IP Library Granted Patent US 12691675
Granted Patent B2
US 12691675 · App. 18/707,891 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Liquid discharge head and liquid discharge apparatus

Inventors: Makito Nakashima (Kanagawa, JP); Kiyoshi Amari (Kanagawa, JP); Toshihiro Kanematsu (Kanagawa, JP); Shusei Murai (Tokyo, JP); Tatsumi Suzuki (Tokyo, JP); Hiroshi Wada (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
B41J2/02B41J2/025B41J2/03B41J2/045B41J2002/041B41J2/1429
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12691675
App. No.
18/707,891
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A liquid discharge head includes: a discharge port, from which a liquid is to be discharged; and an openably closing valve configured to move in a moving direction toward the discharge port to openably close the discharge port, the openably closing valve including a core, wherein the core has a core end at one end of the core opposing the discharge port, the core end has: a concave in the core end, the concave recessed in a direction opposite to the discharge port; and an elastic member covering the concave and an outer side face of the core end continuously.

Claims (74)

1 . A liquid discharge head, comprising:

a discharge port, from which a liquid is to be discharged; and

an openably closing valve to move in a moving direction toward the discharge port to openably close the discharge port, the openably closing valve including a core, wherein:

the core includes a core end at one end of the core opposing the discharge port, and

the core end includes:

a concave in the core end, the concave recessed in a direction opposite to the discharge port and having a cylindrical inner face along the moving direction; and

an elastic structure covering the concave and an outer side face of the core end continuously, the elastic structure being in the concave without a gap.

2 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein:

the core end includes a groove on the outer side face of the core end, and

the elastic structure covers the groove.

3 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein:

the elastic structure is adhered to the core end with an adhesive.

4 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein:

the elastic structure is adhered to the concave in the core end.

5 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein:

the core end includes a convex portion surrounding the concave,

the convex portion protrudes from the concave toward the discharge port, and

a ratio of thicknesses of the elastic structure satisfies 1.6≤T 1 /T 2 ≤6, where

T 1 is a first thickness of a first portion of the elastic structure at the deepest end of the concave of the core end in the moving direction of the openably closing valve, and

T 2 is a second thickness of a second portion of the elastic structure at the convex portion of the core end in the moving direction of the openably closing valve.

6 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein:

the core end includes a convex portion surrounding the concave,

the convex portion protrudes from the concave toward the discharge port, and

the elastic structure includes a chamfer at a position corresponding to at least one of an outer peripheral end or an inner peripheral end of the convex portion of the core end.

7 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a plate including the discharge port, wherein

the core end includes a convex portion surrounding the concave of the core end,

the elastic structure includes a flat portion opposing the plate,

the flat portion is closer to the plate than the convex portion, and

the elastic structure and the core end satisfy W 1 <W 2 , where

W 1 is a width of the flat portion of the elastic structure in a radial direction, and

W 2 is a width of the convex portion of the core end in the radial direction.

8 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 , wherein:

the elastic structure covers around a periphery of the outer side face of the core end.

9 . A liquid discharge apparatus comprising the liquid discharge head according to claim 1 .

10 . A liquid discharge head, comprising:

a discharge port, from which a liquid is to be discharged; and

an openably closing valve to move in a moving direction toward the discharge port to openably close the discharge port, the openably closing valve including a core, wherein:

the core includes a core end at one end of the core opposing the discharge port,

the core end includes:

a concave in the core end, the concave recessed in a direction opposite to the discharge port; and

an elastic structure covering the concave and an outer side face of the core end continuously,

the core end includes a convex portion surrounding the concave,

the convex portion protrudes from the concave toward the discharge port, and

a ratio of thicknesses of the elastic structure satisfies 1.6≤T 1 /T 2 ≤6, where

T 1 is a first thickness of a first portion of the elastic structure at the deepest end of the concave of the core end in the moving direction of the openably closing valve, and

T 2 is a second thickness of a second portion of the elastic structure at the convex portion of the core end in the moving direction of the openably closing valve.

11 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 10 , wherein:

the core end includes a groove on the outer side face of the core end, and

the elastic structure covers the groove.

12 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 10 , wherein:

the elastic structure is adhered to the core end with an adhesive.

13 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 10 , wherein:

the elastic structure is adhered to the concave in the core end.

14 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 10 , wherein:

the elastic structure includes a chamfer at a position corresponding to at least one of an outer peripheral end or an inner peripheral end of the convex portion of the core end.

15 . The liquid discharge head according to claim 10 , wherein:

the elastic structure covers around a periphery of the outer side face of the core end.

16 . A liquid discharge apparatus comprising the liquid discharge head according to claim 10 .

17 . A liquid discharge head, comprising:

a discharge port, from which a liquid is to be discharged;

an openably closing valve to move in a moving direction toward the discharge port to openably close the discharge port, the openably closing valve including a core; and

a plate including the discharge port, wherein:

the core includes a core end at one end of the core opposing the discharge port,

the core end includes:

a concave in the core end, the concave recessed in a direction opposite to the discharge port; and

an elastic structure covering the concave and an outer side face of the core end continuously,

the core end includes a convex portion surrounding the concave of the core end,

the elastic structure includes a flat portion opposing the plate,

the flat portion is closer to the plate than the convex portion, and

the elastic structure and the core end satisfy W 1 <W 2 , where

W 1 is a width of the flat portion of the elastic structure in a radial direction, and

W 2 is a width of the convex portion of the core end in the radial direction.

18 . A liquid discharge apparatus comprising the liquid discharge head according to claim 17 .