B41J2/04555

Fluid distinguishing devices

A method of distinguishing between fluids may include providing a current to an electrode disposed within a fluidic passageway of a fluidic die, the current to be forced into a fluid within the fluidic die, sensing an impedance at the electrode, and determining a particle vehicle separation level of the fluid based on the sensed impedance between a first instance and a second instance.

Image forming system

A controller is configured to: when both a first conveyor and a second conveyor are operating concurrently, determine whether a reference current value exceeds a threshold value, the reference current value being obtained based on at least one of a first driving current that is a driving current of the first conveyor and a second driving current that is a driving current of the second conveyor; in response to determining that the reference current value exceeds the threshold value, continue an operation of an earlier-driven conveyor that is one of the first conveyor and the second conveyor that is started at earlier timing, and temporarily stop an operation of a later-driven conveyor that is one of the first conveyor and the second conveyor that is started at later timing; and after a driving current of the earlier-driven conveyor drops to a particular standard, restart the operation of the later-driven conveyor.

Driver circuit capable of detecting abnormality of capacitive load
11070204 · 2021-07-20 · ·

A driver circuit driving a plurality of capacitive loads includes: a plurality of output terminals to which the plurality of capacitive loads are to be connected; a plurality of drivers corresponding to the plurality of output terminals, each of the plurality of drivers being configured to generate a drive signal to be applied to each of the plurality of capacitive loads respectively corresponding to the plurality of drivers; and a capacitance detection circuit configured to detect a capacitance associated with each of the plurality of output terminals.

LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS
20210300030 · 2021-09-30 ·

In a liquid ejection apparatus, a controller of the liquid ejection apparatus is configured to, in response to receiving a recording instruction to instruct the liquid ejection apparatus to perform image recording on a recording medium, perform ejection inspection to determine whether liquid is ejected from each nozzle of a liquid ejection head toward an electrode based on a signal outputted from a signal output circuit. For the ejection inspection, the controller is configured to control a voltage applying circuit to apply an inspection voltage between the electrode and the liquid ejection head. In response to detecting that a leakage current greater than a predetermined value flows between the electrode and the liquid ejection head, the controller is configured to cancel the ejection inspection and control a voltage applying circuit to apply a reverse voltage opposite in polarity to the inspection voltage between the electrode and the liquid ejection head.

LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS
20210300022 · 2021-09-30 ·

A liquid ejection apparatus includes a controller configured to perform: causing a voltage application circuit to apply a voltage between a liquid ejection head having a plurality of nozzles and an electrode; driving the liquid ejection head for causing a certain nozzle to eject liquid toward a cap in a state where the plurality of nozzles face the cap; receiving a signal from a signal output circuit; determining, based on the received signal, whether the certain nozzle has ejected liquid normally; determining, based on the received signal, whether a leakage current has occurred between the certain nozzle and the electrode; and specifying the certain nozzle as a leakage nozzle if the leakage current has occurred between the certain nozzle and the electrode.

On-die actuator disabling

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a fluid ejection die is described. The die includes a number of actuator sensors disposed on the fluid ejection die to sense a characteristic of a corresponding actuator. Each actuator sensor is coupled to a respective actuator and multiple coupled actuator sensors and actuators are grouped as primitives on the fluid ejection die. The die also includes an actuator evaluation die per primitive to evaluate an actuator characteristic of any actuator within the primitive. The die also includes a number of disable devices. Each disable device 1) is coupled to a respective actuator of the number of actuators and 2) disables a corresponding actuator when the corresponding actuator is determined to be malfunctioning.

Temperature-based actuator evaluation

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a fluidic system is described. The fluidic system includes a fluidic die. The fluidic die includes a substrate in which a number of fluid chambers are formed. Each fluid chamber includes a fluid actuator disposed within the fluid chamber. A number of actuator sensors are disposed on the substrate to output at least one value indicative of a sensed characteristic of fluid actuators. A number of substrate temperature sensors are also disposed on the substrate to sense a temperature for the substrate. An actuator evaluation device of the fluidic system determines a state of the fluid actuator based at least in part on the at least one value and at least one correction value associated with the temperature sensed by the number of substrate temperature sensors.

FLUIDIC DIES WITH TRANSMISSION PATHS HAVING CORRESPONDING PARASITIC CAPACITANCES

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a fluidic die is described. The fluidic die includes an array of firing subassemblies grouped into zones. Each firing subassembly includes 1) a firing chamber, 2) a fluid actuator disposed, and 3) a sensor plate. The fluidic die also includes a measurement device per zone to determine a state of a selected sensor plate. The fluidic die includes a selector per firing subassembly to couple the selected sensor plate to the measurement device. The fluidic die also includes a transmission path between each selector and its corresponding sensor plate. A first transmission path for a particular sensor plate has physical properties such that a parasitic capacitance along the first transmission path corresponds to a parasitic capacitance for a second transmission path of a second sensor plate in the zone, regardless of a difference in transmission path length.

SIGNAL MONITOR

An integrated circuit is disclosed. The integrated circuit includes an actuator to eject a fluid in response to a fire signal. The integrated circuit also includes a monitor circuit set by the fire signal to block the fire signal to the actuator circuit after a selected duration.

FLUIDIC DIE WITH MONITORING CIRCUIT FAULT PROTECTION STRUCTURE

A fluidic die includes fluid chambers, each including an electrode exposed to an interior of the fluid chamber and each having a corresponding fluid actuator operating at a high voltage. The fluidic die further includes monitoring circuitry, operating at a low voltage relative to the fluid actuator, to monitor a condition of each fluid chamber, for each chamber the monitoring circuitry including a connection structure and a select transistor and a pulldown transistor connected to the electrode via the connection structure. The connection structure and select and pulldown transistors together structured to form electrically conductive paths with electrical resistances to protect at least the select transistor from fault damage if the high voltage fluid actuator short-circuits to the electrode.