Fluid ejection device

{
  "publication_number": "US10105946B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Fluid ejection device",
  "abstract": "A fluid ejection device is provided with a valving element adapted to reciprocate in the containing chamber to thereby push the fluid out from the ejection port, and then block the ejection port with a tip part. The containing chamber is provided with a communication port for accepting the fluid pressure-fed from a supply section. In the case in which the valving element is located at a predetermined stopping position, a internal space of the containing chamber is divided by a boundary part, which is formed of a part of the valving element and a part of the containing chamber having contact with each other, into a first space including a part of the space between the ejection port and the communication port, and a second space in which the communication port opens.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A fluid ejection device comprising: a chamber that contains a fluid, the chamber having a chamber projection that inwardly extends from an inner wall of the chamber; an ejection port that is provided at the chamber so as to be fluidly connected to the chamber, the ejection port being configured to eject the fluid; a valve member that is slidably provided in the chamber, the valve member being selectively positioned in first and second states, a tip of the valve member closing the ejection port in the first state, the tip of the valve member being spaced apart from the ejection port in the second state, the valve member having a valve projection that outwardly extends from a periphery of the valve member; and a communication port that is provided at the chamber and that is fluidly connected between a fluid supply and the chamber, wherein the chamber projection is located between the ejection port and the communication port in a cross sectional view, the valve projection is located between the ejection port and the chamber projection in the cross sectional view, when the valve member is in the second state, the chamber projection contacts the valve projection so that an inner space of the chamber is divided into first and second spaces and the fluid in the chamber is physically separated into the first and second spaces, and only the second space fluidly communicates with the communication port, and when the valve member is in the first state, the chamber projection is spaced apart from the valve projection so that the communication port and the inner space of the chamber fluidly communicate with each other.",
    "2. The fluid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein when the valve member is in the second state, a first surface of the chamber projection contacts a second surface of the valve projection, and a resin member is provided on at least one of the first surface and the second surface.",
    "3. A fluid ejection device comprising: a chamber that contains a fluid, the chamber having a chamber step that inwardly extends from an inner wall of the chamber, the chamber step having a chamber planer surface; an ejection port that is provided at the chamber so as to be fluidly connected to the chamber, the ejection port being configured to eject the fluid; a valve member that is slidably provided in the chamber, the valve member being selectively positioned in first and second states, a tip of the valve member closing the ejection port in the first state, the tip of the valve member being spaced apart from the ejection port in the second state, the valve member having a valve projection that outwardly extends from a periphery of the valve member, the valve projection having a valve planer surface extending to cross a side wall of the valve member; and a communication port that is provided at the chamber and that is fluidly connected between a fluid supply and the chamber, wherein the chamber step is located between the ejection port and the communication port in a cross sectional view, when the valve member is in the first state, the chamber planer surface of the chamber step contacts the valve planer surface of the valve projection so that an inner space of the chamber is divided into first and second spaces and the fluid in the chamber is physically separated into the first and second spaces, and only the second space fluidly communicates with the communication port, when the valve member is in the second state, the chamber planer surface of the chamber step is spaced apart from the valve planer surface of the valve projection so that the communication port, the inner space of the chamber, and the ejection port fluidly communicate with each other, and wherein a resin member is provided on at least one of the chamber planer surface and the valve planer surface."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a fluid ejection device.\n\nIn the past, there have been proposed a variety of fluid ejection device for ejecting a fluid from an ejection port. For example, in the brochure of International Publication No. WO 2008/146464 (Document 1) mentioned below, there is disclosed a jet-type ejection device for reciprocating a plunger rod as a valving element in a liquid chamber as a containing chamber to extrude a liquid from a liquid chamber outlet port as an ejection port to thereby eject the liquid as a droplet. The ejection mechanism of a fluid using a reciprocating operation of such a valving element as in Document 1 is applied to an inkjet printer for ejecting ink to manufacture a printed matter, or a 3D printer for ejecting a liquid material to shape a three-dimensional article in some cases.\n\nIn such a projection mechanism of a fluid as described in Document described above, in order to shorten the period of repeatedly ejecting the fluid, the containing chamber is normally kept high in pressure by pressure-feeding the fluid into the containing chamber. However, if the blocking state of the ejection port by the valving element is deteriorated to cause a gap, the fluid leaks through the gap in some cases due to the pressure even if the gap is as minute as approximately 1 μm.",
  "cpc": [
    "B41J 2/02",
    "B05C 11/1034",
    "B05C 5/0225",
    "B41J 2/025",
    "B41J 2/03",
    "B41J 2/045",
    "B41J 2/14201",
    "B41J 2/17596",
    "B41J 2202/05"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B41J 2/175",
    "B41J 2/02",
    "B41J 2/025",
    "B41J 2/03",
    "B41J 2/045"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Seiko Epson Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Shinichi Nakamura",
    "Takahiro Katakura"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-06-30",
  "publication_date": "2018-10-23",
  "grant_date": "2018-10-23",
  "priority_date": "2016-07-21",
  "application_number": "US-201715639268-A",
  "family_id": "59276614",
  "cited_by_count": 18,
  "citations": [
    "JPH04365384A",
    "WO1994008794A1",
    "US5683544A",
    "WO1998021759A1",
    "US6191522B1",
    "JP2001503920A",
    "WO2008146464A1",
    "US9156054B2",
    "US8746595B2",
    "US20120312838A1",
    "JP2013184451A",
    "US20150233334A1",
    "WO2015065607A1",
    "WO2016030566A1",
    "EP3187337A1"
  ]
}