through continued high-frequency operation across multiple circuits.
2Power
If drive waveform generation circuits operate at high frequency with phase differences to reduce power consumption, then instantaneous power consumption is reduced, but ink landing position accuracy deteriorates due to phase difference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by incorporating position detection mechanisms that monitor the actual ink landing positions and use this information to adjust the phase differences in drive waveform generation. The system detects positional deviations and feeds this information back to the control circuits, which then modify the timing and phase of drive signals to compensate for errors, thereby maintaining landing position accuracy while preserving the power-saving phase difference operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for reduced instantaneous power consumption without the need for complex correction mechanisms, maintaining accurate ink jetting and image formation across multiple drive waveform generation circuits.
Implementation Method 1
a drive pulse is applied to a pressure generating element (27) to jet ink droplets from a nozzle (23)
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4(a)~4(b)
Figure 5(a)~6
AI summary
The present invention addresses the problem of providing an inkjet recording device and a method for driving an inkjet head that are able to minimize instantaneous power consumption of a plurality of drive waveform generation circuits without making the configuration thereof complex and without requiring correction of the position where ink lands. This problem is solved by grouping a plurality of pressure generation elements into first to n-th sets (n is an integer of 2 or more), and by applying, to the pressure generation elements in each of the sets for every pixel cycle, a waveform obtained by synthesizing any one of n time-division drive waveforms (time-division driving 1, 2, 3) which are obtained by delaying a part of a drawn waveform by mutually differ - ent amounts of time so as to have mutually different application timings, and a common drive waveform (COM) which represents the remainder of the drawn waveform.