Liquid discharge module, liquid discharge head, and liquid discharge apparatus
A liquid discharge module includes a valve body configured to openably close a nozzle; a driving body configured to expand and contract in a longitudinal direction of the driving body; a holding body holding the driving body and supporting the valve body at one end of the holding body in the longitudinal direction; a housing having a cylindrical shape and accommodating the holding body; a fixing member contacting against another end of the holding body in the longitudinal direction and including a slotted groove having a gap extending in the longitudinal direction, the fixing member fixed to the housing; and an expansion member configured to widen the gap of the slotted groove to fix an outer peripheral face of the fixing member to an inner peripheral face of the housing.
1 . A liquid discharge module, comprising:
a valve body to open and close a nozzle;
a driving body to expand and contract in a longitudinal direction of the driving body;
a holding body holding the driving body and supporting the valve body at one end of the holding body in the longitudinal direction;
a housing having a cylindrical shape and accommodating the holding body;
a fixed structure contacting another end of the holding body in the longitudinal direction and including a slotted groove having a gap extending in the longitudinal direction, the fixed structure fixed to the housing; and
an expander to widen the gap of the slotted groove to fix an outer peripheral face of the fixed structure to an inner peripheral face of the housing.
2 . The liquid discharge module according to claim 1 , wherein the expander includes a screw screwed into the fixed structure across the slotted groove.
3 . The liquid discharge module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the slotted groove includes a female screw hole formed in an inner peripheral face of the slotted groove, the female screw hole extending in the longitudinal direction, and
the expander includes a tapered screw screwed into the female screw hole in the longitudinal direction.
4 . The liquid discharge module according to claim 1 , wherein the driving body is a piezoelectric element.
5 . A liquid discharge head comprising the liquid discharge module according to claim 1 ,
wherein the liquid discharge module comprises multiple liquid discharge modules.
6 . A liquid discharge apparatus comprising the liquid discharge module according to claim 1 .
7 . The liquid discharge module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the expander is a screw having a tapered distal end.
8 . The liquid discharge module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the fixed structure includes a plurality of slotted grooves.
9 . The liquid discharge module according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a heater in the housing to heat the liquid.
10 . The liquid discharge module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the housing comprises a first housing of high thermal conductivity and a second housing of low thermal conductivity.
11 . The liquid discharge module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the driving body is elastically held in a compressed state by the holding body.
12 . The liquid discharge module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the slotted groove gap extends only partially through a longitudinal length of the fixed structure.
13 . The liquid discharge module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the expander widen the gap by being driven in the longitudinal direction into the slotted groove.
14 . The liquid discharge module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the valve body comprises a distal end portion to seal against a nozzle plate.
15 . A liquid discharge head comprising a plurality of the liquid discharge modules according to claim 1 arranged in a row.
16 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a common channel supplying liquid to the plurality of liquid discharge modules.
17 . A liquid discharge apparatus comprising the liquid discharge head according to claim 15 and a carriage to move the head.
18 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 17 , further comprising a collection port to collect liquid not discharged by the nozzles.
19 . A liquid discharge module, comprising:
a valve body to open and close a nozzle;
a driving body to expand and contract in a longitudinal direction of the driving body;
a holding body holding the driving body and supporting the valve body at one end of the holding body in the longitudinal direction;
a housing having a cylindrical shape and accommodating the holding body;
an adhered structure contacting another end portion of the holding body in the longitudinal direction, and the adhered structure is to be adhered to the housing with an adhesive.
20 . The liquid discharge module according to claim 19 , wherein the adhesive comprises an epoxy-based adhesive.