Liquid discharge head and liquid discharge apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12358299-B2
Application number	US-202318121599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2023
Priority date	Mar 15, 2022
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

A liquid discharge head includes a nozzle plate having a discharge port, and a valve facing the nozzle plate to open and close the discharge port. The valve includes a core having a recess, and an elastic member attached to the core. The recess has: an opening rim on a leading end of the core, the opening rim defining an opening of the recess opening toward the discharge port; a bottom face opposite to the opening rim; and a retaining portion having a width wider than a width of a portion other than the retaining portion of the recess in a width direction, the retaining portion disposed in a rear region between the bottom face and a center of the recess. The elastic member includes a first portion fitted into the recess and a second portion projecting from the opening of the recess toward the discharge port.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A liquid discharge head comprising:
a nozzle plate having a discharge port from which a liquid is discharged; and
a valve facing the nozzle plate, the valve being configured to open and close the discharge port, the valve including:
a core; and
an elastic member attached to the core,

wherein the core has a recess,
wherein the recess has:
an opening rim on a leading end of the core, the opening rim defining an opening of the recess, and the opening of the recess opening toward the discharge port in a depth direction of the recess;
a bottom face opposite to the opening rim in the depth direction; and
a retaining portion having a width wider than a width of a portion other than the retaining portion of the recess in a width direction orthogonal to the depth direction, the retaining portion being disposed in a rear region between the bottom face and a center of the recess in the depth direction, wherein the retaining portion includes at least one groove having a triangular cross-section, and wherein the elastic member includes:
a first portion fitted into the recess; and
a second portion projecting from the opening of the recess toward the discharge port in the depth direction.

2. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first portion of the elastic member is filled in the retaining portion.

3. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein the retaining portion is adjacent to the bottom face.

4. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein the recess further has a projection on the bottom face.

5. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein a side face of the recess and the elastic member are separated by a clearance in the width direction.

6. The liquid discharge head according to claim 5 ,
wherein a width of the recess in the width direction increases toward the opening rim in the depth direction.

7. The liquid discharge head according to claim 5 ,
wherein a width of the elastic member in the width direction decreases toward the discharge port in the depth direction.

8. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one groove includes a plurality of grooves in the rear region, the plurality of grooves extending in the depth direction, and
wherein the recess further has a straight portion between the plurality of grooves and the bottom face, the straight portion having a width that is constant in the depth direction.

9. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,
wherein the valve is configured to:
move to a contact position at which the valve presses the elastic member against the nozzle plate to close the discharge port; and
move to a separated position at which the valve separates the elastic member from the nozzle plate to open the discharge port.

10. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
the liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ; and
a carriage mounting the liquid discharge head and configured to move the liquid discharge head.

11. A liquid discharge head comprising:
a nozzle plate having a discharge port from which a liquid is discharged; and
a valve facing the nozzle plate, the valve being configured to open and close the discharge port, the valve including:
a core; and
an elastic member attached to the core,

wherein the core has a recess,
wherein the recess has:
an opening rim on a leading end of the core, the opening rim defining an opening of the recess, and the opening of the recess opening toward the discharge port in a depth direction of the recess;
a bottom face opposite to the opening rim in the depth direction; and
a retaining portion having a width wider than a width of a portion other than the retaining portion of the recess in a width direction orthogonal to the depth direction, the retaining portion being disposed in a rear region between the bottom face and a center of the recess in the depth direction, wherein the retaining portion includes a plurality of grooves having triangular cross-sections, and

wherein the elastic member includes:
a first portion fitted into the recess; and
a second portion projecting from the opening of the recess toward the discharge port in the depth direction.

12. The liquid discharge head according to claim 11 , wherein:
the recess further has a straight portion between the plurality of grooves and the bottom face, and
the straight portion has a width that is constant in the depth direction.

13. A liquid discharge head comprising:
a nozzle plate having a discharge port from which a liquid is discharged; and
a valve facing the nozzle plate, the valve being configured to open and close the discharge port, the valve including:
a core; and
an elastic member attached to the core,

wherein the core has a recess,
wherein the recess has:
an opening rim on a leading end of the core, the opening rim defining an opening of the recess, and the opening of the recess opening toward the discharge port in a depth direction of the recess;
a bottom face opposite to the opening rim in the depth direction;
a retaining portion having a width wider than a width of a portion other than the retaining portion of the recess in a width direction orthogonal to the depth direction, the retaining portion being disposed in a rear region between the bottom face and a center of the recess in the depth direction; and
a projection on the bottom face, the projection having a conical shape or a pyramid shape having a triangular cross section, and wherein the elastic member includes:
a first portion fitted into the recess; and
a second portion projecting from the opening of the recess toward the discharge port in the depth direction.

14. The liquid discharge head according to claim 13 ,
wherein the first portion of the elastic member is filled in the retaining portion.

15. The liquid discharge head according to claim 13 ,
wherein the retaining portion is adjacent to the bottom face.

16. The liquid discharge head according to claim 13 ,
wherein a side face of the recess and the elastic member are separated by a clearance in the width direction.

17. The liquid discharge head according to claim 16 ,
wherein a width of the recess in the width direction increases toward the opening rim in the depth direction.

18. The liquid discharge head according to claim 16 ,
wherein a width of the elastic member in the width direction decreases toward the discharge port in the depth direction.

19. The liquid discharge head according to claim 13 ,
wherein the retaining portion includes at least one groove having a triangular cross-section.

20. The liquid discharge head according to claim 13 ,
wherein the retaining portion has a plurality of grooves in the rear region, the plurality of grooves extending in the depth direction, and
wherein the recess further has a straight portion between the plurality of grooves and the bottom face, the straight portion having a width constant in the depth direction.

Assignees

• Kurosawa Tomoko
• Sagae Eiri
• Nakashima Makito
• Maeshiro Riku
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kurosawa Tomoko
• Sagae Eiri
• Nakashima Makito
• Maeshiro Riku

Classifications

• B41J2202/05

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