Liquid Ejecting Head Stepped Manifold Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet type recording heads face challenges in optimizing the depth of recess portions and flow path lengths, which affect discharge characteristics and bubble incorporation, leading to increased flow path resistance and insufficient supply path length.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting head design featuring a communication plate with alternating inclined surfaces and a silicon substrate, where the second inclined surface has a smaller pitch than the supply path, preventing bubble stagnation and ensuring both sufficient supply path length and manifold volume, thereby improving discharge efficiency and reducing pressure loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If the recess portion is formed to be deep, then the manifold volume is increased, but the supply path length becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a single-depth recess structure to a multi-level stepped recess structure with first and second recess portions at different depths. This dimensional variation allows the manifold to occupy greater volume while the supply path maintains its required length by opening at the shallower first recess portion level, resolving the contradiction between manifold volume and supply path length.
Solution Approach 2:
The recess portion is segmented into multiple levels (first recess portion and second recess portion) with different depths. The supply path opens at the first recess portion while the second recess portion extends deeper to increase manifold volume, allowing both requirements to be satisfied through structural segmentation.
2Reliability
If the flow path length is appropriately set, then the discharge characteristics are improved, but the recess portion depth decreases and flow path resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
By introducing vertical depth variation with stepped recess portions, the invention allows the supply path to maintain appropriate horizontal length for good discharge characteristics while the vertical dimension provides additional manifold volume, preventing increased flow path resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies different depth characteristics to different regions: the first recess portion provides adequate depth for supply path opening, while the second recess portion extends deeper locally to increase overall manifold volume without affecting the supply path length and discharge characteristics.
3Reliability
If the pitch of inclined surfaces is reduced, then bubble discharge efficiency is improved, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies inclined surfaces with small pitch only to specific regions where bubble discharge is needed, rather than uniformly across the entire device. This localized application maintains bubble discharge efficiency while minimizing the overall device size increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses inclined surfaces with pitch smaller than the supply path pitch in specific areas to achieve bubble discharge, applying the principle partially rather than throughout the entire structure, thus achieving the beneficial effect without excessive device size increase.
Data Source
AI summary
A flow path forming substrate has a pressure generation chamber communicating with a nozzle opening; and a communication plate having a supply path communicating with a manifold common to and communicating with the pressure generation chamber. A recess of the manifold opens opposite to the flow path forming substrate. The recess has a first recess, and a second recess deeper than the first recess. Supply paths are open on a bottom surface of the first recess, and are arranged in a first direction between the first and second recesses. An inclined surface inclined toward the bottom surface of the second recess from the bottom surface of the first recess is provided along the first direction. The inclined surface is configured as alternately repeated first and second inclined surfaces with different angles. A pitch of adjacent second inclined surfaces is smaller than a pitch of adjacent supply paths.