Inkjet Head Sealing via Liquid Supply Plate Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inkjet heads face issues with structural strength and reliability due to wet spreading of sealing materials, leading to increased size and susceptibility to deformation, and require high-temperature bonding which can degrade adhesives and limit material options.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet head design featuring a liquid supply plate with a receptacle to contain the drive circuit member and sealing material, preventing wet spreading and allowing for low-temperature curing of the sealing material, thereby ensuring hermetic sealing and improved structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sealing material is coated on the ink tank plate to protect the connector portion, then electrical connection protection is improved, but the sealing material wetly spreads on the ink tank plate causing the inkjet head to increase in size
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid supply plate acts as a protective shell/cover that prevents the sealing material from wetly spreading outward. By providing this physical barrier, the sealing material is contained within the mount area, protecting the electrical connection while preventing excessive spread that would increase the overall head size.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid supply plate is bonded to the ink tank plate before the sealing material is applied. This preliminary action creates a contained mount area that restricts the sealing material's spread, allowing the sealing material to be applied without causing the inkjet head to increase in size while still providing adequate protection.
2Manufacturing precision
If the liquid supply plate is bonded avoiding the area where sealing material wetly spreads, then bonding quality is improved, but the inkjet head becomes susceptible to deformation due to reduced structural strength
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid supply plate serves as a protective shell that contains the sealing material within the mount area. This allows the bonding to be performed across the entire liquid supply plate surface without avoiding any areas, thereby maintaining full structural strength while ensuring bonding quality through proper containment of the sealing material.
3Reliability
If high temperature bonding is performed to increase electrical connection strength, then connection reliability is improved, but adhesive degradation and material selection limitations occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the temperature parameter from high temperature (150-300°C) to low temperature curing. The liquid supply plate is bonded and the sealing material is applied at low temperatures, allowing the use of adhesives and materials with lower heat resistance requirements, thereby expanding material selection range while still achieving reliable electrical connections.
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
The design miniaturizes the inkjet head, enhances structural strength, and guarantees high reliability by preventing sealing material spread and reducing material costs through lower curing temperatures, ensuring reliable electrical connections and reduced deformation risks.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric element which is arranged in the vibrating plate, particularly in the surface opposing the pressure generating chamber and which generates a change in the internal pressure of the pressure generating chamber
Data Source
AI summary
An inkjet head includes: an ink tank plate that includes a nozzle to discharge a liquid; a drive circuit member connected to an electromechanical transducer to apply a voltage to the electromechanical transducer to generate a pressure in an ink tank to discharge a liquid from the nozzle; a liquid supply plate stacked approximately in parallel with the drive circuit member on the ink tank plate; and a sealing material that hermetically seals an electrical connection between the drive circuit member and the wiring member. The liquid supply plate is provided with a receptacle having a hole portion or a concave portion and a mount area surrounded by the receptacle. The drive circuit member is received in the mount area. The sealing material is filled inside the mount area after the liquid supply plate is bonded to the ink tank plate.