Liquid Ejection Head Drive Waveform for Satellite Droplet Suppression
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejection heads face challenges in suppressing satellite droplets while maintaining high print quality and reducing power consumption, often requiring complex drive circuits that increase costs.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejection head with a simple circuit configuration that uses a drive signal with staged expansion and contraction potential differences to cancel vibrations at frequencies higher than the main acoustic resonance, employing a piezoelectric actuator with alternating piezoelectric columns and a drive circuit that switches voltage sources to generate drive waveforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a complex drive circuit with adjustable rise time or fall time is used to suppress satellite droplets, then print quality is improved, but power consumption and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the drive waveform parameters (rise time and fall time) to specific optimized values. By setting the rise time to 0.05 to 0.15 milliseconds and fall time to 0.03 to 0.10 milliseconds, the system suppresses satellite droplets without requiring complex adjustable circuits, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining high print quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic action through driven harmonic oscillation of the liquid column in the pressure chamber. By controlling the drive waveform to create specific oscillation patterns with defined rise and fall times, the system achieves satellite droplet suppression through periodic vibration control, eliminating the need for complex continuously adjustable drive circuits.
2Manufacturing precision
If a complex drive circuit with adjustable rise time or fall time is used to suppress satellite droplets, then print quality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the drive waveform parameters (rise time and fall time) to specific optimized values. By setting the rise time to 0.05 to 0.15 milliseconds and fall time to 0.03 to 0.10 milliseconds, the system suppresses satellite droplets without requiring complex adjustable circuits, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining high print quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic action through driven harmonic oscillation of the liquid column in the pressure chamber. By controlling the drive waveform to create specific oscillation patterns with defined rise and fall times, the system achieves satellite droplet suppression through periodic vibration control, eliminating the need for complex continuously adjustable drive circuits.
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
The solution effectively suppresses high-frequency vibrations, improving print quality by reducing satellite droplets and minimizing power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
The actuator is a piezoelectric member including a plurality of piezoelectric columns
Implementation Method 2
cancel the vibration of an acoustic resonance frequency in a frequency range higher than a main acoustic resonance frequency of the liquid in the pressure chamber
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a liquid ejection head includes a nozzle plate, pressure chambers, an actuator, and a drive circuit. The nozzle plate includes nozzles for ejecting liquid. The pressure chamber communicates with the nozzles. The actuator varies the volume of the pressure chamber according to a drive signal. The drive circuit generates the drive signal for driving the actuator. The ejection waveform in the drive signal includes an expansion potential difference changes that changes in stages and a contraction potential difference change that changes in stages. The drive circuit set the timing of the stages to cancel the vibration of an acoustic resonance frequency in a frequency range higher than a main acoustic resonance frequency of the liquid in the pressure chamber.