Liquid ejecting head and liquid ejecting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11865836-B2
Application number	US-202217582304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2022
Priority date	Jan 25, 2021
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

A liquid ejecting head includes: a nozzle; a flow path member in which a flow path communicating with the nozzle is formed and which has an inner wall surface defining the flow path and an outer wall surface that faces away from the flow path with respect to the inner wall surface; and a temperature sensor disposed on a part of the outer wall surface and configured to detect a temperature of the liquid in the flow path. The flow path includes a narrowed region having a narrow width in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction in a direction in which the flow path extends, and the temperature sensor is disposed on a portion of the outer wall surface that forms the narrowed region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid ejecting head comprising:
a plurality of nozzles configured to eject a liquid;
a flow path member in which a flow path that is configured to communicate the liquid to the plurality of nozzles is formed, and which has an inner wall surface defining the flow path and an outer wall surface that faces away from the flow path with respect to the inner wall surface; and
a temperature sensor disposed on a part of the outer wall surface and configured to detect a temperature of the liquid in the flow path,
wherein the flow path includes a narrowed region having a narrow width in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction in a direction in which the flow path extends, and
the temperature sensor is disposed on a portion of the outer wall surface that forms the narrowed region.

2. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1 , wherein
the flow path member includes a protrusion portion defining a part of the inner wall surface that faces a part of the inner surface that faces away from the temperature sensor and protruding toward the temperature sensor.

3. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 2 , wherein
the flow path member includes
a first flow path substrate which defines a part of the inner wall surface and in which an opening communicating with the flow path is formed,
a second flow path substrate which defines a part of the inner wall surface and in which the protrusion portion is formed in a portion facing the opening, and
a sealing portion thinner than a plate thickness of the first flow path substrate and covering the opening from an outside of the flow path, and

the temperature sensor is disposed on a surface of the sealing portion that is faces away from the flow path.

4. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 3 , wherein
the opening is long in the first direction.

5. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 3 , wherein
a length of the opening in the first direction is greater than a length of the protrusion portion in the first direction.

6. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 3 , wherein
the second direction is along a direction of gravity, and
the opening is disposed on a direction opposite to the direction of gravity with respect to the flow path.

7. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 6 , wherein
the flow path is provided with a filter through which the liquid passes, and
the opening is disposed downstream of the filter.

8. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 2 , wherein
the protrusion portion includes a top surface disposed at a position closest to the temperature sensor in the second direction, and
in a cross section orthogonal to the first direction, a cross-sectional area of the flow path close to the temperature sensor from the top surface is greater than a cross-sectional area of the flow path far from the temperature sensor from the top surface.

9. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
the liquid ejecting head according to claim 1 ; and
a liquid storage portion storing the liquid supplied to the liquid ejecting head.

10. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1 , wherein
the temperature sensor is liquidly isolated from the liquid in the flow path,
the flow path member includes a protrusion portion protruding in the second direction and defining a part of the inner wall surface that faces a part of the inner surface that faces away from the temperature sensor and protruding toward the temperature sensor, and
the protrusion portion, the narrowed region of the flow path, the inner wall surface, the outer wall surface, and the temperature sensor are arranged in the second direction in this order, when viewed in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction.

11. A liquid ejecting head comprising
a nozzle configured to eject a liquid;
a flow path member in which a flow path that is configured to communicate the liquid to the nozzle is formed, and which has an inner wall surface defining the flow path and an outer wall surface that faces away from the flow path with respect to the inner wall surface; and
a temperature sensor disposed on a part of the outer wall surface and configured to detect a temperature of the liquid in the flow path,
wherein the flow path includes a narrowed region having a narrow width in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction in a direction in which the flow path extends,
the temperature sensor is disposed on a portion of the outer wall surface that forms the narrowed region,
the flow path member includes a protrusion portion defining a part of the inner wall surface that faces a part of the inner surface that faces away from the temperature sensor and protruding toward the temperature sensor,
the protrusion portion includes a first slope disposed upstream of the temperature sensor in the first direction, and
a second position of the first slope positioned downstream of a first position of the first slope is closer to the temperature sensor than is the first position with respect to the second direction.

12. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 11 , wherein
a virtual plane extending along the first slope overlaps the temperature sensor, when viewed in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction.

13. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 11 , wherein
an inclination angle of the first slope with respect to a reference plane along a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction is 50° or less.

14. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 11 , wherein
the flow path member includes a second slope disposed upstream of the temperature sensor in the first direction and spaced apart from the first slope in a normal direction of the first slope, and
a second position of the second slope positioned downstream of a first position of the second slope is closer to the temperature sensor than is the first position of the second slope with respect to the second direction.

15. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
the liquid ejecting head according to claim 3 ; and
a liquid storage portion storing the liquid supplied to the liquid ejecting head.

16. A liquid ejecting head comprising:
a nozzle configured to eject a liquid;
a flow path member in which a flow path that is configured to communicate the liquid to the nozzle is formed, and which has an inner wall surface defining the flow path and an outer wall surface that faces away from the flow path with respect to the inner wall surface; and
a temperature sensor disposed on a part of the outer wall surface and configured to detect a temperature of the liquid in the flow path,
wherein the flow path includes a narrowed region having a narrow width in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction in a direction in which the flow path extends,
the temperature sensor is disposed on a portion of the outer wall surface that forms the narrowed region,
the flow path member includes a protrusion portion defining a part of the inner wall surface that faces a part of the inner surface that faces away from the temperature sensor and protruding toward the temperature sensor,
the outer wall surface of the flow path member has a recess portion recessed toward an inside of the flow path in the second direction, and
the temperature sensor is disposed in the recess portion.

17. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
the liquid ejecting head according to claim 13 ; and
a liquid storage portion storing the liquid supplied to the liquid ejecting h

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Murakami Kentaro
• Okui Hiroaki

Classifications

• B41J2/04563 Primary

  detecting head temperature; Ink temperature · CPC title

• B41J2/04581

  controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements · CPC title

• B41J2/175

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

• B41J2/14 Primary

  Structure thereof {only for on-demand ink jet heads} · CPC title

• B41J2/14201 Primary

  Structure of print heads with piezoelectric elements · CPC title