Liquid discharge apparatus and liquid discharge apparatus unit
A liquid discharge apparatus includes an individual flow passage member; and a common flow passage member joined to the individual flow passage member in a first direction. The individual flow passage member has nozzle groups formed on a surface on a side opposite to the common flow passage member and connecting hole groups formed on a surface on a side of the common flow passage member; and the common flow passage member has manifold flow passages corresponding to the connecting hole groups respectively. Each of the nozzle groups includes nozzles aligned in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and each of the connecting hole groups includes connecting holes aligned in the second direction and connected to the nozzles respectively. Each of the manifold flow passages extends in the second direction and is connected to the nozzles via the connecting holes.
1. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
an individual flow passage member; and
a common flow passage member which is joined to the individual flow passage member in a first direction,
wherein:
the individual flow passage member has nozzle groups formed on a surface on a side opposite to the common flow passage member in the first direction and connecting hole groups formed on another surface on a side of the common flow passage member in the first direction,
the common flow passage member has manifold flow passages formed corresponding to the connecting hole groups respectively,
each of the nozzle groups includes nozzles aligned in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,
each of the connecting hole groups includes connecting holes aligned in the second direction and connected to the nozzles respectively,
each of the manifold flow passages extends in the second direction and is connected to the nozzles via the connecting holes,
the nozzle groups are arranged in a third direction orthogonal to both of the first direction and the second direction,
the connecting hole groups are arranged in the third direction,
the manifold flow passages are arranged in the third direction,
the individual flow passage member includes:
a pressure chamber forming member formed with pressure chambers communicating with the nozzles and the connecting holes respectively; and a connecting hole forming member arranged on a side opposite to the nozzles with respect to the pressure chamber forming member, and formed with the connecting holes,
driving elements are arranged to overlap with the pressure chambers respectively on a surface, of the pressure chamber forming member, on the side opposite to the nozzles, and
the connecting hole forming member includes:
recesses formed on a surface on a side of the pressure chamber forming member in the first direction and aligned in the third direction to accommodate the driving elements; and
at least one partition wall partitioning the recesses and arranged to overlap in the first direction with at least one partition wall of the common flow passage member partitioning the manifold flow passages.
2. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the common flow passage member further includes connecting flow passages arranged between the manifold flow passages and the connecting hole groups in the first direction to connect the manifold flow passages and the connecting hole groups respectively,
the connecting flow passages are arranged in the third direction, and
each of the connecting flow passages extends in the second direction.
3. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein wall surfaces, of the manifold flow passages, on a side opposite to the connecting hole groups in the first direction are formed by a damper film to attenuate a pressure wave.
4. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:
the manifold flow passages include:
a first manifold flow passage overlapping in the first direction with a connecting hole group corresponding thereto; and
a second manifold flow passage not overlapping in the first direction with another connecting hole group corresponding thereto, and
the damper film, which forms the wall surface of the second manifold flow passage, has an areal size larger than an areal size of the damper film which forms the wall surface of the first manifold flow passage.
5. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:
the manifold flow passages include:
a first manifold flow passage overlapping in the first direction with a connecting hole group corresponding thereto; and
a second manifold flow passage not overlapping in the first direction with another connecting hole group corresponding thereto, and
the damper film, which forms the wall surface of the second manifold flow passage, has a thickness thinner than a thickness of the damper film which forms the wall surface of the first manifold flow passage.
6. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein:
wherein each of the connecting flow passages has a connecting portion connected to one connecting hole group of the connecting hole groups, and
the connecting portion is inclined with respect to the first direction so that the connecting portion approaches the individual flow passage member in the first direction toward the one connecting hole group in the third direction.
7. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein:
the common flow passage member has a length longer than a length of the individual flow passage member in the third direction,
two manifold flow passages, which are included in the manifold flow passages and each positioned at a respective end in the third direction, are positioned on outer sides as compared with the individual flow passage member in the third direction,
each of two connecting flow passages positioned at the respective ends in the third direction is defined by a wall surface on a side of the individual flow passage member in the first direction, and
the wall surface is formed in a stepped shape toward a connecting hole group corresponding thereto.
8. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein:
the common flow passage member includes:
a first common flow passage member formed with the manifold flow passages; and
a second common flow passage member arranged between the first common flow passage member and the individual flow passage member and formed with at least parts of the manifold flow passages,
the wall surface has a protruding portion protruding toward the first common flow passage member in the first direction at a portion not overlapping in the first direction with a manifold flow passage corresponding thereto, and
the protruding portion is joined to the first common flow passage member.
9. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein both end surfaces of the protruding portion in the second direction are curved surfaces.
10. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein:
the manifold flow passages and the connecting flow passages form common flow passages, and
the common flow passages have an identical volume.
11. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one spacing between the manifold flow passages is not less than 1.5 times and not more than 2.5 times as large as a spacing between the connecting hole groups.
12. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a liquid introducing port to introduce a liquid from a side opposite to the individual flow passage member in the first direction is formed at each of both end portions, of each of the manifold flow passages, in the second direction.
13. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising a filter which covers the liquid introducing port from the side opposite to the individual flow passage member.
14. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
an individual flow passage member; and
a common flow passage member which is joined to the individual flow passage member in a first direction,
wherein:
the individual flow passage member has nozzle groups formed on a surface on a side opposite to the common flow passage member in the first direction and connecting hole groups formed on another surface on a side of the common flow passage member in the first direction,
the common flow passage member has manifold flow passages formed corresponding to the connecting hole groups respectively,
each of the nozzle groups includes nozzles aligned in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,
each of the connecting hole groups includes connecting holes aligned in the second direction and connected to the nozzles respectively,
each of the manifold flow passages extends in the second direction and is connected to the nozzles via the connecting holes,
the nozzle groups are arranged in a third direction orthogonal to both of the first direction and the second direction,
the connecting hole groups are arranged in the third direction,
the manifold flow passages are arranged in the third direction, two manifold flow passages, which are included in the manifold flow passages and positioned at respective ends in the third direction, are defined by a wall surface on a side of the individual flow passage member in the first direction, and
the wall surface is formed in a stepped shape toward a connecting hole group corresponding thereto.
15. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein:
the common flow passage member includes:
a first common flow passage member formed with the manifold flow passages; and
a second common flow passage member arranged between the first common flow passage member and the individual flow passage member and formed with at least parts of the manifold flow passages,
the wall surface has a protruding portion protruding toward the first common flow passage member in the first direction at a portion not overlapping in the first direction with a manifold flow passage corresponding thereto, and
the protruding portion is joined to the first common flow passage member.
16. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein both end surfaces of the protruding portion in the second direction are curved surfaces.
17. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
an individual flow passage member; and
a common flow passage member which is joined to the individual flow passage member in a first direction,
wherein:
the individual flow passage member has nozzle groups formed on a surface on a side opposite to the common flow passage member in the first direction and connecting hole groups formed on another surface on a side of the common flow passage member in the first direction,
the common flow passage member has manifold flow passages formed corresponding to the connecting hole groups respectively,
each of the nozzle groups includes nozzles aligned in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction,
each of the connecting hole groups includes connecting holes aligned in the second direction and connected to the nozzles respectively,
each of the manifold flow passages extends in the second direction and is connected to the nozzles via the connecting holes,
the nozzle groups are arranged in a third direction orthogonal to both of the first direction and the second direction,
the individual flow passage member is smaller than the common flow passage member in the third direction,
the connecting hole groups are arranged in the third direction,
the manifold flow passages are arranged in the third direction, and
wall surfaces, which define the manifold flow passages and are arranged on a side opposite to the connecting hole groups in the first direction, are formed by a damper film to attenuate a pressure wave.