Elastic Common Liquid Chamber for Inkjet Head Vibration Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed liquid ejection heads with numerous ejection ports experience meniscus vibration due to high liquid flow rates, leading to defective ejection and reduced precision, and existing solutions like buffer chambers with gases face issues with gas dissolution and insufficient damping over time.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejection head design featuring a common liquid chamber with elastic walls and energy generating elements in individual liquid chambers, allowing for volume modification and enhanced buffering near the ejection ports to stabilize ink flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of ejection ports is increased to achieve high-speed recording, then productivity is improved, but meniscus vibration occurs due to high liquid flow rates causing manufacturing precision to deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a buffer chamber filled with gas (air bubbles) positioned upstream of the ejection ports. This gas cushion absorbs and dampens meniscus vibration before it reaches the ejection ports, preventing vibration-related ejection defects while allowing high liquid flow rates for high-speed recording with multiple ejection ports
Solution Approach 2:
The gas in the buffer chamber acts as an intermediary between the liquid supply and the ejection ports. It mediates the liquid flow by absorbing pressure fluctuations and dampening vibrations, thereby protecting the ejection precision while maintaining high productivity
2Manufacturing precision
If a buffer chamber with gas is used to dampen meniscus vibration, then manufacturing precision is improved, but gas dissolves in liquid over time causing reliability to deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gas from direct contact with the liquid flow path leading to the ejection ports. The buffer chamber is positioned upstream and separated from the direct ejection path, allowing gas to dampen vibrations without dissolving into the liquid that reaches the nozzles, thus maintaining both precision and reliability over time
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid supply system is segmented into a buffer chamber region and an ejection region. The buffer chamber contains gas for vibration damping, while the ejection ports receive liquid through a separated path, preventing gas dissolution issues while maintaining vibration damping benefits
3Reliability
If the buffer chamber is positioned far from the nozzle to reduce gas dissolution, then reliability is improved, but the distance reduces the effectiveness of vibration damping worsening manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates different local conditions in different regions: the buffer chamber is positioned upstream where gas can effectively dampen vibrations, while the ejection region maintains liquid purity without dissolved gas. The flow channel design ensures that vibration-damped liquid reaches the nozzles without picking up dissolved gas from the buffer chamber
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 achieves stable liquid ejection over long periods by preventing meniscus vibration and maintaining effective buffering without gas dissolution, ensuring consistent ink supply and improved printing quality.
Implementation Method 1
a part of a wall of the frame that forms the common liquid chamber is formed of an elastic member capable of deforming elastically so that a volume of the common liquid chamber can be modified
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejection head has: a frame having a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting a liquid; a common liquid chamber; a plurality of individual liquid chambers through which the common liquid chamber communicates with each of the ejection ports; and a plurality of energy generating elements disposed in respective individual liquid chambers. A part of a wall of the frame that forms the common liquid chamber is formed of an elastic member capable of deforming elastically, so that a volume of the common liquid chamber can be modified.