Overlapping Inkjet Chambers with Integrated Damper
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Solution Overview
Problem
In ink-jet heads, reducing the size of the common liquid chamber to achieve high densification and miniaturization leads to insufficient attenuation of pressure waves, causing variations in ink-jetting characteristics, and the use of low elasticity materials for damping can result in warpage due to thermal expansion differences.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a liquid-droplet jetting apparatus with overlapping common liquid chambers and a damper that increases the planar area for pressure wave attenuation, utilizing thin-walled portions with varying rigidity to form integrated damper chambers, which communicate with outside air to prevent thermal damage, and arranges jetting ports and pressure chambers on the same plane to maintain uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the common liquid chamber is decreased in size to achieve miniaturization, then the densification and miniaturization of the ink-jet head is improved, but the pressure wave attenuation becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a damper plate extending in the thickness direction of the head, creating a three-dimensional damping structure. This vertical dimension allows the damper to occupy space that would otherwise be unused, providing effective pressure wave attenuation without increasing the planar footprint of the common liquid chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The damper plate is constructed with thin-walled portions that have low rigidity, allowing these flexible regions to deform and absorb pressure waves effectively. The thin-walled structure provides sufficient damping capacity while maintaining a compact overall size.
2Reliability
If a member with low elasticity such as polyimide is used for the damper, then the pressure wave attenuation is improved, but warpage deformation occurs due to difference in linear expansion coefficient when heated with metal members
Solution Approach 1:
The damper plate is constructed entirely from metal members with similar thermal expansion coefficients, ensuring uniform thermal behavior when heated. This homogeneity in material properties prevents warpage deformation while maintaining the damping function through the thin-walled结构设计.
Solution Approach 2:
The damper plate uses a composite structure combining metal materials with different mechanical properties - some regions have high rigidity for structural support, while thin-walled portions have low rigidity for effective pressure wave attenuation. This composite approach achieves both damping performance and thermal stability.
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 configuration effectively attenuates pressure waves, maintains uniform jetting characteristics, and prevents thermal damage by increasing acoustic capacitance and reducing the number of parts, ensuring consistent ink droplet formation and stability.
Implementation Method 1
it is possible to secure a sufficiently great width for the first and second common liquid chambers and the damper, and to substantially increase acoustic capacitance in the first and second common liquid chambers, thereby making it possible to efficiently attenuate the pressure wave
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid-droplet jetting apparatus includes a first common liquid chamber which supplies a liquid to first pressure chambers communicating with first nozzles and extending in a predetermined direction; and a second common liquid chamber which supplies a liquid to second pressure chambers communicating with second nozzles and extending in the predetermined direction. The first and second common liquid chambers are overlapped in a plan view, and each having a substantial width. A damper for attenuating pressure wave which propagates to the first and second common liquid chambers is formed at a portion in which the first and second common liquid chambers are overlapped. Each of the first common liquid chamber, the second common liquid chamber and the damper is formed to have a width overlapping with one of the first and second pressure chambers, thereby making it possible to attenuate the pressure wave efficiently.