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

• US 20170274651A1
• Filed: 03/20/2017
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: TAKINO, Fumiya
• Granted Patent: US 10,144,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14024 Assembling head parts
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14145 Structure of the manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14201 Structure of print heads with piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1433 Structure of nozzle plates
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17563 Ink filters
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14362 Assembling elements of heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14403 including a filter
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14419 Manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/20 Modules

Abstract

A flow path member includes a plurality of flow paths including a first flow path, a filter chamber which communicates with the first flow path and is provided with a filter, and a second flow path which communicates with the filter chamber, in which the filter is disposed so that a direction including a direction where liquid of the first flow path or the second flow path flows is a surface direction, and in which a plurality of filter chambers are disposed at positions where at least the filter chambers partially overlap each other in a normal direction with respect to the surface direction of the filter.

Claims

1. A flow path member comprising:

a plurality of flow paths that include a first flow path, a filter chamber which communicates with the first flow path and is provided with a filter, and a second flow path which communicates with the filter chamber,

wherein the filter is disposed so that a direction including a direction where liquid of the first flow path or the second flow path flows is a surface direction of the filter, and

wherein a plurality of filter chambers are disposed at positions where at least the filter chambers partially overlap each other in a normal direction with respect to the surface direction of the filter.

2. The flow path member according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of filter units provided with the flow path are stacked in a stacking direction intersecting the surface direction of the filter.

3. The flow path member according to claim 2,

wherein the filter unit includes a filter unit main body provided with a recessed portion, and a lid member that covers the recessed portion and partially forms at least the flow path, and

wherein a plurality of filter unit main bodies are stacked, and one of the stacked filter unit main bodies functions as the lid member of the other of the filter unit main bodies.

4. The flow path member according to claim 2,

wherein the plurality of filter units are joined to each other by an adhesive to be stacked.

5. The flow path member according to claim 1,

wherein among the filter chambers, liquid with a large influence due to evaporation of a solvent contained in the liquid is supplied to a center side in a direction intersecting the surface direction of the filter as compared with both end portion sides.

6. The flow path member according to claim 5,

wherein the amount of the solvent contained in the liquid supplied to the filter chamber on the center side is smaller than the amount of the solvent contained in the liquid supplied to the filter chamber on both end portion sides.

7. The flow path member according to claim 5,

wherein vapor pressure of the solvent contained in the liquid supplied to the filter chamber on the center side is higher than vapor pressure of the solvent contained in the liquid supplied to the filter chamber on both end portion sides.

8. The flow path member according to claim 1,

wherein among the filter chambers, liquid with the small amount of use per unit time is supplied to a center side in a direction intersecting the surface direction of the filter as compared with both end portion sides.

9. A liquid ejecting head comprising:

the flow path member according to claim 1; and

a head main body that includes a nozzle which ejects liquid supplied from the flow path member.

10. A liquid ejecting head comprising:

the flow path member according to claim 2; and

a head main body that includes a nozzle which ejects liquid supplied from the flow path member.

11. A liquid ejecting head comprising:

the flow path member according to claim 3; and

a head main body that includes a nozzle which ejects liquid supplied from the flow path member.

12. A liquid ejecting head comprising:

the flow path member according to claim 4; and

a head main body that includes a nozzle which ejects liquid supplied from the flow path member.

13. A liquid ejecting head comprising:

the flow path member according to claim 5; and

a head main body that includes a nozzle which ejects liquid supplied from the flow path member.

14. A liquid ejecting head comprising:

the flow path member according to claim 6; and

a head main body that includes a nozzle which ejects liquid supplied from the flow path member.

15. A liquid ejecting head comprising:

the flow path member according to claim 7; and

a head main body that includes a nozzle which ejects liquid supplied from the flow path member.

16. A liquid ejecting head comprising:

the flow path member according to claim 8; and

a head main body that includes a nozzle which ejects liquid supplied from the flow path member.

17. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising the flow path member according to claim 1.

18. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising the flow path member according to claim 2.

19. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising the flow path member according to claim 5.

20. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising the flow path member according to claim 8.

21. A liquid ejecting head comprising:

a fixing plate elongated in a first direction;

a plurality of drive units each having a wiring; and

a circuit substrate having a plurality of electrical contacts each connected with the wiring, wherein

the wiring have a width along a second direction across the first direction.

22. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 21,

wherein each of the electrical contacts has a width along the second direction.

23. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 21,

wherein the each wiring is led out form each of the drive units widely in the second direction.

24. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 21, further comprising:

a holder to accommodate the drive units with the fixing plate.

25. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 24,

wherein the holder is configured to accommodate the circuit substrate.

26. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 21,

wherein the drive unit has a first width along the first direction and a second width along the second direction, the first width is greater than the second width,

wherein the circuit substrate has a third width along the first direction and a fourth width along the second direction, the third width is greater than the fourth width,

wherein the fixing plate has a fifth width along the first direction and a sixth width along the second direction, the fifth width is greater than the sixth width.