# US 10,308,036 B2 · Printhead, printing equipment and printing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,308,036 B2 - Document ID: US10308036B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/962,155 - Filed: 2018-04-25 - Published: 2019-01-31 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-07-27 - Assignees: Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd. - Applicants: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Dejiang Zhao; Yang Yang; Xiaojie Pan; Bin Bu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308036B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/185: Ink-collectors; Ink-catchers - B41J 2/02: generating a continuous ink jet - B41J 2/14201: {Structure of print heads with piezoelectric elements} - B41J 2/145: Arrangement thereof - B41J 2/16517: {Cleaning of print head nozzles (B41J2/16505, B41J2/1707 take precedence)} - B41J 2/1721: {Collecting waste ink; Collectors therefor} - B41J 2/18: Ink recirculation systems - B41J 2002/043: {Electrostatic transducer} - B41J 2002/14467: {Multiple feed channels per ink chamber} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a printhead, a printing equipment and a printing method. The printhead includes: a primary liquid discharging assembly, including a plurality of primary liquid discharging nozzles for forming primary droplets; and a plurality of flow branching components below the primary liquid discharging assembly, and the plurality of flow branching components being in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of primary liquid discharging nozzles, wherein each of the plurality of flow branching component is configured to be in contact with the primary droplet formed by the corresponding primary liquid discharging nozzle of the plurality of primary liquid discharging nozzles, and split each of the primary droplets into at least two branched droplets. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A printhead, comprising: a primary liquid discharging assembly, comprising a plurality of primary liquid discharging nozzles for forming primary droplets; and a plurality of flow branching components below the primary liquid discharging assembly, the plurality of flow branching components being provided together as a single unit that is detachable from the primary liquid discharging assembly and the plurality of flow branching components being in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of primary liquid discharging nozzles, wherein each of the plurality of flow branching components is configured to be in contact with the primary droplet formed by the corresponding primary liquid discharging nozzle, and to split each of the primary droplets into at least two branched droplets. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The printhead according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of secondary liquid discharging channels below the primary liquid discharging assembly, the plurality of secondary liquid discharging channels being in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of flow branching components, wherein each of the flow branching components is located in a corresponding secondary liquid discharging channel of the plurality of secondary liquid discharging channels, and the each of the flow branching component is configured to separate the corresponding secondary liquid discharging channel into at least two branching channels, and in the at least two branched droplets formed from the primary droplet which is split by the each of the flow branching components, each of the branched droplets flows through a corresponding branching channel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The printhead according to claim 2, wherein each of the flow branching components comprises a tine, and a tip of the tine is directed towards a corresponding primary liquid discharging nozzle of the plurality of primary liquid discharging nozzles. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The printhead according to claim 3, wherein a distance between a channel wall of each of the secondary liquid discharging channels and the corresponding primary liquid discharging nozzle is less than a distance between the tine and the corresponding primary liquid discharging nozzle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The printhead according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of secondary liquid discharging channels below the primary liquid discharging assembly, the plurality of secondary liquid discharging channels being in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of flow branching components, wherein each of the flow branching components is located in an opening of a corresponding secondary liquid discharging channel of the plurality of secondary liquid discharging channels close to a corresponding primary liquid discharging nozzle of the plurality of primary liquid discharging nozzles, and in the at least two branched droplets formed from each of the primary droplets which is split by a corresponding flow branching component of the plurality of flow branching components, one of the branched droplets flows through the corresponding secondary liquid discharging channel, and the remaining branched droplets are diverted to an outside of the secondary liquid discharging channels. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The printhead according to claim 5, wherein each of the flow branching components comprises a tine disposed on a channel wall of the corresponding secondary liquid discharging channel, and a tip of the tine is directed towards the corresponding primary liquid discharging nozzle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The printhead according to claim 6, wherein each of the flow branching components further comprises a shielding wall disposed on the channel wall of the corresponding secondary liquid discharging channel and facing the tine, and a distance between the shielding wall and the corresponding primary liquid discharging nozzle is less than a distance between the tine and the corresponding primary liquid discharging nozzle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The printhead according to claim 6, wherein each of the flow branching components further comprises a flow guiding slot on a side of the tine facing away from the secondary liquid discharging channel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The printhead according to claim 7, wherein the shielding wall is flush with a corresponding channel wall in channel walls of a primary liquid discharging channel of the corresponding primary liquid discharging nozzle, and a distance between the tine and the shielding wall is less than a distance between the channel wall corresponding to the shielding wall and the channel wall corresponding to the tine, in the channel walls of the primary liquid discharging channels of the primary liquid discharging nozzles. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The printhead according to claim 9, wherein the distance between the tine and the shielding wall is ⅓ to ¾ of the distance between the channel wall corresponding to the shielding wall and the channel wall corresponding to the tine, in the channel walls of the primary liquid discharging channels of the primary liquid discharging nozzles. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The printhead according to claim 6, wherein an apex angle of the tine is variable. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The printhead according to claim 2, further comprising a first static electricity generator on an opening of the secondary liquid discharging channel away from the corresponding primary liquid discharging nozzle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The printhead according to claim 2, further comprising a partition plate between the primary liquid discharging assembly and the secondary liquid discharging channels, the partition plate being provided with a plurality of through holes, the plurality of through holes being in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of primary liquid discharging nozzles, and a cross-sectional area of the through hole being greater than a cross-sectional area of the primary liquid discharging channel of the corresponding primary liquid discharging nozzle of the plurality of primary liquid discharging nozzles. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A printing equipment, comprising the printhead according to claim 1. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The printing equipment according to claim 14, wherein the printing equipment comprises a stage below the printhead, a second static electricity generator is on the stage, the printhead comprises a first static electricity generator, and the second static electricity generator is configured to generate an electrical property of static electricity that is opposite to an electrical property of static electricity generated by the first static electricity generator in the printhead. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The printing equipment according to claim 14, further comprising a liquid supply system, a recovery system, and a waste liquid system, wherein the liquid supply system is communicated with a liquid inlet of the primary liquid discharging assembly of the printhead; the recovery system is communicated with the liquid supply system, a liquid outlet of the primary liquid discharging assembly, and a flow guiding slot of the flow branching components of the printhead, and a switching valve is provided in a pipeline communicating the flow guiding slot with the recovery system; and the waste liquid system is communicated with the liquid outlet of the primary liquid discharging assembly and the flow guiding slot. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A printing method using the printhead according to claim 1, wherein the printing method comprises: forming the primary droplets by the primary liquid discharging nozzles of the primary liquid discharging assembly; and making each of the flow branching components in contact with the primary droplet formed by the corresponding primary liquid discharging nozzle and splitting the primary droplet into at least two branched droplets. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The printing method according to claim 17, wherein, after making each of the flow branching components in contact with the primary droplet formed by the corresponding primary liquid discharging nozzle and splitting the primary droplet into at least two branched droplets, the printing method further comprises: generating static electricity by a first static electricity generator to charge the branched droplets flowing through secondary liquid discharging channels; generating by a second static electricity generator static electricity having an electrical property of static electricity that is opposite to an electrical property of static electricity generated by the first static electricity generator, to form an electric field between the printhead and a stage; and dropping the charged branched droplets onto a substrate placed on the stage. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The printing method according to claim 17, wherein, before forming the primary droplets by the primary liquid discharging nozzles of the primary liquid discharging assembly, the printing method further comprises: supplying a printing liquid by a liquid supply system to the primary liquid discharging assembly of the printhead; after making each of the flow branching components in contact with the primary droplet formed by the corresponding primary liquid discharging nozzle and splitting the primary droplet into at least two branched droplets, the printing method further comprises: directing the printing liquid in the primary liquid discharging assembly that does not form primary droplets and the printing liquid in the flow guiding slot of the flow branching component into a recovery system; and introducing the printing liquid in the recovery system into the liquid supply system. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The printing method according to claim 17, further comprising: directing the printing liquid in the primary liquid discharging assembly that does not form primary droplets and the printing liquid in a flow guiding slot of the flow branching component into a waste liquid system, and cleaning the primary liquid discharging assembly and the flow guiding slot.