Protective Tape Slit for Air Bubble Release in Liquid Ejection Heads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protective tapes for liquid ejection heads often trap air bubbles between the ejection port surface and the tape, leading to ink bleeding and degraded print quality due to ink fixation and color mixing issues.
Innovation Solution
A protective tape with a slit extending to its end portion, allowing air bubbles to escape to the atmosphere, is applied to the ejection port surface, featuring a base material and adhesive agent with slits that communicate with the atmosphere, preventing ink seepage and evaporation while ensuring effective bubble release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective tape is applied to block the ejection port, then ink seepage and evaporation are prevented, but air bubbles are trapped between the tape and ejection port surface causing ink bleeding
Solution Approach 1:
The protective tape is divided into multiple segments by introducing slits that extend from the adhesive agent layer to the base material layer. These slits segment the continuous tape structure into separate sections, allowing air bubbles to escape through the slit openings while maintaining the protective function of the tape over the ejection ports.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful air bubbles are extracted from the space between the protective tape and ejection port surface by providing escape pathways through the slits. The slits allow air bubbles to be taken out to the atmosphere, eliminating the harmful factor that causes ink bleeding while preserving the protective function.
2Strength
If the protective tape completely seals the ejection port surface, then protection from external impacts is maximized, but air bubbles cannot escape causing degraded print quality
Solution Approach 1:
The protective tape exhibits different properties in different locations: the main body of the tape provides complete sealing and protection from external impacts, while the slit portions provide air bubble escape pathways. This local differentiation allows the tape to simultaneously achieve both protection and bubble release functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The slits act as intermediary structures that mediate between the sealing function and the bubble release function. They provide controlled pathways that allow air bubbles to escape without compromising the overall seal integrity of the protective tape, thus maintaining both protection and print quality.
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 removes air bubbles, preventing ink bleeding and improving print quality by maintaining the integrity of the water-repellent layer and ensuring high-quality recording.
Implementation Method 1
the adhesive agent has a slit extending to an end portion of the protective tape, and the slit communicates with the atmosphere
Implementation Method 2
a protective tape attached to the ejection port surface to block the ejection port
Implementation Method 3
prevent the ejection ports from clogging and a water-repellent layer of an ejection port surface from degrading due to seepage or evaporation of ink
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejection head, having an ejection port surface that includes an ejection port from which liquid is to be ejected, includes a protective tape. The protective tape is attached to the ejection port surface to block the ejection port. The protective tape includes at least a base material and an adhesive agent. The adhesive agent has a slit extending to an end portion of the protective tape, and the slit communicates with the atmosphere.