JPH04168050A - Print head - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate clogging by providing a sound collecting body so as to sink under the ink of an ink sump. CONSTITUTION:The piezoelectric element 5 provided to the bottom part of each sound collecting body 2 is driven by applying a pulse signal to a driver circuit 4. The strain generated by the electrostriction phenomenon of the piezoelectric element 5 travels through the sound collecting body 2 in the form of a traveling wave of condensation and rarefaction while the amplitude thereof is amplified. The advance wave of large amplitude collected by the sound collecting body 2 is struck by ink 1 and, when the vertical wave thereof reaches the surface of the ink, the surface of the ink is pushed up and an ink particle 1a is discharged to the air. By this method, a print head enhanced in drying resistance and prevented from clogging is obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a print head, and more particularly to a print head used in an inkjet printer or the like that performs printing by depositing liquid ink droplets on a substrate.

[Conventional technology]

In general, a print head that prints by generating liquid ink droplets and adhering them to a printing medium such as paper is a process in which the ink is stored in an ink reservoir and sprayed through a narrow nozzle by applying pressure to the ink. Printing is done by. A print head of a conventional inkjet printer using this principle uses a piezoelectric element to apply pulse-like pressure to part or all of an ink reservoir to eject ink droplets from a nozzle.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Conventional print heads such as those described above have the disadvantage that ink droplets are intermittently ejected from narrow nozzles, and the nozzles tend to dry out and become clogged.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional print head, to eliminate the use of nozzles, and to constantly moisten the area corresponding to the nozzle, which has conventionally been clogged, with ink. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a print head that has improved drying resistance and prevents clogging.

[Means to solve the problem]

The print head of the present invention performs printing by adhering liquid ink droplets to a printing material, and includes an ink reservoir, a plurality of sound collectors provided in the ink reservoir, and a plurality of sound collectors provided in the ink reservoir. It includes a piezoelectric element fixedly provided at the bottom of the body, and a driver circuit that drives the piezoelectric element.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the driver circuit 4 includes a plurality of sound collectors 2.
A piezoelectric element provided in each of the ink reservoirs 3 is driven to concentrate vibrations at one point by the sound collector 2, and the ink 1 in the ink reservoir 3 is discharged into the air.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the process of ejecting ink in the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2(a) shows a standby state before the operation starts. From this state, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the piezoelectric elements 5 provided at the bottom of each of the sound collectors 2 are driven by applying a pulse signal to the driver circuit 4. Distortion caused by the electrostrictive phenomenon of the piezoelectric element 5 becomes a dense traveling wave and propagates through the sound collector 2 while amplifying its amplitude. FIG. 2(c) shows a state in which a large-amplitude traveling wave collected by the sound collector 2 strikes the ink 1, and the longitudinal wave reaches the ink surface. This longitudinal wave is shown in Figure 2(d).
Push up the ink surface as shown. Finally, Figure 2 (
As shown in e), it is released into the air as ink droplets 1a.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the print head of the present invention eliminates clogging due to nozzle drying by providing the sound collector so as to be immersed in the ink in the ink reservoir, and can supply a large amount of ink. There is an effect.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the process of ejecting ink in the illustrated embodiment. 1... Ink, 2... Sound collector, 3...
...Ink reservoir, 4...Driver circuit, 5
······Piezoelectric element.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A print head that performs printing by adhering liquid ink droplets to a printing material includes an ink reservoir, a plurality of sound collectors provided in the ink reservoir, and a plurality of sound collectors fixed to the bottom of the sound collectors. A print head comprising: a piezoelectric element provided therein; and a driver circuit for driving the piezoelectric element.