US-12623461-B2 - Liquid ejection head and liquid ejection apparatus

US12623461B2US 12623461 B2US12623461 B2US 12623461B2US-12623461-B2

Abstract

A liquid ejection head and a liquid ejection apparatus can join the ejection member to the ejection member joining surface with a sufficient joining area, and suppress a decrease in joining reliability. To this end, second supply ports are provided in side portions of an ejection member.

Inventors

Naoko Shimizu
Yoshiyuki Nakagawa

Assignees

CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230822
Priority Date: 20220823

Claims (20)

1 . A liquid ejection head comprising: an ejection element plate on which an ejection element is arranged, the ejection element configured to generate energy for ejecting liquid; an ejection port formation member that is stacked on the ejection element plate and that is provided with an individual liquid chamber and an ejection port corresponding to the ejection element; and a first common flow passage that is capable of supplying the liquid to the individual liquid chamber via a first supply port penetrating the ejection element plate and that includes three surfaces which are a first surface on which the first supply port of the ejection element plate is opened, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a third surface connecting the first surface and the second surface, wherein a second supply port that is capable of supplying the liquid to the first common flow passage in a first direction and that is opened opposite the third surface is arranged in the first common flow passage, the first direction intersecting an ejection direction in which the liquid is ejected from the ejection port.
2 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the ejection elements are arranged on the ejection element plate in a second direction intersecting the first direction and the ejection direction, and the first common flow passage extends along the second direction.
3 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 1 , further comprising a second common flow passage that is capable of collecting the liquid from the individual liquid chamber via a first collection port penetrating the ejection element plate, wherein the liquid in the second common flow passage is collected in the first direction via a second collection port.
4 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 2 , wherein a first ejection element array and a second ejection element array in which the plurality of ejection elements are arranged in the second direction are arranged on the ejection element plate in the first direction, the first common flow passage and a second common flow passage that is provided along the first common flow passage and that is capable of collecting the liquid from a first individual liquid chamber corresponding to the ejection element of the first ejection element array via a first collection port penetrating the ejection element plate are provided in such a way that the first common flow passage and the second common flow passage correspond to the first ejection element array, a third common flow passage that is capable of supplying the liquid to a second individual liquid chamber corresponding to the ejection element of the second ejection element array via a third supply port penetrating the ejection element plate and that is provided along the second common flow passage and a fourth common flow passage that is capable of collecting the liquid from the second individual chamber via a second collection port penetrating the ejection element plate and that includes three surfaces which are the first surface on which the second collection port of the ejection element plate is opened, the second surface opposite to the first surface, and a fourth surface connecting the first surface and the second surface are provided in such a way that the third common flow passage and the fourth flow passage correspond to the second ejection element array, the liquid in the second common flow passage is collected in a direction opposite to the ejection direction via a third collection port provided on the second surface, the liquid is supplied to the third common flow passage in a direction along the ejection direction via a fourth supply port provided on the second surface, and the liquid in the fourth common flow passage is collected in the first direction via a fourth collection port that is opened opposite the fourth surface.
5 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 2 , wherein a first ejection element array and a second ejection element array in which the plurality of ejection elements are arranged in the second direction are arranged on the ejection element plate in the first direction, each of the first ejection element array and the second ejection element array is provided with the first supply port and the first common flow passage, the liquid is supplied to the first common flow passage of the first ejection element array via the second supply port arranged in the first direction, and the liquid is supplied to the first common flow passage of the second ejection element array in an opposite direction to the first direction via a third supply port.
6 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 2 , wherein a first ejection element array, a second ejection element array, and a third ejection element array in which the plurality of ejection elements are arranged in the second direction are arranged on the ejection element plate in the first direction in the order as listed, the first common flow passage is provided in such a way that the first common flow passage corresponds to the first ejection element array, a second common flow passage is provided along the first common flow passage in such a way that the second common flow passage corresponds to the second ejection element array, a third common flow passage is provided along the second common flow passage in such a way that the third common flow passage corresponds to the third ejection element array, the liquid is supplied to the first common flow passage in the first direction via the second supply port, the liquid is supplied to the second common flow passage along the ejection direction, and the liquid is supplied to the third common flow passage in an opposite direction to the first direction via a third supply port.
7 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 2 , wherein the second supply port is opened over an entire region of the ejection port array in which the ejection ports are arranged along the second direction.
8 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 2 , wherein a plurality of the second supply ports are provided along the second direction.
9 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 1 , wherein the ejection element plate is supported by a bottom surface plate including a surface parallel to the ejection element plate, and the bottom surface plate is joined to a flow passage member that is capable of supplying the liquid to the first common flow passage.
10 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 6 , wherein the ejection element plate is supported by a bottom surface plate including a surface parallel to the ejection element plate, and the liquid is supplied to the second common flow passage along the ejection direction via a through-hole formed in the bottom surface plate.
11 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 6 , wherein the second ejection element array includes a fourth ejection element array and a fifth ejection element array in which the plurality of ejection elements are arranged.
12 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 11 , further comprising a bottom surface plate that supports the ejection element plate and that includes a surface parallel to the ejection element plate, wherein the liquid is supplied to a common flow passage of the fourth ejection element array via a supply port provided to penetrate the bottom surface plate, and the liquid is supplied to a common flow passage of the fifth ejection element array via a supply port provided to penetrate the bottom surface plate.
13 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 12 , wherein the supply port is provided in the common flow passage of the fourth ejection element array so as to be shifted toward the first common flow passage, and the supply port is provided in the common flow passage of the fifth ejection element array so as to be shifted toward the common flow passage of the third ejection element array.
14 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 3 , wherein in the case where the ejection direction is an upward direction, the second supply port is provided to be shifted toward the upper side of the first common flow passage, and the second collection port is provided to be shifted toward the upper side of the second common flow passage.
15 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 3 , wherein in the case where the ejection direction is an upward direction, the second supply port is provided to be shifted toward the lower side of the first common flow passage, and the second collection port is provided to be shifted toward the lower side of the second common flow passage.
16 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 1 , wherein a periphery of the ejection element plate is surrounded by a face cover.
17 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 16 , wherein a gap between the ejection element plate and the face cover is sealed by a sealing member.
18 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 16 , wherein the face cover covers the periphery of the ejection element plate.
19 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 16 , wherein a bonding film is attached between the ejection element plate and the face cover.
20 . The liquid ejection head according to claim 16 , wherein the ejection element plate covers an end portion of the face cover.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid ejection head and a liquid ejection apparatus that eject liquid. Description of the Related Art Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-14172 discloses the following configuration as a liquid ejection head that ejects circulated liquid. In the configuration, a flow passage is formed by stacking multiple plate-shaped members in which through-holes are formed, and the liquid is supplied from a common flow passage to each of liquid ejection element substrates via a pitch conversion flow passage. In recent years, there is a demand for reducing the width of an ejection element substrate as one means of cost reduction. Moreover, there is a demand for increasing the number of supply ports to improve printing speed and handle high-viscosity liquid. However, in the case where these demands are handled in the method of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-14172, since the flow passage and a joining area between each ejection element substrate and the flow passage member are on the same plane, there is a possibility that the joining area becomes small and joining reliability decreases. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a liquid ejection head and a liquid ejection apparatus that can suppress a decrease in joining reliability. A liquid ejection head of the present invention includes: an ejection element plate on which an ejection element is arranged, the ejection element configured to generate energy for ejecting liquid; an ejection port formation member that is stacked on the ejection element plate and that is provided with an individual liquid chamber and an ejection port corresponding to the ejection element; and a first common flow passage that is capable of supplying the liquid to the individual liquid chamber via a first supply port penetrating the ejection element plate, in which a second supply port that supplies the liquid to the first common flow passage in a first direction is arranged in the first common flow passage, the first direction intersecting an ejection direction in which the liquid is ejected from the ejection port. The present invention can provide a liquid ejection head and a liquid ejection apparatus that can suppress a decrease in joining reliability. Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating a liquid ejection head; FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating the liquid ejection head: FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating an ejection member; FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating the ejection member; FIG. 2C is a diagram illustrating the ejection member; FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating a comparative example, and is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a liquid ejection head; FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating the comparative example, and is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the liquid ejection head; FIG. 4 is a perspective diagram illustrating part of the ejection member and a flow passage member; FIG. 5 is a perspective diagram illustrating an ejection member in a modified example and its surroundings; FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating an ejection member in a modified example and its surroundings; FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating the ejection member in the modified example and its surroundings; FIG. 6C is a diagram illustrating the ejection member in the modified example and its surroundings; FIG. 6D is a diagram illustrating the ejection member in the modified example and its surroundings; FIG. 6E is a diagram illustrating the ejection member in the modified example and its surroundings: FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating an ejection member in a modified example and its surroundings; FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating the ejection member in the modified example and its surroundings; FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating the ejection member in the modified example and its surroundings; FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating a case where there are two or more ejection element arrays, as a comparative example; FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating the case where there are two or more ejection element arrays, as the comparative example; FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating the ejection member and its surroundings in a case where there are two ejection element arrays; FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating the ejection member and its surroundings in the case where there are two ejection element arrays; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid ejection apparatus; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating an ejection member and its surroundings; FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a liquid ejection head including three or more ejection element arrays; and FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a li