Liquid Ejecting Head Opposite Port Arrangement for Thermal Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink-jet heads experience temperature differences across their channel members due to heat transfer from actuators, leading to variations in ink viscosity and ejecting properties among nozzles, resulting in inefficient cooling and inconsistent printing.
Innovation Solution
The liquid ejecting head design features channel groups with supply and discharge ports arranged oppositely in the first direction, balancing temperature increases and flow differences between adjacent groups, ensuring uniform temperature distribution across the channel member.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If ink flows through the channel member from the ink supply port toward the ink discharge port, then the ink is supplied to the nozzles for ejection, but the temperature of the ink increases due to heat transfer from the actuators, causing viscosity variation and inconsistent ejecting properties
Solution Approach 1:
The channel member is divided into multiple channel groups (first channel group, second channel group, etc.) with separate supply channels and return channels for each group. This segmentation allows independent temperature and flow management for different nozzle groups, enabling better control over ink temperature distribution across the entire channel member.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the channel member are designed with different characteristics. The first channel group has its supply channel connected to the ink supply port, while the second channel group has its supply channel connected to the return channel of the first channel group. This creates local variations in flow paths and temperature characteristics, allowing optimization of ink temperature and viscosity for different nozzle regions.
2Loss of energy
If the flow amount of ink is reduced in certain regions, then the cooling effect on the actuators is diminished, but this leads to increased temperature and viscosity variation in those regions
Solution Approach 1:
The channel member design ensures continuous ink flow through all channel groups in series. The ink flows from the ink supply port through the first channel group's supply channel, then through the connecting channel to the second channel group's supply channel, and so on. This continuous flow ensures that all regions receive adequate cooling while maintaining consistent ink temperature and viscosity across all nozzles.
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 design minimizes temperature differences within the channel member, maintaining consistent ink viscosity and improving the ink ejecting properties across all nozzles, thereby enhancing printing quality and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric actuator arranged on the channel member... Each of the plurality of active parts applies energy to ink in the channel member so as to eject the ink from one of the plurality of nozzles
Implementation Method 2
the temperature of the ink supplied from the ink supply port to the first manifold during printing is increased due to a heat transmitted from each of the actuators
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejecting head includes: a channel member having channel groups, and actuators. Each of the channel groups has: nozzles, a supply cannel, a return channel, and a connecting channel connecting one end in a first direction of the supply channel and one end in the first direction of the return channel. The channel member has a supply port communicating with the other end in the first direction of the supply channel, and a discharge port communicating with the other end in the first direction of the return channel. In two channel groups adjacent in a third direction, a set of the supply and discharge ports communicating with one of the two channel groups and a set of the supply and discharge ports communicating with the other of the two channel groups are arranged to be opposite to each other in the first direction.