IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,400,712

Granted Patent B2

US 11,400,712 · App. 17/173,256 · Granted Aug 2, 2022

Liquid discharge head, head module, head device, liquid discharge device, and liquid discharge apparatus

Inventor: Yoshinori Bandoh (Kanagawa, JP)

Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.

B41J2/14233 B41J2002/14419 B41J2002/14459 B41J2202/12

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 11,400,712
App. No.: 17/173,256
Granted: Aug 2, 2022
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A liquid discharge head includes a plurality of nozzles arrayed in a two-dimensional matrix, the plurality of nozzles configured to discharge a liquid, a plurality of pressure chambers respectively communicating with the plurality of nozzles, a plurality of common-supply branch channels communicating with two or more of the plurality of pressure chambers, a plurality of common-collection branch channels communicating with two or more of the plurality of pressure chambers, a common-supply main channel communicating with the plurality of common-supply branch channels, a common-collection main channel communicating with the plurality of common-collection branch channels, and a bypass channel configured to connect one of the plurality of common-supply branch channels and one of the plurality of common-supply branch channels. The plurality of common-supply branch channels and the plurality of common-supply branch channels are alternately arrayed in an array direction.

Claims (65)

1. A liquid discharge head comprising:

a plurality of nozzles arrayed in a two-dimensional matrix, the plurality of nozzles configured to discharge a liquid;

a plurality of pressure chambers respectively communicating with the plurality of nozzles;

a plurality of common-supply branch channels communicating with two or more of the plurality of pressure chambers;

a plurality of common-collection branch channels communicating with two or more of the plurality of pressure chambers;

a common-supply main channel communicating with the plurality of common-supply branch channels;

a common-collection main channel communicating with the plurality of common-collection branch channels; and

a bypass channel configured to connect one of the plurality of common-supply branch channels and one of the plurality of common-supply branch channels,

wherein the plurality of common-supply branch channels and the plurality of common-supply branch channels are alternately arrayed in an array direction,

the plurality of common-supply branch channels includes:

a first common-supply branch channel; and

a second common-supply branch channel having a longer channel length than the first common-supply branch channel,

the first common-supply branch channel and the second common-supply branch channel are disposed on both sides of one of the plurality of common-collection branch channel in the array direction,

the bypass channel includes:

a first bypass channel configured to connect the first common-supply branch channel and said one of the plurality of common-collection branch channel, and

a second bypass channel configured to connect the second common-supply branch channel and said one of the plurality of common-collection branch channel, and

a channel resistance of the first bypass channel is larger than a channel resistance of the second bypass channel.

2. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of common-collection branch channels includes:

a first common-collection branch channel; and

a second common-collection branch channel having a longer channel length than the first common-collection branch channel,

the first common-collection branch channel and the second common-collection branch channel are disposed on both sides of one of the plurality of common-supply branch channels,

the bypass channel includes:

a first bypass channel configured to connect the first common-collection branch channel and said one of the plurality of common-supply branch channels, and

a second bypass channel configured to connect the second common-collection branch channel and said one of the plurality of common-supply branch channels, and

a channel resistance of the first bypass channel is larger than a channel resistance of the second bypass channel.

3. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first common-supply branch channel has the shortest channel length among the plurality of common-supply branch channels, and

the first common-supply branch channel is disposed at one end of the plurality of common-supply branch channels in the array direction.

4. The liquid discharge head according to claim 3 ,

wherein the plurality of common-collection branch channels includes:

a first common-collection branch channel; and

a second common-collection branch channel having a longer channel length than the first common-collection branch channel, and

the first common-collection branch channel has the shortest channel length among the plurality of common-collection branch channels, and

the first common-collection branch channel is disposed at another end of the plurality of common-collection branch channels opposite to said one end of the plurality of common-supply branch channels in the array direction.

5. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,

wherein the bypass channel includes a third bypass channel separated from the first bypass channel,

the third bypass channel has a channel resistance larger than the channel resistance of the second bypass channel.

6. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,

wherein the bypass channel connects said one of the plurality of common-supply branch channels and said one of the plurality of common-collection branch channels at an inlet of said one of the plurality of common-supply branch channels to which the liquid is supplied from the common-supply main channel.

7. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,

wherein the bypass channel connects said one of the plurality of common-collection branch channels and said one of the plurality of common-collection branch channels at an outlet of said one of the plurality of common-collection branch channels from which the liquid is discharged to the common-collection main channel.

8. A head module comprising:

the liquid discharge head according to claim 1 ,

wherein the liquid discharge head includes an array of a plurality of liquid discharge heads.

9. A head device comprising the head module according to claim 8 .

10. A liquid discharge device comprising the head device according to claim 9 .

11. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising the liquid discharge device according to claim 10 .

12. A liquid discharge head comprising: