JP2003237073A - Liquid ejecting head, method for producing liquid ejecting head, and liquid ejecting recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid ejecting head comprising a liquid ejecting unit capable of ejecting a liquid, a liquid supply unit for forming a liquid channel, and a sealing member provided therebetween, capable of certainly bonding the units in a short time, a method for producing a liquid ejecting head, and a liquid ejecting recording apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: A liquid ejecting unit Y and a channel forming member 6 comprising a liquid supply unit are bonded, using an adhesive for main bonding, to be applied to a coating part P2, and an adhesive for temporary bonding, to be applied to a coating part P1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid ejection head for ejecting a liquid from an ejection port, a method for manufacturing a liquid ejection head,
And a liquid ejection recording apparatus.

The liquid ejection head of the present invention can be applied to, for example, a recording head that records on a recording medium with a liquid to be ejected. In that case, the recording medium may be any of yarn, fiber, cloth, leather, metal, plastic, glass, wood, ceramics and the like.
In addition, the liquid ejection head of the present invention includes a printer for performing recording on these recording media, a copying machine, a facsimile having a communication system, an apparatus such as a word processor having a printer unit, a mailing machine, and various processing apparatuses. It can be applied to industrial recording devices that are combined in a complex manner.

The term "recording" in the present invention means not only giving an image having a meaning such as characters and figures to a recording medium, but also giving an image having no meaning such as a pattern. means.

[0004]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an ink jet recording method for forming an image by depositing ink on a recording medium, for example, a state in which the ink undergoes a sharp volume change by applying energy such as heat to the ink. There is known a so-called Bubble Jet (registered trademark) recording method in which a change (generation of bubbles) is generated and ink is ejected from an ejection port by an action force based on the change in the state of the ink. In a recording apparatus using this bubble jet (registered trademark) recording method, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,129, an ejection nozzle for ejecting ink and an ink flow path communicating with this ejection port are provided. , An electrothermal converter as an energy generating means that is disposed in the ink flow path and generates energy for ejecting ink.

According to such a recording method, a high-quality image can be recorded at high speed and with low noise. Also,
In the recording head used in this recording method, since the ejection ports for ejecting ink can be arranged at a high density, it is possible to easily obtain a high-resolution recorded image and also a color image in a small recording device. it can. For this reason,
In recent years, this bubble jet (registered trademark) recording method has been used in many office devices such as printers, copiers, and facsimiles, word processors having a printer unit, and devices such as mailing machines. It is being used even in systems.

As a recording head used in such a recording method, there is a recording head provided with unit parts which are adhered to each other.

Such a recording head has an ink ejection unit (hereinafter also referred to as a "chip unit") capable of ejecting the ink (liquid) introduced from the introduction port from the ejection port, and an ink supply path for leading out the ink from the ejection port. And an ink supply unit (hereinafter, also referred to as “chip tank”) to be formed. In the chip unit, as a recording element for ejecting the ink introduced from the introduction port from the ejection port, for example, a heater (electrothermal converter) that generates thermal energy
Is equipped with. In that case, by heating the ink by heating the heater based on the drive control signal, film boiling is caused in the ink, and the ink is ejected from the ejection port along with the growth of bubbles generated in the ink. Can be made. On the other hand, the chip tank is connected to the ink tank to introduce the ink in the ink tank and supply the ink from the outlet to the inlet of the chip unit.

The chip unit and the chip tank are bonded so that their inlets and outlets face each other. Further, an elastic seal member (hereinafter, also referred to as “joint seal”) that seals a connection portion between the inlet and the outlet is interposed between the joint surfaces of the chip unit and the chip tank. The chip unit and chip tank are bonded together by sandwiching the joint seal and crushing. An epoxy adhesive or the like having excellent resistance to ink is used for the adhesion. When bonding the chip unit and the chip tank, first, an adhesive is applied to a predetermined position of the chip tank in which the joint seal is incorporated in advance. Then, after the relative position between the chip tank and the chip unit is determined, the chip unit and the chip tank are bonded and bonded while the joint seal is crushed. Then, the bonding state is maintained and the adhesive is cured.

On the other hand, in recent years, by using a quick-drying ink capable of supporting high-speed recording, an ink capable of recording on metal or resin other than paper, etc. There is an increasing demand for technology for realizing recording on various recording media. The ink used in such a technique, including conventional general recording ink, has a high evaporation rate of the ink solvent from the ejection port of the recording head, and may change the ink physical properties in the vicinity of the ejection port. is there. The ink whose physical properties have changed and increased in viscosity deteriorates the ink ejection performance of the recording head. Therefore, in the inkjet recording apparatus, for example, the ejection port of the recording head is wiped with a rubber blade to remove the thickened ink.

[0010]

In the recording head provided with the chip unit and the chip tank as described above, the ink introduction port in the chip unit and the chip tank increases as the recording amount per unit time increases. Therefore, it is necessary to form a large outlet. Increasing the diameters of the inlet and the outlet will inevitably lead to an increase in the size of the joint seal that seals their connecting portions. Since the reaction force of the large-sized joint seal also becomes large, when the chip unit and the chip tank are bonded, the chip unit and the chip tank must be joined while crushing the joint seal more strongly. Also,
The time for maintaining the bonded state requires a longer time because it is necessary to sufficiently cure the adhesive to the extent that a large reaction force of the joint seal is suppressed.

As described above, the increase in the diameter of the ink inlet and outlet of the chip unit and the chip tank causes the joint seal to increase in size. As a result, the bonded state of the chip unit and the chip tank is maintained, and the epoxy resin is maintained. It takes a long time to cure the system adhesive. Maintaining the bonded state of the chip unit and the chip tank for a long time and waiting for the curing of the epoxy adhesive causes a deterioration in productivity. Further, if the time for maintaining the joined state is short, there is a possibility that the adhesive surface between the chip unit and the chip tank may peel off due to the joint seal having a large reaction force. In particular, when the reaction force of the joint seal acts as a large peeling moment on the bonding surface between the chip unit and the chip tank, peeling easily occurs at that part.

An object of the present invention is to reliably bond a liquid ejecting unit capable of ejecting a liquid and a liquid supply unit forming a liquid flow path in a short time while interposing a seal member therebetween. A liquid ejection head, a method of manufacturing the liquid ejection head, and a liquid ejection recording apparatus that can perform the above are provided.

[0013]

A liquid discharge head according to the present invention comprises a liquid discharge unit capable of discharging liquid from a discharge port,
A liquid supply unit having a discharge port for discharging the liquid supplied from a liquid supply path to the liquid discharge unit, wherein the liquid discharge unit has an inlet corresponding to the discharge port, A liquid discharge head that connects the liquid discharge unit and the liquid supply unit with a seal member interposed therebetween to connect the inlet and the outlet through a seal member. Joining with the unit is performed by a first adhesive, and a photo-curable second adhesive different from the first adhesive is further provided at the joining portion between the liquid ejection unit and the liquid supply unit. Is provided.

According to the method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head of the present invention, a liquid ejection unit capable of ejecting a liquid from an ejection port, and a liquid ejection port for ejecting the liquid supplied from a liquid supply path to the liquid ejection unit are formed. And a supply unit,
The liquid discharge unit has an inlet corresponding to the outlet, and by joining the liquid discharge unit and the liquid supply unit with a seal member interposed therebetween, the inlet and the outlet are separated from each other. In a method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head that communicates with a sealing member, the first portion is provided on a joint surface between the liquid ejection unit and the liquid supply unit.
The second adhesive of the photo-curing type, which is different from the first adhesive
And a step of joining the liquid discharge unit and the liquid supply unit via the seal member, and irradiating the joined portion with light to cure only the second adhesive. And a step of curing the first adhesive while maintaining a bonded state with the second adhesive.

A liquid discharge recording apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising the liquid discharge head of the present invention, and means for relatively moving the liquid discharge head and a recording medium.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) This example is an application example as an inkjet recording head that ejects ink as a liquid, and an inkjet recording device that records an image using the inkjet recording head. Hereinafter, the "configuration of the entire recording device" will be described. , "Printhead configuration" and "printhead manufacturing process" will be described separately.

[Overall Configuration of Recording Apparatus] FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining an exemplary configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus as a liquid ejection recording apparatus. As the liquid ejection head, an inkjet recording head capable of ejecting ink is used. I have it.

The ink jet recording apparatus of this example (hereinafter,
An “inkjet printer” 100 includes an inkjet recording head (liquid ejection head) 51 that can eject ink as a recording liquid, and a carriage 102 that supports the recording head 51 and can scan in the main scanning direction. . The recording head 51 can form an inkjet cartridge together with an ink tank. The inkjet printer 100 forms an image on the recording medium P by ejecting ink as recording liquid from the recording head 51 while scanning the carriage 102.

As shown in FIG. 1, the carriage 102, on which the recording head 51 is mounted, includes a lead screw 10
3 and the guide rail 104.
The lead screw 103 has a spiral groove 103a on its surface.
The spiral groove 103a has a
It engages with a pin (not shown) provided in 2. The lead screw 103 is rotatably supported by the housing 105 of the inkjet printer 100, and is driven by a motor M via a plurality of gears including a gear G1 attached to one end of the lead screw 103. Thus, when the lead screw 103 is rotated by rotating the motor M forward or backward, the carriage 102 reciprocates along the guide rail 104.

The recording medium P is conveyed to a recording position facing the recording head 51 by a platen roller 106 which is rotationally driven. Inside the casing 105, the carriage 1
A pressing member 107 that presses the recording medium P against the platen roller 106 is arranged over the movement range of 02. Also, one end of the lead screw 103 (gear G1)
A home position is defined in the vicinity of, and in this home position, the photocouplers 108a, 108
b is arranged. Photocouplers 108a and 108b
Serves as a home position detecting means, and the lever 1 provided on the carriage 102.
When 02a is detected, a signal or the like for controlling the rotation direction of the motor M is generated.

Further, a cap member 109 for capping the front surface of the recording head 51, an ejection recovery unit 110, a cleaning blade 111 and the like are arranged near the home position. Inkjet printer 1
00, the recording head 51 located at the home position
On the other hand, the ejection recovery processing by the ejection recovery unit 110 through the opening 109a of the cap member 109 is performed at a predetermined timing. Also, the cleaning blade 1
11 is moved back and forth with respect to the recording head 51 at a predetermined timing by a driving unit (not shown),
Droplets, fine paper pieces, etc. adhering to 1 are removed.

[Structure of Recording Head] FIGS. 2 and 3 are
4 is an external perspective view of the recording head 51 seen from different directions.
And FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the recording head 51 seen from different directions.

The recording head 51 of this embodiment is composed of the carriage 10
The recording head is a so-called cartridge type recording head that is detachably mounted on the recording head unit 2, and includes a recording unit unit 15 and an ink storage unit unit 16. The recording unit section 15 includes an ink ejection section and a sheet wiring member.
As will be described later, the ink ejection portion has ejection ports that form nozzles for ejecting ink droplets formed in a row, and ejects ink according to a recording signal from the ejection ports that form the nozzle row. As will be described later, the sheet wiring member is an electrical wiring that transfers a recording signal between the ink ejection unit and the recording apparatus main body, and includes a flexible cable and a T cable.
It is composed of AB and the like. On the other hand, the ink storage unit section 16 has a storage chamber for accommodating the ink or the like (recording liquid or the like) supplied to the recording unit section 15 and plays a role of a housing for holding the recording unit section 15. The storage chamber constitutes a common liquid chamber that is commonly communicated with the plurality of discharge ports.

First, a configuration example of the recording unit section 15 will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the recording unit section 15 as viewed from below. Further, FIG. 5 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the recording unit section 15 as viewed from above. 6A is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of the liquid ejection head of FIG. 2 before the recording element substrate is attached.
FIG. 6B is an enlarged perspective view of a main part after the recording element substrate is attached.

In the recording unit section 1, 1 is a recording element substrate, 2 is a first plate as a supporting substrate, 3 is a sheet electric wiring substrate, 4 is a contact terminal wiring substrate (see FIG. 3), and 5 is a second plate. is there. Reference numeral 6 is a flow path forming member that constitutes a liquid supply unit together with the ink storage unit section 16. 7 is an ink supply portion 6e of the flow path forming member 6
Reference numeral 8 is a porous member provided inside, and 8 is a joint seal (sealing member) interposed between the first plate 2 and the flow path forming member 6. The recording element substrate 1 has a plurality of recording elements for ejecting ink and wirings such as Al for supplying electric power to each recording element formed on one surface of a Si substrate by a semiconductor film forming technique. Further, on the recording element substrate 1, a plurality of ink flow paths and a plurality of ejection ports (not shown) corresponding to each recording element are formed by a photolithography technique, and a plurality of inks connected to each ejection port. An ink supply port (not shown) for supplying ink to the flow path is formed on the back surface side.

Cylindrical surfaces 2a and 2b are provided at two positions on one side surface in the longitudinal direction of the first plate 2, and a cylindrical groove 2c is provided on one side surface in the lateral direction of the first plate 2. The cylindrical surfaces 2a and 2b are used for positioning when the first plate 2 and the recording element substrate 1 are bonded, as shown in FIG. 6 (a). That is, two cylindrical surfaces 2a, 2
An imaginary plane connecting the vertices of b (hereinafter referred to as "first reference plane"
2) and the cylindrical groove 2c as a reference.
Then, after aligning the relative position and the inclination with respect to the plane of the recording element substrate 1 on which the recording elements are arranged, the recording element substrate 1 is bonded to the upper surface of the first plate 2. As described above, by setting the relative position between the recording element substrate 1 and the first plate 2 with high precision by the semiconductor mounting technique, the inclination amount of the array plane of the recording elements on the recording element substrate 1 can be reduced. In FIG. 5, cylindrical surfaces 2a, 2
Illustration of b is omitted.

Since the first plate 2 is a plate-shaped member, the plane geometric accuracy of the mounting surface of the recording element substrate 1 and its opposing surface, the parallelism between the mounting surface of the recording element substrate 1 and its opposing surface, Can be set with high accuracy. As a result, in the device for adhering the recording element substrate 1 and the first plate 2, the base for mounting the first plate 2 has a simple structure, and the first plate 2 is raised on the base. It can be accurately positioned and placed. As a result, the alignment accuracy of the recording element substrate 1 with respect to the first plate 2 is further improved, the relative inclination accuracy between the first reference plane of the first plate 2 and the recording element substrate 1 is improved, and the recording head 51 is Productivity can be improved.

Since the first reference plane on the side surface of the first plate 2 is a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction of the recording element substrate 1, recording is different from the case where these planes are arranged orthogonally. The observation area of the work in the bonding apparatus for the element substrate 1 is narrowed. Therefore, the alignment process between the first plate 2 and the recording element substrate 1 becomes easy, and the working time can be shortened. In addition, since the work mounting space can be reduced, the joining device can be manufactured at low cost. Further, by setting the distance between the apexes of the cylindrical surfaces 2a and 2b of the first plate 2 to be larger than the array length of the printing elements on the printing element substrate 1, the printing with respect to the first reference plane during the alignment process is performed. The inclination of the element substrate 1 can be easily adjusted, the alignment accuracy is improved, and the recording head can be stably manufactured.

In addition, the first plate 2 is formed with an inlet 2d (see FIG. 4) for introducing ink from the outlet 6p (see FIG. 5) of the flow path forming member 6. The ink introduced into the first plate 2 through the introduction port 2d is supplied to the recording element substrate 1 through the ink supply port 2p (see FIG. 5). The joint seal 8 seals the connecting portion between the inlet 2d and the outlet 6p by interposing between the facing surfaces of the first plate 2 and the flow path forming member 6.

The second plate 5 is adhesively fixed to the first plate 2 as shown in FIG. 6 (a). The second plate 5 has an opening 5 for avoiding mounting interference of the recording element substrate 1.
a is formed. The second plate 5 functions as a spacer and positions the recording element substrate 1 and the sheet electric wiring substrate 3 on the same plane on the first plate 2.

The sheet electric wiring board 3 is bonded to the upper surface of the second plate 5 as shown in FIG.
Is lead bonding, wire bonding, ACF
It is electrically connected to the stud bumps 1a of the recording element substrate 1 by such means. A so-called TAB tape can be used as the sheet electric wiring board 3, and in that case, inner lead bonding (ILB) is preferable.

The sheet electric wiring board 3 is bent as described below, and then soldered to the contact terminal wiring board 4 by means of ACF, lead bonding, wire bonding, connector, or the like. In this example, the sheet electric wiring board 3 and the contact terminal wiring board 4 which are separate members form an electric wiring portion, but the boards 3 and 4 may be the same member. A series of electric wiring portions formed by the sheet electric wiring board 3 and the contact terminal wiring board 4 apply an electric signal for ejecting ink to the recording element substrate 1. And an external signal input terminal 4a located at the end of the electric wiring for receiving an electric signal from the recording apparatus main body.
The contact terminal wiring board 4 on which the external signal input terminals 4a are arranged is positioned and fixed to one side surface of the flow path forming member 6 as shown in FIG.

The first plate 2 and the flow path forming member 6 are adhered to each other by an adhesive agent, and the inlet 2d on the ink flow path side of the first plate 2 and the outlet 6p on the flow path forming member 6 side are connected. .

As shown in FIG. 3, the flow path forming member 6 is provided with a spherical boss 6a serving as a positioning means for the recording head 51 and a protruding portion 6b. The spherical bosses 6a are provided at the four corners of the flow path forming member 6 and position the recording head 51 on the carriage 102 in the arrow A direction. The protrusion 6 b is provided on the carriage 102 for the recording head 51.
Position in the direction of arrow C. The porous member 7 provided in the ink supply unit 6e of the flow path forming member 6 removes dust in the ink supplied from the ink storage unit unit 16,
The dust is prevented from entering the flow path forming member 6. Further, a cover portion 6f is provided on both side surfaces of the flow path forming member 6, and the cover portion 6f is provided in the flow path forming member 6.
And both sides of the first plate 2 cover their joints. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the joint between the flow path forming member 6 and the first plate 2 is not exposed on both side surfaces thereof. In FIG. 5, the illustration of the cover portion 6f is omitted.

By connecting the recording unit section 15 and the ink storage unit section 16 with the rubber seal member 20 sandwiched therebetween, it is possible to prevent ink from leaking from the connection section of the ink flow path between them. Ink storage unit section 1
Rubber stopper for 6 (also called "joint rubber")
Ink is supplied through a needle (not shown) inserted into the nozzle 23. A crack hole 23b is formed in the rubber plug 23 by a Y-shaped slit. When an ink supply needle on the recording apparatus main body side is inserted, the tip of the needle tears the crack hole 23b. , Is smoothly inserted into the common liquid chamber for ink storage in the ink storage unit section 16. Further, since the crack hole 23b receives a compressive load from the outer peripheral portion of the rubber plug 23, when the needle is not inserted, the crack hole 23b is closed by the compressive load to keep the common liquid chamber in the ink storage unit 16 in a hermetically sealed state.

Recording element substrate 1, sheet electric wiring substrate 3,
The second plate 5 and the first plate 2 have an inlet 2d.
A liquid ejection unit Y (see FIG. 3) capable of ejecting the ink introduced from the ejection port is constituted. In addition, the flow path forming member 6 constitutes a liquid supply unit, and a discharge port 6p for discharging the liquid supplied from the liquid supply path is formed. The recording unit section 15 includes the liquid discharge unit Y and the liquid supply unit (flow path forming member) 6 which are connected to the inlet port 2.
The recording unit portion 15 is configured by adhering d and the outlet 6p so as to face each other. The joint seal 8 is interposed between the joint surfaces of the liquid discharge unit Y and the liquid supply unit (flow path forming member) 6 to seal the connecting portion between the inlet 2d and the outlet 6p.

[Manufacturing Process of Recording Head] FIG. 7 is a flow chart for explaining the manufacturing process of the recording unit section 15, and FIGS. 8 to 18 are explanatory views of the situation at each manufacturing stage.

First, as shown in FIG. 8A, the thermosetting adhesive 200 is applied to the first plate 2, and the thermosetting adhesive 200 is used to apply the second plate 5 to the first plate 2.
Is thermocompression bonded (step S1). Next, as shown in FIG. 8B, an ultraviolet curable adhesive (not shown) is applied to the first plate 2 to adhere the recording element substrate 1 (step S2). The ultraviolet-curable adhesive has a thermosetting property as well as an ultraviolet-curable property. When the recording element substrate 1 is bonded, first, the ultraviolet-curable adhesive is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to expose the recording element substrate 1. After temporary adhesion, the ultraviolet-curable adhesive is heat-cured to permanently adhere the recording element substrate 1. In this way, the recording element substrate 1 can be bonded with higher accuracy by the temporary bonding and the main bonding.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8C, a thermosetting adhesive 201 is applied to the second plate 5, and the sheet electric wiring board 3 is applied to the second plate 5 by the thermosetting adhesive 201. Is thermocompression bonded (step S3). The thermocompression bonding is
Temporary pressure bonding and main pressure bonding are performed in two steps. In addition, the alignment of the sheet electric wiring substrate 3 is performed by image processing, and the bumps 1a of the recording element substrate 1 on the first plate 2 (see FIG.
(See (a)) and the positions of the leads 3p (see FIG. 6B) of the sheet electric wiring board 3 are confirmed. Next, the bumps 1a of the recording element substrate 1 and the leads 3p of the sheet electric wiring substrate 3 are bonded (inner lead bonding (ILB) in this example) by using ultrasonic waves and heat, and these are bonded together. Connect electrically. Then, the electrical connection part and the periphery of the sheet electric wiring board 3 are sealed (ILB sealing in the case of this example) (step S4). This sealing is for protecting the electrical connection portion from corrosion by ink and external impact, and is mainly used for the recording element substrate 1
It is possible to use a first sealant that seals the outer peripheral portion of the above and a second sealant that seals the front side of the electrical connection portion between the recording element substrate 1 and the sheet electric wiring substrate 3.

In this way, the recording element substrate 1, the sheet electric wiring substrate 3, the second plate 5, and the first plate 2 form a liquid ejection unit Y.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the flow path forming member 6 constituting the liquid supply unit and the liquid discharge unit Y are bonded by the chip joining process (step S5).

In the chip joining process, first, the flow path forming member 6 is subjected to a pretreatment such as a UV ozone treatment or a rolling discharge treatment, and then the joint seal 8 is formed.
Are incorporated (step S5A). Then, an adhesive for temporary adhesion (adhesive for temporary fixing) and an adhesive for main adhesion are applied to the application groove formed in the flow path forming member 6 (step S).
5B). By applying these adhesives in the recessed coating groove, excessive protrusion is prevented.

In the case of this example, an adhesive for temporary adhesion (hereinafter,
The “temporary adhesive” is an ultraviolet curable adhesive, and the adhesive for main bonding (hereinafter, “main adhesive”) is an epoxy adhesive. In FIG. 10, P1 is a temporary adhesive application part, and P2 is a main adhesive application part. In FIG. 5, the coating parts P1 and P2 are shown with some parts omitted. Further, in this example, the pin 6g of the flow path forming member 6 is
Also, a temporary adhesive is applied to the part.

After that, the liquid discharge unit Y and the flow path forming member 6 are temporarily bonded (step S5C). That is, as shown in FIG. 11A, the liquid discharge unit Y is pressed against the flow path forming member 6 on the joining device from above, and the joint seal 8 is sandwiched between the facing surfaces thereof. At that time, the pin 6g on the side of the flow path forming member 6 and the liquid ejection unit Y
The cylindrical groove 2c on the side is fitted. Then, ultraviolet rays are emitted from the ultraviolet ray irradiator 90 to cure the temporary adhesive. 91
Is a top surface pressing portion, and pressurizes the liquid discharge unit Y against the flow path forming member 6. Ultraviolet rays are emitted from four directions of up, down, left and right in FIG. As a result, the liquid discharge unit Y and the flow path forming member 6 are temporarily bonded in a few seconds. This temporary bonding bonds the liquid ejection unit Y and the flow path forming member 6 to the extent that the reaction force of the joint seal 8 is sufficiently overcome. Therefore, after this temporary adhesion, the joint seal 8
There is no peeling between the liquid discharge unit Y and the flow path forming member 6 due to the reaction force of the above, and it is not necessary to hold down the bonded portion thereof.

Further, since the pin 6g and the cylindrical groove 2c are also adhered by the temporary adhesive, the strength of the temporary adhesion between the liquid discharge unit Y and the flow path forming member 6 is increased, and the reaction force of the joint seal 8 is more reliably achieved. Can be pressed down. In the case of this example, a pin 6g is provided on the left side of the outlet port 6p corresponding to the outlet port 6p formed at a position biased to the left in FIG. On the left side of the outlet port 6p, the distance between the joint seal 8 and the joint seal 8 is smaller than on the right side thereof, and since the adhesive surface is smaller, the reaction force of the joint seal 8 is smaller than that on the right side. It is difficult to secure adhesive strength because it is held down. However, the temporary adhesion between the pin 6g and the cylindrical groove 2c can surely suppress the reaction force of the joint seal 8 even on the left side of the outlet 6p.

After that, as shown in FIG. 11B, the recording unit portion 15 obtained by temporarily adhering the flow path forming member 6 and the liquid discharge unit Y is taken out from the joining device and left in a room temperature environment. To do. As a result, the main adhesive is hardened, and the flow path forming member 6 and the liquid ejection unit Y are finally adhered (step S5D).

Next, a wiring connection process (step S6) for the sheet electric wiring board 3 is carried out.

First, as shown in FIG. 12A, an anisotropic conductive film (ACF tape) 202 for electrical connection is attached to the contact terminal wiring board 4 (step S6).
A). Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 12B, the electrode portion of the sheet electric wiring board 3 and the anisotropic conductive film 9 on the contact terminal wiring board 4 are pressure-bonded to electrically connect them (step S6B). ).

Next, the bending process of the sheet electric wiring board 3 (step S7) is performed.

First, as shown in FIG. 13, the thermosetting adhesive 203 is applied to the end surface of the flow path forming member 6 (step S7).
A): The recording unit section 15 is set on an automatic machine for bending treatment. The crimping tool 9
2, 93 are provided so that they can be raised and lowered. Crimping tool 9
2, 93 face each other with a predetermined distance L smaller than the distance between the left and right ends of the flow path forming member 6 in the drawing, and are urged in the X1 and Y1 directions facing each other. The crimping tools 92, 93 have heaters H for heating them.
Then, the temperature sensor S is provided, and it is heated to a predetermined temperature.

Thereafter, the pressure bonding tools 92, 93 are lowered to bend the end portion of the sheet electric wiring board 3 as shown in FIG. 14 (step S7B). The sheet electric wiring board 3 is
Since it is a film containing metal wiring, it has the property of returning to its original state by its own rigidity when it is simply folded. However, when the sheet electric wiring board 3 is bent while being heated by the crimping tools 92 and 93,
You can add a habit of not returning to the original. The sheet electric wiring board 3 is thus pressurized while being heated, and as shown in FIG.
As described above, the thermosetting adhesive 203 is adhered to the end face of the flow path forming member 6 (step S7C). After that, as shown in FIG. 16, the pressure bonding tools 92 and 93 are attached to the flow path forming member 6
After retracting in the left-right direction away from (step S7D), the crimping tools 92, 93 are raised as shown in FIG.

When the sheet electrode wiring board 3 is also extended to the left side of the flow path forming member 6 in FIG. 13, the thermosetting adhesive 203 is applied to the end surface of the flow path forming member 6 on the left side in FIG. Alternatively, both ends of the sheet electrode wiring board may be bent at the same time in the same step as described above to be bonded to both end surfaces of the flow path forming member 6.

Next, the contact terminal wiring board 4 connected to the sheet electric wiring board 3 is fixed to the flow path forming member 6 (step S8). After that, as shown in FIG. 18, the sealing material 204 is applied to the electrically connecting portion between the sheet electric wiring substrate and the contact terminal wiring substrate 4 and the portion where the invasion of ink should be prevented (step S9).

In the case of this example, a fixing hole 3a (see FIG. 4) is formed at one end of the sheet electric wiring board 3 so as to be fitted and fixed to the fixing pin 6c of the flow path forming member 6. Further, the contact terminal wiring board 4 is provided with a hole (not shown) which is fitted and fixed to the fixing pin 6d (see FIG. 3) of the flow path forming member 6. The sheet electric wiring board 3 and the contact terminal wiring board 4 are fixed to the flow path forming member 6 by bending both ends of the sheet electric wiring board 3 and simultaneously heat-fastening the fixing pins 6c and 6d. The fixing pins 6c and 6d can be crimped by ultrasonic waves or the like, in addition to crimping by heat. By caulking these fixing pins 6c and 6d at the same time, the two wiring boards 3 and 4 can be efficiently fixed to the flow path forming member 6 and the productivity can be improved. As another fixing method without using the fixing pins 6c and 6d, the sheet electric wiring board 3 and the contact terminal wiring board 4 and the flow path forming member may be formed before the sheet electric wiring board 3 is bent. At least one of the contact surfaces of 6 and 6 is preliminarily coated with a thermosetting adhesive and heated by the pressure bonding tools 92, 9
The sheet electric wiring board 3 and the contact terminal wiring board 4 can be fixed to the flow path forming member 6 at the same time that both ends of the sheet electric wiring board 3 are bent by means of 3.
In that case, since the thermosetting adhesive cures quickly,
After that, it is not necessary to press down the adhesive portions, and the productivity can be improved.

By the way, when the liquid discharge unit Y and the flow path forming member 6 are bonded to each other, as described above, they are temporarily bonded by a temporary adhesive which cures in a relatively short time, and then in a relatively long time. Since the main adhesive is hard-cured, the adhesive is not required to be pressed for a long time, and productivity can be improved as compared with the case where only the main adhesive is used. In particular, when the joint seal 8 becomes large due to the increase in the diameter of the inlet port 2d and the outlet port 6p accompanying the increase in the recording amount per unit time, the large reaction force of the joint seal 8 is temporarily bonded. By suppressing, the productivity can be further improved. Furthermore, the pin 6g and the cylindrical groove 2c
The temporary adhesion of the liquid discharge unit Y and the flow path forming member 6 can be further increased by temporarily adhering. Further, the pin 6g and the cylindrical groove 2c can be used as a reference for positioning the flow path forming member 6 and the second plate 2 and can be used as a reference for assembling the recording head.

Further, the liquid discharge unit Y using a temporary adhesive is used.
The outside of the bonded portion of the flow path forming member 6 is covered with the sheet electric wiring board 3. That is, the sheet electric wiring board 3 is bent and fixed so as to cover the outside of the bonded portion between the liquid discharge unit Y and the flow path forming member 6 by the temporary adhesive. Therefore, as a temporary adhesive,
Even if an ultraviolet curable adhesive having slightly lower ink resistance than the present epoxy-based adhesive is used, it is possible to prevent contact with the ink without exposing the temporary adhesive to the outside. Therefore, it is possible to improve productivity by adopting an adhesive having a higher curability as a temporary adhesive without paying particular attention to ink resistance. Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cover portion 6f of the flow path forming member 6 covers the outside of the bonded portion of the liquid discharge unit Y and the flow path forming member 6 with the temporary adhesive. Therefore, the cover portion 6f covers the adhesion portion by the temporary adhesive on the left and right side surfaces of the recording head 51 to prevent contact between the temporary adhesive and the ink.

The cleaning blade 11 shown in FIG.
No. 1 can wipe the orifice of the recording head 51 to remove thickened ink and the like from the directions of arrows D1 and D2 in FIG. 3, that is, from both directions of both ends of the sheet electric wiring board 3. . That is, in the case of this example, since both ends of the sheet electric wiring board 3 are bent, the cleaning blade 111 is not damaged even if the wiping is started from either direction of the both ends. Therefore, the bent portions at both ends of the sheet electric wiring board 3 have a function of covering the bonded portion with the temporary adhesive and a function of preventing the cleaning blade 111 from being damaged. Cleaning blade 111
Since the recording element substrate 1 and the sheet electric wiring substrate 3 are located on the same plane, the substrates 1 and 3 are wiped at the same time.

By the way, when only one end of the sheet electric wiring board 3 is bent, the direction of the wiping approach by the blade 111 is limited only from the direction of the bent end, and the operating mechanism of the blade 111 is There is a risk that the operation direction will be restricted and the operation will be complicated. That is, when the blade 111 is inserted from the other end portion of the sheet electric wiring substrate 3 which is not bent and the wiping is performed, the blade 111 is damaged. Further, in order to realize the entry of the blade 111 from the other end of the sheet electric wiring board 3, the other end is covered with a protective member, a resin or the like is adhered to cover the other end, and the other end is burred or the like. Special processing such as elimination is required.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 19A,
(B), (c) is a schematic side view for explaining the principal part of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

In the case of this example, as shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B, the liquid discharge unit Y and the flow path forming member 6 are positioned and the pin 6g and the cylindrical groove 2c are fitted to each other. ,
As shown in FIG. 19C, an ultraviolet curable adhesive 205 as a temporary adhesive is applied inside the cylindrical groove 2c. Adhesive 205
Can be applied to the recessed cylindrical groove 2c without protruding. Then, the adhesive 205 is rapidly cured by irradiating ultraviolet rays by a predetermined energy.

The pin 6g and the cylindrical groove 2c may be ones that form at least one concave and convex portion that fit into each other. For example, the cylindrical groove 2c may be a through hole having a circular cross section. Good. When the pin 6g and the cylindrical groove 2c are fitted together after applying the temporary adhesive as in the first embodiment, the cylindrical groove 2c forms a bottomed hole having a circular cross section or the like. It may be one that does.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 20 is a perspective view for explaining another configuration example of the pin 6g. In the case of this example, the through hole 6h in which the temporary adhesive enters a part of the pin 6g
Are formed. When the temporary adhesive is hardened and positioned in the through hole 6h, the reaction force of the joint seal 8 is physically suppressed and the adhesive strength is further increased.
The hole 6h may be a depression that forms an uneven portion on the surface of the pin 6g.

(Fourth Embodiment) FIG. 21 is a perspective view for explaining another configuration example of the pin 6g. In the case of this example, the stepped portion 6i is formed in a part of the pin 6g. The temporary adhesive hardens and engages with the step portion 6i, thereby physically suppressing the reaction force of the joint seal 8 and further increasing the adhesive strength.

(Fifth Embodiment) FIGS. 22 and 23.
[Fig. 8] is a perspective view and an exploded perspective view for explaining a main part of a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

In this example, the ink storage unit 16 which constitutes the liquid supply unit together with the flow path forming member 6 is
The substrate pressing portion 16a is formed to extend. The substrate pressing portion 16a connects the end portion of the sheet electric wiring board 3 to the end surface of the flow path forming member 6 when the recording unit portion 15 and the ink storage unit 16 are joined with the seal member 20 made of rubber or the like interposed therebetween. It is sandwiched between and fixed. Therefore,
A special process for fixing the end portion of the sheet electric wiring board 3 is not necessary, and the productivity can be further improved. In addition, the pressing portion 16a has a function of covering the bonded portion of the sheet electric wiring board 3 by the temporary adhesive, similarly to the bent portion.

(Sixth Embodiment) FIGS. 24 and 25.
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a main part according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

The first plate 2 in this example is an alumina plate integrally formed with a second plate 5 as a spacer, and a notch-shaped adhesive agent reservoir 2e is formed at the corner of the end thereof. Has been done. This first plate 2
After the recording element substrate 1 made of a silicon substrate having a thickness of 0.65 mm is attached, the thermosetting epoxy adhesive 201 is 30 μm thick (average thickness) by the stamping method.
Will be transcribed. The adhesive 201 is transferred to the end of the first plate 2 and positively poured into the adhesive reservoir 2e. After that, the sheet electric wiring substrate 3 is adhesively fixed onto the first plate 2 in step S3 (see FIG. 7) similar to the above-described embodiment. At that time, the adhesive 201 extruded from between the first plate 2 and the sheet electric wiring board 3 flows into the adhesive reservoir 2e,
Bonding between the sheet electric wiring board 3 and the end portion of the first plate 2 is made stronger. Therefore, after that, as shown in FIG.
As described above, when the sheet electric wiring board 3 is bent, the bent portion does not float away from the end of the first plate 2.

As a result, the bent portion of the sheet electric wiring board 3 is properly bent in a desired shape to cover the bonded portion with the temporary adhesive and has a function of preventing the cleaning blade 111 from being damaged. , Will definitely be demonstrated.

Conventionally, as shown in FIGS. 26 and 27, since the adhesive reservoir 2e is not formed at the end of the first plate 2, the bent portion of the sheet electric wiring board 3 is bent into an appropriate shape. I couldn't do it.

That is, when the thermosetting epoxy adhesive 201 is transferred onto the upper surface 2f of the first plate 2 and then the sheet electric wiring board 3 is thermocompression-bonded, the adhesive 201 immediately before curing is the sheet electric wiring board. 3 is pushed out from between the first plate 2 and the first plate 2, and flows near the side surface 2g of the first plate 2. In the subsequent step, the sheet electric wiring board 3 is bent in the direction of arrow E, and the side surface 2g of the first plate 2 is bent.
26, the adhesive 201 extruded in the vicinity of the side surface 2g in the thermocompression bonding process of FIG.
must stay above f. Considering the variation of the adhesive 201 being extruded, the adhesive 201 is
It was necessary to transfer the image onto the upper surface 2f, which was considerably inside the position of the side surface 2f. Therefore, after bonding the sheet electric wiring substrate 3 as shown in FIG. 26, the adhesive 201 located on the upper surface 2f near the side surface 2g may be thin and small in amount. While the sheet electric wiring board 3 near the side surface 2g is adhered by a small amount of the adhesive 201, the sheet electric wiring board 3 is bent in the direction of arrow E in the subsequent step,
When bonded to g, as shown in FIG. 27, a raised portion 3b may occur around the bent portion. The raised portion 3b interferes with the cleaning of the recording element substrate 1 when the recording element substrate 1 is cleaned by the blade 111 during the recording operation, or the cap member 109.
(See FIG. 1) may hinder the capping of the recording head.

(Seventh Embodiment) FIG. 28 is an explanatory diagram of a main portion in a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

The first plate 2 of this example has a side surface 2 g.
The first notch 2h is formed in the upper surface 2f and the side surface 2
A second cutout portion 2i is formed in the ridgeline portion between g and g. In this example, by accumulating an adhesive in the notches 2h and 2i, the sheet electric wiring board 3 and the first plate 2 are more firmly adhered, and the sheet electric wiring board 3 is bent into a more suitable form. be able to.

(Eighth Embodiment) FIGS. 29 to 31 show
It is explanatory drawing of the 8th Embodiment of this invention.

In this example, the second plate 5 is adhered and fixed to the first plate 2, and the sheet electric wiring board 3 is adhered onto the second plate 5. The plates 2 and 5 form a plate assembly. The second plate 5 is, for example,
Thickness 0. It is a single plate-shaped member having a thickness of 5 to 1 mm and is made of a metal such as alumina or aluminum or a resin such as polysulfone. When the plates 2 and 5 are bonded together, as shown in FIG. 29, the second plate 5 is displaced to the right in the figure by about 0.5 to 2 mm to form the adhesive reservoir 2j in the displaced portion.

FIG. 30 is an enlarged explanatory view of the adhesive accumulating portion 2j portion, and the adhesive accumulating portion 2j is formed in the shifted portion (gap) L1 of the plates 2 and 5. When the sheet electric wiring substrate 3 is bonded to the surface of the second plate 5 with the thermosetting adhesive 201, the crushed adhesive 201 overflows and flows into the adhesive reservoir 2j.
201a is a part of the adhesive 201 that has flowed into the adhesive reservoir 2j. In this way, the second plate 5
By causing the adhesive 201 to flow into every corner of the bonding surface between the sheet electric wiring board 3 and the bonding surface, the bonding surface can be entirely bonded. As a result, sufficient bonding strength can be obtained to suppress the reaction force during the post-process of bending the sheet electric wiring substrate 3, and the sheet electric wiring capped by the cap member 109 (see FIG. 1) can be obtained. It is possible to prevent rising and wrinkles on the surface (capping surface) of the substrate 3. Therefore, reliable capping can be performed without creating a gap between the cap member 109 and the capping surface. Further, from the state where the sheet electric wiring board 3 is properly attached in this manner, the end portion of the board 3 can be surely bent. Also, blade 1
11 (see FIG. 1), the entire surface of the recording head on which the ejection port is formed can be cleaned, and the adhering matter can be reliably removed without scattering to the surroundings.

Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 31, since the adhesive agent accumulating portion is not formed, when the sheet electric wiring board 3 is adhered onto the second plate 5 using the thermosetting adhesive material 201, There is a case where the adhesive 201 is crushed and spread between the bonding surfaces of, and a part 201b of the adhesive 201 protrudes from the end surface of the second plate 5 and is cured. After that, when the sheet electric wiring substrate 3 is bent, a part 201 of the adhesive 201 that has protruded and hardened
The sheet electric wiring board 3 cannot be reliably attached to the end surface of the second plate 5 because b interferes. In addition, the adhesive strength is reduced, and the sheet electric wiring board 3 is easily peeled off. Further, in the step of bending the sheet electric wiring board 3, when the board 3 is to be bent vertically, a portion of the board 3 forming a capping surface is
A load is applied in the direction of peeling it off. Therefore, the substrate may peel off and float from the vicinity of the ridgeline of the bent portion of the substrate 3 to the capping surface, and the parallelism required for the capping surface may be impaired. in this way,
When the capping surface of the substrate 3 is lifted, a gap is created between the capping surface and the cap member 109 (see FIG. 1), or the blade 111
When wiping is performed by (see FIG. 1), it is not possible to properly remove foreign matter such as thickened ink, which scatters in the direction of the recording surface of the recording medium and stains the recorded image. There is a risk.

(Ninth Embodiment) FIGS. 32 and 33.
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a ninth embodiment of the present invention.

The flow path forming member 6 in this example is provided with a projection 31 having a shape slightly different from that of the substrate pressing portion 16a in the fifth embodiment described above. This protrusion 3
As shown in FIG. 33, the top surface (lower surface in FIG. 32) of No. 1 slightly projects downward from the surface (hereinafter, also referred to as “face surface”) 3c of the sheet electric wiring board 3. Also,
The end portion 3e of the sheet electric wiring board 3 faces the protruding portion 31, and the bonding surface on the side of the end portion 3e is covered by the protruding portion 31.

In this example, wiping can be performed from the direction of the end portion 3e of the sheet electric wiring board 3 (direction of arrow T) by relative movement of the blade (see FIG. 1) and the recording head.

Next, the wiping operation will be described. In the following, the blade 11 with respect to the recording head
It is assumed that 1 moves in the direction of arrow T.

In the ink jet recording apparatus, the ejection port of the recording element substrate 1, the ejection surface on which the ejection port is formed, and further the sheet wiring substrate 3 are formed by mist or satellite generated when the recording liquid is ejected from the recording head. The recording liquid may get wet and adhere to the face surface 3c of. Further, during suction recovery processing such as capping the discharge port and sucking and discharging the recording liquid from the discharge port, the residual recording liquid after suction may adhere to the discharge surface or the face surface 3c.
Therefore, a wiping process is performed by the blade 111 (see FIG. 1) in order to remove the residual recording liquid attached to the ejection surface and the face surface 3c. Generally, the blade 111 is made of a material such as rubber or elastomer, and therefore has an elastic force that restores the shape when deformed. Also, the width of the blade 111 (see FIG.
By making the length of the middle paper surface in the front-back direction) larger than the width (shorter direction) of the sheet electric wiring board 3, the blade 1
Wiping can be effectively performed because a region that cannot be rubbed by 11 is not generated. Therefore, the blade 111
Is preferably larger than the width of the sheet wiring board 3.

In FIG. 33, the states a, b, c and d of the blade 111 indicate the states of starting the wiping operation, passing through the protrusion, wiping operation (starting entry into the face surface 3a) and ending the wiping operation, respectively. ing.

When the blade 111 moves in the direction of arrow T from the wiping operation start position (state a) and the tip of the blade comes into contact with the side surface of the outer wall of the protrusion 31, the blade tip follows the top surface 31c of the protrusion 31. Rubbing is performed while being greatly curved and deformed (state b). And further, blade 1
As 11 advances, the tip of the blade enters the sheet wiring board face surface 3a.

Since the face surface 3c of the sheet electric wiring board 3 recedes upward in FIG. 33 from the top surface 31c of the protrusion 31, the tip of the blade 111 passes over the protrusion 31 from the direction of arrow T. Then, immediately, due to the elastic restoring force of the blade 111 itself, a step (top surface 31c of the protrusion 31 is formed).
And the face surface 3c), the amount of deformation of the curved shape is reduced and the face surface 3c is rubbed (state c). As described above, when the contact surface of the blade tip moves from the top surface 31c to the face surface 3c, the blade tip tries to return to the upright state by the restoring force of the blade 111 itself, so that the blade tip is relatively moved to the blade 111. It moves vigorously in the transfer direction (T direction). At this time, the tip of the blade is the end portion 3e of the sheet electric wiring board 3.
And jumps over the end portion 3e without contacting. Therefore, the tip of the blade does not catch on the end 3e of the sheet electric wiring board 3.

The length of the region where the blade 111 jumps over the end portion 3e depends on the material (elastic recovery force) of the blade 111, the moving speed of the blade 111, the top surface 31c and the face surface 3a.
It is determined by the relative height (step) between and. Further, by setting the step between the top surface 31c and the face surface 3c to be 1 mm or less, the tip portion of the blade 111 does not undergo undue bending deformation, and the bending portion is smoothly and quickly deformed. .

As described above, when the blade 111 enters the face surface 3c of the sheet electric wiring board 3, the blade 111 jumps over the inner wall surface 31e of the protrusion 31 and the end 3e of the sheet electric wiring board 3, Since the tip of the blade maintains the curved shape, the blade 111 can immediately press the face surface 3a from the point of landing on the face 3c to start wiping. Therefore, the dust and the recording liquid adhering to the periphery of the ejection port are reliably scraped off by the tip of the blade 111. And
When the blade 111 completely passes over the face surface 3a, the blade 111 returns to its original upright shape by its elastic recovery force (state d).

By cleaning the face surface 3a of the sheet electric wiring substrate 3 and the vicinity of the ejection port by such a series of wiping operations, the ejection performance of the recording liquid in the recording head is stabilized and a good image is obtained. You can Further, since the inner wall 31e of the protrusion 31 is located on the upstream side (the left side in FIG. 33) of the wiping start point, the recording liquid carried by the blade 111 does not collect on the inner wall 31e.

As a matter of course, no wall, protrusion, or the like protruding from the face surface 3a is provided around the sheet wiring board 3. It is the blade 11 when wiping
This is because the residual recording liquid that has flowed out in the width direction of 1 and cannot be completely removed, the residual recording liquid that cannot be completely removed by one wiping, and the like are not retained in the area deviated from the movement trajectory of the blade 111. Further, when the blade 111 comes into contact with the protrusion 31 and bends, the width of the protrusion 31 is made larger than the width of the blade 111 in order to uniformly bend the blade 111 over the entire region. It is preferable that the entire area of 111 in the width direction is in contact with the protrusion 31.

As described above, in the configuration shown in FIGS. 33 and 34, the face surface 3c of the sheet electric wiring board 3 and the periphery of the ejection port are wiped from the protrusion 31 side, that is, in the direction of arrow T. Therefore, the flow path forming member 6 is provided with a member provided with the protrusion 31.

Depending on the configuration of the recording apparatus, etc., the sheet electric wiring board 3 may be inserted from the bent portion 3d side of the sheet electric wiring board 3.
In the case of wiping the face surface 3c and the periphery of the discharge port, that is, wiping from the direction of the arrow S, as shown in FIG. 34, a member having no protrusion 31 may be provided as the flow path forming member 6. In this way, the flow path forming member 6 provided with the projection 31 or the flow path forming member 6 not provided with the projection 31 is selectively joined to the recording unit portion 15 (see FIG. 4). Thus, two types of recording heads mounted on devices having different wiping directions can be manufactured at low cost.

[0091]

As described above, according to the present invention, an adhesive for main bonding and an adhesive for temporary bonding which cures in a shorter time than the adhesive for main bonding are used. Is adhered to the liquid supply unit that forms the liquid flow path, so that the diameters of the liquid introduction unit and the liquid supply unit in the liquid supply unit and the liquid supply unit are increased. Even when a seal member with a large reaction force is interposed between these units, the reaction force of the seal member is quickly suppressed by curing the adhesive for temporary adhesion, and then the adhesive for main adhesion is applied. By curing
The units can be reliably bonded in a short time.

Further, by providing an uneven portion on the joint surface between the liquid discharge unit and the liquid supply unit and applying an adhesive for temporary adhesion to them, the joint strength of these units can be secured more sufficiently. You can The uneven portion is
It can be used to prevent the adhesive for temporary adhesion from protruding, or can be used as a positioning reference when assembling the liquid discharge unit and the liquid supply unit.

Further, by covering the adhesive portion for the temporary adhesive with the cover member, the adhesive can be protected and the contact with the liquid can be prevented. Therefore, an adhesive having poor liquid resistance can also be used as the temporary adhesive.

As the cover member, a sheet electric wiring board for giving an electric signal to the liquid discharge unit can be used in addition to the protrusion provided on the liquid supply unit. In that case, the bent end of the sheet electric wiring board can be used as a cover member. In addition, the bent end portion of the sheet electric wiring board has a function of covering a bonding portion with an adhesive for temporary bonding,
It is possible to provide a function of preventing damage to the blade that wipes the liquid ejection unit. In other words, the blade can be inserted from the direction of the bent portion of the sheet electric wiring board for wiping, and the wiping direction can be freely set according to the position where the bent portion is formed. Will also be possible. Therefore, the wiping can be performed by the simple blade operation mechanism regardless of the approaching direction of the blade and without damaging the blade.

Further, the bent portion of the sheet electric wiring board should be fixed to the liquid discharge unit by means of heat crimping, adhesion, and welding without adding a special work process during the manufacturing process of the liquid discharge head. You can Further, the bent portion of the sheet electric wiring board may be sandwiched and fixed between the pressing portion provided on the liquid supply unit and the side surface of the liquid discharge unit. As a result, the liquid discharge unit can be efficiently manufactured at low cost.

Further, by providing the liquid ejection unit with the adhesive reservoir for accumulating the adhesive for the sheet electric wiring board, the liquid ejection unit and the sheet electric wiring board can be more firmly adhered. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the bent portion of the sheet electric wiring board from being lifted up, and to reliably regulate the bent portion to a regular shape. The adhesive reservoir portion has an end face of the first plate to which a recording element capable of ejecting liquid is joined, and an end face of a second plate that is joined to the first plate to form an adhesive face of the sheet electric wiring board, Can be formed by shifting.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid ejection recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the liquid ejection head according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the liquid discharge head of FIG. 2 viewed from a different direction.

4 is an exploded perspective view of the liquid ejection head of FIG.

5 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a main part of the liquid ejection head of FIG.

6A is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of the liquid ejection head of FIG. 2 before the recording element substrate is attached, and FIG.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part after the printing element substrate is attached.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining a manufacturing process of the liquid ejection head of FIG.

8A is an explanatory diagram of a process of step S1 in FIG. 7, FIG. 8B is an explanatory diagram of a process of step S2 in FIG.
FIG. 8C is an explanatory diagram of a process of step S in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a process of step S5A in FIG.

10 is an explanatory diagram of a process of step S5B in FIG.

11A is an explanatory diagram of a process of step S5C in FIG. 7, and FIG. 11B is an explanatory diagram of a process of step S5D in FIG.

12A is an explanatory diagram of a process of step S6A in FIG. 7, and FIG. 12B is an explanatory diagram of a process of step S6B in FIG.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a process of step S7A in FIG.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a process of step S7B in FIG. 7.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of a process of step S7C in FIG.

16 is an explanatory diagram of a process of step S7D in FIG. 7.

17 is an explanatory diagram of a process of step S7E in FIG. 7. FIG.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of a process of step S9 in FIG.

19 (a), (b), and (c) are explanatory views of a step of adhering a liquid discharge unit and a flow path forming member according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a pin according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a pin according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a liquid ejection head according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

23 is an exploded perspective view of the liquid ejection head of FIG.

FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram of the sheet electric wiring board according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention before being bent.

25 is an explanatory diagram of the sheet electric wiring board of FIG. 24 after being bent.

FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional sheet electric wiring board before bending.

27 is an explanatory diagram of the sheet electric wiring board of FIG. 26 after being bent.

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a main part according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a side view of a main part according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 30 is an explanatory diagram of an adhesive agent accumulating portion in FIG. 29.

FIG. 31 is an explanatory diagram of a bent portion of a conventional sheet electric wiring board.

FIG. 32 is a perspective view of a liquid ejection head according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 33 is an explanatory diagram of a wiping operation for the liquid ejection head of FIG. 32.

34 is a perspective view of a liquid ejection head configured by replacing the flow path forming member in FIG. 32 with a different one.

[Explanation of symbols] 1 Recording element substrate 2 First plate 2a, 2b Cylindrical surface 2c Cylindrical groove 2d entrance 3 sheet electric wiring board 3a fixing hole 4 contact terminal wiring board 4a External signal input terminal 5 Second plate 5a opening 6 Flow path forming member (liquid supply unit) 6a spherical boss 6b protrusion 6c Sheet fixing pin for electrical wiring board Fixed pin for 6d contact terminal wiring board 6p derivation part 7 Porous member 8 Joint seal (seal member) 15 Recording unit section 16 Ink storage unit 16a holding part 20 Seal member 23 Rubber stopper 23b crack hole 51 Liquid ejection head (recording head) Y liquid discharge unit P1 Adhesive application part for temporary adhesion P2 Adhesive application part for main adhesion

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Mikiya Umeyama             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation (72) Inventor Hiroshi Koizumi             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation (72) Inventor Takeshi Yamaguchi             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation (72) Inventor Genji Inada             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation (72) Inventor Ryo Shimamura             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation F-term (reference) 2C057 AF93 AG81 AP25 AP77

Claims (25)

[Claims] 1. A liquid discharge unit capable of discharging a liquid from a discharge port; and a liquid supply unit having a discharge port for discharging the liquid supplied from a liquid supply path to the liquid discharge unit, wherein: The discharge unit has an inlet corresponding to the outlet, and by joining the liquid discharge unit and the liquid supply unit with a seal member interposed therebetween, the inlet and the outlet are sealed with each other. In the liquid ejection head that communicates via the liquid ejection unit, the liquid ejection unit and the liquid supply unit are joined by a first adhesive, and the joining portion between the liquid ejection unit and the liquid supply unit is Further, the liquid discharge head is characterized in that a second photocurable adhesive different from the first adhesive is provided. 2. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the first adhesive is an epoxy adhesive. 3. The joint surface of the liquid supply unit has an abutting portion against which the liquid discharge unit abuts, and the abutting portion is provided with a second adhesive. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1 or 2. 4. The liquid ejection head according to claim 3, wherein the seal member is arranged eccentrically, and the abutting portion is provided at least on the side where the seal member is eccentric. 5. The liquid ejection head according to claim 3, wherein the liquid ejection unit has an engaging portion that engages with the abutting portion. 6. The liquid ejection head according to claim 5, wherein the engaging portion is a convex pin. 7. The liquid ejection head according to claim 9, wherein a hole or a step is formed on the peripheral surface of the pin. 8. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive portion formed by the second adhesive is covered with a constituent member of the head. 9. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 8, wherein a constituent member of the head that covers the bonding portion formed by the second adhesive is a protruding portion that extends from the liquid supply unit. 10. The head constituent member that covers the bonding portion formed by the second adhesive is a sheet electric wiring board for applying an electric signal to the liquid discharge unit, and the sheet electric wiring board is the discharge port. Is bent along the side surface of the liquid discharge unit from the front surface of the liquid discharge unit, and the bent portion of the sheet electric wiring board is
The liquid ejection head according to claim 8, wherein the liquid ejection head is adhered to a side surface of the liquid ejection unit and covers an adhesion portion formed by the second adhesive. 11. A member of a head that covers a bonding portion formed by the second adhesive is a sheet electric wiring board for giving an electric signal to the liquid discharge unit, and the sheet electric wiring board is the discharge port. Is bent along the side surface of the liquid discharge unit from the front surface of the liquid discharge unit, and the bent portion of the sheet electric wiring board is
The liquid supply unit is sandwiched and fixed between a holding portion provided on the liquid supply unit and a side surface of the liquid discharge unit,
9. The liquid ejection head according to claim 8, wherein the portion adhered by the adhesive 2 is covered. 12. The head constituent member that covers the bonding portion formed by the second adhesive is a sheet electric wiring board for applying an electric signal to the liquid discharge unit, and the sheet electric wiring board is the discharge port. Is bent along the side surface of the liquid discharge unit from the front surface of the liquid discharge unit, and the bent portion of the sheet electric wiring board is
9. The liquid ejection head according to claim 8, wherein the liquid ejection unit is fixed by crimping a protrusion provided on a side surface of the liquid ejection unit, and covers a portion bonded by the second adhesive. 13. The liquid ejecting unit is provided with an adhesive agent accumulating portion for accumulating an adhesive agent for adhering the sheet electric wiring substrate to the front surface of the liquid ejecting unit. The liquid ejection head according to any one of claims. 14. The liquid ejection head according to claim 13, wherein the adhesive agent reservoir is provided on a ridge portion between a front surface and a side surface of the liquid ejection unit. 15. The adhesive accumulating portion is formed by a groove extending from a ridge portion between a front surface and a side surface of the liquid ejection unit to a side surface of the liquid ejection unit. Item 14. The liquid ejection head according to item 14. 16. The liquid ejection unit includes a first plate to which a recording element capable of ejecting liquid is joined, and a second plate joined to the plate to form an adhesive surface of the sheet electric wiring board. 16. The liquid ejection head according to claim 13, wherein the adhesive reservoir is formed by displacing the end surface of the second plate from the end surface of the first plate. . 17. The liquid ejecting unit and the liquid unit are adhered to each other in a state where the seal member has the elastic reaction force therein due to an adhesive holding force larger than an elastic reaction force generated by deforming the seal member. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the liquid ejection head is provided. 18. A liquid discharge unit capable of discharging a liquid from a discharge port; a liquid supply unit having a discharge port for discharging the liquid supplied from a liquid supply path to the liquid discharge unit; The discharge unit has an inlet corresponding to the outlet, and by joining the liquid discharge unit and the liquid supply unit with a seal member interposed therebetween, the inlet and the outlet are sealed with each other. In the method for manufacturing a liquid ejection head that communicates via a first adhesive agent on the joint surface between the liquid ejection unit and the liquid supply unit, a second photocurable adhesive different from the first adhesive agent. An adhesive is applied, and the liquid discharge unit and the liquid supply unit are joined via the seal member, and the joined portion is irradiated with light to cure only the second adhesive. That step and, while maintaining the joined state by the second adhesive first
And a step of curing the adhesive, and a method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head, comprising: 19. The joint surface of the liquid supply unit comprises:
It has a positioning portion for positioning the liquid discharge unit with respect to the liquid supply unit, the second adhesive is applied to the positioning portion, and a part of the liquid discharge unit is used as the positioning portion. The method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to claim 18, wherein the second adhesive is cured after the butting and positioning. 20. The liquid ejection head according to claim 18, wherein after the second adhesive is cured, the bonding portion formed by the second adhesive is covered with a constituent member of the head. Production method. 21. A member for covering an adhesive portion formed by the second adhesive is a sheet electric wiring board for applying an electric signal to the liquid ejection unit, and a thermosetting adhesive is provided on a side surface of the liquid ejection unit. After applying, the bent portion of the sheet electric wiring board is bent while heating along the side surface of the liquid ejection unit from the front surface of the liquid ejection unit in which the ejection port is located, and adhered to the side surface of the liquid ejection unit 21. The method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to claim 20, wherein the bent portion of the sheet electric wiring board covers the bonded portion by the second adhesive. 22. When the sheet electric wiring board is adhered to the front surface of the liquid ejection unit with an adhesive, the adhesive protruding from the front surface of the liquid ejection unit and the sheet electric wiring board is applied to the liquid ejection unit. 22. The method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to claim 21, wherein the adhesive is accumulated in an adhesive reservoir provided on the. 23. The liquid ejection unit includes a first plate to which a recording element capable of ejecting a liquid is bonded, and a second plate bonded to the plate to form a bonding surface of the sheet electric wiring board. 23. The liquid ejection head according to claim 22, further comprising: forming the adhesive reservoir by joining the first plate and the second plate with their end faces displaced from each other. Production method. 24. The liquid is discharged by applying the adhesive so that the amount of the adhesive protruding from between the front surface of the liquid discharge unit and the sheet electric wiring substrate is smaller than the capacity of the adhesive reservoir. 24. The unit for adhering the sheet electric wiring board to a unit, according to claim 22 or 23.
A method for manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to item 1. 25. A liquid discharge recording apparatus comprising: the liquid discharge head according to claim 1; and a unit that relatively moves the liquid discharge head and a recording medium.