Liquid Ejection Head Alignment via Piezoelectric Pillar Elements

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing liquid ejection heads, such as inkjet heads, face challenges in accurately aligning the vibration plate with the actuator and pressure chambers, which affects the precision and efficiency of ink ejection.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a liquid ejection head design that includes a vibration plate with alignment marks and a piezoelectric member with drive elements and pillar elements, allowing for precise alignment and bonding of the actuator and vibration plate through optical detection and adjustment of alignment marks and pillar elements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional bonding methods are used to assemble the vibration plate and actuator, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the positional alignment accuracy between the vibration plate and actuator is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositional alignment accuracyVSAvoidalignment structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces alignment marks as intermediary reference elements that facilitate precise positioning between the vibration plate and actuator during assembly. These marks serve as mediators that enable accurate alignment without requiring complex mechanical alignment structures, thereby improving positional alignment accuracy while maintaining manufacturing simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex mechanical alignment systems with an optical detection system that uses alignment marks and pillar elements. This substitution allows for high-precision alignment through optical measurement rather than mechanical constraints, resolving the contradiction between alignment precision and device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If multiple piezoelectric elements are arranged in parallel to form an actuator, then the ejection capability is enhanced, but the alignment difficulty between the vibration plate and actuator increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveejection capabilityVSAvoidalignment accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the actuator into multiple parallel piezoelectric elements, each capable of independent operation for enhanced ejection capability. The segmentation is配合 with alignment marks and pillar elements that provide reference points for each element, enabling precise alignment of each piezoelectric element with its corresponding vibration plate region despite the increased number of components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The alignment marks and pillar elements serve as intermediary reference systems that facilitate the alignment of multiple piezoelectric elements with the vibration plate. These intermediaries provide a common reference framework that simplifies the alignment process even as the number of piezoelectric elements increases, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision while enhancing ejection capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 enhances the positional alignment accuracy between the vibration plate and the actuator, leading to improved driving efficiency and printing accuracy in liquid ejection heads.

Implementation Method 1

a piezoelectric member on a side of the vibration plate opposite of the pressure chambers. The piezoelectric member includes a plurality of drive elements in a first area opposed to the plurality of pressure chambers via the vibration plate and configured to selectively vibrate the vibration plate to generate pressure changes

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPiezoelectric effect: Piezoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentUS20250083440A1Liquid ejection head

Publication Date: 2025.03.13 RISO TECH CORP

AI summary

According to an embodiment, a liquid ejection head includes a vibration plate, a nozzle plate with nozzles, a plurality of pressure chambers between the vibration plate and the nozzle plate, and a piezoelectric member on a side of the vibration plate opposite of the pressure chambers. The piezoelectric member includes drive elements in a first area opposed to the pressure chambers via the vibration plate and configured to selectively vibrate the vibration plate to generate pressure changes in the pressure chambers and a plurality of pillar elements in a second area outside the first area and not opposed to the pressure chambers. The vibration plate includes at least one alignment mark at a position opposed to the second area of the piezoelectric member.