Liquid Ejection Head Overlapping Chamber Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in liquid ejection heads is to maintain sufficient pressure chamber and common liquid chamber volumes for effective ink ejection while minimizing the size of the ejection head, as increased volumes lead to larger devices.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a pressure chamber communicating with a nozzle and a liquid storage chamber that partially overlaps, utilizing first and second communication flow paths to allow efficient communication between the two, reducing the likelihood of air bubble retention and enabling effective ink ejection while minimizing the head's size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pressure chamber and common liquid chamber are increased in volume to apply sufficient pressure for effective ink ejection, then the ejection performance is improved, but the overall size of the liquid ejection head increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a conventional linear arrangement of chambers to a three-dimensional overlapping configuration. The common liquid chamber is positioned to partially overlap the pressure chamber when viewed from the nozzle ejection direction, allowing both chambers to maintain sufficient volumes while reducing the overall footprint of the liquid ejection head in the lateral dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested arrangement where the common liquid chamber and pressure chamber are positioned such that they partially overlap and interpenetrate in three-dimensional space. This nesting allows the common liquid chamber to be effectively embedded within or adjacent to the pressure chamber volume, maximizing space utilization and minimizing the total head size while maintaining adequate volumes for both chambers.
2Device complexity
If a single communication flow path is used between the pressure chamber and liquid storage chamber, then the device complexity is reduced, but air bubble retention becomes more likely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single communication flow path into multiple separate flow paths (first communication flow path and second communication flow path) that extend in different directions. This segmentation allows air bubbles to be directed toward specific outlets rather than becoming trapped in dead zones, improving air bubble evacuation while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication flow paths extend in the second axis direction (intersecting the pressure chamber's first axis) rather than solely along the pressure chamber's length. This three-dimensional arrangement of flow paths creates multiple evacuation routes for air bubbles, reducing retention likelihood without significantly increasing structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejection head includes: a pressure chamber communicating with a nozzle, the pressure chamber extending along a first axis; a liquid storage chamber that stores liquid which is supplied to the pressure chamber, the liquid storage chamber partially overlapping the pressure chamber when viewed in a direction of a second axis, which intersects the first axis; and a first communication flow path and a second communication flow path extending in a direction of the second axis and allowing the pressure chamber and the liquid storage chamber to communicate with each other.