LIQUID EJECTION HEAD AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME

• US 20140232796A1
• Filed: 02/06/2014
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Kimura, Yuu, Yoshida, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,259,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/94
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/055 Devices for absorbing or preventing back-pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14274 of stacked structure type, deformed by compression/extension and disposed on a diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1433 Structure of nozzle plates
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1612 of stacked structure type, deformed by compression/extension and disposed on a diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1623 bonding and adhesion
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1626 etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1632 machining
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14419 Manifold

Abstract

A liquid ejection head includes a nozzle plate, a channel plate, a common-liquid-chamber member, and a deformable damper area. The nozzle plate includes plural nozzles to eject droplets of liquid. The channel plate includes individual liquid chambers communicated with the nozzles. The common-liquid-chamber member includes a common liquid chamber to supply the liquid to the individual liquid chambers. The deformable damper area forms a wall face of the common liquid chamber. The channel plate has an end in a direction perpendicular to a nozzle array direction in which the nozzles are arrayed. The end is opposed to a portion of the damper area and has a relief at a side facing the damper area to permit deformation of the damper area.

Claims

1. A liquid ejection head, comprising:

a nozzle plate including plural nozzles to eject droplets of liquid;

a channel plate including individual liquid chambers communicated with the nozzles;

a common-liquid-chamber member including a common liquid chamber to supply the liquid to the individual liquid chambers; and

a deformable damper area forming a wall face of the common liquid chamber,

wherein the channel plate has an end in a direction perpendicular to a nozzle array direction in which the nozzles are arrayed, and

the end is opposed to a portion of the damper area and has a relief at a side facing the damper area to permit deformation of the damper area.

2. The liquid ejection head of claim 1, wherein the relief has a height equal to a height of each of the individual liquid chambers.

3. The liquid ejection head of claim 1, wherein the relief has at least one of a stepwise shape, a tapered shape, a round shape, and a sawtooth shape in a cross section along a liquid supply direction in which the liquid is supplied from the common liquid chamber.

4. The liquid ejection head of claim 1, wherein the relief has a stepwise shape having plural steps in a cross section along a liquid supply direction in which the liquid is supplied from the common liquid chamber.

5. The liquid ejection head of claim 1, further comprising a diaphragm member forming a wall face of each of the individual liquid chambers,

wherein the damper area is formed of a portion of the diaphragm member.

6. An image forming apparatus, comprising the liquid ejection head of claim 1.

7. A liquid ejection head, comprising:

a nozzle plate including plural nozzles to eject droplets of liquid;

a channel plate including plural individual liquid chambers communicated with the nozzles and a liquid introduction portion communicated with the individual liquid chambers;

a common-liquid-chamber member including a common liquid chamber to supply the liquid to the individual liquid chambers; and

a deformable damper area forming a wall face of the common liquid chamber,

wherein the liquid introduction portion has a passage area and a non-opposed area other than the passage area, the passage area having a passage communicated with the common liquid chamber, the non-opposed area not opposed to the common liquid chamber, and

the channel plate has a recessed portion not opposed to the damper area in a region in which the non-opposed area of the liquid introduction portion is formed.

8. The liquid ejection head of claim 7, wherein the common liquid chamber includes a liquid supply portion to which the liquid is supplied from a liquid storage unit that stores the liquid,

the liquid supply portion is disposed at a first end of the common liquid chamber in a nozzle array direction in which the nozzles are arrayed, and

the passage is disposed at a second end of the common liquid chamber opposite the first end in the nozzle array direction.

9. The liquid ejection head of claim 7, wherein the common liquid chamber includes a liquid supply portion to which the liquid is supplied from a liquid storage unit that stores the liquid,

the liquid supply portion is disposed at a central portion of the common liquid chamber in a nozzle array direction in which the nozzles are arrayed, and

the passage is disposed at both ends of the common liquid chamber in the nozzle array direction.

10. The liquid ejection head of claim 7, wherein the common liquid chamber includes liquid supply portions to which the liquid is supplied from a liquid storage unit that stores the liquid,

the liquid supply portions are disposed at both ends of the common liquid chamber in a nozzle array direction in which the nozzles are arrayed, and

the passage is disposed at a position of the common liquid chamber between the liquid supply portions in the nozzle array direction.

11. The liquid ejection head of claim 7, wherein the common liquid chamber has a smaller depth at a position corresponding to the passage than another position thereof.

12. The liquid ejection head of claim 7, further comprising a diaphragm member forming a wall face of each of the individual liquid chambers,

wherein the damper area is formed of a portion of the diaphragm member.

13. An image forming apparatus, comprising the liquid ejection head of claim 7.

14. A liquid ejection head, comprising:

a nozzle plate including plural nozzles to eject droplets of liquid;

a channel plate including plural individual liquid chambers communicated with the nozzles and a liquid introduction portion communicated with the individual liquid chambers;

a common-liquid-chamber member including a common liquid chamber to supply the liquid to the individual liquid chambers; and

a deformable damper area forming a wall face of the common liquid chamber,

wherein the liquid introduction portion has a passage area and a non-opposed area other than the passage area, the passage area having a passage communicated with the common liquid chamber, the non-opposed area not opposed to the common liquid chamber, and

the channel plate has an opposed portion opposed to a portion of the damper area in a region in which the non-opposed area of the liquid introduction portion is formed,

the opposed portion of the channel plate has a relief at a side facing the damper area to permit deformation of the damper area.

15. The liquid ejection head of claim 14, wherein the common liquid chamber includes a liquid supply portion to which the liquid is supplied from a liquid storage unit that stores the liquid,

the liquid supply portion is disposed at a first end of the common liquid chamber in a nozzle array direction in which the nozzles are arrayed, and

the passage is disposed at a second end of the common liquid chamber opposite the first end in the nozzle array direction.

16. The liquid ejection head of claim 14, wherein the common liquid chamber includes a liquid supply portion to which the liquid is supplied from a liquid storage unit that stores the liquid,

the liquid supply portion is disposed at a central portion of the common liquid chamber in a nozzle array direction in which the nozzles are arrayed, and

the passage is disposed at both ends of the common liquid chamber n the nozzle array direction.

17. The liquid ejection head of claim 14, wherein the common liquid chamber includes liquid supply portions to which the liquid is supplied from a liquid storage unit that stores the liquid,

the liquid supply portions are disposed at both ends of the common liquid chamber in a nozzle array direction in which the nozzles are arrayed, and

the passage is disposed at a position of the common liquid chamber between the liquid supply portions in the nozzle array direction.

18. The liquid ejection head of claim 14, wherein the common liquid chamber has a smaller depth at a position corresponding to the passage than another position thereof.

19. The liquid ejection head of claim 14, further comprising a diaphragm member forming a wall face of each of the individual liquid chambers,

wherein the damper area is formed of a portion of the diaphragm member.

20. An image forming apparatus, comprising the liquid ejection head of claim 14.