Liquid Discharge Head With Dedicated Foreign-Matter Discharge Holes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid discharge heads are prone to clogging due to foreign matters entering the discharge ports, leading to discharge defects and requiring larger designs to accommodate additional discharge ports for foreign matter removal.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating discharge holes in the flow path forming member to facilitate the discharge of foreign matters directly from the liquid supply path, combined with a suction recovery method to clear the flow path, thereby preventing clogging and maintaining a compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If large-opening discharge port groups are disposed at both end portions of the small-opening discharge port group to remove foreign matters, then discharge port clogging is prevented, but the liquid discharge head becomes large due to the required space
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the foreign matter discharge function from the discharge ports and implements it separately through dedicated discharge holes in the flow path forming member. This allows the main discharge ports to remain small and functional while providing a separate pathway for foreign matter removal, eliminating the need for large-opening discharge port groups at the ends.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge holes act as an intermediary structure between the liquid supply path and the external environment. They provide a dedicated pathway for foreign matters to be suctioned out from the liquid supply path without requiring the main discharge ports to be enlarged or positioned at the ends of the array.
2Productivity
If discharge holes are provided in the flow path forming member to remove foreign matters, then foreign matter discharge efficiency is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The flow path forming member is designed to perform multiple functions: it forms the liquid supply path, creates the discharge ports for liquid ejection, and incorporates discharge holes for foreign matter removal. By integrating these functions into a single component, the overall device complexity is minimized while maintaining high foreign matter discharge efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid discharge head includes a substrate including at least one liquid supply path for supplying liquid, a flow path forming member including a plurality of discharge ports for discharging the liquid, joined with the substrate, and configured to form a flow path communicating with the plurality of discharge ports and the at least one liquid supply path, and at least one discharge hole for discharging the liquid, provided in an area facing the at least one liquid supply path of the flow path forming member to penetrate through the flow path forming member.