Liquid Ejecting Head Reservoir Compliance Width Variation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet type recording heads face issues with uneven ink ejection properties due to incomplete absorption of pressure waves by compliance units, leading to variations in drop speed and potential bubble retention at the ends of reservoirs with narrow widths.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting head design featuring a reservoir unit with a first area and a second area of varying widths, where the compliance unit is integrated with an adhesive layer to enhance pressure wave absorption, ensuring the compliance unit's width is larger in the second area to compensate for insufficient compliance, and maintaining equal distances from the adhesive layer to prevent bubble retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the compliance unit has the same shape as the reservoir, then the structure is simple, but the width of the compliance unit is narrowed and cannot fully absorb pressure wave energy
Solution Approach 1:
The compliance unit is designed with different widths at different locations: it has a first width corresponding to the first area of the reservoir and a second width corresponding to the second area. The second width is larger than the second area's width, creating local quality variation that enhances pressure wave absorption at the ends where it is most needed.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the reservoir width is reduced at both ends, then bubble retention is prevented, but pressure wave energy absorption becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The compliance unit's width is locally increased at the second area corresponding to the narrowed ends of the reservoir. This local quality enhancement allows the compliance unit to absorb pressure wave energy effectively even where the reservoir width is reduced, preventing both bubble retention and energy loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The compliance unit is designed with asymmetric width characteristics relative to the reservoir shape. While the reservoir narrows at the ends, the compliance unit compensates by having a second width that is larger than the reservoir's second area, creating an asymmetric design that balances flow control with pressure wave absorption.
3Ease of manufacture
If the compliance unit width is reduced to match narrow reservoir, then manufacturing is easier, but ink ejection uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The compliance unit is manufactured with local quality variation: a first width at the central area and a second width at the end areas. This allows the compliance unit to be fabricated to match the reservoir's overall shape while incorporating localized width increases that ensure uniform ink ejection performance.
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 design improves ink ejection uniformity and prevents bubble retention by effectively absorbing pressure waves, resulting in enhanced print quality and consistent ink flow.
Implementation Method 1
a compliance substrate having a compliance unit that absorbs pressure change
Implementation Method 2
The compliance unit serves as a pressure change absorption function (hereinafter, referred to as compliance) to absorb energy of the pressure wave
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a liquid ejecting head including a plurality of pressure generating chambers, a first substrate having a reservoir unit, and a second substrate having a compliance unit, the second substrate being combined with one surface of the first substrate via an adhesive layer. The reservoir unit has a first area and a second area whose width in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the pressure generating chambers is smaller than a width of the first area, the compliance unit is provided to seal the reservoir unit and the surrounding of the compliance unit is fixed by the adhesive layer, and a width of the compliance unit corresponding to the second area of the reservoir unit is formed so as to be larger than the width of the second area.