DROPLET DISCHARGE DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD OF THE SAME AND IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a droplet discharge device which suppresses a consumed power amount and ink consumption amount by correctly detecting the sedimentation state of ink dyes in various settleable ink.SOLUTION: A droplet discharge device comprises: a recording head which includes an in-head storage part for supplying liquid to a plurality of pressure chambers; liquid circulation means which includes a liquid storage part for storing liquid and a liquid feeding pipe for transferring liquid between the in-head storage part of the recording head and the liquid storage part, and circulates the liquid between the in-head storage part and the liquid storage part; a drive waveform generation part which generates a drive waveform for driving a piezoelectric element; a residual vibration detection part which detects residual vibration generated in the pressure chamber after driving the piezoelectric element; state determination means which determines the sedimentation state of components in the liquid in the in-head storage part on the basis of output detected by the residual vibration detection part; and control means which controls the liquid circulation operation of the liquid circulation means so as to resolve the sedimentation state of the components in the liquid in the in-head storage part on the basis of the determined sedimentation state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 20 【課題】多様な沈降性インクにおけるインク色素の沈降状態を正確に検出し、消費する電力量とインク消費量を抑える、液滴吐出装置を提供する。【解決手段】複数の圧力室へ液体を補給するヘッド内貯留部、を備える、記録ヘッドと、液体を貯留する液体貯留部、及び記録ヘッドのヘッド内貯留部と液体貯留部との間で液体を移送する液体送管とを備え、ヘッド内貯留部と、該液体貯留部との間で液体を循環させる液体循環手段と、圧電素子を駆動する駆動波形を生成する駆動波形生成部と、圧電素子を駆動後に圧力室内に発生する残留振動を検出する残留振動検出部と、残留振動検出部が検出した出力に基づいて、ヘッド内貯留部の内の液体中の成分の沈降状態を判定する、状態判定手段と、判定した沈降状態に基づいて、ヘッド内貯留部における液体中の成分の沈降状態を解消させるように液体循環手段の液体循環動作を制御する制御手段と、を有する、液滴吐出装置。【選択図】図２０