JP2006239992A - Inkjet head and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To discharge and dry a face cleaning liquid without leaving or splashing the face cleaning liquid in a head including a face cleaning process after shipping inspection during the manufacturing of the head. <P>SOLUTION: The inkjet head has at least ribs on three faces other than the direction of contact with a printer body in the head and grooves to ensure that at least a part of the ribs facing the contact direction is opened. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an inkjet head for generating small recording droplets used in an inkjet recording system.

  The inkjet printing method, which generates ink droplets and attaches them to a print medium such as paper, prints with very little noise during printing, enables high-speed printing, and makes the inkjet head extremely compact. Therefore, it is a printing system that can be easily colored and made compact. As one of the ink jet printing methods, there is a type in which ink is foamed by a heating element and ink is ejected by utilizing the growth of bubbles.

  On the substrate having the ink discharge pressure generating element, an ink flow path and a discharge port are formed by a photolithographic technique, and a flexible substrate is joined to electrically connect the substrate and the printer main body. The flexible substrate is bonded to the housing, and the face surface has at least ribs on three surfaces other than the main body contact direction, thereby preventing peeling by a wiper blade mounted on the printer main body.

  Further, after performing the print inspection, the ink jet head is sealed with a tape coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive in order to wash and dry the ink droplets and prevent ink leakage from the discharge port during distribution. .

As another conventional example, Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 can be cited.
JP-A-10-151759 JP 07-314732 A

  When applying a tape having a pressure-sensitive adhesive to protect the face surface of the inkjet head during distribution, if ink droplets remain on the face surface, the ink droplets remain between the tape and the face surface. In some cases, the water-treated face surface was deteriorated. Furthermore, in order to remove the ink droplets, if the tape is applied after cleaning the face surface, the cleaning liquid may remain on the face surface after drying during the cleaning process, or it may be scattered on the main body contact surface, resulting in deterioration of the face water-repellent surface. In some cases, the flexible wiring board may be corroded and become defective.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in an inkjet head having a substrate 1 having an ink discharge pressure generating element and a flexible wiring substrate 2, a pre-shipment print inspection is performed when the inkjet head is manufactured. An ink jet head having a step of cleaning the head face surface afterwards, the head face surface having at least ribs on three surfaces other than the contact direction with the printer body, and a part of the rib portion facing the contact direction By providing the groove so as to be at least open, it is possible to discharge and dry the face surface cleaning liquid through the discharge groove 10 without remaining or scattering. As a result, even if the protective tape 11 is attached to the face surface, high reliability can be obtained for a long time without water repellency deterioration and corrosion of the wiring portion.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the head face surface has at least ribs on three surfaces other than the contact direction with the printer body, and at least a part of the rib portion facing the contact direction is open. By having the groove so as to be, it is possible to discharge and dry the face surface cleaning liquid through the groove without remaining or scattering of the face surface cleaning liquid. As a result, even if physical distribution is performed with a tape attached to the face surface, high reliability can be obtained for a long time without water repellency deterioration and corrosion of the wiring portion.

  Examples of the ink jet head of the present invention are specifically shown below.

  Hereinafter, an example of the inkjet head of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  A substrate 1 having an ink discharge pressure generating element and a flexible wiring substrate 2 for electrically connecting the substrate and the printer main body are attached to a housing 3 (FIG. 1). On the discharge generating element substrate, an ink flow path and discharge ports stacked by photolithography are formed. On the face surface of the housing, there is a cleaning liquid discharge groove 10 that is partially opened at a portion facing the body contact direction. After the completed inkjet head was inspected for printing to discriminate between good and defective products, the inkjet head that became non-defective by the inspection passed through the steps shown in FIG. In order to remove ink droplets attached to the face surface, the ink was washed with the cleaning liquid 12 and then dried by air blow. The cleaning liquid and ink droplets did not scatter to the contact portion with the printer main body formed on the flexible substrate during air blowing, and the liquid was discharged from the groove formed on the face surface. A tape coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive was applied to the face head surface, and the discharge port was sealed. When the print was evaluated after storing the head at 60 ° C. for 3 months, good print could be obtained, and water-repellent deterioration of the face surface was not observed.

(Comparative example)
Hereinafter, a comparative example will be described with reference to FIG.

  A substrate 1 having an ink discharge pressure generating element and a flexible wiring substrate 2 for electrically connecting the substrate and the printer main body are attached to a housing 3 (FIG. 3). On the discharge generating element substrate, an ink flow path and discharge ports stacked by photolithography are formed. Ribs 4 are formed on the face of the housing except for the body contact direction. After the completed inkjet head was inspected for printing, the non-defective product and the defective product were discriminated, and the process shown in FIG. In order to remove ink droplets adhering to the face surface, the ink droplet was washed with a cleaning liquid and then dried by air blow. When the face surface after air blowing was observed, the remaining of the cleaning liquid in the vicinity of the discharge port and the adhesion of the ink droplets and the cleaning liquid to the main body contact pad portion formed on the flexible substrate were observed. A protective tape 11 coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive was applied to the face surface, and the discharge port was sealed. When the print was evaluated after the head was stored at 60 ° C. for 3 months, printing failure occurred. When the face surface was observed, water-repellent deterioration of the face surface was observed.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an inkjet head in the present invention. The flow of the manufacturing method of the inkjet head in this invention. Schematic diagram of a conventional inkjet head.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Board | substrate which has an ink discharge pressure generation element 2 Flexible wiring board 3 Case 4 Rib 10 Cleaning liquid discharge groove 11 Protective tape 20 Cleaning liquid
21 Air blow

Claims (2)

In an inkjet head having a substrate having an ink discharge pressure generating element and a flexible wiring substrate, an inkjet head having a step of cleaning a head face after performing a pre-shipment print inspection when manufacturing the inkjet head,
An inkjet head having at least ribs on three surfaces other than the contact direction with the printer main body on the head face surface and grooves so that a part of the rib portion facing the contact direction is at least open. A substrate having an ink discharge pressure generating element, a flexible wiring substrate, a head face surface having at least ribs on three surfaces other than the contact direction with the printer body, and at least a part of the rib portion facing the contact direction is open In the manufacturing method of the inkjet head having a groove to become
A method of manufacturing an ink-jet head, wherein at least a part of the cleaning liquid is discharged using the groove when the head face surface is cleaned with a liquid after a pre-shipping print inspection.

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