Liquid discharge head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10730306-B2
Application number	US-201816217709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2018
Priority date	Mar 29, 2018
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

There is provided a liquid discharge head which includes a plurality of individual channels, each individual channel including a nozzle and a pressure chamber, an actuator, a supply channel, and a return channel. For each individual channel of the plurality of individual channels, with respect to the nozzle, the return channel and the pressure chamber are disposed at one side in the array direction, and the supply channel is disposed at the other side in the array direction. An end portion of the pressure chamber at the one side in the array direction is positioned between the nozzle and an end portion of the return channel at the one side in the array direction. A center of the return channel in the array direction is positioned between the nozzle and the outlet port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid discharge head, comprising:
a plurality of individual channels each including a nozzle and a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle;
an actuator facing the pressure chamber in a facing direction;
a supply channel communicating with a storage chamber configured to store a liquid and an inlet port of the plurality of individual channels, the supply channel being configured to supply the liquid from the storage chamber to the plurality of individual channels, and extending in an extending direction orthogonal to the facing direction; and
a return channel communicating with an outlet port of the plurality of individual channels and the storage chamber, the return channel being configured to return the liquid from the plurality of individual channels to the storage chamber, and extending in the extending direction and arranged along with the supply channel in an array direction which is orthogonal to the extending direction and the facing direction,
wherein for each of the plurality of individual channels:
the return channel and the pressure chamber are arranged at one side of the nozzle in the array direction, and the supply channel is arranged at the other side of the nozzle in the array direction,
an end portion of the pressure chamber at the one side in the array direction is positioned between the nozzle and an end portion of the return channel at the one side in the array direction, and
a center of the return channel in the array direction is positioned between the nozzle and the outlet port.

2. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet port is located at a position not overlapping with the actuator in the facing direction.

3. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein the return channel includes: the outlet port located at one side in the facing direction; and a damper chamber located at the other side in the facing direction, the one side in the facing direction being a direction directed from the pressure chamber toward the actuator, and
wherein the outlet port is located at a position overlapping with the damper chamber in the facing direction.

4. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of individual channels includes a joining channel including the outlet port and joining the pressure chamber and the return channel, and
wherein the joining channel is extended in a direction intersecting the array direction.

5. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of other individual channels, each including another nozzle and another pressure chamber communicating with the another nozzle;
another actuator facing the another pressure chamber in the facing direction; and
another supply channel communicating with the storage chamber and an inlet port of the plurality of other individual channels, and being configured to supply a liquid from the storage chamber to the plurality of other individual channels, extended in the extending direction, and arranged along with the return channel in the array direction while sandwiching the another nozzle,
wherein the return channel communicates with an outlet port of the plurality of other individual channels, and
wherein for each of the plurality of other individual channels:
the return channel and the another pressure chamber are arranged at the other side of the another nozzle in the array direction, and the another supply channel is arranged at the one side of the another nozzle in the array direction,
an end portion of the another pressure chamber at the other side in the array direction is positioned between the another nozzle and an end portion of the return channel at the other side in the array direction, and
the center of the return channel in the array direction is positioned between the another nozzle and the outlet port.

6. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of individual channels includes: a first pressure chamber corresponding to the pressure chamber; and a second pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle, the second pressure chamber being arranged at the other side of the nozzle in the array direction,
wherein the liquid discharge head further comprises:
a first actuator which is the actuator; and
a second actuator facing the second pressure chamber in the facing direction, and

wherein for each of the plurality of individual channels:
an end portion, of the second pressure chamber, at the other side in the array direction is positioned between the nozzle and the end portion, of the supply channel, at the other side in the array direction, and
a center of the supply channel in the array direction is positioned between the nozzle and the inlet port.

7. The liquid discharge head according to claim 6 ,
wherein for each individual channel of the plurality of individual channels:
the outlet port is located at a position not overlapping with the first actuator in the facing direction, and
the inlet port is located at a position not overlapping with the second actuator in the facing direction.

8. The liquid discharge head according to claim 6 ,
wherein each of the return channel and the supply channel includes: the outlet port and the inlet port which are provided at one side in a facing direction; and a damper chamber which is provided at the other side in the facing direction, the facing direction being a direction directing from the first and second pressure chambers toward the first and second actuators, respectively, and
wherein each of the outlet port and the inlet port is located at a position overlapping with the damper chamber in the facing direction.

9. The liquid discharge head according to claim 6 ,
wherein for each of the plurality of individual channels:
a distance separating the inlet port and the center of the supply channel in the array direction is larger than or equal to a length of the supply channel in the facing direction.

10. The liquid discharge head according to claim 6 ,
wherein each of the plurality of individual channels includes: a first joining channel including the outlet port and joining the first pressure chamber and the return channel; and a second joining channel including the inlet port and joining the second pressure chamber and the supply channel, and
wherein each of the first joining channel and the second joining channel is extended in a direction intersecting the array direction.

11. The liquid discharge head according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a plurality of other individual channels, each including another nozzle and another pressure chamber communicating with the another nozzle;
another actuator facing the another pressure chamber in the facing direction; and
another supply channel communicating with the storage chamber and an inlet port of the plurality of other individual channels, the another supply channel being configured to supply a liquid from the storage chamber to the plurality of other individual channels, extended in the extending direction, and arranged along with the return channel in the array direction while sandwiching the another nozzle,
wherein the return channel communicates with an outlet port of the plurality of other individual channels,
wherein for each of the plurality of other individual channels:
the return channel and the another pressure chamber are arranged at the other side of the another nozzle in the array direction,
an end portion of the another pressure chamber at the other side in the array direction is positioned between the another nozzle and an end portion of the return channel at the other side in the

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Koide Shohei
• Sugiura Keita
• Katayama Hiroshi
• Yamamoto Jiro

Classifications

• B41J2002/14338

  Multiple pressure elements per ink chamber · CPC title

• B41J2002/14306

  Flow passage between manifold and chamber · CPC title

• B41J2202/08

  dealing with thermal variations, e.g. cooling · CPC title

• B41J2002/14419

  Manifold · CPC title

• B41J2202/11

  characterised by specific geometrical characteristics · CPC title