JP2017149008A - Liquid injection head and liquid injection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid injection head improving a degree of freedom of an arrangement layout of a caulking pin in a liquid flow passage member and being capable of reducing the liquid injection head in size, and a liquid injection device.SOLUTION: A liquid injection head comprises a liquid flow passage member (24) formed with a liquid flow passage and a sealed space (36) including the liquid flow passage by a plurality of laminated flow passage constituting members (25, 26, 27). At least one of the plurality of flow passage constituting members has through-holes (41, 42) inserted with caulking materials (28). The individual flow passage constituting members are fixed to one another by the caulking materials being inserted into the through-holes and having leading end portions caulked. The sealed space is sealed by a seal material (49) surrounding the caulking materials.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting head including a liquid flow path member having a plurality of flow path constituting members stacked, and a liquid ejecting apparatus including the liquid ejecting head.

  The liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head and ejects (discharges) various liquids from the ejecting head. As this liquid ejecting apparatus, for example, there is an image recording apparatus such as an ink jet printer or an ink jet plotter, but recently, various types of manufacturing have been made by taking advantage of the ability to accurately land a very small amount of liquid on a predetermined position. It is also applied to devices. For example, a display manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a color filter such as a liquid crystal display, an electrode forming apparatus for forming an electrode such as an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display or FED (surface emitting display), a chip for manufacturing a biochip (biochemical element) Applied to manufacturing equipment. The recording head for the image recording apparatus ejects liquid ink, and the color material ejecting head for the display manufacturing apparatus ejects solutions of R (Red), G (Green), and B (Blue) color materials. The electrode material ejecting head for the electrode forming apparatus ejects a liquid electrode material, and the bioorganic matter ejecting head for the chip manufacturing apparatus ejects a bioorganic solution.

  The liquid ejecting head introduces a liquid from a liquid supply source that stores the liquid, and ejects the liquid as droplets from a nozzle by driving a driving element such as a piezoelectric element or a heating element. Some liquid ejecting heads have a liquid flow path formed by stacking a plurality of components. For example, a liquid ejecting head disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a communication flow path (flow path space) communicating with an ink flow path on the head main body (head member) side and a filter for filtering ink flowing through the flow path. A flow path forming member provided, a sub tank member that communicates with the communication flow path and functions as a sub tank and also has a damper function, a seal member interposed between the flow path forming member and the sub tank member, A metal deformation restricting member or the like for suppressing deformation of the flow path forming member is laminated. The caulking pins provided in the flow path forming member are inserted into through holes through which the caulking pins can be inserted into the respective members, and the tip portions thereof are deformed (caulked) by heat. The constituent members are unitized. Accordingly, a plurality of components can be fixed to each other without using a fixing tool such as a screw, which contributes to cost reduction.

JP 2004-322417 A

  By the way, in the configuration in which the flow path component members are fixed by caulking pins as described above, the through holes formed in the flow path component members communicate with the outside (outside air). If arranged in the region where the flow path is formed, moisture (solvent) in the flow path may evaporate through the through-hole, and the liquid in the flow path may become thickened. For this reason, in the unit of Patent Document 1, the caulking pin is disposed outside the region where the flow path is formed, and the sub tank member and the flow path member communicate with each other via a seal member made of an elastic material such as an elastomer. Has been. As described above, in the configuration in which the caulking pin is disposed at a position deviated from the region where the flow path is formed, there is a problem that the flow path forming member becomes large and the liquid jet head as a whole is increased in size.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejecting head that can be downsized by improving the degree of freedom of the layout layout of the caulking pins in the liquid flow path member, and the liquid It is in providing an injection device.

The liquid jet head of the present invention has been proposed in order to achieve the above object, and a liquid flow path and a sealed space containing the liquid flow path are formed by a plurality of stacked flow path components. Provided with a liquid flow path member,
A liquid ejecting head in which liquid passing through the liquid channel in the liquid channel member is ejected from a nozzle;
At least one of the flow path components has a through hole through which a caulking material is inserted,
Each of the flow path component members is fixed to each other by the caulking material that is inserted into the through hole and caulked at the tip.
The sealing space is sealed with a sealing material surrounding the caulking material.

  According to the present invention, even in the configuration in which the flow path component members are fixed by the caulking material disposed in the sealed space containing the liquid flow path, the sealing space is removed from the through hole by the sealing material surrounding the caulking material. Since sealing is performed so as not to communicate with the outside (outside air) of the liquid flow path member, the caulking material can be disposed also in the region where the liquid flow path is formed, and the degree of freedom in the layout layout of the caulking material is improved. . For this reason, a caulking material can be efficiently arranged in a liquid channel member. As a result, the liquid flow path member can be downsized, and thus the liquid jet head can be downsized. In addition, since the sealed space containing the liquid flow path is isolated from the space connected to the outside, it is possible to suppress excessive evaporation of moisture that has permeated a part of the wall surface forming the liquid flow path in the sealed space. It becomes possible.

  In the above configuration, it is desirable that one of the flow path component members adopts a configuration that integrally includes the caulking material.

  According to this configuration, since it is not necessary to prepare a caulking material separately, the ease of assembly of the liquid flow path member is improved. It also contributes to cost reduction.

In the above configuration, the caulking material is formed between a first portion having a relatively large thickness, a second portion having a relatively small thickness, and the first portion and the second portion. A stepped surface, and
A configuration is adopted in which the gap between the opening peripheral edge of the through hole and the step surface of the flow path component disposed at the most distal end side of the caulking material is sealed with a sealing material among the flow path components. It is desirable.

  According to this configuration, the caulking material is inserted by sealing the gap between the opening peripheral edge of the through hole of the flow path constituting member disposed at the most distal end side of the caulking material and the stepped surface. Even in a configuration in which a plurality of flow path components having through-holes formed therein are provided, the sealing space can be sealed from the through-hole so as not to communicate with the outside air only by the seal at one place. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of sealing materials for each through-hole around the caulking material, and the corresponding steps can be reduced. In addition, the sealing space can be used more effectively, for example, by arranging a flow path around the caulking material other than the seal portion.

  In the above configuration, it is desirable that the step surface has a recess that is recessed on the side opposite to the second portion side.

  According to this configuration, since the recess is provided in the stepped surface, the through hole of the flow path component member arranged at the most distal end side of the caulking material in the process of fixing the flow path component members to each other by caulking. When the sealing material between the peripheral edge portion of the opening and the step surface is pressurized, excess sealing material can be actively introduced into the recess. Thereby, it is suppressed that a sealing material leaks to the outer side of a flow-path member through a through-hole. As a result, when the front end portion of the caulking material is heated and caulked by the heat tool, a problem that the sealing material adheres to the heat tool is suppressed.

Moreover, in the said structure, the flow-path structural member arrange | positioned most at the front end side of the said caulking material among the said flow-path structural members is adjacent in the said lamination direction from the opening peripheral part of the said through-hole of the said flow-path structural member. Having a convex portion protruding toward another flow path component;
It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the tip surface of the convex portion and the step surface are sealed with a sealing material.

  According to the said structure, since the convex part is formed in the opening peripheral part of the through-hole of the flow-path structural member arrange | positioned most at the front-end | tip side of the said caulking material, the seal | sticker by the sealing material with a level | step difference surface is correspondingly The point will be away from the tip of the caulking material that is heated during caulking. Thereby, the damage which a sealing material receives with the heat | fever when the front-end | tip part of a caulking material is caulked can be reduced. As a result, the sealing space can be more reliably sealed.

In the above-described configuration, the other flow path component member has a concave portion that is depressed halfway in the thickness direction corresponding to the convex portion,
It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the front end surface of the convex portion, the bottom surface of the concave portion, and the step surface are sealed with a sealing material.

  The liquid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect of the invention includes the liquid ejecting head having any one of the above-described configurations.

  According to this configuration, since the liquid ejecting head that can be miniaturized is provided, the entire apparatus can be miniaturized. Further, since the increase in the viscosity of the liquid is suppressed, for example, when an image or the like is recorded by landing the liquid on a liquid landing target, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the image quality of the recorded image or the like.

3 is a plan view illustrating a configuration of a liquid ejecting apparatus (printer). FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid jet head (recording head). FIG. It is sectional drawing of the crimping pin vicinity in a liquid channel member (ink channel member). It is process drawing explaining the assembly process of an ink flow path member. It is process drawing explaining the assembly process of an ink flow path member. It is process drawing explaining the assembly process of an ink flow path member. It is process drawing explaining the assembly process of an ink flow path member. It is sectional drawing of the crimping pin vicinity explaining the structure of 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the crimping pin vicinity explaining the structure of 3rd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the crimping pin vicinity explaining the structure of 4th Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the crimping pin vicinity explaining the structure of 5th Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the crimping pin vicinity explaining the structure of 6th Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the crimping pin vicinity explaining the structure of 7th Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the crimping pin vicinity explaining the structure of 8th Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the crimping pin vicinity explaining the structure of 9th Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the crimping pin vicinity explaining the structure of the modification of 9th Embodiment.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiments described below, various limitations are made as preferred specific examples of the present invention. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following description unless otherwise specified. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. In the following description, an ink jet recording apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a printer) equipped with an ink jet recording head (hereinafter referred to as a recording head), which is a kind of liquid ejecting head, will be described as an example of the liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention. .

  FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of the printer 1. The printer 1 according to the present embodiment applies liquid ink (a kind of liquid in the present invention) from the recording head 10 to the surface of a recording medium (liquid landing target: not shown) such as recording paper, cloth, or resin film. It is a device that records images, text, etc. by jetting. The printer 1 includes a frame 2 and a platen 3 disposed in the frame 2, and a recording medium is conveyed onto the platen 3 by a conveyance mechanism (not shown). Further, a guide rod 4 is installed in the frame 2 in parallel with the platen 3, and a carriage 5 accommodating a recording head 10 is slidably supported on the guide rod 4. The carriage 5 is configured to reciprocate in the main scanning direction perpendicular to the paper feeding direction along the guide rod 4 by a carriage moving mechanism. The carriage moving mechanism includes a pulse motor 6, a drive pulley 7 that is rotated by driving the pulse motor 6, an idle pulley 8 provided on the opposite side of the frame 2 from the drive pulley 7, a drive pulley 7, and And a timing belt 9 installed between the idle pulleys 8. The printer 1 in the present embodiment performs a recording operation (liquid ejecting operation) by ejecting ink from the nozzles 65 (see FIG. 2) of the recording head 10 while reciprocating the carriage relative to the recording medium.

  On one side of the frame 2, there is provided a cartridge holder 14 on which an ink cartridge 13 (a liquid supply source or a kind of liquid storage container) is detachably mounted. The ink cartridge 13 is connected to an air pump 16 through an air tube 15, and air from the air pump 16 is supplied into each ink cartridge 13. Then, the ink pack disposed in the ink cartridge 13 is pressurized by the pressurized air, whereby the ink in the ink pack is supplied (pressure-fed) to the recording head 10 side through the ink supply tube 17. Ink sent from the ink supply tube 17 from the ink cartridge 13 is supplied to the ink flow path inside the recording head 10 mounted on the carriage 5. In addition, as a liquid storage container, it is not restricted to what was illustrated, The thing of various structures, such as a cartridge type, a pack type, and a tank type, is employable.

  The ink supply tube 17 is a flexible hollow member made of synthetic resin, for example, and an ink flow path corresponding to each ink cartridge 13 is formed inside the ink supply tube 17. Further, an FFC (flexible flat cable) 18 that transmits a drive signal and the like from a control unit (not shown) on the printer 1 body side to the recording head 10 is wired between the printer 1 body side and the recording head 10 side. Has been.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary configuration of the recording head 10. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the structure around the caulking pin 28. In FIG. 3, the illustration of the flow path and the like is omitted. The recording head 10 in the present embodiment includes a head body 21, a relay substrate 22, a seal member 23, and an ink flow path member 24 (a kind of liquid flow path member in the present invention) stacked. In the following, for convenience, the stacking direction of each member will be described as the vertical direction.

  The ink flow path member 24 is a member that receives ink sent from the ink cartridge 13 via the ink supply tube 17, filters the ink through the filter 30, and then supplies the ink to the head body 21 side. The flow path member in the present embodiment has a state in which the filter flow path member 25, the pressure adjustment member 26, and the lid member 27 are stacked in order from the recording head 10 side. It is mutually fixed by the caulking material in the invention). Details of this point will be described later.

  The filter flow path member 25, which is a kind of flow path constituent member, is a synthetic resin member, and is arranged on the upper surface side of the head main body 21 with the relay substrate 22 and the seal member 23 interposed between the filter main body 21 and the head main body 21. Has been. The filter flow path member 25 includes a base substrate 34 and side walls 35 extending vertically from the outer edge of the base substrate 34. The dimension (height) from the upper surface of the base substrate 34 (the surface on which the pressure adjusting member 26 is disposed) to the upper end surface of the side wall 35 is set to be larger than the thickness of the pressure adjusting member 26. Thereby, in a state where the pressure adjusting member 26 is laminated on the base substrate 34, the side wall 35 surrounds the pressure adjusting member 26. Then, the lid member 27 is joined to the upper end surface of the side wall 35 by a seal material 49 described later, whereby a sealed space 36 that encloses the liquid flow path is defined inside the ink flow path member 24. The sealing space 36 is a moisture evaporation management space that suppresses excessive evaporation of moisture that has passed through a part of a wall surface (for example, a flexible sheet 39 described later) that forms the liquid channel from the internal liquid channel. Function. Note that the sealed space 36 is not a completely sealed space, but is opened to the atmosphere through an open air path (not shown). The passage resistance of the air release path suppresses water evaporation from the flow path while opening to the atmosphere.

  A filter chamber 31 in which a filter 30 is disposed is formed on the base substrate 34 of the filter channel member 25. The filter chamber 31 communicates with a lead-out space 33 of the pressure adjusting member 26 described later. The filter chamber 31 and the outlet space 33 have a channel cross-sectional area that is larger than that of other channels through which ink flows. The filter 30 is disposed at the bottom of the filter chamber 31. The filter 30 is a member that filters the ink flowing into the filter chamber 31. For example, a material in which a metal is knitted in a mesh shape or a thin metal plate with a large number of holes is used. The ink that has passed through the filter 30 is supplied to the head body 21 side through the outlet path 32.

  A caulking pin 28 protrudes toward the lid member 27 side at a substantially central portion on the upper surface of the base substrate 34. That is, the caulking pin 28 in this embodiment is provided integrally with the filter flow path member 25. The total length of the caulking pins 28 (the protruding length from the upper surface of the base substrate 34) in a state where the caulking process described later is not performed is from the upper surface of the base substrate 34 to the upper surface of the lid member 27 joined to the filter flow path member 25. It is set longer than the dimension. In the present embodiment, filter chambers 31 are provided on both sides of the caulking pin 28, respectively. As shown in FIG. 3, the caulking pin 28 includes a first portion 44 on the base end side (base substrate 34 side) having a relatively large thickness and a distal end side (lid member 27) having a relatively small thickness. A cylindrical pin having a second side portion 46. The caulking pin 28 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and various configurations such as a square pole can be employed. The first portion 44 is set to a length corresponding to the dimension from the upper surface of the base substrate 34 to the upper surface of the pressure adjusting member 26 disposed on the base substrate 34. The second portion 45 is longer than the dimension from the upper surface of the pressure adjusting member 26 to the upper surface of the lid member 27 joined to the filter flow path member 25. A step surface 47 is formed between the first portion 44 and the second portion 45 so as to continue the both.

  The pressure adjusting member 26, which is a kind of flow path constituting member, includes a pressure adjusting chamber 38 having an upper surface opened, a flexible sheet 39 for sealing the opening surface of the pressure adjusting chamber 38, and the pressure adjusting chamber 38 and the filter chamber. A lead-out space 33 that communicates with 31 is provided. Although not shown, the pressure adjusting member 26 is provided with a planar flow path connected to the ink supply tube 17 and an open / close valve that opens and closes the flow path, so that the ink from the ink supply tube 17 is planar. It is supplied from the flow path into the pressure adjusting chamber 38 via the flow path opening / closing valve. The flexible sheet 39 sealing the opening surface of the pressure adjusting chamber 38 is made of a flexible thin film, for example, a synthetic resin material such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). The flexible region of the flexible sheet 39 is displaced to the pressure adjustment chamber 38 side or the outside of the pressure adjustment chamber 38 (the lid member 27 side) according to the pressure fluctuation in the pressure adjustment chamber 38. When the flexible sheet 39 bends toward the pressure adjustment chamber 38 as the pressure in the pressure adjustment chamber 38 decreases, the above open / close valve is opened and ink is introduced into the pressure adjustment chamber 38 from the upstream side. . On the other hand, when the pressure in the pressure adjustment chamber 38 rises and the flexible sheet 39 bends toward the outside of the pressure adjustment chamber 38, the on-off valve is closed and ink flows into the pressure adjustment chamber 38 from the upstream side. Is cut off. In this way, the pressure adjusting member 26 adjusts the ink supply pressure. A through hole 41 through which the caulking pin 28 provided on the base substrate 34 of the filter flow path member 25 is inserted is formed at a substantially central portion of the pressure adjusting member 26. The through hole 41 has a size that allows the first portion 44 of the caulking pin 28 having a relatively large diameter to be inserted therethrough. In the present embodiment, a series of flow paths in the ink flow path member 24, that is, the flat flow path, the pressure adjusting chamber 38, the outlet space 33, the filter chamber 31, and the outlet path 32 are the liquid flow in the present invention. Corresponds to the road.

  The lid member 27, which is a kind of flow path component member and is disposed on the distal end side (the caulking portion 46 side described later) of the caulking pin 28 among the flow path component members, is a material having relatively high rigidity such as metal, for example. In addition to the function as a lid for defining the sealing space 36, the plate material is made of a reinforcing material that reinforces the filter channel member 25. A through hole 42 through which the caulking pin 28 provided on the base substrate 34 of the filter flow path member 25 is inserted is also formed at a substantially central portion of the lid member 27. The through hole 42 has a size that allows the second portion 45 having a relatively small diameter to be inserted through the caulking pin 28. That is, the through hole 42 of the lid member 27 has a smaller diameter than the through hole 41 of the pressure adjusting chamber 38. A plurality of sets of the caulking pin 28 and the through holes 41 and 42 through which the caulking pin 28 is inserted may be provided in the ink flow path member 24.

  The relay substrate 22 disposed between the ink flow path member 24 and the head main body 21 receives a drive signal, ejection data (raster data), and the like from the printer main body side, and sends the drive signal to the head main body through the flexible substrate 55. This is a printed circuit board on which a wiring pattern for supplying to the piezoelectric element 54 on the 21 side is formed. On the upper surface of the relay substrate 22 (the surface opposite to the lower surface on the head body 21 side), a terminal connected to the flexible substrate 55, a connector (not shown) to which the FFC from the printer body side is connected, and other electronic components Etc. are implemented.

  A clearance hole 56 through which the flow path connecting portion 58 is inserted is formed at a position corresponding to the flow path connecting portion 58 of the head body 21 in the relay substrate 22. The escape hole 56 is a through hole that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the flow path connection portion 58. Further, the relay board 22 is provided with a wiring insertion port 59 penetrating in the board thickness direction. The wiring insertion port 59 is a hole through which the other end side of the flexible substrate 55 whose one end is connected to the element terminal of the piezoelectric element 54 is inserted. In the present embodiment, the inner dimension in the longitudinal direction and the short direction of the wiring insertion port 59 is set to a size that allows the flexible substrate 55 to be inserted without hindrance.

  The seal member 23 disposed on the upper surface side (the ink flow path member 24 side) of the relay substrate 22 is a thin plate-like member made of an elastic material such as an elastomer or rubber, for example, and the filter flow path member 25. A communication port 62 is opened at a position corresponding to the lead-out path 32. The communication port 62 is disposed between the lower end opening of the outlet path 32 in the filter flow path member 25 and the upper end opening of the flow path connecting portion 58 of the head body 10. And the opening peripheral part of the communicating port 62 closely_contact | adheres with the elasticity of the sealing member 23 with respect to the peripheral part of both opening, and connects the derivation | leading-out path 32 and the flow-path connection part 58 in a liquid-tight state.

  The head body 21 includes a nozzle 65 from which ink is ejected, a pressure chamber 66 that communicates with the nozzle 65, a piezoelectric element 54 that causes pressure fluctuations in the ink in the pressure chamber 66, and the like. A plurality of nozzles 65 are arranged in parallel at a pitch corresponding to the dot formation density. The pressure chamber 66 and the piezoelectric element 54 are provided for each nozzle 65. The ink introduced from the outlet passage 32 of the filter passage member 25 through the passage connection portion 58 flows down the introduction passage 63 and is supplied to each pressure chamber 66 through the individual communication passage 67 to reach the nozzle 65. .

  An unillustrated element terminal (electrode terminal) of the piezoelectric element 54 is connected to a terminal on one end side of the flexible substrate 55 whose other end side is connected to the relay substrate 22. When a driving signal (driving voltage) is applied to the piezoelectric element 54 through the relay substrate 22 and the flexible substrate 55, the piezoelectric element 54 expands and contracts according to a change in the applied voltage, thereby partitioning one surface of the pressure chamber 66. The flexible surface is displaced in a direction approaching the nozzle 65 or in a direction away from the nozzle 65. As a result, pressure fluctuation occurs in the ink in the pressure chamber 66, and ink is ejected from the nozzle 65 using this pressure fluctuation.

  Next, the ink flow path member 24 will be described in more detail. In the present embodiment, the filter channel member 25, the pressure adjustment member 26, and the lid member 27, which are the channel components constituting the ink channel member 24, have the caulking pins 28 of the filter channel member 25 of the pressure adjustment member 26. The tip of the caulking pin 28 that is inserted into the through hole 41 and the through hole 42 of the lid member 27 and protrudes upward from the through hole 42 of the lid member 27 is heated and melted (caulked) by the heat tool. Thus, they are fixed to each other in a state in which the sealed space 36 is defined.

  4 to 7 are process diagrams for explaining an assembly process of the ink flow path member 24, and are sectional views around the caulking pin 28. FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 4, the caulking pin 28 of the filter flow path member 25 is inserted into the through hole 41 of the pressure adjustment member 26, and the filter flow path member 25 is connected to the filter chamber 31 and the outlet space 33. The pressure adjusting member 26 is disposed on the base substrate 34. A communicating portion between the filter chamber 31 and the outlet space 33 is sealed with a sealing material such as an adhesive 48 (see FIG. 2). In this embodiment, in this state, the stepped surface 47 of the caulking pin 28 and the upper surface of the pressure adjusting member 26 are substantially flush with each other. The sealing material covers the gap formed between the outer peripheral surface of the first portion 44 of the caulking pin 28 and the through hole 41 and surrounds the second portion 45 of the caulking pin 28. 49 is applied. As the sealing material 49, for example, an epoxy adhesive is used. Further, the sealing material 49 is not limited to an adhesive, and for example, a sealing material such as an O-ring made of an elastic material such as an elastomer can be employed. Similarly, the sealing material 49 is also applied to the upper end surface of the side wall of the filter channel member 25 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5, the second portion 45 of the caulking pin 28 is inserted into the through hole 42 of the lid member 27, and the lid member 27 is disposed on the upper end surface of the side wall 35 of the filter flow path member 25. Is done. As a result, a sealed space 36 in which the pressure adjusting member 26 is disposed is defined inside the ink flow path member 24. In this state, the tip portion of the caulking pin 28 protrudes from the through hole 42 to the outside (upward) of the lid member 27.

  A load is applied to the lid member 27 and the filter channel member 25 in a direction close to each other by a jig or the like. As a result, the sealing material 49 is elastically deformed and is in close contact with the flow path component. In this state, the caulking process is performed. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the tip of the caulking pin 28 protruding from the through hole 42 of the lid member 27 is moved downward by the heat tool 51 set to a heating temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the caulking pin 28, that is, the lid member 27. It is pressed toward the side. Thereby, the front-end | tip part of the crimp pin 28 is heated and fuse | melted (plastic deformation). When released from the pressure from the heat tool 51 and the jig, as shown in FIG. 7, the caulking portion 46, which is a deformed portion of the end portion of the caulking pin 28, closes the upper opening of the through hole 42. It cures in this state. The diameter of the caulking portion 46 is larger than the inner diameter of the through hole 42. As a result, the caulking portion 46 prevents the caulking pin 28 from coming off from the through hole 42. In other words, the filter channel member 25, the pressure adjusting member 26, and the lid member 27 are fixed to each other and integrated as the ink channel member 24 by caulking the tip portion of the caulking pin 28. Then, the sealing space 36 is sealed by the sealing material 49. That is, in the present embodiment, the lid member 27 that is the flow path component located closest to the tip end side of the caulking pin 28 (that is, adjacent to the caulking portion 46), and the upper surface of the pressure adjusting member 26 that is one lower layer thereof. And the stepped surface 47 of the caulking pin 28 are sealed (adhered) by a sealing material 49 disposed around the caulking pin 28, so that the sealing space 36 inside the ink flow path member 24 is formed in the through hole 42. The ink channel member 24 is sealed (sealed) so as not to communicate with the outside. In the present embodiment, the sealing material 49 only needs to be configured to seal at least the opening peripheral edge of the through hole 42 on the sealing space 36 side and the step surface 47 in the lid member 27.

  As described above, even in the configuration in which the flow path components are fixed to each other by the caulking pin 28 disposed in the sealing space 36 that is the region where the liquid flow path is formed, the sealing material 49 that surrounds the caulking pin 28 is sealed. Since the stop space 36 is sealed from the through holes 41 and 42 so as not to communicate with the outside (outside air) of the ink flow path member 24, the caulking pin 28 can be disposed also in the region where the liquid flow path is formed. Therefore, the degree of freedom in the layout of the caulking pins 28 is improved. For this reason, the caulking pin 28 can be efficiently arranged in the ink flow path member 24. As a result, the ink flow path member 24 can be downsized, and the recording head 10 and the printer 1 can be downsized. Also, with such a configuration, the sealing space 36 that encloses the liquid flow path is isolated from the space that is connected to the outside of the ink flow path member 24, so one of the wall surfaces that form the liquid flow path in the sealing space 36. It is possible to suppress excessive evaporation of moisture that has passed through the portion (for example, the flexible sheet 39). As a result, the increase in the viscosity of the ink in the liquid flow path of the ink flow path member 24 is suppressed, so that the weight of the ink ejected from the nozzle 65 and the flying speed (ejection characteristics) are suppressed from changing due to the increased viscosity. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the image quality of a recorded image or the like.

Further, in the present embodiment, the caulking pin 28 has a step surface 47, and at least the step surface 47 and the opening peripheral portion on the sealing space 36 side of the through hole 42 of the lid member 27 are the sealing material 49. A configuration in which a plurality of flow path components having through holes (41, 42) through which the caulking pin 26 is inserted is provided (in this embodiment, the pressure adjusting member 26 and the lid member 27). However, it is possible to seal the sealing space 36 from the through hole so as not to communicate with the outside of the ink flow path member 24 with only the seal at one place. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of sealing materials 49 for each through-hole around the caulking pin 28, and the process and cost can be reduced by that amount. The sealing space 36 can be utilized more effectively, for example, by arranging a path.
In addition, since the caulking pin 28 in the present embodiment is provided integrally with the filter flow path member 25, it is not necessary to prepare a caulking pin (caulking material) separately, so that the ink flow path member 24 can be easily assembled. Will improve. It also contributes to cost reduction.

  FIG. 8 is a sectional view around the caulking pin 28 for explaining the configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, on the stepped surface 47 of the caulking pin 28, on the boundary portion with the second portion 45, the side opposite to the second portion 45 from the stepped surface 47 to the middle of the first portion 44 in the height direction. The difference from the first embodiment is that a groove-like recess 68 that is recessed is formed along the outer periphery of the second portion 45. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, since the recess 68 is provided in the step surface 47, the sealing material 49 is provided between the step surface 47 and the opening peripheral portion on the sealing space 36 side of the through hole 42 of the lid member 27. When pressure is applied, excess sealing material 49 can flow into the recess 68. Thereby, the sealing material 49 is prevented from leaking to the outside of the ink flow path member 24 (upper surface side of the lid member 27) through the through hole 42. As a result, when the tip end portion of the caulking pin 28 is caulked by the heat tool 51, a problem that the sealing material 49 adheres to the heat tool 51 is suppressed. The recess 68 is not limited to the illustrated groove shape, and for example, a configuration in which a plurality of minute dimple-like recesses are formed on the step surface 47 may be employed.

  FIG. 9 is a sectional view around the caulking pin 28 for explaining the configuration of the third embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, a cylindrical convex portion 69 that protrudes from the opening peripheral portion of the through hole 42 on the lower surface of the lid member 27 toward the pressure adjusting member 26 that is another flow path component member adjacent in the stacking direction is formed. However, it differs from the above embodiments in that the tip surface of the convex portion 69 and the stepped surface 47 of the caulking pin 28 are sealed with a sealing material. The step surface 47 in the present embodiment is disposed at a position retracted toward the base substrate 34 from the upper surface of the pressure adjusting member 26 in order to correspond to the convex portion 69. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, since the projecting portion 69 is formed, the sealing portion by the sealing material 49 with the stepped surface 47 is separated from the caulking portion 46 by that amount. Thereby, when the tip part of the caulking pin 28 is caulked by the heat tool 51, damage to the sealing material 49 due to heat of caulking can be reduced. Thereby, it becomes possible to seal the sealing space 36 more reliably.

  FIG. 10 is a sectional view around the caulking pin 28 for explaining the configuration of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The present embodiment is common to the third embodiment in that a convex portion 69 is formed on the opening peripheral edge portion of the through hole 42 on the lower surface of the lid member 27, while the lid member 27 and the stacking direction are the same. The pressure adjusting member 26, which is another adjacent flow path component, is formed with a concave portion 70 that is recessed from the upper surface toward the lower surface side in the middle of the thickness direction corresponding to the convex portion 69 of the lid member 27. This is different from the third embodiment. The tip surface of the convex portion 69, the bottom surface of the concave portion 70, and the step surface 47 of the caulking pin 28 are sealed with a sealing material 49. Also in this embodiment, similarly to the third embodiment, when the tip portion of the caulking pin 28 is caulked by the heat tool 51, damage to the sealing material 49 due to heat of caulking can be reduced. Further, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the sealing material 49 is disposed so as to cover the gap between the through hole 41 and the first portion 44 across the tip surface of the convex portion 69 and the bottom surface of the concave portion 70. The surplus sealing material 49 can be actively introduced into this gap. Thereby, it is suppressed that the sealing material 49 leaks to the outside of the flow path member 42 (upper surface side of the lid member 27) through the through hole 42.

  FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view around the caulking pin 28 ′ for explaining the configuration of the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The present embodiment is different from the above embodiments in that the caulking pin 28 'is a member that is independent of each flow path component. The caulking pin 28 ′ in the present embodiment is provided on one side (the lid member 27 side) of the first portion 44 inserted through the through hole 41 of the pressure adjusting member 26 and on the other side (the filter channel member 25 side). Second portions 45a and 45b are formed, respectively, between the first portion 44 and the second portion 45a on one side, and between the first portion 44 and the second portion 45b on the other side. Stepped surfaces 47a and 47b are respectively formed therebetween. Correspondingly, a through hole 73 through which the second portion 45b on the other side of the caulking pin 28 'is inserted is formed in the filter channel member 25 in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the first portion 44 is inserted into the through hole 41 of the pressure adjusting member 26, the second portion 45a on one side is inserted into the through hole 42 of the lid member 27, and the first portion 44 on the other side is inserted. The second portion 45 b is inserted into the through hole 73 of the filter flow path member 25. A seal member 49a is disposed across the lower surface of the lid member 27, the upper surface of the pressure adjusting member 26, and the stepped surface 47a of the caulking pin 28, and the base substrate 34 of the filter channel member 25 and the lower surface of the pressure adjusting member 26 A seal member 49b is disposed across the step surface 47b of the crimp pin 28. Then, the distal end portion of the second portion 45a on one side protruding from the through hole 41 and the distal end portion of the second portion 45b on the other side protruding from the through hole 73 are respectively caulked, whereby the flow path configuration The members are fixed to each other. Thus, even if the caulking pin 28 'is a member that is independent of each flow path component member, the sealing space 36 can be sealed as in the above embodiments.

  FIG. 12 is a sectional view around the caulking pin 28 for explaining the configuration of the sixth embodiment of the present invention. In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the ink flow path member 24 is configured by the total of the three flow path configuration members including the filter flow path member 25, the pressure adjustment member 26, and the lid member 27 has been described. The present invention can also be applied to the case where the ink flow path member 24 is constituted by two or four or more flow path constituent members. In the present embodiment, a fourth flow path constituting member 72 is provided between the filter flow path member 25 and the pressure adjusting member 26. The fourth flow path component 72 is provided with a through hole 73 through which the first portion 44 of the caulking pin 28 is inserted. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. In short, the present invention can be applied in the same manner as in each of the above embodiments as long as a plurality of flow path components are stacked.

  FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view around the caulking pin 28 ″ for explaining the configuration of the seventh embodiment of the present invention. In the above embodiment, the caulking pin 28 has the first portion 44 and the second portion 45. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the caulking pin may not have the step surface 47. The caulking pin 28 in the present embodiment. ″ (State before the caulking step) is a pin having a constant thickness (diameter) from the base end to the tip end. For this reason, the inner diameter of the through hole 41 of the pressure adjusting member 26 and the inner diameter of the through hole 42 of the lid member 27 are also made uniform. In the present embodiment, a sealing material 49 a is disposed between the opening peripheral edge of the through hole 42 on the lower surface side of the lid member 27 and the opening peripheral edge of the through hole 41 on the upper surface side of the pressure adjusting member 26, and pressure A seal member 49 b is disposed between the opening peripheral portion of the through hole 41 on the lower surface side of the adjustment member 26 and the base substrate 34 of the filter flow path member 25. These sealing members 49a and 49b seal between the sealing space 36 in the ink flow path member 24 and the through holes 41 and 42. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. Also in the present embodiment, the sealing space 36 is prevented from communicating with the outside of the ink flow path member 24 through the through holes 41 and 42 as in the above embodiments. In the present embodiment, the seal members 49a and 49b are arranged so that the space in which the caulking pin 28 ″ and the through holes 41 and 42 are arranged is isolated from the sealing space 36 in which the liquid flow path is formed. Therefore, evaporation of moisture (solvent) from the liquid channel and moisture intrusion into the liquid channel can be more effectively suppressed.

  FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a caulking pin 28 ″ for explaining the configuration of the eighth embodiment of the present invention. The caulking pin 28 ″ in this embodiment is a pin having a constant thickness from the proximal end to the distal end. While the point is common to the seventh embodiment, in this embodiment, the opening peripheral edge of the through hole 42 on the lower surface side of the lid member 27 and the opening peripheral edge of the through hole 41 on the upper surface side of the pressure adjusting member 26. The sealing material 49 is disposed only between the sealing portion 49 and the sealing material 49 is in close contact with the outer periphery of the caulking pin 28 ″, so that the sealing space 36 is sealed so as not to communicate with the through hole 42. The other configuration is the same as that of the eighth embodiment In this embodiment, since the sealing with the sealing material 49 is sufficient at one place, the number of steps is reduced, and the sealing space 36 is also reduced. More effectively Rukoto can.

  FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the caulking pin 28 ″ for explaining the configuration of the ninth embodiment of the present invention. The caulking pin 28 ″ in the present embodiment is also the same as that of the seventh and eighth embodiments. Similarly, it is a pin having a constant thickness from the proximal end to the distal end. In the present embodiment, the sealing material 49 is disposed only between the opening peripheral edge of the through hole 42 and the caulking portion 46 of the caulking pin 28 ″ on the upper surface (surface opposite to the sealing space 36) of the lid member 27. This is different in that the sealing space 36 is sealed so as not to communicate with the outside of the ink flow path member 24. Other configurations are the same as those in the eighth embodiment. In FIG. 16, since the sealing material 49 is not disposed in the sealing space 36, the sealing space 36 can be used more effectively by that amount, as in the modification of the ninth embodiment shown in FIG. In addition, the sealing material 49 may be covered by the caulking portion 46. This makes it possible to further improve the sealing performance, and in the sealing material 49, the caulking portion 46 is melted by heat. Is melted by the heat in, it may be integrated penetration caulking portion 46.

  In the above description, the filter channel member 25, the pressure adjusting member 26, and the lid member 27 are exemplified as the channel constituent members, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In short, a plurality of flow path component members are inserted into the respective through-holes and fixed to each other by a caulking material whose tip is caulked, and sealed by a sealing material that surrounds the caulking material. The present invention can be applied to any configuration that defines a sealed space that encloses the flow path.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the ink jet recording head 10 has been described as an example of the liquid ejecting head, but the present invention can also be applied to other liquid ejecting heads including a liquid flow path member. For example, a color material ejecting head used for manufacturing a color filter such as a liquid crystal display, an electrode material ejecting head used for forming an electrode such as an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, FED (surface emitting display), a biochip (biochemical element) The present invention can also be applied to bioorganic matter ejecting heads and the like used in the production of In a color material ejecting head for a display manufacturing apparatus, a solution of each color material of R (Red), G (Green), and B (Blue) is ejected as a kind of liquid. Further, an electrode material ejecting head for an electrode forming apparatus ejects a liquid electrode material as a kind of liquid, and a bioorganic matter ejecting head for a chip manufacturing apparatus ejects a bioorganic solution as a kind of liquid.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer, 2 ... Frame, 3 ... Platen, 4 ... Guide rod, 5 ... Carriage, 6 ... Pulse motor, 7 ... Drive pulley, 8 ... Sliding pulley, 9 ... Timing belt, 10 ... Recording head, 11 ... Sub tank , 12 ... Cap, 13 ... Ink cartridge, 14 ... Cartridge holder, 15 ... Air tube, 16 ... Air pump, 17 ... Ink supply tube, 18 ... FFC, 21 ... Head body, 22 ... Relay substrate, 23 ... Sealing member, 24 ... Ink channel member, 25 ... Filter channel member, 26 ... Pressure adjusting member, 27 ... Lid member, 28 ... Caulking pin, 30 ... Filter, 31 ... Filter chamber, 32 ... Derivation path, 33 ... Derivation space, 34 ... base substrate, 35 ... side wall, 36 ... sealing space, 38 ... pressure adjusting chamber, 39 ... flexible sheet, 41 ... through hole, 44 ... 1 part 45 45 second part 46 caulking part 47 stepped surface 48 adhesive agent 49 sealing material 50 adhesive 51 heat tool 54 piezoelectric element 55 flexible substrate , 56 ... escape hole, 58 ... flow passage connection portion, 59 ... wiring insertion port, 62 ... communication port, 63 ... introduction flow passage, 65 ... nozzle, 66 ... pressure chamber, 67 ... individual supply passage, 68 ... depression, 69 ... convex portion, 72 ... fourth flow path component, 73 ... through hole

Claims (7)

A liquid flow path is formed by a plurality of laminated flow path constituent members, and a liquid flow path member in which a sealing space containing the liquid flow path is formed,
A liquid ejecting head in which liquid passing through the liquid channel in the liquid channel member is ejected from a nozzle;
At least one of the flow path components has a through hole through which a caulking material is inserted,
Each of the flow path component members is fixed to each other by the caulking material that is inserted into the through hole and caulked at the tip.
The liquid ejecting head, wherein the sealing space is sealed with a sealing material surrounding the caulking material.   The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein one of the flow path constituting members integrally includes the caulking material. The caulking material includes a first portion having a relatively large thickness, a second portion having a relatively small thickness, and a stepped surface formed between the first portion and the second portion. And having
The gap between the opening peripheral edge of the through hole and the step surface of the flow path component disposed at the most distal end side of the caulking material among the flow path components is sealed with a sealing material. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1.   The liquid ejecting head according to claim 3, wherein the stepped surface has a recessed portion that is recessed on a side opposite to the second portion side. Of the flow path component members, the flow path component member disposed closest to the distal end side of the caulking material is another flow path component member adjacent in the stacking direction from the opening peripheral edge of the through hole of the flow path component member. Has a convex part protruding toward
The liquid ejecting head according to claim 3, wherein a front end surface of the convex portion and the stepped surface are sealed with a sealing material. The other flow path constituent member has a concave portion that is depressed halfway in the thickness direction corresponding to the convex portion,
The liquid ejecting head according to claim 5, wherein a front end surface of the convex portion, a bottom surface of the concave portion, and the stepped surface are sealed with a sealing material.   A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising the liquid ejecting head according to claim 1.

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