Liquid Discharge Head Sealing Structure for Replaceable Valve Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid discharge modules suffer from ink leakage due to wear of elastic valves caused by particles, leading to increased maintenance costs and operational inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A modular design with a nozzle-side and needle-side housing configuration, utilizing a flexible valve sandwiched between the housings, supported by a reinforcement plate, allows for easy replacement of the sealing member, reducing maintenance costs and preventing ink leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If elastic valves are used to seal the nozzle, then sealing performance is improved, but the valves wear out due to particles causing ink leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid discharge module is divided into separable components: the nozzle plate with nozzles, the sealing member with valve, and the housing. This segmentation allows the sealing member to be replaced independently without replacing the entire module, addressing the wear issue by enabling easy replacement of the worn sealing member while maintaining the original design's effective sealing mechanism.
2Reliability
If the entire liquid discharge module is replaced when the valve wears, then sealing performance is restored, but maintenance costs and downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
The modular design separates the sealing member from the housing and nozzle plate, allowing the sealing member to be replaced as a standalone component. This reduces maintenance costs and downtime compared to replacing the entire liquid discharge module, while ensuring sealing performance is restored through replacement of the worn sealing member.
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows the worn sealing member to be discarded and replaced with a new one, while the housing and nozzle plate are retained and reused. This selective replacement strategy reduces waste and maintenance costs by recovering and reusing durable components while replacing only the wear-prone sealing member.
3Ease of repair
If a modular design with separable housing is used, then ease of repair is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid discharge module is segmented into a housing, nozzle plate, and sealing member that can be easily separated and reassembled. This segmentation improves ease of repair by allowing independent replacement of the sealing member, while the segmentation is designed to be simple and intuitive, minimizing the increase in perceived device complexity.
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 modular design effectively prevents ink leakage and reduces maintenance costs by allowing only the sealing member to be replaced, extending the operational life of the liquid discharge head.
Implementation Method 1
The sealing member is not formed as an elastic body insertable on the valve element
Implementation Method 2
The moving member moves a portion of the sealing member between a first position at which the portion of the sealing member contacts the nozzle to close the nozzle and a second position at which the portion of the sealing member is separated from the nozzle to open the nozzle
Implementation Method 3
The sealing member is sandwiched between the first housing and the second housing to partition the liquid chamber and the container
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid discharge head includes a first housing, a sealing member, and a second housing. The first housing includes a nozzle from which a liquid is dischargeable and a liquid chamber communicating with the nozzle. The sealing member openably closes the nozzle. The second housing includes a moving member and a container. The moving member moves a portion of the sealing member between a first position at which the portion of the sealing member contacts the nozzle to close the nozzle and a second position at which the portion of the sealing member is separated from the nozzle to open the nozzle. The container stores and holds the moving member in the container. The sealing member is sandwiched between the first housing and the second housing to partition the liquid chamber and the container.