Patent · US Expired

Substrate for ink-jet printing head, ink-jet printing head, ink-jet cartridge, ink-jet printing apparatus, and method for detecting ink in ink-jet printing head

US6652053B2 · kind B2 · utility

16Cited by
17References
26Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 14, 2001
Grant dateNov 25, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 2, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB41J2202/03
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

The present invention allows the detection of ink in a printing head that can be widely applied to various printing systems by significantly simplifying its configuration. There are a heater for supplying an energy to eject ink, a driver for driving the heater, and a detection electrode capable of detecting a voltage variation that arises between the heater and the driver and that depends on the driving of the heater. Furthermore, an insulating film that covers the surface of the detection electrode protects the detection electrode from chemical or physical change. Furthermore, a reference element group or a reference unit that produces a signal as a reference of the detection signal avoids the influence of noise. Furthermore, an energy-generating element and another signal source improve the accuracy of ink detection. A drive pulse which is insufficient to eject ink may be supplied to the heater to improve the accuracy of ink detection.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.