Nozzle Plate Flat Portion for Droplet Dispensing Head Precision
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing techniques for producing nozzle plates with high processing precision for droplet dispensing heads face challenges in productivity and stability, leading to misalignment and protrusion issues, which negatively impact the registration and flight characteristics of inkjet methods used in recording devices and film-forming equipment.
Innovation Solution
A nozzle plate design featuring a flow channel on one surface, a liquid chamber with a flat portion parallel to the second surface, and a nozzle hole communicating with the liquid chamber, along with a pressurizing device, improves processing accuracy and stability by allowing precise control over the nozzle length and alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the nozzle hole portion is processed independently from the nozzle main body and bonded together, then the processing precision can be improved, but the productivity deteriorates due to additional bonding processes and potential misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle hole and ink flow channel are integrated into a single nozzle plate component, eliminating the need for separate processing and bonding operations. This merging of functions into one piece allows both high precision processing and improved productivity, as the entire nozzle plate can be manufactured and processed in a single integrated operation rather than requiring assembly of multiple components.
2Manufacturing precision
If the nozzle hole portion is processed independently from the nozzle main body, then the processing precision can be improved, but the production stability deteriorates due to bonding control difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the nozzle hole and ink flow channel into a single nozzle plate, the patent eliminates bonding operations that introduce variability and instability. The unified structure ensures consistent positioning and alignment, thereby improving production process stability while maintaining high processing precision through single-piece manufacturing.
3Productivity
If the nozzle hole and ink flow channel are provided in one nozzle plate, then the productivity is improved, but the registration characteristic and flight characteristic deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a flat portion at the bottom of the liquid chamber where the nozzle hole is formed. This localized flat surface ensures precise and consistent nozzle hole positioning, which maintains high registration and flight characteristics while the overall integrated structure improves productivity. The flat portion acts as a precision reference surface for the nozzle hole without compromising the benefits of integration.
4Device complexity
If the nozzle hole is formed without a flat portion in the liquid chamber, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the nozzle length control precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a flat portion at the bottom of the liquid chamber locally, only where needed for nozzle hole formation. This localized flat surface provides a precise reference for controlling nozzle length and positioning, while the rest of the liquid chamber maintains its simpler structure. This approach achieves high precision nozzle length control without unnecessarily complicating the entire liquid chamber design.
Data Source
AI summary
A nozzle plate includes: a flow channel opening in a first surface of the nozzle plate; a liquid chamber communicating with the flow channel; and a nozzle hole communicating with the liquid chamber and opening in a second surface of the nozzle plate. The liquid chamber has a flat portion which is substantially parallel to the second surface. The nozzle hole communicates with the liquid chamber in the flat portion. A method for producing a nozzle plate includes: forming a liquid chamber which opens in a first surface of a plate-like body; forming a flat portion in a bottom of the liquid chamber; and forming a nozzle hole which communicates with the flat portion and opens in a second surface of the plate-like body.