Liquid ejecting head and liquid ejecting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9302480-B2
Application number	US-201414455770-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2014
Priority date	Aug 9, 2013
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A liquid ejecting head includes a liquid discharge unit with a pressure generating chamber group which communicates with a nozzle disposed on a nozzle surface and is formed from pressure generating chambers disposed in a first direction, and a case member which communicates with the pressure generating chamber group and holds a liquid. The case member has a liquid inlet on the side opposite to the liquid discharge direction and at a position between the pressure generating chambers at both ends in the first direction. First and second liquid discharge units are arranged at positions where the first directions of the first and second liquid discharge units are parallel to each other in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction, and positions of the liquid inlets of the case member respectively corresponding to the first and second liquid discharge units do not overlap in the second direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid ejecting head comprising:
first and second liquid discharge units that each include a pressure generating chamber group which communicates with a nozzle disposed on a nozzle surface and is formed from a plurality of pressure generating chambers disposed in a first direction, and a case member which communicates with the pressure generating chamber group and holds a liquid,
wherein the case member of each liquid discharge unit has a liquid inlet on the side opposite to the liquid discharge direction and at a position between the pressure generating chambers at both ends in the first direction in a plan view of the pressure generating chamber group from the opposite side, and
wherein the first liquid discharge unit and the second liquid discharge unit are arranged side by side with respect to each other such that the first directions of the first liquid discharge unit and the second liquid discharge unit are substantially parallel to each other in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction, and positions of the liquid inlets of the case members respectively corresponding to the first liquid discharge unit and the second liquid discharge unit are such that the liquid inlet of the first case member and the liquid inlet of the second case member are successively arranged with respect to each other, and the liquid inlet of the first case member is offset from the liquid inlet of the second case member in both the first direction and the second direction.

2. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1 ,
wherein a flow path member, which has merging flow paths communicating respectively with the liquid inlet of the first liquid discharge unit and the liquid inlet of the second liquid discharge unit, is disposed across the first liquid discharge unit and the second liquid discharge unit.

3. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1 ,
wherein a filter that is disposed upstream the flow path which communicates with the liquid inlet of the first liquid discharge unit and a filter that is disposed upstream the flow path which communicates with the liquid inlet of the second liquid discharge unit are integrated with each other.

4. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first liquid discharge unit and the second liquid discharge unit collectively comprise a first unit pair, and the liquid ejecting apparatus further comprises one or more additional unit pairs disposed in a juxtaposed manner with each other and with the first unit pair, positions of the liquid inlet of one of the additional unit pairs and the liquid inlet of the first unit pair do not overlap in the second direction.

5. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 4 ,
wherein a flow path member, which has merging flow paths respectively communicating with the liquid inlet of the first liquid discharge unit and the liquid inlet of the second liquid discharge unit of the first unit pair and a first liquid inlet of the first liquid discharge unit and the liquid inlet of the second liquid discharge unit of one of the other unit pairs, is disposed across all of the first liquid discharge units and the second liquid discharge units of the first unit pair and the other unit pair.

6. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 4 ,
wherein a filter that is disposed upstream of the flow paths which communicate with the liquid inlets of all of the first liquid discharge units and a filter that is disposed upstream of the flow paths which communicate with the liquid inlets of all of the respective second liquid discharge units of the first unit pair and the other unit pair are integrated with each other.

7. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1 ,
wherein the liquid inlet of the first liquid discharge unit and the liquid inlet of the second liquid discharge unit are disposed at the center between the pressure generating chambers at both of the ends in the first direction.

8. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1 , wherein the offset between the liquid inlet of the first case member and the liquid inlet of the second case member is the same in both the first direction and the second direction.

9. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising a liquid ejecting head, the liquid ejecting head comprising:
first and second liquid discharge units that each include a pressure generating chamber group which communicates with a nozzle disposed on a nozzle surface and is formed from a plurality of pressure generating chambers disposed in a first direction, and a case member which communicates with the pressure generating chamber group and holds a liquid,
wherein the case member of each liquid discharge unit has a liquid inlet on the side opposite to the liquid discharge direction and at a position between the pressure generating chambers at both ends in the first direction in a plan view of the pressure generating chamber group from the opposite side, and
wherein the first liquid discharge unit and the second liquid discharge unit are arranged side by side with respect to each other such that the first directions of the first liquid discharge unit and the second liquid discharge unit are substantially parallel to each other in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction, and positions of the liquid inlets of the case members respectively corresponding to the first liquid discharge unit and the second liquid discharge unit are such that the liquid inlet of the first case member and the liquid inlet of the second case member are successively arranged with respect to each other, and the liquid inlet of the first case member is offset from the liquid inlet of the second case member in both the first direction and the second direction.

10. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein a flow path member, which has merging flow paths communicating respectively with the liquid inlet of the first liquid discharge unit and the liquid inlet of the second liquid discharge unit, is disposed across the first liquid discharge unit and the second liquid discharge unit.

11. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein a filter that is disposed upstream the flow path which communicates with the liquid inlet of the first liquid discharge unit and a filter that is disposed upstream the flow path which communicates with the liquid inlet of the second liquid discharge unit are integrated with each other.

12. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the first liquid discharge unit and the second liquid discharge unit collectively comprise a first unit pair, and the liquid ejecting apparatus further comprises one or more additional unit pairs disposed in a juxtaposed manner with each other and with the first unit pair, positions of the liquid inlet of one of the additional unit pairs and the liquid inlet of the first unit pair do not overlap in the second direction.

13. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 12 ,
wherein a flow path member, which has merging flow paths respectively communicating with the liquid inlet of the first liquid discharge unit and the liquid inlet of the second liquid discharge unit of the one unit pair and a first liquid inlet of the first liquid discharge unit and the liquid inlet of the second liquid discharge unit of the other unit pair, is disposed across all of the first liquid discharge units and the second liquid discharge units of the one unit pair and the other unit pair.

14. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 12 ,
wherein a filter that is disposed upstream of the flow paths which communicate with the liquid inl

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Enomoto Katsumi
• Watanabe Shunsuke

Classifications

• B41J2002/14419

  Manifold · CPC title

• B41J2/14233 Primary

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

• B41J2002/14241

  having a cover around the piezoelectric thin film element · CPC title

• B41J2002/14491

  Electrical connection · CPC title

• B41J2002/14306

  Flow passage between manifold and chamber · CPC title