Liquid Ejecting Head Meniscus Dampers for Pressure Fluctuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejecting apparatuses face performance deterioration due to fluid drying in dummy nozzles that communicate with external spaces, leading to increased viscosity and reduced pressure fluctuation absorption.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting head design featuring a nozzle substrate with first damper chambers and hole portions that communicate with a liquid storage chamber, forming a meniscus to absorb pressure fluctuations, preventing ink drying and maintaining effective vibration absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dummy nozzle communicates with an external space to absorb pressure fluctuation, then pressure fluctuation absorption is improved, but fluid drying occurs leading to increased viscosity and performance deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
A meniscus is introduced as an intermediary between the dummy nozzle and the external space. The meniscus acts as a barrier that prevents fluid from drying out while still allowing the dummy nozzle to absorb pressure fluctuations. This resolves the contradiction by mediating between the need for pressure absorption and the need to prevent fluid drying.
Solution Approach 2:
The dummy nozzle is configured to communicate with an inert atmosphere (air) rather than being directly exposed to external space. By forming a meniscus at the interface between the fluid and the inert atmosphere, the system prevents fluid evaporation and drying while maintaining the pressure fluctuation absorption function.
2Device complexity
If fluid viscosity increases due to drying, then pressure fluctuation absorption performance deteriorates, but the dummy nozzle structure remains simple
Solution Approach 1:
The meniscus serves as a simple intermediary that prevents fluid drying without adding complex mechanical components. This maintains device simplicity while ensuring reliable pressure fluctuation absorption by preventing viscosity increase through fluid drying.
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 absorbs pressure fluctuations, reducing ink drying and maintaining performance by integrating the meniscus within the damper chamber, thereby enhancing the liquid ejecting head's operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a meniscus for absorbing a pressure fluctuation of the liquid in the first liquid storage chamber is formed in the first hole portion
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejecting head includes a nozzle substrate in which a nozzle that ejects a liquid is formed and a flow path substrate that is joined to the nozzle substrate. The flow path substrate includes a pressure chamber that communicates with the nozzle and a first liquid storage chamber that stores the liquid to be supplied to the pressure chamber. The nozzle substrate includes a first damper chamber and one or more first hole portions which communicate with the first liquid storage chamber and the first damper chamber and in which a meniscus for absorbing a pressure fluctuation of the liquid in the first liquid storage chamber is formed.