Liquid Discharge Head Wiring Substrate Connector Arrangement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing number of wirings in electric wiring substrates for liquid discharge heads leads to larger connectors, reduced workability, and increased risk of load on the recording head during attachment and detachment, especially when connectors are integrated into a single unit.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a liquid discharge head with a recording element substrate and an electric wiring substrate where first electrical contact groups are detachably attached to second contact groups, ensuring adjacent first contact groups do not overlap, allowing for a smaller width in the disposed direction of discharge ports and improved workability during attachment and detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple connectors are arranged within a narrow region along the disposed direction of discharge ports, then the width of the connector region is reduced, but the workability during attachment and detachment of connectors is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from arranging connectors only in the longitudinal direction (disposed direction of discharge ports) to arranging them in both longitudinal and lateral directions. This two-dimensional arrangement allows connectors to be positioned in a grid-like pattern, reducing the required width in the disposed direction while maintaining adequate spacing for workability. The lateral direction arrangement provides additional space for attachment and detachment operations without increasing the longitudinal footprint.
2Device complexity
If connectors are integrated into a single connector, then the number of electrical contacts is consolidated, but the inserting and withdrawing force becomes large and load on the recording head increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single integrated connector into multiple separate connectors distributed along the disposed direction of discharge ports. Each connector handles a subset of electrical contacts, reducing the number of contacts per connector. This segmentation decreases the inserting and withdrawing force required for each individual connector, thereby reducing the load on the recording head while maintaining all necessary electrical connections.
3Ease of operation
If adjacent connectors are arranged apart enough to ensure workability, then the workability during attachment and detachment is improved, but the width of the connector region in the disposed direction becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes both the longitudinal direction (disposed direction of discharge ports) and the lateral direction (orthogonal to disposed direction) for connector arrangement. By distributing connectors across both dimensions, the required spacing in the disposed direction is reduced while maintaining adequate workability space. Connectors positioned in the lateral direction provide access paths that do not increase the width in the disposed direction, effectively resolving the spatial conflict.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid discharge head includes a recording element substrate having a plurality of discharge ports for discharging liquid, and a plurality of recording elements for generating energy to discharge liquid, and an electric wiring substrate electrically connecting the recording element substrate and a driving circuit substrate having a circuit for driving the plurality of recording elements, the electric wiring substrate having a plurality of first electrical contact groups including a plurality of electrical contacts, for electrically connecting with the driving circuit substrate, provided along a disposed direction in which the plurality of discharge ports are disposed. The plurality of first electrical contact groups are detachably attached to a plurality of second electrical contact groups electrically connected with the driving circuit substrate, such that adjacent first electrical contact groups do not overlap each other in the disposed direction and in a direction orthogonal to the disposed direction.