Liquid ejecting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10549532-B2
Application number	US-201815919595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2018
Priority date	Mar 28, 2017
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

A liquid ejecting apparatus including; a first liquid chamber that communicates with a first nozzle, a first channel, and a first outflow channel; a second liquid chamber that communicates with a second nozzle, a second channel, and a second outflow channel; a first volume changing portion that changes a volume of the first liquid chamber to eject liquid from the first nozzle; a second volume changing portion that changes a volume of the second liquid chamber to eject the liquid from the second nozzle; a first inflow channel resistance changing portion that changes a flow channel resistance of the first inflow channel, a second inflow channel resistance changing portion that changes a flow channel resistance of the second inflow channel, and an inflow channel-side common drive portion that applies drive forces to the first inflow channel resistance changing portion and the second inflow channel resistance changing portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
first and second nozzles from which a liquid is ejected;
a first liquid chamber configured to store the liquid and fluidly communicating with the first nozzle;
a second liquid chamber configured to store the liquid and fluidly communicating with the second nozzle;
a first volume changing actuator configured to change a volume of the first liquid chamber so as to eject the liquid from the first nozzle, the first volume changing actuator being disposed over the first liquid chamber so that the first volume changing actuator and the first liquid chamber are overlapped with each other in a plan view;
a second volume changing actuator configured to change a volume of the second liquid chamber so as to eject the liquid from the second nozzle, the second volume changing actuator being disposed over the second liquid chamber so that the second volume changing actuator and the second liquid chamber are overlapped with each other in the plan view;
a first inflow channel which is connected to the first liquid chamber and through which the liquid flows into the first liquid chamber;
a second inflow channel which is connected to the second liquid chamber and through which the liquid flows into the second liquid chamber;
a first outflow channel which is connected to the first liquid chamber and through which the liquid flows out of the first liquid chamber;
a second outflow channel which is connected to the second liquid chamber and through which the liquid flows out of the second liquid chamber;
a first outflow channel resistance changing plate configured to change a flow channel resistance of the first outflow channel, the first outflow channel resistance changing plate being disposed on the first outflow channel so that the first outflow channel resistance changing plate and the first outflow channel are overlapped with each other in the plan view;
a second outflow channel resistance changing plate configured to change a flow channel resistance of the second outflow channel, the second outflow channel resistance changing plate being disposed over the second outflow channel so that the second outflow channel resistance changing plate and the second outflow channel are overlapped with each other in the plan view; and
an outflow channel-side common drive actuator configured to commonly apply drive forces to the first and second outflow channel resistance changing plates so as to change the flow channel resistances of the first and second outflow channels, the outflow channel-side common drive actuator being disposed on the first and second outflow channel resistance changing plates via a linkage; and
a controller configured to:
control an expansion amount of the first volume changing actuator so as to control the volume of the first liquid chamber;
control an expansion amount of the outflow channel-side common drive actuator so as to control the flow channel resistances of the first and second outflow channels,

wherein the drive forces are transmitted to the first and second outflow channel resistance changing plates via the linkage by downwardly pushing the first and second outflow channel resistance changing plates.

2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the linkage is configured with a bridging member and first and second coupling members,
the bridging member is connected to the outflow channel-side common drive actuator so as to receive the drive forces from the outflow channel-side common drive actuator, and
the first and second coupling members extend from the bridging member and are connected to the first and second outflow channel resistance changing plates, drive actuator via the bridging member.

3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first inflow channel resistance changing portion that changes a flow channel resistance of the first inflow channel;
a second inflow channel resistance changing portion that changes a flow channel resistance of the second inflow channel; and
an inflow channel-side common drive portion that applies drive forces for changing the flow channel resistances to both of the first inflow channel resistance changing portion and the second inflow channel resistance changing portion.

4. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the first inflow channel resistance changing portion is formed as a deflectable inner wall surface of the first inflow channel,
wherein the second inflow channel resistance changing portion is formed as a deflectable inner wall surface of the second inflow channel, and
wherein the inflow channel-side common drive portion causes the first inflow channel resistance changing portion and the second inflow channel resistance changing portion to respectively change the flow channel resistance of the first inflow channel and the flow channel resistance of the second inflow channel by applying external forces for deflecting the first inflow channel resistance changing portion and the second inflow channel resistance changing portion as the drive forces via an inflow channel-side coupling member that abuts the first inflow channel resistance changing portion and the second inflow channel resistance changing portion.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Sugai Keigo
• Katakura Takahiro
• Sakai Hirofumi
• Nakamura Shinichi
• Sano Junichi

Classifications

• B41J2202/05

  Heads having a valve · CPC title

• B41J2202/12

  with ink circulating through the whole print head · CPC title

• B41J2/045

  by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers · CPC title

• B41J2/14233 Primary

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

• B41J2/01 Primary

  Ink jet · CPC title