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US 6,270,205 B1Granted
Ink-jet print head with ink supply channel
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorMasayuki Takata
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The ink-jet print head 23 is provided with a sloped surface 18 on the inner side surface between the inflow channel 16 and the ink supply channel 14. The sloped surface 18 gradually increases the cross-sectional area of the ink flow path 45 from the inflow channel 16 toward the ink supply channel 14. Accordingly, as the ink flows along the sloped surface 18 into the ink supply channel 14, the rate of flow of the ink gradually decreases due to the increased cross-sectional area provided by the sloped surface 18. As a result, the liquid ink flows more gently into the ink supply channel 14.
Claims32
An ink-jet print head comprising:
- an actuator formed with a plurality of ejection channels, the actuator having a predetermined surface, on which the plurality of ejection channels are opened to have their opened ends;
- a first wall, in confrontation with the predetermined surface, for defining an ink supply channel for supplying the liquid ink to the plurality of ejection channels through their opened ends;
- a second wall defining an inflow channel in fluid communication with the ink supply channel, the inflow channel being for supplying ink to the ink supply channel;
- and
- a sloped surface formed between the first wall and the second wall for defining an ink flow path for allowing ink to flow from the inflow channel to the ink supply channel, the sloped surface gradually increasing the cross-sectional area of the ink flow path in a direction toward the ink supply channel.
2 more elements
An ink-jet print head comprising:
- an actuator formed with a plurality of ejection channels for accommodating a liquid ink and for ejecting drops of the liquid ink, the plurality of ejection channels being arranged in at least one row which extends in a predetermined direction, the actuator having a predetermined surface, on which each of the ejection channels is opened to have an inflow end for receiving the liquid ink flowing into the ejection channel;
- a manifold joined with the actuator on the predetermined surface, the manifold being formed with an ink supply channel which extends substantially along the predetermined direction in fluid communication with the inflow ends of the ejection channels to supply liquid ink to the ejection channels, the ink supply channel having a top portion which is located farthest away from the predetermined surface and which extends substantially along the predetermined direction, the top portion being located as shifted from a center of at least one ejection channel in a direction normal to the predetermined direction.
An ink-jet print head comprising:
- an actuator formed with a plurality of ejection channels for accommodating a liquid ink and for ejecting drops of the liquid ink, the ejection channels being arranged in at least one row which extends in a predetermined direction, the actuator having a predetermined surface, on which each of the ejection channels is opened to have an inflow end;
- manifold joined with the actuator on the predetermined surface, the manifold being formed with an ink supply channel which extends along the at least one row of ejection channels for supplying liquid ink to each of the ejection channels, the manifold being further formed with an inflow channel connected to a first end of the ink supply channel to supply ink to the ink supply channel, the ink supply channel extending substantially in the predetermined direction between a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the ejection channels in each of the at least one row being arranged so that their inflow ends are exposed in the ink supply channel between the first and second ends, the ink supply channel having a width along the predetermined surface, the width of the ink supply channel at its portion close to the second end decreasing toward the second end;
- wherein the ink supply channel has a top portion located farthest away from the predetermined surface, the top portion extending substantially in the predetermined direction, the top portion being positioned as shifted from a central axis of at least one ejection channel in a direction normal to the predetermined direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.