IP Library Granted Patent US 12691683
Granted Patent B2
US 12691683 · App. 18/611,025 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Ink-jet head and ink-jet printer

Inventors: Hiroto Sugahara (Ama, JP); Fumika Hatta (Kuwana, JP); Itsuki Morimoto (Inazawa, JP); Toru Yamashita (Nagoya, JP); Etsuteru Inoue (Obu, JP); Hirotoshi Ishizaki (Nagakute, JP)
Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B41J2/14201B41J2/175B41J2002/14306B41J2002/14491
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12691683
App. No.
18/611,025
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An ink-jet head includes a flow passage member formed with: a first common flow passage; a first ink supply port; first individual flow passages; a second common flow passage; a second ink supply port; and second individual flow passages, first pressure generators, second pressure generators, a first conductive part, and a second conductive part. The first ink supply port is positioned on one side in the first direction, the second ink supply port is positioned on the other side in the first direction, an end portion of the first conductive part positioned nearer to a control circuit is positioned on the other side in the first direction, and an end portion of the second conductive part positioned nearer to the control circuit is positioned on the one side in the first direction.

Claims (60)

1 . An ink-jet head comprising:

a flow passage member including: a first common flow passage extending in a first direction; a first ink supply port communicated with the first common flow passage; a plurality of first individual flow passages each connected to the first common flow passage and aligned in the first direction; a second common flow passage extending in the first direction and positioned to be deviated from the first common flow passage in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; a second ink supply port communicated with the second common flow passage; and a plurality of second individual flow passages each connected to the second common flow passage and aligned in the first direction;

a plurality of first pressure generators aligned in the first direction and configured to generate pressure to ink contained in the first individual flow passages;

a plurality of second pressure generators aligned in the first direction and configured to generate pressure to the ink contained in the second individual flow passages;

a first conductive part configured to be electrically connected to the first pressure generators and a control circuit; and

a second conductive part configured to be electrically connected to the second pressure generators and the control circuit;

wherein the first ink supply port is positioned on one side in the first direction with respect to the first individual flow passages and the ink is supplied to the first common flow passage only from the first ink supply port, and the second ink supply port is positioned on the other side in the first direction with respect to the second individual flow passages and the ink is supplied to the second common flow passage only from the second ink supply port, and

an end portion of the first conductive part positioned nearer to the control circuit is positioned on the one side in the first direction with respect to the first pressure generators and an end portion of the second conductive part positioned nearer to the control circuit is positioned on the other side in the first direction with respect to the second pressure generators, or the end portion of the first conductive part positioned nearer to the control circuit is positioned on the other side in the first direction with respect to the first pressure generators and the end portion of the second conductive part positioned nearer to the control circuit is positioned on the one side in the first direction with respect to the second pressure generators.

2 . The ink-jet head according to claim 1 , wherein

the end portion of the first conductive part positioned nearer to the control circuit is positioned on the one side in the first direction with respect to the first pressure generators, and

the end portion of the second conductive part positioned nearer to the control circuit is positioned on the other side in the first direction with respect to the second pressure generators.

3 . The ink-jet head according to claim 1 , wherein

the end portion of the first conductive part positioned nearer to the control circuit is positioned on the other side in the first direction with respect to the first pressure generators, and

the end portion of the second conductive part positioned nearer to the control circuit is positioned on the one side in the first direction with respect to the second pressure generators.

4 . The ink-jet head according to claim 1 , wherein

the first pressure generators comprise:

a plurality of first individual electrodes;

a plurality of first low electric potential electrodes; and

a plurality of first high electric potential electrodes positioned between the first individual electrodes and the first low electric potential electrodes in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction,

the second pressure generators comprise:

a plurality of second individual electrodes;

a plurality of second low electric potential electrodes; and

a plurality of second high electric potential electrodes positioned between the second individual electrodes and the second low electric potential electrodes in the third direction,

the first conductive part is a first high electric potential wiring electrically connected to the first high electric potential electrodes, and

the second conductive part is a second high electric potential wiring electrically connected to the second high electric potential electrodes.

5 . The ink-jet head according to claim 1 , wherein

the first pressure generators comprise a plurality of first individual electrodes and a plurality of first constant electric potential electrodes,

the second pressure generators comprise a plurality of second individual electrodes and a plurality of second constant electric potential electrodes,

the first conductive part is composed of a plurality of first individual wirings electrically connected to the first individual electrodes respectively, and

the second conductive part is composed of a plurality of second individual wirings electrically connected to the second individual electrodes respectively.

6 . The ink-jet head according to claim 1 , wherein

the first pressure generators comprise a plurality of first individual electrodes and a first constant electric potential electrode,

the second pressure generators comprise a plurality of second individual electrodes and a second constant electric potential electrode,

the first conductive part is the first constant electric potential electrode, and

the second conductive part is the second constant electric potential electrode.

7 . The ink-jet head according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of third pressure generators aligned in the first direction;

a plurality of fourth pressure generators aligned in the first direction;

a third conductive part configured to be electrically connected to the third pressure generators and the control circuit; and

a fourth conductive part configured to be electrically connected to the fourth pressure generators and the control circuit, wherein

the flow passage member further comprises a plurality of third individual flow passages aligned in the first direction and a plurality of fourth individual flow passages aligned in the first direction,

the third individual flow passages and the fourth individual flow passages are positioned between the first individual flow passages and the second individual flow passages in the second direction,

the third pressure generators are configured to generate pressure to the ink contained in the third individual flow passages, and

the fourth pressure generators are configured to generate pressure to the ink contained in the fourth individual flow passages.

8 . The ink-jet head according to claim 7 , wherein an end portion of the third conductive part positioned nearer to the control circuit is positioned on the one side in the first direction with respect to the third pressure generators, and an end portion of the fourth conductive part positioned nearer to the control circuit is positioned on the other side in the first direction with respect to the fourth pressure generators.

9 . The ink-jet head according to claim 1 , wherein

the flow passage member further comprises: a third common flow passage extending in the first direction; a plurality of third individual flow passages each connected to the third common flow passage and aligned in the first direction; a fourth common flow passage extending in the first direction; and a plurality of fourth individual flow passages each connected to the fourth common flow passage and aligned in the first direction,

the third individual flow passages and the fourth individual flow passages are positioned between the first individual flow passages and the second individual flow passages in the second direction, and

the third common flow passage and the fourth common flow passage are positioned between the first common flow passage and the second common flow passage in the second direction.

10 . The ink-jet head according to claim 9 , wherein

the third common flow passage is communicated with the first ink supply port, and

the fourth common flow passage is communicated with the second ink supply port.

11 . An ink-jet printer comprising:

the ink-jet head as defined in claim 1 ; and

an ink supply unit configured to supply the ink to the ink-jet head,

wherein the first ink supply port and the second ink supply port are communicated with the ink supply unit.

12 . The ink-jet printer according to claim 11 , wherein

the flow passage member further comprises a first ink discharge port communicated with the first common flow passage and a second ink discharge port communicated with the second common flow passage,

the first ink discharge port and the second ink discharge port are communicated with the ink supply unit, and

the first ink discharge port is positioned on the other side in the first direction with respect to the first individual flow passages and the second ink discharge port is positioned on the one side in the first direction with respect to the second individual flow passages.