Manifold, head module, liquid discharge unit, and liquid discharging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12076986-B2
Application number	US-202217861277-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2022
Priority date	Jul 27, 2021
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A manifold includes: a liquid chamber including an elastic damper, the liquid chamber configured to store a liquid; multiple head couplers on a lower end of the liquid chamber, the multiple head couplers configured to be respectively coupled to multiple liquid discharge heads and spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the liquid chamber; and a tank coupler on an upper end of the liquid chamber, the tank coupler configured to be coupled to a tank configured to store liquid to be supplied to or discharged from the manifold, wherein a length of the liquid chamber increases from the tank coupler on the upper end toward the multiple head couplers on the lower end of the liquid chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A manifold comprising:
a liquid chamber including an elastic damper, the liquid chamber configured to store a liquid;
multiple head couplers on a lower end of the liquid chamber, the multiple head couplers configured to be respectively coupled to multiple liquid discharge heads and spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the liquid chamber; and
a tank coupler on an upper end of the liquid chamber, the tank coupler configured to be coupled to a tank configured to store liquid to be supplied to or discharged from the manifold,
wherein a length of the liquid chamber increases from the tank coupler on the upper end toward the multiple head couplers on the lower end of the liquid chamber, and
wherein the liquid chamber has a shape of trapezoid, the upper end of the liquid chamber corresponds to an upper base of the trapezoid, and the lower end of the liquid chamber corresponds to a lower base of the trapezoid.

2. The manifold according to claim 1 , wherein;
the tank coupler is in a center in the longitudinal direction of the liquid chamber.

3. The manifold according to claim 1 , wherein:
the multiple head couplers includes two head couplers at both ends of the lower end in the longitudinal direction of the liquid chamber.

4. A manifold comprising:
a liquid chamber including an elastic damper, the liquid chamber configured to store a liquid;
multiple head couplers on a lower end of the liquid chamber, the multiple head couplers configured to be respectively coupled to multiple liquid discharge heads and spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the liquid chamber; and
a tank coupler on an upper end of the liquid chamber, the tank coupler configured to be coupled to a tank configured to store liquid to be supplied to or discharged from the manifold,
wherein a length of the liquid chamber increases from the tank coupler on the upper end toward the multiple head couplers on the lower end of the liquid chamber, and
wherein a peripheral portion of the elastic damper is disposed outside of a central portion of the elastic damper in a transverse direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the liquid chamber.

5. The manifold according to claim 4 , wherein:
a central portion of the elastic damper protrudes toward an interior of the liquid chamber.

6. The manifold according to claim 4 , wherein:
the multiple head couplers and the tank coupler are disposed in a center of the liquid chamber in the transverse direction; and
the central portion of the elastic damper is disposed between a plane, which connects an upper end of the multiple head couplers on an elastic damper side and a lower end of the tank coupler on the elastic damper side, and a plane of a center of the liquid chamber in the transverse direction.

7. A head module, comprising:
multiple liquid discharge heads; and
a manifold including:
a liquid chamber including an elastic damper, the liquid chamber configured to store a liquid;
multiple head couplers on a lower end of the liquid chamber, the multiple head couplers configured to be respectively coupled to the multiple liquid discharge heads and spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the liquid chamber; and
a tank coupler on an upper end of the liquid chamber, the tank coupler configured to be coupled to a tank configured to store liquid to be supplied to or discharged from the manifold,
wherein a length of the liquid chamber increases from the tank coupler on the upper end toward the multiple head couplers on the lower end of the liquid chamber, and
wherein the manifold includes a discharge manifold configured to collect the liquid discharged from the multiple liquid discharge heads.

8. The head module according to claim 7 , wherein:
the manifold includes a supply manifold configured to feed the liquid to the multiple liquid discharge heads.

9. A liquid discharge device comprising the head module according to claim 7 .

10. A liquid discharging apparatus comprising the liquid discharge device according to claim 9 .

11. The head module according to claim 7 , wherein:
the liquid chamber has a shape of trapezoid, the upper end of the liquid chamber corresponds to an upper base of the trapezoid, and the lower end of the liquid chamber corresponds to a lower base of the trapezoid.

12. The head module according to claim 11 , wherein:
the tank coupler is in a center in the longitudinal direction of the liquid chamber.

13. The head module according to claim 7 , wherein:
the multiple head couplers includes two head couplers at both ends of the lower end in the longitudinal direction of the liquid chamber.

14. The head module according to claim 7 , wherein:
a peripheral portion of the elastic damper is disposed outside of a central portion of the elastic damper in a transverse direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the liquid chamber.

15. The head module according to claim 14 , wherein:
a central portion of the elastic damper protrudes toward an interior of the liquid chamber.

16. The head module according to claim 14 , wherein:
the multiple head couplers and the tank coupler are disposed in a center of the liquid chamber in the transverse direction; and
the central portion of the elastic damper is disposed between a plane, which connects an upper end of the multiple head couplers on an elastic damper side and a lower end of the tank coupler on the elastic damper side, and a plane of a center of the liquid chamber in the transverse direction.

Assignees

• Saito Masahiro
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Saito Masahiro

Classifications

• B41J2/17523

  Ink connection · CPC title

• B41J2002/14419

  Manifold · CPC title

• B41J2/14201

  Structure of print heads with piezoelectric elements · CPC title

• B41J2/17509

  Whilst mounted in the printer · CPC title

• B41J2/14 Primary

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