Liquid discharge apparatus and method for manufacturing the same

• US 10,639,891 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Naito, Kyohei, Koide, Shohei, Yamamoto, Jiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Mruk, Geoffrey S
• Application Number:
  US16/053,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20190030892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14233 of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/18 Electrical connection established using vias
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/20 Modules
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 Line printing

Abstract

A liquid discharge apparatus is provided, including a liquid discharge head including: an upper substrate, a plurality of piezoelectric elements, an intermediate substrate, a lower substrate and a plurality of individual traces arranged on the upper substrate and extending toward the contacts arranged on the one end side in the second direction from the plurality of piezoelectric elements respectively.

Claims

1. A liquid discharge apparatus, comprising:

a first liquid discharge head elongated in a first direction, comprising;

a first nozzle defining member defining a first nozzle, and

a first channel defining member defining a first channel communicated with the first nozzle and comprising a first contact thereon; and

a first trace member electrically connected with the first contact,

wherein the first nozzle defining member has a first end and a second end which are both ends of the first nozzle defining member in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,

wherein the first channel defining member has a third end and fourth end which are both ends of the first channel defining member in the second direction,

wherein the first nozzle defining member is stacked on the first channel defining member in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and

wherein the third end, the first contact, the first end, and the second end are positioned in this order in the second direction.

2. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the second end and the fourth end in the second direction is smaller than a distance between the third end and the first end in the second direction.

3. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second liquid discharge head elongated in the first direction, comprising;

a second nozzle defining member defining a second nozzle, and

a second channel defining member defining a second channel communicated with the second nozzle and comprising a second contact thereon; and

a second trace member electrically connected with the second contact,

wherein the second nozzle defining member has a fifth end and a sixth end which are both ends of the second nozzle defining member in the second direction,

wherein the second channel defining member has a seventh end and an eighth end which are both ends of the second channel defining member in the second direction,

wherein the fifth end, the sixth end, the second contact, and the eighth end are positioned in this order in the second direction.

4. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the third end, the first contact, the second contact, and the eighth end are positioned in this order in the second direction.

5. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a distance between the second end and the fourth end in the second direction is smaller than a distance between the third end and the first end in the second direction.

6. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a distance between the seventh end and the fifth end in the second direction is smaller than a distance between the sixth end and the eighth end in the second direction.

7. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the first liquid discharge head is offset from the second liquid discharge head in the first direction.

8. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a third liquid discharge head,

wherein the third liquid discharge head is aligned with the first liquid discharge head in the first direction.

9. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a fourth liquid discharge head,

wherein the fourth liquid discharge head is aligned with the second liquid discharge head in the first direction.

10. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first liquid discharge head is aligned with the second liquid discharge head in the second direction.

11. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a third liquid discharge head,

wherein the third liquid discharge head is aligned with the first liquid discharge head and the second liquid discharge head in the second direction.

12. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a fourth liquid discharge head,

wherein the fourth liquid discharge head is aligned with the first liquid discharge head and the second liquid discharge head in the second direction.

13. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first liquid discharge head and the second liquid discharge head are positioned between the third liquid discharge head and the fourth liquid discharge head in the second direction.

14. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first nozzle defining member is a silicon substrate.

15. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first channel defining member comprises a first silicon substrate and a second silicon substrate,

wherein the first silicon substrate defines a first manifold and is stacked on the first nozzle defining member in the third direction,

wherein the second silicon substrate defines a first pressure chamber and is stacked on the first silicon substrate, and

wherein the first pressure chamber is communicated with the first nozzle and the first manifold.

16. A liquid discharge head elongated in a first direction, comprising:

a nozzle defining member defining a nozzle, and

a channel defining member defining a channel communicated with the nozzle and comprising a contact configured to electrically connect with a trace member, thereon,

wherein the nozzle defining member has a first end and a second end which are both ends of the nozzle defining member in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,

wherein the channel defining member has a third end and fourth end which are both ends of the channel defining member in the second direction,

wherein the nozzle defining member is stacked on the channel defining member in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and

wherein the third end, the contact, the first end, and the second end are positioned in this order in the second direction.

17. The liquid discharge head according to claim 16, wherein a distance between the second end and the fourth end in the second direction is smaller than a distance between the third end and the first end in the second direction.

18. The liquid discharge head according to claim 16, wherein the nozzle defining member is a silicon substrate.

19. The liquid discharge head according to claim 16, wherein the channel defining member comprises a first silicon substrate and a second silicon substrate,

wherein the first silicon substrate defines a manifold and is stacked on the nozzle defining member in the third direction,

wherein the second silicon substrate defines a pressure chamber and is stacked on the first silicon substrate, and

wherein the pressure chamber is communicated with the nozzle and the manifold.