Liquid Discharge Head Ink Thickening Prevention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid discharge heads face issues with liquid thickening near the discharge orifices due to volatile components evaporating, leading to changes in discharge speed and droplet landing accuracy, particularly after intermission periods, resulting in defective discharge and image quality deterioration.
Innovation Solution
The specific permittivity of the liquid is lowered to suppress stagnation of solid content near the discharge orifice perimeter, using a circulation path that maintains constant pressure and flow rates to prevent ink thickening and solidification, ensuring reliable first discharge after intermission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If liquid is circulated through a channel formed between the discharge orifice member and substrate, then liquid thickening due to evaporation is suppressed, but solid components may still solidify near discharge orifices during intermission periods causing defective discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the liquid by controlling the ratio of volatile components to non-volatile components. Specifically, it maintains volatile components at 5-50 mass% and non-volatile components at 50-95 mass%, which prevents solidification during intermission while allowing effective circulation to suppress thickening. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between composition stability and discharge reliability.
2Speed
If circulation path is implemented to prevent evaporation thickening, then discharge speed consistency is improved, but solid content stagnation near discharge orifice perimeter occurs after intermission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the liquid composition parameters to contain sufficient volatile components (5-50 mass%) that can prevent solid content stagnation. The balanced formulation with controlled non-volatile content (50-95 mass%) ensures that solid components remain suspended and do not stagnate near the discharge orifice perimeter, while maintaining consistent discharge speed through effective circulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The circulation system continuously moves liquid through the channel between the discharge orifice member and substrate, preventing solid content from stagnating near the discharge orifices even during intermission periods. This continuous circulation action, combined with optimized liquid composition, eliminates harmful solid content accumulation while maintaining discharge speed consistency.
3Manufacturing precision
If liquid contains great amount of solid content for high-quality image formation, then image quality is improved, but defective discharge occurs at first liquid discharge after intermission due to solidification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the liquid composition by controlling the ratio of volatile to non-volatile components, with non-volatile components (solid content) at 50-95 mass%. This high solid content enables high-quality image formation, while the presence of volatile components (5-50 mass%) prevents solidification during intermission periods, ensuring reliable discharge after intermission without compromising image quality.
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 approach effectively prevents defective discharge and maintains high image quality by reducing ink thickening and solidification, ensuring consistent discharge performance even after extended periods of inactivity.
Implementation Method 1
liquid discharge heads that discharge liquid such as ink or the like from discharge orifices
Implementation Method 2
volatile components in the liquid discharged from the discharge orifices evaporate, and the liquid thickens near the discharge orifices
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A liquid discharge apparatus (1000) has a liquid discharge head (3) having a recording element board (10) including discharge orifice (13) discharging liquid, pressure chambers (23) internally provided with a recording element (15) generating energy to discharge liquid, the pressure chambers (23) each communicating with the discharge orifices (13) via discharge channels, a liquid supply channel (18) supplying liquid to the pressure chamber (23), a liquid recovery channel (19) recovering liquid from the plurality of pressure chambers (23), and a tank storing liquid supplied to the liquid discharge head (3). The pressure chambers (23) communicate between the liquid supply channel (18) and the liquid recovery channel (19) so that liquid flows through the pressure chambers (23), and the specific permittivity εr of the liquid stored in the tank satisfies the relationship of εr ≤ 40.7.