Liquid Ejecting Apparatus Common Drive Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejecting apparatuses face challenges in controlling the flow rates of liquids in inflow and outflow channels effectively, leading to increased size and difficulty in arraying nozzles at high densities due to the need for separate actuators for each channel.
Innovation Solution
A common drive portion actuator controls the flow rates of both inflow and outflow channels, using piezoelectric actuators and deflectable members to change flow channel resistances, allowing for reduced size and increased controllability of the liquid ejecting apparatus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate actuators are provided for controlling flow rates in inflow and outflow channels, then flow rate control precision is improved, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate actuators for inflow and outflow channels into a single common actuator that controls both channels. This merging reduces the number of components and device size while maintaining flow rate control capability through shared actuation mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The common actuator is designed to perform multiple functions by controlling both inflow and outflow channels simultaneously. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate actuators, reducing device complexity and size while preserving flow control precision.
2Ease of operation
If separate actuators are provided for each liquid chamber, then flow rate control is improved, but nozzle array density decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging control functions into a common actuator system, the patent reduces the space required per nozzle, enabling higher array density while maintaining individual flow rate control capability through the shared actuation mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible diaphragms as volume changing portions that can be actuated by the common actuator. These thin flexible structures enable compact nozzle design with high density arrangement while maintaining independent flow control for each liquid chamber.
3Productivity
If multiple actuators are provided for volume changing and flow rate control, then ejection performance is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The common actuator performs multiple functions including volume changing and flow rate control for both inflow and outflow channels, reducing the total number of actuators and thereby lowering power consumption while maintaining ejection performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls flow rates by changing the resistance parameters of flow channels through the common actuator's adjustment of flow channel openings, enabling energy-efficient flow control without requiring separate high-power actuators for each channel.
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 solution enables the reduction of the liquid ejecting apparatus size, allows for higher nozzle density, and decreases power consumption by using a simplified structure to control flow rates in both inflow and outflow channels.
Implementation Method 1
driving piezoelectric elements which are provided on the vibration layer of the substrate so as to be in a one-to-one correspondence relationship with the pressure chambers, and which expand and contract to vibrate the vibration layer, thereby pressurizing the corresponding pressure chambers so as to eject ink
Implementation Method 2
detection piezoelectric element which is provided on the vibration layer of the substrate separately from the driving piezoelectric elements, and which detects a change in liquid pressure within the pressure chambers corresponding to the expanding/contracting driving piezoelectric elements
Data Source
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Figure 5
AI summary
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a first liquid chamber that communicates with a first nozzle, a second liquid chamber that communicates with a second nozzle, a first volume changing portion that changes a volume of the first liquid chamber to eject liquid from the first nozzle, a second volume changing portion that changes a volume of the second liquid chamber to eject the liquid from the second nozzle, a first inflow channel connected to the first liquid chamber, a second inflow channel connected to the second liquid chamber, a first outflow channel connected to the first liquid chamber, a second outflow channel connected to the second liquid chamber, a first inflow channel resistance changing portion that changes a flow channel resistance of the first inflow channel, a second inflow channel resistance changing portion that changes a flow channel resistance of the second inflow channel, and an inflow channel-side common drive portion that applies drive forces to the first inflow channel resistance changing portion and the second inflow channel resistance changing portion.