CN110962456B

CN110962456B - Plate for shower nozzle and processing apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN110962456B
Application number: CN201910720871.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 长根隆太
Original assignee: Toshiba TEC Corp
Current assignee: Toshiba TEC Corp
Priority date: 2018-10-01
Filing date: 2019-08-06
Publication date: 2022-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 2039-08-06
Also published as: JP2020057685A; CN110962456A

Abstract

The invention provides a plate for a spray head and a processing device, which can reduce cost. The plate for a head includes: a main substrate, a device, and a sub-substrate. The device is an integrated circuit mounted with elements generating control signals for the showerhead. The sub-substrate is mounted with the device, connected with the main substrate, and connected with the head through a flexible cable.

Description

Plate for shower nozzle and processing apparatus

Technical Field

The embodiment of the invention relates to a plate for a spray head and a processing device.

Background

Conventionally, as a head used in a recording apparatus (printer) or the like that performs printing on paper, a head that ejects liquid such as ink is known.

In an evaluation or post-production inspection, for example, such a head is connected to an evaluation board of a processing apparatus for performing evaluation or inspection via a flexible cable, and the function of the head is evaluated or set. The evaluation board plugs the flexible cable to evaluate the plurality of nozzles.

In addition, the recording apparatus is mounted with a board for inserting and removing the flexible cable when the head is replaced. The deterioration or malfunction of the board is easily caused by repeatedly inserting and pulling the flexible cable on the board, and the board needs to be replaced every time the malfunction occurs. Therefore, there is a problem of high cost.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention provides a plate for a spray head and a processing device, which can reduce the cost.

The plate for a head of an embodiment includes: a main substrate, a device, and a sub-substrate. The device is an integrated circuit mounted with elements generating control signals for the showerhead. The sub-substrate is mounted with the device, connected with the main substrate, and connected with the head through a flexible cable.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of a processing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part configuration of a plate used in the processing apparatus.

Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a main part configuration of the board.

Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of the processing apparatus according to the second embodiment.

Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of the processing apparatus according to the third embodiment.

Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of the processing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment.

Description of the reference numerals

1 … treatment device; 10 … host computer; 11 … plate (plate for shower head); 21 … a main substrate; 22 … sub-substrate; 31 … a first circuit part; 32 … first connector; 33 … mounting part; 41 … a second circuit part; 41a … device; 42 … second connector; 43 … third connector; 43a … base; 43a1 … bottom wall; 43a2 … side walls; 43b … terminal portions; 43c … flange; 44 … are mounted; 45 … expansion connector; 100 … spray head; 101 … flexible cable; 101a … terminal portion.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, the processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 3. Fig. 1 is an explanatory view schematically showing the configuration of a processing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment, fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the configurations of a main board 21, a sub board 22, and a third connector 43 of a board 11 used in the processing apparatus 1, and fig. 3 is an explanatory view showing the configurations of a first connector 32 provided on the main board 21 of the board 11 and a second connector 42 provided on the sub board 22.

The processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that performs processing for evaluating the head 100 such as a liquid discharge head used in a recording apparatus or for factory inspection of the head 100.

For example, the recording apparatus is a liquid discharge printer that discharges liquid such as ink. The recording apparatus performs various processes such as image formation while conveying a recording sheet as a recording medium. The recording apparatus includes, for example, a casing, a paper feed cassette, a paper discharge tray, a transport device, a holding device, an image forming apparatus, a cleaning device, a control board, and the like.

The recording apparatus is not limited to a liquid discharge printer that performs various processes such as image formation while conveying recording paper as a recording medium. For example, the recording device may be a 3D printer, an industrial manufacturing machine, or a device for medical use.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the head 100 is a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid from nozzle holes by driving of a piezoelectric element, for example. The head 100 has a flexible cable 101 connected to the recording apparatus or the processing apparatus 1. The head 100 is connected to the processing apparatus 1 before being mounted on the recording apparatus at the time of manufacture, sale, or the like, and is subjected to processing such as evaluation testing or factory inspection by the processing apparatus 1.

As shown in fig. 2, a flexible cable 101 electrically connects the recording apparatus or the processing apparatus 1 with the head 100. The Flexible cable 101 is a Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC). The flexible cable 101 has a terminal portion 101a printed with a plurality of terminals that can be connected to the recording apparatus or the processing apparatus 1 at an end portion.

As shown in fig. 1, the processing apparatus 1 includes a host computer 10 and a plate (head plate) 11 connected to the host computer 10 and the head 100. The processing device 1 includes a display device and an input device connected to the host computer 10.

The main computer 10 controls the board 11. The host computer 10 displays control information of the panel 11 on the display portion, for example, and controls a program based on a command input through an input device, control information of the panel 11, or the like.

The plate 11 is, for example, a so-called evaluation plate for performing evaluation or factory inspection of the head 100. The board 11 has a power supply circuit for driving the ejection head 100 and a circuit that generates and supplies a control signal for controlling the ejection head 100. For example, the voltage of the power circuit for driving the head 100 is set to 20V, and the voltage of the control signal is set to 3V.

The board 11 has a circuit for detecting a driving state of the head 100, for example, a driving state of a piezoelectric element of the head 100. The board 11 includes a main board 21 and a sub board 22 connected to the main board 21. The board 11 is configured to be connectable to a device for displaying detected driving state information of the piezoelectric element, or the like.

As shown in fig. 1, the main board 21 is connected to the host computer 10. As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the main board 21 includes a first circuit portion 31, a first connector 32, and a mounting portion 33. The main substrate 21 is configured in a rectangular shape, for example, and the first circuit portion 31 is provided on the entire surface. The first connector 32 and the mounting portion 33 are disposed at the center of one side of the main board 21.

The first circuit portion 31 is a circuit in which a power supply circuit for driving the head 100 and a plurality of elements for generating an electric signal for driving the head 100 and the like are mounted. The first circuit unit 31 is connected to the host computer 10. The first circuit unit 31 is connected to a first connector 32.

The first connector 32 connects the first circuit portion 31 to the sub-substrate 22.

The mounting portion 33 mechanically mounts the sub board 22 to the main board 21. Specifically, the mounting portion 33 is formed of a plurality of bolts or the like that support and fix the sub board 22 to the main board 21 with a predetermined gap therebetween. The mounting portion 33 is provided around the first connector 32, for example.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the sub board 22 includes, for example, a second circuit portion 41, a second connector 42, a third connector 43, and an attached portion 44. The sub board 22 is formed in a rectangular shape smaller than the main board 21, for example. The sub board 22 has a mounted portion 44 mounted on the mounting portion 33. The sub-board 22 has, for example, an extension connector 45 connected to a device for displaying detected driving state information of the piezoelectric element. Further, the expansion connector 45 may be provided to the main substrate 21.

The second circuit unit 41 generates a control signal for the head 100 together with the first circuit unit 31. The second circuit portion 41 is electrically connected to the second connector 42 and the third connector 43. The second circuit portion 41 is connected to the first circuit portion 31 via the first connector 32 and the second connector 42. The second circuit section 41 has a device 41 a.

Specifically, the device 41a is an integrated circuit on which a plurality of elements of the final stage that generate the control signal of the head 100 are mounted. The device 41a is a buffer for a control signal of the head 100. In addition, the device 41a performs SERDES (SERDES, Serializer Deserializer), for example. Such a device 41a is, for example, an FPGA (field programmable gate array). The second circuit unit 41 can be modified to a configuration corresponding to the processing such as an evaluation test, the type of the head 100, and the like, by using the device 41a as an FPGA.

The second connector 42 is mechanically and electrically connected with the first connector 32. Specifically, as shown in fig. 3, the second connector 42 is fitted to the first connector 32, is disposed at a predetermined position of the first connector 32, and is electrically connected to the first connector 32. The first connector 32 and the second connector 42 have guide members such as positioning bolts, for example.

The third connector 43 is connected to a terminal portion 101a of the flexible cable 101. For example, the third connector 43 has: a base 43a for holding a terminal portion 101a of the flexible cable 101; a terminal section 43b provided on the base 43a and connected to the plurality of terminal sections 101a of the flexible cable 101; and a flange 43c for fixing the flexible cable 101 to the base 43 a. The base 43a has, for example, a bottom wall 43a1 provided with a terminal portion 43b on the upper surface, and a pair of side walls 43a2 separated by the same width as the flexible cable 101.

The attached portion 44 is attached to the attaching portion 33 to fix the sub board 22 to the main board 21. For example, the attached portions 44 are holes provided in the sub board 22 through which bolts of the attached portion 33 are inserted and fixed.

An example of the use of the plate 11 in a process such as an evaluation test of the head 100 using the processing apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described.

First, before a process such as an evaluation test of the head 100, a worker connects the first connector 32 and the second connector 42 to each other, attaches the attached portion 44 to the attaching portion 33, and fixes the sub board 22 to the main board 21. The operator connects board 11, which is formed by integrally assembling main board 21 and sub-board 22, to main computer 10, activates main computer 10, and enters a processing state.

Next, the operator places the terminal portion 101a of the flexible cable 101 of the head 100 on the base 43a of the third connector 43, and operates the flange 43c to connect the flexible cable 101 to the third connector 43. Thereby, the terminal portion 101a of the flexible cable 101 is connected to the terminal portion 43b of the third connector 43.

Next, when the operator inputs a command to the input device, the host computer 10 controls the board 11 and executes an evaluation test or the like of the head 100. After the evaluation test of the head 100 is completed, the operator operates the flange 43c to release the fixation of the flexible cable 101, and removes the flexible cable 101 from the third connector 43. Next, the operator fixes the flexible cable 101 of the head 100 to be subjected to the evaluation test or the like to the third connector 43, and similarly performs the evaluation test or the like. In this way, each time the worker performs a process such as an evaluation test, the worker repeatedly connects the head 100, which performs the process such as the evaluation test, to the board 11 by inserting the flexible cable 101 into the third connector 43 or pulling the flexible cable out of the third connector 43.

According to the processing apparatus 1 configured as described above, the third connector 43 for repeatedly inserting and removing the flexible cable 101 is provided on the sub board 22. Therefore, when the third connector 43 is deteriorated or broken due to repeated use, only the sub board 22 of the board 11 may be replaced.

Further, since the voltage flowing through the power supply circuit of the head 100 is set to be higher than the voltage of the control signal for driving and controlling the head 100, if so-called oblique insertion occurs in which the flexible cable 101 is obliquely inserted into the third connector 43 when the flexible cable 101 is inserted and removed, a high voltage may flow through the circuit for the control signal, and a short circuit may occur. In particular, when the plate 11 is used for an evaluation test, a factory inspection, or the like, the flexible cable 101 is not fixed or held, and therefore, there is a possibility that the flexible cable 101 is obliquely inserted.

However, even if a circuit short occurs due to the flexible cable 101 being obliquely inserted into the third connector 43 or the like, the sub-substrate 22 may malfunction because the sub-substrate 22 has the device 41a as a buffer. Therefore, even when a short circuit occurs, only the sub board 22 of the board 11 may be replaced.

Further, by configuring the device 41a with FPGA, the sub-board 22 to be replaced can be made inexpensive. Further, even with a configuration in which a plurality of sub-substrates 22 are prepared in accordance with the type of the head 100 or the use of the process of the evaluation test or the like, and the sub-substrates 22 are replaced in accordance with the use, the sub-substrates 22 can be replaced at low cost. Further, by configuring the device 41a with the FPGA, the second circuit portion 41 can be modified to a configuration corresponding to the processing such as the evaluation test, the type of the head 100, and the like.

As described above, the board 11 has a high degree of freedom in use and design. Further, since the sub board 22 can be manufactured at low cost in the plate 11, the manufacturing cost and running cost of the sub board 22, which are likely to cause a failure, can be suppressed. In addition, the replacement work of the sub board 22 can be performed only by detaching the mounted portion 44 from the mounting portion 33, removing the second connector 42 from the first connector 32, and replacing the sub board 22 with a new sub board 22. Therefore, the plate 11 has high workability in the replacement work.

As described above, the processing apparatus 1 having the board 11 according to the first embodiment is configured such that the third connector 43 connected to the device 41a and the flexible cable 101, which are prone to malfunction, is mounted on the sub board 22, and the sub board 22 is connected to the main board 21 via the

connectors

32 and 42. Therefore, the plate 11 and the processing apparatus 1 can be reduced in cost.

The present embodiment is not limited to the above example. For example, in the above example, the configuration in which the sub board 22 is disposed on the main board 21 with a gap therebetween has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as in the processing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment shown in fig. 4, the first connector 32 may be provided on one side of the main board 21, the second connector 42 may be provided on one side of the sub board 22, and the main board 21 and the sub board 22 may be arranged adjacent to each other. That is, the arrangement of the main board 21 and the sub board 22 can be set as appropriate according to the space of the installation board 11.

In the above example, the example in which one third connector 43 is provided on the sub-substrate 22 and one head 100 is connected has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, as in the processing apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment shown in fig. 5, a plurality of third connectors 43 may be provided on the sub-substrate 22 and a plurality of heads 100 may be connected to one sub-substrate 22. For example, as in the processing apparatus 1 according to the fourth embodiment shown in fig. 6, a plurality of sub boards 22 may be connected to the main board 21. The board 11 may be configured to include a plurality of sub boards 22 having a plurality of third connectors 43. Further, the number of the heads 100 connected to the plate 11 can be arbitrarily set.

In the above example, the configuration in which the main board 21 has a rectangular shape and the sub board 22 has a rectangular shape smaller than the main board 21 has been described, but the configuration is not limited to this, and the shapes of the main board 21 and the sub board 22 can be appropriately set. However, in order to suppress the cost of the sub board 22 that is likely to fail, it is preferable that the sub board 22 has a smaller shape or an inexpensive configuration than the main board 21.

In the above example, the processing apparatus 1 has been described as an example of an apparatus that performs a process such as an evaluation test or a factory inspection, but may be an apparatus that performs another process. That is, the processing apparatus 1 may be set as appropriate as long as it has a structure of the plate 11 having the flexible cable 101 to which the head 100 is repeatedly inserted and removed. As a specific example, the processing apparatus 1 may be a recording apparatus in which the head 100 is replaced according to the liquid to be discharged. Similarly, the board 11 may be a board provided in the recording apparatus or may be another board, instead of the evaluation board for evaluating or inspecting the head 100.

According to the plate 11 and the processing apparatus 1 of at least one embodiment described above, the cost can be reduced.

While several embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Claims

1. A plate for a head, comprising:

a main substrate including a power supply circuit of a head and a circuit that generates a control signal of the head, wherein a voltage flowing in the power supply circuit is set to be higher than a voltage of the control signal that drive-controls the head;

a device on which an integrated circuit of an element generating a control signal of the head is mounted and which serves as a buffer for the control signal of the head; and

a sub substrate on which the device is mounted, connected to the main substrate, and connected to the head through a flexible cable,

the main substrate has a first connector,

the sub board has a second connector detachably fitted to the first connector, and a third connector for repeatedly inserting and removing the flexible cable.

2. The plate for shower head according to claim 1,

the device is an FPGA.

3. The plate for shower head according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the sub board is disposed on the main surface of the main board.

4. The plate for shower head according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the sub board is disposed adjacent to the main board.

5. The plate for shower head according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

The area of the sub-substrate is smaller than that of the main substrate.

6. The plate for shower head according to claim 1,

the third connector has:

a base for holding a terminal portion of the flexible cable;

the terminal part is arranged on the base and is connected with the terminal part of the flexible cable; and

a flange securing the flexible cable to the base.

7. A processing apparatus is characterized by comprising:

a device mounted with an element generating a control signal of the head and serving as a buffer for the control signal of the head;

a sub substrate on which the device is mounted, connected to the main substrate, and connected to the head through a flexible cable; and

a main computer connected to the main substrate,

the main substrate has a first connector,

8. The processing apparatus according to claim 7,

the device is an FPGA.