Inkjet Head Nozzle and Chamber Dimensions for Unified Drive Waveforms
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Solution Overview
Problem
The control of ink drop jetting in inkjet heads using both pigmented and dye inks is complicated due to the need for different driving voltage waveforms and flow path lengths, leading to increased complexity in managing jetting pressures and drop volumes for high-quality recording.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet head design with nozzles and pressure chambers for pigmented and dye inks, where the nozzle diameters and actuator sizes satisfy the formula −xD1+yL1≈−xD2+yL2, allowing for a common driving voltage waveform to be used despite different nozzle diameters and pressure chamber lengths, ensuring efficient jetting control and improved recording quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If different flow path lengths are used for black ink and color inks to enlarge drop gradation range, then the ink drop volume control is improved, but the control complexity increases due to different driving voltage waveforms being required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the pressure chambers (length, width, volume) to achieve different ink drop volumes without requiring different driving voltage waveforms. Specifically, the black ink pressure chamber has different dimensions than the color ink pressure chambers, which naturally produces different drop volumes while maintaining the same actuator driving conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making each pressure chamber have specific dimensional characteristics suited to its function. The black ink pressure chamber has different dimensions (particularly in length) compared to color ink pressure chambers, allowing each to be optimized for its specific ink type and drop volume requirements while using the same overall actuator structure.
2Manufacturing precision
If different driving voltage waveforms with different pulse numbers are used to change ink drop volume, then the ink drop volume control is improved, but the control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of changing the driving voltage waveform parameters (pulse numbers, amplitudes), the patent changes the physical parameters of the pressure chambers. This approach maintains simple, unified driving waveforms while achieving different ink drop volumes through dimensional variations in the pressure chambers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the complex electrical control system (different voltage waveforms) with a mechanical solution (different pressure chamber dimensions). This substitution simplifies the control system by eliminating the need for multiple waveform generation and switching circuits, while still achieving the desired variation in ink drop volumes.
3Manufacturing precision
If different driving voltage waveforms are used for black ink and color inks, then the ink drop volume differentiation is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to complicated jetting control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the actuator structure universal by using the same actuator type and driving waveform for both black and color inks. The differentiation in ink drop volumes is achieved not through different driving waveforms but through different pressure chamber dimensions, allowing a single control system to handle multiple ink types efficiently.
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 simplifies the control of ink drop jetting by allowing a common driving voltage waveform to be used for both pigmented and dye inks, ensuring larger ink drop volumes for pigmented ink and improved recording quality by maintaining consistent dot sizes across colors.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric actuator which has a first portion that applies jetting pressure to a first pressure chamber and a second portion that applies jetting pressure to a second pressure chamber
Data Source
AI summary
An inkjet head includes: a first nozzle that jets pigmented ink; a first pressure chamber coupled to the first nozzle; a first actuator that selectively applies a jetting pressure to the pigmented ink in the first pressure chamber; a second nozzle that jets dye ink; a second pressure chamber coupled to the second nozzle; and a second actuator that selectively applies a jetting pressure to the dye ink in the second pressure chamber. The first nozzle has a diameter D1 and the second nozzle D2. The first actuator has a first portion that applies the jetting pressure to the first pressure chamber, which has a size L1. The second actuator has a second portion that applies jetting pressure to the second pressure chamber, which has a size of L2. D1, D2, L1 and L2 satisfy the following formula: −xD1+yL1≈−xD2+yL2, where x and y are predetermined coefficients.