Multi-chip Print Head Tile Positioning

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing print heads with tiled structures face challenges in achieving high positional accuracy for recording elements, particularly at the borders between tiles, due to the complexity of aligning staggered tiles and the need for precise positioning of nozzles relative to each other.

Innovation Solution

The substrate is designed with recesses and engagement surfaces formed using photo-lithographic techniques, allowing for high-accuracy positioning of tiles and their recording elements, with reference-defining walls also formed using photo-lithographic methods to ensure precise alignment and reduced material etching.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If tiles are butted one against the other with engaging side walls serving as reference, then manufacturing is simplified, but positional accuracy of recording elements at tile borders deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetile assembly simplicityVSAvoidpositional accuracy of recording elements

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a substrate with photo-lithographically formed engagement surfaces as an intermediary between tiles. These engagement surfaces provide precise positioning references that are more accurate than tile side walls alone, while still maintaining a relatively simple assembly process. The substrate acts as a mediator that enables both ease of manufacture and high positional accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Stability of the object's composition

If tiles are staggered in scanning direction to compensate relative offset, then recording element spacing can be maintained, but positioning accuracy deteriorates due to difficulty of direct engagement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuniform spacing of recording elementsVSAvoidpositioning accuracy of tiles

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The substrate with photo-lithographically defined engagement surfaces serves as an intermediary that enables precise positioning of staggered tiles. The engagement surfaces provide fixed reference points that allow tiles to be positioned with high accuracy in their staggered arrangement, maintaining uniform recording element spacing while achieving better positioning accuracy than direct tile-to-tile engagement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The engagement surfaces are pre-formed on the substrate using photo-lithographic techniques before tile assembly. This preliminary action creates accurate positioning references in advance, allowing tiles to be positioned with high precision during assembly without requiring complex real-time alignment procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Manufacturing precision

If photo-lithographic techniques are used to form engagement surfaces on substrate, then positional accuracy of tiles improves, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositional accuracy of tilesVSAvoidsubstrate manufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the formation of engagement surfaces with the existing substrate manufacturing process using photo-lithographic techniques. By integrating these precision features into the substrate fabrication workflow, the additional complexity is minimized while achieving high positional accuracy. The engagement surfaces are formed as part of the substrate structure rather than as separate components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This approach enables accurate and efficient positioning of tiles and recording elements, achieving tolerances of ±2 μm or less, which improves the overall positional accuracy and simplifies maintenance operations.

Implementation Method 1

the substrate is formed of a material that is suitable for photo-lithographic processing, and the engagement surfaces of the substrate are surfaces formed by photo-lithographic techniques

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhoto-lithographic processing: Photopolymerisation

Data Source

PatentUS10093097B2Multi-chip print head

Publication Date: 2018.10.09 CANON PRODUCTION PRINTING NETHERLANDS BV

AI summary

A print head includes a plurality of chip-like tiles arranged on a common substrate, each tile having a front face with an array of recording elements disposed in the front face in a predetermined pattern, and a generally rectangular contour with a cut-out formed at at least one of its four corners, each cut-out being delimited by two reference-defining walls extending normal to one another and to the front face and serving as a reference for positioning the tiles on the substrate so as to establish a predetermined positional relationship between the recording elements of the different tiles. The substrate has a plurality of recesses accommodating each at least a part of a tile and having side walls that define engagement surfaces for each of the reference-defining walls of each tile, the substrate is formed of a material that is suitable for photo-lithographic processing, and the engagement surfaces of the substrate are surfaces formed by photo-lithographic techniques.