Manifold Channel Network for Liquid Ejection Head Concentration Uniformity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In liquid ejection heads, components like pigments in the liquid can settle, causing differences in concentration along the flow direction, which affects the quality of the ejected liquid and resulting images.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejection head design featuring a manifold with a first channel and a second channel, connected by communication passages, which disperses liquid components and reduces settling by ensuring a consistent flow path, thereby minimizing concentration differences across the nozzle arrays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If liquid flows from the inflow passage through the manifold to the outflow passage, then liquid is supplied to the nozzles, but components like pigments settle causing differences in liquid concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The manifold is divided into multiple channels (first channel, second channel, etc.) that are spatially separated and arranged in different directions. Each channel independently supplies liquid to specific nozzle groups, segmenting the liquid flow paths to prevent pigment settling and concentration differences across the entire manifold.
Solution Approach 2:
Each channel within the manifold is designed with specific local characteristics, including different orientations (first direction, second direction crossing the first direction) and independent openings. This local differentiation ensures that liquid flows through multiple distinct paths, maintaining uniform concentration by preventing sedimentation in any single flow path.
2Device complexity
If a single manifold channel is used for liquid flow, then the structure is simple, but concentration differences occur in the first direction
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple channels are merged into a single integrated manifold structure, combining several flow paths (first channel, second channel, third channel, etc.) into one unified component. This merging approach maintains structural compactness and simplicity while achieving concentration uniformity through the multi-channel configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The manifold channels are arranged in multiple spatial dimensions and directions (first direction, second direction crossing the first direction). By transitioning from a single linear channel to a multi-dimensional channel network, the design prevents pigment settling while maintaining a compact overall structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejection head includes an array of first nozzle holes, an array of second nozzle holes, first pressure chambers to which an ejection pressure is applied for liquid ejection from the first nozzle holes, second pressure chambers to which an ejection pressure is applied for liquid ejection from the second nozzle holes, and a manifold. The manifold includes a first channel communicating with the first pressure chambers, a first opening located at the first channel and through which liquid enters from an exterior, a second channel communicating with the second pressure chambers, a second opening located at the second channel and through which liquid exits to the exterior, a first communication passage communicating one end of the first channel with one end of the second channel, and a second communication passage communicating the other end of the first channel with the other end of the second channel.