1. A liquid ejection head comprising an ejection device substrate having a substrate provided with an energy-generating element that generates energy for ejecting a liquid, a liquid supply member that supplies the liquid to the ejection device substrate, and a support member that is provided between the ejection device substrate and the liquid supply member and joined to the ejection device substrate and to the liquid supply member,
wherein the support member has at least two liquid supply flow paths that are through-holes extending through the support member and has a projected portion or a depressed portion at a joint surface of the support member with respect to the liquid supply member,
wherein a spacing between two first openings of two of the liquid supply flow paths adjoining each other at the joint surface of the support member with respect to the liquid supply member is larger than a spacing between two second openings of the two of the liquid supply flow paths adjoining each other at a joint surface of the support member with respect to the ejection device substrate, and
wherein each of the two liquid supply flow paths is formed in the support member such that the first opening of the liquid supply flow path at the joint surface of the support member with respect to the liquid supply member and the second opening of the liquid supply flow path at the joint surface of the support member with respect to the ejection device substrate communicate with each other.
2. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the projected portion or depressed portion of the support member is arranged so as to surround each of the liquid supply flow paths.
3. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the height and width of the projected portion are both 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less, and wherein the depth and width of the depressed portion are both 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less.
4. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the support member is an injection-molded product of an alloy material containing a spherical filler, a poly(phenylene sulfide) resin (PPS) and a modified poly(phenylene ether) resin (PPE), and the support member and the liquid supply member are integrated by insert molding.
5. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the support member has the projected portion at a joint surface of the support member with respect to the liquid supply member.
6. The liquid ejection head according to claim 5, wherein the support member and the projected portion are formed of the same type of material.
7. The liquid ejection head according to claim 5, wherein the support member and the projected portion are formed of the same resin material.
8. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the two liquid supply flow paths extend obliquely with respect to the joint surface of the support member with respect to the liquid supply member and the joint surface of the support member with respect to the ejection device substrate.
9. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the support member has the depressed portion at a joint surface of the support member with respect to the liquid supply member.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A paper-sheet storing and feeding device adapted to temporarily stack paper-sheets fed from the exterior and then bring them into a stored state as well as adapted to feed out the paper-sheets in the stored state to the exterior, the paper-sheet storing and feeding device comprising:
a receptacle adapted for placing the paper-sheets thereon in a standing state;
a stacking and feeding mechanism adapted to successively carry the paper-sheets fed from the exterior, into the receptacle, upon temporarily stacking the paper-sheets, as well as configured to be in contact with a forefront paper-sheet in the receptacle and then feed out the forefront paper-sheet, upon feeding out the paper-sheets in the stored state:
a pushing member provided on the side of the forefront paper-sheet in the receptacle, and configured to be optionally advanced and retracted relative to the forefront paper-sheet, such that when advanced, the pushing member can press the forefront paper-sheet backward so as to disconnect the paper-sheet from the stacking and feeding mechanism, while when retracted, the pushing member can be moved away from the forefront paper-sheet so as to bring the paper-sheet into contact with the stacking and feeding mechanism;
a holding member provided to be in contact with a backmost paper-sheet in the receptacle, and configured to be optionally advanced and retracted relative to the stacking and feeding mechanism;
a storage space defined between the stacking and feeding mechanism and the holding member in the receptacle, and adapted for storing the paper-sheets therein;
a retaining member provided to be optionally advanced and retracted relative to the storage space, such that when advanced, the retaining member can be in contact with the forefront paper-sheet among the paper-sheets moved to be spaced away from the stacking and feeding mechanism due to the pushing member in the receptacle so as to hold the paper-sheets between the retaining member and the holding member and bring them into a temporary holding state, while when retracted, the retaining member can release the paper-sheets; and
a drive mechanism configured to operate the pushing member, the holding member and the retaining member, such that the holding member can be retracted to be moved away from the stacking and feeding mechanism while the pushing member can be advanced, and the retaining member can be advanced into the storage space so as to bring the paper-sheets having been moved to be spaced away from the stacking and feeding mechanism due to the pushing member in the receptacle, into the temporary holding state, thereby defining a temporary stacking space, and such that upon bringing the paper-sheets newly stacked in the temporary stacking space due to the stacking and feeding mechanism, into the stored state, the holding member can be advanced toward the stacking and feeding mechanism while the retaining member can be retracted from the forefront paper-sheet in the temporary holding state in the receptacle.
2. The paper-sheet storing and feeding device according to claim 1,
wherein the retaining member includes a pair of upper and lower claws respectively located above and below the storage space,
wherein each claw includes a first claw part having a proximal end turnably turned by an axis fixed in position to the receptacle and a distal end, and a second claw part having a proximal end turnably turned at the distal end of the first claw and a distal end, and
wherein the drive mechanism operates the retaining member, such that when the retaining member is retracted from the storage space, a state, in which the side face of the second claw part is extended substantially along the surface of the paper-sheet newly stacked in the temporary stacking space in the receptacle, can be kept, by turning the second claw part relative to the first claw part, together with turn of the first claw part.
3. The paper-sheet storing and feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism operates the retaining member, such that the retaining member can be advanced together with advancing movement of the pushing member as well as can be retracted together with advancing movement of the holding member.
4. The paper-sheet storing and feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism operates the pushing member, the holding member and the retaining member, together with one another.
5. The paper-sheet storing and feeding device according to claim 1,
wherein a detection sensor having a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part is provided in the vicinity of the receptacle,
wherein the receptacle includes a plate adapted for placing the paper-sheets thereon, and a light-blocking member having a proximal end turned by the plate, such that the light-blocking member can be turned between a light-blocking position in which light emitted from the light-emitting part of the detection sensor is blocked so as not to reach the light-receiving part of the detection sensor and a light-passing position in which the light can travel up to the light-receiving part,
wherein the holding member includes a light-blocking member pushing unit configured to be in contact with the light-blocking member when an amount of the paper-sheets in the receptacle reaches a criterion when the holding member is advanced upon feeding out the paper-sheets, thereby turning the light-blocking member, and
wherein the detection sensor is configured to detect change in a state of the light traveling from the light-emitting part to the light-receiving part when the light-blocking member is turned by the light-blocking member pushing unit of the holding member, thereby detecting a timing on which the amount of the paper-sheets in the receptacle reaches the criterion upon feeding out the paper-sheets.
6. The paper-sheet storing and feeding device according to claim 5, wherein the holding member includes a plurality of light-blocking member pushing units respectively formed corresponding to different criteria, whereby the relative positional relationship between the holding member and the light-blocking member can be optionally changed so as to select either one of the light-blocking member pushing units for turning the light-blocking member.