Flow path member, liquid ejecting head, and liquid ejecting apparatus

• US 10,144,218 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, ERICA S Y
• Application Number:
  US15/463,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20170274651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 plurality of flow paths are all disposed in a single housing of the flow path member,

wherein the filter is disposed so that a direction of a flow of a liquid from either the first flow path or the second flow path is in a surface direction of the filter,

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

wherein the plurality of filter chambers constitute a set of stacked filter chambers, the set of stacked filter chambers including outer filter chambers and one or more central filter chambers that are located in between the outer filter chambers, and

wherein among the filter chambers of the plurality of flow paths, liquid with a large influence due to evaporation of a solvent contained in the liquid is supplied to at least one of the one or more central filter chambers as compared with the outer filter chambers.

2. The flow path member according to claim 1, wherein an amount of the solvent contained in the liquid supplied to the at least one of the one or more central filter chambers is smaller than an amount of solvent contained in a liquid supplied to the outer filter chambers.

3. The flow path member according to claim 1, wherein vapor pressure of the solvent contained in the liquid supplied to the at least one of the one or more central filter chambers is higher than vapor pressure of solvent contained in a liquid supplied to the outer filter chambers.

5. A liquid ejecting head comprising:

the path member according to claim 1; and

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

6. A liquid ejecting head comprising:

the path member according to claim 2; and

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

7. A liquid ejecting head comprising:

the path member according to claim 3; and

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

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

4. 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 plurality of flow paths are all disposed in a single housing of the flow path member,

wherein the filter is disposed so that a direction of a flow of a liquid from either the first flow path or the second flow path is in a surface direction of the filter,

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

wherein the plurality of filter chambers constitute a set of stacked filter chambers, the set of stacked filter chambers including outer filter chambers and one or more central filter chambers that are located in between the outer filter chambers, and

wherein among the filter chambers of the plurality of flow paths, liquid with a small amount of use per unit time is supplied to at least one of the one or more central filter chambers as compared with the outer filter chambers.

8. A liquid ejecting head comprising:

the path member according to claim 4; and

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

10. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising the flow path member according to claim 4.

11. 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 of a flow of a liquid from either the first flow path or the second flow path is in a surface direction of the filter, and

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

wherein the plurality of filter chambers constitute a set of stacked filter chambers, the set of stacked filter chambers including outer filter chambers and one or more central filter chambers that are located in between the outer filter chambers, wherein among the filter chambers of the plurality of flow paths, liquid with a large influence due to evaporation of a solvent contained in the liquid is supplied to at least one of the one or more central filter chambers as compared with the outer filter chambers.

12. 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 of a flow of a liquid from either the first flow path or the second flow path is in a surface direction of the filter, and

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

wherein the plurality of filter chambers constitute a set of stacked filter chambers, the set of stacked filter chambers including outer filter chambers and one or more central filter chambers that are located in between the outer filter chambers, wherein among the filter chambers of the plurality of flow paths, liquid with a small amount of use per unit time is supplied to at least one of the one or more central filter chambers as compared with the outer filter chambers.