Nozzle Plate Holding Device for Inkjet Head Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for bonding nozzle plates to head chips in inkjet heads fail to achieve high precision positioning due to nozzle plate deformation, leading to issues with droplet ejection and image quality, as they do not effectively correct distortions parallel to the nozzle plate surface, which affects the alignment and uniformity of nozzles and channels.
Innovation Solution
A nozzle plate holding device with end and center holding units that allow for distortion correction by moving the center unit relative to the end units in the direction parallel to the nozzle plate surface, enabling precise alignment and bonding of the nozzle plate onto the head chip with deformation adjusted to 10 µm or less.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the nozzle plate is made thin to reduce energy loss and achieve high density arrangement, then productivity and energy efficiency are improved, but the nozzle plate becomes easily deformed due to low stiffness
Solution Approach 1:
The holding section is divided into multiple holding units (first, second, and third holding units) that can independently apply holding forces to different regions of the nozzle plate. This segmentation allows localized correction of deformations while maintaining overall plate integrity, enabling the use of thinner plates without compromising structural stability during bonding.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional bonding methods are used without deformation correction, then the process is simple, but positioning precision between nozzles and channels deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The holding units apply preliminary holding forces to the nozzle plate before the actual bonding process to correct deformations in advance. By pre-adjusting the plate flatness and positioning, the system ensures high alignment precision between nozzles and channels during bonding, without requiring complex real-time adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding units can independently adjust holding forces and positions as variable parameters to compensate for nozzle plate deformations. By dynamically changing these parameters during the bonding process, the system maintains high positioning precision while keeping the overall process relatively simple.
3Ease of operation
If the nozzle plate is deformed during handling, then handling is easier, but droplet ejection performance and image quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The holding units are equipped with sensors that detect nozzle plate deformations in real-time and provide feedback to the control system. Based on this feedback, the holding units automatically adjust their positions and forces to correct deformations, ensuring that the plate maintains proper flatness and alignment throughout the bonding process, thereby preserving droplet ejection performance and image quality.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a nozzle plate holding device which has been made capable of holding a nozzle plate with deformation thereof corrected and thereby enables high precision positioning between the nozzles in the nozzle plate and the channels in the head chip respectively. The nozzle plate holding device has a holding section (31) for holding the nozzle plate (1) having a plurality of nozzles (11) arranged therein, and bonds the nozzle plate (1) held by the holding section (31) to the head chip having a plurality of the channels arranged therein. The holding section (31) is configured so as to be capable of causing distortion deformation of the nozzle plate (1) in the direction that is parallel to the surface of the nozzle plate (1) and crosses the length direction of the nozzle plate (1).