Liquid Discharge Head Wall Member Thickness Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet heads with multiple nozzles experience significant pressure fluctuations during operation, leading to resonance issues that degrade image quality, particularly when the resonance frequency matches the drive frequency used during printing, and existing solutions like increasing the volume of the common liquid chamber or using dampers are not effective in preventing bonding failures between the deformable wall member and the channel member.
Innovation Solution
A liquid discharge head design featuring a nozzle plate, channel plate, and a wall member with a deformable damper area, a reinforced area, and an area of reduced thickness, where the deformable damper area forms part of the common liquid chamber wall, and the reinforced area divides the damper area into multiple sections in the nozzle arrangement direction, reducing distortion and preventing bonding failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the volume of the common liquid chamber is increased to enhance pressure attenuation efficiency, then pressure fluctuation is reduced, but the device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wall member is designed with non-uniform thickness, featuring a thinner region (first thickness) and a thicker region (second thickness greater than the first). This local variation in thickness creates different rigidity zones within the same component, allowing the thinner region to provide pressure attenuation while the thicker region maintains structural integrity, eliminating the need to increase overall chamber volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall member is divided into functionally distinct regions: a deformable damper area with lower rigidity for pressure absorption, and a reinforced area with higher rigidity for structural support. This segmentation allows different portions of the same component to perform different functions, achieving pressure stabilization without increasing overall device size.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a damper is provided between the pressure liquid chamber and the common liquid chamber to absorb pressure fluctuations, then pressure fluctuation is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wall member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a structural boundary separating the pressure liquid chamber from the common liquid chamber, provides pressure attenuation through its deformable region, and maintains structural integrity through its reinforced region. By integrating these functions into a single component rather than adding separate dampers, device complexity is reduced while achieving the desired pressure stabilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure attenuation function is merged into the wall member itself rather than being implemented as a separate damper component. The wall member's non-uniform thickness design incorporates pressure absorption capability directly into the structural element that already exists in the system, eliminating the need for additional components and simplifying the overall device structure.
3Strength
If the wall member has high rigidity to maintain structural integrity, then bonding strength is improved, but pressure attenuation efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The wall member features spatially varying thickness with a thinner region for pressure attenuation and a thicker region for structural strength. This local differentiation allows the thinner region to deform and absorb pressure fluctuations while the thicker region provides the bonding strength necessary for structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between rigidity and pressure attenuation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall member is segmented into a deformable region with lower rigidity for pressure absorption and a reinforced region with higher rigidity for maintaining bonding strength. This segmentation allows each region to optimize its local function without compromising the other, enabling the structure to simultaneously achieve pressure attenuation and structural integrity.
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 effectively reduces distortion of the elastically deformable wall member, prevents bonding failures, and enhances pressure attenuation, thereby improving image quality by minimizing resonance and maintaining stable ink discharge.
Implementation Method 1
a wall member (94) forming at least one portion of a wall of the plurality of individual channels (96). The common liquid chamber (98) is provided at a side opposite the plurality of individual channels (96) with the wall member (94) therebetween
Implementation Method 2
The piezoelectric element enables the wall member to be deformed by displacement of a drive unit. Such deformation of the wall member changes volume and therefore also pressure inside the pressure liquid chamber
Implementation Method 3
The thermal actuator utilizes a phase change caused by film boiling of liquid by using an electrothermal conversion element such as a heat resistor
Implementation Method 4
The thermal actuator utilizes a phase change caused by film boiling of liquid
Implementation Method 5
The shape-memory alloy actuator utilizes a metallic phase change caused by changes in temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid discharge head includes a nozzle plate, a channel plate, a wall member, and a common liquid chamber. The nozzle plate includes nozzles, and the channel plate forms a plurality of individual channels communicating with the nozzles. The wall member forms at least one portion of a wall of the plurality of individual channels. The common liquid chamber, arranged at a side opposite the plurality of individual channels, supplies liquid to the individual channel. The wall member includes a deformable damper area, a reinforced area, and an area of reduced thickness. The damper area forms one portion of a wall of the common liquid chamber, and the reinforced area divides the damper area into plural areas. The area of reduced thickness, arranged in at least one portion of the reinforced area, has a thickness greater than the damper area and less than the reinforced area.