Liquid ejection head and liquid ejection device

Abstract

To provide a member that can be easily manufactured, and that is capable of effectively absorbing vibration of liquid.SOLUTION: Provided is a liquid discharge head which includes: a nozzle for discharging liquid; an actuator having a piezoelectric element, and a diaphragm vibrating according to drive of the piezoelectric element; a pressure chamber where liquid circulates, and pressure is applied to the liquid according to vibration of the diaphragm; an absorption chamber where liquid circulates, and vibration of the liquid propagated from the pressure chamber is absorbed. In the liquid discharge head, when a direction from the pressure chamber to the nozzle is denoted as a first direction, the pressure chamber extends in a second direction crossing the first direction. The pressure chamber and the absorption chamber are provided adjacent to each other in the second direction at the same position in the first direction. The actuator is provided on a reverse direction side of the first direction of the pressure chamber. An absorption member constituted by at least a portion of the members constituting the actuator is provided on the reverse direction side of the first direction of the absorption chamber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid ejection head and a liquid ejection apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Regarding liquid ejection heads provided in liquid ejection devices such as printers, Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid ejection head having a compliance substrate. In this liquid ejection head, the compliance substrate absorbs pressure fluctuations caused by the liquid, improving the stability of liquid ejection from the liquid ejection head. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-153926 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The compliance substrate in Patent Document 1 is made of a material different from the material that forms the piezoelectric element and the diaphragm, which are other members that form the liquid ejection head, and is separate from the piezoelectric element and the diaphragm. Therefore, the number of parts that form the liquid ejection head and the types of materials used to form the parts increase, which may complicate the manufacturing process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a liquid ejection head including a nozzle that ejects liquid, an actuator having a piezoelectric element and a vibration plate that vibrates when driven by the piezoelectric element, a pressure chamber through which the liquid flows and applies pressure to the liquid by the vibration of the vibration plate, and an absorption chamber through which the liquid flows and absorbs vibrations of the liquid propagated from the pressure chamber. In this liquid ejection head, when a direction from the pressure chamber toward the nozzle is defined as a first direction, the pressure chamber extends in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, the pressure chamber and the absorption chamber are provided at the same position in the first direction and adjacent to each other in the second direction, the actuator is provided on the opposite side of the pressure chamber to the first direction, and an absorption member constituted by at least a part of the members constituting the actuator is provided on the opposite side of the absorption chamber.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a liquid ejection device comprising the liquid ejection head of the first aspect and a control unit that controls an ejection operation from the liquid ejection head. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a liquid ejection device including a liquid ejection head according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a liquid ejection head. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid ejection head shown in FIG. 2 taken along line III-III. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the pressure chamber and the absorption chamber taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a vibrating part in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a vibration part of a liquid ejection head according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid ejection head according to a third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid ejection head according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid ejection head according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid ejection head according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid ejection head according to a seventh embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] A. First embodiment: FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a liquid ejection device 300 including a liquid ejection head 100 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 1, arrows are shown along the X, Y, and Z directions that are orthogonal to each other. The X, Y, and Z directions are directions along the X, Y, and Z axes, which are three spatial axes that are orthogonal to each other, and each direction includes both a direction on one side along the X, Y, and Z axes and an opposite direction. Specifically, the positive directions along the X, Y, and Z axes are the +X, +Y, and +Z directions, respectively, and the negative directions along the X, Y, and Z axes are the -X, -Y, and -Z directions, respectively. In FIG. 1, the X and Y axes are axes along a horizontal plane, and the Z axis is an axis along a vertical line. Therefore, in this embodiment, the -Z direction is the direction of gravity. In other figures, arrows along the X, Y, and Z directions are also shown as appropriate. The X, Y, and Z directions in Figure 1 represent the same directions as the X, Y, and Z directions in other figures. In this specification, "orthogonal" includes a range of 90°±10°.

[0009] The liquid ejection device 300 is an inkjet printer that prints an image on a medium P by ejecting ink as a liquid. The liquid ejection device 300 prints an image on the medium P by ejecting ink onto the medium P, such as paper, based on print data that indicates the on / off status of dots on the medium P, and forming dots at various positions on the medium P. In addition to paper, the medium P may be any material that can hold liquid, such as plastic, film, fiber, fabric, leather, metal, glass, wood, or ceramics. In addition to ink, the liquid ejection device 300 may use any liquid, such as various coloring materials, electrode materials, samples of biological organic matter or inorganic matter, lubricating oil, resin liquid, or etching liquid.

[0010] The liquid ejection device 300 includes a liquid ejection head 100 having a nozzle 21, a liquid container 310, a head moving mechanism 320, a transport mechanism 330 that feeds out the medium P, and a control unit 500.

[0011] The liquid container 310 stores a plurality of types of ink to be ejected from the liquid ejection head 100. As the liquid container 310, for example, a bag-shaped liquid pack formed of a flexible film, a cartridge that is detachable from the liquid ejection device 300, an ink tank, or the like is used.

[0012] The control unit 500 is configured by a computer equipped with one or more processors, a main storage device, and an input / output interface for inputting and outputting signals from and to the outside. The control unit 500 controls each mechanism provided in the liquid ejection device 300 in accordance with the print data, thereby ejecting ink from the liquid ejection head 100 onto the medium P and printing an image on the medium P. In other words, the control unit 500 controls the ejection operation of the liquid ejection head 100 to eject liquid.

[0013] The head moving mechanism 320 includes a drive belt 321 and a carriage 322 that is fixed to the drive belt 321 and houses the liquid ejection head 100. The head moving mechanism 320 transmits a driving force from a motor or the like (not shown) to the carriage 322 via the drive belt 321, and moves the carriage 322 back and forth along the main scanning direction together with the liquid ejection head 100. In this embodiment, the main scanning direction is a direction along the X direction.

[0014] The liquid ejection head 100 includes a nozzle 21 that ejects liquid. The liquid ejection head 100 ejects ink supplied from a liquid container 310 in the form of droplets through the nozzle 21 onto a medium P that is transported by a transport mechanism 330 along a sub-scanning direction intersecting the main scanning direction while being reciprocated in the main scanning direction by a head moving mechanism 320. The sub-scanning direction is a direction along the Y direction of the main scanning direction and is perpendicular to the main scanning direction. In other embodiments, the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction do not have to be perpendicular to each other. Note that the dashed arrows in FIG. 1 diagrammatically represent the movement of ink between the liquid container 310 and the liquid ejection head 100. In addition, the liquid ejection device 300 of this embodiment is a serial printer in which the liquid ejection head 100 is transported in the Y direction, but in other embodiments, the liquid ejection device 300 may be a line printer in which the liquid ejection head 100 is fixed and the nozzles 21 are arranged across the entire width of the medium P. The number of liquid ejection heads 100 provided in the liquid ejection device 300 may be one, or may be two or more.

[0015] Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the liquid ejection head 100. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid ejection head 100 taken along line III-III in Fig. 2. The liquid ejection head 100 includes a head main body 11, a case member 40, and a wiring board 120.

[0016] As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the case member 40 is fixed to the head main body 11 in the +Z direction to form the upper surface of the liquid ejection head 100. The case member 40 is provided with a liquid chamber 42, a connection port 43, and two liquid circulation ports 44. The liquid chamber 42 is a portion through which the liquid flows and forms a common liquid chamber 25 described later. The connection port 43 is a portion through which the wiring board 120 is inserted, and is a through hole penetrating the case member 40 in the Z direction. The liquid circulation port 44 is an opening that functions as an inlet for introducing the liquid supplied from the liquid container 310 to the liquid ejection head 100 into the liquid ejection head 100. The case member 40 is formed of a material such as resin or metal.

[0017] The head body 11 is formed by laminating a nozzle substrate 20, a communication plate 15, a first substrate 10, and a vibration section 30 in this order. As shown in Fig. 3, the head body 11 and the case member 40 are configured to be plane symmetrical with respect to a central plane O. The head body 11 and the case member 40 have the same configuration in the +Y direction and the -Y direction with respect to the central plane O.

[0018] The nozzle substrate 20 is formed with nozzles 21 penetrating the nozzle substrate 20 in the Z direction. As described above, the liquid ejection head 100 ejects liquid through the nozzles 21. As shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle substrate 20 has a nozzle row formed by arranging a plurality of nozzles 21 along the X direction. In this embodiment, two nozzle rows are formed for one nozzle substrate 20. The nozzle substrate 20 is formed of, for example, a metal such as stainless steel, an organic material such as polyimide resin, a silicon single crystal substrate, or the like.

[0019] The first substrate 10 is fixed onto the communication plate 15 by an adhesive or the like. As shown in Fig. 3, a pressure chamber 12 and an absorption chamber 13 are formed in the first substrate 10. The pressure chamber 12 and the absorption chamber 13 together form a part of a liquid flow path.

[0020] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of the pressure chamber 12 and the absorption chamber 13 in Fig. 3. In Fig. 4, the position where the nozzle 21 overlaps with the pressure chamber 12 when viewed along the Z direction is indicated by a dashed line. In Fig. 4, the position where the actuator 150 overlaps with the pressure chamber 12 when viewed along the Z direction is indicated by a dashed line, and the position where the absorbing member 200 described below overlaps is indicated by a dashed double-dashed line. Note that in Fig. 4, the actuator 150 and the absorbing member 200 are shown separated from each other for convenience of illustration, but in reality, the actuator 150 and the absorbing member 200 of this embodiment are arranged so as to be continuous in the Y direction.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the pressure chamber 12 of this embodiment extends along a second direction intersecting with the first direction. The first direction is a direction from the pressure chamber 12 toward the nozzle 21, and in this embodiment, it is a direction along the Z axis. The first direction is a direction in which the direction from the pressure chamber 12 toward the nozzle 21 is the forward direction, and the direction from the nozzle 21 toward the pressure chamber 12 is the reverse direction. Therefore, for example, when the "first direction and forward direction side" of the pressure chamber 12 or the absorption chamber 13 is mentioned, it refers to the -Z direction side of the pressure chamber 12 or the absorption chamber 13, and when the "first direction and reverse direction side" of the pressure chamber 12 or the absorption chamber 13 is mentioned, it refers to the +Z direction side of the pressure chamber 12 or the absorption chamber 13. The second direction includes both a direction on one side along the same axis and a direction opposite thereto, and in this embodiment, it is a direction along the Y axis. In addition, in this embodiment, the multiple pressure chambers 12 are individually arranged along the third direction corresponding to the multiple nozzles 21. The third direction is a direction in which the nozzles 21 are arranged, and is a direction intersecting the first and second directions. The third direction includes both a direction on one side along the same axis and an opposite direction thereto, and is a direction along the X direction in this embodiment. The absorption chamber 13 in this embodiment is provided in common to the nozzles 21.

[0022] The pressure chamber 12 and the absorption chamber 13 are provided at the same position in the Z direction and adjacent to each other in the Y direction. In this embodiment, a support portion 14 that is formed as a part of the first substrate 10 and separates the pressure chamber 12 from the absorption chamber 13 is provided between the pressure chamber 12 and the absorption chamber 13. As shown in Fig. 3, the pressure chamber 12 and the absorption chamber 13 communicate with each other in the Y direction via a communication passage Cm1 provided in a lower portion of the support portion 14.

[0023] The first substrate 10 of this embodiment is formed of a silicon single crystal substrate. In other embodiments, the first substrate 10 may be formed of, for example, metals such as stainless steel (SUS) or nickel (Ni), ceramic materials such as zirconia (ZrO2) or alumina (Al2O3), glass ceramic materials, oxides such as magnesium oxide (MgO) or lanthanum aluminate (LaAlO3), or the like. In this embodiment, the pressure chambers 12 and the absorption chambers 13 are formed by processing the first substrate 10 by, for example, anisotropic etching. The functions of the pressure chambers 12 and the absorption chambers 13 will be described in detail later.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the communication plate 15 is disposed between the nozzle substrate 20 and the first substrate 10, and is fixed on the nozzle substrate 20 by adhesive or the like. The communication plate 15 is formed, for example, by a silicon single crystal substrate. The communication plate 15 is formed with a first communication flow path 16, a first common liquid chamber 17, a second common liquid chamber 18, and a second communication flow path 19. The first common liquid chamber 17 is formed penetrating the communication plate 15 in the Z direction. The second common liquid chamber 18 is formed as a recessed portion of the lower surface of the communication plate 15 without penetrating the communication plate 15 in the Z direction. The first common liquid chamber 17 and the second common liquid chamber 18, together with a liquid chamber portion 42 formed in the case member 40, form a common liquid chamber portion 25. The common liquid chamber portion 25 constitutes a part of the liquid flow path, and commonly stores the liquid supplied to the multiple nozzles 21.

[0025] The first communication flow path 16 is a flow path that communicates the pressure chamber 12 and the nozzle 21. The second communication flow path 19 is a flow path that communicates the absorption chamber 13 and the common liquid chamber portion 25. The first communication flow path 16 communicates with the inner wall Iw1 of the pressure chamber 12 on the forward side in the first direction, and the second communication flow path 19 communicates with the inner wall Iw2 of the absorption chamber 13 on the forward side in the first direction. That is, the first communication flow path 16 communicates with the pressure chamber 12 from below, and the second communication flow path 19 communicates with the absorption chamber 13 from below. By communicating the pressure chamber 12 and the nozzle 21 through the first communication flow path 16, the distance between them is larger than when the pressure chamber 12 and the nozzle 21 are directly connected to each other, so that the ink in the pressure chamber 12 is prevented from being affected by the evaporation of moisture in the ink near the nozzle 21. Furthermore, by providing the communicating plate 15 between the nozzle substrate 20 and the first substrate 10 and the case member 40, it is easier to ensure the flatness of the nozzle substrate 20 and it is possible to stabilize the quality of the liquid ejected from the nozzle 21, compared to a case in which the nozzle substrate 20 is provided so as to be in contact with the first substrate 10 or the case member 40.

[0026] The vibration section 30 is provided on the first substrate 10. As shown in Fig. 3, the vibration section 30 has a second substrate 31 laminated on the first substrate 10, an actuator 150, and an absorbing member 200.

[0027] Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the vibration section 30 in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 5, the actuator 150 of the vibration section 30 is provided on a first side of the pressure chamber 12, i.e., above the pressure chamber 12. The actuator 150 has a vibration plate 155 and a piezoelectric element 160.

[0028] The diaphragm 155 is laminated on the first substrate 10, and the piezoelectric element 160 is laminated on the diaphragm 155. The diaphragm 155 of this embodiment has a flexible layer 156 formed on the first substrate 10, and a protective layer 157 formed on the flexible layer 156. The flexible layer 156 is made of, for example, silicon dioxide, and the protective layer 157 is made of, for example, zirconium oxide.

[0029] The piezoelectric element 160 has a first electrode 165, a second electrode 170, a piezoelectric body 175, and a wiring portion 180. The second electrode 170 is provided closer to the pressure chamber 12 than the first electrode 165 in the Z direction. The piezoelectric body 175 is provided between the first electrode 165 and the second electrode 170. In this embodiment, the second electrode 170 is provided on the protective layer 157 of the vibration plate 155. That is, the second electrode 170 is provided below the piezoelectric body 175, and may be called a lower electrode. The second electrode 170 of this embodiment is provided individually along the Y direction corresponding to the multiple nozzles 21, and may be called an individual electrode. The first electrode 165 is provided on the piezoelectric body 175 provided on the second electrode 170, and may be called an upper electrode. The first electrode 165 of this embodiment is provided in common across the X direction and the Y direction corresponding to the multiple nozzles 21, and may be called a common electrode.

[0030] The wiring portion 180 is electrically connected to the first electrode 165 or the second electrode 170. In this embodiment, the second electrode 170 is electrically connected to the wiring portion 180, and is electrically connected to a drive circuit 121 of the wiring board 120, which will be described later, via the wiring portion 180.

[0031] The piezoelectric body 175 of this embodiment is formed of lead zirconate titanate (PZT). Instead of PZT, the piezoelectric body 175 may be formed of other types of ceramic materials having a so-called perovskite structure represented by the ABO3 type, such as barium titanate, lead titanate, potassium niobate, lithium niobate, lithium tantalate, sodium tungstate, zinc oxide, barium strontium titanate (BST), strontium bismuth tantalate (SBT), lead metaniobate, lead zinc niobate, lead scandium niobate, etc. The piezoelectric body 175 is not limited to ceramic materials, and may be formed of any material having a piezoelectric effect, such as polyvinylidene fluoride and quartz crystal.

[0032] The first electrode 165 and the second electrode 170 of this embodiment are made of platinum. The first electrode 165 and the second electrode 170 may be made of, for example, various metals such as platinum, iridium, titanium, tungsten, and tantalum, or conductive metal oxides such as lanthanum nickel oxide (LaNiO3). The wiring section 180 of this embodiment is made of gold. The wiring section 180 may be made of, for example, other conductive materials.

[0033] The absorbing member 200 is provided on the first side of the absorption chamber 13, i.e., above the absorption chamber 13. The absorbing member 200 is a member constituted by at least a part of the members constituting the actuator 150. The absorbing member 200 of this embodiment is constituted by a vibration plate member 205 which is a member constituting the vibration plate 155, a first electrode member 215 which is a member constituting the first electrode 165, and a piezoelectric member 225 which is a member constituting the piezoelectric body 175. The vibration plate member 205 has a flexible layer member 206 which is a member constituting the flexible layer 156, and a protective layer member 207 which is a member constituting the protective layer 157.

[0034] In this embodiment, the absorbing member 200 is formed integrally with the actuator 150. Specifically, the vibration plate 155 and the vibration plate member 205 are formed integrally, the first electrode 165 and the first electrode member 215 are formed integrally, and the piezoelectric body 175 and the piezoelectric body member 225 are formed integrally.

[0035] The second substrate 31 is a member provided with a recess 33, and is laminated on the first substrate 10 in the Z direction. The recess 33 is generally open to the pressure chamber 12 and the absorption chamber 13 on the first side of the pressure chamber 12 and the absorption chamber 13. Specifically, the second substrate 31 of this embodiment is provided with a first recess 34 and a second recess 35 aligned with the first recess 34 along the Y direction as the recess 33. The first recess 34 opens to face the pressure chamber 12, and the second recess 35 opens to face the absorption chamber 13. The first recess 34 and the second recess 35 are separated by a wall 36 formed as a part of the second substrate 31. In this embodiment, the depth of the opening of the first recess 34 is equal to the depth of the opening of the second recess 35. That is, the dimension of the first recess 34 in the Z direction is equal to the dimension of the second recess 35 in the Z direction. Moreover, the recess 33 does not communicate with a liquid flow path, and liquid does not flow through the recess 33. In other words, liquid does not flow between the first recess 34 and the second recess 35.

[0036] The second recess 35 of this embodiment communicates with the outside. Specifically, the second recess 35 communicates with the atmosphere via an atmosphere communication hole 38 provided in the second substrate 31 at a position overlapping with an end of the second recess 35 in the X direction. This allows the pressure inside the second recess 35 to be kept at atmospheric pressure.

[0037] Specifically, the second substrate 31 is stacked on the first substrate 10 so as to sandwich the Y-direction ends of the actuator 150 and the absorbing member 200 between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 31. By stacking the second substrate 31 on the first substrate 10, the actuator 150 is disposed in the first recess 34, and the absorbing member 200 is disposed in the second recess 35.

[0038] The second substrate 31 of the present embodiment is formed of a silicon single crystal substrate, similar to the first substrate 10. In other embodiments, the second substrate 31 may be formed of, for example, a metal such as stainless steel (SUS) or nickel (Ni), a ceramic material typified by zirconia (ZrO2) or alumina (Al2O3), a glass ceramic material, or an oxide such as magnesium oxide (MgO) or lanthanum aluminate (LaAlO3).

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a through hole 39 is provided in the center of the second substrate 31 in the Y direction in this embodiment, penetrating the second substrate 31 in the Z direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the wiring substrate 120 is inserted into the connection port 43 of the case member 40 and is inserted into the through hole 39. The wiring substrate 120 is provided with the above-mentioned drive circuit 121. The drive circuit 121 is a circuit for driving the actuator 150, and is electrically connected to the first electrode 165 via the wiring substrate 120 and electrical wiring (not shown) and is electrically connected to the second electrode 170 via the wiring substrate 120 and the wiring section 180 of the actuator 150. The drive circuit 121 is also electrically connected to the control section 500 via the wiring substrate 120 and electrical wiring (not shown).

[0040] The pressure chamber 12 applies pressure to the liquid in the pressure chamber 12 by the vibration of the vibration plate 155. The vibration plate 155 vibrates by driving the piezoelectric element 160. Specifically, a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric body 175 via the first electrode 165, the second electrode 170, and the wiring part 180, so that a piezoelectric strain is generated in an active part of the piezoelectric body 175, which is a part sandwiched between the first electrode 165 and the second electrode 170 in the Z direction. The piezoelectric element 160 applies pressure to the liquid in the pressure chamber 12 by vibrating the vibration plate 155 so as to bend due to this piezoelectric strain, thereby changing the volume of the pressure chamber 12. Note that the above-mentioned piezoelectric strain is not generated in a non-active part of the piezoelectric body 175, which is a part not sandwiched between the first electrode 165 and the second electrode 170 in the Z direction, even when a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric body 175.

[0041] As described above, the liquid ejection head 100 ejects liquid from the nozzle 21 by applying pressure to the liquid in the pressure chamber 12. Here, when pressure is applied to the liquid in the pressure chamber 12, a part of the liquid in the pressure chamber 12 flows into a liquid chamber or the like that is common to the multiple pressure chambers 12 and is located upstream of the pressure chamber 12, and vibrations of the liquid are propagated from the pressure chamber 12 to the liquid chamber or the like. Here, when pressure is applied to the liquid in the multiple pressure chambers 12, the liquid flowing from a certain pressure chamber 12 to the liquid chamber or the like is affected, for example, by the liquid flowing from another pressure chamber 12 to the liquid chamber or the like, such as being obstructed in flow. Therefore, the mode of propagation of vibrations of the liquid from a certain pressure chamber 12 changes due to the influence of the propagation of vibrations of the liquid from another pressure chamber 12, and the stability of the quality of the liquid ejected from the nozzle 21 via a certain pressure chamber 12 may decrease.

[0042] The above-mentioned absorption chamber 13 absorbs the vibration of the liquid propagated from the pressure chamber 12. Specifically, the absorption member 200 provided on the first side of the absorption chamber 13 is bent in response to the vibration of the liquid propagated from the pressure chamber 12 to the absorption chamber 13, thereby absorbing the vibration of the liquid. As shown in FIG. 5, the pressure chamber 12 and the absorption chamber 13 are provided at the same position in the Z direction and adjacent to each other in the Y direction, so that the absorption chamber 13 can effectively absorb the vibration of the liquid propagated from the pressure chamber 12. It is preferable to form the absorption member 200 so that it has flexibility suitable for absorbing the vibration of the liquid propagated from the pressure chamber 12 by adjusting the material forming the absorption member 200 and the thickness of the absorption member 200. In addition, in order to effectively absorb the vibration of the liquid, when the absorption member 200 includes a member constituting the piezoelectric element 160 as in this embodiment, it is preferable that the absorption member 200 is configured so as not to generate piezoelectric distortion when a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric body 175.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the length L1 of the pressure chamber 12 in the Y direction is longer than the length L2 of the absorption chamber 13 in the Y direction. This allows the volume of the pressure chamber 12 to be larger than when the length L1 is shorter than the length L2 or when the length L1 and the length L2 are equal. In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the pressure chambers 12 are provided individually corresponding to the multiple nozzles 21, and the absorption chambers 13 are provided in common corresponding to the multiple nozzles 21. Therefore, the length W1 in the X direction of the actuator 150 corresponding to one pressure chamber 12 is shorter than the length W2 in the X direction of the absorption member 200 corresponding to one absorption chamber 13. This makes it easier to ensure the flexibility of the absorption member 200 compared to when the length W1 is longer than the length W2 or when the length W1 and the length W2 are equal. For convenience of illustration, the length W2 is omitted in FIG. 4.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4, the absorption chamber 13 of this embodiment is provided with a plurality of beams Bm that contact the absorption member 200 from below. The beams Bm are formed as part of the first substrate 10 and are arranged at regular intervals in the X direction. The beams Bm of this embodiment are formed as a set of two protrusions that protrude in the Y direction from both sides of the absorption chamber 13 in the Y direction toward the center of the absorption chamber 13 in the Y direction, and a gap is provided between the protrusions. As a result, the beams Bm are formed so as to ensure the strength of the absorption member 200 and not to impair the flexibility of the absorption member 200. Note that, for convenience of illustration, only one set of beams Bm is shown in FIG. 4. In other embodiments, the beams Bm may have other shapes, and for example, one set of beams Bm may be formed in the shape of a single beam so as to cross the absorption chamber 13 in the Y direction. Also, the beams Bm may not be provided. The presence or absence, shape, size, arrangement period, etc. of the beams Bm are preferably determined so that the absorbing member 200 has flexibility suitable for absorbing the vibrations of the liquid propagated from the pressure chambers 12.

[0045] The actuator 150 and the absorbing member 200 of this embodiment can be produced using a known method, such as etching using masking with a photoresist. For example, when forming each member constituting the actuator 150, each member constituting the absorbing member 200 can be formed using the same method as that for forming each member constituting the actuator 150.

[0046] According to the liquid ejection head 100 of the first embodiment described above, the actuator 150 is provided on the opposite side of the pressure chamber 12 in the first direction, and the absorbing member 200 made of at least some of the members constituting the actuator 150 is provided on the opposite side of the absorption chamber 13, which is provided at the same position in the Z direction as the pressure chamber 12 and adjacent to the pressure chamber 12 in the Y direction. This allows the absorbing member 200 and the actuator 150 to be made of the same material, thereby reducing the number of types of materials used to form the components of the liquid ejection head 100. Therefore, the absorbing member 200 can be easily manufactured using the members constituting the actuator 150, and the vibration of the liquid can be effectively absorbed by the absorbing member 200 in the absorption chamber 13. In addition, by manufacturing the members constituting the absorbing member 200 and the members constituting the actuator 150 by the same manufacturing method, the manufacturing process of the liquid ejection head 100 can be further simplified. Furthermore, by integrally forming the absorbing member 200 and the actuator 150, the manufacturing process of the liquid ejection head 100 can be further simplified.

[0047] In this embodiment, the second substrate 31 laminated on the first substrate 10 has a recess 33 that opens to face the pressure chamber 12 and the absorption chamber 13 on the side opposite to the first direction of the pressure chamber 12 and the absorption chamber 13. Therefore, the actuator 150 and the absorbing member 200 are protected by the recess 33.

[0048] Moreover, in this embodiment, the recess 33 has a first recess 34 that opens opposite the pressure chamber 12, and a second recess 35 that is aligned with the first recess 34 along the second direction and opens opposite the absorption chamber 13. Therefore, the actuator 150 is protected by the first recess 34, the absorbing member 200 is protected by the second recess 35, and the strength of the second substrate 31 is improved compared to when the recess 33 is formed by only one recess.

[0049] Moreover, the second recess 35 communicates with the outside. Therefore, the pressure inside the second recess 35 is kept at atmospheric pressure with a simple structure.

[0050] In this embodiment, the pressure chambers 12 are provided individually corresponding to the multiple nozzles 21, and the absorption chamber 13 is provided commonly corresponding to the multiple nozzles 21. Therefore, pressure can be applied to the liquid individually in the pressure chambers 12 corresponding to the nozzles 21. Also, vibrations of the liquid propagated from the pressure chambers 12 can be absorbed in the common absorption chamber 13 corresponding to the multiple nozzles 21.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the length W1 in the X direction of the actuator 150 corresponding to one pressure chamber 12 is shorter than the length W2 in the X direction of the absorbing member 200 corresponding to one absorption chamber 13. This makes it easier to ensure the flexibility of the absorbing member 200 compared to a case where the length W1 is longer than the length W2 or where the length W1 and the length W2 are equal. Therefore, the absorbing member 200 effectively absorbs vibrations of the liquid propagated from the pressure chamber 12 to the absorption chamber 13.

[0052] In this embodiment, the length L1 of the pressure chamber 12 in the Y direction is longer than the length L2 of the absorption chamber 13 in the Y direction. This makes it possible to increase the volume of the pressure chamber 12 compared to when the length L1 is shorter than the length L2 or when the lengths L1 and L2 are equal. This makes it possible to effectively apply pressure to the liquid in the pressure chamber 12.

[0053] In addition, since the absorbing member 200 of this embodiment is composed of the vibration plate member 205, the first electrode member 215, and the piezoelectric member 225, the durability of the absorbing member 200 is improved, for example, compared to a case where the absorbing member 200 is composed of only the vibration plate member 205. In other embodiments, the absorbing member 200 may be composed of at least a part of the members constituting the actuator 150, and may have a configuration different from that of this embodiment. For example, the absorbing member 200 may be composed of only the vibration plate member 205, or may include a member constituting the second electrode 170, etc.

[0054] In addition, since the absorbing member 200 of the present embodiment is made of at least a part of the material constituting the actuator 150 and does not include a resin film, even if, for example, an organic solvent-based ink or the like is used as the liquid, corrosion of the material contained in the absorbing member 200 is suppressed, improving the ink resistance of the absorbing member 200. Furthermore, since the absorbing member 200 does not include a resin film and does not require an adhesive to fix the absorbing member 200, elution of the adhesive is suppressed.

[0055] B. Second embodiment: 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a vibration section 30b of a liquid ejection head 100b of the second embodiment. Unlike the first embodiment, an absorbing member 200b of the vibration section 30b of this embodiment is composed of a wiring member 230 which is a member constituting the wiring section 180 of the actuator 150. Note that, among the configurations of a liquid ejection device 300 and a liquid ejection head 100b of the second embodiment, parts that are not particularly described are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[0056] The absorbing member 200b of this embodiment is the wiring member 230. The wiring member 180 of this embodiment is made of gold, as in the first embodiment, and the wiring member 230 is also made of gold. In this embodiment, the wiring member 180 and the wiring member 230 are not integrally formed. In addition, the wiring member 230 is not electrically connected to the drive circuit 121. Therefore, even if a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric body 175, no current flows through the wiring member 230. Note that in other embodiments, the wiring member 180 and the wiring member 230 may be integrally formed, and the wiring member 230 may be electrically connected to the drive circuit 121.

[0057] In this embodiment, since the absorbing member 200b can be formed by the member constituting the wiring portion 180, the number of types of materials for forming the components constituting the liquid ejection head 100 can be reduced, and the manufacturing process of the liquid ejection head 100 can be simplified, as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, since the wiring portion 180 contains gold, the conductivity of the wiring portion 180 is increased, and the flexibility of the wiring portion 180 is increased, thereby improving the durability of the wiring portion 180. Furthermore, since the wiring portion member 230 contains gold like the wiring portion 180, the flexibility of the absorbing member 200b is increased, and the durability of the absorbing member 200b is improved. Note that the absorbing member 200b of this embodiment can be formed, for example, by forming the wiring portion member 230 on the first substrate 10 by sputtering and etching when forming the wiring portion 180 on the first substrate 10 by sputtering and etching.

[0058] The liquid ejection head 100b of the second embodiment described above also makes it possible to easily manufacture the absorbing member 200b using the material constituting the actuator 150, and the absorbing member 200b can effectively absorb vibrations of the liquid in the absorption chamber 13. In particular, in this embodiment, the absorbing member 200b can be formed from the material constituting the wiring portion 180.

[0059] Moreover, in this embodiment, the wiring portion 180 contains at least gold. Therefore, the conductivity of the wiring portion 180 is increased, and the flexibility of the wiring portion 180 is increased, thereby improving the durability of the wiring portion 180. Moreover, the wiring portion member 230 contains gold like the wiring portion 180, so that the flexibility of the absorbing member 200b is increased, and the durability of the absorbing member 200b is improved.

[0060] In other embodiments, the absorbing member 200b may be composed of, for example, the wiring member 230 and a member other than the wiring member 180 that constitutes the actuator 150. For example, the absorbing member 200b may be composed of the diaphragm member 205 and the wiring member 230.

[0061] C. Third embodiment: 7 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid ejection head 100c in the third embodiment. In this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, a plurality of pressure chambers 12 are provided corresponding to one nozzle 21. Note that, among the configurations of a liquid ejection device 300 and a liquid ejection head 100c in the third embodiment, parts that are not particularly described are similar to those in the first embodiment.

[0062] Unlike the first embodiment, a single nozzle row is formed on the nozzle substrate 20b of this embodiment. Specifically, a plurality of nozzles 21 are arranged along the X direction in the center of the nozzle substrate 20b in the Y direction.

[0063] Unlike the first embodiment, the first communication flow path 16c formed in the communication plate 15c of this embodiment is formed so as to communicate two pressure chambers 12 located at the same position in the X direction with one nozzle 21. In this manner, in this embodiment, one nozzle 21 corresponds to two pressure chambers 12.

[0064] Unlike the first embodiment, the two liquid circulation ports 44c provided in the case member 40c of this embodiment function as a liquid inlet 44A for introducing liquid into the liquid ejection head 100, and the other functions as a liquid outlet 44B for recovering liquid from the liquid ejection head 100 to the liquid container 310. Specifically, the liquid circulation port 44c in the +Y direction across the central plane O functions as the liquid inlet 44A, and the liquid circulation port 44 in the -Y direction across the central plane O functions as the liquid outlet 44B. Therefore, the liquid ejection head 100c of this embodiment can circulate liquid between the liquid container 310 and the liquid ejection head 100c by flowing the liquid from the liquid inlet 44A toward the liquid outlet 44B, as shown by the arrows in FIG.

[0065] In this embodiment, of the two pressure chambers 12, the pressure chamber 12B provided in the -Y direction with respect to the central plane O not only functions as a flow path for recovering liquid from the liquid ejection head 100c, but also applies pressure to the liquid in the pressure chamber 12B by the actuator 150, and sends the liquid to the nozzle 21. This makes it possible to increase the amount of liquid ejected from the nozzle 21, compared to the case where pressure is applied to the liquid only in the pressure chamber 12A provided in the +Y direction with respect to the central plane O.

[0066] In the present embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, an absorption chamber 13 and an absorption member 200 constituted by at least some of the components constituting the actuator 150 are provided, so that the vibrations of the liquid transmitted from the pressure chamber 12 in the absorption chamber 13 can be effectively absorbed by the absorption member 200.

[0067] With the liquid ejection head 100c of the third embodiment described above, the absorbing member 200 can also be easily manufactured using the members constituting the actuator 150, and the absorbing member 200 can effectively absorb vibrations of the liquid in the absorption chamber 13. In particular, in this embodiment, even when a plurality of pressure chambers 12 are provided corresponding to one nozzle 21, the absorbing member 200 can be easily manufactured, and the absorbing member 200 can effectively absorb vibrations of the liquid in the absorption chamber 13.

[0068] In other embodiments, when a plurality of pressure chambers 12 are provided corresponding to one nozzle 21 as in the third embodiment, the liquid ejection head 100 may not be configured to be capable of circulating the liquid. In this case, for example, the liquid ejection head 100 may be configured to eject the liquid introduced from two liquid circulation ports 44 from one nozzle 21. Even in this case, the amount of liquid ejected from the nozzle 21 can be increased compared to the case where the liquid introduced from one liquid circulation port 44 is ejected from one nozzle 21. In addition, the absorbing member 200 can be easily manufactured, and the vibration of the liquid can be effectively absorbed by the absorbing member 200 in the absorption chamber 13.

[0069] D. Fourth embodiment: 8 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid ejection head 100d in the fourth embodiment. Unlike the first embodiment, the liquid ejection head 100d in this embodiment does not include a communication plate 15, and does not include a first communication flow path 16 and a second communication flow path 19. Note that, among the configurations of a liquid ejection device 300 and a liquid ejection head 100d in the fourth embodiment, portions that are not particularly described are similar to those in the first embodiment.

[0070] In the first substrate 10 of this embodiment, a liquid chamber Lc1 penetrating the first substrate 10 in the Z direction and a communication passage Cm2 that connects the liquid chamber Lc1 and the absorption chamber 13 in the Y direction are formed. In addition, in the second substrate 31d of the vibration section 30d of this embodiment, a liquid chamber Lc2 penetrating the second substrate 31d in the Z direction is formed. In this embodiment, the common liquid chamber section 25d is formed by the liquid chamber section 42 of the case member 40d, the liquid chamber Lc1, the liquid chamber Lc2, and the communication passage Cm2.

[0071] The liquid ejection head 100d of the fourth embodiment described above also makes it possible to easily manufacture the absorbing member 200 using the materials constituting the actuator 150, and in the absorption chamber 13, the absorbing member 200 can effectively absorb vibrations of the liquid.

[0072] In other embodiments, the liquid ejection head 100 that does not include the communication plate 15 as in the fourth embodiment may be configured to be capable of circulating liquid as in the third embodiment.

[0073] E. Fifth embodiment: 9 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid ejection head 100e in the fifth embodiment. In this embodiment, unlike the fourth embodiment, two vibration parts 30d are provided for one nozzle substrate 20e. Note that, among the configurations of the liquid ejection device 300 and the liquid ejection head 100e in the fifth embodiment, the parts that are not particularly described are the same as those in the fourth embodiment.

[0074] In the nozzle substrate 20e of this embodiment, the nozzles 21 are arranged in the X direction, thereby forming four nozzle rows. In addition, in this embodiment, two first substrates 10d, two vibration parts 30d, and one case member 40e are provided corresponding to one nozzle substrate 20e. In the case member 40e of this embodiment, four liquid chamber parts 42d, two connection ports 43, four liquid circulation ports 44, and four communication paths Cm3 are formed. On the nozzle substrate 20e, two first substrates 10d are stacked so as to be aligned in the Y direction, and on each of the first substrates 10d, a vibration part 30d is stacked, and on the two vibration parts 30d, a case member 40e is stacked.

[0075] In this embodiment, in each vibration part 30d, the pressure chamber 12 and the absorption chamber 13 are provided at the same position in the Z direction and adjacent to each other in the Y direction. In addition, an absorption member 200 composed of at least some of the members constituting the actuator 150 is provided on the opposite side of the absorption chamber 13 in the first direction. This allows the absorption of liquid vibrations in the absorption chamber 13 without providing a mechanism for absorbing liquid vibrations in the vicinity of the nozzle substrate 20e or in the case member 40e, etc. As a result, even if a large number of nozzle rows, such as three or more rows, are provided in one nozzle substrate 20e as in this embodiment and flow paths corresponding to the large number of nozzle rows are provided in the case member 40e, etc., the vibrations of the liquid can be effectively absorbed. In addition, such nozzle substrate 20e, case member 40e, etc. can be easily manufactured, and the nozzle substrate 20e, case member 40e, etc. can be prevented from becoming large.

[0076] The liquid ejection head 100e of the fifth embodiment described above also makes it possible to easily manufacture the absorbing member 200 using the materials constituting the actuator 150, and in the absorption chamber 13, the absorbing member 200 can effectively absorb vibrations of the liquid.

[0077] F. Sixth embodiment: 10 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid ejection head 100f in the sixth embodiment. In this embodiment, unlike the fifth embodiment, a communication plate 15f is provided between the nozzle substrate 20e and the first substrate 10d. Note that, among the configurations of a liquid ejection device 300 and a liquid ejection head 100f in the sixth embodiment, parts that are not particularly described are similar to those in the fifth embodiment.

[0078] Unlike the first embodiment, the communication plate 15f of this embodiment does not have the second communication flow path 19 that communicates the absorption chamber 13 and the common liquid chamber portion 25d, but has four rows of first communication flow paths 16 that communicate the pressure chamber 12 and the nozzles 21 corresponding to the four nozzle rows. By providing the communication plate 15f between the nozzle substrate 20e and the first substrate 10d, it is easy to ensure the flatness of the nozzle substrate 20e, and the quality of the liquid ejected from the nozzles 21 can be stabilized. In particular, in this embodiment, as in the fifth embodiment, four nozzle rows are formed on the nozzle substrate 20e, and by stabilizing the quality of the liquid ejected from these nozzles 21, for example, the printing quality on the medium P can be more effectively improved.

[0079] The liquid ejection head 100f of the sixth embodiment described above also makes it possible to easily manufacture the absorbing member 200 using the materials constituting the actuator 150, and in the absorption chamber 13, the absorbing member 200 can effectively absorb vibrations of the liquid.

[0080] In other embodiments, a liquid ejection head 100 in which multiple vibration sections 30 are provided for one nozzle substrate 20, as in the fifth and sixth embodiments, may be configured to be capable of circulating liquid, as in the third embodiment.

[0081] G. Seventh embodiment: 11 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid ejection head 100g in the seventh embodiment. In this embodiment, unlike the sixth embodiment, only one absorption chamber 13 is provided in one vibration part 30g. Note that, among the configurations of the liquid ejection device 300 and the liquid ejection head 100g in the seventh embodiment, the parts that are not particularly described are similar to those in the sixth embodiment.

[0082] In this embodiment, in each of the two vibration parts 30g, the absorption chambers 13 are provided adjacent in the Y direction only to the pressure chambers 12 close to the central plane O in the Y direction. In other words, of the four pressure chambers 12 provided in the liquid ejection head 100g, the two absorption chambers 13 are provided adjacent only to the two inner pressure chambers 12 in the Y direction of the liquid ejection head 100g, and the absorption chambers 13 are not adjacent to the two outer pressure chambers 12 in the Y direction of the liquid ejection head 100g.

[0083] In this embodiment, two vibration absorbing mechanisms 70 are provided to absorb liquid corresponding to the pressure chambers 12 on the outer sides in the Y direction of the liquid ejection head 100g. The vibration absorbing mechanism 70 has a space portion 71 formed by penetrating the communication plate 15g in the Z direction, and an absorbing plate 75. The absorbing plate 75 has a flexible portion 76 having flexibility, and a fixed portion 77 supporting the flexible portion 76. The flexible portion 76 seals the space portion 71 from the -Z direction. The flexible portion 76 is formed as a thin film of, for example, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), aromatic polyamide, or the like, and is fixed to the communication plate 15g by, for example, an adhesive. The fixed portion 77 is formed in a thin plate shape of stainless steel or the like, and is fixed to the flexible portion 76 by, for example, an adhesive, and supports the flexible portion 76. The vibration absorbing mechanism 70 absorbs vibrations of the liquid propagated from the pressure chambers 12 in the space portion 71 by the absorbing plate 75.

[0084] The nozzle substrate 20g of this embodiment has four rows of nozzles formed thereon, similar to the nozzle substrate 20e of the fifth and sixth embodiments. The nozzle substrate 20e is formed to a size that allows the above-mentioned absorbing plates 75 to be provided at positions in the +Y and -Y directions.

[0085] When the vibration absorbing mechanism 70 is provided on the outer side in the Y direction of the liquid ejection head 100g as in this embodiment, it is easier to provide the vibration absorbing mechanism 70 than when the vibration absorbing mechanism 70 is provided on the inner side in the Y direction of the liquid ejection head 100g. Therefore, even when three or more nozzle rows are provided on one nozzle substrate 20g as in this embodiment, and flow paths corresponding to the multiple nozzle rows are provided in the case member 40g or the like, it is possible to easily manufacture such nozzle substrate 20g, case member 40g, or the like, and to prevent the nozzle substrate 20g, case member 40g, or the like from becoming large in size.

[0086] Furthermore, vibrations of the liquid propagating from the pressure chambers 12 arranged on the inside in the Y direction of the liquid ejection head 100g are absorbed by the absorbing member 200 provided on the opposite side of the absorption chamber 13 in the first direction. As in the first embodiment, the absorbing member 200 is made up of at least some of the components that make up the actuator 150, and therefore, compared to a case in which vibration absorbing mechanisms 70 are provided corresponding to all four pressure chambers 12, for example, the number of types of materials used to form the components that make up the liquid ejection head 100 can be reduced, and the manufacturing process for the liquid ejection head 100 can be simplified.

[0087] The liquid ejection head 100g of the seventh embodiment described above also makes it possible to easily manufacture the absorbing member 200 using the materials constituting the actuator 150, and in the absorption chamber 13, the absorbing member 200 can effectively absorb vibrations of the liquid.

[0088] H. Eighth embodiment The absorbing member 200 of the first embodiment is composed of a diaphragm member 205 which is a member that constitutes the diaphragm 155, a first electrode member 215 which is a member that constitutes the first electrode 165, and a piezoelectric member 225 which is a member that constitutes the piezoelectric body 175. In contrast to this, in the eighth embodiment, the absorbing member 200 is composed only of the diaphragm member 205 which is a member that constitutes the diaphragm 155. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the vibration plate 155 is formed on the first substrate 10 and includes a flexible layer 156 containing silicon, and a protective layer 157 formed on the flexible layer 156 and containing zirconium, but may further include a reinforcing layer on the protective layer 157. For example, a film made of gold may be provided as the reinforcing layer. Gold has a small Young's modulus and is easily deformed, so that the absorbing member 200 can be reinforced without significantly decreasing the amount of deformation. Furthermore, for example, a film made of titanium may be provided as the reinforcing layer. Titanium has a high tensile strength, so the strength of the absorbing member 200 can be significantly improved. Furthermore, as the reinforcing layer, a film formed of iridium, a film formed of platinum, a film formed of nickel chrome, or a film formed of epoxy resin may be provided. In addition, the reinforcing layer may be provided on both the portion of the diaphragm member 205 that corresponds to the absorbing member 200 and the portion that corresponds to the actuator 150, or it may be provided only on the portion that corresponds to the absorbing member 200. The reinforcing layer may be provided uniformly over the entire area of ​​the absorbent member 200, or may be provided only in a specific portion of the absorbent member 200. For example, the reinforcing layer may be provided so as to surround the periphery of each of the multiple absorption chambers 13. For example, the reinforcing layer may be provided so as to surround the periphery of each of the multiple absorption chambers 13 except for the nozzle side along the Y-axis direction. For example, the reinforcing layer may be provided so as to surround a portion of the periphery of the multiple absorption chambers 13 and to extend continuously over the multiple absorption chambers 13 without branching.

[0089] I. Other embodiments: (I-1) In the above embodiment, the recess 33 has the first recess 34 and the second recess 35. In contrast, the recess 33 may be formed, for example, by a single recess, in which case the actuator 150 and the absorbing member 200 may be provided within the opening of the single recess. Also, the recess 33 may be formed by three or more recesses.

[0090] (I-2) In the above embodiment, the opening depth of the first recess 34 is equal to the opening depth of the second recess 35. In contrast, the opening depth of the first recess 34 and the opening depth of the second recess 35 may be different from each other.

[0091] (I-3) In the above embodiment, the second recess 35 communicates with the outside. In contrast, the second recess 35 does not have to communicate with the outside.

[0092] (I-4) In the above embodiment, the pressure chambers 12 are provided individually corresponding to the multiple nozzles 21, and the absorption chamber 13 is provided in common to the multiple nozzles 21. In contrast, the pressure chambers 12 may be provided individually corresponding to the multiple nozzles 21, and the absorption chamber 13 may not be provided in common to the multiple nozzles 21. For example, the absorption chambers 13 may be provided individually corresponding to the multiple nozzles 21.

[0093] (I-5) In the above embodiment, the length W1 in the third direction of the actuator 150 corresponding to one pressure chamber 12 is shorter than the length W2 in the third direction of the absorbing member 200 corresponding to one absorption chamber 13. In contrast to this, the length W1 may be longer than the length W2, or the length W1 and the length W2 may be equal to each other.

[0094] (I-6) In the above embodiment, the length L1 in the second direction of the pressure chamber 12 is longer than the length L2 in the second direction of the absorption chamber 13. However, the length L1 may be shorter than the length L2, or the lengths L1 and L2 may be equal to each other.

[0095] J. Other forms: The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be realized in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the present disclosure can be realized in the following forms. The technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each form described below can be appropriately replaced or combined in order to solve some or all of the problems of the present disclosure, or to achieve some or all of the effects of the present disclosure. Furthermore, if the technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

[0096] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a liquid ejection head including a nozzle that ejects a liquid, an actuator having a piezoelectric element and a vibration plate that vibrates when driven by the piezoelectric element, a pressure chamber through which the liquid flows and applies pressure to the liquid by the vibration of the vibration plate, and an absorption chamber through which the liquid flows and absorbs vibrations of the liquid propagated from the pressure chamber. In this liquid ejection head, when a direction from the pressure chamber toward the nozzle is defined as a first direction, the pressure chamber extends in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, the pressure chamber and the absorption chamber are provided at the same position in the first direction and adjacent to each other in the second direction, the actuator is provided on the opposite side of the pressure chamber to the first direction, and an absorption member constituted by at least a part of the members that constitute the actuator is provided on the opposite side of the absorption chamber. According to this embodiment, the absorbing member can be easily manufactured using the member that constitutes the actuator, and the vibration of the liquid in the absorption chamber can be effectively absorbed by the absorbing member.

[0097] (2) In the liquid ejection head of the above aspect, the piezoelectric element may have a first electrode, a second electrode provided closer to the pressure chamber than the first electrode in the first direction, a piezoelectric body provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a wiring portion electrically connected to the first electrode or the second electrode, and the absorbing member may be a member constituting the wiring portion. According to this aspect, the absorbing member can be formed by the member constituting the wiring portion.

[0098] (3) In the liquid ejection head of the above embodiment, the wiring portion may contain at least gold. According to this embodiment, the conductivity of the wiring portion is increased, and the flexibility of the wiring portion is increased, thereby improving the durability of the wiring portion. In addition, since the absorbing member contains gold, the flexibility of the absorbing member is increased, and the durability of the absorbing member is improved.

[0099] (4) The liquid ejection head of the above aspect may further include a first substrate in which the pressure chamber and the absorption chamber are formed, and a second substrate laminated on the first substrate and provided with a recess, the recess being open to face the pressure chamber and the absorption chamber on the opposite side of the pressure chamber and the absorption chamber. According to this aspect, the actuator and the absorption member are protected by the recess.

[0100] (5) In the liquid ejection head of the above aspect, the liquid does not need to flow through the recess.

[0101] (6) In the liquid ejection head of the above aspect, the recess may have a first recess and a second recess aligned with the first recess along the second direction, the first recess opening to face the pressure chamber, and the second recess opening to face the absorption chamber. According to this aspect, the actuator is protected by the first recess, the absorbing member is protected by the second recess, and the strength of the second substrate is improved compared to when the recess is formed by only one recess.

[0102] (7) In the liquid ejection head of the above aspect, the opening depth of the first recess and the opening depth of the second recess may be equal.

[0103] (8) In the liquid ejection head of the above aspect, the actuator may be provided in the first recess, and the absorbing member may be provided in the second recess.

[0104] (9) In the liquid ejection head of the above aspect, the second recess may be in communication with the outside. According to this aspect, the pressure inside the second recess is kept at atmospheric pressure with a simple structure.

[0105] (10) The liquid ejection head of the above aspect may further include a common liquid chamber that commonly stores the liquid to be supplied to the plurality of nozzles.

[0106] (11) The liquid ejection head of the above aspect may further include a first communication flow path that communicates the pressure chamber with the nozzle, and a second communication flow path that communicates the absorption chamber with the common liquid chamber.

[0107] (12) In the liquid ejection head of the above aspect, the first communication channel may be in communication with an inner wall of the pressure chamber on a forward direction side in the first direction, and the second communication channel may be in communication with an inner wall of the absorption chamber on the forward direction side.

[0108] (13) In the liquid ejection head of the above aspect, the pressure chambers may be provided individually corresponding to the plurality of nozzles, and the absorption chamber may be provided in common to the plurality of nozzles. According to this aspect, pressure can be applied to the liquid individually in the pressure chambers corresponding to the nozzles. Also, vibrations of the liquid propagated from the pressure chambers can be absorbed in the common absorption chamber corresponding to the plurality of nozzles.

[0109] (14) In the liquid ejection head of the above aspect, the actuators are arranged along a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction, and the length in the third direction of each of the actuators corresponding to one of the pressure chambers may be shorter than the length in the third direction of each of the absorbing members corresponding to one of the absorption chambers. According to this aspect, the flexibility of the absorbing member is more easily ensured than when the length in the third direction of each of the actuators corresponding to one of the pressure chambers is longer than the length in the third direction of each of the absorbing members corresponding to one of the absorption chambers, or when the two lengths are equal. Therefore, the absorbing member effectively absorbs vibrations of the liquid propagated from the pressure chambers to the absorption chambers.

[0110] (15) In the liquid ejection head of the above aspect, the length of the pressure chamber in the second direction may be longer than the length of the absorption chamber in the second direction. According to this aspect, the volume of the pressure chamber can be made larger than when the length of the pressure chamber in the second direction is shorter than the length of the absorption chamber in the second direction or when the two lengths are equal. As a result, pressure can be effectively applied to the liquid in the pressure chamber.

[0111] (16) In the liquid ejection head of the above aspect, a plurality of the pressure chambers may be provided corresponding to one of the nozzles. According to this aspect, even when a plurality of pressure chambers are provided corresponding to one of the nozzles, the absorbing member can be easily manufactured, and the absorbing member can effectively absorb vibrations of the liquid in the absorbing chamber.

[0112] (17) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a liquid ejection device comprising: the liquid ejection head of the first aspect; and a control unit that controls an ejection operation from the liquid ejection head. According to this embodiment, the absorbing member can be easily manufactured using the member that constitutes the actuator, and the vibration of the liquid in the absorption chamber can be effectively absorbed by the absorbing member.

[0113] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described liquid ejection head and liquid ejection device, but can be realized in various forms such as a liquid ejection system and a multifunction peripheral including a liquid ejection device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 10, 10d...first substrate, 11...head body, 12, 12A, 12B...pressure chamber, 13...absorption chamber, 14...support portion, 15, 15c, 15f, 15g...communication plate, 16, 16c...first communication flow path, 17...first common liquid chamber, 18...second common liquid chamber, 19...second communication flow path, 20, 20b, 20e, 20g...nozzle substrate, 21...nozzle, 25, 25d...common liquid chamber portion, 3 0, 30b, 30d, 30g... vibration portion, 31, 31d... second substrate, 33... recess, 34... first recess, 35... second recess, 36... wall portion, 38... atmosphere communication hole, 39... through hole, 40, 40c, 40d, 40e... case member, 42, 42d... liquid chamber portion, 43... connection port, 44, 44c... liquid flow port, 44A... liquid inlet, 44B... liquid outlet, 70... vibration absorbing mechanism, 71...space portion, 75...absorption plate, 76...flexible portion, 77...fixed portion, 100, 100b, 100c, 100d, 100e, 100f, 100g...liquid ejection head, 120...wiring board, 121...driving circuit, 150...actuator, 155...vibration plate, 156...flexible layer, 157...protective layer, 160...piezoelectric element, 165...first electrode, 170...second electrode, 175... Piezoelectric body, 180...wiring section, 200, 200b...absorbing members, 205...vibration plate member, 206...flexible layer member, 207...protective layer member, 215...first electrode member, 225...piezoelectric member, 230...wiring member, 300...liquid ejection device, 310...liquid container, 320...head moving mechanism, 321...drive belt, 322...carriage, 330...conveyor mechanism, 500...control section.

Claims

1. A nozzle for discharging a liquid; an actuator having a piezoelectric element and a vibration plate that vibrates when the piezoelectric element is driven; a pressure chamber through which the liquid flows and which applies pressure to the liquid by vibration of the vibration plate; an absorption chamber through which the liquid flows and which absorbs vibrations of the liquid propagated from the pressure chamber, When a direction from the pressure chamber toward the nozzle is defined as a first direction, The pressure chamber extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the pressure chamber and the absorption chamber are provided at the same position in the first direction and adjacent to each other in the second direction, the actuator is provided on a side of the pressure chamber opposite to the first direction, An absorbing member formed of at least a part of a member constituting the actuator is provided on the reverse side of the absorbing chamber, a common liquid chamber that commonly stores the liquid to be supplied to the plurality of nozzles; a first communication flow passage that communicates the pressure chamber and the nozzle; The liquid ejection head further comprises a second communication flow passage that communicates the absorption chamber and the common liquid chamber portion.

2. The first communication flow passage communicates with an inner wall of the pressure chamber on a forward direction side in the first direction, 2. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the second communication flow passage communicates with an inner wall of the absorption chamber on the forward direction side.

3. A nozzle for ejecting a liquid; an actuator having a piezoelectric element and a vibration plate that vibrates when the piezoelectric element is driven; a pressure chamber through which the liquid flows and which applies pressure to the liquid by vibration of the vibration plate; an absorption chamber through which the liquid flows and which absorbs vibrations of the liquid propagated from the pressure chamber, When a direction from the pressure chamber toward the nozzle is defined as a first direction, The pressure chamber extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the pressure chamber and the absorption chamber are provided at the same position in the first direction and adjacent to each other in the second direction, the actuator is provided on a side of the pressure chamber opposite to the first direction, An absorbing member formed of at least a part of a member constituting the actuator is provided on the reverse side of the absorbing chamber, The nozzles are arranged along a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction, A liquid ejection head, wherein the length in the third direction of the actuator corresponding to one of the pressure chambers is shorter than the length in the third direction of the absorbing member corresponding to one of the absorption chambers.

4. A nozzle for discharging a liquid; an actuator having a piezoelectric element and a vibration plate that vibrates when the piezoelectric element is driven; a pressure chamber through which the liquid flows and which applies pressure to the liquid by vibration of the vibration plate; an absorption chamber through which the liquid flows and which absorbs vibrations of the liquid propagated from the pressure chamber, When a direction from the pressure chamber toward the nozzle is defined as a first direction, The pressure chamber extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the pressure chamber and the absorption chamber are provided at the same position in the first direction and adjacent to each other in the second direction, the actuator is provided on a side of the pressure chamber opposite to the first direction, An absorbing member formed of at least a part of a member constituting the actuator is provided on the reverse side of the absorbing chamber, A liquid ejection head, characterized in that a plurality of the pressure chambers are provided corresponding to one of the nozzles.

5. The piezoelectric element is A first electrode; a second electrode provided closer to the pressure chamber than the first electrode in the first direction; a piezoelectric body provided between the first electrode and the second electrode; a wiring portion electrically connected to the first electrode or the second electrode, 5. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the absorbing member is a member that constitutes the wiring portion.

6. 6. The liquid ejection head according to claim 5, wherein the wiring portion contains at least gold.

7. 5. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the absorbing member includes a member that constitutes the vibration plate.

8. 8. The liquid ejection head according to claim 7, wherein the member constituting the diaphragm includes a flexible layer containing silicon, and a protective layer containing zirconium formed on the flexible layer.

9. The liquid ejection head according to claim 8 , wherein the member constituting the diaphragm further includes a reinforcing layer laminated on the protective layer and containing at least one of gold, titanium, iridium, nickel chromium, platinum, and epoxy resin.

10. a first substrate in which the pressure chamber and the absorption chamber are formed; A second substrate laminated on the first substrate and having a recess, 10. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the recess is open to face the pressure chamber and the absorption chamber on the opposite side of the pressure chamber and the absorption chamber.

11. The liquid ejection head according to claim 10, wherein the liquid does not flow through the recess.

12. The recess includes a first recess and a second recess aligned with the first recess along the second direction, 12. The liquid ejection head according to claim 10, wherein the first recess is open to face the pressure chamber, and the second recess is open to face the absorption chamber.

13. 13. The liquid ejection head according to claim 12, wherein the opening depth of the first recess is equal to the opening depth of the second recess.

14. The actuator is provided in the first recess, 14. The liquid ejection head according to claim 12, wherein the absorbing member is provided in the second recess.

15. The liquid ejection head according to claim 12 , wherein the second recess communicates with the outside.

16. the pressure chambers are provided individually corresponding to the plurality of nozzles, 16. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the absorption chamber is provided in common for a plurality of the nozzles.

17. 17. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the length of the pressure chamber in the second direction is longer than the length of the absorption chamber in the second direction.

18. A liquid ejection head according to any one of claims 1 to 17, a control unit for controlling a discharge operation from the liquid discharge head.

Images