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EP-4403366-B1 - LIQUID DISCHARGE HEAD AND LIQUID DISCHARGE APPARATUS

EP4403366B1EP 4403366 B1EP4403366 B1EP 4403366B1EP-4403366-B1

Inventors

  • YOSHIDA, TAKAHIRO

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240117

Claims (13)

  1. A liquid discharge head (100) comprising: a nozzle plate (1, 17) having multiple nozzles (4) from which a liquid is discharged in a liquid discharge direction; a channel substrate (2) having multiple individual liquid chambers (15) communicating with the multiple nozzles (4), respectively; a frame (20) having: a first end adjacent to the channel substrate (2); a second end opposite the first end in the liquid discharge direction; and a common liquid chamber (10, 16, 40) between the first end and the second end and communicating with the multiple individual liquid chambers (15); and a vibration attenuator (81) between the first end and the second end in the common liquid chamber (10, 16, 40), the vibration attenuator (81) having a through hole (84) through which the liquid flows in the common liquid chamber (10, 16, 40), wherein the vibration attenuator (81) includes multiple dampers (85) each including: a first thickness portion (85a); a second thickness portion (85c) facing the first thickness portion (85a), the second thickness portion (85c) thicker than the first thickness portion (85a); and a damper partition (85b) between the first thickness portion (85a) and the second thickness portion (85c) and defining an air layer (85d) enclosed by the first thickness portion (85a), the second thickness portion (85c), and the damper partition (85b), and the first thickness portion (85a) is deformable into the air layer (85d) toward the second thickness portion (85c), the multiple nozzles (4) are arrayed in a nozzle array direction, characterised in that the vibration attenuator (81) further includes multiple through holes (84) including the through hole (84), and the multiple dampers (85) and the multiple through holes (84) are alternately arranged in the nozzle array direction.
  2. The liquid discharge head (100) according to claim 1, wherein each of the frame (20) and the channel substrate (2) has a joint face at which the frame (20) and the channel substrate (2) are joined with each other, the first thickness portion (85a) has a face parallel to the joint face, and the first thickness portion (85a) faces the multiple individual liquid chambers (15) and is closer to the multiple individual liquid chambers (15) than the second thickness portion (85c).
  3. The liquid discharge head (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first thickness portion (85a) has a compliance larger than a compliance of the air layer (85d).
  4. The liquid discharge head (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air layer (85d) communicates with atmosphere.
  5. The liquid discharge head (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vibration attenuator (81) is closer to the first end than to the second end in the liquid discharge direction.
  6. The liquid discharge head (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a distance between the vibration attenuator (81) and the multiple individual liquid chambers (15) is not more than half of a distance between adjacent individual liquid chambers (15) of the multiple individual liquid chambers (15).
  7. The liquid discharge head (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each of the frame (20) and the channel substrate (2) has a joint face at which the frame (20) and the channel substrate (2) are joined with each other, the vibration attenuator (81) has a face parallel to the joint face, and the vibration attenuator (81) includes two regions having different thicknesses in the liquid discharge direction in an area other than the through hole (84).
  8. The liquid discharge head (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the through hole (84) has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the multiple nozzles (4).
  9. The liquid discharge head (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the common liquid chamber (10, 16, 40) includes: a mainstream section (16a); and multiple branch sections (16b) branching from the mainstream section (16a), the multiple branch sections (16b) are closer to the multiple individual liquid chambers (15) than the mainstream section (16a), and the vibration attenuator (81) is in the multiple branch sections (16b).
  10. The liquid discharge head (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the common liquid chamber (10, 16, 40) includes: a supply-side common liquid chamber (10) to supply the liquid to the multiple individual liquid chambers (15); and a collection-side common liquid chamber (40) to collect the liquid from the multiple individual liquid chambers (15), and the liquid is circulated from the supply-side common liquid chamber (10) to the collection-side common liquid chamber (40) through the multiple individual liquid chambers (15).
  11. The liquid discharge head (100) according to claim 10, wherein the vibration attenuator (81) is in each of the supply-side common liquid chamber (10) and the collection-side common liquid chamber (40).
  12. The liquid discharge head (100) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the common liquid chamber (10, 16, 40) includes: a supply-side common liquid chamber (10) to supply the liquid to the multiple individual liquid chambers (15), the supply-side common liquid chamber (10) including: a supply mainstream section (10A); and multiple supply branch sections (10B) branching from the supply mainstream section (10A), the multiple supply branch sections (10B) closer to the multiple individual liquid chambers (15) than the supply mainstream section (10A); and a collection-side common liquid chamber (40) to collect the liquid from the multiple individual liquid chambers (15), the collection-side common liquid chamber (40) including: a collection mainstream section (10C); and multiple collection branch sections (10D) branching from the collection mainstream section (10C), the multiple collection branch sections (10D) closer to the multiple individual liquid chambers (15) than the collection mainstream section (10C), and the vibration attenuator (81) is in each of the multiple supply branch sections (10B) and the multiple collection branch sections (10D).
  13. A liquid discharge apparatus (1000) comprising: the liquid discharge head (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, to discharge the liquid to a medium; and a conveyor to convey the medium to a position facing the liquid discharge head.

Description

BACKGROUND Technical Field Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a liquid discharge head and a liquid discharge apparatus. Related Art A liquid discharge head has a structure in which a nozzle plate, a channel substrate, and a frame are joined together. In the related art, a liquid discharge head includes a vibration attenuator on the top of a common liquid chamber to attenuate pressure vibration in the common liquid chamber. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-144659 discloses an individual-chamber circulation head including: a vibration attenuator; and a common liquid chamber including a supply-side common liquid chamber and a circulation-side common liquid chamber disposed side by side. The vibration attenuator is disposed on a wall face at which the common liquid chamber is wide. According to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-144659, the vibration in the common liquid chamber can be effectively reduced while an increase in the size of the head is prevented. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-154065 discloses a liquid discharge head including: a supply-side common liquid chamber in communication with multiple individual liquid chambers; multiple discharge channels in communication one-to-one with the multiple individual liquid chambers; a discharge-side common liquid chamber in communication with the multiple discharge channels; and a discharge-side damper that forms a wall face of the discharge-side common liquid chamber. According to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-154065, the variations in discharge properties can be reduced. However, in the related art, a distance between the individual liquid chamber and the vibration attenuator is long, and the pressure vibration in the individual liquid chamber may affect an adjacent individual liquid chamber. In the related art, a long periodic pressure vibration caused by a rapid change in flow rate in the common liquid chamber due to the liquid discharge from the liquid discharge head, which may be referred to as water hammer, can be attenuated, but a short periodic pressure vibration in the individual liquid chamber is not sufficiently attenuated. In the related art, the pressure vibration in the individual liquid chamber is not sufficiently attenuated. Thus, pressure waves may propagate to the adjacent individual liquid chamber. In this case, the liquid discharge from the liquid discharge head may be adversely affected. On the other hand, when the common liquid chamber is low in height and a distance between the individual liquid chamber and the vibration attenuator is short, the fluid resistance of the common liquid chamber may increase. In this case, the pressure loss in the common liquid chamber may cause supply shortage, and thus the liquid discharge head may not discharge liquid. When the fluid resistance of the common liquid chamber is large, for example, the pressure difference between the respective meniscuses of the individual liquid chambers is generated. Thus, the variations in the liquid discharge may occur. US 2014/0009544 A1 discloses a liquid ejection head which includes nozzles, a channel member, a common liquid chamber member, a damper member, a damper chamber formation member, a first adhesive, and a second adhesive. The channel member includes individual liquid chambers communicated with the nozzles. The common liquid chamber member forms a common liquid chamber to supply liquid to the individual liquid chambers. The damper member has a deformable area forming a portion of a wall of the common liquid chamber. The damper chamber formation member forms a damper chamber disposed opposing the common liquid chamber via the deformable area. The first adhesive is disposed between the damper member and the common liquid chamber member. The second adhesive is disposed between the damper member and the damper chamber formation member. The deformable area of the damper member has a peripheral portion fringed with the first adhesive and the second adhesive. SUMMARY The present disclosure has an object to provide a liquid discharge head that can prevent the pressure vibration in the individual liquid chamber from propagating to another individual liquid chamber and the fluid resistance of the common liquid chamber from increasing to discharge liquid satisfactorily. The invention is defined by the independent claims. The dependent claims relate to preferred embodiments of the invention. As a result, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a liquid discharge head can be provided that can prevent the pressure vibration in the individual liquid chamber from propagating to another individual liquid chamber and the fluid resistance of the common liquid chamber from increasing to discharge liquid satisfactorily. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the attendant