US 12,138,918 B2
Liquid droplet discharge apparatus
Haruhisa Takayama, Nagoya (JP); Atsushi Ito, Nagoya (JP); and Yuya Kato, Nagoya (JP)
Assigned to BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Nagoya (JP)
Filed by BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Nagoya (JP)
Filed on Oct. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/937,865.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-180831 (JP), filed on Nov. 5, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0142144 A1, May 11, 2023
Int. Cl. B41J 29/38 (2006.01); B41J 2/045 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 2/04588 (2013.01) [B41J 2/04581 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A liquid droplet discharge apparatus comprising:
a metallic discharge head configured to discharge a liquid droplet onto a print medium;
an electrode arranged facing the discharge head;
a voltage source configured to generate a potential difference between the discharge head and the electrode;
a current detection part configured to detect a current flowing between the discharge head and the electrode;
a controller, and
a storage part in which a product of the value of the current and a time during which the current flows is previously stored as a reference value,
wherein the controller is configured to calculate a volume of the liquid droplet based on a value of the current, which is detected by the current detection part under a condition that the liquid droplet is discharged from the discharge head in a state of the potential difference being generated between the discharge head and the electrode by the voltage source;
wherein the controller is configured to calculate the volume of the liquid droplet based on a product of the value of the current detected by the current detection part and a time during which the current flows, and
wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to perform a correction of the volume of the liquid droplet, based on a comparison between the reference value and the product of the value of the current detected by the current detection part and the time during which the current flows.