Konica Minolta, Inc.

Konica-minolta Holdings, Inc.

Kouichi Sameshima

Takashi Matsuo

Kusunoki Higashino

Nobuhisa Ishida

Hideyuki Eguchi

Hiroko Ohmori

This inkjet head comprises: a nozzle plate including a plurality of nozzles; a vibration plate including a pressure chamber to store ink to be ejected from the nozzle; a spacer plate containing a piezoelectric layer to apply pressure to the pressure chamber; a vibration board provided between the pressure chamber and the piezoelectric layer to transmit deformation of the piezoelectric layer to the pressure chamber; and an intermediate substrate between the pressure chamber plate and the nozzle plate, the intermediate substrate including a communication flow path that communicates with the nozzle and the pressure chamber. The nozzle plate includes: an individual circulation flow path provided for each of the plurality of nozzles to discharge ink; and a common circulation flow path into which a plurality of individual circulation flow paths merge.

Inkjet head

When a diameter of a hole at an exit of a nozzle is expressed as D (&#x3bc;m) and a distance between a position in a circulation flow path part on a side thereof closest to the exit and the exit is expressed as N (&#x3bc;m) in an ink jet driving apparatus, N&#x2264;3.47D is satisfied. During non-ejection, a driving control unit generates a driving signal for withdrawing ink from the exit of the nozzle to a side of a pressure chamber through a distance of 0.16N or more and 0.555D or less, and for causing the ink meniscus to oscillate, and applies the driving signal to a driving element.

Ink jet driving apparatus and ink jet driving method

In a piezoelectric device, an ultrasound probe, and a droplet discharge unit of the present invention, each of a pair of first and second electrodes is placed on a piezoelectric member having a single orientation in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction thereof to extend in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction or along the thickness direction and in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the orientation. Therefore, the piezoelectric device of the present invention has excellent piezoelectric properties. Further, the ultrasound probe and the droplet discharge unit of the present invention have good efficiency.

Piezoelectric device, ultrasound probe, droplet discharge device, and piezoelectric device fabrication method

In a piezoelectric actuator () that vibrates a diaphragm () provided on a pressure chamber () formed in a substrate () toward the pressure chamber (), a lower electrode (), a piezoelectric member () and an upper electrode () sequentially stacked on the diaphragm () are provided, on a part of the piezoelectric member () above the side wall of the pressure chamber (), an upper electrode drawing portion () drawn out from the upper electrode () above the pressure chamber () is formed and under the upper electrode drawing portion (), the piezoelectric member () is separated by a gap portion (S) above a boundary surface between the side wall () of the pressure chamber () and the pressure chamber () in the substrate ().

Piezoelectric actuator and ink-jet head including same

A fuel cell system () comprising a fuel cell () and a reaction container (), wherein the fuel cell () comprises a fuel electrode (), an air electrode () and an electrolyte film () and the reaction container () comprises a hydrogen storage material () and a heater () and can supply hydrogen to the fuel cell (), and wherein a water flow path () for supplying water produced in the air electrode () to the reaction container () is provided.

Growing community of inventors

Kyoto, Japan

Kouichi Sameshima