Liquid Discharge Head Flow Path Segmentation for Uniform Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid discharge heads face challenges in achieving gapless printing across the width of a recording medium due to uneven discharge distributions and pressure variations, leading to issues like pigment sinking and liquid adhering at specific positions.
Innovation Solution
The liquid discharge head employs an elongated design with overlapping first and second common flow paths, connected through individual flow paths, which allows for controlled liquid distribution and pressure application, ensuring consistent discharge across multiple discharge holes, thereby preventing uneven densities and improving printing resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional liquid discharge heads use simple flow path configurations, then device complexity is reduced, but discharge distribution becomes uneven leading to poor manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 1:
The flow path is divided into multiple segments including a main flow path and multiple branch flow paths. Each branch flow path connects to a specific discharge hole, allowing independent control and optimization of liquid distribution to each discharge hole, thereby achieving uniform discharge distribution while maintaining manageable device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the flow path are designed with different characteristics to optimize local discharge performance. The branch flow paths have varying lengths and configurations tailored to specific discharge hole requirements, ensuring each location receives appropriate liquid flow for uniform discharge distribution
2Stability of the object's composition
If liquid discharge head uses single flow path design, then device complexity is reduced, but pressure distribution becomes uneven causing pigment sinking and liquid adhering
Solution Approach 1:
The single flow path is segmented into a main flow path and multiple branch flow paths that distribute liquid to different discharge holes. This segmentation ensures pressure is evenly distributed across all discharge holes, preventing pigment sinking and liquid adhering issues that occur with uneven pressure distribution
Solution Approach 2:
The branch flow paths act as intermediaries between the main flow path and individual discharge holes. These intermediary pathways balance and regulate pressure distribution, ensuring stable pressure reaches each discharge hole uniformly, thereby maintaining stable liquid composition and preventing discharge defects
3Productivity
If discharge holes are spread widely to cover recording medium width, then productivity is improved, but discharge distribution becomes uneven reducing manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 1:
The flow path system is segmented into multiple branch paths that extend across the width of the recording medium. Each branch path is optimized to deliver liquid uniformly to its associated discharge holes, allowing wide coverage while maintaining uniform discharge distribution across all positions
Solution Approach 2:
The flow path configuration extends in multiple dimensions with branch paths arranged to serve discharge holes across the width of the recording medium. This multi-dimensional flow path layout enables wide printing coverage while maintaining precise and uniform liquid distribution to each discharge hole through optimized path geometry
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 ensures gapless printing across the width of the medium by maintaining consistent discharge distributions and pressures, reducing the likelihood of pigment sinking and liquid adhering, and enhancing printing resolution to 1600 dpi.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric actuator board 40 including a plurality of displacement elements 50, each of the plurality of discharge holes 8 being connected to a pressure applying chamber 10 through an individual flow path 12
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2(a)~2(b)
Figure 3
AI summary
A liquid discharge head 2 according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of discharge holes 8, a plurality of pressure applying chambers 10, a flow path member 4 including a plurality of common flow paths M1 to M8, and a plurality of pressure applying modules. Adjacent discharge hole groups G1 to G7 have a part in which, when a discharge hole A is positioned in an n column in one of the discharge hole groups G1 to G7, a discharge hole B in the discharge hole group G1 to G7 located adjacent with the common flow path M1 to M8 interposed therebetween is positioned in an n±1 column. A discharge hole C in the discharge hole group G1 to G7 located at a center in a second direction D2 is positioned in an n column, while a non-carry discharge hole is positioned in an n±1 column.