18476136. LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS AND ABNORMALITY DETECTION METHOD CAPABLE OF DETECTING ABNORMALITY OF NOZZLE simplified abstract (KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.)
LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS AND ABNORMALITY DETECTION METHOD CAPABLE OF DETECTING ABNORMALITY OF NOZZLE
Organization Name
KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
Inventor(s)
Tatsuya Nakagawa of Osaka (JP)
Satoshi Morimoto of Osaka (JP)
LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS AND ABNORMALITY DETECTION METHOD CAPABLE OF DETECTING ABNORMALITY OF NOZZLE - A simplified explanation of the abstract
This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18476136 titled 'LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS AND ABNORMALITY DETECTION METHOD CAPABLE OF DETECTING ABNORMALITY OF NOZZLE
Simplified Explanation
The liquid ejection apparatus described in the abstract is a device that ejects liquid through a nozzle using a pressure chamber and a piezoelectric element. Here is a simplified explanation of the patent application:
- The apparatus includes a nozzle that ejects liquid, a pressure chamber that holds the liquid, a piezoelectric element that changes pressure in the chamber, an acquisition processing portion that measures non-ejection periods, and a restriction processing portion that restricts abnormality detection processing.
- The acquisition processing portion measures the length of non-ejection periods during image formation processing, and if the length is below a certain threshold, the restriction processing portion limits abnormality detection processing using the piezoelectric element.
Potential Applications: - Inkjet printers - 3D printers - Medical devices for precise liquid dispensing
Problems Solved: - Ensures accurate liquid ejection - Prevents false alarms in abnormality detection
Benefits: - Improved printing quality - Reduced maintenance costs - Enhanced reliability of liquid ejection
Potential Commercial Applications: - Printing industry - Medical equipment manufacturers - Research institutions
Possible Prior Art: - Piezoelectric elements used in inkjet printers - Pressure chambers in medical devices
Unanswered Questions: 1. How does the apparatus differentiate between a true abnormality and a temporary issue causing a short non-ejection period? 2. Are there any limitations to the size or type of liquid that can be ejected using this apparatus?
Original Abstract Submitted
A liquid ejection apparatus includes a nozzle, a pressure chamber, a piezoelectric element, an acquisition processing portion, and a restriction processing portion. The nozzle ejects a liquid. The pressure chamber communicates with the nozzle and contains the liquid. The piezoelectric element changes a pressure in the pressure chamber in response to an input of a drive signal. When image formation processing for ejecting the liquid from the nozzle is executed based on image data, the acquisition processing portion acquires a length of a non-ejection period in which the liquid is not ejected from the nozzle, the non-ejection period being included in an execution period of the image formation processing. When the length of the non-ejection period acquired by the acquisition processing portion is less than a predetermined first threshold value, the restriction processing portion restricts abnormality detection processing for detecting an abnormality of the nozzle using the piezoelectric element.
