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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10737491-B2
Application number	US-201916274380-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2019
Priority date	Feb 23, 2018
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

A liquid discharge head includes a plurality of nozzles, a plurality of individual liquid chambers, a common supply channel, and a common collection channel. The plurality of nozzles discharges a liquid. The plurality of individual liquid chambers communicates with the plurality of nozzles, respectively. The common supply channel communicates with the plurality of individual liquid chambers. The common collection channel communicates with the plurality of individual liquid chambers. At least a part of at least one of the common supply channel and the common collection channel is disposed at a position overlapping with the plurality of individual liquid chambers when the plurality of individual liquid chambers is projected in a vertical direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A liquid discharge head, comprising:
a plurality of nozzles to discharge a liquid;
a plurality of individual liquid chambers communicating with the plurality of nozzles, respectively;
a common supply channel communicating with the plurality of individual liquid chambers; and
a common collection channel communicating with the plurality of individual liquid chambers,
wherein the common supply channel and the common collection channel do not overlap in a direction orthogonal to a nozzle arrangement direction in which the plurality of nozzles is arranged when the common supply channel and the common collection channel are projected in a vertical direction of discharge of the liquid from the nozzles.

2. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least a part of the common supply channel and at least a part of the common collection channel are disposed side by side in the direction orthogonal to the nozzle arrangement direction in which the plurality of nozzles is arranged.

3. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein the common collection channel is disposed at a position closer to the plurality of nozzles than the common supply channel.

4. The liquid discharge head according to claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of individual supply channels and a plurality of individual collection channels,
wherein the common supply channel communicates with the plurality of individual liquid chambers via the plurality of individual supply channels on a first side opposite to a second side of the plurality of individual liquid chambers communicating with the plurality of nozzles in a direction orthogonal to the nozzle arrangement direction in which the plurality of nozzles is arranged, and
wherein the common collection channel communicates with the plurality of individual liquid chambers via the plurality of individual collection channels on the second side of the plurality of individual liquid chambers communicating with the plurality of nozzles in the direction orthogonal to the nozzle arrangement direction.

5. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein the common supply channel is disposed at a position closer to the plurality of nozzles than the common collection channel.

6. The liquid discharge head according to claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of individual supply channels and a plurality of individual collection channels,
wherein the common supply channel communicates with the plurality of individual liquid chambers via the plurality of individual supply channels on a first side opposite to a second side of the plurality of individual liquid chambers communicating with the plurality of nozzles in the direction orthogonal to the nozzle arrangement direction in which the plurality of nozzles is arranged, and
the common collection channel communicates with the plurality of individual liquid chambers via the plurality of individual collection channels on a side opposite to the plurality of individual liquid chambers across the common supply channel.

7. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least a part of at least one of the common supply channel and the common collection channel is disposed below the plurality of individual liquid chambers in the vertical direction, and
wherein the liquid discharge head is to discharge the liquid downward from the plurality of nozzles in the vertical direction.

8. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein the common supply channel communicates with the plurality of individual liquid chambers on an upper side of the common supply channel in the vertical direction, and
wherein the liquid discharge head is to discharge the liquid downward from the plurality of nozzles in the vertical direction.

9. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein the common collection channel communicates with the plurality of individual liquid chambers on a lower side of the common collection channel in the vertical direction, and
wherein the liquid discharge head is to discharge the liquid downward from the plurality of nozzles in the vertical direction.

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

11. The liquid discharge device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the liquid discharge head is integrated as a single unit with at least one of:
a head tank to store the liquid to be supplied to the liquid discharge head;
a carriage on which the liquid discharge head is mounted;
a supply mechanism to supply the liquid to the liquid discharge head;
a maintenance and recovery mechanism to perform maintenance and recovery of the liquid discharge head; and
a main scanning movement mechanism to move the liquid discharge head in a main scanning direction.

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

13. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising the liquid discharge head according to claim 1 .

14. The liquid discharge head of claim 1 , wherein at least part of the common supply channel and at least part of the common collection channel are disposed at a same level in the vertical direction.

15. A liquid discharge head, comprising:
a plurality of nozzles to discharge a liquid;
a plurality of individual liquid chambers communicating with the plurality of nozzles, respectively;
a common supply channel communicating with the plurality of individual liquid chambers; and
a common collection channel communicating with the plurality of individual liquid chambers,
wherein at least a part of at least one of the common supply channel and the common collection channel is disposed at a position overlapping with the plurality of individual liquid chambers when the plurality of individual liquid chambers are projected in a vertical direction, and
the common supply channel is disposed at a position closer to the plurality of nozzles than the common collection channel.

16. A liquid discharge device comprising the liquid discharge head according to claim 15 .

17. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising the liquid discharge head according to claim 15 .

18. A liquid discharge head, comprising:
a plurality of nozzles to discharge a liquid;
a plurality of individual liquid chambers communicating with the plurality of nozzles, respectively;
a common supply channel communicating with the plurality of individual liquid chambers; and
a common collection channel communicating with the plurality of individual liquid chambers,
wherein at least a part of at least one of the common supply channel and the common collection channel is disposed at a position overlapping with the plurality of individual liquid chambers when the plurality of individual liquid chambers are projected in a vertical direction,
at least a part of at least one of the common supply channel and the common collection channel is disposed below the plurality of individual liquid chambers in the vertical direction, and
the liquid discharge head is to discharge the liquid downward from the plurality of nozzles in the vertical direction.

19. A liquid discharge device comprising the liquid discharge head according to claim 18 .

20. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising the liquid discharge head according to claim 18 .

Assignees

• ODAKA Toshimichi
• Yoshida Takahiro
• Kihira Takakazu
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• ODAKA Toshimichi
• Yoshida Takahiro
• Kihira Takakazu

Classifications

• B41J2/175 Primary

  Ink supply systems {; Circuit parts therefor} · CPC title

• B41J2002/14419

  Manifold · CPC title

• B41J2/185

  Ink-collectors; Ink-catchers · CPC title

• B41J2202/12

  with ink circulating through the whole print head · CPC title

• B41J2202/20

  Modules · CPC title