Liquid Discharge Head Thick-Wall Damper Chamber for Stable Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid discharge heads in inkjet printers face challenges in effectively suppressing pressure fluctuations in the manifold, which can lead to damper breakage and instability in liquid discharge.
Innovation Solution
The liquid discharge head incorporates a damper chamber with a thick portion in its bottom wall facing the damper, which is thicker than other portions, to enhance the rigidity and prevent damper breakage, while maintaining the ability to dampen pressure fluctuations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a damper chamber is provided under a manifold to suppress pressure fluctuations, then liquid discharge stability is improved, but the damper may break due to stress concentration at channel direction changes
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom wall of the damper chamber is designed with a thick portion at specific locations where stress concentration occurs due to channel direction changes. This local thickening provides targeted reinforcement to the damper structure without increasing the overall complexity of the design, thereby preventing damper breakage while maintaining discharge stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The thick portion is provided in advance in the bottom wall before the damper undergoes operational stress. This preliminary structural reinforcement ensures that the damper can withstand stress concentration at channel direction changes from the outset, preventing breakage before it occurs.
2Strength
If the bottom wall is made uniformly thick to prevent damper breakage, then structural strength is improved, but the overall device size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire bottom wall uniformly thick, the invention applies local thickening only at specific portions where stress concentration occurs. This approach provides the necessary structural strength to prevent damper breakage while avoiding unnecessary material usage and maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
3Reliability
If the damper chamber is separated from the common channel via a damper, then pressure fluctuations are suppressed, but stress concentration occurs at channel direction changes leading to potential breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The thick portion is strategically positioned in the bottom wall at locations corresponding to channel direction changes where stress concentration occurs. This localized reinforcement directly addresses the harmful stress concentration effect while preserving the damper's ability to suppress pressure fluctuations and maintain liquid discharge stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The thick portion acts as a preemptive cushioning structure that absorbs and distributes stress before it can concentrate and cause damage. By providing this structural buffer in advance at critical locations, the design prevents stress concentration from leading to damper breakage while maintaining the pressure fluctuation suppression function.
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 effectively suppresses damper breakage and stabilizes liquid discharge by alleviating stress concentration at channel direction changes, ensuring consistent operation and longevity of the damper.
Implementation Method 1
a damper chamber located adjacent to the common channel and separated from the common channel via a damper. The damper chamber has a thick portion in at least a portion of a bottom wall facing the damper, the thick portion being thicker than another portion
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid discharge head includes a channel member including a first surface and a second surface located on the opposite side to the first surface, and a pressurizer located on the first surface. The channel member includes a plurality of discharge holes located at the second surface, a plurality of pressurizing chambers respectively connected to the plurality of discharge holes, a common channel commonly connected to the plurality of pressurizing chambers, and a damper chamber located adjacent to the common channel and separated from the common channel via a damper. The damper chamber has a thick portion in at least a portion of a bottom wall facing the damper, the thick portion being thicker than another portion.