Inkjet Head Chip Intermediate Plate Nozzle Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid jet recording devices face reliability issues due to misalignment and ejection failures in the head chip, particularly when attempting to achieve high resolution and narrow pitch, leading to potential ink ejection failures and reduced reliability of the inkjet head and printer.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of an intermediate plate with inverse tapered through holes between the actuator plate and the nozzle plate in the head chip, which increases the allowable range of error in nozzle positioning, reduces the likelihood of misalignment and ejection failures, and allows for easier manufacturing and high-resolution printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the pitch between nozzles is reduced to achieve high resolution, then the printing resolution is improved, but the alignment precision requirement increases making misalignment more likely
Solution Approach 1:
A positioning protrusion is introduced as an intermediary element between the nozzle plate and actuator plate. The protrusion fits into a corresponding groove on the actuator plate, serving as a mechanical mediator that ensures precise alignment and reduces positioning errors when pitch is reduced for high resolution printing.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning protrusion and groove are designed to pre-align the nozzle plate with the actuator plate before the bonding process. This preliminary positioning action ensures that even with reduced pitch, the nozzles are correctly positioned relative to the pressure chambers, preventing misalignment during operation.
2Measurement precision
If the nozzle pitch is narrowed to improve resolution, then the image quality is enhanced, but the complexity of manufacturing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning protrusion acts as a simple mechanical intermediary that guides alignment during assembly. This straightforward mechanical feature adds minimal manufacturing complexity while effectively enabling high-resolution printing by ensuring accurate nozzle positioning even at narrow pitch.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning function is segmented from the main bonding process and embodied as a separate protrusion-groove feature. This segmentation allows the positioning mechanism to be independently manufactured and then integrated, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while achieving high precision.
3Device complexity
If conventional direct bonding is used between actuator plate and nozzle plate, then the device structure is simple, but misalignment occurs leading to ejection failures
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning protrusion is introduced as a simple intermediary feature that fits into a groove on the actuator plate. This minimal addition to the device structure provides reliable alignment between the nozzle plate and actuator plate, preventing misalignment and ensuring consistent ink ejection without significantly increasing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning protrusion and groove create a mechanical cushioning effect that compensates for potential alignment errors during assembly. This beforehand positioning mechanism ensures that even with variations in manufacturing tolerances, the nozzles remain correctly aligned with the pressure chambers, preventing ejection failures.
Data Source
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AI summary
There are provided a head chip, a liquid jet head, and a liquid jet recording device capable of enhancing the reliability. The head chip according to an embodiment of the disclosure includes a first plate having a plurality of pressure chambers adapted to apply pressure to a liquid, a second plate having a plurality of nozzle holes adapted to jet the liquid in response to application of the pressure, and a third plate disposed between the first and second plates, and provided with a plurality of through holes individually communicated with the plurality of pressure chambers and the plurality of nozzle holes, respectively. In the through hole, a second opening region opposed to the second plate is larger than a first opening region opposed to the first plate.