# US 12,005,709 B2 · Liquid discharging head and ink-jet apparatus

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- Number: US 12,005,709 B2
- Document ID: US12005709B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/883,292
- Filed: 2022-08-08
- Published: 2022-12-08
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2019-10-29
- Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Shuhei Nakatani; Kazunobu Irie
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005709B2

## CPC

- B41J 2/14233: {of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm}
- B41J 2/1606: {Coating the nozzle area or the ink chamber}
- B41J 2/1612: {of stacked structure type, deformed by compression/extension and disposed on a diaphragm}
- B41J 2/1626: {etching}
- B41J 2/1632: {machining}
- B41J 2/1634: {laser machining}
- B41J 2/1642: {thin film formation by CVD [chemical vapor deposition]}
- B41J 2/1645: {thin film formation by spincoating}
- B41J 2002/14241: {having a cover around the piezoelectric thin film element}
- B41J 2202/03: Specific materials used
- B41J 2202/11: characterised by specific geometrical characteristics
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

A liquid discharging head includes a nozzle configured to discharge liquid, a pressure chamber communicated with the nozzle, and an individual channel communicated with the pressure chamber through a narrow part. The liquid discharging head also includes a common channel communicated with the individual channel, an energy generation element configured to generate energy, and a diaphragm configured to convey the energy to the pressure chamber. A metal oxide film is formed at inner walls of the nozzle, the pressure chamber, the narrow part, the diaphragm, and the individual channel, and a hydroxyl group has come out from the metal oxide film.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A liquid discharging head, comprising:
a nozzle configured to discharge liquid;
a pressure chamber communicated with the nozzle;
an individual channel communicated with the pressure chamber through a narrow part;
a common channel communicated with the individual channel;
an energy generation element configured to generate energy; and
a diaphragm configured to convey the energy to the pressure chamber,
wherein a metal oxide film is formed at each of an inner wall of the nozzle, an inner wall of the pressure chamber, an inner wall of the narrow part, an inner wall of the diaphragm, and an inner wall of the individual channel, and
a hydroxyl group has come out from the metal oxide film.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The liquid discharging head according to claim 1, further comprising:
a hydrophilic film,
wherein the hydrophilic film covers the metal oxide film.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The liquid discharging head according to claim 2,
wherein the hydrophilic film is a monomolecular film.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The liquid discharging head according to claim 3,
wherein the monomolecular film is a self-organizing monomolecular film.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The liquid discharging head according to claim 3,
wherein the monomolecular film has a thickness of 50 nm or smaller.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The liquid discharging head according to claim 1,
wherein the inner walls of the nozzle, the pressure chamber, the narrow part, and the individual channel have a static contact angle greater than a receding contact angle with respect to the liquid.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The liquid discharging head according to claim 1,
wherein an outer surface of the nozzle has a liquid repellency to the liquid.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The liquid discharging head according to claim 7,
wherein the outer surface of the nozzle has a receding contact angle of 30 degrees or greater with respect to the liquid.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

An ink-jet apparatus, comprising:
the liquid discharging head according to claim 1;
a drive controlling part configured to generate a drive voltage signal to be applied to the energy generation element and to control an ink discharging operation of the liquid discharging head; and
a conveying part configured to cause a relative movement of the liquid discharging head and a paint target medium.

### Claim 10

A method for producing a liquid discharging head, wherein
the liquid discharging head includes:
a nozzle configured to discharge liquid;
a pressure chamber communicated with the nozzle;
an individual channel communicated with the pressure chamber through a narrow part;
a common channel communicated with the individual channel;
an energy generation element configured to generate energy; and
a diaphragm configured to convey the energy to the pressure chamber, the method comprising:
forming a metal oxide film at each of an inner wall of the nozzle, an inner wall of the pressure chamber, an inner wall of the narrow part, an inner wall of the diaphragm, and an inner wall of the individual channel,
wherein a hydroxyl group has come out from the metal oxide film.