JP2006240245A - Method for adhering filter and liquid discharge head cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To favorably fix a filter to the end of a liquid feeding-passage and to improve the reliability of a delivery operation of liquid. <P>SOLUTION: The method for adhering a filter comprises: a 1st melting process in which a molten member 21 located and prepared at the periphery side of a filter 9 and having a tip section 21a projecting from the end surface of a filter 9 is pressed from the periphery side of this molten member 21 and the molten member 21 is melted and adhered to the filter 9; and a 2nd melting process in which the tip section 21a of the molten member 21 is melted and adhered to the filter 9. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid storage chamber and a liquid discharge head in a liquid discharge cartridge in which a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid such as ink and a liquid storage container that stores liquid to be supplied to the liquid discharge head are integrated. The present invention relates to a filter welding method for welding a filter to a liquid supply path between the two, and a liquid discharge head cartridge to which a filter is fixed using this filter welding method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording by discharging ink onto a recording material such as recording paper. This type of recording apparatus includes an inkjet cartridge in which an inkjet recording head that ejects ink and an ink storage container that stores ink to be supplied to the inkjet recording head are integrally formed.

  In the ink jet cartridge, a filter for filtering dust in the ink supplied to the ink jet recording head is fixed to an ink supply path that communicates the ink storage chamber and the ink jet recording head. Intrusion to the recording head side is prevented.

  Such a filter is generally formed in a disc shape having a circular end surface. In addition, a melted portion made of a resin material for welding the filter is erected on the outer peripheral portion of the filter in parallel with the thickness direction of the filter. As a conventional filter welding method, the melted portion standing on the outer periphery of the filter is pressed from above with a heated welding head in a single welding step, and the melted portion is deformed into a flat shape. A filter welding method for fixing the filter by welding to the filter is used.

In addition, as another conventional filter welding method, there is a step of placing a flat filter inside an annular convex portion formed on a liquid receiving member that guides ink, and a larger diameter than the annular convex portion. The annular convex portion is pressed while heating with a welding mold having a concave portion formed with an inclined surface at the abutting portion, and the filter is protruded toward the concave portion, and the peripheral portion of the filter is the tip of the liquid receiving member. A filter welding method including a step of welding to a thin film is disclosed (see Patent Document 1). Therefore, the filter fixed by this method is embedded and fixed at one end of the ink flow path of the liquid receiving member over the outer peripheral portion, and this filter is provided to be curved in an arc shape.
JP-A-6-238910

  By the way, in the conventional filter welding method described above, as shown in FIG. 7, in one welding process, the molten portion 121 is pressed and welded by the flat surface 130 a of the heated welding head 130. There is a possibility that the tip 121a of the melted part 121 may protrude outside the ink supply path constituting member. When the front end portion 121a protrudes outward, when the ink storage container configured by combining the case member (not shown) and the base member 106 is assembled, the protruding portion interferes with the case member. There is a disadvantage that it is difficult to bond the base member 106 well.

  Further, due to the difference in the resin material constituting the melted part 121, a gap is generated between the outer peripheral part 109a of the filter 109 and the tip part 121a of the melted part 121 in the case of a resin material having a relatively low fluidity. There is a problem that the filter 109 is not fixed well.

  Further, in order to perform recording with higher definition, fine dust is not allowed to be mixed into the ink supplied to the ink jet recording head, and the mesh of the filter 109 needs to be further finely formed. At that time, in order to sufficiently secure the bonding strength of the outer peripheral portion 109a of the filter 109, a welding allowance of a larger area is required. However, if a sufficient welding allowance is to be ensured, the melted portion 121 melted by the welding rushes into the ink supply path 111 to prevent ink supply, or further outward from the outer peripheral portion 109 a of the filter 109. There is a possibility that it may protrude and adversely affect other components.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a filter welding method and a liquid discharge head cartridge that can fix the filter well to the end of the liquid supply path and improve the reliability of the liquid discharge operation.

  In order to achieve the above object, a filter welding method according to the present invention is provided at a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid, a liquid supply path that supplies liquid to the liquid discharge head, and an end of the liquid supply path. A filter welding method for welding a filter to an end portion of a liquid supply path in the manufacture of a liquid discharge head cartridge including a filter, the tip portion being provided on the outer peripheral side of the filter and extending from the end surface of the filter. It has the 1st welding process which presses the fusion | melting part which protrudes from the outer peripheral side of this fusion | melting part, and welds a fusion | melting part to a filter, and the 2nd welding process of welding the front-end | tip part of a fusion | melting part to a filter.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the filter can be satisfactorily fixed to the end portion of the liquid supply path, and the reliability of the liquid discharge operation can be improved.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the entire inkjet head cartridge according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the ink jet head cartridge discharges ink supplied from a main tank (not shown) containing ink and ink supplied from the ink storage container 1. And an inkjet recording head 2. Further, in the ink jet head cartridge, a plurality of ink introduction tubes into which ink is introduced from the main tank (not shown) containing ink to the bottom surface portion of the ink storage container 1 via an ink supply tube (not shown). 3 is provided.

  FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the ink storage chamber of the ink storage container. As shown in FIG. 2, the ink storage container 1 is configured by combining a case member 5 and a base member 6 that supports the case member 5, and stores ink to be supplied to the inkjet recording head 2. An ink storage chamber 7 is provided.

  In the ink storage chamber 7, an ink absorber 8 that absorbs and holds ink, and a disk-shaped filter 9 for filtering dust in the ink supplied to the inkjet recording head 2 are provided.

  The base member 6 is made of a resin material and has an ink supply path 11 for supplying ink to the inkjet recording head 2. In the base member 6, a filter holding portion 12 that holds the outer peripheral portion of the filter 9 is integrally formed on the upper end surface connected to the case member 5. A flat filter receiving surface 13 that supports the lower end surface of the filter 9 is formed on the upper end surface of the base member 6.

  The filter 9 is held by a filter holding unit 12, and the upper end surface of the filter 9 is disposed in contact with the lower end surface of the ink absorber 8. The filter holding portion 12 is welded over the outer peripheral surface of the filter 9 in the circumferential direction, and is welded so as to cover the outer peripheral edge of the upper end surface of the filter 9.

  With respect to the ink storage container 1 configured as described above, a filter welding method for welding and fixing the filter 9 to the ink storage chamber 7 will be described with reference to the drawings. 3 to 5 are cross-sectional views for explaining each step of the filter welding method of the present embodiment.

  The filter welding method of the present embodiment is a method of welding by pressing from the outer peripheral side of the filter 9 while being heated from the outer peripheral side of the filter 9 by a welding head 30 having a guide surface 30a that is an inclined surface inclined toward the center side of the filter 9 as a welding tool. The first welding step to be performed, and the tip 21a of the melted portion 21 protruding upward from the upper end surface of the filter 9 is heated and pressed by the welding head 20 having the flat surface 20a as another welding tool. 2 welding processes.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the melted portion 21 to be the filter holding portion 12 shown in FIG. 2 is located on the outer peripheral side of the filter 9 and is formed in an annular shape with a resin material. It is formed to be inclined with respect to the thickness direction, and is formed in a tapered shape with the thickness gradually decreasing toward the tip.

  The melted portion 21 is thermally welded to the filter 9 and is welded so that the tip 21 a protruding upward from the upper end surface of the filter 9 covers the outer peripheral edge of the filter 9.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the filter 9 is placed on the filter receiving surface 13 of the ink storage chamber 7. In the first melting step, when the filter 9 is welded to the base member 6 constituting the ink storage chamber 9, a welding head 30 that is a welding tool for melting the tip portion 21a of the melting portion 21 is used. Perform welding.

  In the pressing portion of the welding head 30, a guide surface 30 a for bending the tip portion 21 a of the melted portion 21 toward the center side of the filter 9 and inclining is provided on a horizontal plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the filter 9. It is inclined and formed. The guide surface 30a is formed with an inclination angle θ with respect to an end surface of the filter 9, that is, a horizontal plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the filter 9, in a range of 40 degrees to 60 degrees. The outer diameter of the pressing portion of the welding head 30 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the melted portion 21.

  In addition, when the inclination angle θ is less than 40 degrees, the outer diameter of the melted portion 21 is likely to be widened, and it becomes difficult to form the outer diameter to a desired dimension, and the case member 5 and the base member 6 are not properly assembled. There is a risk of inviting. Further, when the inclination angle θ exceeds 60 degrees, it is difficult to weld the melted portion 21 sufficiently to the outer peripheral portion of the filter 9, which may cause improper fixing of the filter 9.

  By using the welding head 30 formed in the shape as described above, the welding head 30 is heated to a predetermined temperature and pressed from the direction of the arrow in FIG. At the guide surface 30a of the welding head 30, the tip portion 21a of the melted portion 21 is inclined toward the center side of the filter 9, and the outer peripheral portion 9a of the filter 9 is welded so as to be wrapped in the wall of the tip portion 21a. As a result, an inclined surface 22 is formed in the melted portion 21 on the outer periphery of the distal end portion 21a so as to be inclined on the filter 9 side along the guide surface 30a. As described above, in the first welding step, the outer peripheral surface of the filter 9 is welded by the welding head 30, and the tip 21 a of the melted portion 21 is inclined toward the center side of the filter 9. In this step, a necessary amount of the outer peripheral surface of the filter 9 is welded, and the tip 21a of the melted portion 21 is not welded. Therefore, the melted portion 21 can be prevented from protruding into the ink supply path 11.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the second melting step, welding for melting the tip 21 a of the melting portion 21 protruding upward from the upper end surface of the filter 9 formed in the first melting step described above. Welding is performed using a welding head 20 which is a tool. In the second welding step, welding is performed such that the outer peripheral portion 9 a of the filter 9 is sandwiched between the tip end portion 21 a of the melting portion 21 and the filter receiving surface 13 that supports the lower end surface of the filter 9.

  The pressing portion of the welding head 20 is formed with a flat surface 20a so as to flatten the tip portion 21a of the molten portion 21 that protrudes upward from the upper end surface of the filter 9 and is inclined toward the center side. . The outer diameter of the flat surface 20 a of the welding head 20 is slightly larger than the outer shape of the melted portion 21.

  By making such a shape, the welding head 20 heated to a predetermined temperature is pressed toward the upper end surface of the filter 9 from the direction of the arrow in FIG. The tip 21 a of the melted portion 21 protruding upward from the filter 9 is welded flat along the upper end surface of the filter 9, and the filter receiving surface 13 at the lower end surface of the filter 9 is melted and welded. As a result, the filter 9 is formed so that the tip 21 a of the melted portion 21 and the filter receiving surface 13 are flat following the flat surface 20 a of the welding head 20, and the filter 9 is fixed favorably in the ink storage chamber 7. . In this way, in the second welding step, only the inclined surface 22 and its vicinity are welded by the welding head 20 having the flat surface 20a, so there is no excessive welding, and the molten portion 21 enters the ink supply path 11. Protrusion can be prevented.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the outer peripheral portion 9a of the filter 9 welded by the filter welding method of this embodiment is covered with an inclined portion 12a inclined in the thickness direction of the filter 9 over the outer peripheral surface, and the ink flowing direction is The outer peripheral edge of the upstream end face is covered and welded by a flat portion 12b substantially parallel to the upstream end face of the filter 9, and the outer peripheral edge of the downstream end face in the ink flow direction is welded to the filter receiving surface 13. Yes. That is, the filter 9 held and fixed by the filter holding part 12 is a resin in which the tip part 21a, the filter receiving surface 13 and the melting part 21 of the melting part 21 form the melting part 21 on the outer peripheral part 9a of the filter 9, respectively. It is bonded and fixed in a welded state in which the material is melted.

  As described above, according to the filter welding method of the present embodiment, the melted portion 21 is pressed from the outer peripheral side of the melted portion 21 to weld the melted portion 21 to the outer peripheral surface of the filter 9. By having a first welding step for inclining the tip portion 21 a toward the center side of the filter 9 and a second welding step for welding the tip portion 21 a of the melting portion 21 to the end face of the filter 9, The tip 21a of the melted portion 21 melted out of the ink storage chamber 7 at the time of welding is satisfactorily suppressed from protruding outside the filter 9, and the assembly of the case member 5 and the base member 6 constituting the ink storage chamber 7 is hindered. As a result, the assembly of the ink storage container 1 can be improved.

  Further, according to this filter welding method, the tip end portion 21a, the filter receiving surface 13 and the molten portion 21 of the melted portion 21 are maintained in a welded state in which the outer peripheral portion 9a of the filter 9 is melted. Since the melted portion 21 melted at the time of welding is suppressed from protruding into the ink supply path 11, the filter 9 is satisfactorily bonded and fixed to the filter holding portion 12.

  Therefore, according to the ink jet head cartridge in which the filter 9 is bonded and fixed by this filter welding method, the filter 9 is satisfactorily fixed in the ink storage chamber 7, and dust enters the ink jet recording head 2 side from the filter 9. Since the normal ink ejection operation can be prevented from being hindered, the reliability of the recording operation by the ink jet recording head 2 can be improved.

  In addition, in this embodiment, the front-end | tip part 21a is formed by the welding head 30 at the 1st welding process by forming the outer peripheral surface of the fusion | melting part 21 in what is called a taper shape inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the filter 9. Although it is smoothly inclined toward the center side of the filter 9, a straight melting portion in which the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the melting portion are substantially parallel to the thickness direction of the filter 9 may be provided. Similarly, such a melted portion can be inclined toward the center of the filter 9 by the guide surface 30a of the welding head 30, and the filter 9 can be bonded and fixed satisfactorily.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the ink jet head cartridge in which the recording head and the ink storage chamber are integrally configured has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and for example, a recording head unit including a filter. The present invention can also be applied to a configuration in which the ink storage chamber (ink tank) is detachably separable.

It is a perspective view showing the whole ink-jet head cartridge. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where an ink storage chamber and an ink storage container of the recording head according to the present embodiment are joined. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the ink storage chamber of the head which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the filter welding method to the ink storage chamber of the head concerning this invention. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the filter welding method to the ink storage chamber of the head concerning this invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a filter weld shape to the ink storage chamber of the recording head according to the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the fusion | melting part of the conventional filter.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ink storage container 2 Inkjet recording head 7 Ink storage chamber 8 Ink absorber 9 Filter 9a Outer peripheral part 11 Ink supply path 12 Filter holding part 13 Filter receiving surface 21 Melting part 21a Tip part 22 Inclined surface 20, 30 Welding head 30a Guide surface

Claims (8)

In manufacturing a liquid discharge head cartridge, comprising: a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid; a liquid supply path that supplies liquid to the liquid discharge head; and a filter that is provided at an end of the liquid supply path. A filter welding method for welding to an end of a liquid supply path,
A first welding step that is provided on the outer peripheral side of the filter and that has a melted portion whose tip protrudes from the end face of the filter from the outer peripheral side of the molten portion to weld the molten portion to the filter; ,
And a second welding step of welding the tip of the melted portion to the filter.   In the first welding step, the melted portion is pressed from the outer peripheral side of the melted portion to weld the melted portion to the outer peripheral surface of the filter, and the tip of the melted portion is connected to the center side of the filter. The filter welding method according to claim 1, wherein the filter is inclined toward the surface.   3. The filter welding method according to claim 1, wherein, in the second welding step, the tip portion of the melted portion is pressed with a flat surface to weld the tip portion to the end surface of the filter.   4. The welding tool according to claim 1, wherein in the first welding step, a welding tool having an inclined surface inclined toward the center side of the end surface of the filter is used to melt and press the melted portion. The filter welding method according to claim 1.   The filter welding method according to claim 4, wherein the inclined surface of the welding tool has an inclination angle of 40 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less with respect to the end face of the filter.   The filter welding method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein in the second step, both end faces of the filter are flattened and fixed. A liquid discharge head for discharging liquid; a liquid supply path for supplying liquid to the liquid discharge head; a filter provided at an end of the liquid supply path; and the filter provided on an outer peripheral side of the filter A filter holding part for holding and fixing
The filter holding portion includes a sloping portion that is slanted in the thickness direction of the filter and is welded to the outer peripheral surface of the filter, and a flat portion that is welded to the outer peripheral edge of the end surface of the filter. cartridge.   The liquid discharge head cartridge according to claim 7, wherein both ends of the filter are flattened and fixed to the filter holding portion.

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