Liquid ejecting module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10300707-B2
Application number	US-201815995493-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2018
Priority date	Jun 29, 2017
Publication date	May 28, 2019
Grant date	May 28, 2019

Abstract

The present invention provides a liquid ejecting module capable of performing stable ejection operation while circulating and supplying fresh ink to the vicinity of ejection ports arranged in high density. To achieve this, a liquid ejecting module includes an element arranged face in which a plurality of ejecting elements are arranged, a circulation flow path including a supply flow path which supplies liquid to a pressure chamber and a collection flow path which collects liquid from the pressure chamber, and a liquid delivery mechanism provided in the circulation flow path for circulating liquid in the pressure chamber. The liquid delivery mechanism is located lower than the element arranged face.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid ejecting module comprising:
an element arranged face on which a plurality of ejecting elements are arranged, each of the ejecting elements including
a pressure chamber in which liquid is contained,
an energy generating element for applying energy to liquid in the pressure chamber, and
an ejection port for ejecting liquid to which energy is applied by the energy generating element;

a circulation flow path including a supply flow path which supplies liquid to the pressure chamber and a collection flow path which collects liquid from the pressure chamber; and
a liquid delivery mechanism provided in the circulation flow path for circulating liquid in the pressure chamber,

wherein,
in a case where a direction of liquid to be ejected from the ejection port is assumed to be a direction from a lower side to an upper side, the liquid delivery mechanism is disposed lower than the element arranged face.

2. The liquid ejecting module according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid delivery mechanism is, in a case where the liquid ejecting module is viewed from a side opposing the ejection port, disposed at an area that overlaps with an area where the plurality of ejecting elements are arranged on the element arranged face.

3. The liquid ejecting module according to claim 1 , wherein
the circulation flow path further includes a connection flow path which connects the collection flow path and the supply flow path and which is not via the pressure chamber, and
the liquid delivery mechanism is provided in the connection flow path to make liquid flow from the collection flow path to the supply flow path.

4. The liquid ejecting module according to claim 3 , wherein
the liquid delivery mechanism is provided on a second substrate which differs from a first substrate on which the energy generating element is formed at a position facing a rear face of a face of the first substrate on which the energy generating element is formed.

5. The liquid ejecting module according to claim 3 , wherein
the liquid delivery mechanism is provided on a first substrate on which the energy generating element is formed at a rear face of a face on which the energy generating element is formed.

6. The liquid ejecting module according to claim 1 , wherein the supply flow path commonly supplies liquid to a predetermined number of the pressure chambers and the collection flow path commonly collects liquid from the predetermined number of pressure chambers.

7. The liquid ejecting module according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid delivery mechanism is provided at least on one of the collection flow path or the supply flow path so as to make liquid flow in a direction in which the pressure chambers are arranged.

8. The liquid ejecting module according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of ejecting element rows in which the ejecting elements are arrayed are arranged on the element arranged face, and
the supply flow path is provided so as to commonly supply liquid to the plurality of ejecting element rows and the collection flow path is provided so as to collect liquid from each of the plurality of ejecting element rows.

9. The liquid ejecting module according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid delivery mechanism is an AC electro-osmotic pump.

10. The liquid ejecting module according to claim 1 , wherein
the liquid delivery mechanism is composed of an actuator and a diaphragm that changes a volume of the circulation flow path by using the actuator, and
the circulation flow path has different flow path resistances and inertances for an upstream side and a downstream side of the liquid delivery mechanism.

11. The liquid ejecting module according to claim 1 , wherein
the liquid delivery mechanism is configured by arranging along the circulation flow path a plurality of actuators and diaphragms that change a volume of the circulation flow path by using the actuators, and
the plurality of actuators are driven in order in a direction in which liquid flows in the circulation flow path.

12. The liquid ejecting module according to claim 1 , constituted by arranging a plurality of substrates including the element arranged face, the circulation flow path, and the liquid delivery mechanism, in a direction in which the ejecting elements are arranged.

13. The liquid ejecting module according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid is ink containing a color material.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Nakakubo Toru
• Yamazaki Takuro
• Yamada Kazuhiro
• Nakagawa Yoshiyuki

Classifications

• B41J2202/12

  with ink circulating through the whole print head · CPC title

• B41J2/04573

  Timing; Delays · CPC title

• B41J2/18 Primary

  Ink recirculation systems · CPC title

• B41J2/14032

  Structure of the pressure chamber · CPC title

• B41J2/14145

  Structure of the manifold · CPC title