JP2001315343A - Method for manufacturing printer head of ink jet head and printer head - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for manufacturing a printer head in which positional shift of a filter or deformation of an ink channel is reduced when the filter is secured to the printer head, and to provide a printer head. SOLUTION: Since a heater is cooled after heating a molten member and a filter is secured in the manifold of a printer head, mixing of foreign matters or positional shift of the filter is reduced during manufacture.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an ink jet printer head, and more particularly to a filter for removing air bubbles and foreign matters in ink and a method for fixing the filter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional ink jet apparatus, ink is supplied to a printer head which ejects ink from an ink tank for storing ink through an ink supply pipe.
Printing defects occur when foreign matter or air bubbles are present in the supplied ink. Therefore, a filter is provided in the ink supply pipe to filter the ink supplied to the printer head to remove foreign matter and the like.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional ink jet printer head. The printer head 1 includes an actuator 10 for ejecting ink from an ink ejection channel formed inside, a manifold 20 for supplying ink to the ink ejection channel, an ink supply pipe 52, an ink receiving port 50, and the like. The ink stored in the ink tank of the ink jet device (not shown) passes through the ink receiving port 50 and the ink supply pipe 52,
It is supplied to the manifold 20. The manifold 20 is
The supplied ink is guided and supplied to an ink ejection channel of the actuator 10. If foreign matter or bubbles are present in the supplied ink, clogging or the like of the ink ejection channel is likely to occur and printing defects are likely to occur. Therefore, it is necessary to remove foreign matter and the like. To remove foreign matter and the like, the mesh filter 26A is fixed to the storage case 53 and the ink supply pipe 52 is removed.
The storage case 53 is connected to the ink inlet of
Foreign matter and the like in the ink passing through 6A is removed. In the method of fixing the filter 26A to the storage case 53, in order to reduce the number of parts, the periphery of the filter is welded and fixed by a melting member that is melted by heat.

[0004]

However, since a filter for removing foreign matter and the like is provided at the entrance of the ink supply pipe, ink is ejected in the ink flow path from the ink supply pipe to the common ink chamber in the manifold. It is not possible to remove air bubbles generated due to pressure fluctuations at the time of manufacturing and foreign substances generated during manufacturing.

When a filter is welded by melting a melting member by a heating device or the like, the position of the filter may be displaced, or the flow path of the ink that is in close contact with the filter may be deformed by heat. Due to the displacement of the filter and the deformation of the ink flow path, the ink flow path cannot be covered with the filter, and ink foreign matter that does not pass through the filter may flow into the printer head without being removed.

An object of the present invention, in view of the above problems, is to provide a method of manufacturing a printer head and a printer head in which the displacement of the filter and the deformation of the ink flow path are reduced.

[0007]

The above object is achieved by the following means.

(1) In a method of manufacturing an ink jet printer head for fixing a filter through which the ink passes to a printer head for ejecting the supplied ink, the printer head is melted by heat at a position where the filter is fixed. A first step of placing the melting member and a positioning member that regulates the position of the filter, the filter whose position is regulated by the positioning member on the melting member, and pressing a heating device against the filter; Heating the melting member to apply the filter to the printer head, and a third step of blowing air to the heating device to separate the heating device from the filter. A method of manufacturing an ink jet printer head, comprising fixing the filter.

(2) An ink jet printer head comprising: an actuator having an ink ejection channel for ejecting ink; and a manifold having a common ink chamber for supplying ink to the ink ejection channel of the actuator. An ink jet printer head, comprising: a filter fixed at the entrance of the common ink chamber by melting a fusible member surrounding an ink flow path.

(3) An actuator having ink ejection channels for ejecting ink arranged in two rows, and an ink ejection channel for each row of the actuators is provided in the actuator.
Two manifolds having a common ink chamber for supplying ink, and an ink jet printer head having a structure in which the actuator is sandwiched between the two manifolds in the direction in which the ink ejection channels are arranged;
An ink jet printer head, comprising: a filter fixed at the entrance of the common ink chamber of each of the two manifolds by melting a fusible member surrounding an ink flow path.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, the supply of ink to the printer head will be described below. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an ink jet printer head. In the figure, the printer head 1 is in a state where the covers of the manifolds 20 and 30 are removed.

The printer head 1 includes an actuator 1
0, manifold 20, 30, ink receiving port 50,
It has an ink supply pipe 52. The ink stored in the ink tank of the ink jet device (not shown) is supplied to the ink receiving port 5 connected to the ink supply port 51 of the apparatus main body.
0 is supplied to the printer head 1. The supplied ink branches from the ink supply pipe 52 to the manifold 20 and the manifold 30, and is guided to the actuator 10 that ejects ink from the common ink chamber of the manifolds 20 and 30.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram when the actuator and the manifold of the printer head are separated.

The actuator 10 is a piezoelectric material made of ceramic, which converts an AC electric field by an electric signal into mechanical vibration. The actuator 10 has ink ejection channels formed in two rows inside the actuator 10, and the ink ejection channels eject ink droplets onto a recording material such as recording paper by pressure due to mechanical vibration. The ejection of the ink in the ink ejection channel is electrically connected to a control unit of the apparatus main body via an FPC (flexible print circuit) 55, and the ink in the ink ejection channel is sent according to a control signal sent from the control unit. Inject from the hole in the nozzle panel 12.

The manifold 20 is arranged in one line of the ink ejection channel, and the manifold 30 is arranged in the other line of the ink ejection channel from the common ink chamber provided in the manifold to the ink flow path 14A for each ink ejection channel.
Supply ink via the. A filter 26A is provided in the common ink chamber of the manifold 20, and a filter 26B is provided in the common ink chamber of the manifold 30, and the ink supplied to the ink ejection channel passes therethrough. Filter 26A, 26
B denotes a filter made of a mesh-shaped alloy steel such as stainless steel, which allows ink to pass therethrough to remove foreign matter and bubbles in the ink. The ability of the filters 26A and 26B to remove foreign matter and the like is determined according to the size of the diameter of the ink ejection channel. For example, if the narrowest inner diameter in the ink ejection channel is 20 μm, the filter needs to be capable of removing foreign substances having a size of 7 μm, which is about １ ／ of the inner diameter. The position of the filter 26A is regulated by the positioning member 28A, and the filter 26B is positioned on the manifold 20.
The position is regulated and fixed to the manifold 30. A method for fixing the filter to the manifold will be described later.

The printer head 1 includes an actuator 10
The groove 16 of the manifold 20 and the protrusion 21 of the manifold 20, and the groove 17 of the actuator 10 and the protrusion 31 of the manifold 30 are fitted together and adhered by an adhesive, and are integrated. Is sandwiched between the two manifolds 20 and 30.

Next, the common ink chamber of the manifold having the filter will be described below.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a cross section of the printer head. In FIG.
It is the cross section seen in the VV direction.

The ink supplied from the ink supply pipe 52 is supplied to the flow path 27 A of the manifold 20 and the manifold 30.
To the flow path 27B. The ink branched to the flow path 27A is filtered by a filter 26A provided to cover the flow path 27A.
And is guided to the common ink chamber 25A. The common ink chamber 25A of the manifold 20 is
And the manifold 20 are integrated. For this reason, the wall surface of the common ink chamber 25A is
0, the wall of the manifold 20, and the filter 26A. The ink led to the common ink chamber 25A is:
The ink is supplied from an ink flow path 14A of the actuator 10 to an ink ejection channel 15A. Here, the filter 26A provided in the common ink chamber 25A is
May be provided so as to cover the ink flow path 14A at the entrance. Also, when air bubbles are present in the common ink chamber 25A when the ink ejection channel 15A ejects ink, the bubbles absorb the pressure for ejecting the ink, and the ink ejection ability is reduced. Therefore, the common ink chamber 25A is filled with ink.

Similarly, the ink branched to the flow path 27B of the manifold 30 passes through the filter 26B and is supplied from the common ink chamber 25B to the ink ejection channel 15B of the actuator 10.

Next, a manufacturing method for fixing the filter to the manifold will be described below. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a manufacturing method in which a part of the manifold of the printer head of FIG. 4 is enlarged and a filter is fixed to an inlet through which ink supplied to a common ink chamber of the manifold flows. A first step of mounting the filter on the manifold, (B) is a second step of heating the melting member of the manifold by a heating device to melt and weld the filter, and (C) a third step of blowing air to the heating jig to separate the filter from the filter. It is a process.

In the first step, the filter 26A whose position is regulated by the positioning member 28A is placed on the melting member 29A of the manifold 20. The melting member 29A is a member made of a fusible resin or the like that melts by heat, and is provided at a position where the peripheral portion of the filter 26A is welded so as to cover the flow path 27A when it is welded. The positioning member 28A regulates the position of the filter 26A mounted on the melting member 29A so that the position covering the flow path 27A when welding with the melting member 29A does not shift.

In the second step, the heating device 40 is
A through the filter 26A and the melting member 29
Heat A. The heating melts the melting member 29A and enters the mesh-like filter 26A, and the manifold 20A
The filter 26A is welded. The heating device 40 heats and melts the melting member 29A to a temperature of about 300 degrees C. The pressing pressure may be such that the melting member 29A is melted and deformed. Since the filter 26A is made of an alloy steel such as stainless steel having a melting point higher than the heating temperature of the heating device 40, deformation due to heat is very small.

In the third step, after blowing air to the heating device 40, the heating device 40 is separated from the filter 26A in the X direction. The blown air takes heat and is exhausted from the vent 42, and the heating device 40 is instantaneously cooled. For this reason,
When the heating device 40 is separated from the filter 26A,
It is less likely that the filter 26A moves in the X direction together with the heating device 40, and that a part of the melting member 29A attached to the heating device 40 falls into the manifold 20 and becomes a foreign material during manufacturing. When the heating device 40 is separated, the melting member 29A that has entered the filter 26A cools down, and the filter 26A is fixed to the manifold 20. The filter 26A, which has been fixed by welding, allows the ink supplied to the printer head to pass therethrough and removes foreign matter and the like in the ink.

The welding of the heating device 40 may be welding performed by heat generated by molecular vibration by ultrasonic waves.

FIG. 6 is an example of a schematic view of the manifold 20 on which the filter 26A is mounted in the first step of manufacturing the printer head. FIG. 6A is a top view, and FIG. 6B is a sectional view.
The melting member 29A is provided so as to surround the flow path 27A, and the peripheral portion of the filter 26A is welded by the melting member 29A to bring the flow path 27A and the filter 26A into close contact with each other. Here, since the melting member 29A and the positioning member 28A are integrally formed on the manifold 20 of the printer head, the number of parts and the number of assembling operations of the manifold 20 are reduced. When the height h of the melting member 29A is equal to or greater than the thickness t of the filter 26A, the melting member 29A
Sufficiently enters the mesh of the filter 26A and the flow path 27
This is preferable because the degree of adhesion between A and the filter 26A increases.
Furthermore, the flow path 27A of the heating device 40 and the manifold 20
, The deformation of the flow path 27A due to heat is reduced. The fixing of the filter 26B of the manifold 30 is performed in the same manner as the fixing method described above.

FIG. 7 shows a manifold 2 having a configuration different from that shown in FIG.
0 is an example of a schematic diagram, in which (A) is a top view and (B) is a cross-sectional view.

The melting member 29A is provided so as to double surround the ink flow path 27A which is the entrance of the common ink chamber 25A, and the mounting area of the melting member 29A on which the filter 26A is mounted is increased. Due to the increased mounting area, the filter 2
The positioning member is not provided on the manifold 20 because the displacement when welding the 6A is reduced. Also,
If the height h of the fusion member 29A is set to be at least twice the thickness t of the filter 26A and the number of the fusion members 29A is increased, the double fusion member 29 is meshed with the mesh of the filter 26A when welding is performed.
A melts and the welded portions overlap, and the filter 26A and the flow path 2
The degree of adhesion with 7A is increased.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a manifold in which the filters are welded by a doubly provided melting member, and the welded portions overlap.

That is, the two manifolds 20, 30
At the entrance of each common ink chamber, there is provided a filter fixed by melting a fusible member surrounding the ink flow path.

In the present embodiment, the printer head has been described as having a structure in which the actuator 10 is sandwiched between the two manifolds 20 and 30. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The printer head is provided with a filter and ejects the supplied ink. Any structure is acceptable.

The actuator 10 may eject ink by pressure generated by heat generated in the ink ejection channel.

[0034]

According to the present invention, the length of the ink flow path to the ink jetting channel is shortened by the filter provided in the manifold, so that the influence of bubbles during ink jetting is reduced and the melting member is heated. A method of manufacturing a printer head and a printer head are provided, in which foreign matter during manufacturing, displacement of a filter, and deformation of a flow path of supplied ink are reduced by cooling the heating device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional ink jet printer head.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an ink jet printer head.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram when an actuator and a manifold of a printer head are separated.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a cross section of the printer head.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a manufacturing method for fixing a filter to a manifold of a printer head.

FIG. 6 is an example of a schematic view of a manifold on which a filter is mounted.

FIG. 7 is an example of a schematic view of a manifold having a form different from that of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 shows a filter welded with a doubly provided melting member,
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the manifold where welding points overlap.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 20 manifold 26A filter 27A flow path 28A positioning member 29A melting member 40 heating device 42 vent

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F-term (reference) 2C056 EA15 HA16 HA17 KB25 KB29 2C057 AF72 AF78 AF93 AG14 AG77 AP11 AP27 AP77

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A method for manufacturing an ink jet printer head for fixing a filter through which ink is supplied to a printer head for ejecting supplied ink, wherein the printer head is melted by heat at a position where the filter is fixed. A member, and a positioning member that regulates the position of the filter, a first step of placing the filter whose position is regulated by the positioning member on the melting member, and pressing a heating device against the filter. A second step of heating the melting member and welding the filter to the printer head; and a third step of blowing air to the heating device to separate the heating device from the filter. A method for manufacturing an ink jet printer head, comprising fixing a filter. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the height of the melting member is equal to or greater than the thickness of the filter. 3. The melting member and the positioning member,
3. The method for manufacturing an ink jet printer head according to claim 1, wherein the ink jet printer head is integrally formed on the printer head. 4. An ink flow path through which the supplied ink passes is provided at a position where the melting member fixes the filter.
4. The method for manufacturing an ink jet printer head according to claim 1, wherein the ink jet printer head is provided so as to surround the ink jet printer head. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the height of the fusion member is at least twice the thickness of the filter. 6. An actuator having an ink ejection channel for ejecting ink, a manifold having a common ink chamber for supplying ink to the ink ejection channel of the actuator,
An ink jet printer comprising: a filter fixed to an inlet of the common ink chamber of the manifold by melting a fusible member surrounding an ink flow path. head. 7. An actuator having ink ejection channels for ejecting ink arranged in two rows, and two manifolds having a common ink chamber for supplying ink to the ink ejection channels for each row of the actuators. An ink jet printer head having a structure in which the actuator is sandwiched between two manifolds in an arrangement direction of the ink ejection channels, wherein an ink flow path is surrounded at an entrance of the common ink chamber of each of the two manifolds. An ink jet printer head comprising a filter fixed by melting a fusible member. 8. The ink jet printer head according to claim 6, wherein the fusible member double surrounds the ink flow path.