Liquid ejecting head and liquid ejecting apparatus

• US 10,442,188 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Shunsuke, Takino, Fumiya, Tomimatsu, Shingo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ameh, Yaovi M
• Application Number:
  US15/422,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20170225457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 347 68, 347 71
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04541 Specific driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04581 controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14233 of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14241 having a cover around the piezoelectric thin film element
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14419 Manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/11 characterised by specific geometrical characteristics

Abstract

A liquid ejecting head may include a driver element that ejects liquid in a pressure chamber from a nozzle, a liquid storage chamber that stores liquid to be supplied to the pressure chamber, and a driver IC that drives the driver element. At least a part of the liquid storage chamber overlaps with both the driver element and the driver IC when viewed in plan.

Claims

1. A liquid ejecting head comprising:

a driver element that causes liquid in a pressure chamber to be ejected from a nozzle;

a liquid storage chamber that stores the liquid to be supplied to the pressure chamber; and

a driver IC chip that drives the driver element,

wherein at least a part of the liquid storage chamber overlaps both the driver element and the driver IC chip in plan view such that the liquid storage chamber is positioned above both the driver element and the driver IC chip in plan view and such that the liquid storage chamber, the driver IC chip, and the driver element are also all positioned above the nozzle in plan view, and

wherein the liquid storage chamber includes;

a first space located at a side opposite to the driver element relative to the driver IC chip, and

a second space located at a side of each of the driver IC chip and the driver element, and

at least a part of the first space overlaps the driver element and the driver IC chip when viewed in plan view.

2. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein the driver IC chip is disposed between the driver element and the liquid storage chamber.

3. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, further comprising:

a protective member including a housing space that houses the driver element,

wherein the driver IC chip is disposed on a surface of the protective member opposite to the housing space.

4. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein:

the driver element comprises a plurality of driver elements,

the liquid ejecting head further comprises a wire member disposed at an end of a protective member in a direction in which the driver elements are arranged, and

the wire member is electrically connected to the driver IC chip.

5. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, further comprising a first flexible damping body that is disposed on a first surface closer to the driver element than to the driver IC chip and constitutes a wall surface of the liquid storage chamber.

6. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 5, further comprising a second flexible damping body that is disposed on a second surface at a side of the driver element opposite to the driver IC chip and constitutes a wall surface of the liquid storage chamber.

7. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising the liquid ejecting head according to claim 1.

8. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising the liquid ejecting head according to claim 2.

9. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising the liquid ejecting head according to claim 3.

10. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising the liquid ejecting head according to claim 4.

11. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising the liquid ejecting head according to claim 5.

12. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, further comprising:

a protective member including a housing space that houses the driver element;

a first flexible damping body that constitutes a wall surface of the liquid storage chamber; and

a second flexible damping body that constitutes a wall surface of the liquid storage chamber and is discrete from the first flexible damping body.

13. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 12, wherein the driver IC chip is disposed between the driver element and the liquid storage chamber.

14. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 13, wherein the liquid storage chamber includes:

a first space located at a side opposite to the driver element relative to the driver IC chip, and

a second space located at a side of each of the driver IC chip and the driver element, and

at least a part of the first space overlaps the driver element and the driver IC chip when viewed in plan.

15. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 14, wherein the first flexible damping body is disposed on a first surface closer to the driver element than to the driver IC chip.

16. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 15, wherein the second flexible damping body is disposed on a second surface at a side of the driver element opposite to the driver IC chip.

17. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pressure chamber substrate comprising the pressure chamber which is in communication with the liquid storage chamber through a channel.

18. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein the liquid storage chamber is in communication with multiple pressure chambers and spans an area above the multiple pressure chambers and beneath the multiple pressure chambers.