Liquid discharge head, head module, head unit, and liquid discharge apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12558889-B2
Application number	US-202318389239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2023
Priority date	Nov 14, 2022
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A liquid discharge head includes: a nozzle through which a liquid is to be discharged; an individual chamber in communication with the nozzle; a pressure generator to generate pressure in the individual chamber; and a damper member including: a damper having flexibility; and a damper frame supporting the damper, the damper frame having: a damper region having a cavity facing the damper; a through hole at one side of the damper region in a longitudinal direction of the damper member; a first communication path connecting the through hole and one circumferential end of the damper member in the longitudinal direction; and a second communication path connecting the through hole and one side of the cavity of the damper region in the longitudinal direction, the second communication path is shifted from the first communication path in a transverse direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A liquid discharge head comprising:
a nozzle through which a liquid is to be discharged; an individual chamber in communication with the nozzle; a pressure generator to generate pressure in the individual chamber; and a damper member including:
a damper having flexibility; and
a damper frame supporting the damper, the damper frame having:
a damper region having a cavity facing the damper;
a through hole at one side of the damper region in a longitudinal direction of the damper member;
a first communication path connecting the through hole and one circumferential end of the damper member in the longitudinal direction; and
a second communication path connecting the through hole and one side of the cavity of the damper region in the longitudinal direction, the second communication path is shifted from the first communication path in a transverse direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction,

wherein the damper frame includes: a second through hole at another side of the damper region in the longitudinal direction; another first communication path connecting the second through hole and another circumferential end opposite to the one circumferential end of the damper member in the longitudinal direction; and another second communication path connecting the second through hole and another side of the cavity of the damper region in the longitudinal direction, said another second communication path is shifted from said another first communication path in the transverse direction.

2 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein;
the first communication path is shifted from said another first communication path in the transverse direction.

3 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein;
the second communication path is shifted from said another second communication path in the transverse direction.

4 . A liquid discharge head comprising:
a nozzle through which a liquid is to be discharged; an individual chamber in communication with the nozzle; a pressure generator to generate pressure in the individual chamber; and a damper member including: a damper having flexibility; and a damper frame supporting the damper, the damper frame having including:
a damper region having multiple cavities facing the damper;
a through hole at one side of the damper region in a longitudinal direction of the damper member;
a first communication path connecting the through hole and one circumferential end of the damper member in the longitudinal direction;
a second communication path connecting the through hole and one side of the multiple cavities of the damper region in the longitudinal direction; and
a third communication path serially connecting each of the multiple cavities in the longitudinal direction, the third communication path is shifted from the first communication path in a transverse direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

5 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 4 , wherein the damper frame further includes:
a second through hole at another side of the damper region in the longitudinal direction; another first communication path connecting the second through hole and another circumferential end opposite to the one circumferential end of the damper member in the longitudinal direction; and another second communication path connecting the second through hole and another side of the multiple cavities of the damper region in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the third communication path is shifted from said another first communication path in the transverse direction.

6 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 5 , wherein:
the first communication path is shifted from said another first communication path in the transverse direction.

7 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 5 , wherein;
the second communication path is shifted from said another second communication path in the transverse direction.

8 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 5 , wherein:
the third communication path serially connects each of a part of the multiple cavities in the longitudinal direction, the damper frame further includes another third communication path serially connecting each of another part of the multiple cavities in the longitudinal direction, and said another third communication path is shifted from the third communication path in the transverse direction.

9 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 4 , wherein;
the third communication path is shifted from the second communication path in the transverse direction.

10 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 6 , wherein;
the third communication path is shifted from each of the first communication path, said another first communication path, and the second communication path, in the transverse direction, and the second communication path is shifted from each of the first communication path and said another first communication path in the transverse direction.

11 . A head module comprising multiple liquid discharge heads including the liquid discharge head according to claim 4 .

12 . A head unit comprising multiple head modules each including the head module according to claim 11 .

13 . A liquid discharge apparatus comprising the liquid discharge head according to claim 4 .

14 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second communication path includes a first communication portion in communication with the through hole, and a straight line on which the first communication path is disposed is different from a straight line on which the first communication portion is disposed.

15 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein:
the damper frame and the damper both include a Si-based material.

16 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein:
the damper frame includes a damper outer region between the damper region and the one circumferential end, and the through hole is located in a half of the damper outer region that is closer to the one circumferential end.

17 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein:
the one circumferential end of the damper member is a dicing line, and the first communication path connects the through hole to the dicing line.

18 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein:
the damper is a thin film that covers an entire face of the damper frame.

19 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein:
the through hole and the second through hole each have a circular cross-section.

Assignees

• HIRABAYASHI Takuma
• Masuda Toshiaki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• HIRABAYASHI Takuma
• Masuda Toshiaki

Classifications

• B41J2/14233 Primary

  of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm · CPC title

• B41J2/175

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

• B41J2202/08

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

• B41J2202/12

  with ink circulating through the whole print head · CPC title

• B41J2202/20

  Modules · CPC title