FLOW PATH STRUCTURE, LIQUID EJECTING HEAD, AND LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS

• US 20150258786A1
• Filed: 03/04/2015
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: AKAHANE, Fujio, TOGASHI, Isamu, OKUI, Hiroaki, KUDO, Yasuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,346,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14233 of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1433 Structure of nozzle plates
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14241 having a cover around the piezoelectric thin film element
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14306 Flow passage between manifold and chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14362 Assembling elements of heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14419 Manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/19 Assembling head units
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/20 Modules

Abstract

A flow path structure includes: a substrate that includes a first surface and a second surface on a side opposite to the first surface; a supply port formed on the first surface; a plurality of discharge ports formed on the second surface; grooves that are formed on the first surface so as to extend in an X direction and communicate with the supply ports and with the plurality of discharge ports via through-holes formed on the substrate; and a sealing portion that is disposed on the first surface and seals each groove.

Claims

1. A flow path structure comprising:

a plate-like base section;

a supply port formed on one surface of the base section; and

a plurality of discharge ports formed on the other surface of the base section,

wherein a flow path through which the supply port and the plurality of discharge ports communicate with each other is formed in the base section.

2. The flow path structure according to claim 1,

wherein the base section includes

a substrate that includes a first surface on which the supply port is formed and a second surface on which the plurality of discharge ports are formed,

a first front-side groove that is formed on the first surface so as to extend in a first direction and communicates with the supply port and with the plurality of discharge ports via a through-hole formed on the substrate, and

a film-like first sealing portion that is disposed on the first surface and seals the first front-side groove, and thus, forms at least a part of the flow path.

3. The flow path structure according to claim 2,

wherein the base section includes

a rear-side groove that is formed on the second surface, and

a film-like second sealing portion that is disposed on the second surface and seals the rear-side groove,

wherein the rear-side groove communicates with the supply port via the through-hole formed on the substrate, and

wherein the first front-side groove communicates with the rear-side groove via the through-hole formed on the substrate.

4. The flow path structure according to claim 3,

wherein the base section includes

a second front-side groove formed on the first surface so as to extend in the first direction, and

wherein each of the first front-side groove and the second front-side groove communicates with the rear-side groove via the through-hole formed on the substrate.

5. The flow path structure according to claim 4,

wherein the first front-side groove and the second front-side groove are positioned on the opposite sides to each other interposing the supply port therebetween in a plan view.

6. The flow path structure according to claim 3,

wherein the substrate is formed of a thermoplastic resin material, and

wherein surfaces formed of the resin material on the first sealing portion and the second sealing portion are welded to the substrate.

7. The flow path structure according to claim 3,

wherein the first sealing portion and the second sealing portion are film-like members separate from each other.

8. The flow path structure according to claim 1,

wherein the base section includes

a first substrate that has a first surface on which the supply port is formed, and

a second substrate that has a second surface on which the plurality of discharge ports are formed,

wherein a first flow path surface on a side opposite to the first surface of the first substrate and a second flow path surface on a side opposite to the second surface of the second substrate are joined to each other, and

wherein the flow path is formed of a groove formed on at least one of the first flow path surface and the second flow path surface.

9. The flow path structure according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of discharge ports is a tube-shaped portion that protrudes from the second surface, and

wherein one discharge port and another discharge port of the plurality of discharge ports have different heights from each other with respect to the second surface.

10. The flow path structure according to claim 1,

wherein the supply port, the plurality of discharge ports, and flow paths from the supply port to the plurality of discharge ports are formed for each of a plurality of fluids.

11. The flow path structure according to claim 10,

wherein the plurality of fluids include a liquid and a gas, and

wherein the flow path of the liquid extends linearly in a plan view and the flow path of the gas is formed in a bent shape in a plan view so as to bypass an attachment hole for fixing the substrate.

12. The flow path structure according to claim 10,

wherein the plurality of fluids include a plurality of gases which are pressurized individually from each other.

13. The flow path structure according to claim 10,

wherein the plurality of fluids include a first liquid, a second liquid, and a gas, and

wherein a flow path of the gas is positioned between a flow path of the first liquid and a flow path of the second liquid in a plan view.

14. A liquid ejecting head comprising:

the flow path structure according to claim 10 that distributes each of a plurality of fluids including a liquid and a gas;

a flow path controlling section that controls a flow path of a liquid of each system obtained after being distributed by the flow path structure using a gas of each system obtained after being distributed by the flow path structure; and

a liquid ejecting section that ejects the liquid which passed through the flow path controlling section, from a plurality of nozzles.

15. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 14,

wherein the liquid ejecting section includes

a liquid distributing unit that distributes the liquid of each system which passed through the flow path controlling section,

a plurality of ejection head units which eject the liquid of each system obtained after being distributed by the liquid distributing unit, from the plurality of nozzles in accordance with a drive signal, and

a wiring substrate which is disposed between the flow path structure and the liquid distributing unit and on which a wiring that transmits the drive signal is formed.

16. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 15,

wherein the liquid distributing unit includes an opening corresponding to each of the plurality of ejection head units, and

wherein each of the plurality of ejection head units includes a flexible wiring substrate joined to the wiring substrate via the opening of the liquid distributing unit.

18. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 15,

wherein the liquid distributing unit includes a first flow path substrate, a second flow path substrate, and a third flow path substrate which are stacked,

wherein a first flow path through which a first liquid of the plurality of fluids is distributed to the plurality of ejection head units is formed between the first flow path substrate and the second flow path substrate, and

wherein a second flow path through which a second liquid of the plurality of fluids is distributed to the plurality of ejection head units is formed between the second flow path substrate and the third flow path substrate.

23. A printing apparatus comprising:

the liquid ejecting head according to claim 14.

17. A liquid ejecting head comprising:

a flat plate-shaped flow path structure that distributes each of a plurality of fluids including a liquid and a gas;

a flow path controlling section that controls a flow path of a liquid of each system obtained after being distributed by the flow path structure using a gas of each system obtained after being distributed by the flow path structure; and

a liquid ejecting section that ejects the liquid which passed through the flow path controlling section, from a plurality of nozzles,

wherein the liquid ejecting section includes

a flat plate-shaped liquid distributing unit that distributes the liquid of each system which passed through the flow path controlling section, and

a plurality of ejection head units which eject the liquid of each system obtained after being distributed by the liquid distributing unit, from the plurality of nozzles in accordance with a drive signal, and

wherein the flow path controlling section is positioned between the flow path structure and the liquid distributing unit which overlap with each other in a plan view.

19. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 17,

wherein each of the plurality of ejection head units includes

a liquid storage chamber that stores a liquid obtained after being distributed by the liquid distributing unit,

a plurality of pressure chambers which are filled with a liquid ejected from the nozzle, and

a plurality of supply flow paths through which a liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber is supplied to the plurality of pressure chambers.

20. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 19,

wherein the flow path structure distributes the liquid to a plurality of discharge ports arranged along a first direction, and

wherein the plurality of pressure chambers in each of the plurality of ejection head units are arranged along a second direction which is different from the first direction.

21. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 17,

wherein the plurality of fluids includes K types of liquids, and

wherein the distribution number of one liquid by the flow path structure exceeds the number K of types of liquids.

22. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 17,

wherein the plurality of fluids includes K types of liquids, and

wherein the distribution number of one liquid by the liquid distributing unit exceeds the number K of types of liquids.