EP3603976A1 - Tête d'éjection de liquide, module d'éjection de liquide et procédé d'éjection de liquide - Google Patents

Tête d'éjection de liquide, module d'éjection de liquide et procédé d'éjection de liquide Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3603976A1
EP3603976A1 EP19189000.3A EP19189000A EP3603976A1 EP 3603976 A1 EP3603976 A1 EP 3603976A1 EP 19189000 A EP19189000 A EP 19189000A EP 3603976 A1 EP3603976 A1 EP 3603976A1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
liquid
ejection
pressure chamber
pressure
flows
Prior art date
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Granted
Application number
EP19189000.3A
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German (de)
English (en)
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EP3603976B1 (fr
Inventor
Yoshiyuki Nakagawa
Akiko Hammura
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Canon Inc
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Canon Inc
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Priority claimed from JP2019079641A external-priority patent/JP7286394B2/ja
Application filed by Canon Inc filed Critical Canon Inc
Publication of EP3603976A1 publication Critical patent/EP3603976A1/fr
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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
    • B41J2/14016—Structure of bubble jet print heads
    • B41J2/14032—Structure of the pressure chamber
    • B41J2/1404—Geometrical characteristics
    • 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
    • B41J2/14201—Structure of print heads with piezoelectric elements
    • 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
    • B41J2/14016—Structure of bubble jet print heads
    • 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
    • B41J2/14016—Structure of bubble jet print heads
    • B41J2/14032—Structure of the pressure chamber
    • 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
    • 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
    • B41J2/14016—Structure of bubble jet print heads
    • B41J2002/14169—Bubble vented to the ambience
    • 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
    • B41J2202/00—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet or thermal heads
    • B41J2202/01—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet heads
    • B41J2202/11—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet heads characterised by specific geometrical characteristics
    • 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
    • B41J2202/00—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet or thermal heads
    • B41J2202/01—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet heads
    • B41J2202/12—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet heads with ink circulating through the whole print head
    • 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
    • B41J2202/00—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet or thermal heads
    • B41J2202/01—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet heads
    • B41J2202/20—Modules
    • 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
    • B41J2202/00—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet or thermal heads
    • B41J2202/01—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet heads
    • B41J2202/21—Line printing

Definitions

  • This disclosure is related to a liquid ejection head, a liquid ejection module, and a liquid ejection apparatus.
  • Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H6-305143 discloses a liquid ejection unit configured to bring a liquid serving as an ejection medium and a liquid serving as a bubbling medium into contact with each other on an interface, and to eject the ejection medium with a growth of a bubble generated in the bubbling medium receiving transferred thermal energy.
  • Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H6-305143 describes a method of forming flows of the ejection medium and the bubbling medium by applying a pressure to these media after ejection of the ejection medium, thus stabilizing the interface between the ejection medium and the bubbling medium in a liquid flow passage.
  • the first aspect of this disclosure provides a liquid ejection head as specified in claims 1 to 13.
  • the second aspect of this disclosure provides a liquid ejection module as specified in claim 14.
  • the third aspect of this disclosure provides a liquid ejection method as specified in claim 15.
  • an object of this disclosure is to provide a liquid ejection head which is capable of stabilizing an interface between an ejection medium and a bubbling medium in a case where an ejection operation takes place, thus maintaining good ejection performances.
  • Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid ejection head 1 usable in this embodiment.
  • the liquid ejection head 1 of this embodiment is formed by arraying multiple liquid ejection modules 100 in an x direction.
  • Each liquid ejection module 100 includes an element board 10 on which ejection elements are arrayed, and a flexible wiring board 40 for supplying electric power and ejection signals to the respective ejection elements.
  • the flexible wiring boards 40 are connected to an electric wiring board 90 used in common, which is provided with arrays of power supply terminals and ejection signal input terminals.
  • Each liquid ejection module 100 is easily attachable to and detachable from the liquid ejection head 1. Accordingly, any desired liquid ejection module 100 can be easily attached from outside to or detached from the liquid ejection head 1 without having to disassemble the liquid ejection head 1.
  • liquid ejection head 1 formed by arraying the multiple arrangement of the liquid ejection modules 100 (by an array of multiple modules) in a longitudinal direction as described above, even if a certain one of the ejection elements causes an ejection failure, only the liquid ejection module involved in the ejection failure needs to be replaced. Thus, it is possible to improve a yield of the liquid ejection heads 1 during a manufacturing process thereof, and to reduce costs for replacing the head.
  • Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of a liquid ejection apparatus 2 applicable to this embodiment.
  • a CPU 500 controls the entire liquid ejection apparatus 2 in accordance with programs stored in a ROM 501 while using a RAM 502 as a work area.
  • the CPU 500 performs prescribed data processing in accordance with the programs and parameters stored in the ROM 501 on ejection data to be received from an externally connected host apparatus 600, for example, thereby generating the ejection signals to enable the liquid ejection head 1 to perform the ejection.
  • the liquid ejection head 1 is driven in accordance with the ejection signals while a target medium for depositing the liquid is moved in a predetermined direction by driving a conveyance motor 503.
  • the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection head 1 is deposited on the deposition target medium for adhesion.
  • a liquid circulation unit 504 is a unit configured to circulate and supply the liquid to the liquid ejection head 1 and to conduct flow control of the liquid in the liquid ejection head 1.
  • the liquid circulation unit 504 includes a sub-tank to store the liquid, a flow passage for circulating the liquid between the sub-tank and the liquid ejection head 1, pumps, a flow rate control unit for controlling a flow rate of the liquid flowing in the liquid ejection head 1, and so forth. Hence, under the instruction of the CPU 500, these mechanisms are controlled such that the liquid flows in the liquid ejection head 1 at a predetermined flow rate.
  • Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the element board 10 provided in each liquid ejection module 100.
  • the element board 10 is formed by stacking an orifice plate 14 (an ejection port forming member) on a silicon (Si) substrate 15.
  • ejection ports 11 arrayed in the x direction eject the liquid of the same type (such as a liquid supplied from a common sub-tank or a common supply port).
  • Fig. 3 illustrates an example in which the orifice plate 14 is also provided with liquid flow passages 13.
  • the element board 10 may adopt a configuration in which the liquid flow passages 13 are formed by using a different component (a flow passage forming member) and the orifice plate 14 provided with the ejection ports 11 is placed thereon.
  • Pressure generation elements 12 are disposed, on the silicon substrate 15, at positions corresponding to the respective ejection ports 11. Each ejection port 11 and the corresponding pressure generation element 12 are located at such positions that are opposed to each other. In a case where a voltage is applied in response to an ejection signal, the pressure generation element 12 applies a pressure to the liquid in a z direction orthogonal to a flow direction (a y direction) of the liquid. Accordingly, the liquid is ejected in the form of a droplet from the ejection port 11 opposed to the pressure generation element 12.
  • the flexible wiring board 40 (see Fig. 1 ) supplies the electric power and driving signals to the pressure generation elements 12 via terminals 17 arranged on the silicon substrate 15.
  • the orifice plate 14 is provided with the multiple liquid flow passages 13 which extend in the y direction and are connected one by one to the ejection ports 11, respectively. Meanwhile, the liquid flow passages 13 arrayed in the x direction are connected to a first common supply flow passage 23, a first common collection flow passage 24, a second common supply flow passage 28, and a second common collection flow passage 29 in common. Flows of liquids in the first common supply flow passage 23, the first common collection flow passage 24, the second common supply flow passage 28, and the second common collection flow passage 29 are controlled by the liquid circulation unit 504 described with reference to Fig. 2 .
  • the liquid circulation unit 504 performs the control such that a first liquid flowing from the first common supply flow passage 23 into the liquid flow passages 13 is directed to the first common collection flow passage 24 while a second liquid flowing from the second common supply flow passage 28 into the liquid flow passages 13 is directed to the second common collection flow passage 29.
  • Fig. 3 illustrates an example in which the ejection ports 11 and the liquid flow passages 13 arrayed in the x direction, and the first and second common supply flow passages 23 and 28 as well as the first and second common collection flow passages 24 and 29 used in common for supplying and collecting inks to and from these ports and passages are defined as a set, and two sets of these constituents are arranged in the y direction.
  • Fig. 3 illustrates the configuration in which each ejection port is located at the position opposed to the corresponding pressure generation element 12, or in other words, in a direction of growth of a bubble.
  • this embodiment is not limited only to this configuration.
  • each ejection port may be located at such a position that is orthogonal to the direction of growth of a bubble.
  • Figs. 4A to 4D are diagrams for explaining detailed configurations of each liquid flow passage 13 and of each pressure chamber 18 formed in the element board 10.
  • Fig. 4A is a perspective view from the ejection port 11 side (from a +z direction side) and Fig. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along the IVB-IVB line shown in Fig. 4A .
  • Fig. 4C is an enlarged diagram of the neighborhood of each liquid flow passage 13 in the element board shown in Fig. 3 .
  • Fig. 4D is an enlarged diagram of the neighborhood of the ejection port in Fig. 4B .
  • the silicon substrate 15 corresponding to a bottom portion of the liquid flow passage 13 includes a second inflow port 21, a first inflow port 20, a first outflow port 25, and a second outflow port 26, which are formed in this order in the y direction.
  • the pressure chamber 18 communicating with the ejection port 11 and including the pressure generation element 12 is located substantially at the center between the first inflow port 20 and the first outflow port 25 in the liquid flow passage 13.
  • the second inflow port 21 is connected to the second common supply flow passage 28, the first inflow port 20 is connected to the first common supply flow passage 23, the first outflow port 25 is connected to the first common collection flow passage 24, and the second outflow port 26 is connected to the second common collection flow passage 29, respectively (see Fig. 3 ).
  • the first liquid 31 goes through the pressure chamber 18 and is then collected into the first common collection flow passage 24 through the first outflow port 25.
  • a second liquid 32 supplied from the second common supply flow passage 28 to the liquid flow passage 13 through the second inflow port 21 flows in the y direction (the direction indicated with arrows).
  • the second liquid 32 goes through the pressure chamber 18 and is then collected into the second common collection flow passage 29 through the second outflow port 26. That is to say, in the liquid flow passage 13, both of the first liquid and the second liquid flow in the y direction in a section between the first inflow port 20 and the first outflow port 25.
  • the pressure generation element 12 comes into contact with the first liquid 31 while the second liquid 32 exposed to the atmosphere forms a meniscus in the vicinity of the ejection port 11.
  • the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32 flow in the pressure chamber 18 such that the pressure generation element 12, the first liquid 31, the second liquid 32, and the ejection port 11 are arranged in this order.
  • the second liquid 32 flows above the first liquid 31.
  • the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32 flow in a laminar state.
  • the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32 are pressurized by the pressure generation element 12 located below and are ejected upward from the bottom. Note that this up-down direction corresponds to a height direction of the pressure chamber 18 and of the liquid flow passage 13.
  • a flow rate of the first liquid 31 and a flow rate of the second liquid 32 are adjusted in accordance with physical properties of the first liquid 31 and physical properties of the second liquid 32 such that the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32 flow in contact with each other in the pressure chamber as shown in Fig. 4D .
  • the first liquid, the second liquid, and a third liquid are allowed to flow in the same direction in the first embodiment and a second embodiment, the embodiments are not limited to this configuration.
  • the second liquid may flow in a direction opposite to the direction of flow of the first liquid.
  • flow passages may be provided in such a way as to cause the flow of the first liquid to cross the flow of the second liquid at right angle.
  • the liquid ejection head is configured such that the second liquid flows above the first liquid in terms of the height direction of the liquid flow passage (the pressure chamber).
  • this embodiment is not limited only to this configuration. Specifically, as in a third embodiment, both of the first liquid and the second liquid may flow in contact with a bottom surface of the liquid flow passage (the pressure chamber).
  • Modes of the above-mentioned two liquids include not only parallel flows in which the two liquids flow in the same direction as shown in Fig. 4D , but also opposed flows in which the second liquid flows in an opposite direction to the flow of the first liquid, and such flows of liquids in which the flow of the first liquid crosses the flow of the second liquid.
  • the parallel flows among these modes will be described as an example.
  • the pressure generation element 12 may still be driven in the case where it is possible to maintain the state where at least the first liquid flows mainly on the pressure generation element 12 side and the second liquid flows mainly on the ejection port 11 side.
  • the following description will be mainly focused on the example where the flow inside the pressure chamber is in the state of parallel flows and in the state of laminar flows.
  • a density of a liquid is defined as p
  • a flow velocity thereof is defined as u
  • a representative length thereof is defined as d
  • a viscosity is defined as ⁇
  • a surface tension thereof is defined as y.
  • the laminar flows are more likely to be formed as the Reynolds number Re becomes smaller.
  • flows inside a circular tube are formed into laminar flows in the case where the Reynolds number Re is smaller than some 2200 and the flows inside the circular tube become turbulent flows in the case where the Reynolds number Re is larger than some 2200.
  • a height H [ ⁇ m] of the flow passage (the height of the pressure chamber) in the vicinity of the ejection port in the liquid flow passage (the pressure chamber) is in a range from about 10 to 100 ⁇ m.
  • the laminar flows can be deemed to be formed therein.
  • the liquid flow passage 13 and the pressure chamber 18 of this embodiment have rectangular cross-sections as shown in Figs. 4A to 4D , the heights and widths of the liquid flow passage 13 and the pressure chamber 18 in the liquid ejection head are sufficiently small.
  • the liquid flow passage 13 and the pressure chamber 18 can be treated like in the case of the circular tube, or more specifically, the heights of the liquid flow passage and the pressure chamber 18 can be treated as the diameter of the circular tube.
  • a distance from the silicon substrate 15 to an ejection port surface of the orifice plate 14 is defined as H [ ⁇ m] and a distance from the ejection port surface to a liquid-liquid interface between the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32 (a phase thickness of the second liquid) is defined as h 2 [ ⁇ m].
  • a distance from the liquid-liquid interface to the silicon substrate 15 is defined as h 1 [ ⁇ m].
  • velocities of the liquids on wall surfaces of the liquid flow passage 13 and the pressure chamber 18 are assumed to be zero. Moreover, velocities and shear stresses of the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32 at the liquid-liquid interface are assumed to have continuity.
  • ⁇ 1 represents the viscosity of the first liquid
  • ⁇ 2 represents the viscosity of the second liquid
  • Q 1 represents the flow rate (volume flow rate [um 3 /us]) of the first liquid
  • Q 2 represents the flow rate (volume flow rate [um 3 /us]) of the second liquid, respectively.
  • the first liquid and the second liquid flow so as to establish a positional relationship in accordance with the flow rates and the viscosities of the respective liquids within such ranges to satisfy the above-mentioned quartic equation (formula 2), thereby forming the parallel flows with the stable interface.
  • the parallel flows of the first liquid and the second liquid in the liquid flow passage 13 or at least in the pressure chamber 18.
  • the first liquid and the second liquid are only involved in mixture due to molecular diffusion on the liquid-liquid interface therebetween, and the liquids flow in parallel in the y direction virtually without causing any mixture.
  • the flows of the liquids do not always have to establish the state of laminar flows in a certain region in the pressure chamber 18.
  • at least the flows of the liquids in a region above the pressure generation element preferably establish the state of laminar flows.
  • the stable parallel flows are formed regardless of the immiscibility as long as the (formula 2) is satisfied. Meanwhile, even in the case of oil and water, if the interface is disturbed due to a state of slight turbulence of the flow in the pressure chamber, it is preferable that at least the first liquid flow mainly on the pressure generation element and the second liquid flow mainly in the ejection port.
  • the first liquid is not limited to water
  • the "phase thickness ratio of the first liquid” will be hereinafter referred to as a "water phase thickness ratio”.
  • the water phase thickness ratio h r becomes lower as the flow rate ratio Q r grows higher. Meanwhile, at each level of the flow rate ratio Q r , the water phase thickness ratio h r becomes lower as the viscosity ratio ⁇ r grows higher.
  • the water phase thickness ratio h r (the position of the interface between the first liquid and the second liquid) in the liquid flow passage 13 (the pressure chamber) can be adjusted to a prescribed value by controlling the viscosity ratio ⁇ r and the flow rate ratio Q r between the first liquid and the second liquid.
  • Fig. 5A teaches that the flow rate ratio Q r has a larger impact on the water phase thickness ratio h r than the viscosity ratio ⁇ r does.
  • condition A, condition B, and condition C shown in Fig. 5A represent the following conditions, respectively:
  • Fig. 5B is a graph showing flow velocity distribution in the height direction (the z direction) of the liquid flow passage 13 (the pressure chamber) regarding the above-mentioned conditions A, B, and C, respectively.
  • the horizontal axis indicates a normalized value Ux which is normalized by defining the maximum flow velocity value in the condition A as 1 (a criterion).
  • the vertical axis indicates the height from a bottom surface in the case where the height H of the liquid flow passage 13 (the pressure chamber) is defined as 1 (a criterion).
  • the position of the interface between the first liquid and the second liquid is indicated with a marker.
  • the position of the interface varies depending on the conditions such as the position of the interface in the condition A being located higher than the positions of the interface in the condition B and the condition C.
  • the variations are due to the fact that, in the case where the two types of liquids having different viscosities from each other flow in parallel in the tube while forming the laminar flows, respectively (and also forming the laminar flows as a whole), the interface between those two liquids is formed at a position where a difference in pressure attributed to the difference in viscosity between the liquid balances a Laplace pressure attributed to interfacial tension.
  • the water phase thickness ratio h r is equal to 1.
  • a point P in Fig. 6 shows this state.
  • the water phase thickness ratio h r namely, the water phase thickness h 1 of the first liquid becomes smaller while the water phase thickness h 2 of the second liquid becomes larger.
  • the state of the flow of the first liquid only transitions to the state of the first liquid and the second liquid flowing in parallel while defining the interface.
  • Fig. 7A shows a state before a voltage is applied to the pressure generation element 12.
  • Fig. 7B shows a state where application of the voltage to the pressure generation element 12 has just been started.
  • the pressure generation element 12 of this embodiment is an electrothermal converter (a heater).
  • the pressure generation element 12 rapidly generates heat upon receipt of a voltage pulse in response to the ejection signal, and causes film boiling of in the first liquid in contact.
  • Fig. 7B shows the state where a bubble 16 is generated by the film boiling.
  • the interface between the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32 moves in the z direction (the height direction of the pressure chamber) whereby the second liquid 32 is pushed out of the ejection port 11 in the z direction.
  • Fig. 7C shows a state where the volume of the bubble 16 generated by the film boiling is increased whereby the second liquid 32 is further pushed out of the ejection port 11 in the z direction.
  • Fig. 7D shows a state where the bubble 16 communicates with the atmosphere.
  • a gas-liquid interface moving from the ejection port 11 toward the pressure generation element 12 communicates with the bubble 16 at a stage of shrinkage after the bubble 16 grows to the maximum.
  • Fig. 7E shows a state where a droplet 30 is ejected.
  • the liquid having projected out of the ejection port 11 at the timing of the communication of the bubble 16 with the atmosphere as shown in Fig. 7D breaks away from the liquid flow passage 13 due to its inertial force and flies in the z direction in the form of the droplet 30.
  • the liquid in the amount consumed by the ejection is supplied from two sides of the ejection port 11 by capillary force of the liquid flow passage 13 whereby the meniscus is formed again at the ejection port 11.
  • the parallel flows of the first liquid and the second liquid flowing in the y direction are formed again as shown in Fig. 7A .
  • the ejection operation as shown in Figs. 7A to 7E takes place in the state where the first liquid and the second liquid are flowing as the parallel flows.
  • the CPU 500 circulates the first liquid and the second liquid in the liquid ejection head 1 by using the liquid circulation unit 504 while keeping the constant flow rates of these liquids. Then the CPU 500 applies the voltage to the respective pressure generation elements 12 arranged in the liquid ejection head 1 in accordance with the ejection data while maintaining the above-mentioned control.
  • the flow rate of the first liquid and the flow rate of the second liquid may not always be constant.
  • This embodiment shows the configuration in which the bubble 16 communicates with the atmosphere in the pressure chamber 18.
  • the embodiment is not limited to this configuration.
  • the bubble 16 may communicate with the atmosphere on the outside (the atmosphere side) of the ejection port 11.
  • the bubble 16 may be allowed to disappear without communicating with the atmosphere.
  • the water phase thickness ratio h r is incremented by 0.10 whereas the water phase thickness ratio h r is incremented by 0.50 from the state in Fig. 8F to the state in Fig. 8G . Note that each of the ejected droplets in Figs.
  • 8A to 8G is illustrated based on a result obtained by conducting a simulation while setting the viscosity of the first liquid to 1 cP, the viscosity of the second liquid to 8 cP, and the ejection velocity of the droplet to 11 m/s.
  • Fig. 11 is a graph representing a relation between the flow-passage (pressure-chamber) height H and the water phase thickness ratio h r in the case of fixing a ratio R of the first liquid 31 contained in the ejected droplet 30, while setting the ratio R to 0%, 20%, and 40%.
  • the required water phase thickness ratio h r becomes higher as the flow-passage (pressure-chamber) height H is larger.
  • the ratio R of the first liquid 31 contained is a ratio of the liquid having flowed in the liquid flow passage 13 (the pressure chamber) to the ejected droplet as the first liquid 31.
  • the portion of water contained in the second liquid is not included in the aforementioned ratio as a matter of course.
  • the relation between the flow-passage (pressure-chamber) height H [ ⁇ m] and the water phase thickness ratio h r draws a locus as indicated with a solid line in Fig. 11 .
  • the water phase thickness ratio h r needs to be adjusted to 0.20 or below in the case where the flow-passage (pressure-chamber) height H [ ⁇ m] is equal to 20 ⁇ m. Meanwhile, the water phase thickness ratio h r needs to be adjusted to 0.36 or below in the case where the flow-passage (pressure-chamber) height H [ ⁇ m] is equal to 33 ⁇ m. Furthermore, the water phase thickness ratio h r needs to be adjusted to nearly zero (0.00) in the case where the flow-passage (pressure-chamber) height H [ ⁇ m] is equal to 10 ⁇ m.
  • the water phase thickness ratio h r is set too low, it is necessary to increase the viscosity ⁇ 2 and the flow rate Q 2 of the second liquid relative to those of the first liquid. Such increases bring about concerns of adverse effects associated with an increase in pressure loss.
  • the flow rate ratio Q r is equal to 5 in the case where the viscosity ratio ⁇ r is equal to 10.
  • the above-mentioned (formula 3), (formula 4), and (formula 5) define the numerical values applicable to the general liquid ejection head, namely, the liquid ejection head with the ejection velocity of the ejected droplets in a range from 10 m/s to 18 m/s.
  • these numerical values are based on the assumption that the pressure generation element and the ejection port are located at the positions opposed to each other and that the first liquid and the second liquid flow such that the pressure generation element, the first liquid, the second liquid, and the ejection port are arranged in this order in the pressure chamber.
  • a first pressure difference generation mechanism to set a pressure at the first outflow port 25 lower than a pressure at the first inflow port 20 has only to be prepared in order to adjust a flow rate Q 1 of the first liquid in the liquid flow passage 13 (the pressure chamber). In this way, it is possible to generate the flow of the first liquid 31 directed from the first inflow port 20 to the first outflow port 25 (in the y direction).
  • a second pressure difference generation mechanism to set a pressure at the second outflow port 26 lower than a pressure at the second inflow port 21 has only to be prepared. In this way, it is possible to generate the flow of the second liquid 32 directed from the second inflow port 21 to the second outflow port 26 (in the y direction).
  • P1 in is the pressure at the first inflow port
  • P1 out is the pressure at the first outflow port
  • P2in is the pressure at the second inflow port
  • P2 out is the pressure as the second outflow port 26, respectively.
  • the bubbling medium (the first liquid) of this embodiment is required to cause the film boiling in the bubbling medium in the case where the electrothermal converter generates the heat and to rapidly increase the size of the generated bubble, or in other words, to have a high critical pressure that can efficiently convert thermal energy into bubbling energy.
  • Water is particularly suitable for such a medium. Water has the high boiling point (100°C) as well as the high surface tension (58.85 dynes/cm at 100°C) despite its small molecular weight of 18, and therefore has a high critical pressure of about 22 MPa. In other words, water brings about an extremely high boiling pressure at the time of the film boiling.
  • an ink prepared by causing water to contain a coloring material such as a dye or a pigment is suitably used in an inkjet printing apparatus designed to eject the ink by using the film boiling.
  • the bubbling medium is not limited to water.
  • Other materials can also function as the bubbling media as long as such a material has a critical pressure of 2 MPa or above (or preferably 5 MPa or above).
  • Examples of the bubbling media other than water include methyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol. It is also possible to use a mixture of water and any of these alcohols as the bubbling medium.
  • the ejection medium (the second liquid) of this embodiment is not required to satisfy physical properties for causing the film boiling unlike the bubbling medium. Meanwhile, adhesion of a scorched material onto the electrothermal converter (the heater) is prone to deteriorate bubbling efficiency because of damaging flatness of a heater surface or reducing thermal conductivity thereof.
  • the ejection medium does not come into direct contact with the heater, and therefore has a lower risk of scorch of its components.
  • conditions of the physical properties for causing the film boiling or avoiding the scorch are relaxed as compared to those of an ink for a conventional thermal head. Accordingly, the ejection medium of this embodiment enjoys more freedom of the components to be contained therein. As a consequence, the ejection medium can more actively contain the components that are suitable for purposes after being ejected.
  • the ejection medium it is possible to cause the ejection medium to actively contain a pigment that has not been used previously because the pigment was susceptible to scorching on the heater.
  • a liquid other than an aqueous ink having an extremely low critical pressure can also be used as the ejection medium in this embodiment.
  • various inks having special functions, which can hardly be handled by the conventional thermal head such as an ultraviolet curable ink, an electrically conductive ink, an electron-beam (EB) curable ink, a magnetic ink, and a solid ink, can also be used as the ejection media.
  • the liquid ejection head of this embodiment can also be used in various applications other than image formation by using any of blood, cells in culture, and the like as the ejection media.
  • the liquid ejection head is also adaptable to other applications including biochip fabrication, electronic circuit printing, and so forth.
  • the mode of using water or a liquid similar to water as the first liquid (the bubbling medium) and a pigment ink having a higher viscosity than that of water as the second liquid (the ejection medium), and ejecting only the second liquid is one of effective usages of this embodiment.
  • the second liquid may adopt the same liquid as one of those cited as the examples of the first liquid. For instance, even if both of the two liquids are inks each containing a large amount of water, it is still possible to use one of the inks as the first liquid and the other ink as the second liquid depending on situations such as a mode of usage.
  • the necessity of causing the two liquids to flow in the liquid flow passage (the pressure chamber) in such a way as to form the parallel flows may be determined based on the critical pressure of the liquid to be ejected.
  • the second liquid may be determined as the liquid to be ejected while the bubbling material serving as the first liquid may be prepared only in the case where the critical pressure of the liquid to be ejected is insufficient.
  • Figs. 12A and 12B are graphs representing relations between a water content rate and a bubbling pressure at the time of the film boiling in the case where diethylene glycol (DEG) is mixed with water.
  • the horizontal axis in Fig. 12A indicates a mass ratio (in percent by mass) of water relative to the liquid, and the horizontal axis in Fig. 12B indicates a molar ratio of water relative to the liquid.
  • the bubbling pressure at the time of the film boiling becomes lower as the water content rate (content percentage) is lower.
  • the bubbling pressure is reduced more as the water content rate becomes lower, and ejection efficiency is deteriorated as a consequence.
  • the molecular weight of water (18) is substantially smaller than the molecular weight of diethylene glycol (106). Accordingly, even if the mass ratio of water is around 40 wt%, its molar ratio is about 0.9 and the bubbling pressure ratio is kept at 0.9. On the other hand, if the mass ratio of water falls below 40 wt%, the bubbling pressure ratio sharply drops together with the molar concentration as apparent from Figs. 12A and 12B .
  • the necessity of forming the parallel flows in the flow passage can be determined based on the critical pressure of the liquid to be ejected (or on the bubbling pressure at the time of the film boiling).
  • the ultraviolet curable ink is of a 100-percent solid type.
  • Such ultraviolet curable inks can be categorized into an ink formed from a polymerization reaction component without a solvent, and an ink containing either water being of a solvent type or a solvent as a diluent.
  • the ultraviolet curable inks actively used in recent years are 100-percent solid ultraviolet curable inks formed from non-aqueous photopolymerization reaction components (which are either monomers or oligomers) without containing any solvents.
  • the typical ultraviolet curable ink contains monomers as a main component, and also contains small amounts of a photopolymerization initiator, a coloring material, and other additives including a dispersant, a surfactant, and the like.
  • the components of this ink include the monomers in a range from 80 to 90 wt%, the photopolymerization initiator in a range from 5 to 10 wt%, the coloring material in a range from 2 to 5 wt%, and other additives for the rest.
  • the first liquid is a clear ink and the second liquid is cyan ink (or magenta ink)
  • the first liquid is yellow ink and the second liquid is magenta
  • a range of color reproduction expressed on a print medium can be expanded more than the related art by appropriately adjusting the mixing ratio.
  • the configuration of this embodiment is also effective in the case of using two types of liquids that are desired to be mixed together immediately after the ejection instead of mixing the liquids immediately before the ejection.
  • image printing where it is desirable to deposit a high-density pigment ink with excellent chromogenic properties and a resin emulsion (resin EM) excellent in image robustness such as abrasion resistance on a print medium at the same time.
  • resin EM resin emulsion
  • a pigment component contained in the pigment ink and a solid component contained in the resin EM tend to develop agglomeration at a close interparticle distance, thus causing deterioration in dispersibility.
  • the high-density EM emulsion
  • the high-density pigment ink is used as the second liquid thereof and the parallel flows are formed by controlling the flow velocities of these liquids, then the two liquids are mixed with each other and agglomerated together on the printing medium after being ejected.
  • this embodiment exerts an effect of generating the flows of the two liquids in the pressure chamber regardless of the mode of the pressure generation element.
  • this embodiment also functions effectively in the case of a configuration to use a piezoelectric element as the pressure generation element, for instance, where the limitation in the critical pressure or the problem of the scorch is not concerned in the first place.
  • the stable interface can be formed at the time of ejecting the liquids. If the liquids are not flowing during the ejection operation of the liquids, the interface is prone to be disturbed as a consequence of generation of the bubble, and the printing quality may also be affected in this case.
  • driving the pressure generation element 12 while allowing the liquids to flow as described in this embodiment it is possible to suppress the turbulence of the interface due to the generation of the bubble. Since the stable interface is formed, the content rate of various liquids contained in the ejected liquid is stabilized and the printing quality is also improved, for example.
  • the liquids are caused to flow before driving the pressure generation element 12 and to flow continuously even during the ejection, it is possible to reduce time for forming the meniscus again in the liquid flow passage (the pressure chamber) after the ejection of the liquids.
  • the flows of the liquids are created by using a pump or the like loaded in the liquid circulation unit 504 before the driving signal is inputted to the pressure generation element 12. As a consequence, the liquids are flowing at least immediately before the ejection of the liquids.
  • the first liquid and the second liquids flowing in the pressure chamber may be circulated between the pressure chamber and an outside unit. If the circulation is not conducted, a large amount of any of the first liquid and the second liquid having formed the parallel flows in the liquid flow passage and the pressure chamber but having not been ejected would remain inside. Accordingly, the circulation of the first liquid and the second liquid with the outside unit makes it possible to use the liquids that have not been ejected in order to form the parallel flows again.
  • This embodiment also uses the liquid ejection head 1 and the liquid ejection apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 3 .
  • Figs. 13A to 13D are diagrams showing a configuration of the liquid flow passage 13 of this embodiment.
  • the liquid flow passage 13 of this embodiment is different from the liquid flow passage 13 described in the first embodiment in that a third liquid 33 is allowed to flow in the liquid flow passage 13 in addition to the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32.
  • a third liquid 33 is allowed to flow in the liquid flow passage 13 in addition to the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32.
  • the silicon substrate 15 corresponding to the bottom portion of the liquid flow passage 13 includes the second inflow port 21, a third inflow port 22, the first inflow port 20, the first outflow port 25, a third outflow port 27, and the second outflow port 26, which are formed in this order in the y direction.
  • the pressure chamber 18 including the ejection port 11 and the pressure generation element 12 is located substantially at the center between the first inflow port 20 and the first outflow port 25.
  • the first liquid 31 supplied to the liquid flow passage 13 through the first inflow port 20 flows in the y direction (the direction indicated with arrows) and then flows out of the first outflow port 25.
  • the second liquid 32 supplied to the liquid flow passage 13 through the second inflow port 21 flows in the y direction (the direction indicated with arrows) and then flows out of the second outflow port 26.
  • the third liquid 33 supplied to the liquid flow passage 13 through the third inflow port 22 flows in the y direction (the direction indicated with arrows) and then flows out of the third outflow port 27. That is to say, in the liquid flow passage 13, all of the first liquid 31, the second liquid 32, and the third liquid 33 flow in the y direction in the section between the first inflow port 20 and the first outflow port 25.
  • the pressure generation element 12 comes into contact with the first liquid 31 while the second liquid 32 exposed to the atmosphere forms a meniscus in the vicinity of the ejection port 11.
  • the third liquid 33 flows between the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32.
  • the CPU 500 controls the flow rate Q 1 of the first liquid 31, the flow rate Q 2 of the second liquid 32, and a flow rate Q 3 of the third liquid 33 by using the liquid circulation unit 504, and forms three-layered parallel flows steadily as shown in Fig. 13D . Then, in the state where the three-layered parallel flows are formed as described above, the CPU 500 drives the pressure generation element 12 of the liquid ejection head 1 and ejects the droplet from the ejection port 11. In this way, even if the position of each interface is disturbed along with the ejection operation, the three-layered parallel flows are recovered in a short time as shown in Fig. 13D so that the next ejection operation can be started right away. As a consequence, it is possible to maintain the good ejection operation of the droplet containing the first to third liquids at the predetermined ratio and to obtain a fine output product.
  • a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 14 to 17B .
  • the same constituents as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the explanations thereof will be omitted.
  • This embodiment is characterized in that the pressure generation element 12 is driven in the state where the first liquid and the second liquid flow side by side in the x direction inside the pressure chamber 18.
  • This embodiment also uses the liquid ejection head 1 and the liquid ejection apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2 .
  • Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an element board 50 in this embodiment.
  • the element board 50 actually has structures shown in Figs. 15A and 15B
  • Fig. 14 illustrates the element board 50 while partially omitting structures around the second inflow port 21 and the second outflow port 26 in order to describe a broad outline of the flows in the element board 50.
  • the first common supply flow passage 23, the first common collection flow passage 24, the second common supply flow passage 28, and the second common collection flow passage 29 are connected to the liquid flow passage 13 in common.
  • the flows of the liquids in the first common supply flow passage 23, the first common collection flow passage 24, the second common supply flow passage 28, and the second common collection flow passage 29 are controlled by the liquid circulation unit 504 described with reference to Fig. 1 .
  • the liquid circulation unit 504 performs the control such that the first liquid flowing into the liquid flow passage 13 from the first common supply flow passage 23 is directed to the first common collection flow passage 24 while the second liquid flowing into the liquid flow passage 13 from the second common supply flow passage 28 is directed to the second common collection flow passage 29.
  • Figs. 15A to 15C are diagrams for describing details of one of the liquid flow passages 13 formed in the silicon substrate 15.
  • Fig. 15A is a perspective view of the liquid flow passage viewed from the ejection port 11 side (the +z direction side) and
  • Fig. 15B is a perspective view illustrating a cross-section taken along the XVB line in Fig. 15A .
  • Fig. 15C is an enlarged diagram of a cross-section taken along the XVC line in Fig. 15A .
  • the silicon substrate 15 includes the first inflow port 20, the second inflow port 21, the second outflow port 26, and the first outflow port 25, which are formed in this order in the y direction. Moreover, the first inflow port 20 and the second inflow port 21 are formed in the silicon substrate 15 at positions shifted from each other in the x direction. Likewise, the second outflow port 26 and the first outflow port 25 are formed in the silicon substrate 15 at positions shifted from each other in the x direction.
  • the first inflow port 20 is connected to the first common supply flow passage 23, the first outflow port 25 is connected to the first common collection flow passage 24, the second inflow port 21 is connected to the second common supply flow passage 28, and the second outflow port 26 is connected to the second common collection flow passage 29, respectively (see Fig. 14 ).
  • the first liquid 31 supplied from the first common supply flow passage 23 to the liquid flow passage 13 through the first inflow port 20 flows in the y direction (indicated with arrows in solid lines) and is then collected from the first outflow port 25 into the first common collection flow passage 24.
  • the second liquid 32 supplied from the second common supply flow passage 28 to the liquid flow passage 13 once flows in the -x direction and then flows while changing its direction to the y direction (indicated with arrows in dashed lines). Thereafter, the second liquid 32 is collected from the second outflow port 26 into the second common collection flow passage 29.
  • the first liquid that flows in from the first inflow port 20 occupies the entire region in a width direction (the x direction).
  • the second liquid 32 By causing the second liquid 32 to flow once in the - x direction from the second inflow port 21, it is possible to partially thrust the flow of the first liquid 31 so as to reduce the width of this flow. As a consequence, it is possible to establish the state where the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32 flow side by side in the x direction in the liquid flow passage as shown in Figs. 15A and 15C .
  • the pressure generation element 12 and the ejection port 11 are formed in such a way as to be shifted from each other in the x direction.
  • the pressure generation element 12 is formed at a position shifted from the ejection port 11 toward the flow of the first liquid 31.
  • the first liquid 31 mainly flows on the pressure generation element 12 side while the second liquid 32 mainly flows on the ejection port 11 side. Accordingly, by applying the pressure to the first liquid 31 by using the pressure generation element 12, it is possible to eject the second liquid, which is pressurized through the interface, out of the ejection port 11.
  • the flow rate of the first liquid 31 and the flow rate of the second liquid 32 are adjusted in accordance with the physical properties of the first liquid 31 and the physical properties of the second liquid 32 such that the first liquid 31 flows on the pressure generation element 12 and the second liquid 32 flows on the ejection port 11 as mentioned above.
  • a distance in the x direction of the liquid flow passage 13 (a width of the flows) is defined as W.
  • a distance from a wall surface of the liquid flow passage 13 to the liquid-liquid interface between the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32 (the water phase thickness of the second liquid) is defined as w 2
  • a distance from the liquid-liquid interface to an opposite wall surface of the liquid flow passage (the water phase thickness of the first liquid) is defined as w 1 .
  • the boundary conditions in the liquid flow passage 13 and the pressure chamber 18 the velocities of the liquids on the wall surfaces of the liquid flow passage 13 and the pressure chamber 18 are assumed to be zero, and the velocities and the shear stresses of the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32 at the liquid-liquid interface are assumed to have continuity as with the first embodiment.
  • the quartic equation described earlier in the (formula 2) holds true in the section of the parallel flows.
  • the value H shown in the (formula 2) corresponds to the value W
  • the value h 1 therein corresponds to the value w 1
  • Figs. 16A to 16H illustrate a sequence of the ejection process with the lapse of time.
  • the first liquid 31 is brought into contact with an effective region of the pressure generation element 12 by adjusting layer thicknesses of the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32.
  • the inside of the ejection port 11 is filled only with the second liquid 32. If the ejection operation is carried out in this state, the bubble is generated from the first liquid 31 in contact with the pressure generation element 12 and the bubble 16 thus generated can eject the liquid from the ejection port 11.
  • the second liquid 32 filling the ejection port is dominant in the ejected droplet 30, the ejected droplet 30 also contains a certain amount of the first liquid 31 that is pushed out by this bubble 16.
  • the amount of the first liquid 31 to be pushed out by the bubble 16 is adjustable by changing the water phase thickness ratio h r .
  • the ejected droplet 30 mainly contains the second liquid 32 that occupies the inside of the ejection port 11.
  • Fig. 17A illustrates the simplified interface between the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32.
  • the ratio between the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32 contained in the ejected droplet 30 varies with the water phase thickness ratio h r in the liquid flow passage 13.
  • the water phase thickness ratio h r needs to be adjusted such that the ejection port 11 is filled only with the second liquid as shown in Fig. 15C .
  • the water phase thickness ratio h r is set too low, a percentage of the pressure generation element 12 to come into contact with the second liquid 32 is increased as shown in Fig.
  • FIG. 18A is a perspective view of the liquid flow passage of this embodiment viewed from the ejection port 11 side (the +z direction side) and Fig.
  • FIG. 18B is a perspective view illustrating a cross-section taken along the XVIIIB line in Fig. 18A .
  • Fig. 18C is an enlarged diagram of a cross-section taken along the XVIIIC line in Fig. 18A .
  • the first liquid 31 flows between the second liquid 32 and the walls of the flow passages in such a way as to bypass the flow of the second liquid as indicated with arrows A in Fig. 18A .
  • the second liquid 32 flows from the second inflow port 21 toward the second outflow port 26.
  • liquid-liquid interfaces are formed in the order of the first liquid 31, the second liquid 32, and the first liquid 31 from one of the walls of the flow passage such that the second liquid 32 is sandwiched by the layers the first liquid 31 as shown in Fig. 18C .
  • the pressure generation elements 12 are arranged on the silicon substrate 15 in such a way as to be symmetrical in the x direction with respect to the ejection port 11.
  • the two pressure generation elements 12 come into contact with the respective layers of the first liquid 31 while the ejection port 11 is mainly filled with the second liquid 32. If the pressure generation elements 12 are driven in this state, the first liquid 31 in contact with the respective pressure generation elements 12 forms bubbles so as to eject the droplet mainly containing the second liquid 32 out of the ejection port.
  • the pressure generation elements 12 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the ejection port 11, it is possible to shoot the ejected droplet 30 in the symmetric shape in the x direction so as to enable high-quality printing.
  • the second liquid 32 is sandwiched by the layers of the first liquid 31.
  • the relation between the water phase thickness and the flow rate as defined in the (formula 2) does not apply to this configuration in a strict sense. Nonetheless, the water phase thickness tends to vary in proportion to the flow rate of each of the liquid phases.
  • the phase thickness of the second liquid 32 needs to be increased in the case where the viscosity of the first liquid 31 is about the same as the viscosity of the second liquid 32, it is possible to change the phase thickness of the second liquid 32 thicker by increasing the flow rate ratio Q r as a consequence of increasing the flow rate of the second liquid 32.
  • FIGS. 19A to 19C are diagrams showing the ejection process in the case of changing the phase thickness ratio between the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32 while setting the height of the flow passage to 14 ⁇ m, setting the thickness of the orifice plate to 6 ⁇ m, and setting a diameter of the ejection port to 10 ⁇ m.
  • the ejection process with the lapse of time is illustrated from the top to the bottom.
  • Fig. 19A illustrates the ejection process in the case where the phase thickness of the second liquid 32 is adjusted to be smaller than 10 ⁇ m which is equivalent to the diameter of the ejection port.
  • Both of the second liquid 32 and the first liquid 31 are present in the ejection port 11. If the ejection operation is carried out in this state, the liquids can be ejected by forming the bubbles of the first liquid 31 in contact with the pressure generation elements 12. Since both of the first liquid and the second liquid are present in the ejection port 11, the ejected droplet 30 is a mixed liquid of these liquids.
  • Fig. 19B illustrates the ejection process in the case where the phase thickness of the second liquid 32 is adjusted to coincide with the diameter of the ejection port equal to 10 ⁇ m.
  • the liquids can be ejected by forming the bubbles of the first liquid 31 in contact with the pressure generation elements.
  • the ejected droplet 30 mainly contains the second liquid 32 that occupies the inside of the ejection port, a portion of the first liquid 31 is also ejected as part of the ejected droplet as a consequence of bubbling. Therefore, this droplet is a mixed liquid of the second liquid with the first liquid at a smaller percentage than that in the case of Fig. 19A .
  • Fig. 19C illustrates the ejection process in the case where the phase thickness of the second liquid 32 is adjusted to 12 ⁇ m which is larger than the diameter of the ejection port 11.
  • the pressure generation elements 12 are located at positions to come into contact only with the first liquid, so that the liquid can be ejected by generating the bubbles of the first liquid.
  • a portion of the second liquid 32 inside the ejection port and around the ejection port is pushed out of the ejection port 11, whereby the ejected droplet 30 consists essentially of the second liquid 32.
  • the percentage of the components in the ejected droplet 30 can be controlled by adjusting the phase thickness of the second liquid 32 as described above.
  • FIG. 20A is a perspective view of the liquid flow passage 13 of this embodiment viewed from the ejection port 11 side (the +z direction side) and Fig.
  • FIG. 20B is a perspective view illustrating a cross-section taken along the XXB line in Fig. 20A .
  • Fig. 20C is an enlarged diagram of a cross-section taken along the XXC line in Fig. 20A .
  • the difference between this embodiment and the fourth embodiment lies in the positions to locate the pressure generation elements 12.
  • the pressure generation elements 12 are arranged inside the pressure chamber 18 and at such positions on the orifice plate 14 that are symmetrical in the x direction with respect to the ejection port 11.
  • the pressure generation elements 12 are in contact with the respective layers of the first liquid 31 while the ejection port 11 is mainly filled with the second liquid 32. If the pressure generation elements 12 are driven in this state, the first liquid 31 in contact with the pressure generation elements 12 forms bubbles so as to eject the droplet mainly containing the second liquid 32 out of the ejection port 11. Since the pressure generation elements 12 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the ejection port 11, it is possible to shoot the ejected droplet in the symmetric shape in the z direction so as to enable high-quality printing.
  • the pressure generation elements 12 are provided on the silicon substrate 15 as in the fourth embodiment, there is a case where the pressure at the time of generation of the bubbles in the first liquid is not sufficiently transferred to the second liquid and the liquid is not ejected properly if the distance between the ejection port 11 and each pressure generation element 12 is set too large.
  • the pressure generation elements 12 by providing the pressure generation elements 12 on the orifice plate 14 as in this embodiment, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the pressure attributed to the generation of the bubbles is not sufficiently transferred to the second liquid even if the distance between the ejection port 11 and each pressure generation element 12 is increased.
  • this embodiment it is possible to eject the liquids without being affected by the distance between the ejection port 11 and each pressure generation element 12, or in other words, by the height of the liquid flow passage.
  • this embodiment is capable of not only ejecting the liquids stably but also reducing deterioration in refilling velocity, which is often a problem in the case of using a very viscous liquid, by increasing the height of the liquid flow passage.
  • Figs. 21A and 21B are diagrams showing the ejection process in the case of changing the phase thickness ratio between the first liquid 31 and the second liquid 32 while setting the height of the flow passage to 14 ⁇ m, setting the thickness of the orifice plate to 6 ⁇ m, and setting the diameter of the ejection port to 10 ⁇ m.
  • the ejection process with the lapse of time is illustrated from the top to the bottom.
  • Fig. 21A the phase thickness ratio is adjusted such that the ejection port 11 is filled only with the second liquid 32 and the first liquid 31 mainly are in contact with each pressure generation element 12. If the ejection operation is carried out in this state, the ejected droplet 30 consists essentially of the second liquid 32 so that the first liquid 31 therein can be minimized.
  • Fig. 21B illustrates the example in which the phase thickness of the second liquid 32 is set smaller than the diameter of the ejection port.
  • the first liquid 31 is included in the ejection port 11. If the ejection operation is carried out in this state, the ejected droplet 30 mainly contains first liquid 31 while partially including the second liquid 32 as well.
  • the water phase thickness ratio it is possible to control the components to be contained in the ejected droplet 30 and thus to adjust the content rates depending on the intended purpose.
  • the ejection method is not limited to the configuration in which the pressure generation element and the ejection port are located at the positions opposed to each other. It is also possible to adopt a so-called side-shooter mode in which the ejection port is located at a position at an angle equal to or below 90 degrees with respect to a direction of pressure generation by the pressure generation element.
  • a liquid ejection head (1) includes a pressure chamber (18) that allows a first liquid (31) and a second liquid (32) to flow inside, a pressure generation element (12) that applies pressure to the first liquid (31) and an ejection port (11) that ejects the second liquid (32).
  • the first liquid (31) flows in a direction, crossing a direction of ejection of the second liquid (32) from the ejection port (11), while being in contact with the pressure generation element (12) and the second liquid (32) flows in the crossing direction along the first liquid (31) in the pressure chamber (18)
  • the second liquid (32) is ejected from the ejection port (11) by causing the pressure generation element (12) to apply a pressure to the first liquid (31).
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CN110774761A (zh) 2020-02-11
EP3603976B1 (fr) 2023-05-03
PH12019000273A1 (en) 2020-02-10
CN110774761B (zh) 2021-10-19

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