CN111993790B - Method for manufacturing liquid ejection head - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a method for manufacturing a liquid ejection head with a nozzle side member arranged at high density. In a method for manufacturing a second liquid ejection head using a portion of a plurality of first liquid ejection heads, the first liquid ejection heads include: a first member including a nozzle face; a second member including a flow path for supplying liquid to each of the nozzles constituting the nozzle row; a first screw for fixing a first member and a second member, the second member having a dimension in a first direction (second dimension) smaller than a dimension in the first direction (first dimension), the manufacturing method comprising: arranging a plurality of first members; and a step of fixing the plurality of first members arranged on the carriage, wherein a distance between two adjacent first members in the first direction among the plurality of first members arranged in the arranging step is smaller than a distance between two adjacent first members in the first direction when the two first liquid ejection heads are arranged closely in the first direction.

Description

Method for manufacturing liquid ejection head

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head.

Background

A method of manufacturing a liquid ejecting head that is mounted in a liquid ejecting apparatus such as an ink jet printer and ejects liquid from nozzles is known (for example, patent document 1). The liquid discharge head manufactured by this manufacturing method includes a cartridge case as a supply-side member and a head member as a nozzle-side member. In this manufacturing method, the cassette case and the head member are fixed together with screws.

In a liquid ejecting apparatus including a conventional liquid ejecting head, when a range of liquid ejection is increased, it is conceivable to mount a plurality of liquid ejecting heads in the liquid ejecting apparatus. In this case, it is desirable to arrange the plurality of head members at a higher density.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2008-238752

Disclosure of Invention

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head that manufactures a second liquid ejection head using a part of a first liquid ejection head. In the manufacturing method, the first liquid ejection head includes: a first member including a nozzle surface formed such that a plurality of nozzle rows are arranged in a first direction; a second member including a flow path for supplying liquid to each of the nozzles constituting the nozzle row; a first screw that fixes the first member and the second member, a second dimension of the second member in the first direction being smaller than a first dimension of the first member in the first direction, the manufacturing method including: an arranging step of arranging a plurality of the first members; and a first fixing step of fixing the plurality of arranged first members to a carriage, wherein a distance between adjacent two of the plurality of arranged first members in the first direction is smaller than a distance between two adjacent first members in the first direction when the two first liquid discharge heads are closely arranged in the first direction.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an explanatory view schematically showing the structure of a liquid ejection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the head unit in the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the supply-side member when the head unit 200 is viewed from the + Z direction side.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the nozzle-side member as viewed from the-Z direction side.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the nozzle-side member when viewed from the + Z direction side.

Fig. 6 is a front view of the test head.

Fig. 7 is a diagram comparing the outer shapes of the head unit and the test head.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart for explaining a method of manufacturing the head unit in the first embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a table comparing the head unit in the first embodiment and the liquid ejection head as a comparative example.

Fig. 10 is a front view of the head unit of the second embodiment.

Fig. 11 is an explanatory view schematically showing a part of a cross section of a supply-side member including a supply needle and a supply flow channel in a liquid ejection head.

Fig. 12 is a front view of a head unit of the third embodiment.

Fig. 13 is a front view of the head unit according to the first other embodiment.

Detailed Description

A. First embodiment

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a liquid ejection device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The liquid discharge apparatus 100 is an ink jet type printing apparatus that discharges ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto the medium 12. The liquid discharge apparatus 100 performs printing by using a printing target of any material such as a resin film or cloth as the medium 12 in addition to printing paper and discharging liquid onto these various media 12. Fig. 1 shows X, Y, and Z directions orthogonal to each other. The Y direction is a direction in which the nozzles 36 are arranged in the nozzle row 36s of the head unit 200 described below. The X direction is a direction in which the plurality of nozzle rows 36s are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the Y direction. The Z direction is a direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction, and is, for example, a direction along the vertical direction. In addition, in the case of determining the direction, the positive direction is set to "+" and the negative direction is set to "-", and the sign is used in combination for the direction mark. In the liquid discharge apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the X direction is the main scanning direction which is the moving direction of the head unit 200. The Y direction is a sub-scanning direction, which is a medium conveyance direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction. the-Z direction is the ink ejection direction. In the drawings of fig. 1 and later, the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction are also illustrated. The head unit 200 does not necessarily have to move in the X direction, and for example, one of the media 12 may move in the X direction. Note that one of the media 12 does not necessarily have to move in the Y direction, and for example, one of the head units 200 may move in the Y direction. The main scanning direction, the sub-scanning direction, and the ink discharge direction do not necessarily coincide with the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction.

The liquid ejecting apparatus 100 includes a liquid container 14, a transport mechanism 22 that feeds out the medium 12, a control unit 20, a head moving mechanism 24, and a head unit 200. The liquid container 14 stores ink supplied to the head unit 200. As the liquid container 14, a bag-shaped ink bag formed of a flexible film, an ink tank capable of replenishing ink, or the like can be used. The control unit 20 includes a processing circuit such as a CPU and a storage circuit such as a semiconductor memory, and comprehensively controls the conveyance mechanism 22, the head movement mechanism 24, the head unit 200, and the like. The conveyance mechanism 22 operates under the control of the control unit 20, and feeds out the medium 12 in the + Y direction.

The head moving mechanism 24 includes a conveyor belt 23 that is stretched in the X direction across the printing range of the medium 12, and a carriage 25 that houses and fixes the head unit 200 as a liquid ejection head on the conveyor belt 23. The head moving mechanism 24 operates under the control of the control section 20, and reciprocates the carriage 25 in the X direction as the main scanning direction. When the carriage 25 reciprocates, the carriage 25 is guided by a guide rail not shown. The head unit 200 has a plurality of nozzle rows 36s. In each nozzle row 36s, a plurality of nozzles 36 are arranged.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the head unit 200 in the first embodiment. The head unit 200 includes two sub units 205, and a fixing member 230 for fixing the positions of the two sub units 205. The fixing member 230 is a plate-like member having an opening into which the nozzle-side member 210 of each sub-unit 205 can be inserted. Various materials such as resin and metal can be used for the fixing member 230.

The sub-unit 205 includes a nozzle-side member 210 and a supply-side member 240. The nozzle-side member 210 has a nozzle surface 212, and a plurality of nozzle rows 36s are formed on the nozzle surface 212. The supply-side member 240 has a supply flow path for supplying the liquid from the liquid container 14 to the nozzle 36 of the nozzle-side member 210. A filter for trapping foreign matter in the liquid is provided inside the supply-side member 240. This can suppress inflow of foreign matter into the nozzle-side member 210, and thus can suppress discharge failure caused by inflow of foreign matter into the nozzle-side member 210. In the present embodiment, the number of nozzle-side members 210 and the number of supply-side members 240 are two, respectively. The two nozzle-side members 210 are attached to the corresponding one of the supply-side members 240 by second screws 260, respectively.

The nozzle-side member 210 includes a nozzle surface 212 on which the nozzle rows 36s in fig. 1 are formed, and a connector 220. The connector 220 has a terminal portion 222 for electrically connecting with the outside of the head unit 200, for example, the control portion 20 of fig. 1. The terminal portion 222 has a terminal and an opening portion for mounting a connector such as an FFC. The connector 220 is provided at a position not overlapping the nozzle surface 212 in the Y direction. In a state where the sub unit 205 is attached to the fixing member 230, the connector 220 is provided so as to be positioned on the + Z direction side of the fixing member 230. Thus, even in a state where the sub unit 205 is attached to the fixing member 230, the FFC and the like are easily connected from the + Z direction side toward the connector 220. The terminal portion 222, more specifically, the opening portion of the connector 220 is directed in the-X direction perpendicular to the Y direction in which the nozzle row 36s extends, among the directions along the nozzle surface 212. The nozzle-side member 210 has a flow path structure for allowing liquid to flow therein, and an energy generating element that generates energy for ejecting the liquid when driven. The energy generating element is, for example, a piezoelectric element, and applies pressure fluctuation to the liquid in order to discharge the liquid from the nozzle 36 shown in fig. 1. The energy generating element may be an electrothermal conversion element that is driven to generate thermal energy and cause liquid film boiling in the nozzle 36 to discharge liquid. The orientation of the terminal portion 222 of the connector 220 is not limited to the-X direction. For example, the connector 220 may be oriented in a direction intersecting the XY plane among directions perpendicular to the Y direction. The direction perpendicular to the Y direction includes a direction intersecting substantially perpendicularly to the Y direction. The connector 220 may be provided on a member other than the nozzle-side member 210, such as the supply-side member 240.

The nozzle surface 212 is formed by a nozzle plate and a fixing plate for fixing the nozzle plate to the casing of the nozzle-side member 210. The nozzle plate may be directly fixed to the housing of the nozzle-side member 210 by an adhesive or the like. In this case, for example, the nozzle surface 212 may be formed by only the nozzle plate. The nozzle-side member 210 is an example of a first member.

Supply-side member 240 is a member having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing with a flow channel therein. The supply-side member 240 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing, and thus can facilitate attachment and detachment of a jig attachable to the head unit 200, a flow path member for ink supply, and the like. The supply-side member 240 has a plurality of supply needles 246 on the supply-side upper surface 201 which is the outer wall surface on the + Z direction side. The supply needle 246 has a flow channel formed therein, and functions as an inlet member for introducing liquid from the outside into the flow channel. Further, a seal member 228 is provided at a connection portion between the supply-side lower surface 202, which is an outer wall surface on the-Z direction side, and the nozzle-side member 210, and the seal member 228 suppresses outflow of the liquid to the outside. This reduces the possibility that the liquid flowing through the head unit 200 flows to the outside. The supply-side member 240 is an example of a third member.

The supply needle 246 is a cylindrical member protruding from the supply-side upper surface 201 in the + Z direction side, and has a substantially conical tip portion on the + Z direction side. The supply needle 246 is provided with eight. The other end of the tube 142, one end of which is connected to the liquid container 14 of fig. 1, is connected to each supply needle 246.

The second screws 260 are inserted into screw holes formed in the supply-side member 240 and the nozzle-side member 210 from the + Z direction side, thereby fixing the supply-side member 240 and the nozzle-side member 210 to each other. In the present embodiment, the second screw 260 extends to the carriage 25 of fig. 1 located on the-Z direction side with respect to the head unit 200, and fixes the head unit 200 and the carriage 25. In the present embodiment, the nozzle-side member 210 is fixed such that the distance D2 in the X direction of the nozzle surface 212 of the nozzle-side member of the two nozzle-side members 210 is smaller than the dimension D1 in the X direction of the nozzle surface 212. Therefore, miniaturization of the head unit 200 becomes easy. The distance D2 is preferably three-quarters or less of the dimension D1, and more preferably one-half or less of the dimension D1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the supply-side member 240 when the head unit 200 is viewed from the + Z direction side. As shown in fig. 3, eight supply needles 246 are arranged in a matrix when viewed from the + Z direction side. The matrix arrangement means that eight supply needles 246 are two-dimensionally arranged on the supply-side upper surface 201, that is, eight supply needles 246 are not arranged in a straight line. Thus, the supply-side member 240 can be more easily reduced in size in the X direction than, for example, in a case where eight supply needles 246 are arranged in a straight line along the X direction.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the nozzle-side member 210 when viewed from the-Z direction side. A length L1 of the nozzle row 36s in the Y direction is longer than a length L2 of a terminal portion 222 provided on the connector 220 in the Y direction. Thereby, the ejection range of the liquid in the head unit 200 is larger than in the case where the length L1 is shorter than the length L2, and therefore, the printing speed in the liquid ejection device 100 can be improved. Further, by making the length L1 longer than the length L2, it is possible to suppress interference of the connection terminal connected to the connector 220 with another structure disposed on the-Y direction side or the + Y direction side of the sub-unit 205. Therefore, for example, when two sub units 205 are arranged offset to the Y direction side, it is possible to suppress the interference of the connection terminal connected to one sub unit 205 with the other sub unit 205.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the nozzle-side member 210 when viewed from the + Z direction. In fig. 5, in addition to the nozzle side member 210, a seal member 228 is also shown. The sealing member 228 is a plate-like member formed of a resin having elasticity in the present embodiment. The seal member 228 has a through-hole 229 for allowing liquid to flow therethrough at a position facing the connection port 218, and the connection port 218 allows liquid to flow from the supply-side member 240 into the nozzle-side member 210. As shown in fig. 2, the sealing member 228 is elastically deformed by being pressed by the nozzle-side member 210 and the supply-side member 240 in the Z direction, thereby ensuring sealing performance. Therefore, even when the relative positions of the nozzle-side member 210 and the supply-side member 240 in the XY direction are slightly shifted, the loss of the sealing property of the sealing member 228 can be suppressed.

Fig. 6 is a front view of the test head 300. In the present embodiment, the nozzle-side member 210 used in the head unit 200 is subjected to the confirmation of the ejection performance by the ejection test before the head unit 200 is manufactured. This reduces the possibility of ejection failure occurring in the head unit 200. The test head 300 is used for the ejection test of the nozzle-side member 210. The test head 300 includes a nozzle-side member 210 and a test member 340 used in the head unit 200. The test member 340 has a structure different from that of the supply-side member 240. The test member 340 has a flow path structure therein for supplying the liquid supplied from the test apparatus to the nozzle-side member 210 in the discharge test. The nozzle-side member 210 and the test member 340 are fixed to each other by a first screw 360. The test head 300 is attached to a test apparatus and used for an ejection test performed by the test apparatus. The test member 340 is an example of a second member.

The size of the test member 340 is larger than the size of the supply-side member 240. Specifically, the dimension D3 of the test head 300 in the X direction is larger than the sum of the dimension D1 of the nozzle surface 212 and the distance D2 between the two nozzle surfaces 212 in the nozzle-side member 210 of the head unit 200 in fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a diagram comparing the outer shapes of the head unit 200 and the test head 300. Fig. 7 is a view showing a state where the head unit 200 is viewed from the-Z direction. Fig. 7 shows, by broken lines, an outline S1 of the test head 300 projected from the + Z direction side and outlines S21 and S22 of the two nozzle-side members 210 projected from the + Z direction side to the head unit 200. In the head unit 200, the two nozzle-side members 210 are arranged so that the entire outer shape S21 of one of the two nozzle-side members 210 and a part of the outer shape S22 of the other are included inside the outer shape S1. The outer shapes S21 and S22 of the nozzle-side member 210 are smaller in both the X-direction dimension and the Y-direction dimension than the outer shape S1 of the test head 300.

In the head unit 200, the two nozzle-side members 210 are arranged so as to be shifted from each other in the Y-direction. Thus, in the head unit 200, when the two nozzle-side members 210 and the two supply-side members 240 are arranged side by side in the X direction, a space in the-X direction, toward which the terminal portions of the connector 220 face, can be sufficiently secured. Therefore, the mounting of the connection terminals on the outside to the connector 220 becomes easy.

After the discharge test, the test head 300 is transported from a factory where the discharge test is performed to a manufacturing factory where the head unit 200 is manufactured, and is used for manufacturing the head unit 200. That is, in the present embodiment, the head unit 200 is manufactured from the test head 300. When the test head 300 is carried, the test member 340 functions as a cover for protecting the nozzle-side member 210. This reduces the possibility of dust and the like entering through the opening formed in the upper surface of the nozzle-side member 210.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart for explaining a method of manufacturing the head unit 200 in the first embodiment. In the method of manufacturing the head unit 200, first, the step S102 is performed. In the present embodiment, the head unit 200 corresponds to the second liquid ejection head described in the summary of the invention. The test head 300 corresponds to the first liquid ejection head described in the summary of the invention.

In step S102, a step of removing the test member 340 from the nozzle-side member 210 is performed. The step S102 includes a step of removing the first screw 360 that fixes the nozzle-side member 210 and the test member 340. By removing the first screw 360, the test member 340 can be removed from the nozzle-side member 210. In step S102, the seal member 328 is detached from the nozzle-side member 210 together with the test member 340. The detached test member 340 and the seal member 328 may be attached to another nozzle-side member 210 and reused in the discharge test. The seal member 328 may be attached to the head unit 200 as the seal member 228 without being detached from the nozzle-side member 210. After the process of step S102, the process of step S104 is executed.

In step S104, a process of arranging the nozzle-side members 210 is performed. In this step, the two nozzle-side members 210 are arranged in parallel so as to be arranged at a high density. The high density means that the length D4 of the nozzle surface 212 in the X direction in the two nozzle-side members 210 is smaller than the distance from the end in the + X direction of the nozzle-side member 210 of the test head 300 arranged in the + X direction to the end in the-X direction of the nozzle-side member 210 of the test head 300 arranged in the-X direction when the two test heads 300 are closely arranged in the X direction. In other words, as shown in fig. 9 described later, the distance D2 of the gap in the X direction between the two adjacent nozzle-side members 210 is smaller than the distance D5 of the gap in the X direction between the two nozzle-side members 210 when the two test heads 300 are closely arranged in the X direction. For example, the distance D2 is a distance between the nozzle surfaces 212 of the two adjacent nozzle-side members 210 in the X direction, and the distance D5 is a distance between the nozzle surfaces 212 of the two nozzle-side members 210 in the X direction when the two test heads 300 are closely arranged in the X direction. The close arrangement is specifically a case where the two test heads 300 are arranged in contact with each other in the X direction. The length D4 is a distance in the X direction from the + X direction side end of the nozzle side member 210 on the + X direction side to the-X direction side end of the nozzle side member 210 on the-X direction side. In the present embodiment, the nozzle-side members 210 are arranged by being mounted on the carriage 25. In the present embodiment, after the nozzle-side member 210 is positioned by the fixing member 230 not shown in fig. 8, the nozzle-side member 210 is mounted on the carriage 25. After the process of step S104, the process of step S106 is executed.

In step S106, a step of attaching the supply-side member 240 to the nozzle-side member 210 is performed. In this step, the supply-side member 240 is simply attached to the nozzle-side member 210 without being fixed by screws or the like. In this step, the seal member 228 is also disposed between the nozzle-side member 210 and the supply-side member 240. After the process of step S106, the process of step S108 is executed.

In step S108, a step of fixing the plurality of nozzle-side members 210 arranged side by side to the carriage 25 is performed. "fixed to the carriage 25" means that the nozzle-side member 210 is held at a position relative to the carriage 25. In the present embodiment, the head unit 200 is clamped and fixed by the screw head of the second screw 260 and the nozzle-side member 210. Therefore, since the second screw 260 can be inserted from the + Z direction side, it is not necessary to change the postures of the carriage 25 and the nozzle-side member 210 from the postures when the nozzle-side member 210 is aligned on the carriage 25, and the fixing can be performed. The screw hole provided in the nozzle-side member 210, of the screw holes into which the second screws 260 are inserted, is the same screw hole as the screw hole into which the first screw 360 is inserted when the test member 340 is fixed. This eliminates the need to newly provide a screw hole in the nozzle-side member 210, and therefore, the manufacturing cost of the head unit 200 can be reduced. Various methods other than the above-described method may be used for fixing the carriage 25. For example, the nozzle-side member 210 may be fixed to the carriage 25 by adhesion using an adhesive or simply embedded in the carriage 25. The supply-side member 240 may be fixed to the nozzle-side member 210 by adhesion or fitting with an adhesive. By completing the process of step S108, the manufacture of the head unit 200 is completed. The manufactured head unit 200 is used in manufacturing the liquid ejection device 100 by being attached to the transport mechanism 22. The order of executing the steps S104 and S106 is not limited to this, and the step S104 may be executed after the step S106 is executed, for example.

Fig. 9 is a table comparing the head unit 200 in the first embodiment with a liquid ejection head 390 as a comparative example. Hereinafter, a liquid ejection head 390 as a comparative example is also described as a comparative example 390. The comparative example 390 is a liquid ejection head in the case of manufacturing two test heads 300 closely arranged. As described above, the distance D5 of the gap in the X direction of the plurality of nozzle-side members 210 in the case where the two test heads 300 are closely arranged in the X direction in the comparative example 390 is larger than the distance D2 in the first embodiment. This is because the dimension D3 of the test member 340 is large.

According to the first embodiment described above, the head unit 200 in which the nozzle-side members 210 are arranged with a higher density can be manufactured as compared with the case where a plurality of test heads 300 are arranged in a row. Therefore, by disposing the nozzle-side members 210 at a high density, the printing speed and quality in the liquid ejection apparatus 100 are improved.

In the first embodiment described above, each of the supply-side members 240 is fixed to one of the two nozzle-side members 210 corresponding to each of the two nozzle-side members 210. This enables the nozzle-side member 210 and the supply-side member 240 to be removed one by one, thereby facilitating maintenance, repair, and the like. Further, since the supply-side member 240 can be made small, the production of the supply-side member 240 becomes easy.

B. Second embodiment

Fig. 10 is a front view of the head unit 400 of the second embodiment. The head unit 400 of the second embodiment differs from the head unit 200 of the first embodiment in that it includes the supply-side members 440 in which the number of supply needles 446 is smaller than the number of supply needles 246 in the head unit 200 of the first embodiment. Specifically, each sub-unit 405 constituting the head unit 400 of the second embodiment has four supply needles 446 that are half as many as those of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. The supply side member 440 is an example of a third member.

Fig. 11 is an explanatory view schematically showing a part of a cross section of the supply-side member 440 including the supply needle 446 and the supply flow channel 412 in the liquid ejection head 390. The supply needle 446 has a plurality of openings 416, and the openings 416 are used to introduce liquid into the supply channel 412. Each supply flow path 412 has two branch flow paths 414, and supplies liquid to the respective different nozzle rows 36s. Therefore, the number of supply needles 446 provided on the supply-side member 440 can be reduced, and therefore, the head unit 400 can be easily downsized.

C. Third embodiment

Fig. 12 is a head unit 600 of the third embodiment. The head unit 200 of the third embodiment differs from the head unit 200 of the first embodiment in that it includes the supply-side member 640 commonly attached to the two nozzle-side members 210. Hereinafter, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. The supply-side member 640 is an example of a third member.

The supply-side member 640 of the head unit 600 is attached so as to cover the two nozzle-side members 210 from the + Z direction side. Therefore, in the step S106 in fig. 8, the supply-side member 640 is attached to the two nozzle-side members 210 by one attachment, and therefore, the work efficiency is improved.

D. Other embodiments

D1. First other embodiment

In the above embodiment, supply- side members 240, 440, 640 have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and have a flow passage and a filter inside. However, the supply- side unit 240, 440, 640 is not limited thereto. The supply- side members 240, 440, 640 may be configured to have only a function as an inlet member for receiving the liquid supplied from the liquid container 14, for example. In this case, the supply-side member can be easily downsized. The head units 200, 400, and 600 may not include the supply- side members 240, 440, and 640. In this case, the pipe and the nozzle-side member 210 may be joined together by bonding or the like. In this case, step S108 may be performed after step S104 without performing step S106.

Fig. 13 is a front view of the head unit 800 according to the first further embodiment. The head unit 800 includes a supply-side member 840, and the supply-side member 840 is formed by a thin-plate-shaped metal member that covers the upper surface of the nozzle-side member 210. The supply-side member 840 is an example of a third member. The supply-side member 840 does not include a filter or the like inside, and instead of the supply needle 246 shown in fig. 2, includes a cylindrical inlet 846 in the + Z direction. In this case, miniaturization of the head unit 800 becomes easy.

D2. Second other embodiment

Although the head unit 200 is provided with two nozzle-side members 210 in the above-described embodiment, three or more nozzle-side members 210 may be provided. For example, the head unit 200 may be a line head including three or more nozzle-side members 210 arranged in the X direction. In this case, the liquid discharge apparatus 100 may be a line head type inkjet printer without the conveyance mechanism 22.

D3. Third other embodiment

Although the head units 200, 400, and 600 are manufactured from the test head 300 in the above-described embodiments, the method of manufacturing the head units 200, 400, and 600 is not limited thereto. For example, the head units 200, 400, and 600 may be manufactured from a liquid ejection head used in another liquid ejection apparatus, instead of the test head 300. In this case, the head unit 200, 400, 600 can be manufactured from the existing liquid ejection head, and thus the manufacturing cost is reduced.

D4. Fourth other embodiment

The manufacturing method of fig. 8 in the above embodiment can be modified as appropriate. For example, in the manufacturing method, step S102 may not be provided. In this case, after the discharge test, only the nozzle-side member 210 may be detached from the test head 300, and only the nozzle-side member 210 may be transported to the manufacturing plant of the head unit 200.

D5. Fifth other embodiment

In the above embodiments, the head units 200, 400, and 600 have a structure in which the two nozzle surfaces 212 do not overlap in the Y direction. However, the structure of the head units 200, 400, and 600 is not limited thereto. For example, the head units 200, 400, and 600 may have a structure in which two nozzle surfaces 212 overlap in the Y direction.

D6. Sixth other embodiment

Although the head units 200, 400, and 600 have the plate-shaped sealing member 228 formed of a resin having elasticity in the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto. The head units 200, 400, and 600 may have a sealing member having a shape other than a plate shape, for example. Specifically, the head units 200, 400, and 600 may include an annular seal member that has elasticity and fastens a connection portion from the outside toward the inside, the connection portion being capable of allowing liquid to flow between the nozzle-side member 210 and the supply-side member 240.

In the first to sixth other embodiments described above, the same effects are obtained in the point that the same configurations as those of the first to third embodiments are provided.

D7. Seventh other embodiment

The present disclosure is not limited to a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects ink, and can be applied to any liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid other than ink. For example, the present disclosure can be applied to various liquid ejecting apparatuses described below.

(1) Image recording apparatuses such as facsimile apparatuses;

(2) A color material ejection device used for manufacturing a color filter for an image display device such as a liquid crystal display;

(3) An electrode material discharge device used for forming electrodes of an organic EL (ElectroLuminescence) display, a Field Emission Display (FED), or the like;

(4) A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid containing a biological organic material used for manufacturing a biochip;

(5) A sample ejecting device as a precision pipette;

(6) A lubricating oil discharge device;

(7) A resin liquid ejecting device;

(8) A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects lubricating oil to precision machinery such as a timepiece or a camera by a needle;

(9) A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a transparent resin liquid such as an ultraviolet curable resin liquid onto a substrate in order to form a micro hemispherical lens (optical lens) or the like used in an optical communication element or the like;

(10) A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects an acidic or alkaline etching liquid for etching a substrate or the like;

(11) A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects other arbitrary minute droplets.

The "liquid" may be any material that can be consumed by the liquid ejecting apparatus. For example, the "liquid" may be a material in a state where the substance is in a liquid phase, and a material in a liquid state having a relatively high or low viscosity, and a material in a liquid state such as a sol, gel water, other inorganic solvent, organic solvent, solution, liquid resin, or liquid metal (metal melt) are also included in the "liquid". In addition, not only a liquid in one state of matter but also particles in which a functional material composed of a solid substance such as a pigment or metal particles is dissolved, dispersed or mixed in a solvent are included in the "liquid". Typical examples of the liquid include ink and liquid crystal. Here, the ink refers to a substance including various liquid compositions such as general water-based ink and oil-based ink, gel ink, hot melt ink, and the like.

(1) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head for manufacturing a second liquid ejection head using a portion of a first liquid ejection head. In the manufacturing method, the first liquid ejection head includes: a first member including a nozzle surface formed such that a plurality of nozzle rows are arranged in a first direction; a second member including a flow path for supplying liquid to each of the nozzles constituting the nozzle row; a first screw that fixes the first member and the second member, a second dimension of the second member in the first direction being smaller than a first dimension of the first member in the first direction, the manufacturing method including: an arranging step of arranging a plurality of the first members; and a first fixing step of fixing the plurality of first members arranged on the carriage, wherein a distance between two adjacent first members in the first direction among the plurality of first members arranged in the arranging step is smaller than a distance between two first members in the first direction when the two first liquid ejection heads are arranged closely in the first direction. According to this aspect, the second liquid ejection head in which the first member is arranged at a higher density can be manufactured as compared with the case where a plurality of first liquid ejection heads are arranged in a row.

(2) In the above aspect, in the arranging step, a distance of a gap in the first direction between the nozzle surfaces of two adjacent ones of the plurality of first members may be smaller than a dimension of one of the nozzle surfaces in the first direction. According to the manufacturing method of this aspect, the density of the nozzles of the second liquid ejection head in the first direction can be made higher than the density of the nozzles of the first liquid ejection head in the first direction.

(3) In the above aspect, the first fixing step may include a second fixing step of fixing the first member and the carriage by a second screw, and the screw hole formed in the first member and used for fixing the first member and the second member in the first liquid ejection head may be a screw hole used for fixing the first member and the second member in the first liquid ejection head. According to the manufacturing method of this aspect, it is not necessary to separately provide a screw hole for fixing the first member and the carriage. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the second liquid ejection head can be reduced as compared with the case where screw holes are separately provided.

(4) In the above aspect, the second fixing step may include a third fixing step of fixing the first member by sandwiching the first member between the carriage and the head of the second screw. According to the manufacturing method of this aspect, the position of the first member with respect to the carriage and the position of the head of the second screw with respect to the first member can be made the same. Therefore, the second screw can be fixed to the carriage from the first member side, and therefore, the operability in fixing the screw is improved.

(5) In the above aspect, the manufacturing method may further include, before the aligning step, a step of removing the first screws that fix the first member and the second member. According to the manufacturing method of this aspect, the second member can be detached from the first member before the step of aligning the first member.

(6) In the above aspect, the manufacturing method may further include a mounting step of mounting a third member including a flow path for supplying the liquid to the nozzle on the first member after the step of removing the first screw. According to the manufacturing method of this aspect, the supply of the liquid to the first member via the third member can be achieved in the second liquid ejection head. Therefore, the second liquid ejection head manufactured by the manufacturing method is easy to stably supply the liquid to the third member.

(7) In the above aspect, a size of the third member in the first direction may be smaller than a size of the second member in the first direction, a number of the third members may be equal to a number of the first members, and the mounting step may include a fourth fixing step of fixing each of the plurality of third members to each of the first members. According to the manufacturing method of this aspect, since the third member is small, the third member can be easily manufactured.

(8) In the above aspect, the third member may be larger than the second members, and the number of the third members may be smaller than the number of the first members, and the third member may be fixed across at least two of the plurality of first members in the mounting step. According to the manufacturing method of this aspect, the third member can be attached to the plurality of first members at one time. Further, the number of parts can be reduced.

(9) In the above aspect, the flow path of the third member may be branched. According to the manufacturing method of this aspect, since the third member is branched, the inlet to the flow passage formed in the third member can be reduced. This facilitates miniaturization of the third member.

(10) In the above aspect, the third member may include three or more inlet members in which inlets of the flow passages of the third member are formed, and the three or more inlet members may be two-dimensionally arranged on a surface of the outer wall surface of the third member opposite to the nozzle surface. According to the manufacturing method of this aspect, the size of the third member in one direction can be easily reduced as compared with the case where the inlet member is linearly arranged.

(11) In the above aspect, a direction in which the nozzle rows extend may be a second direction and one direction orthogonal to the second direction may be a third direction on the nozzle surface, and the first member may include a connector including a plurality of terminals facing the third direction. According to the manufacturing method of this aspect, the second liquid ejection head that can be electrically connected to the outside by the connector can be manufactured.

(12) In the above aspect, a length of the nozzle row in the second direction may be longer than a length of the plurality of terminals in the connector in a third direction on the nozzle surface. According to the manufacturing method of this aspect, the nozzle row can be made long. Thus, the second liquid ejection head can eject liquid over a wide range. Further, an increase in the size of the second liquid ejection head in the second direction due to the connector can be suppressed.

(13) In the above aspect, the first liquid ejection head may further include an elastic body that is sandwiched between the first member and the second member. According to the manufacturing method of this aspect, the sealability between the first member and the second member in the second liquid ejection head can be improved.

The present disclosure can also be implemented in various ways other than the method of manufacturing the liquid ejection head. For example, the present invention can be realized in the form of a manufacturing process of a liquid ejection head, a manufacturing method and a manufacturing process of a liquid ejection apparatus including a liquid ejection head, and the like.

The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in order to solve part or all of the problems described above or to achieve part or all of the effects described above, technical features in embodiments corresponding to technical features in the respective aspects described in the summary of the invention may be appropriately replaced or combined. In addition, as long as the technical features are not described as essential technical features in the present specification, the technical features can be appropriately deleted.

Description of the symbols

12 8230a medium; 14, 8230and a liquid container; 20 \ 8230and a control part; 22\8230anda conveying mechanism; 23 \ 8230and a conveyer belt; 24 \ 8230a head moving mechanism; 25 \ 8230and a sliding frame; 36 \ 8230and a nozzle; 36s 8230and nozzle row; 100 \ 8230and liquid ejection devices; 142 \ 8230duct; 200, 8230a head unit; 201 \ 8230a supply side upper surface; 202\8230alower surface of the supply side; 205 \ 8230and a secondary unit; 210 \ 8230a nozzle side member; 212 \ 8230and nozzle surface; 218 \ 8230and connecting part; 220, 8230and a connector; 222, 8230a terminal part; 228, 8230and a sealing part; 229 \ 8230and a through hole; 230 \ 8230and a fixing part; 240 \ 8230a supply side member; 246 \ 8230a delivery needle; 260, 8230and screws; 300, 8230and a test head; 328 \ 8230and a sealing part; 340, 8230a test part; 360 deg.8230and screws; 390 8230A liquid ejection head; 400, 8230a head unit; 405, 8230and a secondary unit; 412' \ 8230and a supply channel; 414 \ 8230and branch flow channel; 416 \ 8230opening; 440 8230a supply side member; 446, 8230and feeding needle; 600, 8230a head unit; 640 8230a supply side member; 800, 8230a head unit; 840 8230a supply side member; 846 \8230aentrance part.

Claims (13)

1. A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head, a second liquid ejection head being manufactured using a part of a plurality of first liquid ejection heads,

the first liquid ejection head includes:

a first member including a nozzle surface formed such that a plurality of nozzle rows are arranged in a first direction;

a second member including a flow path for supplying liquid to each of the nozzles constituting the nozzle row;

a first screw that fixes the first member and the second member,

a dimension of the second member in the first direction, i.e., a second dimension, is smaller than a dimension of the first member in the first direction, i.e., a first dimension,

the manufacturing method comprises the following steps:

an arranging step of arranging a plurality of the first members;

a first fixing step of fixing the plurality of first members arranged on the carriage,

a distance of a gap in the first direction between two adjacent first members among the plurality of first members arranged in the arranging step is smaller than a distance of a gap in the first direction between two first members in a case where two first liquid ejection heads are arranged closely in the first direction.

2. A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein,

in the arranging step, a distance between the nozzle surfaces of two adjacent ones of the plurality of first members in the first direction is smaller than a dimension of one of the nozzle surfaces in the first direction.

3. A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the first fixing step includes a second fixing step of fixing the first member and the carriage with a second screw,

the screw hole formed in the first member for use in fixing the first member and the carriage is a screw hole used for fixing the first member and the second member in the first liquid ejection head.

4. A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to claim 3, wherein,

the second fixing step includes a third fixing step of fixing the first member by sandwiching the first member between the carriage and the head of the second screw.

5. A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein,

the manufacturing method further includes, before the aligning step, a step of removing the first screws that fix the first member and the second member.

6. A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to claim 5, wherein,

the manufacturing method further includes, after the step of removing the first screw, a step of attaching a third member including a flow path for supplying the liquid to the nozzle to the first member.

7. A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to claim 6, wherein,

the dimension of the third component in the first direction is smaller than the dimension of the second component in the first direction,

the number of the third parts is the same as the number of the first parts,

the mounting step includes a fourth fixing step of fixing each of the plurality of third members to the respective first members.

8. A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to claim 6, wherein,

the dimension of the third section in the first direction is larger than the dimension of the second section in the first direction,

the number of the third parts is less than the number of the first parts,

in the mounting step, the third member is fixed to at least two of the plurality of first members.

9. A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein,

the flow passage of the third member is branched.

10. A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to claim 6, wherein,

the third member includes three or more inlet members, each of which is a member in which an inlet of a flow passage of the third member is formed,

the three or more inlet members are two-dimensionally arranged on a surface of the outer wall surface of the third member opposite to the nozzle surface.

11. A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein,

on the nozzle surface, a direction in which the nozzle rows extend is defined as a second direction, and one direction orthogonal to the second direction is defined as a third direction,

the first member has a connector provided with a plurality of terminals facing the third direction.

12. A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to claim 11, wherein,

on the nozzle face, a length of the nozzle row in the second direction is longer than a length of the plurality of terminals in the connector in a third direction.

13. A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein,

the first liquid ejection head further includes an elastic body sandwiched between the first member and the second member.

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