Liquid Ejecting Head And Liquid Ejecting Apparatus
20240165963 ยท 2024-05-23
Inventors
Cpc classification
B41J2/14233
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B41J2/14032
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B41J2/04563
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B41J2002/14266
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
B41J2/14
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
A liquid ejecting head includes: a wiring substrate; a plurality of pressure chambers that accommodate a liquid and communicate with nozzles; a drive element that is electrically coupled to the wiring substrate and changes a pressure in the pressure chamber; and a humidity detection section that is electrically coupled to the wiring substrate and is disposed for detection of humidity.
Claims
1. A liquid ejecting head comprising: a wiring substrate; a plurality of pressure chambers that accommodate a liquid and communicate with nozzles; a drive element that is electrically coupled to the wiring substrate and changes a pressure in the pressure chamber; and a humidity detection section that is electrically coupled to the wiring substrate and is disposed for detection of humidity.
2. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein the drive element is a piezoelectric element including a first drive electrode, a second drive electrode, and a piezoelectric body, the piezoelectric body being provided between the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode in a lamination direction in which the first drive electrode, the second drive electrode, and the piezoelectric body are laminated, the first drive electrode is individually provided for each of the plurality of pressure chambers, and the second drive electrode is commonly provided for the plurality of pressure chambers.
3. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 2, further comprising: a vibration plate that is provided on one side of the lamination direction with respect to the piezoelectric element and is deformed by driving of the piezoelectric element; and a pressure chamber substrate that is provided on one side of the lamination direction with respect to the vibration plate and is provided with the plurality of pressure chambers, wherein the humidity detection section includes an interlayer that is laminated on at least one of the piezoelectric body, the vibration plate, or the pressure chamber substrate and whose resistance or capacitance changes according to humidity, a first detection electrode that is in contact with the interlayer, and a second detection electrode that is in contact with the interlayer and faces the first detection electrode.
4. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode is formed of the same material as a material of the first drive electrode.
5. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode is formed of the same material as a material of the second drive electrode.
6. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 3, further comprising: a drive wiring that electrically couples the wiring substrate and the drive element; and a humidity detection wiring that electrically couples the wiring substrate and the humidity detection section, wherein the drive wiring includes a first drive wiring that electrically couples the wiring substrate and the first drive electrode, and a second drive wiring that electrically couples the wiring substrate and the second drive electrode, and the humidity detection section includes a first humidity detection wiring that electrically couples the wiring substrate and the first detection electrode, and a second humidity detection wiring that electrically couples the wiring substrate and the second detection electrode.
7. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 6, wherein the first drive wiring, the second drive wiring, the first humidity detection wiring, and the second humidity detection wiring are formed of the same material.
8. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 6, wherein in plan view of the liquid ejecting head along the lamination direction, the first drive wiring and the second drive wiring are disposed at positions that are not interposed between the first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring.
9. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 6, wherein in plan view of the liquid ejecting head along the lamination direction, the first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring are disposed between the first drive wiring and the second drive wiring.
10. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 6, wherein in plan view of the liquid ejecting head along the lamination direction, the first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring are further disposed on an outer side of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the first drive wiring and the second drive wiring.
11. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 2, wherein the first drive electrode is provided on one side of the lamination direction with respect to the piezoelectric body, and the second drive electrode is provided on another side of the lamination direction with respect to the piezoelectric body.
12. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 6, further comprising: a temperature detection section that is electrically coupled to the wiring substrate and detects a temperature.
13. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 12, wherein the temperature detection section includes a temperature detection resistor of which resistance changes according to a temperature, a first temperature detection wiring that is coupled to one end of the temperature detection resistor, and a second temperature detection wiring that is coupled to another end of the temperature detection resistor.
14. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 13, wherein in plan view of the liquid ejecting head along the lamination direction, the first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring are further disposed on an outer side of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the first drive wiring, and the first temperature detection wiring and the second temperature detection wiring are further disposed on an outer side of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring.
15. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 14, wherein in plan view of the liquid ejecting head along the lamination direction, the first temperature detection wiring, the first humidity detection wiring, the second drive wiring, and the first drive wiring are disposed in this order from an outer side of the liquid ejecting head toward a center of the liquid ejecting head.
16. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 13, wherein in plan view of the liquid ejecting head along the lamination direction, the first temperature detection wiring and the second temperature detection wiring are further disposed on an outer side of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the first drive wiring and the second drive wiring, and the first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring are further disposed on an outer side of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the first temperature detection wiring and the second temperature detection wiring.
17. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 13, wherein in plan view of the liquid ejecting head along the lamination direction, the first drive wiring and the second drive wiring are disposed at positions that are interposed between the first temperature detection wiring and the second temperature detection wiring, and the first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring.
18. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 13, wherein in plan view of the liquid ejecting head along the lamination direction, an area of a temperature detection region surrounded by the temperature detection resistor is larger than an area of a region in which the interlayer is disposed.
19. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: the liquid ejecting head according to claim 3; a humidity-detection resistance measurement section that measures resistance between the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode; and a humidity management section that acquires information on humidity of the interlayer by using the resistance which is measured by the humidity-detection resistance measurement section.
20. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: the liquid ejecting head according to claim 3; a capacitance measurement section that measures capacitance between the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode; and a humidity management section that acquires information on humidity of the interlayer by using the capacitance which is measured by the capacitance measurement section.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006]
[0007]
[0008]
[0009]
[0010]
[0011]
[0012]
[0013]
[0014]
[0015]
[0016]
[0017]
[0018]
[0019]
[0020]
[0021]
[0022]
[0023]
[0024]
[0025]
[0026]
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
A1. First Embodiment
[0027]
[0028] The liquid ejecting apparatus 500 includes a liquid ejecting head 510, an ink tank 550, a transport mechanism 560, a moving mechanism 570, and a control device 580. The liquid ejecting head 510 is configured with a plurality of nozzles, ejects inks of a total of four colors, for example, black, cyan, magenta, and yellow in the +Z direction to form an image on a printing paper P. The liquid ejecting head 510 is mounted on a carriage 572 and reciprocates in main scanning directions with the movement of the carriage 572. In the present embodiment, the main scanning directions are the +X direction and the ?X direction. The liquid ejecting head 510 may further eject ink of a random color such as light cyan, light magenta, or white and transparent ink, in addition to the four colors.
[0029] The ink tank 550 accommodates the ink to be ejected to the liquid ejecting head 510. The ink tank 550 is coupled to the liquid ejecting head 510 by a resin tube 552. The ink in the ink tank 550 is supplied to the liquid ejecting head 510 via the tube 552. Instead of the ink tank 550, a bag-shaped liquid pack formed of a flexible film may be provided.
[0030] The transport mechanism 560 transports the printing paper P in a sub-scanning direction. The sub-scanning direction is a direction that intersects with the X-axis direction, which is a main scanning direction, and is the +Y direction and the ?Y direction in the present embodiment. The transport mechanism 560 includes a transport rod 564, on which three transport rollers 562 are mounted, and a transport motor 566 for rotatably driving the transport rod 564. When the transport motor 566 rotatably drives the transport rod 564, the printing paper P is transported in the +Y direction, which is the sub-scanning direction. The number of the transport rollers 562 is not limited to three and may be a random number. Further, a configuration in which a plurality of transport mechanisms 560 are provided may be provided.
[0031] The moving mechanism 570 includes a carriage 572, a transport belt 574, a moving motor 576, and a pulley 577. The carriage 572 mounts the liquid ejecting head 510 in a state where the ink can be ejected. The carriage 572 is fixed to the transport belt 574. The transport belt 574 is bridged between the moving motor 576 and the pulley 577. When the moving motor 576 is rotatably driven, the transport belt 574 reciprocates in the main scanning direction. Thereby, the carriage 572 fixed to the transport belt 574 also reciprocates in the main scanning direction.
[0032]
[0033] The piezoelectric element 300 is a drive element that causes a pressure change in the ink in a pressure chamber of the liquid ejecting head 510. The humidity detection mechanism 200 functions as a so-called electric humidity sensor, and acquires information on humidity in a member included in the liquid ejecting head 510, such as the piezoelectric element 300, or a member on the periphery of the humidity detection mechanism 200. Information on humidity includes, for example, an amount of moisture absorbed or dehumidified from a member, relative humidity and absolute humidity which indicate an amount of moisture contained in the air, a degree of an influence on performance of a member because of moisture absorption or dehumidification, and information used to acquire such information, such as a resistance value or a capacitance value. The degree of an influence on performance of a member may include the presence or absence of a failure of the member, a temporal change in the performance of the member, and the like.
[0034] As illustrated in
[0035] The temperature detection mechanism 400 functions as a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the ink in a pressure chamber to be described later. Specifically, the temperature detection mechanism 400 detects a temperature of a resistance wiring by using a characteristic that a resistance value of a resistance wiring of a metal, a semiconductor, or the like changes depending on a temperature, and estimates the detected temperature of the resistance wiring as a temperature of the ink in the pressure chamber.
[0036] The temperature detection mechanism 400 includes a temperature detection section 410, a temperature-detection power supply section 430, and a temperature-detection resistance measurement section 440. The temperature detection section 410 is configured with a conductor wiring including a resistor for temperature detection. The temperature-detection power supply section 430 is, for example, a constant current circuit, and causes a predetermined current to flow through the temperature detection section 410 under a control of a temperature management section 450. The temperature-detection resistance measurement section 440 acquires a resistance value of a temperature detection resistor of the temperature detection section 410 based on a current value of a current flowing through the temperature detection section 410 by the temperature-detection power supply section 430 and a voltage value of a voltage generated in the temperature detection section 410. A detection result by the temperature-detection resistance measurement section 440 is output to the temperature management section 450.
[0037] As illustrated in
[0038] The head control section 520 collectively performs a control of each section of the liquid ejecting head 510, such as an ejecting operation. The head control section 520 may control, for example, a reciprocating operation of the carriage 572 along the main scanning direction, and a transport operation of the printing paper P along the sub-scanning direction, in addition to the control of the liquid ejecting head 510. As an ejecting operation of the liquid ejecting head 510, the head control section 520 can control ejection of the ink onto the printing paper P by, for example, outputting a drive signal to the liquid ejecting head 510 to drive the piezoelectric element 300, the drive signal being a signal based on the temperature of the ink in the pressure chamber that is acquired from the temperature management section 450.
[0039] The humidity management section 250 derives information on humidity as a detection target by using the resistance value of the humidity detection section 210 that is acquired from the humidity-detection resistance measurement section 240 and a humidity calculation equation stored in the storage section 584 in advance. The humidity calculation equation indicates a correspondence relationship between the resistance value of the detection target and the humidity. Instead of the humidity calculation equation, a conversion table indicating a correspondence relationship between the resistance value of the detection target and the humidity may be used. Further, the storage section 584 may store a correspondence relationship between the resistance value of the detection target and the temporal change in the performance of the detection target. The circuit included in the humidity management section 250 can be disposed on, for example, the wiring substrate 120. Thereby, an increase in the size of the liquid ejecting head 510 can be suppressed.
[0040] The temperature management section 450 derives the temperature of the ink in the pressure chamber 12 by using the resistance value of the temperature detection resistor of the temperature detection section 410 that is acquired from the temperature-detection resistance measurement section 440 and a temperature calculation equation stored in the storage section 584 in advance. The temperature calculation equation indicates a correspondence relationship between the resistance value of the temperature detection resistor and the temperature. Instead of the temperature calculation equation, a conversion table indicating a correspondence relationship between the resistance value of the temperature detection resistor and the temperature may be used. The temperature management section 450 outputs the derived temperature of the ink in the pressure chamber 12 to the head control section 520.
[0041] A detailed configuration of the liquid ejecting head 510 will be described with reference to
[0042] The liquid ejecting head 510 includes a pressure chamber substrate 10, a communication plate 15, a nozzle plate 20, a compliance substrate 45, a vibration plate 50, a sealing substrate 30, a case member 40, a wiring substrate 120, which are illustrated in
[0043] The pressure chamber substrate 10 is configured by using, for example, a silicon substrate, a glass substrate, an SOI substrate, various ceramic substrates, and the like. As illustrated in
[0044] As illustrated in
[0045] As illustrated in
[0046] As illustrated in
[0047] As illustrated in
[0048] The nozzle plate 20 is provided on a side opposite to the pressure chamber substrate 10, that is, on a surface of the communication plate 15 on the +Z direction side with the communication plate 15 interposed between the nozzle plate 20 and the pressure chamber substrate 10. A material of the nozzle plate 20 is not particularly limited, and for example, a silicon substrate, a glass substrate, an SOI substrate, various ceramic substrates, and a metal substrate can be used. Examples of the metal substrate include a stainless steel substrate or the like. As the material of the nozzle plate 20, an organic substance, such as a polyimide resin, can also be used. On the other hand, it is preferable to use a material for the nozzle plate 20 that has substantially the same thermal expansion coefficient as the thermal expansion coefficient of the communication plate 15. Thereby, when the temperatures of the nozzle plate 20 and the communication plate 15 change, warpage of the nozzle plate 20 and the communication plate 15 because of the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient can be suppressed.
[0049] A plurality of nozzles 21 are provided on the nozzle plate 20. Each nozzle 21 communicates with each pressure chamber 12 via the nozzle communication path 16. As illustrated in
[0050] As illustrated in
[0051] As illustrated in
[0052] The vibration plate 50 is provided between the piezoelectric element 300 and the pressure chamber substrate 10. The vibration plate 50 is provided at a position closer to the pressure chamber substrate 10 side than the piezoelectric element 300, and includes an elastic film 55 containing silicon oxide (SiO.sub.2) and an insulator film 56 that is provided on the elastic film 55 and contains a zirconium oxide film (ZrO.sub.2). The elastic film 55 constitutes a surface of the flow path, such as the pressure chamber 12, on the ?Z direction side. The vibration plate 50 may be configured with, for example, either the elastic film 55 or the insulator film 56, and may further include another film other than the elastic film 55 and the insulator film 56. Examples of the material of the other film include silicon, silicon nitride, and the like.
[0053] As illustrated in
[0054] As illustrated in
[0055] The case member 40 includes an accommodation section 41, a supply port 44, a third manifold portion 42, and a coupling port 43. The accommodation section 41 is a space having a depth in which the pressure chamber substrate 10, the vibration plate 50, and the sealing substrate 30 can be accommodated. The third manifold portion 42 is a space provided in the vicinity of both ends of the accommodation section 41 in the X-axis direction in the case member 40. The manifold 100 is formed by coupling the third manifold portion 42 to the first manifold portion 17 and the second manifold portion 18 provided in the communication plate 15. The manifold 100 has a long shape in the Y-axis direction. The supply port 44 communicates with the manifold 100 to supply ink to each manifold 100. The coupling port 43 is a through hole that communicates with the through hole 32 of the sealing substrate 30, and the wiring substrate 120 is inserted to the coupling port 43.
[0056] In the liquid ejecting head 510, the ink supplied from the ink tank 550 illustrated in
[0057] Configurations of the piezoelectric element 300, the humidity detection section 210, and the temperature detection section 410 will be described with reference to
[0058] As illustrated in
[0059] As illustrated in
[0060] A different drive voltage is applied to the first drive electrode 60 according to an ejection amount of ink, and a predetermined reference voltage is applied to the second drive electrode 80 regardless of the ejection amount of ink. When a voltage difference occurs between the first drive electrode 60 and the second drive electrode 80 because of the application of the drive voltage and the reference voltage, the piezoelectric body 70 of the piezoelectric element 300 is deformed. Because of the deformation of the piezoelectric body 70, the vibration plate 50 is deformed or vibrated, and thus the volume of the pressure chamber 12 changes. Because of the change in the volume of the pressure chamber 12, pressure is applied to the ink accommodated in the pressure chamber 12, and thus the ink is ejected from the nozzle 21 via the nozzle communication path 16.
[0061] In the present embodiment, the first drive electrode 60 is an individual electrode individually provided for the plurality of pressure chambers 12. As illustrated in
[0062] As illustrated in
[0063] The material of the piezoelectric body 70 is not limited to the lead-based piezoelectric material containing lead, and a non-lead-based piezoelectric material containing no lead can also be used. Examples of the non-lead-based piezoelectric material include bismuth iron acid ((BiFeO.sub.3), abbreviated to BFO), barium titanate ((BaTiO.sub.3), abbreviated to BT), potassium sodium niobate ((K,Na) (NbO.sub.3), abbreviated to KNN), potassium sodium lithium niobate ((K,Na,Li) (NbO.sub.3)), potassium sodium lithium tantalate niobate ((K,Na,Li) (Nb, Ta) O.sub.3), bismuth potassium titanate ((Bi.sub.1/2K.sub.1/2) TiO.sub.3, abbreviated to BKT), bismuth sodium titanate ((Bi.sub.1/2Na.sub.1/2)TiO.sub.3, abbreviated to BNT), bismuth manganate (BiMnO.sub.3, abbreviated to BM), a composite oxide containing bismuth, potassium, titanium, and iron and having a perovskite structure (x[(Bi.sub.xK.sub.1-x)TiO.sub.3]-(1?x)[BiFeO.sub.3], abbreviated to BKT-BF), a composite oxide containing bismuth, iron, barium, and titanium and having a perovskite structure ((1?x) [BiFeO.sub.3]?x[BaTio.sub.3], abbreviated to BFO-BT), and a material ((1?x) [Bi(Fe.sub.1-yM.sub.y)O.sub.3]?x[BaTiO.sub.3], M being Mn, Co, or Cr), which is obtained by adding metals such as manganese, cobalt, and chromium to the composite oxide.
[0064] As illustrated in
[0065] As illustrated in
[0066] As illustrated in
[0067] As illustrated in
[0068] As illustrated in
[0069] The materials of the first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92 are conductive materials. For example, gold (Au), copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), tungsten (W), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), platinum (Pt), aluminum (Al), and the like can be used. In the present embodiment, gold (Au) is used as the first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92. The first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92 are formed in the same layer in a state of being electrically discontinuous with each other. Thereby, a process of forming the first drive wiring 91 can be shared with a process of forming the second drive wiring 92. Therefore, as compared with when the first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92 are individually formed, the manufacturing process can be simplified and productivity of the liquid ejecting head 510 can be improved. Here, the first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92 may be formed in different layers from each other. The first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92 may include an adhesion layer for improving adhesion to the first drive electrode 60, the second drive electrode 80, and the vibration plate 50.
[0070] The first drive wiring 91 is individually provided for each first drive electrode 60. As illustrated in
[0071] As illustrated in
[0072] The wiring substrate 120 is configured with, for example, a flexible printed circuit (FPC). The wiring substrate 120 is provided with a plurality of wirings for coupling to the control device 580 and a power supply circuit (not illustrated). In addition, the wiring substrate 120 may be configured with any flexible substrate, such as flexible flat cable (FFC), instead of FPC. An integrated circuit 121 including a switching element and the like is mounted at the wiring substrate 120. A command signal or the like for driving the piezoelectric element 300 is input to the integrated circuit 121. The integrated circuit 121 controls a timing at which a drive signal for driving the piezoelectric element 300 is supplied to the first drive electrode 60 based on the command signal. As illustrated in
[0073] A material of the temperature detection resistor 415 is a material of which the resistance value is temperature dependent. For example, gold (Au), platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), tungsten (W), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), or the like can be used. Here, platinum (Pt) can be preferably used as a material of the temperature detection resistor 415 from a viewpoint that the change in resistance with temperature is large and stability and accuracy are high.
[0074] As illustrated in
[0075] A material of the temperature detection wiring 93 is a conductive material. For example, gold (Au), copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), tungsten (W), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), platinum (Pt), aluminum (Al), and the like can be used. The material of the temperature detection wiring 93 is gold (Au) that is the same as the materials of the first drive wiring 91, the second drive wiring 92, and the humidity detection wiring 94 to be described later. Here, any material other than gold (Au) may be used for the temperature detection wiring 93, and the material may be different from the materials of the first drive wiring 91, the second drive wiring 92, and the humidity detection wiring 94.
[0076] As illustrated in
[0077] The first extension portion 415A extends along the X-axis direction, which is the intersection direction, on one side of the arrangement direction, specifically, on the ?Y direction side with respect to the plurality of pressure chambers 12. The second extension portion 415B is further disposed on an outer side with respect to the first pressure chamber row L1 and the second pressure chamber row L2 in the liquid ejecting head 510, and extends along the Y-axis direction which is the arrangement direction. The third extension portion 415C extends along the X-axis direction, at a position on the other side of the arrangement direction, specifically, the +Y direction side with respect to the plurality of pressure chambers 12. In this way, the temperature detection resistor 415 is disposed so as to surround the vicinities of the first pressure chamber row L1 and the second pressure chamber row L2. By widening a region in which the temperature detection resistor 415 is disposed, the temperature of the entire ink of the liquid ejecting head 510 can be detected.
[0078] As illustrated in
[0079] As illustrated in
[0080] The region in which the humidity detection section 210 is disposed can be formed to be smaller than the region of the temperature detection section 410 or the like. For example, as illustrated in
[0081] As illustrated in
[0082] In the present embodiment, the interlayer 215 is laminated on the piezoelectric body 70 by using the same material as the material of the protective film 82 in a process prior to the process of forming the protective film 82. Here, the interlayer 215 may be provided on the surface of the piezoelectric body 70 together with the protective film 82 in the process of forming the protective film 82. In this case, by sharing the process of forming the interlayer 215 with the process of forming the protective film 82, productivity of the liquid ejecting head 510 can be improved.
[0083] The humidity detection wirings 94 include a first humidity detection wiring 941 that electrically couples the wiring substrate 120 and the first detection electrode 211 and a second humidity detection wiring 942 that electrically couples the wiring substrate 120 and the second detection electrode 212. End portions of the first humidity detection wiring 941 and the second humidity detection wiring 942 extend so as to be exposed to the through hole 32 of the sealing substrate 30, and are electrically coupled to the wiring substrate 120 in the through hole 32.
[0084] A material of the humidity detection wiring 94 is a conductive material. For example, gold (Au), copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), tungsten (W), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), platinum (Pt), aluminum (Al), and the like can be used. The material of the humidity detection wiring 94 is gold (Au) that is the same as the materials of the first drive wiring 91, the second drive wiring 92, and the temperature detection wiring 93. Here, any material other than gold (Au) may be used for the humidity detection wiring 94, and the material may be different from the materials of the first drive wiring 91, the second drive wiring 92, and the temperature detection wiring 93.
[0085] As illustrated in
[0088] As described above, the drive voltage may be applied to the first drive wiring 91 at a high frequency of ink ejecting timings. By disposing the first humidity detection wiring 941 and the second humidity detection wiring 942 at positions separated from the first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92, an influence of noise of the drive voltage on the humidity detection can be suppressed or prevented. [0089] (3) The first temperature detection wiring 931 and the second temperature detection wiring 932 are further disposed on the outer side of the liquid ejecting head 510 with respect to the first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92, and the first humidity detection wiring 941 and the second humidity detection wiring 942 are further disposed on the outer side of the liquid ejecting head 510 with respect to the first temperature detection wiring 931 and the second temperature detection wiring 932.
[0090] By disposing the temperature detection wiring 93 between the first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92 and the humidity detection wiring 94, the first humidity detection wiring 941 and the second humidity detection wiring 942 can be disposed at positions away from the first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92. Therefore, an influence of noise of the drive voltage on the humidity detection can be suppressed or prevented. Further, by disposing the first temperature detection wiring 931 and the second temperature detection wiring 932 at positions closer to the drive wiring than the first humidity detection wiring 941 and the second humidity detection wiring 942, a distance from the humidity detection wiring 94 to the ink flow path can be shortened. Therefore, the wiring lengths of the temperature detection resistor 415 and the temperature detection wiring 93 can be shortened, and thus the temperature and the humidity can be efficiently detected.
[0091] The first detection electrode 211 and the second detection electrode 212 are formed in the same layer so as to be electrically discontinuous to each other. The first detection electrode 211 and the second detection electrode 212 are provided on the interlayer 215 to be in contact with the interlayer 215 in order to allow the current from the humidity-detection power supply section 230, which is a constant current circuit, to flow on the surface of the interlayer 215. current flows through the interlayer 215 includes that a current flows through the inside of the interlayer 215, the surface of the interlayer 215, and a boundary surface between the interlayer 215 and another layer.
[0092]
[0093] The first detection electrode 211 and the second detection electrode 212 can be formed in any shape. In the present embodiment, the first detection electrode 211 and the second detection electrode 212 adopt a so-called comb shape suitable for evaluation of insulation deterioration because of ion migration or the like, and are disposed so as to face each other on the surface of the interlayer 215. More specifically, as illustrated in
[0094] Similarly, the second detection electrode 212 includes a third electrode portion 212P3 extending along a certain third direction and a plurality of fourth electrode portions 212P4 coupled to the third electrode portion 212P3. The fourth electrode portions 212P4 extend along a fourth direction intersecting with the third direction, and are disposed to be separated from each other. In the example of
[0095] The first detection electrode 211 and the second detection electrode 212 can be formed of any conductive material, and can be formed of, for example, a conductive material such as a metal, such as platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), gold (Au), and titanium (Ti), or a conductive metal oxide such as indium tin oxide which is abbreviated as ITO. The first detection electrode 211 and the second detection electrode 212 may be formed by laminating a plurality of materials such as platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), gold (Au), and titanium (Ti). The first detection electrode 211 and the second detection electrode 212 may be made of the same material or different materials from each other.
[0096] In the present embodiment, the same iridium (Ir) as the material of the second drive electrode 80 is used for the first detection electrode 211 and the second detection electrode 212. By sharing the process of forming the first detection electrode 211 and the second detection electrode 212 with the process of forming the second drive electrode 80, productivity of the liquid ejecting head 510 can be improved. For the first detection electrode 211 and the second detection electrode 212, for example, gold (Au), copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), tungsten (W), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), platinum (Pt), aluminum (Al), or the like can also be used. The materials of the first detection electrode 211 and the second detection electrode 212 can be the same as the materials of the first drive wiring 91, the second drive wiring 92, the temperature detection wiring 93, and the humidity detection wiring 94. As an example of the process order when sharing the process of forming the first detection electrode 211 and the second detection electrode 212 with the process of forming the second drive electrode 80, first, the interlayer 215 is formed using the same material as the material of the protective film 82, and the first detection electrode 211, the second detection electrode 212, and the second drive electrode 80 are formed in the same process. Thereafter, the protective film 82 is formed at the drive electrode end portion position.
[0097] As described above, the liquid ejecting head 510 of the present embodiment includes the wiring substrate 120, the plurality of pressure chambers 12 that accommodate the ink and communicate with the nozzles 21, the drive element that is electrically coupled to the wiring substrate 120 and changes the pressure inside the pressure chamber 12, and the humidity detection section 210 that is electrically coupled to the wiring substrate 120 and detects the humidity of the drive element or a member on the periphery of the drive element. With the liquid ejecting head 510 configured as described above, information on the humidity of the drive element can be detected by a simple structure in which the drive element and the humidity detection section 210 are coupled to one wiring substrate 120.
[0098] With the liquid ejecting head 510 of the present embodiment, the drive element is the piezoelectric element 300 including the first drive electrode 60, the second drive electrode 80, and the piezoelectric body 70. Therefore, information on the humidity of the piezoelectric element 300 among the component members of the liquid ejecting head 510 can be detected, and the influence of the humidity on the piezoelectric element 300 and the member in the vicinity of the piezoelectric element 300 can be appropriately managed.
[0099] The liquid ejecting head 510 of the present embodiment further includes the vibration plate 50 which is provided on the lower side of the piezoelectric element 300 and the pressure chamber substrate 10 which is provided on the lower side of the vibration plate 50 and on which the plurality of pressure chambers 12 are provided. The humidity detection section 210 includes the interlayer 215 which is laminated on the piezoelectric body 70 and of which the resistance or the capacitance changes according to humidity, the first detection electrode 211 which is in contact with the interlayer 215, and the second detection electrode 212 which is in contact with the interlayer 215, the second detection electrode 212 facing the first detection electrode 211. By using the resistance between the first detection electrode 211 and the second detection electrode 212, information on the humidity of the interlayer 215 laminated on the piezoelectric body 70 can be detected with high accuracy. Therefore, the influence of the humidity on the piezoelectric element 300 and the member in the vicinity of the piezoelectric element 300 can be appropriately managed.
[0100] With the liquid ejecting head 510 of the present embodiment, the first detection electrode 211 and the second detection electrode 212 are formed of the same material as the material of the second drive electrode 80. The process of forming the first detection electrode 211 and the second detection electrode 212 can be shared with the process of forming the second drive electrode 80, and thus productivity of the liquid ejecting head 510 can be improved.
[0101] The liquid ejecting head 510 of the present embodiment further includes the drive wirings that electrically couple the wiring substrate 120 and the drive element and the humidity detection wirings 94 that electrically couple the wiring substrate 120 and the humidity detection section 210. The drive wirings include a first drive wiring 91 that electrically couples the wiring substrate 120 and the first drive electrode 60 and a second drive wiring 92 that electrically couples the wiring substrate 120 and the second drive electrode 80. The humidity detection wirings 94 include a first humidity detection wiring 941 that electrically couples the wiring substrate 120 and the first detection electrode 211 and a second humidity detection wiring 942 that electrically couples the wiring substrate 120 and the second detection electrode 212. With a simple configuration of the drive wirings and the humidity detection wirings 94 for humidity detection, the piezoelectric element 300 and the humidity detection section 210 can be electrically coupled to one wiring substrate 120.
[0102] With the liquid ejecting head 510 of the present embodiment, the first drive wiring 91, the second drive wiring 92, the first humidity detection wiring 941, and the second humidity detection wiring 942 are formed of the same material. The process of forming the humidity detection wiring 94 and the process of forming the first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92 can be shared, and thus productivity of the liquid ejecting head 510 can be improved.
[0103] With the liquid ejecting head 510 of the present embodiment, the first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92 are disposed at positions other than the region 94P between the first humidity detection wiring 941 and the second humidity detection wiring 942. By disposing the first humidity detection wiring 941 and the second humidity detection wiring 942 at positions separated from the first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92, an influence of noise of the drive voltage on the humidity detection can be suppressed or prevented.
[0104] With the liquid ejecting head 510 of the present embodiment, the first humidity detection wiring 941 and the second humidity detection wiring 942 are further disposed on the outer side of the liquid ejecting head 510 with respect to the first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92. By disposing the first humidity detection wiring 941 and the second humidity detection wiring 942 at positions separated from the first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92, an influence of noise of the drive voltage on the humidity detection can be suppressed or prevented.
[0105] The liquid ejecting head 510 of the present embodiment further includes the temperature detection section 410 that is electrically coupled to the wiring substrate 120 and detects the temperature inside the pressure chamber 12. Therefore, information on the humidity and the temperature of the drive element can be detected by a simple structure in which the temperature detection section 410 is coupled to one wiring substrate 120 together with the drive element and the humidity detection section 210.
[0106] With the liquid ejecting head 510 of the present embodiment, the temperature detection section 410 includes the temperature detection resistor 415 of which the resistance changes according to the temperature, the first temperature detection wiring 931 that is coupled to one end of the temperature detection resistor 415, and the second temperature detection wiring 932 that is coupled to the other end of the temperature detection resistor 415. By using the temperature detection resistor, a temperature detection mechanism can be provided in a narrow region in the vicinity of the pressure chamber 12 on the vibration plate 50.
[0107] With the liquid ejecting head 510 of the present embodiment, the first temperature detection wiring 931 and the second temperature detection wiring 932 are further disposed on the outer side of the liquid ejecting head 510 with respect to the first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92, and the first humidity detection wiring 941 and the second humidity detection wiring 942 are further disposed on the outer side of the liquid ejecting head 510 with respect to the first temperature detection wiring 931 and the second temperature detection wiring 932. The first humidity detection wiring 941 and the second humidity detection wiring 942 can be disposed at positions separated from the first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92, and thus an influence of noise of the drive voltage on the humidity detection can be suppressed or prevented. Further, by disposing the first temperature detection wiring 931 and the second temperature detection wiring 932 at positions closer to the piezoelectric element 300 than the first humidity detection wiring 941 and the second humidity detection wiring 942, a distance from the humidity detection wiring 94 to the ink flow path can be shortened. Therefore, the wiring lengths of the temperature detection resistor 415 and the temperature detection wiring 93 can be shortened, and thus the temperature and the humidity can be efficiently detected.
[0108] With the liquid ejecting head 510 of the present embodiment, the area of the temperature detection region surrounded by the temperature detection resistor 415 is larger than the area of the region in which the interlayer 215 is disposed. By making the area of the region in which the interlayer 215 is disposed smaller than the area of the temperature detection region which is likely to have a large area in order to measure the entire flow path of the ink, the humidity detection section 210 and the temperature detection section 410 can be efficiently disposed.
[0109] The liquid ejecting apparatus 500 of the present embodiment includes, in addition to the liquid ejecting head 510, the humidity-detection resistance measurement section 240 that measures the resistance between the first detection electrode 211 and the second detection electrode 212 and the humidity management section 250 that acquires information on the humidity of the interlayer 215 by using the resistance measured by the humidity-detection resistance measurement section 240. Therefore, the liquid ejecting apparatus 500 that can appropriately manage the information on the humidity in the member in the liquid ejecting head 510 can be provided.
[0110] With the liquid ejecting apparatus 500 of the present embodiment, the humidity management section 250 is provided on the wiring substrate 120. Thereby, an increase in the size of the liquid ejecting apparatus 500 can be suppressed.
A2. Another Embodiment 1
[0111]
[0112] In the example of
B1. Second Embodiment
[0113]
[0114] As illustrated in
[0115] The humidity management section 250 derives information on the humidity of the detection target by using the capacitance of the humidity detection section 210b that is acquired from the capacitance measurement section 242 and a humidity calculation equation stored in the storage section 584 in advance. The humidity calculation equation indicates a correspondence relationship between the capacitance of the detection target and the humidity. Instead of the humidity calculation equation, a conversion table indicating a correspondence relationship between the capacitance of the detection target and the humidity may be used. In addition, the storage section 584 may store a correspondence relationship between the capacitance of the detection target and a temporal change in performance of the detection target. The capacitance may be measured by using various general methods such as a constant current discharge method. The capacitance measurement section 242 may be provided in the control device 580.
[0116]
[0117] As illustrated in
[0118]
[0119] The first detection electrode 211b and the second detection electrode 212b can be formed in any shape. In the present embodiment, the first detection electrode 211b is formed in a flat plate shape. The second detection electrode 212b has the same comb shape as the shape of the first detection electrode 211 or the second detection electrode 212 illustrated in the first embodiment. More specifically, as illustrated in
[0120] Since the second detection electrode 212b is formed to cover the upper surface of the interlayer 215, the exposed area of the interlayer 215 can be reduced. As a result, there is a possibility that moisture absorption and dehumidification of the interlayer 215 are inhibited and the detection accuracy is lowered. From a viewpoint of suppressing inhibition of moisture absorption and dehumidification of the interlayer 215, preferably, the second detection electrode 212b is formed in a shape such as a flat plate shape or a comb shape in which a through hole is formed, that is, in a shape that allows the upper surface of the interlayer 215 to be exposed, or is formed to have an area smaller than the area of the interlayer 215.
[0121] In the present embodiment, the process of forming the first detection electrode 211b is shared with the process of forming the second drive electrode 80, and the first detection electrode 211b is provided on the piezoelectric body 70. Therefore, the material of the first detection electrode 211b is the same iridium (Ir) as the material of the second drive electrode 80. By sharing the process of forming the first detection electrode 211b with the process of forming the second drive electrode 80, productivity of the liquid ejecting head 510 can be improved.
[0122] In the present embodiment, the process of forming the second detection electrode 212b is shared with the process of forming the first drive wiring 91, the second drive wiring 92, the temperature detection wiring 93, or the humidity detection wiring 94, and the second detection electrode 212b is provided on the interlayer 215. Therefore, the material of the second detection electrode 212b is the same gold (Au) as the material of the first drive wiring 91 or the like. By sharing the process of forming the second detection electrode 212b with the process of forming the first drive wiring 91 and the like, productivity of the liquid ejecting head 510 can be improved. As an example of a specific process order, after the piezoelectric body 70 is coated, the first detection electrode 211b is formed in the same process as the process of forming the second drive electrode 80, and then the interlayer 215 is formed using the same material as the material of the protective film 82. Thereafter, the second detection electrode 212b, the first drive wiring 91, the second drive wiring 92, the temperature detection wiring 93, and the humidity detection wiring 94 are formed in the same process, and then the protective film 82 is formed at the drive electrode end portion position.
[0123] As described above, the liquid ejecting head 510b of the present embodiment includes the interlayer 215 which is laminated on the piezoelectric body 70 and of which the capacitance changes according to humidity and the first detection electrode 211b and the second detection electrode 212b that face each other with the interlayer 215 interposed therebetween. With the liquid ejecting head 510b configured as described above, by using the capacitance between the first detection electrode 211b and the second detection electrode 212b, the information on the humidity of the interlayer 215, which is laminated on the piezoelectric body 70 among the component members of the liquid ejecting head 510, can be detected with high accuracy. Therefore, the influence of the humidity on the piezoelectric element 300 or the member in the vicinity of the piezoelectric element 300 can be appropriately managed.
[0124] The liquid ejecting apparatus 500 of the present embodiment includes, in addition to the liquid ejecting head 510b, a capacitance measurement section 242 that measures capacitance between the first detection electrode 211b and the second detection electrode 212b, and a humidity management section 250 that acquires information on humidity of the interlayer 215 by using the capacitance measured by the capacitance measurement section 242. Therefore, the liquid ejecting apparatus 500 that can appropriately manage the information on the humidity in the member in the liquid ejecting head 510 can be provided.
[0125] With the liquid ejecting head 510b of the present embodiment, the first detection electrode 211b and the second detection electrode 212b are formed of the same material as the material of the second drive electrode 80. The process of forming the first detection electrode 211b and the second detection electrode 212b can be shared with the process of forming the second drive electrode 80, and thus productivity of the liquid ejecting head 510b can be improved.
[0126] The liquid ejecting head 510b of the present embodiment further includes the protective film 82 that is disposed on the upper side of the pressure chamber substrate 10, more specifically, at the end portion 80b of the second drive electrode 80 and on the surface of the piezoelectric body 70, and is formed using a resin material. The interlayer 215 is formed of the same material as the material of the protective film 82. By forming the interlayer 215 using a resin material of which the capacitance is likely to change according to humidity, accuracy of detection of the information on humidity can be improved. Further, by sharing the process of forming the interlayer 215 with the process of forming the protective film 82, productivity of the liquid ejecting head 510b can be improved.
[0127] With the liquid ejecting head 510b of the present embodiment, the first detection electrode 211b is disposed on the lower side of the interlayer 215, and the second detection electrode 212b is disposed on the upper side of the interlayer 215. As compared with when the first detection electrode 211b and the second detection electrode 212b are formed in the same layer on the upper side or the lower side of the interlayer 215, the capacitance of the interlayer 215 can be detected with high accuracy.
[0128] With the liquid ejecting head 510b of the present embodiment, the second detection electrode 212b includes the first electrode portion 212P1 extending along the first direction on the surface of the interlayer 215 and the plurality of second electrode portions 212P2 coupled to the first electrode portion 212P1 on the surface of the interlayer 215. The second electrode portions 212P2 extend in the second direction intersecting with the first direction and are arranged to be separated from each other. By forming the second detection electrode 212b in a comb shape with an area smaller than an area in a flat plate shape, an exposed area on the upper surface of the interlayer 215 can be increased, and thus inhibition of moisture absorption and dehumidification of the interlayer 215 by the second detection electrode 212b can be suppressed or prevented.
[0129] With the liquid ejecting head 510b of the present embodiment, in plan view, the humidity detection sections 210b are disposed at positions adjacent to both sides of the first pressure chamber row L1 along the first arrangement direction and positions adjacent to both sides of the second pressure chamber row L2 along the second arrangement direction. With the liquid ejecting head 510b configured as described above, by individually providing the humidity detection sections 210b for each of the holding portions 31 of the first pressure chamber row L1 and the second pressure chamber row L2, the information on humidity for each pressure chamber row can be acquired with high accuracy.
B2. Another Embodiment 1
[0130]
C. Third Embodiment
[0131]
[0132]
[0133]
[0134] In the present embodiment, the first detection electrode 211c and the second detection electrode 212c are formed of the same material as the material of the first drive electrode 60. The process of forming the first detection electrode 211c and the second detection electrode 212c is shared with the process of forming the first drive electrode 60, and when forming the first drive electrode 60 on the vibration plate 50, the first detection electrode 211c and the second detection electrode 212c are also formed. After the first detection electrode 211c and the second detection electrode 212c are formed, the piezoelectric body 70 is laminated in a region including the first detection electrode 211c and the second detection electrode 212c.
[0135] The first detection electrode 211c and the second detection electrode 212c are not limited to being disposed on the lower side of the piezoelectric body 70, and can be disposed on the upper surface of the piezoelectric body 70 in a state of being exposed. In this case, the process of forming the first detection electrode 211c and the second detection electrode 212c can be shared with the process of forming the second drive electrode 80, and the first detection electrode 211c and the second detection electrode 212c can be formed together with the second drive electrode 80 after the piezoelectric body 70 is formed.
[0136] As described above, the liquid ejecting head 510c of the second embodiment includes the piezoelectric body 70 which is laminated on the vibration plate 50, of which the resistance changes according to humidity, and which serves as the interlayer 215c. With the liquid ejecting head 510c configured as described above, the information on humidity of the piezoelectric body 70 can be detected with high accuracy, and thus an influence of the humidity on the piezoelectric element 300 can be appropriately managed.
[0137] With the liquid ejecting head 510c of the present embodiment, the first detection electrode 211c and the second detection electrode 212c are formed of the same material as the material of the first drive electrode 60. With the configuration, the process of forming the first detection electrode 211c and the second detection electrode 212c can be shared with the process of forming the first drive electrode 60, and thus productivity of the liquid ejecting head 510c can be improved.
[0138] With the liquid ejecting head 510c of the present embodiment, the first detection electrode 211c and the second detection electrode 212c are disposed in the same layer on the lower side of the interlayer 215c which is formed of the same material as the material of the piezoelectric body 70. By forming the first detection electrode 211c and the second detection electrode 212c in the same layer, the process of forming the first detection electrode 211c and the process of forming the second detection electrode 212c can be easily shared. Further, by forming the first detection electrode 211c and the second detection electrode 212c on the lower side of the piezoelectric body 70, the process of forming the first detection electrode 211c and the second detection electrode 212c can be easily shared with the process of forming the first drive electrode 60.
D. Fourth Embodiment
[0139]
[0140] In each of the embodiments, an example in which the first drive wiring 91, the second drive wiring 92, the temperature detection wiring 93, and the humidity detection wiring 94 are coupled to the wiring substrate 120 in this order from the center CP of the liquid ejecting head toward the outside is described. In the plan view illustrated in
[0141] As illustrated in
[0142] As illustrated in
[0143] With the liquid ejecting head 510d of the present embodiment, the first humidity detection wiring 941d and the second humidity detection wiring 942d are further disposed on the outer side of the liquid ejecting head 510d with respect to the first drive wiring 91, and the first temperature detection wiring 931d and the second temperature detection wiring 932d are further disposed on the outer side of the liquid ejecting head 510d with respect to the first humidity detection wiring 941d and the second humidity detection wiring 942d. The temperature detection section 410d and the humidity detection section 210d can be disposed in the holding portion 31, and an influence of noise of the drive voltage on temperature detection can be suppressed or prevented by separating the first temperature detection wiring 931d and the second temperature detection wiring 932d from the first drive wiring 91. Further, by disposing the humidity detection wiring 94d between the temperature detection wiring 93d and the first drive wiring 91, transmission of noise of the drive voltage to the temperature detection section 410d is suppressed by the humidity detection section 210d, and thus an influence of noise of the drive voltage on temperature detection can be further reduced. The frequency of temperature detection using the first temperature detection wiring 931d and the second temperature detection wiring 932d is preferably higher than the frequency of humidity detection using the first humidity detection wiring 941d and the second humidity detection wiring 942d. With the configuration, an effect of disposing the detection wirings of the present embodiment becomes remarkable.
[0144] With the liquid ejecting head 510d of the present embodiment, the first temperature detection wiring 931d, the first humidity detection wiring 941d, the second drive wiring 92, and the first drive wiring 91 are disposed in this order from the outer side of the liquid ejecting head 510d toward the center CP of the liquid ejecting head 510d.
[0145] As in each of the embodiments, the humidity detection section 210d can be disposed at the piezoelectric element 300 or in the vicinity of the piezoelectric element 300, and the temperature detection resistor 415d can be disposed in the vicinity of the pressure chamber 12 which is an ink flow path. Further, by disposing the temperature detection section 410d outside the humidity detection section 210d, an influence of noise of the drive voltage on the temperature detection section 410d can be suppressed by the humidity detection section 210d, and thus an influence of noise of the drive voltage on temperature detection can be further reduced.
E. Fifth Embodiment
[0146]
[0147] As illustrated in
[0148]
[0149] With the liquid ejecting head 510e of the present embodiment, the first humidity detection wiring 941e and the second humidity detection wiring 942e are disposed between the first drive wiring 91 and the second drive wiring 92. Therefore, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the humidity detection section 210e can be easily disposed in the holding portion 31. Further, when the humidity management section 250 or the like is provided on the wiring substrate 120 as an IC chip, routing of the conductor wirings on the wiring substrate 120 can be easily performed. Further, by using, as the interlayer 215e, the protective film 82 provided at the drive electrode end portion position, an increase in the number of components because of provision of the humidity detection section 210e can be suppressed.
F. Sixth Embodiment
[0150]
[0151] In plan view illustrated in
G. Seventh Embodiment
[0152]
[0153] The configuration of the humidity detection section 210g other than the disposition position is the same as the configuration of the humidity detection section 210 described in the first embodiment. The arrangement order of the first drive wiring 91, the second drive wiring 92, the temperature detection wiring 93, and the humidity detection wiring 94 is the same as the arrangement order in the first embodiment. The first drive wiring 91, the second drive wiring 92, the temperature detection wiring 93, and the humidity detection wiring 94 are arranged in this order from the center CP of the liquid ejecting head 510g toward the outer side of the liquid ejecting head 510g.
[0154] With the liquid ejecting head 510g configured as described above, the humidity detection section 210g can be disposed at a position separated from the piezoelectric element 300 as compared with when the humidity detection section is adjacent to each pressure chamber row. Thus, an influence of noise of the drive signal of the piezoelectric element 300 on the humidity detection section 210g can be reduced. When one holding portion 31 common to a plurality of pressure chamber rows such as the first pressure chamber row L1 and the second pressure chamber row L2 is provided, the number of the humidity detection sections 210 can be reduced, and thus information on humidity can be efficiently acquired.
H. Another Embodiment
[0155] (H1) In each of the embodiments, an example in which the piezoelectric element 300 is used as the drive element is described. On the other hand, as the drive element, a heat generation element including a heater may be used. In this case, a heater is provided in each pressure chamber, and the ink is ejected from the nozzles by changing the pressure in the pressure chamber by using bubbles generated when the heater is heated. The same advantage as in each of the embodiments can be obtained even in the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect.
I. Other Aspects
[0156] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. For example, technical features in the embodiments corresponding to technical features in respective aspects described in outline of the present disclosure can be appropriately replaced or combined in order to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Further, as long as the technical feature is not described as essential in the present specification, the technical feature can be appropriately deleted. [0157] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a liquid ejecting head. A liquid ejecting head includes: a wiring substrate; a plurality of pressure chambers that accommodate a liquid and communicate with nozzles; a drive element that is electrically coupled to the wiring substrate and changes a pressure in the pressure chamber; and a humidity detection section that is electrically coupled to the wiring substrate and is disposed for detection of humidity.
[0158] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, information on the humidity of the drive element can be detected by a simple structure in which the drive element and the temperature detection section are coupled to one wiring substrate. [0159] (2) In the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, the drive element may be a piezoelectric element including a first drive electrode, a second drive electrode, and a piezoelectric body, and the piezoelectric body may be provided between the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode in a lamination direction in which the first drive electrode, the second drive electrode, and the piezoelectric body are laminated. The first drive electrode may be individually provided for each of the plurality of pressure chambers, and the second drive electrode may be commonly provided for the plurality of pressure chambers.
[0160] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, information on the humidity of the piezoelectric element among the component members of the liquid ejecting head can be detected, and the influence of the humidity on the piezoelectric element and the member in the vicinity of the piezoelectric element can be appropriately managed. [0161] (3) The liquid ejecting head according to the aspect may further include: a vibration plate that is provided on one side of the lamination direction with respect to the piezoelectric element and is deformed by driving of the piezoelectric element; and a pressure chamber substrate that is provided on one side of the lamination direction with respect to the vibration plate and is provided with the plurality of pressure chambers. The humidity detection section may include an interlayer that is laminated on one of the piezoelectric body, the vibration plate, and the pressure chamber substrate and whose resistance or capacitance changes according to humidity, a first detection electrode in contact with the interlayer, and a second detection electrode that is in contact with the interlayer and faces the first detection electrode.
[0162] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, information on humidity of the interlayer, which is laminated on at least one of the piezoelectric body, the vibration plate, or the pressure chamber substrate, can be detected with high accuracy by using the resistance between the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode. Therefore, an influence of humidity on the piezoelectric element or the member in the vicinity of the piezoelectric element can be appropriately managed. [0163] (4) In the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, at least one of the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode may be formed of the same material as a material of the first drive electrode.
[0164] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, the process of forming the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode can be shared with the process of forming the first drive electrode, and thus productivity of the liquid ejecting head can be improved. [0165] (5) In the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, at least one of the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode may be formed of the same material as a material of the second drive electrode.
[0166] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, the process of forming the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode can be shared with the process of forming the second drive electrode, and thus productivity of the liquid ejecting head can be improved. [0167] (6) The liquid ejecting head according to the aspect may further include: a drive wiring that electrically couples the wiring substrate and the drive element; and a humidity detection wiring that electrically couples the wiring substrate and the humidity detection section. The drive wiring may include a first drive wiring that electrically couples the wiring substrate and the first drive electrode, and a second drive wiring that electrically couples the wiring substrate and the second drive electrode. The humidity detection section may include a first humidity detection wiring that electrically couples the wiring substrate and the first detection electrode, and a second humidity detection wiring that electrically couples the wiring substrate and the second detection electrode. With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, by using a simple configuration of the drive wirings and the humidity detection wirings for humidity detection, both the piezoelectric element and the humidity detection section can be electrically coupled to one wiring substrate. [0168] (7) In the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, the first drive wiring, the second drive wiring, the first humidity detection wiring, and the second humidity detection wiring may be formed of the same material.
[0169] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, the process of forming the humidity detection wiring and the process of forming the first drive wiring and the second drive wiring can be shared, and thus productivity of the liquid ejecting head can be improved. [0170] (8) In the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, in plan view of the liquid ejecting head along the lamination direction, the first drive wiring and the second drive wiring may be disposed at positions that are not interposed between the first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring.
[0171] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, by disposing the first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring at positions separated from the first drive wiring and the second drive wiring, an influence of noise of the drive voltage on the humidity detection can be suppressed or prevented. [0172] (9) In the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, in plan view of the liquid ejecting head along the lamination direction, the first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring may be disposed between the first drive wiring and the second drive wiring.
[0173] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, when providing an IC chip for humidity management on the wiring substrate, routing of the conductor wirings on the wiring substrate can be easily performed. [0174] (10) In the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, in plan view of the liquid ejecting head along the lamination direction, the first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring may be further disposed on an outer side of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the first drive wiring and the second drive wiring.
[0175] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, by disposing the first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring at positions separated from the first drive wiring and the second drive wiring, an influence of noise of the drive voltage on the humidity detection can be suppressed or prevented. [0176] (11) In the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, the first drive electrode may be provided on one side of the lamination direction with respect to the piezoelectric body, and the second drive electrode may be provided on another side of the lamination direction with respect to the piezoelectric body. [0177] (12) The liquid ejecting head according to the aspect may further include: a temperature detection section that is electrically coupled to the wiring substrate and detects a temperature.
[0178] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, information on the humidity and the temperature of the drive element can be detected by a simple structure in which the temperature detection section is coupled to one wiring substrate together with the drive element and the humidity detection section. [0179] (13) In the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, the temperature detection section may include a temperature detection resistor of which resistance changes according to a temperature, a first temperature detection wiring that is coupled to one end of the temperature detection resistor, and a second temperature detection wiring that is coupled to another end of the temperature detection resistor.
[0180] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, by using the temperature detection resistor, a temperature detection mechanism can be provided in a narrow region in the vicinity of the pressure chamber. [0181] (14) In the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, in plan view of the liquid ejecting head along the lamination direction, the first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring may be further disposed on an outer side of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the first drive wiring, and the first temperature detection wiring and the second temperature detection wiring may be further disposed on an outer side of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring.
[0182] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, by disposing the first temperature detection wiring and the second temperature detection wiring to be separated from the first drive wiring, an influence of noise of the drive voltage on the temperature detection can be suppressed or prevented. [0183] (15) In the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, in plan view of the liquid ejecting head along the lamination direction, the first temperature detection wiring, the first humidity detection wiring, the second drive wiring, and the first drive wiring may be disposed in this order from the outer side of the liquid ejecting head toward a center of the liquid ejecting head.
[0184] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, by further disposing the temperature detection wiring on the outer side of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the humidity detection wiring, an influence of noise of the drive voltage on the temperature detection wiring can be suppressed by the humidity detection wiring, and thus an influence of noise of the drive voltage on temperature detection can be further reduced. [0185] (16) In the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, in plan view of the liquid ejecting head along the lamination direction, the first temperature detection wiring and the second temperature detection wiring may be further disposed on an outer side of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the first drive wiring and the second drive wiring. The first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring may be further disposed on an outer side of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the first temperature detection wiring and the second temperature detection wiring.
[0186] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, the first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring can be disposed at positions separated from the first drive wiring and the second drive wiring, and thus an influence of noise of the drive voltage on the humidity detection can be suppressed or prevented. [0187] (17) In the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, in plan view of the liquid ejecting head along the lamination direction, the first drive wiring and the second drive wiring may be disposed at positions that are interposed between the first temperature detection wiring and the second temperature detection wiring, and the first humidity detection wiring and the second humidity detection wiring.
[0188] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, the humidity detection wiring and the temperature detection wiring can be assembled at both ends of the wiring substrate, and thus arrangement on the wiring substrate can be easily performed. [0189] (18) In the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, in plan view of the liquid ejecting head along the lamination direction, an area of a temperature detection region surrounded by the temperature detection resistor may be larger than an area of a region in which the interlayer is disposed.
[0190] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, by making an area of a region in which the interlayer is disposed smaller than an area of a temperature detection region, the humidity detection section and the temperature detection section can be efficiently disposed. [0191] (19) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a liquid ejecting apparatus. A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect; a humidity-detection resistance measurement section that measures resistance between the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode; and a humidity management section that acquires information on humidity of the interlayer by using the resistance which is measured by the humidity-detection resistance measurement section.
[0192] With the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect, the liquid ejecting apparatus that can appropriately manage the information on the humidity in the member in the liquid ejecting head can be provided. [0193] (20) According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a liquid ejecting apparatus including: the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect; a capacitance measurement section that measures capacitance between the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode; and a humidity management section that acquires information on humidity of the interlayer by using the capacitance which is measured by the capacitance measurement section.
[0194] With the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect, information on humidity in the member in the liquid ejecting head can be appropriately managed. [0195] (21) In the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect, the humidity management section may be provided on the wiring substrate.
[0196] With the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect, an increase in the size of the liquid ejecting apparatus can be suppressed. [0197] (22) In the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, the drive element may be a heat generation element including a heater.
[0198] With the liquid ejecting head according to the aspect, information on the humidity of the drive element can be detected by a simple structure in which the heat generation element including a heater and the temperature detection section are coupled to one wiring substrate.
[0199] The present disclosure can also be realized in various aspects other than the liquid ejecting apparatus and the liquid ejecting head. For example, the present disclosure can be realized in aspects of a method for manufacturing a liquid ejecting head, a method for manufacturing a liquid ejecting apparatus, or the like.
[0200] The present disclosure is not limited to an ink jet method, and can be applied to any liquid ejecting apparatuses that ejects a liquid other than ink and a liquid ejecting head that is used in the liquid ejecting apparatuses. For example, the present disclosure can be applied to the following various liquid ejecting apparatuses and liquid ejecting heads thereof. [0201] (1) An image recording apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus. [0202] (2) A color material ejecting apparatus used for manufacturing a color filter for an image display apparatus such as a liquid crystal display. [0203] (3) An electrode material ejecting apparatus used for forming electrodes of an organic Electro Luminescence (EL) display, a Field Emission Display (FED), or the like. [0204] (4) A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid containing a bioorganic substance used for manufacturing a biochip. [0205] (5) A sample ejecting apparatus as a precision pipette. [0206] (6) A lubricating oil ejecting apparatus. [0207] (7) A resin liquid ejecting apparatus. [0208] (8) A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects lubricating oil with pinpoint to a precision machine such as a watch or a camera. [0209] (9) A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a transparent resin liquid, such as an ultraviolet curable resin liquid, onto a substrate in order to form a micro hemispherical lens (optical lens) or the like used for an optical communication element or the like. [0210] (10) A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects an acidic or alkaline etching liquid for etching a substrate or the like. [0211] (11) A liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid consumption head that ejects any other minute amount of droplets.
[0212] Further, the liquid may be any material that can be consumed by the liquid ejecting apparatus. For example, the liquid may be a material in a state when a substance is liquefied, and the liquid includes a liquid state material with high or low viscosity and a liquid state material, such as a sol, gel water, other inorganic solvent, organic solvent, solution, liquid resin, and liquid metal (metal melt). Further, the liquid includes not only a liquid as a state of a substance but also a liquid in which particles of a functional material made of a solid substance, such as a pigment or a metal particle, are dissolved, dispersed, or mixed in a solvent. Further, the following is mentioned as a typical example of a liquid. [0213] (1) Adhesive main agent and curing agent. [0214] (2) Paint-based paints and diluents, clear paints and diluents. [0215] (3) Main solvent and diluting solvent containing cells of ink for cells. [0216] (4) Metallic leaf pigment dispersion liquid and diluting solvent of ink (metallic ink) that develops metallic luster. [0217] (5) Gasoline/diesel and biofuel for vehicle fuel. [0218] (6) Main ingredients and protective ingredients of medicine. [0219] (7) Light Emitting Diode (LED) fluorescent material and encapsulant.