Method and apparatus for discharging liquid by a gas bubble controlled by a movable member to communicate with the atmosphere
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHiroyuki Ishinaga, Sadayuki Sugama, Toshio Kashino, Takeshi Okazaki, Aya Yoshihira, Kiyomitsu Kudo, Yoshie Asakawa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is disclosed a liquid discharging method and apparatus in which a bubble is formed and grown in the liquid communicated with atmosphere at an area of a discharge opening, and in which a movable member having a free end which guides the bubble toward the discharge opening while regulating growth of the bubble.
Claims42
A discharging method for discharging liquid by communicating a bubble formed and grown in the liquid atmosphere at an area of a discharge opening, comprising the steps of:
- causing the liquid to flow from a common source through separate channels on opposite sides of a movable member having a free end which is movable to communicate a bubble formed in one channel to the other channel;
- and
- causing displacement of said free end of said movable member for guiding the bubble toward said discharge opening while regulating the growth of the bubble, in accordance with the growth of the bubble.
A method for discharging liquid by communicating a bubble formed and grown in the liquid with atmosphere, said method comprising the steps of:
- causing displacement of a movable member having a free end for guiding the bubble toward said discharge opening while regulating the growth of the bubble, in accordance with the growth of the bubble when the bubble is communicated with the atmosphere, a liquid passage communicated with a liquid supply source to receive the liquid from said liquid supply source is not blocked by the bubble,
- using a heat generating element for generating the bubble in the liquid, and communicating the bubble generated in the liquid by said heat generating element with the atmosphere through said discharge opening under a condition that a distance 1a between an end of said heat generating element nearer to said discharge opening and a distance 1b between an end of said heat generating element remote from said discharge opening and an end of the bubble remote from said discharge opening are selected to have a relation of 1a/1b≧1.
A method for discharging liquid by communicating a bubble with atmosphere, said method comprising the steps of:
- causing displacement of a removable member having a free end for guiding the bubble toward said discharge opening while regulating the growth of the bubble, in accordance with the growth of the bubble when the bubble is communicated with the atmosphere, a liquid passage communicated with a liquid supply source to receive the liquid from said liquid supply source is not blocked by the bubble, and
- after the bubble is communicated with the atmosphere, using said movable member to repel the atmosphere out of said discharge opening.
A method for discharging liquid by communicating a bubble with atmosphere, said method comprising the steps of:
- causing displacement of a movable member having a free end for guiding the bubble toward said discharge opening while regulating the growth of the bubble, in accordance with the growth of the bubble when the bubble is communicated with the atmosphere, a liquid passage communicated with a liquid supply source to receive the liquid from said liquid supply source is not blocked by the bubble, and
- in order to discharge the bubble in the liquid into the atmosphere after the bubble was communicated with the atmosphere, displacing said movable member by generating a bubble not contributing to the liquid discharging.
A method for discharging liquid by communicating a bubble with atmosphere, said method comprising the steps of:
- causing displacement of a movable member having a free end for guiding the bubble toward said discharge opening while regulating the growth of the bubble, in accordance with the growth of the bubble when the bubble is communicated with the atmosphere, a liquid passage communicated with a liquid supply source to receive the liquid from said liquid supply source is not blocked by the bubble, and
- in order to prevent the bubble from remaining in the liquid, releasing the atmosphere by a tapered portion in the vicinity of said free end of said movable member when said movable member is returned to its initial condition.
A method for discharging liquid by communicating a bubble with atmosphere, said method comprising the steps of:
- causing displacement of a movable member having a free end for guiding the bubble toward said discharge opening while regulating the growth of the bubble, in accordance with the growth of the bubble when the bubble is communicated with the atmosphere, a liquid passage communicated with a liquid source to receive the liquid from said liquid supply source is not blocked by the bubble, and
- providing a first liquid passage communicated with said discharge opening and a second liquid passage having a bubble generating area, and
- disposing said movable member between said first liquid passage and said bubble generating area, and,
- displacing said movable member by generating the bubble in said bubble generating area so that the bubble is guided toward said discharge opening while regulating growth of the bubble.
A method for discharging liquid by communicating a bubble with atmosphere, said method comprising the steps of:
- causing displacement of a movable member having a free end for guiding the bubble toward said discharge opening while regulating the growth of the bubble, in accordance with the growth of the bubble when the bubble is communicated with the atmosphere, a liquid passage communicated with a liquid supply source to receive the liquid form said liquid supply source is not blocked by the bubble, wherein
- a heat generating element for generating the bubble in the liquid is provided at a position confronting to said movable member, and a bubble generating is defined between said movable member and said heat generating element;
- and wherein
- stepped portions for defining a recess extending from said heat generating element toward an upstream direction are formed on a substrate on which heat generating elements are disposed, by pattern etching, and a second heat generating element is disposed on an inclined surface defining said stepped portions and inclining toward said discharge opening.
A liquid discharging head for discharging liquid by communicating a bubble formed and grown in the liquid with atmosphere at an area of a discharge opening, comprising:
- a movable member having a free end for guiding the bubble toward said discharge opening while regulating the growth of the bubble as the bubble is growing , and
- separate liquid flow channels extending from a common source, said channels extending along opposite sides of said movable member, one of said channels extending to a discharge opening and the other channel extending over a bubble generating region opposite said movable member.
A liquid discharging head for discharging liquid by communicating a bubble formed and grown in the liquid with atmosphere at an area of a discharge opening, comprising:
- a movable member having a free end for guiding the bubble toward said discharge opening while regulating the growth of the bubble as the bubble is growing,
- a heat generating element for generating the bubble in the liquid, the bubble generated in the liquid by said heat generating element being communicated with the atmosphere through said discharge opening, and
- a distance 1a between an end of said heat generating element nearer to said discharge opening and a distance 1b between an end of said heat generating element remote from said discharge opening and an end of the bubble remote from said discharge opening having a relation of 1a/1b≧1.
A liquid discharging head for discharging liquid by communicating a bubble formed and grown in the liquid with atmosphere at an area of a discharge opening, comprising:
- a movable member having a free end for guiding the bubble toward said discharge opening while regulating the growth of the bubble as the bubble is growing,
- said movable member being constructed such that, after the bubble is communicated with the atmosphere, said movable member repels the atmosphere out of said discharge opening.
A liquid discharging head for discharging liquid by communicating a bubble formed and grown in the liquid with atmosphere at an area of a discharge opening, comprising:,
- a movable member having a free end for guiding the bubble toward said discharge opening while regulating the growth of the bubble as the bubble is growing, and a tapered portion in the vicinity of said free end of said movable member which is operable to prevent the bubble from remaining in the liquid when said movable member is returned to its original condition.
A liquid discharging head for discharging liquid by communicating a bubble formed and grown in the liquid with atmosphere at an area of a discharge opening, comprising:
- a movable member having a free end for guiding the bubble toward said discharge opening while regulating the growth of the bubble as the bubble is growing, and
- a first liquid passage communicated with said discharge opening and a second liquid passage having a bubble generating area,
- said movable member being disposed between said first liquid passage and said bubble generating area, and
- said movable member being displaceable by generation of the bubble in said bubble generating area so that the bubble is guided toward said discharge opening while regulating growth of the bubble.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.