Inkjet Printing Head Ejection Opening Uniformity via Light-Absorbing Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printing heads with high printing density face issues of non-uniform ejection opening shapes due to variations in reflected light intensity and angle caused by the presence or absence of common conductive lines, leading to inconsistent ink ejection directions and amounts, resulting in deteriorated print quality.
Innovation Solution
The method involves arranging electrothermal conversion elements with common and dummy conductive lines between adjacent elements, using a photosensitive material that is cured only where the dummy and common conductive lines are exposed, ensuring uniform reflection and thus uniform ejection opening shapes, allowing for consistent ink ejection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If common conductive lines are used to arrange heaters with higher density, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to non-uniform reflected light causing ejection opening distortion
Solution Approach 1:
A light-absorbing coating layer is introduced as an intermediary between the conductive lines and the photosensitive resin. This coating layer absorbs incident light and prevents reflected light from reaching the resin, thereby eliminating the distortion caused by non-uniform reflections from conductive lines while allowing the common conductive line structure to remain for high-density heater arrangement
Solution Approach 2:
The optical properties of the substrate surface are changed by adding a light-absorbing coating layer. This coating layer has high light absorption characteristics that modify the light interaction at the substrate surface, converting the harmful reflected light into absorbed energy and preventing ejection opening shape distortion
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 approach results in a reliable inkjet printing head with uniform ejection openings, ensuring ink is ejected in a consistent direction and amount, improving print quality and reducing variations in ink landing positions.
Implementation Method 1
the flow path formation member 111 made of epoxy resin is highly influenced by the reflected light because the flow path formation member 111 is photosensitive to i-ray but does not absorb much of i-ray itself
Implementation Method 2
Some inkjet printing heads used in an inkjet printing apparatus use an electrothermal conversion element (heater) for ejecting ink through an ink ejection opening. Such a printing head is configured so that heat generated from the heater can be used to foam ink and the foaming energy thereof can be used to eject ink through the ejection opening
Implementation Method 3
a flow path formation member 111 made of photosensitive epoxy resin is coated on a printing element substrate 110 to subsequently expose and cure the flow path formation member 111 to form an ejection opening 100
Data Source
AI summary
A manufacture method can form an inkjet printing head by which a plurality of ejection openings have a uniform shape. Heaters adjacent to one another have thereamong a common conductive line commonly connected to these heaters or a dummy conductive line not involved in the energization of the heaters.