Manifold Fluid Guides for Droplet Ejection Priming
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing droplet ejection heads face challenges in efficiently priming the manifold component, leading to potential air-filled voids that can affect the performance of the droplet ejection process.
Innovation Solution
The manifold component incorporates a plurality of fluid guides within the inlet manifold chamber, which are arranged to diverge and distribute fluid flow evenly, reducing the likelihood of air-filled voids during the priming process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fluid is supplied to the inlet manifold chamber during priming, then the manifold chamber fills with fluid, but air-filled voids may form affecting droplet ejection performance
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet manifold chamber is segmented into multiple flow paths by the fluid guides, which divide the incoming fluid into separate streams. This segmentation allows fluid to reach different regions of the manifold chamber simultaneously and systematically, preventing the formation of air-filled voids by ensuring complete and uniform priming of all chambers.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid guides act as intermediary elements between the fluid supply and the manifold chamber cavities. These guides direct and shape the fluid flow, mediating the priming process to ensure that fluid reaches all regions efficiently and displaces air uniformly, thereby eliminating harmful air-filled voids that would otherwise form during priming.
2Productivity
If conventional priming is used without fluid guides, then the structure is simpler, but priming efficiency is reduced and air voids form
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet manifold chamber is segmented into multiple flow paths by the fluid guides, which divide the incoming fluid into separate streams. This segmentation allows fluid to reach different regions of the manifold chamber simultaneously and systematically, preventing the formation of air-filled voids by ensuring complete and uniform priming of all chambers.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid guides act as intermediary elements between the fluid supply and the manifold chamber cavities. These guides direct and shape the fluid flow, mediating the priming process to ensure that fluid reaches all regions efficiently and displaces air uniformly, thereby eliminating harmful air-filled voids that would otherwise form during priming.
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 use of fluid guides in the manifold component enhances the priming efficiency, ensuring that the fluid arrives at the second end of the manifold chamber as a flat front, thereby minimizing air-filled voids and improving the overall performance of the droplet ejection head.
Implementation Method 1
The fluid guides are arranged to diverge and distribute fluid flow evenly, reducing the likelihood of air-filled voids during the priming process
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A
AI summary
A manifold component for a droplet ejection head, the manifold component comprising: a mount for receiving at least one actuator component that provides one or more rows of fluid chambers, each chamber being provided with at least one respective actuating element and at least one respective nozzle, each at least one actuating element being actuable to eject a droplet of fluid in said ejection direction through the corresponding at least one of said nozzles, each row extending in a row direction; an inlet manifold chamber, which extends from a first end to a second end, the second end providing fluidic connection, in parallel, to at least a group of chambers within said one or more rows of fluid chambers and being located adjacent said mount; at least one inlet port, each inlet port opening into the inlet manifold chamber at the first end thereof;and a plurality of fluid guides disposed within the inlet manifold chamber, each fluid guide extending from a respective first end to a respective second end, the first ends of at least some of said fluid guides being located adjacent the first end of the inlet manifold chamber, and the second ends of at least some of said fluid guides being located adjacent the second end of the inlet manifold chamber; wherein the fluid guides diverge as they progress from the first end towards the second end of the inlet manifold chamber, the fluid guides thereby causing fluid flowing from the first end to the second end of the inlet manifold chamber to be distributed over the width, in the row direction, of the second end thereof.