Liquid discharge head, liquid discharge device, and liquid discharge apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10179452-B2
Application number	US-201715844831-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2017
Priority date	Jan 10, 2017
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

A liquid discharge head includes a plurality of nozzles from which liquid is discharged, a plurality of individual-liquid-chambers communicating with the plurality of nozzles, respectively, a plurality of individual-drainage-channels communicating with the plurality of individual-liquid-chambers, respectively, a drainage-side common-liquid-chamber communicating with each of the plurality of individual-drainage-channels, a filter having filter holes and disposed between the plurality of individual-drainage-channels and the drainage-side common-liquid-chamber, and an intermediate-drainage-channel disposed between the filter and the plurality of individual-drainage-channels. The intermediate-drainage-channel faces the filter and communicates with two or more of the plurality of individual-drainage-channels. A cross-sectional area of the intermediate-drainage-channel is greater than a cross-sectional area of each of the plurality of individual-drainage-channels communicating with the intermediate-drainage-channel in a direction perpendicular to a direction of liquid flow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid discharge head comprising:
a plurality of nozzles from which liquid is discharged;
a plurality of individual-liquid-chambers communicating with the plurality of nozzles, respectively;
a plurality of individual-drainage-channels communicating with the plurality of individual-liquid-chambers, respectively;
a drainage-side common-liquid-chamber communicating with each of the plurality of individual-drainage-channels;
a filter having filter holes and disposed between the plurality of individual-drainage-channels and the drainage-side common-liquid-chamber; and
an intermediate-drainage-channel disposed between the filter and the plurality of individual-drainage-channels, the intermediate-drainage-channel facing the filter and communicating with two or more of the plurality of individual-drainage-channels,
a cross-sectional area of the intermediate-drainage-channel being greater than a cross-sectional area of each of the plurality of individual-drainage-channels communicating with the intermediate-drainage-channel in a direction perpendicular to a direction of liquid flow.

2. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein the intermediate-drainage-channel includes upstream-side intermediate-drainage-channels and a downstream-side intermediate-drainage-channel, and
the downstream-side intermediate-drainage-channel communicates with two or more of the upstream-side intermediate-drainage-channels.

3. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein the intermediate-drainage-channel includes upstream-side intermediate-drainage-channels and downstream-side intermediate-drainage-channels;
the upstream-side intermediate-drainage-channels include a first partition wall that partitions adjacent two of the upstream-side intermediate-drainage-channels;
the downstream-side intermediate-drainage-channels include a second partition wall that partitions adjacent two of the downstream-side intermediate-drainage-channels; and
the first partition wall and the second partition wall are offset in a nozzle array direction along which the plurality of nozzles is arrayed.

4. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a supply-side common-liquid-chamber to supply liquid to the plurality of individual-liquid-chambers;
a plurality of intermediate-supply-channels disposed between the supply-side common-liquid-chamber and the plurality of individual-liquid-chambers, the plurality of intermediate-supply-channels communicating with two or more of the plurality of individual-liquid-chambers; and
a plate member forming a plurality of intermediate-drainage-channels, each having a same configuration as the intermediate-drainage-channel, and the plurality of intermediate-supply-channels,
wherein a first partition wall that partitions adjacent two of the plurality of intermediate-drainage-channels and a second partition wall that partitions adjacent two of the plurality of intermediate-supply-channels are offset in a nozzle array direction along which the plurality of nozzles is arrayed.

5. The liquid discharge head according to claim 4 , wherein an interval between third partition walls of the plurality of intermediate-drainage-channels and an interval between fourth partition walls of the plurality of intermediate-supply-channels are identical.

6. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , further comprising a diaphragm member forming a wall of the plurality of individual-liquid-chambers,
wherein the filter is provided on the diaphragm member.

7. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the filter holes of the filter is smaller than a diameter of the nozzles.

8. A liquid discharge device comprising the liquid discharge head according to claim 1 .

9. The liquid discharge device according to claim 8 , further comprising at least one of:
a head tank to store the liquid to be supplied to the liquid discharge head;
a carriage to mount the liquid discharge head;
a supply unit to supply the liquid to the liquid discharge head;
a maintenance unit to maintain the liquid discharge head; and
a drive unit to move the carriage in a main scanning direction, to be integrated with the liquid discharge head as a single unit.

10. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising the liquid discharge device according to claim 8 .

11. A liquid discharge head comprising:
a plurality of nozzles from which liquid is discharged:
a plurality of individual-liquid-chambers communicating with the plurality of nozzles, respectively;
a plurality of individual-drainage-channels communicating with the plurality of individual-liquid-chambers, respectively;
a drainage-side common-liquid-chamber communicating with each of the plurality of individual-drainage-channels;
a filter disposed between the plurality of individual-drainage-channels and the drainage-side common-liquid-chamber; and
an intermediate-drainage-channel disposed between the filter and the plurality of individual-drainage-channels, the intermediate-drainage-channel facing the filter and communicating with two or more of the plurality of individual-drainage-channels,
a cross-sectional area of a boundary portion between the intermediate-drainage-channel and the filter being greater than a cross-sectional area of a boundary portion between the intermediate-drainage-channel and each of the plurality of the individual-drainage-channels communicating with the intermediate-drainage-channel.

Assignees

• Iwama Masami
• Otome Yukio
• Yoshida Takahiro
• Kihira Takakazu
• Nakai Takayuki
• Andou Shiomi
• Suzuki Isamu
• Yoshida Ryuji
• Abe Kanshi
• Iwata Junichi
• Ishii Katsuya
• ODAKA Toshimichi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Iwama Masami
• Otome Yukio
• Yoshida Takahiro
• Kihira Takakazu
• Nakai Takayuki
• Andou Shiomi
• Suzuki Isamu
• Yoshida Ryuji
• Abe Kanshi
• Iwata Junichi
• Ishii Katsuya
• ODAKA Toshimichi

Classifications

• B41J2/14233 Primary

  of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm · CPC title

• B41J2/14274

  of stacked structure type, deformed by compression/extension and disposed on a diaphragm · CPC title

• B41J2/1721 Primary

  Collecting waste ink; Collectors therefor · CPC title

• B41J2002/14467

  Multiple feed channels per ink chamber · CPC title

• B41J2202/12

  with ink circulating through the whole print head · CPC title