Print Element Substrate Wiring Reduction via Row Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In printing devices with multiple print element substrates arranged in a staggered manner, the increased number of wirings between ejection port and detection element rows leads to a longer substrate length, potentially causing liquid ejection position shifts and increased wiring regions, which complicates the detection of defective ejection ports.
Innovation Solution
A print element substrate design featuring a detection element row corresponding to the ejection port row, with a control unit and row selection unit that utilizes common wiring to connect detection elements, reducing the number of wirings and substrate length, thereby minimizing liquid ejection position shifts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If detection elements are provided in correspondence to each ejection port, then ejection quality can be monitored, but the number of wirings increases and substrate length becomes excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is divided into multiple substrate units, each containing a subset of detection elements and their corresponding wirings. This segmentation allows the total wiring count to be distributed across multiple smaller units rather than requiring all wirings on a single substrate, thereby reducing the substrate length while maintaining comprehensive detection coverage across all ejection ports.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional arrangement where all detection elements are laid out on a single substrate plane to a three-dimensional configuration using multiple stacked substrate units. The wiring regions are distributed across different vertical layers (substrate units), allowing detection elements to be positioned in correspondence with ejection ports without requiring excessive horizontal substrate length.
2Productivity
If multiple substrate units are arranged in staggered manner, then ejection port density increases, but wiring region expands and ejection position shifts
Solution Approach 1:
Adjacent substrate units are arranged in a staggered asymmetric pattern rather than direct alignment. This asymmetric staggering optimizes the spatial distribution of ejection ports and wiring regions, allowing higher ejection port density while controlling the horizontal displacement between units to prevent excessive ejection position shifts.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple substrate units are designed as replicated copies with standardized wiring regions and detection element configurations. This copying approach ensures consistent ejection characteristics across units while the staggered arrangement of these copies achieves high density without compounding positioning errors, as each unit maintains identical internal geometry.
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 solution effectively suppresses the increase in substrate length in the ejection port direction, reduces wiring complexity, and maintains accurate detection of ejection states, ensuring stable and high-quality printing.
Implementation Method 1
a detection element for detecting a temperature at each ejection port
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a printing device and a print element substrate having a detection element row provided in correspondence to an ejection port row and capable of suppressing an increase in a length in an ejection port row direction. For that purpose, a row selection circuit 117 is provided in a detection element circuit 108, and a row of the detection element circuit is selected by row selection signals A0 and A1 transmitted through a common wiring.