Liquid Ejection Head Pressure Equalization for Crosstalk Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing liquid ejection heads with damper structures face issues in maintaining desired damper performance due to changes in ambient temperature and pressure, leading to pressure differences within damper chambers that affect the compliance characteristic of the damper film and result in inadequate crosstalk absorption.

Innovation Solution

The liquid ejection head incorporates atmospheric communication ports in the damper chambers to maintain equal pressure with the ambient environment, ensuring the damper film's compliance characteristic remains constant and effectively absorbs crosstalk pressure waves.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If damper chambers are sealed to maintain structural integrity, then device reliability is improved, but pressure differences occur during temperature or atmospheric pressure changes, deteriorating damper performance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoiddamper performance under environmental changes
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

A communication port is introduced as an intermediary element between the damper chamber interior and the external atmosphere. This port allows pressure equalization without compromising the sealed structure's integrity, enabling the damper film to maintain consistent compliance characteristics across varying environmental conditions while preserving structural reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If damper chambers are sealed to prevent contamination, then reliability is improved, but pressure equalization with ambient environment is prevented, worsening damper performance consistency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontamination preventionVSAvoiddamper performance consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The communication port serves as a controlled intermediary that permits pressure equalization between the damper chamber and ambient environment. This design achieves contamination prevention while enabling pressure equalization, thereby maintaining consistent damper film compliance characteristics and performance across varying environmental conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If damper film compliance is increased to improve crosstalk absorption, then productivity is improved, but sensitivity to pressure differences increases, worsening adaptability to environmental changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrosstalk absorption efficiencyVSAvoidenvironmental adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The communication port acts as a pressure equalization intermediary that eliminates the adverse effect of high compliance on environmental sensitivity. By maintaining equal pressure between the damper chamber interior and exterior, the port enables the use of highly compliant damper films for effective crosstalk absorption without compromising adaptability to environmental changes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 configuration maintains desired damper performance by preventing pressure differences within the damper chambers, reducing crosstalk between nozzles, and ensuring consistent ejection characteristics despite environmental changes.

Implementation Method 1

a damper film (300) which undergoes elastic deformation and a damper chamber (301) in which air is present

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

atmospheric communication ports (303) which form paths communicating with the outside from the damper chambers (301)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure equalization: Pascal's Law

Data Source

PatentEP4606577A1Liquid ejection head
Publication Date: 2025.08.27 CANON KK
  • EP4606577A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4606577A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4606577A1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C

AI summary

A liquid ejection head(1) according to the present disclosure is a liquid ejection head(2) including a liquid ejection substrate having: a nozzle substrate(201) having multiple nozzles(3) that eject a liquid; a channel substrate(203) having multiple pressure chambers(11) respectively communicating with the multiple nozzles(3), multiple individual channels(12) respectively communicating with the multiple pressure chambers(11), multiple pressure generation units(18) that respectively generate a pressure in the multiple pressure chambers(11), and a common channel(13) communicating with the multiple individual channels(12); and a damper substrate(304) having a damper film(300) disposed so as to face a surface of the damper substrate(304) facing an opening plane of a channel communicating with the common channel(13), and a damper chamber(301) one side of which is covered by the damper film(300). The liquid ejection substrate(2) includes an atmospheric communication port(303) through which an inside of the damper chamber(301) communicates with atmosphere.