具体实施方式：
[0010]FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a three-dimensional shaping device according to the disclosure. FIG. 2 is a plan view of an ejection head shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ejection head shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a carriage that supports the ejection head shown in FIG. 1.
[0011]Hereinafter, a three-dimensional shaping device will be described in detail based on a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings. FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show an X axis, a Y axis, and a Z axis that are orthogonal to each other, where a distal end side of an arrow of each axis is a “+” side, and a proximal end side of the arrow of each axis is a “−” side.
[0012]The three-dimensional shaping device 1 includes plural ejection heads 100 that eject a binder to a powder bed, which is not shown, a main tank 201 that stores the binder ejected from the ejection heads 100, a depressurizing sub-tank 210, a pressurizing sub-tank 220, a first feeding pump 202, a second feeding pump 203, a first manifold 230, a second manifold 240, head tanks 251, head tanks 252, and a deaeration device 260.
[0013]The first feeding pump 202 feeds the binder from the depressurizing sub-tank 210 to the pressurizing sub-tank 220 via a binder path 284. The binder path 284 is provided with the deaeration device 260 and a filter 261. The deaeration device 260 removes dissolved gas in the binder. The filter 261 traps and removes foreign matters in the binder.
[0014]The second feeding pump 203 feeds the binder from the main tank 201 to the depressurizing sub-tank 210 via a binder path 289. The binder path 289 is provided with a filter that traps and removes the foreign matters in the binder.
[0015]The depressurizing sub-tank 210 includes a gas chamber 210a in which the binder and a gas coexist. The depressurizing sub-tank 210 is provided with a liquid level detecting unit 211 that detects a liquid level and a solenoid valve 212 that opens the gas chamber 210a to the atmosphere.
[0016]The depressurizing sub-tank 210 is coupled to a second adjusting device 207 that depressurizes an inside of the depressurizing sub-tank 210. The second adjusting device 207 includes a regulator 213, a depressurizing buffer tank 214, and a vacuum pump 215 that is a gas pump. A solenoid valve 216 is provided between the regulator 213 and the depressurizing buffer tank 214. The depressurizing buffer tank 214 is provided with a solenoid valve 217.
[0017]The pressurizing sub-tank 220 includes a gas chamber 220a in which the binder and a gas coexist. The pressurizing sub-tank 220 is provided with a liquid level detecting unit 221 that detects a liquid level and a solenoid valve 222 serving as an air opening mechanism that opens an inside of the pressurizing sub-tank 220 to the atmosphere.
[0018]The pressurizing sub-tank 220 is coupled to a first adjusting device 206 that pressurizes the inside of the pressurizing sub-tank 220. The first adjusting device 206 includes a regulator 223, a pressurizing buffer tank 224, and a compressor 225. A solenoid valve 226 is provided between the regulator 223 and the pressurizing buffer tank 224. The pressurizing buffer tank 224 is provided with a solenoid valve 227.
[0019]The pressurizing sub-tank 220 is coupled to the first manifold 230 via a binder path 281.
[0020]The first manifold 230 is coupled to a supply port side of each ejection head 100 via a supply flow path 231. The supply flow path 231 is coupled to a supply port of the ejection head 100 via the head tank 251. The supply flow path 231 is provided with a solenoid valve 232 that opens and closes a path upstream of the head tank 251. The first manifold 230 is provided with a pressure sensor 233.
[0021]The depressurizing sub-tank 210 is coupled to the second manifold 240 via a binder path 282.
[0022]The second manifold 240 is coupled to a discharge port of the ejection head 100 via a discharge flow path 241. The discharge flow path 241 is coupled to the discharge port of the ejection head 100 via the head tank 252. The discharge flow path 241 is provided with a solenoid valve 242 that opens and closes a path downstream of the head tank 252. The second manifold 240 is provided with a pressure sensor 243.
[0023]A path that passes the depressurizing sub-tank 210, the binder path 284, the deaeration device 260, the pressurizing sub-tank 220, the binder path 281, the first manifold 230, the ejection heads 100, the second manifold 240, and the depressurizing sub-tank 210, and then returns to the pressurizing sub-tank 220 constitutes a circulation path 301. When an amount of circulating liquid in the circulation path 301 is smaller than a predetermined amount, the main tank 201 is replenished with the binder from the depressurizing sub-tank 210.
[0024]In the present embodiment, the first manifold 230 is disposed at a position higher than that of the second manifold 240.
[0025]The pressurizing sub-tank 220 is disposed at a position higher than a position at which the supply port, which is a supply opening of the ejection head 100, is disposed. Specifically, the pressurizing sub-tank 220 is disposed such that an inner bottom surface of the pressurizing sub-tank 220 is higher than the supply port of the ejection head 100.
[0026]On the other hand, the depressurizing sub-tank 210 is disposed at a position lower than a position at which the discharge port, which is a discharge opening of the ejection head 100, is disposed. Specifically, the depressurizing sub-tank 210 is disposed such that a liquid level of the binder housed in the depressurizing sub-tank 210 is lower than the discharge port of the ejection head 100.
[0027]Next, a method for circulating the binder in the three-dimensional shaping device 1 will be described.
(1) Binder Flow from Main Tank 201 to Depressurizing Sub-Tank 210
[0028]When the liquid level detecting unit 211 detects that the depressurizing sub-tank 210 is short of the binder, the second feeding pump 203 is driven to supply the binder from the main tank 201 to the depressurizing sub-tank 210 via the binder path 289 until the liquid level becomes full based on a detection result of the liquid level detecting unit 211.
(2) Binder Flow from Depressurizing Sub-Tank 210 to Pressurizing Sub-Tank 220
[0029]The first feeding pump 202 can be driven to feed the binder from the depressurizing sub-tank 210 to the pressurizing sub-tank 220 via the binder path 284.
(3) Binder Flow from Pressurizing Sub-Tank 220 to Ejection Head 100 to Depressurizing Sub-Tank 210
[0030]The pressurizing sub-tank 220 is set to a target pressure (for example, a pressure that is pressurized) by the first adjusting device 206. On the other hand, the depressurizing sub-tank 210 is set to a target pressure (for example, a pressure that is negative) by the second adjusting device 207.
[0031]Accordingly, a differential pressure is generated between the pressurizing sub-tank 220 and the depressurizing sub-tank 210. According to the differential pressure, the binder can be circulated from the pressurizing sub-tank 220 to the depressurizing sub-tank 210 via the binder path 281, the first manifold 230, plural supply flow paths 231, the plural head tanks 251, the plural ejection heads 100, the plural head tanks 252, the plural discharge flow paths 241, the second manifold 240, and the binder path 282.
[0032]The liquid level detecting units 211 and 221 can use a float type binder detecting method, a method for detecting presence or absence of the binder according to an output of a voltage detected by using at least two electrode pins, a liquid level detecting method using a laser, or the like.
[0033]By driving the solenoid valves 222 and 212, the inside of the pressurizing sub-tank 220 and the depressurizing sub-tank 210 can be communicated with the atmosphere.
[0034]Next, configurations of the ejection heads 100 will be described in detail. Since the configuration of each ejection head 100 is the same, one ejection head 100 will be described as a representative.
[0035]As shown in FIG. 3, the ejection head 100 includes plural members such as a flow path forming substrate 10, a communicating plate 15, a nozzle plate 20, a protective substrate 30, a case member 40, and a compliance substrate 49 as a flow path substrate.
[0036]The flow path forming substrate 10 includes a silicon single crystal substrate, and has one surface formed with a diaphragm. The diaphragm includes a single layer or a laminate selected from a silicon dioxide layer and a zirconium oxide layer.
[0037]The flow path forming substrate 10 is provided with plural pressure chambers 12, which are individual liquid chambers, partitioned by plural partition walls. The plural pressure chambers 12 are arranged in parallel at a predetermined pitch along an X-axis direction in which plural nozzles 21 that eject the binder are arranged in parallel. The pressure chambers 12 are arranged in one row in parallel in the X-axis direction in the present embodiment. The flow path forming substrate 10 is disposed such that an in-plane direction thereof is a direction including the X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction. In the present embodiment, each portion between the pressure chambers 12 arranged in parallel in the X-axis direction of the flow path forming substrate 10 is referred to as the partition wall. The partition wall is formed along the Y-axis direction. That is, the partition wall means a portion overlapping the pressure chambers 12 of the flow path forming substrate 10 in the Y-axis direction.
[0038]In the present embodiment, the flow path forming substrate 10 is provided with only the pressure chambers 12, but may also be provided with a flow path resistance imparting portion having a cross-sectional area across a flow path smaller than that of the pressure chambers 12 so as to impart flow path resistance to the binder supplied to the pressure chamber 12.
[0039]The diaphragm is formed on one surface of the flow path forming substrate 10 in a −Z-axis direction. A first electrode 60, a piezoelectric layer 70, and a second electrode 80 are laminated on the diaphragm by a film forming method and a lithography method to form a piezoelectric actuator 300. In the present embodiment, the piezoelectric actuator 300 is an energy generating element that causes a pressure change in the binder in the pressure chamber 12. The piezoelectric actuator 300 is also referred to as a piezoelectric element, and means a portion including the first electrode 60, the piezoelectric layer 70, and the second electrode 80. In general, a common electrode is used as one electrode of each piezoelectric actuator 300, and the other electrode and the piezoelectric layer 70 are patterned for each pressure chamber 12. In the present embodiment, the first electrode 60 is the common electrode of the piezoelectric actuator 300, and the second electrode 80 is the individual electrode of the piezoelectric actuator 300, but there is no problem vice versa for the sake of a drive circuit or a wiring. In the example described above, the diaphragm and the first electrode 60 act as a diaphragm, but the disclosure is not limited to this, and for example, the first electrode 60 may act as a diaphragm alone without providing the diaphragm. The piezoelectric actuator 300 may also serve as a diaphragm per se.
[0040]The second electrode 80 of each piezoelectric actuator 300 is coupled to a lead electrode 90, so as to selectively apply a voltage to each piezoelectric actuator 300 via the lead electrode 90. The protective substrate 30 is bonded to the surface of the flow path forming substrate 10 in the −Z-axis direction.
[0041]The protective substrate 30 has a region facing the piezoelectric actuator 300 that is provided with a piezoelectric actuator holding portion 31 having a space that does not inhibit movement of the piezoelectric actuator 300. The piezoelectric actuator holding portion 31 may have any space as long as the space does not inhibit the movement of the piezoelectric actuator 300, and the space may or may not be sealed. The piezoelectric actuator holding portion 31 is formed in a size that integrally covers the row of the plural piezoelectric actuators 300 arranged in parallel in the X-axis direction. Naturally, the piezoelectric actuator holding portion 31 is not particularly limited thereto, and may cover the piezoelectric actuators 300 individually, or may cover the piezoelectric actuators 300 in groups each including two or more in parallel in the X-axis direction.
[0042]Such a protective substrate 30 is preferably formed of a material having substantially the same thermal expansion coefficient as that of the flow path forming substrate 10, such as glass or ceramic material. In the present embodiment, the protective substrate 30 is formed by using a silicon single crystal substrate made of the same material as the flow path forming substrate 10.
[0043]The protective substrate 30 is provided with a through-hole 32 penetrating the protective substrate 30 in a Z-axis direction. The vicinity of an end of the lead electrode 90 drawn from each piezoelectric actuator 300 is extended so as to be exposed in the through-hole 32, and is electrically coupled to a flexible cable 120 in the through-hole 32. The flexible cable 120 is a flexible wiring substrate, and in the present embodiment, is mounted with a driving circuit 121, which is a semiconductor element. The lead electrode 90 and the drive circuit 121 may be electrically coupled to each other without using the flexible cable 120. The protective substrate 30 may be provided with a flow path.
[0044]The case member 40, which defines supply flow paths communicating with the plural pressure chambers 12 together with the protective substrate 30, is fixed on the protective substrate 30. The case member 40 is bonded to a side of the protective substrate 30 opposite to the flow path forming substrate 10, and is bonded to the communicating plate 15 described later.
[0045]The case member 40 is provided with a first liquid chamber portion 41 that constitutes a part of a first common liquid chamber 101 and a second liquid chamber portion 42 that constitutes a part of a second common liquid chamber 102. The first liquid chamber portion 41 and the second liquid chamber portion 42 are provided on both sides in the Y-axis direction of the pressure chambers 12 in one row.
[0046]The first liquid chamber portion 41 and the second liquid chamber portion 42 have a concave shape opening on a surface on a −Z side of the case member 40, and are provided continuously over the plural pressure chambers 12 arranged in parallel in the X axis direction.
[0047]The case member 40 is provided with a supply opening 43 that communicates with the first liquid chamber portion 41 and supplies the binder to the first liquid chamber portion 41, and a discharge opening 44 that communicates with the second liquid chamber portion 42 and discharges the binder from the second liquid chamber portion 42.
[0048]Further, the case member 40 is provided with a coupling opening 45 that communicates with the through-hole of the protective substrate 30 and that allows the flexible cable 120 to be inserted therethrough.
[0049]On the other hand, the communicating plate 15, the nozzle plate 20, and the compliance substrate 49 are provided on a +Z side of the flow path forming substrate 10, which is opposite to the protective substrate 30.
[0050]The plural nozzles 21, which inject the binder in a +Z-axis direction, are formed in the nozzle plate 20. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the plural nozzles 21 are disposed in a straight line along an X-axis direction to form one nozzle row 22.
[0051]Each nozzle 21 includes a first nozzle 21a and a second nozzle 21b that have different inner diameters and are disposed in parallel in the Z-axis direction, which is a plate thickness direction of the nozzle plate 20. The inner diameter of the first nozzle 21a is smaller than that of the second nozzle 21b. The first nozzle 21a is disposed on an outer side of the nozzle plate 20, that is, on the +Z side. The binder is injected as binder droplets in the +Z-axis direction from the first nozzle 21a to an outside. That is, a second axial direction in which the binder of the present embodiment is ejected is the Z-axis direction in the present embodiment.
[0052]The second nozzle 21b is disposed on the −Z side of the nozzle plate 20 and communicates with a first flow path 201A extending in the Y-axis direction. That is, a first axial direction, which is an extending direction of the first flow path 201A, is the Y-axis direction in the present embodiment. The Y-axis direction, which is the first axial direction, and the Z-axis direction, which is the second axial direction, are orthogonal to each other.
[0053]By providing the first nozzle 21a having a relatively small inner diameter in the nozzles 21 in this way, a flow rate of the binder is improved, and a flying speed of the binder droplets injected from the nozzle 21 can be improved. By providing the second nozzle 21b having a relatively large inner diameter in the nozzles 21, a portion that is not affected by a flow in circulation can be reduced in the nozzle 21 when the binder in the individual flow path 200A is circulated to flow from the first common liquid chamber 101 toward the second common liquid chamber 102, which will be described later in detail. That is, the binder can be flown in the second nozzle 21b during the circulation, and a speed gradient in the nozzle 21 can be increased, so that the binder in the nozzle 21 can be replaced with a new binder supplied from the upstream. However, if the inner diameter of the second nozzle 21b is too large as compared to that of the first nozzle 21a, a ratio between inertances of the second nozzle 21b and the first nozzle 21a is increased, and a position of a meniscus of the binder in the nozzle 21 is not stable when the binder droplets are ejected continuously. That is, when the ratio between the inertances of the second nozzle 21b and the first nozzle 21a is increased, the meniscus of the binder does not stay in the first nozzle 21a and moves into the second nozzle 21b, and stable ejection of the binder droplets cannot be performed continuously.
[0054]If the inner diameter of the second nozzle 21b is too small, the flow of the binder is less likely to occur in the second nozzle 21b during the circulation. If the inner diameter of the second nozzle 21b is too small, the flow path resistance from the pressure chamber 12 to the nozzle 21 increases, and a pressure loss increases, so that a weight of the binder droplets ejected from the nozzle 21 becomes small. Therefore, the piezoelectric actuator 300 needs to be driven at a higher driving voltage, which reduces an ejection efficiency. Thus, sizes of the first nozzle 21a and the second nozzle 21b are appropriately determined in consideration of replacement performance of the binder during the circulation, the ejection stability, the ejection efficiency, the flying speed of the binder, and the like.
[0055]The first nozzle 21a and the second nozzle 21b have opening shapes each being substantially the same over the Z-axis direction. Accordingly, a step is formed between the first nozzle 21a and the second nozzle 21b. Naturally, the shapes of the first nozzle 21a and the second nozzle 21b are not limited thereto, and, for example, the second nozzle 21b may have an inner surface that is a surface inclined with respect to the Z-axis direction. That is, the inner diameter of the second nozzle 21b may gradually decrease toward the first nozzle 21a. Accordingly, for example, the first nozzle 21a and the second nozzle 21b may have continuous inner surfaces without a step being formed therebetween. When the inner surfaces of the first nozzle 21a and the second nozzle 21b are continuous in this way, the first nozzle 21a means that the opening shape is a portion having substantially the same shape over the Z-axis direction.
[0056]The shape of the nozzle 21 in a plan view from the Z-axis direction is not particularly limited, and may be a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a rectangular shape, a polygonal shape, a potbellied shape, or the like.
[0057]The nozzle plate 20 can be formed with a plate-shaped member made of, for example, a metal such as stainless steel (SUS), an organic material such as a polyimide resin, or silicon, etc. The nozzle plate 20 preferably has a plate thickness of 60 μm or more and 100 μm or less. Such a plate thickness of the nozzle plate 20 can improve a handling property of the nozzle plate 20, and improve an assembling property of the ejection head 100. Incidentally, by shortening a length of the nozzle 21 in the Z-axis direction, the portion that is not affected by the flow in the circulation in the nozzle 21 can be reduced when the binder is circulated, but in order to shorten the length of the nozzle 21 in the Z-axis direction, it is necessary to reduce the thickness of the nozzle plate 20 in the Z-axis direction. When the thickness of the nozzle plate 20 is reduced in this way, rigidity of the nozzle plate 20 is reduced, deformation of the nozzle plate 20 tends to cause variations in the ejection direction of the binder droplets, and the assembling property is likely to be deteriorated due to deterioration of the handling property of the nozzle plate 20. That is, the nozzle plate 20 having a certain thickness as described above can limit deterioration of the rigidity of the nozzle plate 20, and limit the variations in the ejection direction due to the deformation of the nozzle plate 20 and the deterioration of the assembling property due to the deterioration of the handling property.
[0058]In the present embodiment, the communicating plate 15 includes a first communicating plate 151 and a second communicating plate 152. The first communicating plate 151 and the second communicating plate 152 are laminated in the Z-axis direction such that the first communicating plate 151 is on the −Z side and the second communicating plate 152 is on the +Z side.
[0059]The first communicating plate 151 and the second communicating plate 152, which constitute the communicating plate 15, can be manufactured with a metal such as stainless steel, glass, a ceramic material, or the like. The communicating plate 15 preferably uses a material having substantially the same thermal expansion coefficient as the flow path forming substrate 10, and in the present embodiment, the communicating plate 15 is formed by using a silicon single crystal substrate made of the same material as the flow path forming substrate 10.
[0060]The communicating plate 15 is provided with a first communicating portion 16 that communicates with the first liquid chamber portion 41 of the case member 40 to form a part of the first common liquid chamber 101, and a second communicating portion 17 and a third communicating portion 18 that communicate with the second liquid chamber portion 42 of the case member 40 to form a part of the second common liquid chamber 102. The communicating plate 15 is provided with flow paths that communicate the first common liquid chamber 101 with the pressure chambers 12, flow paths that communicate the pressure chambers 12 with the nozzles 21, and flow paths that communicate the nozzles 21 with the second common liquid chamber 102, which will be described in detail later. These flow paths provided in the communicating plate 15 constitute a part of the individual flow path 200A.
[0061]The first communicating portion 16 is provided at a position overlapping the first liquid chamber portion 41 of the case member 40 in the Z-axis direction, and passes through the communicating plate 15 in the Z-axis direction so as to open on both a surface on the +Z side and a surface on the −Z side of the communicating plate 15. The first communicating portion 16 constitutes the first common liquid chamber 101 by communicating with the first liquid chamber portion 41 on the −Z side. That is, the first common liquid chamber 101 includes the first liquid chamber portion 41 of the case member 40 and the first communicating portion 16 of the communicating plate 15. The first communicating portion 16 extends in a −Y-axis direction to a position overlapping the pressure chamber 12 in the Z-axis direction on the +Z side. The first common liquid chamber 101 may include the first liquid chamber portion 41 of the case member 40 without providing the first communicating portion 16 in the communicating plate 15.
[0062]The second communicating portion 17 is provided at a position overlapping the second liquid chamber portion 42 of the case member 40 in the Z-axis direction, and opens on a surface on the −Z side of the first communicating plate 151. The second communicating portion 17 is widened toward the nozzles 21 in a +Y axis direction on the +Z side.
[0063]The third communicating portion 18 passes through the second communicating plate 152 in the Z-axis direction so as to have one end communicates with a portion of the second communicating portion 17 that is widened in the +Y-axis direction. The third communicating portion 18 has an opening on the +Z side covered by the nozzle plate 20. That is, by providing the second communicating portion 17 in the first communicating plate 151, the opening on the +Z side of the third communicating portion 18 can be covered alone by the nozzle plate 20, so that the nozzle plate 20 can be provided in a relatively narrow area, which reduces costs.
[0064]The second common liquid chamber 102 is constituted by the second communicating portion 17 and the third communicating portion 18 provided in the communicating plate 15 and the second liquid chamber portion 42 provided in the case member 40. The second common liquid chamber 102 may be constituted by the second liquid chamber portion of the case member 40 without providing the second communicating portion 17 and the third communicating portion 18 in the communicating plate 15.
[0065]The compliance substrate 49, which includes a compliance portion 494, is provided on the surface on the +Z side of the communicating plate 15 where the first communicating portion 16 opens. The compliance substrate 49 seals an opening of the first common liquid chamber 101 on a nozzle surface 20a side.
[0066]In the present embodiment, the compliance substrate 49 includes a flexible sealing film 491 made of a thin film and a fixed substrate 492 made of a hard material such as metal. The fixed substrate 492 has a region facing the first common liquid chamber 101 that is an opening 493 completely removed in a thickness direction, so that a part of a wall surface of the first common liquid chamber 101 is the compliance portion 494, which is a flexible portion sealed only by the flexible sealing film 491. By providing the compliance portion 494 on a part of the wall surface of the first common liquid chamber 101 in this way, the compliance portion 494 can be deformed to absorb a pressure fluctuation of the binder in the first common liquid chamber 101.
[0067]The compliance portion 494 is provided with, on a −Z-axis side thereof, a pressure sensor 400 that detects a pressure in the first common liquid chamber 101. The pressure sensor 400 is electrically coupled to a control unit 700. Information on the pressure in the first common liquid chamber 101 detected by the pressure sensor 400 is transmitted to the control unit 700.
[0068]The flow path forming substrate 10, the communicating plate 15, the nozzle plate 20, the compliance substrate 49, and the like constituting the flow path substrate are provided with plural individual flow paths 200A that communicate with the first common liquid chamber 101 and the second common liquid chamber 102 to feed the binder in the first common liquid chamber 101 to the second common liquid chamber 102. The individual flow paths 200A according to the present embodiment are provided for the respective nozzles 21 in a manner communicating with the first common liquid chamber 101 and the second common liquid chamber 102, and each include one nozzle 21. The plural individual flow paths 200A are arranged in parallel along the X-axis direction in which the nozzles 21 are arranged in parallel. Two individual flow paths 200A adjacent to each other in the X-axis direction, in which the nozzles 21 are arranged in parallel, communicate with the first common liquid chamber 101 and the second common liquid chamber 102, respectively. That is, the plural individual flow paths 200A provided for the respective nozzles 21 communicate with each other only in the first common liquid chamber 101 and the second common liquid chamber 102, and the plural individual flow paths 200A do not communicate with each other except in the first common liquid chamber 101 and the second common liquid chamber 102. That is, in the present embodiment, each flow path including one nozzle 21 and one pressure chamber 12 is referred to as one individual flow path 200A, and the individual flow paths 200A communicate with each other only in the first common liquid chamber 101 and the second common liquid chamber 102.
[0069]As shown in FIG. 3, the individual flow path 200A includes the nozzle 21, the pressure chamber 12, the first flow path 201A, a second flow path 202A, and a supply path 203A.
[0070]As described above, the pressure chamber 12 is provided between a concave portion provided in the flow path forming substrate 10 and the communicating plate 15, and extends in the Y-axis direction. That is, the pressure chamber 12 has one end in the Y-axis direction coupled to the supply path 203A and the other end in the Y-axis direction coupled to the second flow path 202A, and the binder flows in the Y-axis direction in the pressure chamber 12. That is, the direction in which the pressure chamber 12 extends refers to a direction in which the binder flows in the pressure chamber 12.
[0071]In the present embodiment, the flow path forming substrate 10 is provided with only the pressure chamber 12, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. An upstream end of the pressure chamber 12, that is, an end in the +Y axis direction, may be provided with a flow path resistance imparting portion having a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the pressure chamber 12, so as to impart the flow path resistance.
[0072]The supply path 203A couples the pressure chamber and the first common liquid chamber 101, and passes through the first communicating plate 151 in the Z-axis direction. The supply path 203A has an end on the +Z side communicating with the first common liquid chamber 101 and an end on the −Z side communicating with the pressure chamber 12. That is, the supply path 203A extends in the Z-axis direction. Here, the direction in which the supply path 203A extends refers to a direction in which the binder flows in the supply path 203A.
[0073]The first flow path 201A extends in the Y-axis direction between the supply opening 43 and the discharge opening 44. The direction in which the first flow path 201A extends refers to a direction in which the binder flows in the first flow path 201A. That is, the first axial direction in which the first flow path 201A extends is the Y-axis direction in the present embodiment. The first flow path 201A has an end in the +Y-axis direction communicating with the second flow path 202A and an end in the −Y-axis direction communicating with the third communicating portion 18 of the second common liquid chamber 102.
[0074]The first flow path 201A of the present embodiment extends along the Y-axis direction between the second communicating plate 152 and the nozzle plate 20.
[0075]Specifically, the first flow path 201A is formed by providing a concave portion in the second communicating plate 152 and covering an opening of the concave portion by the nozzle plate 20. The first flow path 201A is not particularly limited thereto. The nozzle plate 20 may be provided with a concave portion, the concave portion of the nozzle plate 20 may be covered by the second communicating plate 152, and both the second communicating plate 152 and the nozzle plate 20 may be provided with concave portions.
[0076]In the present embodiment, the first flow path 201A has the same cross-sectional area across the binder flowing through the flow path, that is, the same cross-sectional area in a planar direction including the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction, over the Y-axis direction. The first flow path 201A may have different cross-s