Inkjet Head Chip Partition Layout for Stable Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing head chips in inkjet printers experience misalignment issues leading to reduced deformation amounts of the actuator, decreased pressure variation in pressure chambers, and variations in ejection performance due to misalignment of actuator, flow path, and nozzle plates.
Innovation Solution
The head chip design incorporates a jet hole plate with integrated partition portions that do not overlap the drive portion, allowing for shear mode deformation and improved position accuracy between the drive portion and partition portions, reducing variations in ejection performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the actuator plate, flow path plate, and nozzle plate are stacked in sequence, then the device structure is compact, but misalignment occurs in junction positions leading to reduced deformation amount and decreased pressure variation
Solution Approach 1:
The partition portion is integrated into the actuator plate as a single piece rather than being a separate component. This merging eliminates the junction between the actuator plate and flow path plate, thereby eliminating misalignment issues at the junction position while maintaining the compact stacked structure.
2Ease of manufacture
If the partition portion is formed as a separate member from the actuator plate, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but position accuracy between drive portion and partition portion deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The partition portion is formed integrally with the actuator plate in one piece. This integration ensures high position accuracy between the drive portion and partition portion by eliminating relative displacement that would occur between separate components, while the manufacturing process remains feasible through integrated fabrication.
3Device complexity
If the jet hole plate is positioned close to the actuator plate, then the device size is reduced, but the jet hole plate interferes with the deformation of the drive portion
Solution Approach 1:
The partition portion is extracted from the flow path plate and integrated into the actuator plate. This extraction eliminates the interference between the jet hole plate and the drive portion deformation, as the partition portion no longer exists as a separate structure that could constrain the actuator plate's movement, while maintaining compact device dimensions.
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 ensures consistent deformation of the actuator plate, enhances pressure generation in pressure chambers, and improves ejection performance reliability by minimizing interference from the jet hole plate and supporting the actuator plate with a support plate.
Implementation Method 1
an electric field is generated in an actuator plate formed of a piezoelectric material to deform the actuator plate to thereby generate a pressure variation in a pressure chamber
Implementation Method 2
the drive portion deforming in the first direction in the so-called shear mode, it is possible to jet the liquid through the jet hole
Data Source
AI summary
A head chip, a liquid jet head, and a liquid jet recording apparatus each capable of reducing a variation in ejection performance are provided. The head chip according to an aspect of the present disclosure is provided with a nozzle plate, and an actuator plate disposed so as to face the nozzle plate. The actuator plate is provided with an opposed portion disposed in a state of being separated in a Z direction from the nozzle plate, and a partition portion which is formed integrally with the opposed portion, protrudes in the Z direction from the opposed portion, and separates pressure chambers adjacent to each other. At least a part of the partition portion is disposed at a position which does not overlap a drive portion when viewed from the Z direction, the drive portion being located between the first groove and the second groove adjacent in an X direction to each other in the opposed portion.