IP Library Granted Patent US 7,604,326
Granted Patent B2
US 7,604,326 · App. 10/567,874 · Granted Oct 20, 2009

Electrostatic suction type fluid discharge device

Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha; Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.; National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,604,326
App. No.
10/567,874
Granted
Oct 20, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

With a micro nozzle in which the fluid discharge head has a nozzle with a micro hole having a diameter of 0.01 μm to 25 μm, the drive voltage during discharging operation is reduced. Further, by disposing an electrode section for applying a drive voltage to a discharge fluid on an external wall of a nozzle section, a distance between the electrode section and the nozzle hole is shortened. With this structure, the subject invention achieves both miniaturization of nozzle and reduction in drive voltage in an electrostatic suction type fluid discharge device. The subject invention also achieves an increase in discharge limit frequency while allowing use of materials with higher resistance for the fluid to be discharged.

Claims (10)

1. An electrostatic suction type fluid discharge device which discharges by electrostatic suction a discharge fluid, which is electrically charged by voltage application, onto a substrate through a fluid discharge hole of a nozzle of a fluid discharge head, so as to form a drawing pattern on a surface of the substrate,

the fluid discharge hole, provided in the nozzle, having a diameter ranging from 0.01 μm to 25 μm,

the electrostatic suction type fluid discharge device comprising an electrode section provided inside the nozzle, the electrode section for carrying out application of a driving voltage, causing an electric charge to be supplied to the discharge fluid, so as to charge the discharge fluid,

an inner wall of a tip of the nozzle has a taper section with a taper angle θ of 21° or greater, provided that L/d>5, where L is a taper length and d is a nozzle diameter,

wherein the electrode section is formed as a bar inserted into the nozzle and a tip of the electrode section is in contact with the inner wall of the taper section.

2. An electrostatic suction type fluid discharge device which discharges by electrostatic suction a discharge fluid, which is electrically charged by voltage application, onto a substrate through a fluid discharge hole of a nozzle of a fluid discharge head, so as to form a drawing pattern on a surface of the substrate,

the fluid discharge hole, provided in the nozzle, having a diameter ranging from 0.01 μm to 25 μm,

the electrostatic suction type fluid discharge device comprising an electrode section provided inside the nozzle, the electrode section for carrying out application of a driving voltage, causing an electric charge to be supplied to the discharge fluid, so as to charge the discharge fluid,

an inner wall of a tip of the nozzle having a taper section with a taper angle θ satisfying a condition: θ>58×d/L, where L is a taper length and d is a nozzle diameter, provided that L/d<100,

wherein the electrode section is formed as a bar inserted into the nozzle and a tip of the electrode section is in contact with the inner wall of the taper section.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 7, 2017
From: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.; SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Reel/Frame 043219/0408 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 7, 2017
From: KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC.
To: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
Reel/Frame 043478/0580 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 8, 2006
From: NISHIO, SHIGERU
To: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA; KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC.; NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Reel/Frame 017570/0379 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 8, 2006
From: MURATA, KAZUHIRO
To: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA; KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC.; NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Reel/Frame 017570/0411 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 8, 2006
From: IWASHITA, HIRONOBU; YAMAMOTO, KAZUNORI
To: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA; KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC.; NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Reel/Frame 017570/0766 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2003-206961 · Aug 8, 2003 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20080151006A1 · Jun 26, 2008