EP1842677B1 - Inkjet printhead - Google Patents
Inkjet printhead Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1842677B1 EP1842677B1 EP20070104566 EP07104566A EP1842677B1 EP 1842677 B1 EP1842677 B1 EP 1842677B1 EP 20070104566 EP20070104566 EP 20070104566 EP 07104566 A EP07104566 A EP 07104566A EP 1842677 B1 EP1842677 B1 EP 1842677B1
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- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- nozzles
- ink
- pitch
- printhead according
- line
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
- B41J2/01—Ink jet
- B41J2/135—Nozzles
- B41J2/14—Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
- B41J2/1433—Structure of nozzle plates
Definitions
- the invention relates to an ink jet printhead, comprising a line of nozzles arranged with a uniform first pitch in a line direction X, a plurality of parallel ink channels having an axial direction Y normal to said line direction X and arranged in groups within which they have a uniform second pitch, each ink channel being connected to one of said nozzles, and a plurality of actuators arranged in groups corresponding to those of the ink channels, each actuator being associated with one of the ink channels for pressurizing ink contained therein, thereby to expel an ink droplet through the associated nozzle.
- the pitch of the nozzles is identical to the pitch of the ink channels, and the actuators, e. g. piezoelectric actuators, which are arranged with the same pitch, are made of a one-piece block of piezoelectric material which is cut in order to separate the individual actuators.
- the ink channels for all the nozzles of the printhead are formed by cutting grooves into a one-piece channel plate.
- the width of such a printhead in the line direction X is necessarily constrained in view of considerations related to the (differential) thermal expansion of the actuator block and the channel plate, especially in case of a hot melt ink jet printhead, and in view of the yield in the manufacturing process.
- the width of the printhead is increased and, consequently, the number of nozzles, ink channels and actuators is also increased, the likelihood that at least one of the nozzles, ink channels or actuators is defective, will increase in proportion to the number of nozzles, and when only one of these elements is defective, the printhead must be discarded as a whole, so that the manufacturing yield becomes unacceptably low.
- the width of the printhead in order to provide a printhead extending over the whole width of a page, by aligning a plurality of printhead elements with the above construction in the line direction, so that their nozzles form a continuous nozzle array or line with a uniform pitch.
- the pitch of the nozzles, and consequently also the pitch of the ink channels and the actuators is only in the order of 0.3 mm, and the printhead elements would have to be butted against one another in order to provide a continuous nozzle line with uniform pitch.
- the actuators for the first and the last nozzle of an individual printhead element would have to be arranged in immediate proximity to the respective end of the printhead element, and it turns out to be difficult to manufacture a printhead element with such a construction.
- the actuator blocks of the aligned printhead elements are butted against one another, thermal expansion or contraction of the various components could still present a problem.
- EP-A-0 921 003 discloses a printhead of the type described above, wherein the nozzles are offset from the center lines of their respective ink channels in X-direction in such a manner, that the second pitch of the ink channels and actuators becomes smaller than the first pitch of the nozzles.
- each nozzle is formed directly at the end of the corresponding ink channel, the offset of the nozzle is limited to half the width of an individual ink channel.
- the difference between the pitch of the nozzles and that of the ink channels and actuators can only be relatively small.
- EP-A-0 755 791 discloses an ink jet printhead in which each nozzle is connected to its associated ink channel and actuator by a flow passage that is inclined relative to the nozzle axis in the X-Y-plane.
- each nozzle is connected to its associated ink channel and actuator by a flow passage that is inclined relative to the nozzle axis in the X-Y-plane.
- the angle of inclination of the flow passages it is possible to arrange the ink channels and actuators with a pitch that is different from the pitch of the nozzles.
- the length of the flow passages varies in accordance with their angle of inclination, and this may give rise to nonuniformities in the printed image, because the different lengths of the flow passages induce differences in the process of droplet generation.
- JP-A-3118159 shows the preamble of claim 1.
- an ink jet printhead of the type indicated in the opening paragraph wherein the ink channels are connected to their associated nozzles by flow passages which all have a substantially equal length and are inclined relative to the axial direction Y with varying angles in both, said line direction X and a scan direction Z orthogonal to the line direction and the axial direction.
- the flow passages are inclined two-dimensionally, i. e. not only in the X-Y-plane, but also in the Y-Z-plane.
- This makes it possible to make the pitch of the nozzles in the line direction X larger than the pitch of the ink channels and the actuators and yet to keep the length of the flow passages essentially constant, because an increased inclination of the flow passage in the X-Y-plane can be compensated for by a smaller inclination in the Y-Z-plane.
- this has the consequence that the nozzles are offset relative to the central axis of their ink passages not only in X-direction but also in Z-direction.
- the offset in the Z-direction can easily be compensated for by appropriately adapting the timings at which the actuators are fired when the printhead scans the recording medium.
- the groups of actuators can be formed by separate arrays or blocks which have a width amounting only to a fraction of the total width of the printhead and which can easily be manufactured with a high production yield.
- a channel plate having a very large width and, accordingly, a large number of ink channels can be manufactured with high production yield, e. g. by cutting parallel grooves into a one-piece graphite plate, it is possible that all the groups of ink channels of the printhead are formed in a one-piece channel plate which gives integrity and stability to the printhead as a whole.
- the actuators of different groups are formed by separate actuator arrays that will then be mounted in appropriate positions on the common channel plate.
- the nozzles arranged in a line with uniform pitch over the whole width of the printhead can be formed in a plurality of separate nozzle plates which can be manufactured with high production yield and can then be butted together like tiles on the common channel plate.
- the first pitch of the nozzles of such a printhead may be so small that the nozzles can be arranged with a density of 75 nozzles per 25,4 mm (75 npi; nozzles per inch).
- An even higher resolution of the printhead can be achieved by providing a plurality of nozzle lines, wherein the nozzles of one line are offset relative to the nozzles of another line.
- the nozzle plates are provided with two continuous, parallel nozzle lines in which the nozzles of the respective line are offset by a half pitch, so that a resolution of 150 dpi is obtained.
- the ink channels associated with the nozzles of these two lines may be formed on opposite sides of one and the same channel plate.
- the offset of the nozzles in the scan direction Z which offset is needed for making the lengths of the flow passages essentially uniform, fit into a predetermined raster, e. g. a 300 dpi raster.
- the timings for firing all the nozzles of a line can be controlled on the basis of a common clock signal the period of which corresponds to one raster step in the scan movement of the printhead relative to the recording medium.
- an ink jet printhead 10 comprises a channel plate 12 which is made of graphite, for example, and has ink channels 14 formed by grooves that are cut into the surfaces on either side of the plate.
- the ink channels 14 have an axial direction Y that extents vertically in figure 1 .
- the ink channels 14 are covered by flexible sheets 16 that are secured to the opposite surfaces of the channel plate 12.
- Each ink channel 14 is associated with a piezoelectric actuator 18 that is firmly attached to the outer surface of the flexible sheet 16.
- a nozzle plate 20 with nozzles 22 formed therein is attached to an edge surface of the channel plate 12, and each ink channel 14 is connected to one of the nozzles 22 through a flow passage 24 that is bored through the graphite material of the channel plate.
- the flow passages 24 are inclined relative to the axial direction Y of the ink channels 14 in a scan direction Z, so that the flow passages coming from opposite sides of the channel plate 12 converge towards the nozzle plate 20.
- the ends of the ink channels 14 remote from the nozzle plate 20 are connected to an ink supply system (not shown), through which the ink channels 14, the flow passages 24 and the nozzles 22 are filled with liquid ink. Capillary forces prevent the ink from flowing out through the nozzles 22.
- the printhead 10 is a hot melt ink jet printhead, and that a heating system (not shown) is integrated in the channel plate 12 for keeping the hot melt ink at a temperature above its melting point, e. g. at a temperature of about 100°C.
- the nozzle plate 12 is a continuous plate which extends in a line direction X over the entire width of the printhead and carries a plurality of nozzle plates 20 that are aligned in said scan direction X and are buttingly engaged with one another.
- the nozzles 22 are arranged in two approximately parallel lines extending in the line direction X. However, for reasons that will be explained later, these lines are not perfectly straight.
- a first pitch P1 is defined as the spacing between two neighboring nozzles 22 in X-direction.
- This pitch is uniform over the entire length of each nozzle line, even across the junctions between adjacent nozzle plates 20, and amounts to 0.34 mm in this example, corresponding to a nozzle density of 75 nozzles per 25,4 mm (75 npi; nozzles per inch).
- the ink channels 14 are arranged in groups A, B and C, and within each group, the ink channels are arranged in parallel in the axial direction Y and with a uniform second pitch P2 in the line direction X.
- the second pitch P2 is smaller than the first pitch P1.
- the actuators 18 are also arranged in groups, corresponding to the groups of ink channels. As can further be seen in figure 2 , the actuators 18 are formed by cutting deep parallel grooves 26 into a one-piece actuator block 28 of piezoelectric ceramic. Since the number of grooves 26 is twice the number of actuators 18, the fingers remaining between the grooves 26 form not only the actuators 18 but also support fingers 30 which connect the actuator block 28 to the portions of the channel plate 12 remaining between adjacent ink channels 14.
- the actuator blocks 28 can be made so short that gaps 32 are formed between adjacent blocks 28 and, nevertheless, the first and the last grooves 26 of each block are safely spaced away from the ends of the block. This greatly facilitates the manufacturing process for the actuator blocks and permits a high production yield. Moreover, the gaps 32 can absorb differential thermal expansions and contractions of the actuator blocks 28 and the channel plate 12.
- each of the flow passages 24 must connect an ink channel 14 to its associated nozzle 22, it is necessary for the flow passages 24 to fan-out towards the nozzles 22 in the line direction X.
- the flow passages 24 are inclined not only in the Z-direction, as shown in figure 1 , but also in the X-direction, as is shown in figure 2 , and the angle of inclination in that X-direction increases progressively from the center of each block (block B for example) towards the ends thereof.
- the flow passages 24 would differ significantly in their length, because of the different angles of inclination.
- the angle of inclination in the Z-direction is also varied and becomes larger when the angle of inclination in the X-direction becomes smaller.
- the nozzles 22 of the same line have an offset D in the Z-direction, as is shown in figure 2 .
- the two approximately parallel nozzle lines are closer together near the center of the group B and progressively separate from one another towards the ends of the group. In this way, it can be achieved that all the flow passages 24 have at least approximately the same length.
- the propagation of pressure waves in the ink channels 14 and the flow passages 24 will follow an identical pattern for all the nozzles 22.
- the central axis of the flow passages lie on the surface of an imaginary cone the axis of which coincides with the central axis of the ink passage 14, and, when going from one ink channel to another, the flow passage 24 is rotated about the axis of the cone.
- the positions and widths (in X-direction) of the nozzle plates 20 correspond to the positions and the widths, respectively, of the groups of ink channels and actuator blocks. It is possible, however, that the nozzle plates 20 are offset relative to the actuator blocks 28 in X-direction and/or width of the nozzle plates in X-direction is smaller or larger than the width of the actuator blocks.
- the nozzles 22 of the two nozzle lines are offset relative to one another in the X-direction by one half of the first pitch P1, so that the effective nozzle density of the printhead 10 as a whole corresponds to 150 npi.
- the two printheads 10 are mounted on a frame (not shown) in fixed spatial relation relative to one another and are moved relative to a recording medium, e. g. a sheet of paper onto which the image is to be printed, so as to scan the paper in the scan direction Z.
- a recording medium e. g. a sheet of paper onto which the image is to be printed
- both printheads 10 may extend over the entire width of the paper, so that a high printing speed can be achieved by scanning the sheet in only one direction.
- the square matrix elements of the pixel matrix 34 having a 300 dpi resolution correspond to individual pixels 36 and have a width and height of 25,4/300 mm (1/300 inch). This width will be called one "raster step" in the following.
- the pitch P1 of the nozzles 22 of a single nozzle line corresponds to four raster steps.
- the nozzles of the two lines that are formed in the same nozzle plates 20 are offset relative to one another in X-direction by two raster steps, and the two nozzle plates 20 are offset in X-direction by one raster step, so that each pixel 36 on the sheet can be printed when this sheet is scanned once with the two printheads.
- the timings at which the individual nozzles are fired are coordinated with the scan movement, so that the pixels are printed in the correct positions in Z-direction.
- the two printheads scan the sheet of paper in positive Z-direction (downward direction in figure 3 ), and that a continuous image line shall be printed, this line extending in X-direction and having a width of one pixel.
- the two nozzles designated as 22-1 in figure 3 will be the first to be fired.
- the nozzle 22-2 will be fired, then, after another raster step, the next two nozzles, and so on.
- every fourth pixel of the image line will be printed with the lowest nozzle line of the lowest nozzle plate 20 in figure 3 .
- the gaps will successively be filled with the nozzles in the upper nozzle line of the lower nozzle plate and then with the nozzles of the upper nozzle plate 20, so that the continuos image line is completed.
- the control of the actuators for the various nozzles is facilitated by the fact that the nozzles are adapted to the raster of the pixel matrix 34 not only in the line direction X but also in the scan direction Z, so that the timings at which the nozzles have to be energized correspond to fixed raster positions of the printheads.
- the requirement that the nozzles 22 fit into a discrete two-dimensional pixel raster implies that the angles at which the flow passages 24 are inclined in Z-direction cannot be chosen arbitrarily. As a result, the lengths of the various flow passages 24 cannot be exactly equal, but slight deviations in length must be accepted. Nevertheless, the quality of the printed image will be significantly improved in comparison to the case where all nozzles of the nozzle line were arranged on a straight line, without any offset in Z-direction. When the resolution of the printer is as high as 300 or 600 dpi, for example, the pixel raster will be so fine that the length differences between the individual flow passages 24 become negligibly small.
- the nozzles 22 may be arranged in only a single line, with a pitch of one half of P1 and with the flow passages 24 coming alternatingly from the opposite sides of the channel plate 20.
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- Particle Formation And Scattering Control In Inkjet Printers (AREA)
Description
- The invention relates to an ink jet printhead, comprising a line of nozzles arranged with a uniform first pitch in a line direction X, a plurality of parallel ink channels having an axial direction Y normal to said line direction X and arranged in groups within which they have a uniform second pitch, each ink channel being connected to one of said nozzles, and a plurality of actuators arranged in groups corresponding to those of the ink channels, each actuator being associated with one of the ink channels for pressurizing ink contained therein, thereby to expel an ink droplet through the associated nozzle.
- In a conventional ink jet printhead, the pitch of the nozzles is identical to the pitch of the ink channels, and the actuators, e. g. piezoelectric actuators, which are arranged with the same pitch, are made of a one-piece block of piezoelectric material which is cut in order to separate the individual actuators. The ink channels for all the nozzles of the printhead are formed by cutting grooves into a one-piece channel plate.
- The width of such a printhead in the line direction X is necessarily constrained in view of considerations related to the (differential) thermal expansion of the actuator block and the channel plate, especially in case of a hot melt ink jet printhead, and in view of the yield in the manufacturing process. When the width of the printhead is increased and, consequently, the number of nozzles, ink channels and actuators is also increased, the likelihood that at least one of the nozzles, ink channels or actuators is defective, will increase in proportion to the number of nozzles, and when only one of these elements is defective, the printhead must be discarded as a whole, so that the manufacturing yield becomes unacceptably low.
- Theoretically, it would be possible to increase the width of the printhead, in order to provide a printhead extending over the whole width of a page, by aligning a plurality of printhead elements with the above construction in the line direction, so that their nozzles form a continuous nozzle array or line with a uniform pitch. However, for a printhead with a resolution of 75 dpi, for example, the pitch of the nozzles, and consequently also the pitch of the ink channels and the actuators is only in the order of 0.3 mm, and the printhead elements would have to be butted against one another in order to provide a continuous nozzle line with uniform pitch. As a consequence, the actuators for the first and the last nozzle of an individual printhead element would have to be arranged in immediate proximity to the respective end of the printhead element, and it turns out to be difficult to manufacture a printhead element with such a construction. Moreover, if the actuator blocks of the aligned printhead elements are butted against one another, thermal expansion or contraction of the various components could still present a problem.
-
EP-A-0 921 003 discloses a printhead of the type described above, wherein the nozzles are offset from the center lines of their respective ink channels in X-direction in such a manner, that the second pitch of the ink channels and actuators becomes smaller than the first pitch of the nozzles. As a result, it is possible to provide a wide printhead composed of a plurality of printhead elements or "tiles" which are disposed side by side, so that their nozzles form a continuous line with uniform pitch, whereas a larger spacing exists between the last actuator of one printhead element and the first actuator of the next printhead element. However, since each nozzle is formed directly at the end of the corresponding ink channel, the offset of the nozzle is limited to half the width of an individual ink channel. Thus, for a printhead element with a given number of nozzles, the difference between the pitch of the nozzles and that of the ink channels and actuators can only be relatively small. -
EP-A-0 755 791 discloses an ink jet printhead in which each nozzle is connected to its associated ink channel and actuator by a flow passage that is inclined relative to the nozzle axis in the X-Y-plane. Thus, by varying the angle of inclination of the flow passages, it is possible to arrange the ink channels and actuators with a pitch that is different from the pitch of the nozzles. Then, however, the length of the flow passages varies in accordance with their angle of inclination, and this may give rise to nonuniformities in the printed image, because the different lengths of the flow passages induce differences in the process of droplet generation. -
JP-A-3118159 - It is an object of the invention to provide an increased design freedom for selecting the difference in the pitch of the nozzles and the pitch of the ink channels and actuators, without impairing the quality of the printed image.
- According to the invention, this object is achieved by an ink jet printhead of the type indicated in the opening paragraph, wherein the ink channels are connected to their associated nozzles by flow passages which all have a substantially equal length and are inclined relative to the axial direction Y with varying angles in both, said line direction X and a scan direction Z orthogonal to the line direction and the axial direction.
- Thus, according to the invention, the flow passages are inclined two-dimensionally, i. e. not only in the X-Y-plane, but also in the Y-Z-plane. This makes it possible to make the pitch of the nozzles in the line direction X larger than the pitch of the ink channels and the actuators and yet to keep the length of the flow passages essentially constant, because an increased inclination of the flow passage in the X-Y-plane can be compensated for by a smaller inclination in the Y-Z-plane. Of course, this has the consequence that the nozzles are offset relative to the central axis of their ink passages not only in X-direction but also in Z-direction. However, the offset in the Z-direction can easily be compensated for by appropriately adapting the timings at which the actuators are fired when the printhead scans the recording medium.
- As a result, it is possible to provide a printhead with a width as large as desired, wherein the nozzles are arranged with a uniform pitch in X-direction, whereas the ink channels and the actuators form several groups wherein the pitch is constant and smaller than the pitch of the nozzles, but with larger spacings between neighboring ink channels that belong to different groups. As a consequence, the groups of actuators can be formed by separate arrays or blocks which have a width amounting only to a fraction of the total width of the printhead and which can easily be manufactured with a high production yield.
- More specific optional features of the invention are indicated in the dependent claims.
- Since a channel plate having a very large width and, accordingly, a large number of ink channels, can be manufactured with high production yield, e. g. by cutting parallel grooves into a one-piece graphite plate, it is possible that all the groups of ink channels of the printhead are formed in a one-piece channel plate which gives integrity and stability to the printhead as a whole. On the other hand, since the number of actuators in a group in which the actuators are arranged with a uniform pitch is limited by production yield considerations, it is preferable that the actuators of different groups are formed by separate actuator arrays that will then be mounted in appropriate positions on the common channel plate. Likewise, the nozzles arranged in a line with uniform pitch over the whole width of the printhead can be formed in a plurality of separate nozzle plates which can be manufactured with high production yield and can then be butted together like tiles on the common channel plate.
- In this way, it is possible to provide a page-wide printhead which can be manufactured with high production yield and is robust against differential thermal expansion and contraction of its components.
- The first pitch of the nozzles of such a printhead may be so small that the nozzles can be arranged with a density of 75 nozzles per 25,4 mm (75 npi; nozzles per inch). An even higher resolution of the printhead can be achieved by providing a plurality of nozzle lines, wherein the nozzles of one line are offset relative to the nozzles of another line. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the nozzle plates are provided with two continuous, parallel nozzle lines in which the nozzles of the respective line are offset by a half pitch, so that a resolution of 150 dpi is obtained. The ink channels associated with the nozzles of these two lines may be formed on opposite sides of one and the same channel plate. By providing two such 150 dpi printheads with appropriate offset, it is possible to obtain a printing resolution of 300 dpi.
- In order to facilitate the control of the timings at which the actuators for the individual nozzles are energized, it is preferable that the offset of the nozzles in the scan direction Z, which offset is needed for making the lengths of the flow passages essentially uniform, fit into a predetermined raster, e. g. a 300 dpi raster. Then, the timings for firing all the nozzles of a line (or preferably of both lines) can be controlled on the basis of a common clock signal the period of which corresponds to one raster step in the scan movement of the printhead relative to the recording medium.
- An embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:
- Fig. 1
- is a schematic cross-sectional view of a printhead according to the invention, the section being taken along the line I - I in
Fig. 2 ; - Fig. 2
- is a front view of a portion of the printhead shown in
Fig 1 , partly in section along the linen II-II inFig. 1 ; and - Fig. 3
- is a schematic front view of a combination of two printheads in relation to a pixel raster of an image to be printed.
- As is shown in
figure 1 , anink jet printhead 10 comprises achannel plate 12 which is made of graphite, for example, and hasink channels 14 formed by grooves that are cut into the surfaces on either side of the plate. Theink channels 14 have an axial direction Y that extents vertically infigure 1 . Theink channels 14 are covered byflexible sheets 16 that are secured to the opposite surfaces of thechannel plate 12. Eachink channel 14 is associated with apiezoelectric actuator 18 that is firmly attached to the outer surface of theflexible sheet 16. - A
nozzle plate 20 withnozzles 22 formed therein is attached to an edge surface of thechannel plate 12, and eachink channel 14 is connected to one of thenozzles 22 through aflow passage 24 that is bored through the graphite material of the channel plate. Theflow passages 24 are inclined relative to the axial direction Y of theink channels 14 in a scan direction Z, so that the flow passages coming from opposite sides of thechannel plate 12 converge towards thenozzle plate 20. The ends of theink channels 14 remote from thenozzle plate 20 are connected to an ink supply system (not shown), through which theink channels 14, theflow passages 24 and thenozzles 22 are filled with liquid ink. Capillary forces prevent the ink from flowing out through thenozzles 22. - By way of example, it can be assumed that the
printhead 10 is a hot melt ink jet printhead, and that a heating system (not shown) is integrated in thechannel plate 12 for keeping the hot melt ink at a temperature above its melting point, e. g. at a temperature of about 100°C. - When, in the print process, an ink droplet is to be expelled from a selected one of the
nozzles 22, a voltage is applied to theactuator 18 associated with that nozzle, so that the piezoelectric actuator contracts and draws theflexible sheet 16 away from theink channel 14. As a result, the volume of the ink channel is increased and ink is sucked-in from the supply system. Then, when the voltage is removed or a voltage with opposite plurality is applied, theactuator 18 will expand and will flex thesheet 16 into the ink passage, thereby increasing the pressure of the ink, so that a pressure wave will propagate through theflow passage 24, and an ink droplet will be jetted out from thenozzle 22 in a direction normal to thenozzle plate 20. - As is shown in
figure 2 , thenozzle plate 12 is a continuous plate which extends in a line direction X over the entire width of the printhead and carries a plurality ofnozzle plates 20 that are aligned in said scan direction X and are buttingly engaged with one another. Thenozzles 22 are arranged in two approximately parallel lines extending in the line direction X. However, for reasons that will be explained later, these lines are not perfectly straight. A first pitch P1 is defined as the spacing between two neighboringnozzles 22 in X-direction. This pitch is uniform over the entire length of each nozzle line, even across the junctions betweenadjacent nozzle plates 20, and amounts to 0.34 mm in this example, corresponding to a nozzle density of 75 nozzles per 25,4 mm (75 npi; nozzles per inch). - As can further be seen in
figure 2 , theink channels 14 are arranged in groups A, B and C, and within each group, the ink channels are arranged in parallel in the axial direction Y and with a uniform second pitch P2 in the line direction X. The second pitch P2 is smaller than the first pitch P1. This has the effect that the spacing in X-direction between, for example, the last ink channel 14-n of the group B and the first ink channel 14-1 of the group C is significantly larger than P2 and even significantly larger than P1. Here, n is the number ofink channels 14 within a single group, i. e., n = 11 in the example shown. In a practical embodiment, however, n would be as large as 130, for example, so that the width of a single group of ink channels (such as group B) would amount to approximately 44 mm. - The
actuators 18 are also arranged in groups, corresponding to the groups of ink channels. As can further be seen infigure 2 , theactuators 18 are formed by cutting deepparallel grooves 26 into a one-piece actuator block 28 of piezoelectric ceramic. Since the number ofgrooves 26 is twice the number ofactuators 18, the fingers remaining between thegrooves 26 form not only theactuators 18 but also supportfingers 30 which connect theactuator block 28 to the portions of thechannel plate 12 remaining betweenadjacent ink channels 14. - Since the pitch P2 is smaller than the pitch P1, the actuator blocks 28 can be made so short that
gaps 32 are formed betweenadjacent blocks 28 and, nevertheless, the first and thelast grooves 26 of each block are safely spaced away from the ends of the block. This greatly facilitates the manufacturing process for the actuator blocks and permits a high production yield. Moreover, thegaps 32 can absorb differential thermal expansions and contractions of the actuator blocks 28 and thechannel plate 12. - Since each of the
flow passages 24 must connect anink channel 14 to its associatednozzle 22, it is necessary for theflow passages 24 to fan-out towards thenozzles 22 in the line direction X. Thus, theflow passages 24 are inclined not only in the Z-direction, as shown infigure 1 , but also in the X-direction, as is shown infigure 2 , and the angle of inclination in that X-direction increases progressively from the center of each block (block B for example) towards the ends thereof. - Would the
nozzles 22 be arranged exactly on two straight lines, then theflow passages 24 would differ significantly in their length, because of the different angles of inclination. However, in the shown embodiment, the angle of inclination in the Z-direction is also varied and becomes larger when the angle of inclination in the X-direction becomes smaller. This is why thenozzles 22 of the same line have an offset D in the Z-direction, as is shown infigure 2 . Looking for example at the group B infigure 2 , it can be seen that the two approximately parallel nozzle lines are closer together near the center of the group B and progressively separate from one another towards the ends of the group. In this way, it can be achieved that all theflow passages 24 have at least approximately the same length. As a result, the propagation of pressure waves in theink channels 14 and theflow passages 24 will follow an identical pattern for all thenozzles 22. - In order to make the length of all flow
passages 24 equal to one another, it may be considered that the central axis of the flow passages lie on the surface of an imaginary cone the axis of which coincides with the central axis of theink passage 14, and, when going from one ink channel to another, theflow passage 24 is rotated about the axis of the cone. - In the example shown in
figure 2 , the positions and widths (in X-direction) of thenozzle plates 20 correspond to the positions and the widths, respectively, of the groups of ink channels and actuator blocks. It is possible, however, that thenozzle plates 20 are offset relative to the actuator blocks 28 in X-direction and/or width of the nozzle plates in X-direction is smaller or larger than the width of the actuator blocks. - As is further shown in
figure 2 , thenozzles 22 of the two nozzle lines are offset relative to one another in the X-direction by one half of the first pitch P1, so that the effective nozzle density of theprinthead 10 as a whole corresponds to 150 npi. - By arranging two of the
printheads 10 in parallel, with an appropriate offset, it is possible to achieve a resolution of 300 dpi. This has been exemplified infigure 3 , where a schematic front view of two printheads 10 (represented by their nozzle plates 20) has been shown relative to apixel matrix 34 which represents a 300 dpi pixel raster of an image that can be printed with the combination of the twoprintheads 10. - The two
printheads 10 are mounted on a frame (not shown) in fixed spatial relation relative to one another and are moved relative to a recording medium, e. g. a sheet of paper onto which the image is to be printed, so as to scan the paper in the scan direction Z. In the line direction X, bothprintheads 10 may extend over the entire width of the paper, so that a high printing speed can be achieved by scanning the sheet in only one direction. - The square matrix elements of the
pixel matrix 34 having a 300 dpi resolution correspond toindividual pixels 36 and have a width and height of 25,4/300 mm (1/300 inch). This width will be called one "raster step" in the following. - The pitch P1 of the
nozzles 22 of a single nozzle line corresponds to four raster steps. The nozzles of the two lines that are formed in thesame nozzle plates 20 are offset relative to one another in X-direction by two raster steps, and the twonozzle plates 20 are offset in X-direction by one raster step, so that eachpixel 36 on the sheet can be printed when this sheet is scanned once with the two printheads. The timings at which the individual nozzles are fired are coordinated with the scan movement, so that the pixels are printed in the correct positions in Z-direction. - As an example, it shall be assumed, that the two printheads scan the sheet of paper in positive Z-direction (downward direction in
figure 3 ), and that a continuous image line shall be printed, this line extending in X-direction and having a width of one pixel. Then, the two nozzles designated as 22-1 infigure 3 will be the first to be fired. When the printheads have been moved by one raster step, the nozzle 22-2 will be fired, then, after another raster step, the next two nozzles, and so on. In this way, every fourth pixel of the image line will be printed with the lowest nozzle line of thelowest nozzle plate 20 infigure 3 . Then, the gaps will successively be filled with the nozzles in the upper nozzle line of the lower nozzle plate and then with the nozzles of theupper nozzle plate 20, so that the continuos image line is completed. - In this embodiment, the control of the actuators for the various nozzles is facilitated by the fact that the nozzles are adapted to the raster of the
pixel matrix 34 not only in the line direction X but also in the scan direction Z, so that the timings at which the nozzles have to be energized correspond to fixed raster positions of the printheads. - The requirement that the
nozzles 22 fit into a discrete two-dimensional pixel raster implies that the angles at which theflow passages 24 are inclined in Z-direction cannot be chosen arbitrarily. As a result, the lengths of thevarious flow passages 24 cannot be exactly equal, but slight deviations in length must be accepted. Nevertheless, the quality of the printed image will be significantly improved in comparison to the case where all nozzles of the nozzle line were arranged on a straight line, without any offset in Z-direction. When the resolution of the printer is as high as 300 or 600 dpi, for example, the pixel raster will be so fine that the length differences between theindividual flow passages 24 become negligibly small. - In a modified embodiment, the
nozzles 22 may be arranged in only a single line, with a pitch of one half of P1 and with theflow passages 24 coming alternatingly from the opposite sides of thechannel plate 20.
Claims (11)
- Ink jet printhead comprising a line of nozzles (22) arranged with a uniform first pitch (P1) in a line direction X, a plurality of parallel ink channels (14) having an axial direction Y normal to said line direction X and arranged in groups (A, B, C) within which they have a uniform second pitch (P2), each ink channel (14) being connected to one of said nozzles (22), and a plurality of actuators (18) arranged in groups corresponding to those of the ink channels (14), each actuator being associated with one of the ink channels (14) for pressurizing ink contained therein, thereby to expel an ink droplet through the associated nozzle (22), wherein the ink channels (14) are connected to their associated nozzles (22) by flow passages (24) inclined relative to said axial direction Y with varying angles in both, said line direction X and a scan direction Z orthogonal the line direction and the axial direction, characterized in that the flow passages have all an equal length.
- Printhead according to claim 1, wherein the actuators (18) are piezoelectric actuators.
- Printhead according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each group of actuators (18) is formed by a separate actuator block (28).
- Printhead according to claim 3, wherein the actuator blocks (28) are separated by gaps (32).
- Printhead according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, as seen in the line direction X, the distance between an end of the actuator block (28) and an actuator (18) closest to that end is larger than the second pitch (P2).
- Printhead according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the ink channels (14) of a plurality of groups (A, B, C) are formed in a common channel plate (12).
- Printhead according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the ink channels (14) formed by grooves in a surface of a channel plate (12), the nozzles (22) are formed in at least one nozzle plate (20) that is attached to an edge of the channel plate (12), and the flow passages (24) are formed by through-bores in the channel plate (12).
- Printhead according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the ink passages (14) are formed on opposite sides of a channel plate (12).
- Printhead according to claim 8, wherein the nozzles (22) are arranged in two approximately parallel lines, with an X-direction offset of one half of the first pitch (P1) between the nozzles of two lines
- Printhead according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the line of nozzles (22) extends with a uniform pitch over a plurality of nozzle plates (20).
- Printhead according to any of the preceding claims, wherein an offset (D) in the scan direction Z between neighboring nozzles (22) of the same nozzle line corresponds to an integral number of discrete raster steps.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP20070104566 EP1842677B1 (en) | 2006-04-07 | 2007-03-21 | Inkjet printhead |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP06112383 | 2006-04-07 | ||
EP20070104566 EP1842677B1 (en) | 2006-04-07 | 2007-03-21 | Inkjet printhead |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1842677A2 EP1842677A2 (en) | 2007-10-10 |
EP1842677A3 EP1842677A3 (en) | 2010-03-03 |
EP1842677B1 true EP1842677B1 (en) | 2012-03-07 |
Family
ID=38462250
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP20070104566 Not-in-force EP1842677B1 (en) | 2006-04-07 | 2007-03-21 | Inkjet printhead |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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EP (1) | EP1842677B1 (en) |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPS55137975A (en) * | 1979-04-13 | 1980-10-28 | Oki Electric Ind Co Ltd | Multinozzle head for ink jetting recorder |
JPH03118159A (en) * | 1989-10-02 | 1991-05-20 | Nitsukooshi Kk | Printing head |
JPH03295657A (en) * | 1990-04-13 | 1991-12-26 | Seikosha Co Ltd | Ink jet printing head |
JPH0427550A (en) * | 1990-05-22 | 1992-01-30 | Seiko Epson Corp | Ink jet recording method and apparatus |
JPH0631912A (en) * | 1992-07-20 | 1994-02-08 | Seikosha Co Ltd | Inkjet head |
-
2007
- 2007-03-21 EP EP20070104566 patent/EP1842677B1/en not_active Not-in-force
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP1842677A3 (en) | 2010-03-03 |
EP1842677A2 (en) | 2007-10-10 |
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