JP2006289675A - Inkjet recording head and inkjet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inkjet recording head equipped with a constitution wherein the thickness of an adhesive for joining an ink ejection member is kept constant and wherein a distance from a surface of a nozzle to that of recording sheet is kept constant, and an inkjet recording apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: An ink supply member is provided with an X-reference and a Y-reference; a channel plate for sticking the ink ejection member is provided with a Z-reference; and a main-body mounting reference in a Z-direction and ink-ejection-member sticking reference are set identical with each other. This can keep the distance from the surface of the nozzle to that of the recording sheet constant while keeping the thickness of the adhesive constant in jointing, so as to enhance the performance and reliability of the inkjet recording apparatus. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording head and an ink jet recording apparatus that perform recording by discharging a recording liquid onto a recording medium.

  The liquid jet recording apparatus is a so-called non-impact recording type recording apparatus, which can record on various recording media at high speed and has almost no noise during recording. ing. A typical example of the liquid jet recording method used in this type of liquid jet recording apparatus is a method using an electrothermal conversion element as an ejection energy generating element. In a liquid jet recording head using this method, an electrothermal conversion element is provided in a pressurizing chamber, and an electric pulse serving as a recording signal is applied thereto to give thermal energy to the recording liquid, and the phase change of the recording liquid at that time The bubble pressure at the time of foaming (boiling) of the recording liquid generated by the above is used for ejecting the recording droplets.

  Furthermore, there are two types of liquid jet recording heads that use the electrothermal conversion method: one that discharges the recording liquid in parallel to the substrate on which the electrothermal conversion elements are arranged (edge shooter), and the electrothermal conversion element that is arranged There is a type (side shooter) that discharges the recording liquid perpendicularly to the formed substrate.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a conventional product as a background art of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 5, an ink supply member 201, which is a main member of the inkjet recording head 200, has an X reference surface 201a, a Y reference surface 201b, and a Z reference surface 201c for positioning with respect to the carriage of the printer body. Is provided.

  The ink supply member 201 and the flow path plate 202 are joined by general ultrasonic welding or the like, and the ink discharge member 203 and the flexible wiring member 204 are attached to constitute the ink jet recording head 200.

  The ink tank C_206a, the ink tank M_206b, and the ink tank Y_206c are independent of each other and are detachably mounted on the ink supply member 201.

The advantage of the ink jet recording head configured as described above is that a molded product is usually used for the main member, and a reference surface in all the X, Y, and Z3 directions (hereinafter referred to as a head reference) is often used in one component. Dimensional accuracy is easily obtained. Further, when the carriage is mounted, a load is applied to a carriage lever receiving portion 101e provided in another place, for example, as shown in FIG. The load received by the recording head can be received only by the ink supply member 201, and the merit of configuring the head reference surface in one component is great.
JP 10-44420 A

  Since the configuration of the ink jet recording head as described above is established by assembling a plurality of parts, there is always a minute dimensional deviation between the parts due to the dimensional tolerance of each part and the assembly tolerance in the production line.

  This will be described with reference to FIG.

  The most important component in the ink jet recording head 200 is an ink ejection member 203. Assembling the ink discharge member 203 as accurately as possible improves the performance and reliability of the inkjet recording head 200.

  Here, since the ink jet recording head 200 exhibits its function only after being mounted on the printer main body, naturally the positional accuracy from the head reference surface is important.

  In the case of the configuration as shown in FIG. 5, even if the ink discharge member 203 is accurately positioned by the apparatus with respect to the head reference surface provided on the ink supply member 201, the target to which the ink discharge member 203 is actually attached is the flow path. Since the plate 202 is used, a minute dimensional deviation occurs between the ink discharge member 203 and the flow path plate 202.

  At this time, in the X direction and the Y direction, even if a minute dimensional deviation occurs between the ink ejection member 203 and the flow path plate 202, the dimensions of each part in the flow path plate 202 are taken into account in consideration of dimensional tolerances. The influence can be reduced by making it a thing.

  However, in the Z direction, since the back surface of the ink ejection member 203 and the surface of the flow path plate 202 are joined via an adhesive, the influence of the dimensional variation becomes large.

  Specifically, the following two dimensional variations are conceivable.

  One is a case where the ink discharge member 203 is joined to the flow path plate 202 with a certain adhesive thickness. In this case, the assembly tolerance of the ink supply member 201 and the flow path plate 202 and the flow path plate 202 Since the thickness tolerance is included, the distance from the nozzle surface of the ink ejection member 203 to the surface of the recording paper (hereinafter referred to as the inter-paper distance) when mounted on the carriage is varied.

  The other is a case where the ink discharge member 203 is joined to the Z reference surface 201c of the ink supply member 201 at a fixed position by the apparatus. In this case, too, the assembly tolerance between the ink supply member 201 and the flow path plate 202 is obtained. In addition, since the thickness tolerance of the flow path plate 202 is included, the distance between the sheets can be made constant, but the thickness of the adhesive for joining the ink discharge member 203 and the flow path plate 202 varies. .

  The variation in the distance between the paper and the adhesive thickness described above is an important point for the ink jet recording head of this configuration, and is also a very important point for ensuring the performance and reliability as a printer. Both of these must be solved simultaneously.

  In particular, the inter-paper distance affects the landing position deviation when the ink ejection angle from the nozzle is slightly shifted when forming an image by ejecting ink onto the recording paper.

  Further, the thickness of the adhesive affects cracking due to a difference in thermal expansion due to a difference in material between the ink discharge member 203 and the flow path plate 202, an overflow of the adhesive, and the like.

  It is also conceivable to provide the head reference planes in all three directions on the flow path plate 202. However, in this configuration, the load received when the carriage is mounted is distributed to the ink supply member 201 and the flow path plate 202, and particularly in the X direction. Since the load received in the Y direction is applied in the shearing direction to the joint portion between the ink supply member 201 and the flow path plate 202, the reliability of the joint portion may be reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points. In particular, the positional relationship between the head reference surface, the ink ejection member 203, and the recording paper in the Z direction is determined when the ink ejection member 203 and the flow path plate 202 are joined. An object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable ink jet recording head and ink jet recording apparatus capable of maintaining a constant adhesive thickness and a constant distance between sheets.

In order to achieve the above object, the ink jet recording head of the present invention comprises:
An ink discharge member having a heater and a nozzle for discharging ink, a flow path plate having a part of the ink flow path for positioning and bonding the ink discharge member, and a part of the ink flow path; In an inkjet recording head that is detachable from a carriage of a printer main body, comprising an ink supply member that includes a filter, and a flexible wiring member that includes an electric signal input terminal.
An X reference plane and a Y reference plane for the carriage are provided on the ink supply member, a Z reference plane for the carriage is provided on the flow path plate, and the Z reference plane and the ink ejection member in the flow path plate An ink jet recording head in which a flat surface to which the film is attached is the same surface in the Z direction, and a concave portion extending in the X direction is formed on the Z reference surface.

  The positioning in the Z direction at the time of joining the flow path plate and the ink supply member is based on abutment between the abutment reference surface of the flow path plate and the abutment reference surfaces of the ink supply member. Inkjet recording head.

  In addition, the positioning in the X direction and the Y direction at the time of joining the flow path plate and the ink supply member is performed by fitting a positioning reference hole of the flow path plate and a positioning reference pin of the ink supply member. It is a recording head.

  The ink jet recording head is characterized in that the flow path plate and the ink supply member are joined by heat caulking the positioning reference pin of the ink supply member to the positioning reference hole of the flow path plate. .

  The ink jet recording head is characterized in that the flow path plate and the ink supply member are joined by any one of ultrasonic welding, thermal welding, and adhesion.

Furthermore, an ink discharge member having a heater and a nozzle for discharging ink, a flow path plate having a part of the ink flow path and positioning and bonding the ink discharge member, and an ink flow path In an ink jet recording apparatus in which an ink jet recording head composed of an ink supply member having a part and a filter and a flexible wiring member having an electric signal input terminal portion is detachably mounted,
An X reference plane and a Y reference plane for the carriage are provided on the ink supply member, a Z reference plane for the carriage is provided on the flow path plate, and the Z reference plane and the ink ejection member in the flow path plate The flat surface to be attached is the same surface in the Z direction, and a concave portion extending in the X direction is formed on the Z reference surface, and a protrusion corresponding to the concave portion is formed on the Z reference surface of the carriage. The ink jet recording apparatus is characterized by the above.

  If the ink jet recording head of the present invention is used, the head reference in the Z direction is provided on the flow path plate to which the ink discharging member for discharging ink is attached, thereby substantially increasing the cost in the positioning of the ink discharging member and the distance between the sheets. Reliability can be increased without.

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

(First embodiment)
1 to 4 are explanatory views for explaining an ink jet recording head in which the present invention is implemented or applied.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view seen from the ink discharge side, which best represents the characteristics of the ink jet recording head of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view seen from the contact pad side with the main body.

  FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view in which the constituent elements are separated in the assembly direction, and shows the overall configuration of the ink jet recording head.

  4A and 4B are schematic views of an ink jet recording head for explaining the dimensional relationship of the present invention. FIG. 4a shows a form of the present invention, and FIG. 4b shows a form of a conventional example.

  Here, the ink jet recording head 100 is a bubble jet (registered trademark) side shooter that performs recording using an electrothermal transducer that generates thermal energy for causing film boiling to the ink in response to an electrical signal. It is a recording head to be a mold.

  The ink jet recording head 100 is fixedly supported by positioning means and electrical contacts of a carriage (not shown) mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus main body, and is detachable from the carriage.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an ink jet recording head that best represents the configuration of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an ink supply member 101 which is a main member of the inkjet recording head 100 is provided with an X reference surface 101a and a Y reference surface 101b for positioning with respect to the carriage of the printer body. The flow path plate 102 is provided with a Z reference surface 102c for positioning with respect to the carriage of the printer main body.

  The ink supply member 101 and the flow path plate 102 are joined by general ultrasonic welding or the like, and the ink discharge member 103 and the flexible wiring member 104 are attached to constitute the ink jet recording head 100.

  The ink tank C_106a, the ink tank M_106b, and the ink tank Y_106c are independent of each other and are detachably mounted on the ink supply member 101.

  To explain these in an easy-to-understand manner, as shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 3, the ink jet recording head 100 is connected to an ink discharging member 103 that discharges ink for forming an image on recording paper, and the ink discharging member 103. The flexible wiring member 104 having a contact pad for receiving an electrical signal from the ink jet recording apparatus main body, the flow path plate 102, the ink supply member 101, the filters 105a, 105b, 105c, the ink tanks 106a, 106b, 106c.

  In the present invention, the thickness of the adhesive for joining the flow path plate 102 and the ink discharge member 103 is kept constant, the distance between the papers is also kept constant, and the reliability is achieved in forming an image by discharging ink. The structure will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the configuration of the conventional example shown in FIG. 4B will be described.

  In this configuration, the ink supply member 201 and the flow path plate 202 are joined by general ultrasonic welding or adhesion. The ink supply member 201 is provided with a Z reference surface 201c. The ink discharge member 203 is joined to the flow path plate 202 by an adhesive 209.

  The ink jet recording head assembled in this manner is mounted on the recording apparatus main body having a certain distance between the Z reference surface 201c and the recording paper, and ejects ink from the ink discharge member 203. The position of the ink discharge member 203 from 201c must be kept constant.

  However, in this configuration, there is a possibility that the thickness of the welding layer or the adhesive layer that joins the ink supply member 201 and the flow path plate 202 may vary, and high-precision management is not easy. In addition, the component dimensions of the flow path plate 202 also have tolerances, and there may be variations in the thickness direction.

  Therefore, in order to keep the position of the ink ejection member 203 from the Z reference surface 201c constant, the thickness of the adhesive 209 must be adjusted, and as described above, it is too thin from the viewpoint of reliability. It is difficult to manage and management is not easy.

  In addition, when the thickness of the adhesive 209 is controlled to be constant, the distance between papers varies, and as described above, it is difficult from the viewpoint of reliability.

  On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 4A, the ink supply member 101 and the flow path plate 102 are joined by general ultrasonic welding or adhesion. The flow path plate 102 is provided with a Z reference surface 102c. The ink discharge member 103 is positioned and bonded using the adhesive 109 with reference to the Z reference surface 102 c provided on the flow path plate 102.

  Further, the ink jet recording head assembled in this way is mounted on a recording apparatus main body having a certain distance between the Z reference surface 102 c and the recording paper, and ejects ink from the ink ejection member 103.

  With this configuration, the Z reference surface 102c serves as a reference for mounting the recording apparatus main body as well as a positioning reference for the ink discharge member 103, so that the ink discharge member 103 and the flow path plate 102 can be joined. While keeping the thickness of the adhesive 109 constant, the distance between the sheets can be kept constant.

  Furthermore, the Z reference surface 102c in the flow path plate 102 and the joint surface of the ink discharge member 103 in the flow path plate 102 are configured to be the same surface in the Z direction, so that, for example, the flow path plate 102 is molded. Even if it is formed of a molded product, it is easy to obtain accuracy, and further improvement in accuracy is achieved.

  In addition, a further effect can be obtained by adopting the configuration shown in FIG.

  FIG. 6 a is a perspective view in which a concave groove punched in the X direction is added to the Z reference plane of the flow path plate 102.

  6B is a perspective view schematically showing the Z reference plane of the carriage. When the inkjet recording head 100 is attached to or detached from the carriage, the Z reference plane 102c of the flow path plate and the Z reference plane of the carriage are shown. Needless to say, the reference plane hits.

  In the configuration of the present invention, since the Z reference surface 102c and the ink ejection member attaching surface in the flow path plate are the same surface in the Z direction, the Z reference surface of the carriage cannot be thickened due to the inter-paper distance. It becomes weak in strength.

  For this reason, if a protrusion is provided on the Z reference plane of the carriage, the strength of the member itself can be increased without impairing the effects obtained by this configuration.

  Next, a method for joining the ink supply member 101 and the flow path plate 102 will be described.

  When the ink supply member 101 and the flow path plate 102 are joined, the abutting reference plane of the flow path plate 102 is abutted against the abutting reference plane of the ink supply member 101 to perform positioning in the Z direction.

  The positioning in the X direction and the Y direction is performed by fitting the positioning reference pin of the ink supply member 101 and the positioning reference hole of the flow path plate 102.

  The ink supply member 101 and the flow path plate 102 thus positioned are accurately joined by any one of heat caulking, ultrasonic welding, heat welding, and adhesion.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the ink jet recording head of the present invention as viewed from the ink ejection side. It is the perspective view which looked at the ink jet recording head of the present invention from the contact pad side with a main part. It is the disassembled perspective view which spread | dispersed each component to the assembly direction. It is a schematic diagram of the inkjet recording head for demonstrating the dimensional relationship of this invention, and is a schematic diagram which shows the form of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the form of a prior art example. It is a perspective view which shows the conventional inkjet recording head. It is a perspective view showing concretely the shape of the Z reference plane in a channel plate. FIG. 5 is a perspective view specifically showing a Z reference plane of a carriage.

Explanation of symbols

100 Inkjet recording head 101 Ink supply member 101a X reference surface 101b Y reference surface 101d Carriage abutting reference surface 101e Carriage lever receiving portion 102 Channel plate 102c Z reference surface 103 Ink ejection member 104 Flexible wiring member 105a Filter C
105b Filter M
105c Filter Y
106a Ink tank C
106b Ink tank M
106c Ink tank Y
109 Adhesive 200 Inkjet recording head 201 Ink supply member 201a X reference surface 201b Y reference surface 201c Z reference surface 202 Channel plate 203 Ink ejection member 204 Flexible wiring member 205a Filter C
205b Filter M
205c Filter Y
206a Ink tank C
206b Ink tank M
206c Ink tank Y

Claims (6)

An ink discharge member having a heater and a nozzle for discharging ink, a flow path plate having a part of the ink flow path and positioning and bonding the ink discharge member, and a part of the ink flow path; In an inkjet recording head that is detachable from a carriage of a printer main body, comprising an ink supply member that includes a filter, and a flexible wiring member that includes an electric signal input terminal.
An X reference plane and a Y reference plane for the carriage are provided on the ink supply member, a Z reference plane for the carriage is provided on the flow path plate, and the Z reference plane and the ink ejection member in the flow path plate An ink jet recording head characterized in that a flat surface to which the film is attached is the same surface in the Z direction, and a concave portion extending in the X direction is formed on the Z reference surface.   The positioning in the Z direction at the time of joining the flow path plate and the ink supply member is based on abutment between an abutment reference surface of the flow path plate and an abutment reference surface of the ink supply member. 2. An ink jet recording head according to 1.   2. The positioning in the X direction and the Y direction at the time of joining the flow path plate and the ink supply member is performed by fitting a positioning reference hole of the flow path plate and a positioning reference pin of the ink supply member. 2. An ink jet recording head according to 1.   The inkjet according to claim 1, wherein the flow path plate and the ink supply member are joined by heat caulking the positioning reference pin of the ink supply member to the positioning reference hole of the flow path plate. Recording head.   The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the flow path plate and the ink supply member are joined by any one of ultrasonic welding, thermal welding, and adhesion. An ink discharge member having a heater and a nozzle for discharging ink, a flow path plate having a part of the ink flow path for positioning and bonding the ink discharge member, and a part of the ink flow path; In an ink jet recording apparatus in which an ink jet recording head composed of an ink supply member including a filter and a flexible wiring member including an electric signal input terminal portion is detachably mounted,
An X reference plane and a Y reference plane for the carriage are provided on the ink supply member, a Z reference plane for the carriage is provided on the flow path plate, and the Z reference plane and the ink ejection member in the flow path plate The flat surface to be attached is the same surface in the Z direction, and a concave portion extending in the X direction is formed on the Z reference surface, and a protrusion corresponding to the concave portion is formed on the Z reference surface of the carriage. An ink jet recording apparatus.

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