Liquid Discharging Head Bubble Management via Heater
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid discharging heads face issues with rapid meniscus movements causing splash and refilling difficulties due to pressure fluctuations in the common liquid chamber, and bubbles in buffer chambers can clog discharge ports, leading to discharging failures, especially in regions with low fluidity.
Innovation Solution
A liquid discharging head design featuring a buffer chamber with an opening in the ceiling surface of the common liquid chamber, a liquid supply port, and a heater located near the buffer chamber's opening to increase ink fluidity and promote bubble peeling, preventing bubble growth and clogging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If a buffer chamber is provided near discharge ports to suppress pressure fluctuation, then pressure fluctuation suppression effect is improved, but bubbles in the buffer chamber grow and clog discharge ports
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful bubbles are extracted from the common liquid chamber and isolated in the buffer chamber, separating the pressure suppression function from the discharge function. The buffer chamber acts as a dedicated bubble containment zone that prevents bubbles from reaching discharge ports while maintaining pressure stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer chamber serves as an intermediary between the common liquid chamber and discharge ports, absorbing pressure fluctuations and trapping bubbles before they can affect discharge performance. This intermediate structure resolves the contradiction by providing a buffer zone that handles both pressure and bubble management.
2Reliability
If buffer chamber is located far from discharge ports, then bubble clogging is reduced, but pressure fluctuation suppression effect becomes small
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the liquid chamber system are assigned different functions: the buffer chamber region handles bubble trapping and pressure suppression, while the discharge port region focuses on liquid ejection. This local differentiation allows the buffer chamber to be positioned optimally for pressure suppression without compromising discharge performance.
3Reliability
If heater is activated to increase ink fluidity, then bubble peeling is promoted, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heater operates periodically rather than continuously, activating only when bubble accumulation is detected or at scheduled intervals. This periodic heating promotes bubble peeling when needed while minimizing energy consumption during normal operation, resolving the contradiction between reliability and energy use.
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 bubble growth in the buffer chamber, enhances ink fluidity, and prevents discharging failures by promoting bubble peeling, thereby improving printing quality and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a heater located in a region of the recording element board opposed to a part of the ceiling surface extending from the opening of the buffer chamber to an end portion in the first direction and configured to generate heat when the liquid is not discharged from the plurality of discharge ports
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid discharging head includes a recording element board in which a plurality of discharge ports configured to discharge liquid are arrayed in a first direction, a support member configured to support the recording element board and including a common liquid chamber extending in the first direction to supply the liquid to the plurality of discharge ports and a buffer chamber configured to have an opening in a ceiling surface of the common liquid chamber opposed to the recording element board and to hold a bubble, and a heater located in a region of the recording element board opposed to a part of the ceiling surface extending from the opening of the buffer chamber to an end portion in the first direction and configured to generate heat when the liquid is not discharged from the plurality of discharge ports.