JP2002240306A - Ink jet recorder and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink jet recorder and its manufacturing method, in which the space between an ink jet head and a cover thereof and a body frame for supporting them can be filled with filler while discharging air efficiently and the filling state can be confirmed easily. SOLUTION: In a filling step, filler is injected into the inner space 15 from an injection opening 12 (direction of arrow Y). Injected filler flows in the inner space 15 while pushing out the air and fills the inner space 15. Air is discharged from a discharge opening 13a provided at the end of the inner space 15 farthest from the injection opening 12 (direction of arrow Z). Consequently, the filler seals the electrical joint of a piezoelectric ink jet head 6 without leaving air in the inner space 15. Completion of filling can be known when the filler is discharged from the discharge opening 13a.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to an ink jet recording apparatus in which a space between an ink jet head, a cover for covering the ink jet head, and a main body frame supporting them is filled with a filler. The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An ink jet printer is a kind of an image forming apparatus for forming an image on recording paper as a printing medium, and performs printing by discharging ink from a plurality of nozzles provided on an ink jet head onto the recording paper. Things. This ink jet head generally includes a nozzle for discharging ink, a pressure chamber provided corresponding to the nozzle, and an actuator (pressure generating unit) for applying a pressure for discharging ink to the pressure chamber. While being in communication with the ink cartridge through an ink supply passage of the frame, the ink cartridge is fixed to the main body frame via, for example, a UV-based adhesive.

[0003] Here, the UV-based adhesive for fixing the ink jet head to the main body frame has excellent curing speed characteristics, but is inferior in ink resistance. Further, if ink, paper dust, dust, or the like adheres to the electrical connection portion provided on the actuator of the ink jet head, there is a risk that an electrical short circuit may occur. Therefore, in order to prevent the adhesion of ink, paper dust, dust, etc., a cover plate is provided on the main body frame, and the main body frame and the cover plate are configured to enclose the inkjet head except for the nozzle portion. I was

[0004]

However, simply enclosing the ink jet head between the main body frame and the cover plate causes ink, paper dust, dust and the like to enter through gaps between the main body frame and the cover plate. There was a problem that the problem could not be solved. Further, the connecting portion between the ink jet head and the ink supply passage of the main body frame is connected via a ring-shaped rubber packing provided around the connecting portion, and is pre-filled near the connecting portion in the space. It is conceivable to ensure the sealing property by covering the connecting portion with the filler.
However, in the configuration in which the filler is filled in the connecting portion in advance, it is difficult to cover the entire connecting portion with a sufficient absolute amount of the filler, or shrinkage distortion generated when the filler hardens. Therefore, there is a problem that the reliability of the seal is lacking.

[0005] Therefore, it has been attempted to solve the above-mentioned problems by injecting a filler into a space formed between the main body frame and the cover plate and filling the space with the filler. That is, an injection port communicating with the inside of the space is provided, and the filler is injected into the space from the injection port. However, since such a space is formed in a complicated shape, the air surrounded by the filler stays in the corners, and there is a problem that the inkjet head or the like cannot be completely covered with the filler. there were. In addition, since the inside of the space into which the filler is injected cannot be visually recognized from the outside, the filling state of the injected filler cannot be confirmed, and it cannot be confirmed whether the space has been filled with the filler. There was a problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and can efficiently fill a filler without leaving air in the space. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus and a method for manufacturing the same, which can easily confirm the condition.

[0007]

In order to achieve this object, an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention comprises a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink on a printing surface, and a plurality of nozzles provided corresponding to the plurality of nozzles. An ink jet head having a pressure chamber, and a plurality of pressure generating units for applying pressure for discharging the ink from the nozzles to the plurality of pressure chambers, and an ink for supplying ink to the ink jet head from an ink supply source A main body frame having a supply passage, the ink jet head being fixed in communication with the ink supply passage; and a main body frame being covered by the main body frame and enclosing the ink jet head together with the main body frame except for the plurality of nozzles. An inner space formed between the main body frame and the cover plate. In an ink jet recording apparatus filled with a filler, an injection port provided in communication with the internal space for injecting the filler into the internal space, and the filler injected from the injection port is filled in the internal space. An outlet provided in communication with an end of the internal space, which is substantially furthest from the inlet, for discharging out of the space.

According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the first aspect, the ink which flows from the ink supply source through the ink supply passage of the main body frame and is supplied to the ink jet head is distributed to the plurality of pressure chambers. Pressure is applied to the plurality of pressure chambers to which the ink is distributed by pressure generating units provided corresponding to the plurality of pressure chambers, and the ink is ejected from the corresponding nozzle to the print medium to perform printing.

Here, a cover plate is covered on the main body frame, and the ink jet head is accommodated in an internal space formed between the main body frame and the cover plate. When the filler is injected into the internal space, the filler is injected from an injection port provided in communication with the internal space, and the filler flows into the internal space. When the filler is further injected, the filler flows while extruding the air in the internal space from a discharge port provided in communication with an end of the internal space which is almost furthest from the injection port, thereby filling the internal space. Filled with agent. The filling is completed when the filler starts to flow out of the discharge port.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet recording apparatus of the first aspect, the inlet and the outlet are formed in the main body frame on a side opposite to a side on which the cover plate is covered. Have been.

According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the second aspect, the ink jet recording apparatus operates in the same manner as the ink jet recording apparatus of the first aspect, and the filler injected from the injection port is provided between the main body frame and the cover plate. The filling of the formed internal space is confirmed by the discharge port formed in the main body frame on the side opposite to the side on which the cover plate is covered.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the second aspect, the discharge port is provided not only at an end of the internal space but also on the way from the inlet to the end. Have been.

According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the third aspect, the ink jet recording apparatus operates in the same manner as the ink jet recording apparatus of the second aspect, and the filler injected from the injection port is supplied to the end of the internal space from the injection port. The filling status is confirmed at the discharge port provided on the way to.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the ink jet recording apparatus according to the third aspect, wherein the plurality of outlets are scattered with each outlet being separated from the other outlet by a predetermined distance. Each outlet is drilled with at least two types of inner diameters so that each outlet has a different inner diameter corresponding to a position where the respective outlet is drilled into the main body frame. ing.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet recording apparatus of the fourth aspect, the plurality of outlets are formed in the main body frame with different inner diameters depending on a distance from the inlet. The larger the distance from the inlet, the larger the inner diameter.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, a joint portion between the main body frame and the cover plate is sealed with a sealant. I have.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing an ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink on a printing surface; a plurality of pressure chambers provided corresponding to the plurality of nozzles; The ink-jet head and the cover plate, so that the nozzle opening side of the ink-jet head having a plurality of pressure generating units for applying pressure for discharging the ink from the nozzles is covered with a cover plate except for the plurality of nozzles. Position, the inkjet head is covered by the main body frame from the side opposite to the cover plate, and such that the inkjet head and the ink supply passage of the main body frame communicate with each other, the cover plate and the inkjet head To position and position the body frame A filling step is performed by injecting a filler into an internal space formed between the main body frame and the cover plate by the positioning step and accommodating the ink jet head and communicating with the internal space. And filling the filler until the filler is discharged from a discharge port communicating with the end of the internal space which is almost furthest from the inner space.

An ink jet recording apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the ink jet recording apparatus according to the seventh aspect, further comprising a fixing step of fixing the ink jet head to the main body frame after the positioning step and before the filling step. ing.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the seventh aspect, after the positioning, a sealing agent is applied to a joint portion between the main body frame and the cover plate, and the joint is formed. A sealing step for sealing the parts is provided.

[0020]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a color inkjet printer as an inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the color inkjet printer 100 includes, for example, an ink cartridge 61 filled with four color inks of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, respectively, and a piezoelectric inkjet head 6 for printing on paper 62. A head unit 63, a carriage 64 on which the ink cartridge 61 and the head unit 63 are mounted, a drive unit 65 for reciprocating the carriage 64 in a linear direction, and a piezoelectric inkjet head 6 extending in the reciprocating direction of the carriage 64. The apparatus includes a platen roller 66 and a purge device 67 that are arranged to face each other.

The drive unit 65 includes a carriage shaft 71 disposed at the lower end of the carriage 64 and extending parallel to the platen roller 66, a guide plate 72 disposed at the upper end of the carriage 64 and extending parallel to the carriage shaft 71, The pulley 73 includes two pulleys 73 and 74 disposed between the shaft 71 and the guide plate 72 at both ends of the carriage shaft 71, and an endless belt 75 stretched between the pulleys 73 and 74.

When one pulley 73 is rotated forward and backward by the driving of the motor, the carriage 64 joined to the endless belt 75 is driven by the forward and reverse rotation of the pulley 73 to move the carriage shaft 71 and the guide. It is reciprocated in a linear direction along the plate 72.

The paper 62 is formed by the ink jet printer 10.
The paper is fed from a paper feed cassette (not shown) provided on the side of the ink jet head 6, and is introduced between the piezoelectric ink jet head 6 and the platen roller 66, and is discharged by the ink ejected from the piezoelectric ink jet head 6. A predetermined print is made, and then the paper is discharged. In FIG. 1, illustration of a paper feed mechanism and a paper discharge mechanism of the paper 62 is omitted.

The purge device 67 is provided on the side of the platen roller 66 and is disposed so as to face the piezoelectric ink jet head 6 when the head unit 63 is at the reset position. The purge device 67 includes a purge cap 81 that abuts against an opening surface of the nozzle of the piezoelectric inkjet head 6 so as to cover a plurality of nozzles, which will be described later, a pump 82 and a cam 83, and an ink storage unit 8.
When the head unit 63 is at the reset position, the nozzles of the piezoelectric inkjet head 6 are covered with a purge cap 81 to remove defective ink including air bubbles accumulated inside the piezoelectric inkjet head 6. The piezoelectric ink-jet head 6 is recovered by suction by the pump 82 by driving the cam 83. The sucked defective ink is stored in the ink storage unit 84.

The cap 85 covers the plurality of nozzles 22 (see FIG. 2) of the piezoelectric ink jet head 6 mounted on the carriage 64 which is returned to the reset position when printing is completed in order to prevent drying of the ink. .

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are perspective views of the head unit 63 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a top view of the main body frame 1 of the head unit 63. FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the main body frame 1 of the head unit 63. 2 to 5 and FIG. 9 show the head unit 63 with the ink cartridge 61 removed, and FIGS. 3 and 4 show each of the constituent members for easy understanding. The head unit 63 in a disassembled state is illustrated.

In these figures, a main body frame 1 mounted on a carriage 64 (see FIG. 1) is an injection-molded product made of a synthetic resin material such as polypropylene, polypropylene or the like.
It is formed in a substantially box shape with an open top (see FIG. 4), and a mounting portion 3 for detachably mounting the ink cartridge 61 is provided in this open portion. In one side portion 3a of the mounting portion 3, ink supply passages 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d that can be connected to an ink discharge portion (not shown) of the ink cartridge 61 mounted on the mounting portion 3 are formed. Each of the ink supply passages 4a to 4d is provided with a bottom plate 5 (see FIG. 3).
Are connected to the lower surface (the upper side in FIG. 3) of the main body frame 1 in which is formed. A packing (not shown) made of rubber or the like is provided on the outer periphery of each of the ink supply passages 4a to 4d so as to be able to come into close contact with the ink discharge section of the ink cartridge 61.

The bottom plate 5 includes a piezoelectric ink jet head 6
And is formed horizontally so as to project one step from the main body frame 1 (see FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 3, two support portions 8, 8 for arranging two piezoelectric ink jet heads 6 described later in parallel are formed on the bottom plate 5, and each of the support portions 8, 8 is formed. 8, a plurality of cavities 9a and 9b for fixing the piezoelectric inkjet head 6 with a UV adhesive 7;
Are formed so as to penetrate to the mounting section 3 side. The plurality of cavities 9a and 9b are formed at positions where the vicinity of four corners of one piezoelectric inkjet head 6 is fixed. In the present embodiment, at locations where one side (the long side in the embodiment) of the two support portions 8, 8 is adjacent, the voids 9 a, 9 a are formed on the back surfaces of the two piezoelectric inkjet heads 6, 6 arranged in parallel. It is formed wide so that it straddles.

An ink cartridge 61 is connected to one end of each of the support portions 8 via the above-described ink supply passages 4a to 4d.
There are provided communication portions 10a to 10d which communicate with the communication portion, and fitting grooves 11 having a figure-eight shape or the like in plan view are formed in the outer periphery of the communication portions 10a to 10d. A ring-shaped packing 47 made of rubber or the like is inserted into the fitting groove 11. When the piezoelectric ink jet head 6 is bonded and fixed to the main body frame 1, the tip of the packing 47 has a piezoelectric This is pressed against the outer periphery of the supply port 21 (see FIG. 6) of the ink jet head 6, and the contact point with the supply port 21 is sealed.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the piezoelectric ink-jet head 6. The piezoelectric ink-jet head 6 has a laminated cavity plate 20.
And a plate-type piezoelectric actuator 30 that is bonded and laminated to the cavity plate 20 via an adhesive or an adhesive sheet (not shown), and is overlapped on the upper surface thereof for electrical connection with an external device. And the flexible flat cable 40 is provided, and the ink supplied from the ink cartridge 61 through the supply port 21 provided on the upper surface side (upper side in FIG. 6) of the cavity plate 20 is directed to the lower surface side (lower side in FIG. 6). The ink is ejected downward (downward in FIG. 6) from the opened nozzle 22.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the cavity plate 20, and FIG.
FIG. 2 is an exploded enlarged perspective view of FIG. FIG. 8 shows a cross section cut in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the cavity plate 20. Cavity plate 20
As shown in FIG. 7, the nozzle plate 23, the two manifold plates 24 and 25, the spacer plate 2
6, a structure in which five thin metal plates of the base plate 27 are laminated by bonding with an adhesive. In the present embodiment, each of the plates 23 to 27 is made of a 42% nickel alloy steel plate (42 alloy) and has a thickness of 50 μm to 150 μm.
About the same thickness. Each of these plates 2
3 to 27 are not limited to being made of metal, and may be formed of, for example, resin.

As shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of narrow pressure chambers 28 extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the base plate 27 are formed in the base plate 27 in two rows in a staggered arrangement. Further, on the spacer plate 26 side of the base plate 27, a constricted portion 28d connected to each pressure chamber 28 and an ink supply hole 28b connected to the constricted portion 28d are recessed. Each ink supply hole 28b
Are connected to a common ink chamber 30 in the manifold plate 25 through respective ink supply holes 29 formed in both right and left portions of the spacer plate 26.

One end 28a of each pressure chamber 28 is connected to the staggered nozzles 22 of the nozzle plate 23 by the spacer plate 26 and the two manifold plates 24,
25 through a small diameter through-hole 32 also formed in a staggered arrangement.

As shown in FIG. 7, two ink supply ports 21 for supplying ink from a common ink cartridge to two common ink chambers 30 in the manifold plate 25 are provided in the base plate 27 and the spacer plate 26, respectively. 21, 21a and 21a are respectively formed.

As shown in FIG. 7, a common ink chamber 30 is provided between the two manifold plates 24 and 25 across the row of the plurality of nozzles 22 in the nozzle plate 23, as shown in FIG.
And extends long in parallel with the nozzle row. The common ink chambers 30 and 31 are located in a plane parallel to a plane formed by the plurality of pressure chambers 28 in the base plate 27, and are closer to the opening surfaces of the plurality of nozzles 22 in the nozzle plate 23 than the plurality of pressure chambers 28. It is located in.

The ends of the common ink chambers 30, 31 are
It is bent toward the center to communicate with the ink supply ports 21, 21, 21a, 21a and the like. The upper surface of the upper common ink chamber 30 is sealed by stacking the spacer plate 26 on the manifold plate 25. The lower common ink chamber 31 is recessed in the manifold plate 24 with its bottom closed.

In the nozzle plate 23, a plurality of ink discharging nozzles 22 having a very small diameter (about 25 μm in this embodiment) are arranged in a staggered pattern at a constant interval of a small pitch along the longitudinal direction of the nozzle plate 23. It is drilled in.

The piezoelectric actuator 30 is disclosed in
In a configuration similar to that described in JP-A-41851, a plurality of piezoelectric application electrodes corresponding to the respective pressure chambers 28 are formed on the piezoelectric sheet, and a plurality of pressure generating sections corresponding to the respective pressure chambers 28 are selectively provided. To apply pressure to the pressure chamber 28 to eject ink from the nozzle 22.

A cover plate 44 made of an elastic thin metal plate is fixed to the front surface (upper side in FIG. 2) of the piezoelectric ink jet head 6 so as to cover the piezoelectric ink jet head 6. The cover plate 44 is formed in a box shape including a bottom wall 44b having a hole 44a for accommodating the nozzle plate 23 so that the nozzle 22 faces the outside, and a side wall 44c rising from the periphery of the bottom wall. A flange 44d is formed so as to protrude from the outer periphery of the opening, that is, the side surface of the side wall 44c opposite to the bottom wall 44b.

The main body frame 1 includes a cover plate 44.
Grooves 50, 5 for inserting side walls 44c and flanges 44d
1 is provided. That is, ribs 52, 52 which stand up at intervals on both sides of the bottom plate 5 are formed on the main body frame 1, and grooves 50 are formed between the side surfaces of the bottom plate 5 and the ribs 52. A groove 51 is formed in the main body frame 1 along one side surface of the bottom plate 5 adjacent to the side surface of the bottom plate 5. The grooves 50, 50, 51 are substantially U-shaped along three sides of the bottom plate 5. Grooves 50 and 5 along rib 52
The end of the bottom plate 5 (the end opposite to the groove 51) is connected to the side surface 5a of the bottom plate 5.

At the bottom of the groove 51 corresponding to the end of the support portion 8, two adjacent communication portions 10a, 10b and 10c,
Filler 46 such as a silicone resin corresponding to 10 d
Are formed.
Each of the injection ports 12 is opened on the side opposite to the side where the cover plate 44 is covered by penetrating the main body frame 1, that is, on the ink cartridge mounting section 3 side. A plurality of outlets 13a (FIGS. 3 and 10) are formed in the side surface 5a of the bottom plate 5 at the end of the support portion 8 opposite to the end. Each of the discharge ports 13a is opened on the side opposite to the side where the cover plate is laid through the main body frame 1, that is, on the ink cartridge mounting section 3 side. The fitting groove 11 is closed at a position corresponding to the inlet 12 by a wall 11a, and has two communicating portions 10a, 10b (10c, 10c).
The openings 11b, 1 communicating with the groove 51 at the positions corresponding to d)
1b.

Further, a groove 50 is provided at the center of each support portion 8.
A groove 53 extending parallel to the groove 50 is formed. One end of the groove 53 communicates with the fitting groove 11 at a position between the communicating portions 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d and extends in parallel with the groove 50, and the other end has a bottom plate. 5 is connected to the side surface 5a. In addition, each support portion 8
Are formed with a plurality of outlets 13b penetrating through the main body frame 1 and opening to the mounting portion 3 side of the ink cartridge.

A cover plate 54 (FIG. 2) that covers the flexible flat cable 40 extending along the side surface is fixed to the side surface of the main body frame 1 that is continuous with the side surface portion 5a of the bottom plate 5. The flexible flat cable 40 has a driving circuit chip 55 for driving the piezoelectric actuator 30, and a rubber or sponge-like elastic body fixed to the side surface of the main body frame 1 so that the chip 55 contacts the cover plate 54. 56. As a result, the chip 55 emits heat generated by the driving, using the cover plate 54 as a heat radiating plate.

Next, a method of manufacturing the head unit 63 by assembling the piezoelectric ink jet head 6 to the main body frame 1 will be described. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 9, and FIGS. 11 and 12 are cross-sectional views taken along line XI-XI and XII-XII of FIG. 5, respectively. 10 shows a state before the filler 46 is filled in the internal space 15 in which the piezoelectric inkjet head 6 is housed, and FIGS. 11 and 12 show a state after the filler 46 is filled. Is shown.

In assembling the head unit 63, first, the two piezoelectric ink jet heads 6, 6 are relatively positioned and then fixed to the main body frame 1. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the cover plate 44 is placed on a contact surface of a jig (not shown) with its front face down. Then, the two piezoelectric inkjet heads 6, 6
With the nozzle plate 23 corresponding to the hole 44a of the cover plate 44 and the open surface of the nozzle 22 (the lower surface of the cavity plate 20 (the lower side in FIGS. 7 and 8) facing downward), the rows of the nozzles 22 are parallel. The piezoelectric inkjet heads 6 and 6 are placed on the cover plate 44 while being positioned by a jig so that the piezoelectric inkjet heads are arranged at predetermined intervals. At this time,
Between the piezoelectric ink jet head 6 and the cover plate 44, a sealant also serving as an adhesive is interposed to bond the two.

Next, the main body frame 1 is covered from above the piezoelectric ink jet heads 6,6. then,
Each of the piezoelectric ink jet heads 6 is set to correspond to each of the support portions 8, and then a modified acrylic resin-based adhesive as a quick-curing adhesive is applied to each of the cavities 9 a and 9 b from the upper surface of the main body frame 1. Fig. 12 shows the viscous UV adhesive 7
Then, as shown by the arrow X, filling is performed, and then ultraviolet rays are irradiated from above the main body frame 1 toward the cavities 9a and 9b. Then, the UV adhesive 7 solidifies in a short time (within several tens of seconds).

When each piezoelectric ink jet head 6 is set on each support portion 8, each supply port 21 of the head 6 is brought into contact with the packing 47 at its periphery so that the communication portions 10a to 10
It is arranged so as to coincide with d. At this time, a slight gap 14 is formed between each support portion 8 and the flexible flat cable 40, the piezoelectric actuator 30, and the back surface of the cavity plate 20, and the UV adhesive 7 enters the gap 14. , And can be fixed in a state where no extra external force acts on the main body frame 1 to press any part of the piezoelectric inkjet head 6. Note that the cover plate 44 is not rigid enough to hold the two piezoelectric inkjet heads 6 and 6 immovably. Therefore, the cavity plates 20 of the two piezoelectric inkjet heads 6
The front surface of the nozzle is kept parallel to the contact surface of the jig,
The relationship between the two rows can also be accurately maintained.

Further, by arranging the cavities 9a and 9b near, for example, the four corners of the piezoelectric type ink jet head 6 having a rectangular shape in a plan view, when the UV adhesive 7 is solidified, the piezoelectric type accompanying shrinkage distortion of the adhesive can be obtained. The displacement of the inkjet head 6 can be minimized. Then, by solidifying the vicinity of the four corners of the piezoelectric ink jet head 6, a cap 85 (made of rubber or the like) for preventing the nozzle 22 from drying when not used while the piezoelectric ink jet head 6 is mounted on a printer later. When the front surface of the cavity plate 20 is pressed closely in FIG. 1), there is an advantage that deformation such that the plane of the cavity plate 20 is distorted hardly occurs.

Further, as shown in FIG.
The piezoelectric inkjet heads 6 are formed wide so as to straddle adjacent sides of the piezoelectric inkjet heads 6 arranged in parallel. Therefore, 1
Filling the space 9a with UV adhesive 7 and irradiating it with ultraviolet light allows the two units 6, 6 to be solidified at once, which can contribute to a reduction in working speed and a significant improvement in manufacturing efficiency. In addition, as the quick-curing adhesive, a moisture-curing adhesive or the like whose components are similar to the UV adhesive 7 can be used.
Further, the piezoelectric ink jet head 6 and the cover plate 44 are fixed to the main body frame 1 after both are fixed by an adhesive, but only the piezoelectric ink jet head 6 is first fixed to the main body frame 1 and then Alternatively, the cover plate 44 may be fixed to the piezoelectric ink jet head 6.

Next, the main body frame 1 fixed to each other
Then, the piezoelectric inkjet head 6 and the cover plate 44 are placed so that the nozzles 22 face upward as shown in FIG. 2, and the periphery of the cover plate 44 is sealed. That is, as described above, when the main body frame 1 is put on the piezoelectric ink jet head 6, the side walls 44 c and 44 d on the three sides of the cover plate 44 are formed in the grooves 5 around the bottom plate 5.
0, 51, and the sealant 45 is
As shown in FIG. 12, injection is performed between the side wall 44c and the inner surfaces of the grooves 50 and 51 so as to be placed on the flange 44d.

The flexible flat cable 40
Cover plate 54 is fixed to the side surface of main body frame 1 so as to cover. At this time, the joint between the lid plate 54 and the main body frame 1 is similarly sealed with a sealant. The sealing agent 4 is also provided between the remaining one side of the cover plate 44 and the lid plate 54.
The sealing is performed in the same manner as the sealing in step 5.

After the joint between the body frame 1 and the cover plate 44 is sealed, the process proceeds to a filling step, in which the filler is introduced into the internal space 15 formed between the body frame 1 and the cover plate 44. Fill 46. That is, as shown in FIG. 10, the filler is injected into the injection port 12 from the mounting portion 3 side (arrow Y direction). The injected filler 46 is
The air in the internal space 15 flows through the internal space 15 while being pushed out from the outlets 13a and 13b. Filler 46
The flow path mainly extends from the groove 51 to the groove 50 and the groove 5
1 flows along the flow path along the groove 53, and the side wall 44 of the cover plate 44 corresponding to the grooves 51 and 50 in the former flow path
c Fill the space between the inner surface and the side surface of the bottom plate 5. In the latter flow path, first, the fitting groove 11 is filled, and the periphery of the supply port 21 of the cavity plate 20 and the communicating portions 10a to 10d are sealed together with the packing 47. Subsequently, the groove 53
It flows along the upper surface of the piezoelectric type ink jet head 6.

The filler 46 flowing along the grooves 50 and 53
Penetrates laterally from the flow direction, that is, also enters a narrow gap between the piezoelectric inkjet head 6 and the support portion 8.
Further, the filler 46 fills the space between the side surfaces 5 a of the bottom plate 5 and the inner surface of the side wall 44 c of the cover plate 44 from the ends of the grooves 50 and 53. Thereby, the piezoelectric ink jet head 6
Is sealed by a filler 46. As a result, the ink enters the internal space 15 to attack the UV adhesive 17 or to cause a short circuit accident of the electrical connection between the piezoelectric actuator 30 and the flexible flat cable 40. It is prevented from happening.

As described above, when the filler 46 flows, the discharge port 13a farthest from the inlet 12 and the groove 50,
Since the air in the space 15 is pushed out from the discharge port 13b corresponding to the narrow gap between the piezoelectric ink jet head 6 and the support portion 8 at a position away from the inner space 15,
The air can be prevented from remaining in the space, and the space 15 can be almost completely filled with the filler 46. When the filler 46 is filled, the filler 46 is sequentially discharged from each of the outlets 13b near the inlet 12, so that the inner space 1
5, the flow of the filler 46 can be determined, and the outlet 13a at the end of the furthest internal space 15
When it is discharged from, the completion of filling can be known. Therefore, variations in the molding dimensions of the components such as the main body frame 1 and the piezoelectric ink jet head 6, and the like,
Filling conditions such as temperature when filling the filler 46, or
Even if there is a variation in the filling characteristics of the filling device, by checking the discharge of the filler 46 from each of the outlets 13a and 13b, it is possible to know the filling state in the internal space 15 and to fill the filler 46. Defects can be easily found.

The outlets 13a and 13b are
Each is set to a different inner diameter, and in this embodiment,
The inner diameter increases as the distance from the inlet 12 increases. In other words, the inner diameter of the outlet 13b located closest to the outlet 12 at the distance from the inlet 12 is the smallest inner diameter, and the outlet 13a at the farthest distance from the inlet 12 is the largest. It is the inside diameter. Until the filler 46 reaches the end of the inner space 15 farthest from the inlet 12, the filler 46 continues to be discharged from the outlet 13b on the way, and the filler 46 is wasted. As described above, by setting the inner diameter to be smaller for the outlet (the outlet closer to the inlet 12) that discharges the filler 46 for a longer time, the amount of the filler 46 discharged from each outlet can be suppressed. Thus, the total amount of the filler 46 used to fill the internal space 15 can be reduced.

The inner diameter of each of the outlets 13a and 13b is
Although the setting is made in accordance with the distance from the injection port 12, it is desirable to appropriately change the setting in accordance with the shape in the internal space 15.
For example, although the distance from the injection port 12 is short, the shape inside the internal space 15 is complicated, or in a place where the direction becomes a blind spot from the injection port 12, the filler 46 is unlikely to flow, so that air is generated. Easy to stay. Therefore, by providing a large-diameter discharge port at such a location, such air can be reliably discharged.

The inlet 12 and each outlet 13a, 1
3b can be provided on the cover plate 44 side,
Not only does it impair the aesthetics of the product, but also it is necessary to remove the filler 46 adhering therearound. Therefore, it is necessary to pierce the main body frame 1 on the side opposite to the side where the cover plate 44 is provided. desirable.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 9, the connecting portion between the communicating portions 10a to 10d of the main body frame 1 and the respective supply ports 21 of the piezoelectric ink jet head 6 is connected to the communicating portion 1a.
Sealing is performed by a ring-shaped rubber-made packing 47 inserted into a fitting groove 11 that is recessed in the outer circumference of Oa to 10d. It is desirable to fill in advance. Thereby, in the fixing step of bonding and fixing the piezoelectric ink jet head and the main body frame 1, the tip of each packing 47 is pressed against the outer periphery of the supply hole 21, and at the same time, the sealant 45 comes into contact with the piezoelectric ink jet head 6. , The sealing portion with the supply hole 21 can be sealed. Then, the filler 46 injected in the filling step can further cover and seal such a seal portion, thereby improving the reliability of the seal.

As described above, the present invention has been described based on the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Can easily be inferred.

For example, the discharge ports 13a, 13b of this embodiment
Has a configuration in which a plurality of holes are formed in the main body frame 1, but at least one discharge port is formed in the end of the internal space 15, which is almost furthest from the inlet 12,
Alternatively, it is naturally possible to adopt a configuration in which a larger number of outlets are provided. Also, the case has been described where the inner diameter of each outlet is set to a different inner diameter depending on the position where the outlet is formed, but all the outlets may have the same inner diameter.

The head unit 63 of this embodiment is
Although the two piezoelectric ink jet heads 6 are arranged in parallel, the number of piezoelectric ink jet heads to be mounted is arbitrary, and a constitution including only one piezoelectric ink jet head may be adopted. A configuration in which a plurality of piezoelectric inkjet heads are provided in parallel may be employed.

[0062]

According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the first aspect, the internal space in which the ink jet head is housed has an injection port for injecting a filler, and an internal space which is substantially furthest from the injection port. And an outlet provided at the end. Thus, by injecting the filler from the inlet, there is an effect that such an internal space can be filled with the filler. Further, in this case, the filler injected from the inlet flows while pushing out the air in the internal space, and the air can be discharged from the outlet, so that the filler is almost completely filled in the internal space. In addition, it is possible to confirm that the internal space has been filled with the filler by visually checking the discharge of the filler from the discharge port.

According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the second aspect, in addition to the effect of the ink jet recording apparatus of the first aspect, an injection port for injecting the filler into the internal space and the injected filler are used. An outlet for discharging from the internal space is formed in the main body frame on the side opposite to the side on which the cover plate is covered. Therefore, the filler is injected and discharged from the side opposite to the cover plate, so that the function and aesthetics of the ink jet recording apparatus are not impaired, and the filler is removed from the inlet and the outlet. Can be omitted, and as a result, the production cost can be reduced.

According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the third aspect, in addition to the effect of the ink jet recording apparatus of the second aspect, the outlet for discharging the filler is directed from the inlet to the end of the internal space. The filler injected from the inlet fills the internal space while being discharged from the outlet provided on the way. Therefore, the air left on the way from the inlet to the end can be discharged from the outlet provided on the way, so that the air in the internal space can be efficiently discharged, and the internal space can be efficiently discharged. There is an effect that the filler can be more reliably filled in the inside.

Further, the filler is sequentially discharged from the outlets provided on the way from the respective outlets to which the filler flowing in the internal space has reached. It is possible to check the filling process to determine how far the filler has reached.

According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the fourth aspect, in addition to the effect of the ink jet recording apparatus of the third aspect, a plurality of outlets are provided interspersed. The inner diameters are different depending on the position where the outlet is provided. Therefore, there is an effect that the air in the internal space can be efficiently discharged, and the filler can be more reliably filled in the internal space. In other words, by arranging a discharge port with a larger inside diameter compared to other positions at a position where the shape inside the internal space is complicated and air easily stays, more filling is possible from such discharge ports than other discharge ports. Since the agent can be discharged, the air can be reliably discharged along with the discharge of the filler.

According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the fifth aspect, in addition to the effects of the ink jet recording apparatus of the fourth aspect, the inner diameter of each discharge port increases as the distance from the inlet increases. (Smaller inner diameter), the discharge time becomes longer (the distance from the inlet is short), the amount of filler discharged from the outlet can be suppressed, and the internal space is filled. There is an effect that the total amount of the required filler can be reduced.

According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the sixth aspect, in addition to the effects of the ink jet recording apparatus of any one of the first to fifth aspects, the joint between the main body frame and the cover plate is formed by a sealant. Sealed. Therefore, when the filler is injected into the internal space formed between the main body frame and the cover plate, it is possible to prevent the filler from leaking from the joint portion between the main body frame and the cover plate. So
It is possible to omit the processing step of removing the leaked filler, and as a result, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost. In addition, since the filler does not leak to the outside before being discharged from the outlet, the filler is reliably filled in the internal space.

According to the method of manufacturing an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, the ink jet head is accommodated in the internal space formed between the main body frame and the cover plate by the positioning step, and the internal space is filled with the ink. Depending on the process, the filler is injected from the injection port. Therefore, by injecting the filler from the inlet, there is an effect that such an internal space can be filled with the filler. Furthermore, in this case, the filler injected from the injection port flows while pushing out the air in the internal space,
Since such air can be discharged from the discharge port provided at the end, the filler can be almost completely filled in the internal space. There is an effect that it is possible to confirm whether or not the space is filled with the filler.

According to the method for manufacturing an ink jet recording apparatus according to the eighth aspect, in addition to the effect of the method for manufacturing an ink jet recording apparatus according to the seventh aspect, the ink jet head is moved to the main body frame after being positioned by the positioning step. It is fixed (fixing step), and after the fixing, the filling space is filled with the filler in the filling step. Therefore, the ink jet head can be fixed to the main body frame in a state where the ink jet head is accurately positioned with respect to the main body frame, so that there is an effect that the assembling accuracy of the ink jet head can be improved.

According to the method for manufacturing an ink jet recording apparatus according to the ninth aspect, in addition to the effects of the method for manufacturing an ink jet recording apparatus according to the seventh aspect, the joint between the main body frame and the cover plate is sealed. Through the process, a sealing agent is applied, and the joint portion is sealed. Therefore, when the filler is injected into the internal space formed between the main body frame and the cover plate, it is possible to prevent the filler from leaking from the joint portion between the main body frame and the cover plate. Therefore, it is possible to omit the processing step of removing the leaked filler, and as a result, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost. In addition, since the filler does not leak to the outside before being discharged from the outlet, the filler is reliably filled in the internal space.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a color inkjet printer as an inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a head unit.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the head unit in a state where it is disassembled for each constituent member.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the head unit in a state where it is disassembled for each constituent member.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the main body frame 1.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a piezoelectric inkjet head.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a cavity plate.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a part of the cavity plate.

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the main body frame.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 5;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 5;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body frame 4a-4d Ink supply passage 6 Piezoelectric inkjet head (inkjet head) 10a-10d Communication part (part of ink supply passage) 12 Injection port 13a, 13b Discharge port 15 Internal space 22 Nozzle 28 Pressure chamber 30 Piezoelectric actuator (Pressure generating part) 44 Cover plate 45 Sealant 46 Filler 61 Ink cartridge (ink supply source)

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of nozzles for discharging ink on a printing surface, a plurality of pressure chambers provided corresponding to the plurality of nozzles, and a pressure for discharging the ink from the nozzles to the plurality of pressure chambers. And an ink supply passage for supplying ink from an ink supply source to the ink-jet head, and the ink-jet head is fixedly connected to the ink supply passage. An interior formed between the body frame and the cover plate, comprising: a body frame; and a cover plate that is covered by the body frame and encloses the inkjet head except for the plurality of nozzles together with the body frame. In an ink jet recording apparatus in which a filler is filled in a space, the filler is filled in the internal space. An inlet provided in communication with the internal space for injecting the filler into the internal space; and an outlet of the internal space substantially furthest from the inlet to discharge the filler injected from the inlet out of the internal space. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a discharge port provided in communication with an end portion. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inlet and the outlet are formed in the main body frame on a side opposite to a side on which the cover plate is covered. 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the outlet is provided not only at the end of the internal space but also on the way from the inlet to the end. 4. The plurality of outlets are formed in the main body frame such that each outlet is spaced apart from the other outlets by a predetermined distance and is interspersed with the other outlets. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least two kinds of inner diameters are formed so that the outlets have different inner diameters corresponding to positions where the outlets are formed in the main body frame. 5. The plurality of outlets are bored in the main body frame with different inner diameters according to the distance from the inlet, and the inner diameter increases as the distance from the inlet increases. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: 6. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a joint portion between the main body frame and the cover plate is sealed with a sealant. 7. A plurality of nozzles for discharging ink on a printing surface, a plurality of pressure chambers provided corresponding to the plurality of nozzles, and a pressure for discharging the ink from the nozzles to the plurality of pressure chambers. Positioning the ink jet head and the cover plate such that the nozzle opening surface side of the ink jet head having a plurality of pressure generating sections that provide Positioning the main body frame relative to the cover plate and the ink jet head so that the main body frame is covered with the main body frame from the opposite side, and the ink supply head and the ink supply passage of the main body frame communicate with each other. And the positioning step. A filler is injected into an internal space formed between the nozzle and the cover plate and communicating with the internal space into the internal space in which the inkjet head is housed, and the inner space of the internal space almost furthest from the injection port is filled. A filling step of filling the filler until the filler is discharged from a discharge port communicating with the end. 8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising a fixing step of fixing the ink jet head to the main body frame after the positioning step and before the filling step. . 9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, after the positioning, applying a sealing agent to a joint between the main body frame and the cover plate, and sealing the joint. Item 8. The method for manufacturing an ink jet recording apparatus according to Item 7.