Patent ID: 7597417

Claim:
A discharge determination device which determines discharge status in a droplet discharge apparatus comprising: a nozzle which discharges a droplet of liquid; a pressure chamber which is connected to the nozzle and stores the liquid to be discharged from the nozzle; a supply flow channel which supplies the liquid to the pressure chamber and is connected to the pressure chamber; and an actuator which causes the droplet to be discharged from the nozzle by causing at least a portion of the pressure chamber to deform and thereby applies a pressure change to the liquid inside the pressure chamber, the discharge determination device comprising: a pressure determination device which is disposed inside the pressure chamber and includes a film member forming a portion of a face constituting the pressure chamber, the film member being displaceable in accordance with pressure change in the liquid inside the pressure chamber, the pressure determination device outputting a determination signal in accordance with displacement of the film member; and a discharge status judging device which judges the discharge status of the nozzle according to the determination signal obtained from the pressure determination device in accordance with driving of the actuator, wherein the portion of the face constituting the pressure chamber that is formed by the film member is less than the entire face constituting the pressure chamber, the film member is spaced apart from at least a portion of the pressure chamber to which the actuator is joined, the film member forms the portion of the face constituting the pressure chamber that differs from another face of the pressure chamber which is formed by the portion of the pressure chamber to which the actuator is joined, and the droplet of liquid is discharged from the nozzle in a direction in which the film member is displaced.