Head module
A head module includes: a head chip having a nozzle plate and an IC; a cooler which is in thermal contact with the IC and which is configured to cool the IC; and a supplying device fluidly connected to the head chip and configured to supply ink to the head chip. In a first direction orthogonal to the nozzle plate, the cooler and the supplying device are positioned on one side with respect to the nozzle plate, the cooler and the supplying device are overlapped as seen from the first direction, and the cooler and the supplying device are thermally isolated from each other.
1 . A head module, comprising:
a head chip having a nozzle plate and an IC;
a cooler which is in thermal contact with the IC and which is configured to cool the IC; and
a supplying device fluidly connected to the head chip and configured to supply ink to the head chip, the supplying device having a main body part, a first projecting part and a second projecting part,
wherein in a first direction orthogonal to the nozzle plate, the cooler and the supplying device are positioned on one side with respect to the nozzle plate,
the cooler and the main body part of the supplying device are overlapped with each other as seen from the first direction,
the cooler and the first projecting part are not overlapped with each other as seen from the first direction,
the cooler and the second projecting part are not overlapped with each other as seen from the first direction,
the cooler is positioned between the first projecting part of the supplying device and the second projecting part of the supplying device in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and
the cooler and the main body part of the supplying device are thermally isolated from each other.
2 . The head module according to claim 1 , wherein a clearance is defined between the cooler and the main body part of the supplying device.
3 . The head module according to claim 1 , wherein the cooler has a coolant channel through which coolant flows.
4 . The head module according to claim 3 , wherein
the cooler has a contacting part which is in thermal contact with the IC, and
the contacting part is overlapped with the main body part of the supplying device as seen from the first direction.
5 . The head module according to claim 4 , wherein
the head chip comprises a first connecting port connected to the supplying device, the ink being supplied from the supplying device to the head chip via the first connecting port,
the head chip has a rectangular outer shape,
the cooler is fixed to a first side of the head chip, and
the first connecting port is positioned in a second side of the head chip.
6 . The head module according to claim 5 , wherein the cooler and the supplying device are positioned so as not to cross over an outer edge of the head chip as seen from the first direction.
7 . The head module according to claim 5 , wherein
the head chip further has a second connecting port connected to the supplying device, the ink being supplied from the supplying device to the head chip via the second connecting port, and
the second connecting port is positioned in a third side of the head chip.
8 . The head module according to claim 7 , wherein the second side and the third side of the head chip face each other.
9 . The head module according to claim 5 , wherein
the supplying device comprises an ink supplying channel through which the ink is supplied to the head chip, and
as seen from the first direction, an upstream end of the ink supplying channel and an upstream end and a downstream end of the coolant channel are positioned on an inner side with respect to an outer edge of the head chip and are opened toward the one side in the first direction.
10 . The head module according to claim 9 , wherein the upstream end of the ink supplying channel and each of the upstream end and the downstream end of the coolant channel are different in a shape of a cross section which is orthogonal to the first direction.
11 . The head module according to claim 5 , wherein in a cross section which is orthogonal to the nozzle plate and which is parallel to the second side of the head chip, the coolant channel is positioned on the one side in the first direction with respect to the IC and the supplying device is positioned on the one side in the first direction with respect to the coolant channel.
12 . The head module according to claim 1 , wherein the supplying device comprises: an ink supplying channel through which the ink is supplied to the head chip; and an ink recovering channel through which the ink is recovered from the head chip.
13 . The head module according to claim 1 , wherein the ink supplied from the supplying device to the head chip is heated by a heater.
14 . The head module according to claim 1 , wherein
the first projecting part of the supplying device has a first flow port through which the ink is supplied to the head chip and a second flow port through which the ink is recovered from the head chip,
the second projecting part of the supplying device has a third flow port through which the ink is supplied to the head chip and a fourth flow port through which the ink is recovered from the head chip,
the main body part of the supplying device has a supply port and a recovery port, the supply port communicating with the first flow port and the third flow port, the recovery port communicating with the second flow port and the fourth flow port.
15 . The head module according to claim 14 , wherein
the head chip has a first manifold and a second manifold,
the ink is supplied to the first manifold through the first flow port and recovered from the first manifold thorough the fourth flow port,
the ink is supplied to the second manifold through the third flow port and recovered from the second manifold through the second flow port, and
a direction in which the ink flows in the first manifold and a direction in which the ink flows in the second manifold are opposite to each other.
16 . The head module according to claim 1 , wherein in the second direction, each of the first projecting part of the supplying device and the second projecting part of the supplying device is shorter than the main body part of the supplying device.
17 . The head module according to claim 1 , wherein in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, each of the first projecting part of the supplying device and the second projecting part of the supplying device is longer than the main body part of the supplying device.