Liquid Ejecting Head With Varying Flow Path Widths
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Solution Overview
Problem
The miniaturization of liquid ejecting heads, such as inkjet printers, faces a challenge in maintaining mechanical strength due to the reduction in wall thickness, which affects the structural integrity and efficiency of ink flow and bubble discharge.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates beam-shaped units within the housing of the liquid storage chamber, with varying flow path widths to enhance mechanical strength and facilitate efficient ink flow and bubble discharge, where the flow path width far from the introducing port is smaller than closer paths, reducing the gap between the inner wall and bubble, and ensuring a higher flow rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the wall thickness of the unit case is reduced to achieve miniaturization, then the size of the liquid ejecting head is reduced, but the mechanical strength of the liquid ejecting head deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The unit case is segmented into multiple wall portions (first wall portion, second wall portion, third wall portion) with different thicknesses. The first wall portion has a first thickness, the second wall portion has a second thickness greater than the first, and the third wall portion has a third thickness greater than the first. This segmentation allows the overall size to be reduced while maintaining mechanical strength in critical areas through localized thickness variations.
Solution Approach 2:
Different wall portions are assigned different thicknesses based on their functional requirements. The second wall portion (bottom surface of liquid storage chamber) and third wall portion (side surface) are given greater thickness to maintain mechanical strength and structural integrity, while other portions can be thinner to achieve miniaturization. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between size reduction and strength maintenance.
2Productivity
If the flow path width is reduced to increase flow rate in the first flow path, then the gap between the inner wall and bubble is reduced facilitating bubble discharge, but the flow rate of liquid in other paths may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The flow path width is locally optimized for different positions. The first flow path (far from introducing port) has a first width, while the second flow path (close to introducing port) has a second width greater than the first. This local differentiation allows the first flow path to achieve higher flow rates and better bubble discharge, while the second flow path maintains sufficient width to secure liquid flow rate from the introducing port.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow path width varies dynamically based on position along the flow direction. By making the flow path narrower in the first direction at the first position (far from introducing port) compared to the second position (close to introducing port), the system creates a dynamic flow control mechanism that accelerates liquid flow and reduces bubble gap in the downstream region while maintaining adequate flow capacity in the upstream region.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejecting head includes a head main body in which nozzles are arranged along a first direction, a housing fixed to the head main body, a liquid storage chamber that includes a space formed in the housing, and stores the liquid supplied to the nozzles, an introducing port of the liquid communicating with the liquid storage chamber, and a plurality of beam-shaped units that are stretched over an inner wall face of the space in the housing, in which the plurality of beam-shaped units are provided with intervals such that a plurality of flow paths are arranged in the first direction from the introducing port, and, among the plurality of flow paths, a first flow path far away from the introducing port in the first direction has a flow path width in the first direction smaller than that of a second flow path close to the introducing port.