Liquid Ejecting Head Side-by-Side Flow Path Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In liquid ejecting heads, such as ink jet type recording heads, elongating the nozzle or increasing nozzle density is challenging due to yield deterioration and increased manufacturing costs, leading to variations in pressure loss and liquid droplet discharge characteristics, which affect print quality.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting head design featuring a first and second introduction section, filter chamber groups, and supply flow paths arranged side by side, with the introduction sections and filter chamber groups positioned to minimize flow path length variations and pressure loss between nozzle rows, allowing for efficient ink distribution and improved print quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single coupling section supplies liquid to multiple filter chambers, then the device complexity is reduced, but the pressure loss varies between nozzle rows and liquid droplet discharge characteristics deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the liquid supply system into multiple independent supply flow paths, with each path dedicated to a specific filter chamber group. This segmentation ensures that each nozzle row receives liquid through its own dedicated flow path, eliminating pressure loss variations between rows while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the supply flow paths to have equal length and equivalent flow resistance characteristics, ensuring that all filter chambers receive liquid at the same pressure level. This equipotential design eliminates pressure differences between nozzle rows, ensuring uniform liquid droplet discharge characteristics across all nozzles.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If supply ports are positioned outside the filter chamber region, then the electrical elements are avoided, but the flow path length increases and pressure loss variation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the introduction sections and filter chamber groups in a side-by-side arrangement along the first direction, creating an optimized spatial layout. This dimensional arrangement allows the supply flow paths to connect introduction sections to filter chambers with minimal length, avoiding the need to route supply ports outside the filter chamber region while still maintaining electrical element separation through proper positioning of head chips.
3Productivity
If multiple head chips are fixed to a common flow path member, then the nozzle length is increased and nozzle density is improved, but the flow path length difference causes pressure loss variation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the flow path system so that each head chip group has its own dedicated supply flow path from a corresponding introduction section. This segmentation allows multiple head chips to be fixed to a common flow path member for high nozzle density, while each segmented supply path is designed to have equal length, ensuring uniform pressure loss and discharge characteristics across all nozzle rows.
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 enhances print quality by reducing variations in pressure loss and discharge characteristics across nozzle rows, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of liquid ejection in the liquid ejecting head.
Implementation Method 1
variation in the pressure loss varies between the nozzle rows
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a liquid ejecting head which is long in a first direction and short in a second direction, including: a first introduction section; a second introduction section; a first filter chamber group having a first filter chamber and a second filter chamber; a second filter chamber group having a third filter chamber and a fourth filter chamber; a first supply flow path for supplying the liquid from the first introduction section to the first filter chamber group; and a second supply flow path for supplying the liquid from the second introduction section to the second filter chamber group, in which the first introduction section, the second introduction section, the first filter chamber group, and the second filter chamber group are arranged side by side in this order in the first direction.