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US 6,685,299 B2Granted
Ink jet head
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorAtsushi Hirota
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ink jet head includes rows of pressure chambers, a common ink chamber, and a circulation channel. Filter holes are provided along a fluid channel connecting the common ink chamber with the pressure chambers. The common ink chamber is formed broader at a region separated from, and with a weaker mechanical stiffness than, the portion that is connected to the pressure chambers. The common ink chamber and the circulation channel are elongated in the direction that the pressure chamber rows extend. The circulation channel and the common ink chamber are in fluid communication with each other at one lengthwise end and both have an opening at the opposite lengthwise end to enable connection to the external ink supply.
Claims21
An ink jet head comprising:
- a pressure chamber portion formed with a row of pressure chambers aligned in a pressure chamber row direction, each pressure chamber having a nozzle end and a common-ink-chamber end at opposite ends thereof, the nozzle end of each pressure chamber being in fluid communication with a corresponding nozzle orifice;
- a common ink chamber portion formed with a common ink chamber elongated in the pressure chamber row direction, the common ink chamber including a pressure-chamber region and a weak-mechanical-stiffness region that are separated from each other, the pressure-chamber region being in fluid communication with the common-ink-chamber end of each pressure chamber so that ink is supplied from the common ink chamber to the pressure chambers, the weak-mechanical-stiffness region having a weaker mechanical stiffness than mechanical stiffness at the pressure-chamber region.
An ink jet head comprising:
- a pressure chamber portion formed with a row of pressure chambers aligned in a pressure chamber row direction, each pressure chamber having a nozzle end and a common-ink-chamber end at opposite ends thereof, the nozzle end of each pressure chamber being in fluid communication with a corresponding nozzle orifice;
- and
- a common ink chamber portion formed with a common ink chamber elongated in the pressure chamber row direction, the common ink chamber including:
- a pressure-chamber region where the common ink chamber is in fluid communication with the common-ink-chamber end of each pressure chamber so that ink is supplied from the common ink chamber to the pressure chambers;
- an ink-supply-connection opening in fluid communication with an external ink supply source;
- and
- a broad-width region located at lengthwise end of the common ink chamber opposite to the ink-supply-connection opening, the broad-width region being separated from the pressure-chamber region and having a broader width than other regions of the common ink chamber.
4 more elements
An ink jet recording device comprising:
- an ink jet head including:
- a pressure chamber portion formed with a row of pressure chambers aligned in a pressure chamber row direction, each pressure chamber having a nozzle end and a common-ink-chamber end at opposite ends thereof, the nozzle end of each pressure chamber being in fluid communication with a corresponding nozzle orifice;
- a common ink chamber portion formed with a common ink chamber elongated in the pressure chamber row direction, the common ink chamber portion including a pressure-chamber region, a weak-mechanical-stiffness region, and an ink-supply-connection opening, the pressure-chamber region being in fluid communication with the common-ink-chamber end of each pressure chamber so that ink is supplied from the common ink chamber to the pressure chambers, the weak-mechanical-stiffness region being separated from the pressure-chamber region and having a weaker mechanical stiffness than mechanical stiffness at the pressure-chamber region, the ink-supply-connection opening bringing the common ink chamber into fluid communication with an external ink supply source, the ink-supply-connection opening and the weak-mechanical-stiffness region being disposed on lengthwise opposite sides of the common ink chamber with the pressure-chamber region interposed therebetween;
- and
- a circulation channel portion formed with a circulation channel that extends substantially parallel with the common ink channel, the circulation channel including an ink-supply-connection opening at one lengthwise end thereof for bringing the circulation channel into fluid communication with the external ink supply, the circulation channel and the common ink chamber being in fluid communication with each other at a same lengthwise end opposite from the lengthwise end formed with the ink-supply-connection openings of the circulation channel and the common ink chamber, the weak-mechanical-stiffness region of the common ink chamber also being located at the same lengthwise end;
- and
- a circulation unit in fluid communication with the ink-supply-connection opening of the common ink chamber and with the ink-supply-connection opening of the circulation channel, the circulation unit forcing ink from the ink supply source into one of the ink-supply-connection openings and returning ink to the ink supply source from the other one of the ink-supply-connection openings.
4 more elements
An ink jet recording device comprising:
- an ink jet head including:
- a pressure chamber portion formed with a row of pressure chambers aligned in a pressure chamber row direction, each pressure chamber having a nozzle end and a common-ink-chamber end at opposite ends thereof, the nozzle end of each pressure chamber being in fluid communication with a corresponding nozzle orifice;
- a common ink chamber portion formed with a common ink chamber elongated in the pressure chamber row direction, the common ink chamber including:
- a pressure-chamber region where the common ink chamber is in fluid communication with the common-ink-chamber end of each pressure chamber so that ink is supplied from the common ink chamber to the pressure chambers;
- an ink-supply-connection opening in fluid communication with an external ink supply source;
- and
- a broad-width region located at an opposite lengthwise end of the common ink chamber from the ink-supply-connection opening, the broad-width region being separated from the pressure-chamber region and having a broader width than other regions of the common ink chamber;
- and
- a circulation channel portion formed with a circulation channel that extends substantially parallel with the common ink channel, the circulation channel including an ink-supply-connection opening at one lengthwise end thereof for bringing the circulation channel into fluid communication with the external ink supply, the circulation channel and the common ink chamber being in fluid communication with each other at a same lengthwise end opposite from the lengthwise end formed with the ink-supply-connection openings of the circulation channel and the common ink chamber, the broad-width region of the common ink chamber also being located at the same lengthwise end;
- and
- a circulation unit in fluid communication with the ink-supply-connection opening of the common ink chamber and with the ink-supply-connection opening of the circulation channel, the circulation unit forcing ink from the ink supply source into one of the ink-supply-connection openings and returning ink to the ink supply source from the other one of the ink-supply-connection openings.
8 more elements
An ink jet head comprising:
- a pressure chamber portion formed with a row of pressure chambers aligned in a pressure chamber row direction, each pressure chamber having a nozzle end and a common-ink-chamber end at opposite ends thereof, the nozzle end of each pressure chamber being in fluid communication with a corresponding nozzle orifice;
- a common ink chamber portion formed with a common ink chamber elongated in the pressure chamber row direction, the common ink chamber being in fluid communication with the common-ink-chamber end of each pressure chamber so that ink is supplied from the common ink chamber to the pressure chambers, the common ink chamber including an ink-supply-connection opening at one lengthwise end thereof to enable connection to an external ink supply;
- and
- a circulation channel portion formed with a circulation channel that extends substantially parallel with the common ink channel, the circulation channel including an ink-supply-connection opening at one lengthwise end thereof to enable connection to the external ink supply, the circulation channel and the common ink chamber being in fluid communication with each other at a lengthwise end opposite from the lengthwise end formed with the ink-supply-connection openings of the circulation channel and the common ink chamber.
1 more element
An ink jet recording device comprising:
- an ink jet head including:
- a pressure chamber portion formed with a row of pressure chambers aligned in a pressure chamber row direction, each pressure chamber having a nozzle end and a common-ink-chamber end at opposite ends thereof, the nozzle end of each pressure chamber being in fluid communication with a corresponding nozzle orifice;
- a common ink chamber portion formed with a common ink chamber elongated in the pressure chamber row direction, the common ink chamber being in fluid communication with the common-ink-chamber end of each pressure chamber so that ink is supplied from the common ink chamber to the pressure chambers, the common ink chamber including an ink-supply-connection opening at one lengthwise end thereof to enable connection to an external ink supply;
- and
- a circulation channel portion formed with a circulation channel that extends substantially parallel with the common ink channel, the circulation channel including an ink-supply-connection opening at one lengthwise end thereof to enable connection to an external ink supply, the circulation channel and the common ink chamber being in fluid communication with each other at a lengthwise end opposite from the lengthwise end formed with the ink-supply-connection openings of the circulation channel and the common ink chamber;
- and
- a circulation unit in fluid communication with the ink-supply-connection opening of the common ink chamber and with the ink-supply-connection opening of the circulation channel, the circulation unit forcing ink from the ink supply source into one of the ink-supply-connection openings and returning ink to the ink supply source from the other one of the ink-supply-connection openings.
4 more elements
An ink jet head comprising:
- a first substrate, a second substrate, and a third substrate stacked on top of each other, wherein:
- the first substrate is formed with a plurality of pressure chambers aligned in a pressure chamber row direction, each pressure chamber having a nozzle end and a common-ink-chamber end at opposite ends thereof, the nozzle end of each pressure chamber being in fluid communication with a corresponding nozzle orifice;
- the second substrate is formed with a common ink chamber elongated in the pressure chamber row direction, the common ink chamber being in fluid communication with the common-ink-chamber end of each pressure chamber so that ink is supplied from the common ink chamber to the pressure chambers;
- and
- the third substrate is interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the third substrate including a plurality of filter, each located between the common ink chamber and the common-ink-chamber end of a corresponding one of the pressure chambers, each filter having a plurality of filter holes.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.