Liquid Discharge Apparatus Crosstalk Suppression via Drive Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid discharge apparatuses face challenges in suppressing crosstalk between nozzles arranged in both row and column directions, leading to variations in discharge speed and amount due to vibrations, which cannot be adequately mitigated by shifting drive timing alone.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a drive controller that applies drive signals to nozzles with a delay time that is an odd multiple of the inherent vibration cycle, ensuring that adjacent nozzles in both directions have their drive timings shifted by half of the inherent vibration cycle, allowing pressure vibrations to cancel each other out.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If drive timing of nozzles is shifted to suppress crosstalk, then discharge speed stability is improved, but nozzles arranged in column direction may still be driven in the same drive cycle and crosstalk cannot be suppressed sufficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the nozzle array into multiple independent groups, where each group contains nozzles from different columns. By assigning different drive cycles to each group, the invention ensures that nozzles within the same drive cycle are never adjacent in the column direction, thereby effectively suppressing crosstalk while maintaining high discharge speed stability.
2Area of stationary object
If nozzles are arranged in both row and column directions, then printing coverage is improved, but crosstalk between adjacent nozzles cannot be suppressed sufficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new dimension of control by organizing nozzles into multiple groups based on their column positions. This grouping strategy adds a layer of temporal separation (different drive cycles) to the spatial arrangement, allowing the system to maintain comprehensive printing coverage while effectively eliminating crosstalk through staggered drive timing across different groups.
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 effectively suppresses crosstalk between nozzles, regardless of printing patterns, thereby maintaining printing quality by reducing discharge speed variations and preventing deterioration.
Implementation Method 1
a discharge speed and a discharge amount may change due to a vibration generated when a nearby nozzle discharges a liquid
Implementation Method 2
A difference between a first timing at which the drive signal is applied to the first actuator and a second timing at which the drive signal is applied to the second actuator is an odd number multiple of a half of an inherent vibration cycle
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid discharge apparatus includes a nozzle plate with nozzles and actuators and a drive controller. First and second nozzles are directly adjacent to each other in a first direction. First and third nozzles are directly adjacent to each other in a second direction. The drive controller is configured to apply a drive signal to first, second, and third actuators corresponding to the first, second, and third nozzles, respectively, during a drive cycle. A difference between a first timing at which the drive signal is applied to the first actuator and a second timing at which the drive signal is applied to the second actuator and a difference between the first timing and a third timing at which the drive signal is applied to the third actuator is an odd number multiple of a half of an inherent vibration cycle of the liquid discharge apparatus.