Curable Adhesive Merge Joint for Print Head Flatness
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The stringent flatness requirements in inkjet printer assemblies, particularly at the joint between the jet stack and the ink reservoir, lead to high production costs and potential system failures due to stringent tolerance requirements, which are difficult to meet with traditional assembly methods.
Innovation Solution
A merge joint assembly using a curable adhesive within channels and protrusions on the reservoir and manifold plates, facilitated by a merge fixture to ensure correct registration and flatness, eliminates the need for gaskets and reduces part tolerance requirements by allowing the plates to adjust and bond during curing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional gasket and clamp assembly methods are used to join the jet stack and ink reservoir, then the joint can be formed with standard manufacturing processes, but the flatness requirement cannot be met and part tolerances must be extremely tight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the adhesive from liquid to solid through curing, transforming the joining mechanism from mechanical (gaskets and clamps) to chemical bonding. This parameter change allows the joint to achieve required flatness without imposing stringent tolerance requirements on individual parts, as the adhesive compensates for dimensional variations during the curing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The curable adhesive acts as an intermediary substance between the jet stack and ink reservoir, replacing the traditional gasket and clamp system. This intermediary material fills gaps and accommodates tolerance variations while maintaining the required joint flatness, thereby resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and ease of manufacture.
2Manufacturing precision
If tight tolerance requirements are imposed on incoming parts to meet flatness specifications, then the joint flatness can be achieved, but production costs increase and system failure risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the joining method from mechanical assembly to chemical bonding with a curable adhesive, the system can accommodate normal tolerance ranges in incoming parts while still achieving the required joint flatness. This reduces the risk of system failure associated with tight tolerance stacking and improves overall reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional clamped assembly with gaskets is used, then the joint can be assembled with standard processes, but the assembly complexity and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the gasket and clamp components from the traditional assembly system, replacing them with a single curable adhesive. This simplifies the joint structure by removing unnecessary elements while maintaining the required sealing and bonding functions, thereby reducing assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the sealing function previously performed by gaskets with the bonding function into a single curable adhesive material. This consolidation eliminates multiple components and assembly steps, simplifying both the joint structure and the manufacturing process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution relaxes individual part tolerances, reduces waste, and maintains a sealed ink path while withstanding thermal cycling, thereby lowering production costs and enhancing the reliability of the print head assembly.
Implementation Method 1
a merge joint assembly using a curable adhesive within channels and protrusions on the reservoir and manifold plates
Implementation Method 2
A merge joint assembly using a curable adhesive within channels and protrusions on the reservoir and manifold plates, facilitated by a merge fixture to ensure correct registration and flatness, eliminates the need for gaskets and reduces part tolerance requirements by allowing the plates to adjust and bond during curing.
Data Source
AI summary
A print head has an ink reservoir to hold ink, the reservoir having protrusions, an external manifold coupled to the ink reservoir, the ink manifold having channels on a first surface that match the protrusions, and an adhesive in the channels to contact the protrusions. A method of assembling a print head includes mounting a jet stack to a flat plate of a merge fixture, dispensing adhesive on an external manifold attached to the jet stack, placing a reservoir in the merge fixture above the external manifold such that the reservoir does not contact the adhesive, attaching an upper plate to the reservoir to set a depth, pressing the reservoir into the adhesive, and curing the adhesive.