JP2005254659A - Production process of nozzle plate - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a production process of a nozzle plate in which adhesion of adhesive component to the nozzle plate is controlled. <P>SOLUTION: An adhesive member 80 having adhesive 82 containing UV-curing resin is stuck to one side of a resin plate 30. A hole becoming a nozzle 8 is bored by irradiating the side of the resin plate 30 opposite to the side stuck with the adhesive member 80 with excimer laser light 88. Subsequently, the adhesive member 80 is irradiated with UV-rays and the UV-curing resin of the adhesive 82 is polimerized and cured. Finally, the adhesive member 80 is stripped from the resin plate 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a nozzle plate in which nozzles for ejecting ink are formed in an inkjet head that ejects ink onto a recording medium.

  In Patent Document 1, after a laminate layer is formed on the face surface of a film-like resin, an orifice plate (nozzle plate) having an orifice (nozzle) formed by a laser is joined to the head body, and the laminate layer is peeled off from the orifice plate. The manufacturing method of the liquid discharge head manufactured as described above is described. In the manufacturing method of the liquid discharge head, the resin extruded from the extruder is cooled by a cooling roll to form a film-like resin. After forming a relief-type recess that will later become an orifice on one surface of the film-like resin, a water-repellent layer is formed on the face surface of the film-like resin (the opposite surface on which the film-like resin recess is formed). After the laminate layer is laminated on the face surface of the film-like resin on which the water-repellent layer is formed, the bottom surface of the recess is irradiated with a laser to form a through-hole (orifice) penetrating the film-like resin on the bottom surface of the recess. An orifice plate with a laminate layer is produced. Then, after the orifice plate is bonded to the head body manufactured in a separate process, the laminate layer is peeled off to manufacture the liquid discharge head. In the liquid discharge head manufactured in this way, since the orifice is formed with a laser in the film-like resin in which the laminate layer is laminated, the residue of the film-like resin generated when laser processing is performed on the laminate layer. It will adhere to the surface. Therefore, when the laminate layer is peeled off from the orifice plate, the residue is removed together from the face surface.

JP 2001-71512 A (pages 11-12)

  However, in the method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head described in Patent Document 1, when the laminate layer is peeled off from the orifice plate, the adhesive or adhesive of the laminate layer may remain attached to the face surface of the orifice plate. There is. In particular, if an adhesive or adhesive remains on the face surface in the vicinity of the orifice, there is a problem that the liquid flying direction is disturbed when the liquid is discharged from the orifice. Moreover, the operation | work of another process for removing the adhesive or adhesive agent which remained on the face surface is needed.

  Then, the objective of this invention is providing the manufacturing method of the nozzle plate which suppresses adhesion of the adhesion component to a nozzle surface.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

  In the method for producing a nozzle plate of the present invention, an adhesive member that has adhesiveness on one surface of a resin plate that constitutes at least a part of the nozzle plate and whose adhesive strength decreases when a predetermined treatment is performed. A step of attaching, a step of forming a through-hole serving as a nozzle hole in the resin plate by irradiating a laser beam to a portion facing the adhesive member on the other surface of the resin plate; A step of performing a predetermined process, and a step of peeling the adhesive member from the resin plate.

  As a result, the adhesive member is peeled off after the adhesive force of the adhesive member is reduced, so that almost no adhesive component remains on the one surface, which is the ink ejection surface of the resin plate. Therefore, the flying direction of the ink from the nozzle hole is stabilized. Moreover, it is not necessary to perform another process for removing the adhesive component.

  In the present invention, prior to the step of attaching the adhesive member, a support plate that forms at least a part of the nozzle plate together with the resin plate and has a through hole is fixed to the other surface of the resin plate. It is preferable that the method further includes a step, and in the step of attaching the adhesive member, the adhesive member is attached to a portion of the one surface of the resin plate facing the through hole of the support plate. Thereby, the thickness of the nozzle plate is increased, the overall rigidity is improved, and the handling property is improved.

  In the present invention, in the step of forming the through hole, it is preferable that the through hole is formed not only in the resin plate but also in the adhesive member. Thereby, the residue generated when the resin plate is laser processed can be attached to the surface of the adhesive member without leaving in the nozzle hole. For this reason, the residue does not adhere to the one surface serving as the ink ejection surface. Accordingly, the ink flying direction is further stabilized.

  Further, at this time, when the adhesive member is one whose adhesive force is reduced by irradiation of electromagnetic waves in a specific wavelength region, the electromagnetic wave having a wavelength in the specific wavelength region is applied to the adhesive member in the step of performing the predetermined treatment. May be irradiated. Thereby, it becomes possible to easily reduce the adhesive force of the adhesive member.

  At this time, the laser beam may have a wavelength outside the specific wavelength region. As a result, since the adhesive force of the adhesive member to the resin plate does not decrease during laser processing, the residue generated when the through-hole is formed by the laser light adheres only to the surface of the adhesive member, which is surely clean. A resin plate having a surface can be obtained.

  Moreover, in this invention, it is preferable to further provide the process of water-repellent-processing the said one surface of the said resin plate before the process of affixing the said adhesive member. Thereby, the flying direction of the ink is further stabilized.

  According to another aspect of the method for manufacturing a nozzle plate of the present invention, a step of forming a water repellent layer on one surface of a polyimide resin plate constituting at least a part of the nozzle plate, and at least one of the nozzle plate A metal plate having a through-hole, a fixing step for fixing the metal plate to the other surface of the polyimide resin plate, and the polyimide resin plate on which the water-repellent layer is formed And attaching a pressure-sensitive adhesive member having an ultraviolet curable resin that is polymerized by irradiation with ultraviolet rays. And irradiating the other surface of the polyimide resin plate with excimer laser light through a through hole of the metal plate to form a through hole in the adhesive member and the polyimide resin plate; and the polyimide resin plate A step of irradiating the pressure-sensitive adhesive member with ultraviolet rays from one surface side thereof to polymerize an ultraviolet curable resin, and a step of peeling the pressure-sensitive adhesive member from the polyimide resin plate.

  Thereby, the residue generated when the resin plate is laser-processed can be adhered to the surface of the adhesive member, so that almost no residue remains in the nozzle hole. The ultraviolet curable resin is polymerized by irradiating the adhesive member with ultraviolet rays, and the adhesive force of the adhesive member is reduced. Therefore, when the adhesive member is peeled from the polyimide resin plate, the one that becomes the ink discharge surface of the polyimide resin plate There is almost no adhesive component left on the surface. Therefore, the flying direction of the ink from the nozzle hole is stabilized. Moreover, it is not necessary to perform another process for removing the adhesive component and the residue by laser processing.

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

  An ink jet head to which a nozzle plate manufactured by a manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet head 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 1 and shows a state in which the head body is assembled to a holder constituting the inkjet head. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a reinforcing plate is bonded to the head body shown in FIG. The ink-jet head 1 is used in a serial-type ink-jet printer (not shown) and records by ejecting ink of four colors, magenta, yellow, cyan and black, onto a sheet conveyed in parallel in the sub-scanning direction. To do. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inkjet head 1 includes an ink tank 71 in which four ink chambers 3 for storing four color inks are formed, and a head body 70 disposed below the ink tank 71. It has.

  Inside the ink tank 71, four ink chambers 3 are formed side by side in the main scanning direction, and magenta, yellow, cyan, and black inks are sequentially stored from the left ink chamber 3 in FIG. . These four ink chambers 3 are respectively connected to corresponding ink cartridges (not shown) by tubes 40 (see FIG. 1), and ink of each color is supplied from the ink cartridges to the ink chambers 3. Yes. Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ink tank 71 is assembled to a reinforcing plate 41 having a planar rectangular shape. The reinforcing plate 41 is fixed to a holder 72 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with an ultraviolet curing agent 43. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the reinforcing plate 41 is formed with an opening 42 having a rectangular planar shape, and an actuator unit 21 (described later) is disposed in the opening 42. Is fixed by bonding. At the lower end of the ink tank 71, four ink outlets 3a communicating with the four ink chambers 3 are formed. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the reinforcing plate 41 is formed with four through-holes 41a each having an elliptical planar shape connected to the four ink outlets 3a.

  The head main body 70 includes a flow path unit 4 in which a plurality of ink flow paths are formed for each color, and an actuator unit 21 bonded to the upper surface of the flow path unit 4 with an epoxy-based thermosetting adhesive. It is out. The flow path unit 4 and the actuator unit 21 are configured by laminating a plurality of thin plates and bonding them together. The flow path unit 4 and the actuator unit 21 are disposed below the ink tank 71. On the upper surface of the flow path unit 4, four ink supply ports 4a (see FIG. 4) having an elliptical planar shape are formed. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the flow path unit 4 is bonded to the reinforcing plate 41 so that the through holes 41 a formed in the reinforcing plate 41 and the ink supply ports 4 a formed in the flow path unit 4 are connected to each other. Has been. With this configuration, four types of ink in the ink tank 71 pass through the four ink outlets 3a formed in the ink tank 71 and the four through holes 41a formed in the reinforcing plate 41, respectively. The ink is supplied from the four ink supply ports 4 a of the unit 4 into the flow path unit 4.

  The head body 70 has a reinforcing plate 41 attached to a stepped opening 72 a formed on the lower surface of the holder 72 in a state where the ink discharge surface 70 a of the flow path unit 4 is exposed to the outside. 72 and the flow path unit 4 are sealed with a sealant 73. The bottom surface of the head main body 70 is an ink ejection surface 70a on which a large number of nozzles 8 (see FIG. 6) having a minute diameter are arranged. Further, a flexible printed circuit (FPC) 50 as a power supply member is joined to the upper surface of the actuator unit 21 and pulled out in one of the main scanning directions, and is pulled out upward while being bent. A protective plate 44 that protects the FPC 50 and the actuator unit 21 is attached to the upper surface of the FPC 50 that faces the actuator unit 21.

  The FPC 50 joined to the actuator unit 21 is pulled out along the side surface of the ink tank 71 through an elastic member 74 such as a sponge, and a driver IC 75 is installed on the FPC 50. On the other hand, the FPC 50 is electrically joined by soldering so as to transmit the drive signal output from the driver IC 75 to the actuator unit 21 (described later in detail) of the head main body 70.

  In FIG. 2, an opening 72b for radiating the heat of the driver IC 75 to the outside is formed on the side wall of the holder 72 facing the driver IC 75. Further, a heat sink 76 made of an approximately rectangular parallelepiped aluminum plate is disposed between the driver IC 75 and the opening 72 b of the holder 72 so as to be in close contact with the driver IC 75. The heat generated by the driver IC 75 can be efficiently dissipated by the heat sink 76 and the opening 72b. In addition, a sealant 77 for filling a gap between the side wall of the holder 72 and the heat sink 76 is disposed in the opening 72b to prevent dust and ink from entering the main body of the inkjet head 1.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view of the head body 70. As shown in FIG. 4, the head main body 70 has a rectangular planar shape extending in one direction (sub-scanning direction) of the flow path unit 4. In FIG. 4, four manifold channels 5 extending in parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction (one direction) of the channel unit 4 are formed in the channel unit 4. Ink is supplied to the manifold channels 5 from the ink chamber 3 of the ink tank 71 through the four ink supply ports 4 a of the channel unit 4. In the present embodiment, the four manifold channels 5 in FIG. 4 are manifold channels 5M, 5Y, 5C, and 5K corresponding to magenta, yellow, cyan, and black in order from the top to the bottom. Of these four manifold channels 5M, 5Y, 5C, and 5K, the three manifold channels 5M, 5Y, and 5C are arranged at equal intervals in the width direction (main scanning direction) of the channel unit 4, and the manifold flow The path 5K is formed at a position (a position below the flow path unit 4 in FIG. 4) that is separated from the manifold flow path 5C with an arrangement interval larger than the arrangement interval of the three manifold flow paths 5M, 5Y, and 5C. A filter member 45 is disposed at a position on the upper surface of the flow path unit 4 so as to cover the four ink supply ports 4a. The filter member 45 has a filter 45a in which a plurality of minute holes are formed at positions overlapping with the ink supply ports 4a. Thus, dust in the ink flowing from the ink tank 71 into the flow path unit 4 is captured by the filter 45 a of the filter member 45.

  On the upper surface of the flow path unit 4, an actuator unit 21 having a rectangular planar shape is bonded to a substantially central portion avoiding the ink supply port 4a. The lower surface of the flow path unit 4 corresponding to the adhesion area between the actuator unit 21 and the flow path unit 4 is an ink discharge area in which a large number of nozzles 8 (nozzle holes) are arranged. A large number of pressure chambers 10 (see FIG. 6) and gaps 60 (see FIG. 5) arranged in a matrix are formed in the adhesion region of the flow path unit 4 facing the actuator unit 21. In other words, the actuator unit 21 has dimensions over all the pressure chambers 10 and the gaps 60.

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a region surrounded by a one-dot chain line drawn in FIG. The flow path unit 4 includes 16 pressure chamber rows 11 in which a large number of pressure chambers 10 are arranged in parallel with the manifold flow passage 5, and four pressure chambers 11 in which a large number of gaps 60 are arranged in parallel with the pressure chamber rows 11. A gap row 61 is formed. The 16 pressure chamber rows 11 are divided into 12 groups and 4 groups by a group of four gap rows 61 formed adjacent to each other. As shown in FIG. 5, the pressure chamber 10 and the gap 60 have the same planar shape and size. The large number of pressure chambers 10 and the gaps 60 are regularly arranged so that one arrangement pattern is formed in the flow path unit 4 when the two are considered to be indistinguishable.

  The pressure chamber 10 formed in the flow path unit 4 has a rhombic planar shape with rounded corners, and the longer diagonal line extends in the width direction (main scanning direction) of the flow path unit 4. Parallel. One end of each pressure chamber 10 communicates with the nozzle 8, and the other end communicates with the manifold channel 5 via the aperture 13. As a result, each manifold channel 5 is connected to a number of individual ink channels 7 (see FIG. 6) that communicate with the nozzles 8 and are formed for each pressure chamber 10. In FIG. 5, the pressure chamber 10, the aperture 13, the nozzle 8, and the like that are in the flow path unit 4 and should be drawn with broken lines are drawn with solid lines for easy understanding of the drawing.

  6 is a cross-sectional view showing the individual ink flow path, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI shown in FIG. As can be seen from FIG. 6, each nozzle 8 communicates with the manifold channel 5 via the pressure chamber 10 and the aperture (that is, the throttle) 13. That is, one flow path from the outlet of the manifold flow path 5 to the nozzle 8 through the aperture 13 and the pressure chamber 10 is configured. In this way, the individual ink channels 7 are formed in the head body 70 for each pressure chamber 10.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the head main body 70 has a total of eight sheet materials including the actuator unit 21, the cavity plate 22, the base plate 23, the aperture plate 24, the manifold plates 25 and 26, the damper plate 27, and the nozzle plate 28. Have a laminated structure. Among these, the flow path unit 4 is composed of seven plates excluding the actuator unit 21.

  As will be described in detail later, the actuator unit 21 is a stack of four piezoelectric sheets 41 to 44 (see FIG. 7), of which only the uppermost layer has a layer (hereinafter referred to as an active portion) when an electric field is applied. The remaining three layers are non-active layers that do not have an active portion. The cavity plate 22 is a metal plate in which a large number of diamond-shaped holes constituting the pressure chamber 10 and the gap 60 are provided in the pasting range (adhesion region) of the actuator unit 21. The base plate 23 is a metal plate provided with a communication hole between the pressure chamber 10 and the aperture 13 and a communication hole from the pressure chamber 10 to the nozzle 8 for one pressure chamber 10 of the cavity plate 22.

  The aperture plate 24 is a metal plate provided with a communication hole from the pressure chamber 10 to the nozzle 8 in addition to the hole serving as the aperture 13 for one pressure chamber 10 of the cavity plate 22. The manifold plates 25 and 26 are metal plates each provided with a communication hole from the pressure chamber 10 to the nozzle 8 for one pressure chamber 10 of the cavity plate 22 in addition to the manifold flow path 5.

  The damper plate 27 is a metal plate provided with a communication hole from the pressure chamber 10 to the nozzle 8 for each of the damper groove 27 a located immediately below each manifold flow path 5 and one pressure chamber 10 of the cavity plate 22. is there. The damper groove 27 a is recessed by half etching on a surface (lower surface of the damper plate 27 in FIG. 6) facing the spacer plate 29 (described later) of the damper plate 27 and corresponds to each manifold channel 5. Thus, the flow path unit 4 extends in the longitudinal direction. Even if the pressure fluctuation generated in the pressure chamber 10 during ink discharge is propagated to the manifold channel 5 by the damper groove 27a, the bottom surface portion of the damper groove 27a (between the damper groove 27a and the manifold channel 5 in FIG. 6). When the portion) is elastically deformed and vibrates, the pressure fluctuation can be absorbed and attenuated.

  The nozzle plate 28 is a metal spacer plate (support plate) 29 provided with a communication hole (through hole) 29a from the pressure chamber 10 to the nozzle 8 for one pressure chamber 10 of the cavity plate 22, and the cavity plate. Each of the 22 pressure chambers 10 is configured by laminating a resin plate 30 provided with holes (through holes) serving as the nozzles 8. That is, the nozzle plate 28 is a composite plate in which two plates 29 and 30 made of different materials are laminated. The resin plate 30 is formed with a nozzle 8 having an ink outlet diameter of about 20 μm. As shown in FIG. 6, the cross-sectional shape of the nozzle 8 is tapered so that the ink outlet portion is tapered. As the nozzle 8 is tapered toward the ink outlet in this way, it has a throttle function to increase the ink discharge pressure, and the ink discharge speed is increased. In addition, a water repellent film (water repellent layer) 30a is formed on the resin plate 30 so as to have a uniform thickness on the entire lower surface of the resin plate 30, and the surface of the water repellent film 30a is connected to the ink discharge surface 70a. Become. The water repellent film 30a makes it difficult for ink ejected from the nozzle 8 to adhere to the ink ejection surface 70a. The resin plate 30 in the present embodiment is made of polyimide resin. For example, polycarbonate, polyetherimide, polybenzimidazole, polyacetal, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylene oxide, polyphenylene sulfide, polypropylene Alternatively, a resin plate made of a resin such as polyether ketone may be used.

  These eight plates 21 to 28 are laminated in alignment with each other so that the individual ink flow paths 7 as shown in FIG. 6 are formed. The individual ink flow path 7 is first directed upward from the manifold flow path 5, extends horizontally at the aperture 13, then further upwards, extends horizontally again at the pressure chamber 10, and then leaves the aperture 13 for a while. Heading diagonally downward in the direction and then vertically downward toward the nozzle 8. Of the seven plates constituting the flow path unit 4, the six plates 22 to 27 excluding the nozzle plate 28 are made of the same metal material in the present embodiment, and SUS430 is used. However, it may be a metal material such as SUS316 or 42 alloy. The spacer plate 29 of the nozzle plate 28 is also made of SUS430, which is the same as the six plates 22 to 27 described above. Moreover, each plate 22-27, 29 may be comprised from a different metal material.

  As is clear from FIG. 6, the pressure chamber 10 and the aperture 13 are provided at different levels in the stacking direction of the plates. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, in the flow path unit 4 facing the actuator unit 21, the aperture 13 communicating with one pressure chamber 10 is seen in plan view with another pressure chamber 10 adjacent to the pressure chamber. It can be arranged at the same position. As a result, the pressure chambers 10 are in close contact with each other and are arranged at high density, so that high-resolution image printing is realized by the inkjet head 1 having a relatively small occupation area.

  Returning to FIG. 5, each pressure chamber 10 communicates with the nozzle 8 at one end of the long diagonal line, and communicates with the manifold channel 5 through the aperture 13 at the other end of the long diagonal line. As will be described later, on the actuator unit 21, individual electrodes 35 (see FIG. 7) whose planar shape is substantially rhombus and slightly smaller than the pressure chamber 10 are arranged in a matrix so as to face the pressure chamber 10. Yes. In FIG. 5, only some of the plurality of individual electrodes 35 are drawn for the sake of simplicity.

  The plurality of gaps 60 formed in the cavity plate 22 are defined by holes having the same shape and the same size as the pressure chambers 10 formed in the cavity plate 22 being closed by the actuator unit 21 and the base plate 23. ing. Therefore, no ink flow path is connected to the gap 60, and the plurality of gaps 60 are not filled with ink. The plurality of gaps 60 are adjacently arranged in a matrix with a staggered arrangement pattern in two directions of the arrangement direction A (first direction) and the arrangement direction B (second direction). The plurality of gaps 60 form four gap rows 61 parallel to each other, and the four gap rows 61 constitute a gap group 62. A plurality of pressure chambers 10 are formed in the flow path unit 4 so as to sandwich the gap group 62.

  In the present embodiment, both the pressure chamber 10 and the gap 60 are formed regardless of their shape, size, and arrangement. As a whole, the pressure chambers 10 and the gaps 60 are adjacently arranged in a matrix in a staggered arrangement pattern in two directions of the arrangement direction A and the arrangement direction B. The arrangement direction A is the longitudinal direction (one direction) of the inkjet head 1, that is, the extending direction of the flow path unit 4, and is parallel to the shorter diagonal line of the pressure chamber 10. The arrangement direction B is an oblique side direction of the pressure chamber 10 that forms an obtuse angle θ with the arrangement direction A.

  The pressure chambers 10 arranged adjacent to each other in a matrix in two directions of the arrangement direction A and the arrangement direction B are arranged along the arrangement direction A via a gap corresponding to the resolution. For example, in the present embodiment, the nozzles 8 enable printing with a resolution of 150 dpi, so that the adjacent pressure chambers 10 are separated along the arrangement direction A by a distance corresponding to 37.5 dpi.

  Sixteen pressure chambers 10 are arranged in the actuator unit 21 so as to sandwich the four gaps 60 in the arrangement direction B, and are viewed from a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 5 (third direction). Thus, eight pieces are arranged along the direction (fourth direction) orthogonal to the arrangement direction A so as to sandwich the two gaps 60 therebetween.

  A large number of pressure chambers 10 arranged in a matrix form 16 pressure chamber rows 11 along the arrangement direction A shown in FIG. The 16 pressure chamber rows 11 have a first pressure chamber row 11a, a second pressure chamber row 11b, and a third pressure depending on the relative position with respect to each manifold channel 5 when viewed from the third direction. It is divided into a chamber row 11c and a fourth pressure chamber row 11d. These first to fourth pressure chamber rows 11a to 11d are arranged from one side in the width direction (main scanning direction) of the actuator unit 21 to the other side (from the top to the bottom in FIG. 5) 11c → 11a → 11d → 11b → Four pieces are periodically arranged in the order of 11c → 11a →. The first to fourth pressure chamber rows 11a to 11d which are arranged periodically and adjacent to each other form one pressure chamber row group 12. The pressure chambers 10 of each pressure chamber row group 12 communicate with the respective manifold channels 5 through the respective apertures 13. That is, since each pressure chamber row group 12 is formed for each manifold flow path 5, the four pressure chamber row groups 12 are pressure chamber row groups 12M, 12Y, 12C, and 12K so as to correspond to four colors of ink. It has become. The pressure chambers 10 belonging to each of the four pressure chamber groups 12M, 12Y, 12C, and 12K are changed in volume by the actuator unit 21 so that the four color inks communicate with the pressure chambers 10 belonging to the respective pressure chamber row groups 12. It becomes possible to discharge from the nozzle 8.

  In the pressure chambers 10a constituting the first pressure chamber row 11a and the pressure chambers 10c constituting the third pressure chamber row 11c, a direction (fourth direction) orthogonal to the arrangement direction A when viewed from the third direction. ), The nozzles 8 are unevenly distributed on the lower side of the paper surface of FIG. On the other hand, in the pressure chamber 10b constituting the second pressure chamber row 11b and the pressure chamber 10d constituting the fourth pressure chamber row 11d, the nozzle 8 is unevenly distributed on the upper side in FIG. 4 in the fourth direction. And adjacent to the vicinity of the right side of the upper end of the corresponding pressure chamber 10. In the first and fourth pressure chamber rows 11 a and 11 d, the region of more than half of the pressure chambers 10 a and 10 d overlaps the manifold channel 5 when viewed from the third direction. In the second and third pressure chamber rows 11b and 11c, almost all the regions of the pressure chambers 10b and 10c do not overlap the manifold channel 5a when viewed from the third direction. Therefore, for the pressure chambers 10 belonging to any pressure chamber row, the width of the manifold channel 5 is made as wide as possible while preventing the nozzle 8 communicating therewith from overlapping with the manifold channel 5a. Ink can be supplied smoothly.

  Next, the configuration of the actuator unit 21 will be described. On the actuator unit 21, a large number of individual electrodes 35 are arranged in a matrix with the same arrangement pattern as the pressure chambers 10. Each individual electrode 35 is disposed at a position facing the pressure chamber 10 in plan view. In this way, the plurality of pressure chambers 10 and the individual electrodes 35 are regularly arranged, so that the design is facilitated.

  7A and 7B show the actuator unit, in which FIG. 7A is an enlarged view of a portion surrounded by an alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 6, and FIG. 7B is a plan view of an individual electrode. In FIG. 7A, the FPC 50 electrically connected to each individual electrode 35 is drawn with a two-dot chain line. As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the individual electrode 35 is disposed at a position facing the pressure chamber 10, and a main electrode region 35a formed in the plane region of the pressure chamber 10 in plan view. The auxiliary electrode region 35 b is connected to the main electrode region 35 a and is formed outside the plane region of the pressure chamber 10.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the actuator unit 21 includes four piezoelectric sheets 41, 42, 43, and 44 that are formed to have the same thickness of about 15 μm. These piezoelectric sheets 41 to 44 are continuous layered flat plates (continuous flat plate layers) so as to be disposed across a number of pressure chambers 10 formed in the ink discharge region in the head main body 70. Since the piezoelectric sheets 41 to 44 are arranged as a continuous flat plate layer across a large number of pressure chambers 10, the individual electrodes 35 can be arranged on the piezoelectric sheet 41 with high density by using, for example, a screen printing technique. It has become. For this reason, the pressure chambers 10 formed at positions corresponding to the individual electrodes 35 can be arranged with high density, and high-resolution images can be printed. The piezoelectric sheets 41 to 44 are made of a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic material having ferroelectricity.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, the main electrode region 35a of the individual electrode 35 formed on the uppermost piezoelectric sheet 41 has a substantially rhombic planar shape that is substantially similar to the pressure chamber 10. A sharp corner portion on the left side in FIG. 7B of the substantially rhomboid main electrode region 35a extends to a region overlapping with the sharp corner portion of the pressure chamber 10, and is connected to the auxiliary electrode region 35b. A circular land portion 36 electrically connected to the individual electrode 35 is provided at the tip of the auxiliary electrode region 35b. As shown in FIG. 7B, the land portion 36 faces a region where the pressure chamber 10 is not formed in the cavity plate 22. The land portion 36 is made of, for example, gold containing glass frit, and is formed on the surface of the auxiliary electrode region 35b as shown in FIG.

  A common electrode 34 having the same outer shape as the piezoelectric sheet 41 and a thickness of approximately 2 μm is interposed between the uppermost piezoelectric sheet 41 and the lower piezoelectric sheet 42. Both the individual electrode 35 and the common electrode 34 are made of, for example, a metal material such as an Ag—Pd system.

  The common electrode 34 is grounded in a region not shown. As a result, the common electrode 34 is kept at an equally constant potential in the region corresponding to all the pressure chambers 10, that is, the ground potential in the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the FPC 50 includes a base film 49, a plurality of conductor patterns 48 formed on the lower surface thereof, and a cover film 52 that covers substantially the entire lower surface of the base film 49. The base film 49 has a thickness of approximately 25 μm, the conductor pattern 48 has a thickness of approximately 9 μm, and the cover film 52 has a thickness of approximately 20 μm. A plurality of through holes 53 having a smaller area than the conductor pattern 48 are formed in the cover film 52 so as to correspond to each of the plurality of conductor patterns 48. The base film 49, the conductor pattern 48, and the cover film 52 are positioned so that the center of each through hole 53 corresponds to the center of the conductor pattern 48 and the outer peripheral edge portion of the conductor pattern 48 is covered with the cover film 52. Laminated together. The terminal 46 of the FPC 50 is connected to the conductor pattern 48 through the through hole 53.

  The base film 49 and the cover film 52 are both sheet members having insulation properties. In the present embodiment, the base film 49 is made of a polyimide resin, and the cover film 52 is made of a photosensitive material. By forming the cover film 52 from a photosensitive material in this way, it becomes easy to form a large number of through holes 53.

  The conductor pattern 48 is formed of a copper foil. The conductor pattern 48 is a wiring connected to the driver IC 75 and forms a predetermined pattern on the lower surface of the base film 49.

  The terminal 46 is made of a conductive material such as nickel. The terminal 46 closes the through hole 53, covers the outer periphery of the through hole 53, and projects from the lower surface of the cover film 52. The diameter of the terminal 46 is about 50 μm, and the thickness from the lower surface of the cover film 40 is about 30 μm.

  The FPC 50 has a large number of terminals 46, and each terminal 46 is configured to correspond to one land portion 36. Accordingly, each individual electrode 35 electrically connected to each land portion 36 is connected to the driver IC 75 via the independent conductor pattern 48 in the FPC 50. As a result, the potential can be controlled for each pressure chamber 10.

  Next, a method for driving the actuator unit 21 will be described. The polarization direction of the piezoelectric sheet 41 in the actuator unit 21 is the thickness direction. That is, the actuator unit 21 has one piezoelectric sheet 41 on the upper side (that is, separated from the pressure chamber 10) as a layer in which the active portion is present and three piezoelectric sheets on the lower side (that is, close to the pressure chamber 10). It has a so-called unimorph type structure in which 42 to 44 are inactive layers. Therefore, when the individual electrode 35 is set to a positive or negative predetermined potential, for example, if the electric field and polarization are in the same direction, the electric field application portion sandwiched between the electrodes in the piezoelectric sheet 41 works as an active portion (pressure generating portion), Shrink in the direction perpendicular to the polarization direction due to the piezoelectric transverse effect.

  In the present embodiment, the portion sandwiched between the individual electrode 35 and the common electrode 34 in the piezoelectric sheet 41 functions as an active portion that generates distortion due to the piezoelectric effect when an electric field is applied. On the other hand, the three piezoelectric sheets 42 to 44 below the piezoelectric sheet 41 are not applied with an electric field from the outside, and therefore hardly function as active parts. Accordingly, a portion of the piezoelectric sheet 41 sandwiched mainly between the main electrode region 35a and the common electrode 34 is contracted in a direction perpendicular to the polarization direction due to the piezoelectric lateral effect.

  On the other hand, the piezoelectric sheets 42 to 44 are not spontaneously displaced because they are not affected by the electric field, and therefore, the piezoelectric sheets 42 to 44 are not displaced in the direction perpendicular to the polarization direction between the upper piezoelectric sheet 41 and the lower piezoelectric sheets 42 to 44. A difference is caused in the distortion, and the entire piezoelectric sheets 41 to 44 try to be deformed so as to protrude toward the non-active side (unimorph deformation). At this time, as shown in FIG. 7A, the lower surface of the actuator unit 21 constituted by the piezoelectric sheets 41 to 44 is fixed to the upper surface of the partition wall (cavity plate) 22 that partitions the pressure chamber. Therefore, the piezoelectric sheets 41 to 44 are deformed so as to protrude toward the pressure chamber. For this reason, the volume of the pressure chamber 10 is reduced, the pressure of the ink is increased, and the ink is ejected from the nozzle 8. Thereafter, when the individual electrode 35 is returned to the same potential as that of the common electrode 34, the piezoelectric sheets 41 to 44 return to the original shape and the volume of the pressure chamber 10 returns to the original volume, so that ink is sucked from the manifold channel 5 side. .

  As another driving method, the individual electrode 35 is set to a potential different from that of the common electrode 34 in advance, and the individual electrode 35 is once set to the same potential as the common electrode 34 every time there is an ejection request, and then again individually at a predetermined timing. The electrode 35 can be at a different potential from the common electrode 34. In this case, when the individual electrodes 35 and the common electrode 34 are at the same potential, the piezoelectric sheets 41 to 44 return to their original shapes, so that the volume of the pressure chamber 10 is in an initial state (the potentials of the two electrodes are different) ) And the ink is sucked into the pressure chamber 10 from the manifold channel 5 side. Thereafter, at the timing when the individual electrode 35 is set to a potential different from that of the common electrode 34 again, the piezoelectric sheets 41 to 44 are deformed so as to protrude toward the pressure chamber 10, and the pressure on the ink increases due to the volume reduction of the pressure chamber 10. Ink is ejected. In this way, ink is ejected from the nozzles 8 and the inkjet head 1 is appropriately moved in the main scanning direction to print a desired image on the paper.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the inkjet head 1 described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a manufacturing process diagram of the inkjet head 1.

  In order to manufacture the inkjet head 1, components such as the flow path unit 4 and the actuator unit 21 are separately manufactured, and then the components are assembled. First, in step 1 (S1), the flow path unit 4 is produced. In order to produce the flow path unit 4, among the plates 22 to 28 constituting the flow path unit 4, the plates 22 to 27 except the nozzle plate 28 are subjected to etching and half etching using a patterned photoresist as a mask. , Recesses to be holes or damper grooves 27a as shown in FIG. Then, as will be described later, a water repellent film 30a is formed on the nozzle plate 28, a plurality of nozzles 8 are formed by an excimer laser, and then the seven plates 22 aligned so that the individual ink flow paths 7 are formed. -28 are overlapped via an epoxy-based thermosetting adhesive. Then, the seven plates 22 to 28 are heated while being pressurized to a temperature equal to or higher than the curing temperature of the thermosetting adhesive. Thereby, the thermosetting adhesive is cured and the seven plates 22 to 28 are fixed to each other, and the flow path unit 4 as shown in FIG. 6 is obtained. At this time, since the plates 22 to 27 and 29 except for the resin plate 30 of the nozzle plate 28 are formed of the same metal material, the linear expansion coefficients of the plates 22 to 27 and 29 are the same. Unit 4 does not warp on one side. In addition, since the resin plate 30 of the nozzle plate 28 is bonded to the other six plates 22 to 27 in a state of being fixed to the spacer plate 29 in advance, the resin plate 30 is pressed and heated. It extends in the same manner as the other plates 22 to 27 and 29, although the forming materials are different from those of the plates 22 to 27 and 29.

  On the other hand, to produce the actuator unit 21, first, in Step 2 (S2), a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic green sheets are prepared. The green sheet is formed in advance by taking into account the amount of shrinkage caused by firing. A conductive paste is screen-printed on the pattern of the common electrode 34 on some of the green sheets. Then, while aligning the green sheets using a jig, the green sheet on which the conductive paste is printed with the pattern of the common electrode 34 is superimposed on the green sheet on which the conductive paste is not printed, Two green sheets on which no conductive paste is printed are overlapped thereunder.

  In step 3 (S3), the laminate obtained in step 2 is degreased in the same manner as known ceramics, and further fired at a predetermined temperature. Thereby, the four green sheets become the piezoelectric sheets 41 to 44, and the conductive paste becomes the common electrode 34. Thereafter, the conductive paste is screen-printed on the pattern of the individual electrodes 35 on the uppermost piezoelectric sheet 41. Then, the conductive paste is baked by heat-treating the laminate, and the individual electrode 35 is formed on the piezoelectric sheet 41. Thereafter, gold including glass frit is printed on the individual electrode 35 to form the land portion 36. In this way, the actuator unit 21 as depicted in FIG. 7 can be manufactured.

  As a modified example, the actuator unit after the heat bonding between the actuator unit in which the individual electrode 35 and the land portion 36 are not formed (this may be referred to as an actuator unit for convenience in this specification) and the flow path unit 4 is performed. A conductive paste may be screen-printed on the pattern of the individual electrode 35 and further heat-treated. In addition, a green sheet obtained by screen-printing the conductive paste on the pattern of the individual electrode 35 is prepared, and a green sheet printed with the conductive paste on the pattern of the common electrode 34 is overlaid thereon, and further below the conductive sheet A heat treatment may be applied to a laminate in which two green sheets on which no adhesive paste is printed are stacked.

  In addition, since the flow path unit preparation process of step 1 and the actuator unit preparation process of steps 2-3 are performed independently, any may be performed first and may be performed in parallel.

  Next, in step 4 (S4), an epoxy-based thermosetting property having a thermosetting temperature of about 80 ° C. on the surface where a large number of recesses corresponding to the pressure chambers of the flow path unit 4 obtained in step 1 are formed. Adhesive is applied using a bar coater. As the thermosetting adhesive, for example, a two-component mixed type is used.

  Subsequently, in step 5, the actuator unit 21 is placed on the thermosetting adhesive layer applied to the flow path unit 4. At this time, each actuator unit 21 is positioned with respect to the flow path unit 4 so that the active portion and the pressure chamber 10 face each other. This positioning is performed based on positioning marks (not shown) formed on the flow path unit 4 and the actuator unit 21 in advance in the manufacturing process (step 1 to step 3).

  Next, in step 6 (S6), a heating / pressurizing device (not shown) of the flow path unit 4, the laminate of the thermosetting adhesive between the flow path unit 4 and the actuator unit 21, and the actuator unit 21 is not shown. And pressurizing while heating above the curing temperature of the thermosetting adhesive. In step 7 (S7), the laminated body taken out from the heating / pressurizing device is naturally cooled. Thus, the head main body 70 constituted by the flow path unit 4 and the actuator unit 21 is manufactured.

  Thereafter, after the bonding step of the FPC 50 is performed, the protective plate 44 is bonded onto the FPC 50. Then, after the fixing process of the head main body 70, the reinforcing plate 41, and the ink tank 71 so that the ink outlet 3a, the through hole 41a, and the ink supply port 4a communicate with each other, they are stored in the holder 72. The inkjet head 1 described above is completed through the steps of fixing and fixing the elastic member 74 and the heat sink 76.

  Next, details of a method for manufacturing the nozzle plate 28 constituting a part of the above-described flow path unit 4 will be described below. FIG. 9 shows a manufacturing process of the manufacturing method of the nozzle plate 28 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 9A is a view showing a state where a protective sheet is attached to one side of the resin plate, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the condition at the time of forming a water-repellent film on a resin plate, (c) is a figure which shows the condition which adhered the spacer plate and the resin plate, (d) is sticking an adhesive member to a water-repellent film. It is a figure showing the attached situation, and (e) is a figure showing the situation where the hole used as a nozzle is formed in a resin plate. FIG. 10 shows the manufacturing process of the manufacturing method of the nozzle plate 28 according to the present embodiment, where (a) shows a state in which the adhesive member is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, and (b) shows the adhesive member from the resin plate. It is a figure which shows the state which peeled.

  First, in order to manufacture the nozzle plate 30, as shown in FIG. 9A, a protective sheet 78 is provided on the entire surface of the resin plate 30 made of polyimide resin (the upper surface of the resin plate 30 in FIG. 9A). Make it pasted. Two protective sheets are pasted on both the upper and lower surfaces of the resin plate 30 in advance, and the upper and lower surfaces of the resin plate 30 are protected so as not to be damaged. Therefore, here, only the protective sheet on the lower surface side of the resin plate 30 is peeled off, so that the protective sheet 78 is attached only to the upper surface of the resin plate 30.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9B, a water repellent film 30 a is formed only on the lower surface of the resin plate 30. In the present embodiment, the water repellent film 30a is formed by attaching the water repellent film 30a to the lower surface of the resin plate 30 by spray coating and then temporarily drying. For example, a dipping method, a transfer method, The water-repellent film 30a may be formed by appropriately selecting from water surface spreading film transfer, cast coating, blade coating, and the like, after the water-repellent film 30a is attached to the lower surface of the resin plate 30, and then temporarily dried. In addition, the water-repellent film 30a in the present embodiment is a non-crystalline solvent-soluble fluoropolymer. For example, a solvent-soluble fluoropolymer such as Cytop (registered trademark of Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.), Bar fluoroalkyl fumarate, Teflon AF (registered trademark of DuPont), alternating copolymer of vinyl ether and ethylene trifluoride chloride, alternating copolymer of styrene and diperfluoroalkyl fumarate, vinyl ester and An alternating copolymer of fluorine-containing ethylene and a vinyl ester such as an alternating copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene or an analog or derivative thereof may be applied. If the water-repellent film 30a is difficult to adhere to the lower surface of the resin plate 30, one of primer treatment, plasma treatment, corona treatment, ozone treatment, etc. is appropriately selected for the lower surface of the resin plate 30. It is preferable to improve the adhesion between the water repellent film 30 a and the lower surface of the resin plate 30.

  Next, the resin plate 30 on which the water repellent film 30 a is formed is cut out so as to have the same planar shape as the spacer plate 29. Then, an appearance inspection of the cut resin plate 30 is performed.

  Next, ozone treatment or corona treatment is performed on the entire surface of the spacer plate 29 (the lower surface of the spacer plate 29 in FIG. 9C) in which the communication holes 29a are formed in advance by etching, and the lower surface of the spacer plate 29 is heated. Prepare by applying a curable adhesive. Then, as shown in FIG. 9C, after the protective sheet 78 attached to the upper surface of the resin plate 30 is peeled off from the resin plate 30, the spacer plate 29 is aligned with the spacer plate 29. Is superimposed on the upper surface of the resin plate 30 via a thermosetting adhesive. Then, the plates 29 and 30 are heated while being pressurized to a temperature equal to or higher than the curing temperature of the thermosetting adhesive. As a result, the thermosetting adhesive is cured and the plates 29 and 30 are fixed to each other. As described above, the spacer plate 29 and the resin plate 30 are fixed, so that the thickness of the nozzle plate 28 is increased and the overall rigidity is improved. Therefore, when the flow path unit 4 is formed, the handleability of the nozzle plate 30 is improved.

  As a modification, the resin plate 30 and the spacer plate 29 cut into the same planar shape as the spacer plate 29 are overlapped with each other via a thermosetting adhesive, and heated while being pressurized to a temperature higher than the curing temperature of the thermosetting adhesive. Then, the plates 29 and 30 are fixed to each other. Then, a water repellent film 30a similar to that described above may be formed on the opposite surface of the resin plate 29 that is fixed to the spacer plate 29.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9D, the adhesive member 80 is attached to the surface of the water-repellent film 30a (the surface that becomes the ink ejection surface 70a) that is a portion facing the communication hole 29a. The adhesive member 80 includes a base material 81 having flexibility and permeability, and an adhesive 82 coated on the surface of the base material 81 on the water repellent film 30a side. The substrate 81 is made of a polyester film having a thickness of about 25 μm. The pressure-sensitive adhesive 82 is a mixture of an ultraviolet curable resin mixed with a photoinitiator, a crosslinking agent, and other additives and an acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive in a predetermined ratio. It has such an adhesive strength that it does not peel off from the water-repellent film 30a when forming a hole.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9 (e), the excimer laser beam 88 that has passed through the communication hole 29 a is irradiated to the portion of the resin plate 30 that faces the communication hole 29 a of the spacer plate 29. At this time, the excimer laser beam 88 is formed so that the hole serving as the nozzle 8 is formed through the resin plate 30, the water repellent film 30 a and the adhesive member 80, and the cross section of the hole serving as the nozzle 8 is tapered. Irradiated from a laser beam generator (not shown). That is, the excimer laser beam 88 is irradiated from the laser beam generator with the irradiation time and the irradiation angle of the excimer laser beam 88 appropriately determined. In the hole to be the nozzle 8 formed in this way, the diameter of the opening 8a on the spacer plate side in the resin plate 30 is about 45 μm, and the diameter of the opening 8b on the water repellent film 30a side is about 20 μm. Further, a residue 85 of the resin plate 30 generated during excimer laser processing adheres to the surface of the adhesive member 80 in the vicinity of the hole serving as the nozzle 8. Since the excimer laser beam 88 has a wavelength of 248 nm, the excimer laser beam 88 does not polymerize the adhesive 82 of the adhesive member 80 as will be described later. Therefore, the adhesive force of the adhesive member 80 to the resin plate 30 does not decrease during the excimer laser processing, and the adhesive member has excimer processability. Therefore, the excimer laser beam 88 allows the nozzle 8 not only to the resin plate 30 but also to the adhesive member 80. It becomes easy to form a hole. Moreover, since the generated residue 85 adheres only to the surface of the adhesive member 80, the resin plate 30 having a clean surface can be reliably obtained by peeling the adhesive member 80 as described later.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10A, ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 250 to 400 nm from the base material 81 side of the adhesive member 80 to the adhesive member 80 using an ultraviolet irradiation device (not shown) of a high-pressure mercury lamp. 89 is irradiated. At this time, the wavelength of the ultraviolet ray 89 is in the region of 250 to 400 nm, but the wavelength of the ultraviolet ray 89 that is most intensely irradiated is in the region of around 350 nm. Since the adhesive 82 is cured by the ultraviolet ray 89 having a wavelength of about 350 nm, the adhesive member 80 irradiated with the ultraviolet ray 89 is in a state where the adhesive force is almost lost. The wavelength (248 nm) of the excimer laser beam 88 is close to the lower limit wavelength (250 nm wavelength) of the ultraviolet light 89, but the adhesive 82 of the adhesive member 80 in the present embodiment has a wavelength of around 350 nm. Therefore, the pressure-sensitive adhesive 82 is not cured by the excimer laser beam 88. The pressure-sensitive adhesive 82 is excited when the photoinitiator contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive 82 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays 89, and when the ultraviolet-curable resin is converted from a monomer to a polymer by the excitation energy, the ultraviolet-curable resin takes in the acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive. However, since it is polymerized and cured, the adhesive force of the adhesive 82 can be easily reduced by the ultraviolet rays 89 in a specific wavelength region (wavelength near 350 nm). Therefore, the adhesive force of the adhesive 82 can be almost lost. Then, as shown in FIG. 10B, the adhesive 82 in a state where the adhesive force is almost lost is peeled from the water repellent film 30a together with the adhesive member 80. At this time, the residue 85 attached to the surface of the adhesive member 80 is also removed. Thus, the manufacture of the nozzle plate 28 in which the nozzles 8 as shown in FIG. 10B are formed is completed.

  According to the manufacturing method of the nozzle plate 28 of the inkjet head 1 as described above, the residue 85 of the resin plate 30 generated when the resin plate 30 is laser-processed with the excimer laser beam 88 is removed from the surface of the adhesive member 80 (FIG. 9E ) Can be attached to the lower surface of the adhesive member 80. That is, the surface in the vicinity of the exit (exit of the hole serving as the nozzle 8) when the irradiated excimer laser beam 88 passes through the resin plate 30, the water repellent film 30 a and the adhesive member 80 is the surface of the adhesive member 80. Therefore, even if the residue 85 of the resin plate 30 comes out from the exit together with the excimer laser beam 88, the surface to which it adheres becomes the surface of the adhesive member 80. Since the adhesive member 80 to which the residue 85 is attached is peeled off from the nozzle plate 28, the residue 85 is also removed together. Therefore, the residue 85 of the resin plate 30 does not adhere to the ink discharge surface 70a of the nozzle plate 28. Further, since the adhesive 82 that is the basis of the adhesive strength of the adhesive member 80 is cured by the irradiation of the ultraviolet rays 89 having a specific wavelength region, and almost loses the adhesive strength, the adhesive member 80 is removed from the water repellent film 30 a of the resin plate 30. When peeled off, the pressure-sensitive adhesive 82 is hardly left on the surface of the water-repellent film 30 a and is peeled off together with the pressure-sensitive adhesive member 80. Accordingly, since the residue 85 and the adhesive 82 do not remain on the ink ejection surface 70a of the nozzle plate 28, the flying direction of the ink from the nozzle 8 is not changed by the residue 85 and the adhesive 82, and the nozzle 8 Stable ink flying can be realized. In addition, since the residue 85 and the adhesive 82 are not attached to the ink ejection surface 70a of the nozzle plate 28, it is not necessary to perform another process for removing the residue 85 and the adhesive 82.

  Further, since the water repellent film 30a is formed on the surface of the resin plate 30 of the nozzle plate 28, it is difficult for ink to adhere to the ink ejection surface 70a in the vicinity of the nozzle 8 serving as the ink outlet. For this reason, the flying direction of the ink from the nozzle 8 is further stabilized.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made as long as they are described in the claims. For example, in the manufacturing method of the nozzle plate 28 in the above-described embodiment, when the hole serving as the nozzle 8 is formed in the nozzle plate 28 by the excimer laser beam 88, the adhesive member 80 is also penetrated to form the hole. However, a hole serving as the nozzle 8 may be formed in the nozzle plate 28 with an excimer laser beam that does not penetrate the base material 81 of the adhesive member 80. In other words, the hole that becomes the nozzle 8 has a predetermined opening diameter and penetrates the resin plate 30 and the water-repellent film 30a, and becomes the nozzle 8 when the adhesive member 80 is peeled off. Further, even if the adhesive member 80 is not completely penetrated as described above, the residue of the resin plate 30 generated during the excimer laser processing adheres to the non-penetrating hole formed in the adhesive member 80. The residue hardly adheres to the inner peripheral surface or the ink discharge surface 70a. Therefore, the flying direction of the ink from the nozzle 8 is stabilized.

  Moreover, in the manufacturing method of the nozzle plate 28 in this Embodiment mentioned above, since the adhesive 82 of the adhesive member 80 contains the ultraviolet curable resin, by irradiating the adhesive member 80 with the ultraviolet-ray 89, the adhesion is carried out. Although the force is reduced, the adhesive is not sensitive to excimer laser light, and is curable resin that is cured by a specific wavelength region such as γ-rays, X-rays, visible light and infrared rays other than ultraviolet curable resin, or is heated The resin which hardens | cures by this may be included. As a result, similar to the adhesive 82 containing the ultraviolet curable resin described above, the adhesive is irradiated with an electromagnetic wave in a specific wavelength region or the adhesive member is heated, so that the adhesive force is almost eliminated and it is easily peeled off from the nozzle plate. It becomes possible to do. Therefore, the same effect as described above can be obtained. Further, if the thickness of the resin plate 30 is increased, the handling property of the resin plate is improved without the spacer plate 29 being fixed to the resin plate 30. Further, the spacer plate 29 may not be provided. Further, the laser beam may be other than the excimer laser beam, and the wavelength of the laser beam may be in the ultraviolet region, and the adhesive of the adhesive member is cured during laser processing, and the adhesive force of the adhesive is the nozzle. You may reduce to such an extent that an adhesive member does not peel from a plate. Further, the nozzle plate 28 may be composed of not only two plates 29 and 30 but also three or more plates. Further, the water-repellent process for forming the water-repellent film 30 a on the resin plate 30 may not be performed.

1 is a perspective view of an inkjet head according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing along the II-II line of FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a reinforcing plate is bonded to the head body shown in FIG. 2. It is a top view of a head body. It is an enlarged view of the area | region enclosed with the dashed-dotted line drawn in FIG. It is sectional drawing in the VI-VI line of FIG. The actuator unit is shown, (a) is an enlarged view of a portion surrounded by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 6, (b) is a plan view of an individual electrode. It is a manufacturing process figure of an inkjet head. The manufacturing process of the manufacturing method of the nozzle plate by one Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is a figure which shows the state by which the protective sheet was affixed on the single side | surface of the resin plate, (b) is the resin plate. It is a figure which shows the condition when a water repellent film is formed, (c) is a figure which shows the condition which adhered the spacer plate and the resin plate, (d) is the condition which affixed the adhesive member on the water repellent film (E) is the figure which showed the condition which forms the hole used as a nozzle in the resin plate. The manufacturing process of the manufacturing method of the nozzle plate by one Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is a figure which shows the state which irradiated the ultraviolet-ray to the adhesion member, (b) peeled the adhesion member from the resin plate. It is a figure which shows a state.

Explanation of symbols

1 Inkjet head 8 Nozzle 28 Nozzle plate 29 Spacer plate (support plate)
29a Communication hole (through hole)
30 Resin plate (Polyimide resin plate)
30a Water repellent film (water repellent layer)
70a Ink ejection surface 80 Adhesive member 82 Adhesive 88 Excimer laser light 89 Ultraviolet light

Claims (7)

A step of attaching an adhesive member having adhesiveness and having a reduced adhesive strength when subjected to a predetermined treatment on one surface of a resin plate constituting at least a part of the nozzle plate;
Forming a through-hole serving as a nozzle hole in the resin plate by irradiating a laser beam to a portion facing the adhesive member on the other surface of the resin plate;
Applying the predetermined treatment to the adhesive member;
And a step of peeling the adhesive member from the resin plate. Prior to the step of affixing the adhesive member, the method further includes a step of fixing a support plate that forms at least a part of the nozzle plate together with the resin plate and has a through hole to the other surface of the resin plate. And
2. The nozzle plate according to claim 1, wherein in the step of attaching the adhesive member, the adhesive member is attached to a portion of the one surface of the resin plate facing the through hole of the support plate. Production method.   The method for manufacturing a nozzle plate according to claim 1, wherein in the step of forming the through hole, the through hole is formed not only in the resin plate but also in the adhesive member.   Irradiating the adhesive member with an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength in the specific wavelength region in the step of applying the predetermined treatment when the adhesive member is one whose adhesive force is reduced by irradiation of the electromagnetic wave in the specific wavelength region. The manufacturing method of the nozzle plate according to claim 3, wherein   The nozzle plate manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein the laser beam has a wavelength outside the specific wavelength region.   The nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a step of water-repellent treatment of the one surface of the resin plate prior to the step of attaching the adhesive member. Plate manufacturing method. Forming a water repellent layer on one surface of a polyimide resin plate constituting at least a part of the nozzle plate;
Preparing a metal plate constituting at least a part of the nozzle plate and having a through hole;
A fixing step of fixing the metal plate to the other surface of the polyimide resin plate;
A step of attaching an adhesive member having an ultraviolet curable resin that is polymerized by irradiation of ultraviolet rays to one surface of the polyimide resin plate on which the water repellent layer is formed;
Irradiating the other surface of the polyimide resin plate with excimer laser light through the through hole of the metal plate, and forming a through hole in the adhesive member and the polyimide resin plate;
Irradiating the adhesive member with ultraviolet rays from one side of the polyimide resin plate to polymerize an ultraviolet curable resin;
And a step of peeling the adhesive member from the polyimide resin plate.

Images