JP2008055831A - Liquid droplet ejection head, its manufacturing method, and liquid droplet ejector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid droplet ejection head which is excellent in ejection stability because ink can be prevented from being retained at the wiping-direction terminal end of a recess formed of an end surface, surrounding a nozzle, of a protrusion and a surface of a nozzle plate, when the protrusion is provided around the nozzle in such a manner that its end surface surrounds the nozzle, so as to enhance the reliability of the plurality of nozzles of an inkjet head. <P>SOLUTION: The protrusion 9 is composed of a portion protruding relatively to a first recess 9a which is formed of the surface of the nozzle plate 2 and the end surface 9d surrounding the nozzle 2a, a second recess 9c which is elongated in a wiping direction, and a first liquid channel 9b which connects first and second recesses 9a and 9c together. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a droplet discharge head, a manufacturing method thereof, and a droplet discharge apparatus. More specifically, for example, in order to improve the reliability of a plurality of nozzles of an inkjet head, when providing a convex portion around the nozzle so that its end surface surrounds the nozzle, the end surface surrounding the nozzle of the convex portion and the nozzle plate The present invention relates to a droplet discharge head capable of preventing ink from staying at the end portion in the wiping direction of a recess formed on the surface, and excellent in discharge stability, a manufacturing method thereof, and a droplet discharge apparatus.

  Conventional inkjet heads have a problem that the water-repellent film disposed on the surface in the vicinity of the nozzle in order to improve the reliability of the nozzle is damaged by paper rubbing such as paper jam. It has been studied to provide a protrusion around the nozzle so that its end surface surrounds the nozzle. However, ink tends to stay at the end portion in the wiping direction of the concave portion formed by the end surface surrounding the nozzle of the convex portion and the surface of the nozzle plate, and the higher the convex portion formed around the nozzle, the more the ink There is a problem in that the staying amount increases, and when the staying ink is solidified and reaches the nozzle, the ejection stability of the ink is adversely affected.

In view of this problem, in order to improve the removability of the foreign matter in the concave portion, a configuration in which the end surface on the nozzle side of the convex portion is configured as a tapered surface is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1). This taper surface makes it easier for the blade that performs maintenance around the nozzle on the surface of the nozzle plate to come into contact with the nozzle surface, which is the bottom surface of the recess, and can increase the foreign matter removal capability. As a method for forming such a tapered surface, for example, electroforming (for example, see Patent Document 2), laser processing or etching (for example, see Patent Document 3) are disclosed.
Japanese Patent No. 30605526 JP-A-4-234665 JP 2003-276204 A

  However, in the case of the method of forming a tapered surface disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, it is difficult to control the taper angle of the convex portion, and the taper angle uniformity of the plurality of convex portions corresponding to the plurality of nozzles is difficult. There is a problem that it is difficult to ensure.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems. For example, in order to improve the reliability of a plurality of nozzles of an inkjet head, a protrusion is provided around the nozzle so that its end surface surrounds the nozzle. In this case, it is possible to prevent ink from staying at the end portion in the wiping direction of the concave portion formed by the end surface of the convex portion on the nozzle side and the surface of the nozzle plate, and a liquid droplet ejection head excellent in ejection stability. An object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing method and a droplet discharge device.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following droplet discharge head, method for manufacturing the same, and droplet discharge apparatus.

[1] A liquid comprising a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles for discharging liquid droplets, and a convex portion disposed around the nozzle on the surface of the nozzle plate so that an end surface of the nozzle plate surrounds the nozzle. In the droplet discharge head, the convex portion includes a first concave portion formed by an end surface surrounding the nozzle and a surface of the nozzle plate, a second concave portion extending in a wiping direction, and the first concave portion and A droplet discharge head characterized in that the droplet discharge head is composed of a portion that is relatively convex with respect to the first liquid channel connecting the second recess.

[2] The first liquid channel extends from the first recess in a direction moved to the downstream side of the wiping direction from a direction orthogonal to the wiping direction, and the first recess and the first recess 2. The droplet discharge head according to [1], wherein two recesses are connected.

[3] The width of the first connection opening with the first recess of the first liquid channel is larger than the width of the second connection opening with the second recess. The droplet discharge head according to [1].

[4] When a plurality of the second recesses are formed, terminal portions of the plurality of second recesses in the wiping direction are connected to each other by a second liquid channel. 1].

[5] The droplet discharge head according to [4], wherein an end portion of the first recess in the wiping direction is connected to the second liquid channel.

[6] A liquid comprising a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles for discharging liquid droplets, and a convex portion disposed around the nozzle on the surface of the nozzle plate so that an end surface of the nozzle plate surrounds the nozzle. A method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head, wherein a first step of joining a convex plate for forming the convex portion to a surface of a nozzle plate for forming the nozzle, and the convex portion A first recess formed by an end surface surrounding the nozzle and the surface of the nozzle plate, a second recess extending in the wiping direction, and a first connecting the first recess and the second recess. A second step of forming the convex portion on the convex portion plate so as to be configured from a portion that is relatively convex with respect to the liquid flow path, and the back surface of the nozzle plate, A communication hole communicating with the nozzle is formed. A third step of bonding the pool plate formed, a fourth step of forming a water-repellent film on the surface of the nozzle plate and the surface and end face of the convex portion, and through the rear surface side of the nozzle plate And a fifth step of forming the nozzle by forming a hole.

[7] In the second step, a resist pattern is formed on the surface of the convex plate, and the convex plate is patterned by etching the convex plate using the resist pattern as a mask to form the convex portion. The method for producing a droplet discharge head according to [6] above, wherein:

[8] In the second step, the first liquid channel extends in the direction moved from the first recess to the downstream side of the wiping direction from the direction orthogonal to the wiping direction, and the first liquid channel is extended. The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to [6], wherein the convex portion is formed by patterning so as to connect the first concave portion and the second concave portion.

[9] In the second step, the width of the connection opening (first connection opening) with the first recess of the first liquid channel is the connection opening with the second recess. The method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to [6], wherein the convex portion is formed by patterning so as to be larger than a width of the portion (second connecting opening).

[10] In the second step, when the convex portion is formed by patterning so that a plurality of the second concave portions are formed, the terminal portions of the plurality of second concave portions in the wiping direction are The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to [6], wherein the convex portions are formed by patterning so as to be connected to each other by two liquid flow paths.

[11] In the second step, the convex portion is formed by patterning the terminal portion of the first concave portion in the wiping direction so as to be connected to the second liquid channel. The method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to [10].

[12] A liquid comprising a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles for discharging droplets, and a convex portion disposed around the nozzle on the surface of the nozzle plate so that an end surface of the nozzle plate surrounds the nozzle. A droplet discharge device including a droplet discharge head,
In the droplet discharge head, the convex portion includes a first concave portion formed by an end surface surrounding the nozzle and a surface of the nozzle plate, a second concave portion extending in a wiping direction, the first concave portion, A droplet discharge device comprising a portion relatively convex with respect to the first liquid channel connecting the second recess.

  With the droplet discharge head according to claim 1 of the present invention, the amount of staying ink is released by escaping the ink staying at the end portion in the wiping direction of the concave portion formed by the end surface surrounding the nozzle of the convex portion and the surface of the nozzle plate. Can be reduced, and excellent discharge stability is realized.

  With the droplet discharge head according to claims 2 to 5 of the present invention, the above-described effects can be exhibited smoothly and reliably.

  By the method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 6 of the present invention, the ink staying at the end portion in the wiping direction of the concave portion formed by the end surface surrounding the nozzle of the convex portion and the surface of the nozzle plate is released outward. Accordingly, the amount of staying can be reduced, and a droplet discharge head excellent in discharge stability is efficiently manufactured.

  By the method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the seventh to eleventh aspects of the present invention, the above-described effects can be exhibited smoothly and reliably.

  With the droplet discharge device according to claim 12 of the present invention, high-definition image information is stably provided.

[First Embodiment]
(Configuration of droplet discharge head)
1 and 2 show a droplet discharge head according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view, FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. b) is a detailed view of part B of (a).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the droplet discharge head 1 includes a substantially parallelogram-shaped diaphragm 7, a plurality of piezoelectric elements 8 disposed on the diaphragm 7, and a position facing the plurality of piezoelectric elements 8. It has a plurality of nozzles 2a formed and by driving the piezoelectric element 8, the liquid stored inside is ejected as droplets from the nozzle 2a. Reference numeral 7 a denotes a supply hole that is provided in the diaphragm 7 and through which liquid is supplied from a liquid tank (not shown) into the head 1.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), the droplet discharge head 1 has a nozzle plate 2 on which nozzles 2a are formed, and a flow (on the back side) opposite to the discharge side of the nozzle plate 2 is flowed. As a path member 13, a pool plate 3 having a communication hole 3a and a liquid pool 3b, a first supply hole plate 4A having a communication hole 4a and a supply hole 4b, and a supply path plate 5 having a communication hole 5a and a supply path 5b. The second supply hole plate 4B having the communication hole 4a and the supply hole 4b, the pressure generation chamber plate 6 having the pressure generation chamber 6a, and the vibration plate 7 are sequentially stacked. Further, as described above, a plurality of piezoelectric elements 8 are arranged on the diaphragm 7. A flexible printed wiring board 12 (hereinafter referred to as “FPC12”) for applying a voltage to the piezoelectric elements 8 is disposed so as to cover the plurality of piezoelectric elements 8, and the piezoelectric elements 8 are driven via the FPC 12. Thus, the liquid stored inside is ejected as droplets from the nozzle 2b.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, the droplet discharge head 1 includes a water repellent film 10 composed of a base layer 10 a and a water repellent layer 10 b on the surface around the nozzle 2 a of the nozzle plate 2 and the end surface and surface of the convex portion 9. Is forming. By forming the water repellent film 10 around the nozzle 2a, the liquid droplets discharged from the nozzle 2a are discharged in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle 2a. Further, by providing the convex portion 9 around the nozzle 2a, the water-repellent film 10 around the nozzle 2a can be protected from mechanical wear due to wiping or the like. As will be described later, the convex portion 9 includes a first concave portion 9a formed by an end surface 9d surrounding the nozzle 2a and the surface of the nozzle plate 2, a second concave portion 9c extending in the wiping direction, and a first concave portion 9c. The first liquid flow path 9b that connects the concave portion 9a and the second concave portion 9c is composed of a relatively convex portion.

  1 and 2 show one droplet discharge head 1, a plurality of droplet discharge heads 1 are combined to form a droplet discharge head unit, and a plurality of droplet discharge head units are arranged to form a droplet. It can be used as an ejection head array.

  Next, details of each part of the droplet discharge head 1 will be described.

(Nozzle plate)
The material of the nozzle plate 2 is preferably made of a synthetic resin from the viewpoints of excellent ink resistance and easy formation of the nozzle 2a. For example, polyimide resin, polyethylene terephthalate resin, liquid crystal polymer And aromatic polyamide resin, polyethylene naphthalate resin, polysulfone resin and the like. Among these, a self-bonding polyimide resin is preferable. The thickness of the nozzle plate 2 is preferably 10 to 100 μm. If it is less than 10 μm, it may be difficult to secure a sufficient nozzle length to achieve good print quality (direction), and if it exceeds 100 μm, it is difficult to ensure flexibility. There is. In addition to the above, a metal plate, a silicon wafer, a glass plate, a plastic plate, or the like can be used.

(Convex)
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a convex portion of the droplet discharge head according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the convex portion 9 includes a first concave portion 9a formed by an end surface 9d surrounding the nozzle 2a and the surface of the nozzle plate 2, a second concave portion 9c extending in the wiping direction, and a first concave portion 9c. The first liquid flow path 9b that connects the concave portion 9a and the second concave portion 9c is composed of a relatively convex portion. FIG. 3 shows a case where two second recesses 9c are formed in parallel on both sides of the first recess 9a, and there are two first recesses 9a and two second recesses 9c. Although the case where it is connected by (total four) first liquid channels 9b is shown, one second recess 9c is formed in parallel with one side of the first recess 9a, and the first The recess 9a and the second recess 9c may be connected by one or a plurality of first liquid channels 9b.

  The first liquid channel 9b extends from the first recess 9a in the direction moved to the downstream side in the wiping direction from the direction orthogonal to the wiping direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. The second recess 9c is connected.

  The width Wa of the first connection opening with the first recess 9a of the first liquid channel 9b is configured to be larger than the width Wc of the second connection opening with the second recess 9c. Has been.

  Here, it is preferable that the convex part 9 is comprised from the laminated body of a metal, a synthetic resin, the laminated body of a metal and a synthetic resin, or the several synthetic resin. Specifically, it is preferable to use a metal such as SUS from the viewpoint that the etching process described later can be performed smoothly and that ink resistance is excellent. Further, by using a plate made of the same material as the pool plate 3 described later, the etching process can be efficiently performed once. The thickness is preferably 10 to 20 μm. As a synthetic resin, it can select from the range of the said resin suitably, and can use it.

(Pool plate etc.)
As the material of the pool plate 3 or the like, a metal such as SUS is used from the viewpoints that the etching process can be performed smoothly and that the ink resistance is excellent as in the case of the above-described convex portion 9. preferable.

(Piezoelectric element)
The piezoelectric element 8 is made of, for example, lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and has an individual electrode 8a on the upper surface and a common electrode 8b on the lower surface. The individual electrode 8 a and the common electrode 8 b are formed by sputtering or the like, and the common electrode 8 b on the lower surface is electrically connected to the diaphragm 7 by a conductive adhesive and is grounded via the diaphragm 7. In addition, the piezoelectric element 8 has an area required for discharging at least droplets individually bonded to the position of the diaphragm 7 corresponding to the pressure generating chamber 6a.

(Water repellent film)
As the underlying layer 10a constituting the water-repellent film 10, for example, used with a thickness of 30 to 100 nm, _SiO, the SiO 2, silicon oxide film such as SiO _x, or _Si 2 _N 3, a silicon nitride film such as SiN _x This is preferable because it is excellent in ink resistance and also has excellent adhesion to a resin such as polyimide used for the nozzle plate 2 and a fluorine-based water repellent material used for the water repellent layer 10b. Examples of the water repellent layer 10b include a fluorine water repellent film made of a fluorine compound, a silicone water repellent film, a plasma polymerization protective film, and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nickel eutectoid plating. . Among these, a fluorine-based water-repellent film made of a fluorine-based compound is preferable because of its excellent water repellency and adhesion. The thickness of the water repellent layer 10b is preferably 10 to 50 nm.

(Liquid flow)
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the droplet discharge head shown in FIG. The flow of the liquid will be described with reference to FIG. The liquid supplied to the supply hole 7a of the diaphragm 7 includes the supply hole 6b of the pressure generating chamber plate 6, the supply path 4c of the second supply hole plate 4B, the supply path 5c of the supply path plate 5, and the first supply hole. Plate 4A supply path 4c, pool plate 3 liquid pool 3b, first supply hole plate 4A supply hole 4b, supply path plate 5 supply path 5b, second supply hole plate 4B supply hole 4b, pressure generation The pressure generation chamber 6a of the chamber plate 6, the communication hole 4a of the second supply hole plate 4B, the communication hole 5a of the supply path plate 5, the communication hole 4a of the first supply hole plate 4A, and the communication hole 3a of the pool plate 3 And discharged as droplets from the nozzle 2a of the nozzle plate 2. Thus, the liquid pool 3b is commonly used for supplying the liquid to each nozzle 2a.

(Method for Manufacturing Droplet Discharge Head According to First Embodiment)
5A to 5G are cross-sectional views showing the method of manufacturing the droplet discharge head according to the first embodiment of the present invention in the order of steps.

(First step: plate joining)
First, as shown in FIG. 5A, a convex plate 9A made of SUS is joined to the surface of a nozzle plate 2b made of polyimide.

(2nd process: Formation of convex part)
Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, a resist pattern 9B is formed on the surface of the convex plate 9A by photolithography, and as shown in FIG. 5C, the resist pattern 9B is used as a mask for the convex portion. The plate 9A is patterned into a predetermined shape by etching, the resist pattern 9B is removed, and the convex portion 9 is formed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the first recess 9a formed by the end surface 9d surrounding the nozzle 2a and the surface of the nozzle plate 2, the second recess 9c extending in the wiping direction, and the first recess 9a. And the convex part 9 is formed so that it may be comprised from the convex part relatively with respect to the 1st liquid flow path 9b which connects the 2nd recessed part 9c. As described above, in the present embodiment, the convex portion 9 having the first concave portion 9a, the first liquid channel 9b, and the second concave portion 9c is efficiently formed using a single mask. be able to.

(Third step: joining pool plates)
Next, as shown in FIG. 5D, the pool plate 3 in which the communication hole 3a communicating with the nozzle 2a and the liquid pool 3b are formed is joined to the back surface of the nozzle plate 2b.

(Fourth step: formation of water repellent film)
Next, as shown in FIG. 5E, silicon dioxide (SiO ₂ ) is deposited on the surface and end surfaces of the projections 9 and the surface of the nozzle plate 2b as a base layer 10a by, for example, sputtering. Thereafter, a water repellent layer 10b made of a fluorine-based water repellent is deposited by vapor deposition to form the water repellent film 10.

(Fifth step: formation of nozzle)
Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (f), the nozzle 2a is formed by irradiating the excimer laser from the surface of the nozzle plate 2b opposite to the side on which the projections 9 are formed. The laminate S1 is formed. The laser used for such laser processing may be a gas laser or a solid laser. Examples of the gas laser include an excimer laser, and examples of the solid laser include a YAG laser. Among these, it is preferable to use an excimer laser.

(Sixth step: joining of laminates)
As shown in FIG.5 (g), 1st laminated body S1 obtained at the above-mentioned process is added to 2nd laminated body S2 formed by laminating | stacking 1st supply hole plate 4A-vibration plate 7. As shown in FIG. Join.

(Seventh step: bonding of piezoelectric elements)
Next, as shown in FIG. 2A, a plurality of piezoelectric elements 8 are bonded on the first stacked body S1 and the second stacked body S2. As a bonding method, for example, an adhesive such as a thermoplastic resin such as polyimide or polystyrene, or a thermosetting resin such as phenol resin or epoxy resin can be used.

(Eighth step: Arrangement of flexible printed circuit board)
Next, as shown in FIG. 2A, an FPC 12 for applying a voltage to the piezoelectric elements 8 is disposed so as to cover the plurality of piezoelectric elements 8, and the piezoelectric elements 8 are driven via the FPC 12. As a result, the liquid stored inside is ejected as droplets from the nozzle 2b. In this way, the droplet discharge head 10 can be obtained.

  In addition, you may change suitably the order of the above-mentioned process, the order of the plate to laminate | stack, the number of sheets, etc.

[Second Embodiment]
(Structure of convex part in droplet discharge head)
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a convex portion of a droplet discharge head according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the shape of the convex portion 9 in the second embodiment of the present invention is almost the same as that of the convex portion 9 in the liquid droplet ejection head according to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. However, in the case of the convex portion 9 in the droplet discharge head according to the second embodiment, the end portions 9e in the wiping direction of the two second concave portions 9c are connected to each other by the second liquid channel 9f. This is different from the case of the first embodiment.

[Third Embodiment]
(Structure of convex part in droplet discharge head)
FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a convex portion in a droplet discharge head according to the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, the shape of the convex portion 9 in the third embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the convex portion 9 in the liquid droplet ejection head according to the second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. However, in the case of the convex portion 9 in the liquid droplet ejection head according to the third embodiment, the end portion 9g in the wiping direction of the first concave portion 9a is connected to the second liquid channel 9f. This is different from the case of the second embodiment.

[Fourth Embodiment]
(Color printer configuration)
FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram schematically showing a color printer to which a droplet discharge device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is applied. This color printer 100 has a substantially box-shaped casing 101, a paper feed tray 20 for storing paper P in the lower part of the casing 101, and a recorded paper P in the upper part of the casing 101. Each of the discharged paper discharge trays 21 is disposed, main conveyance paths 31a to 31e from the paper supply tray 20 via the recording position 102 to the paper discharge tray 21, and from the paper discharge tray 21 side to the recording position 102 side. A transport mechanism 30 that transports the paper P along the reverse transport path 32 is provided.

  At the recording position 102, a plurality of droplet discharge heads 1 shown in FIG. 1 are arranged in parallel to form a recording head unit. The four recording head units are respectively yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C ) And black (K) recording head units 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K that eject ink droplets of each color are arranged in the transport direction of the paper P to form a recording head array.

  Further, the color printer 100 includes a charging roll 43 as an adsorbing unit that adsorbs the paper P, a platen 44 disposed opposite to the recording head unit 20 via the endless belt 35, and recording head units 41Y, 41M, and 41C. The piezoelectric element of the droplet discharge head 1 that controls the maintenance unit 45 arranged in the vicinity of 41K and each part of the color printer 100 and constitutes the recording head units 41Y, 41M, 41C, 41K based on image signals 8 includes a control unit (not shown) that applies a driving voltage to eject ink droplets from the nozzle 2a and records a color image on the paper P.

  The recording head units 41 </ b> Y, 41 </ b> M, 41 </ b> C, and 41 </ b> K have an effective print area that is equal to or larger than the width of the paper P. In addition, although the piezoelectric method was used as a method for discharging droplets, there is no particular limitation, and for example, a widely used method such as a thermal method can be appropriately used.

  Ink tanks 42Y, 42M, 42C, and 42K that store inks corresponding to the recording head units 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K are disposed above the recording head units 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K. From each ink tank 42Y, 42M, 42C, 42K, it is comprised so that ink may be supplied to each droplet discharge head 1 via piping which is not shown in figure.

  The ink stored in the ink tanks 42Y, 42M, 42C, and 42K is not particularly limited, and for example, commonly used inks such as water-based, oil-based, and solvent-based inks can be appropriately used.

  The transport mechanism 30 is disposed in each part of the pick-up roll 33 that takes out the paper P one by one from the paper feed tray 20 and supplies it to the main transport path 31a, the main transport paths 31a, 31b, 31d, 31e, and the reverse transport path 32. A plurality of transport rolls 34 that transport the paper P, an endless belt 35 that is provided at the recording position 102 and transports the paper P in the direction of the paper discharge tray 21, a drive roll 36 on which the endless belt 35 is stretched, and a follower A roll 37 and a drive motor (not shown) that drives the transport roll 34 and the drive roll 36 are provided.

(Color printer operation)
Next, the operation of the color printer 100 will be described. The transport mechanism 30 drives the pickup roll 33 and the transport roll 34 under the control of the control unit, takes out the paper P from the paper feed tray 20, and transports it along the main transport paths 31a and 31b. When the paper P reaches the vicinity of the endless belt 35, electric charge is applied to the paper P by the electrostatic attraction force of the charging roll 43, and the paper P is attracted to the endless belt 35.

  The endless belt 35 is rotated by driving of the driving roll 36, and when the paper P is conveyed to the recording position 102, a color image is recorded by the recording head units 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K.

  That is, the liquid pool 3b of the droplet discharge head 1 shown in FIG. 2 is filled with ink supplied from the ink tanks 42Y, 42M, 42C, and 42K, and ink is supplied from the liquid pool 3b to the supply holes 4b and the supply paths 5b. Is supplied to the pressure generating chamber 6a, and ink is stored in the pressure generating chamber 6a. When a driving voltage is selectively applied to the plurality of piezoelectric elements 8 based on the image signal, the diaphragm 7 bends as the piezoelectric elements 8 are deformed, thereby changing the volume in the pressure generating chamber 6a and generating pressure. The ink stored in the chamber 6a is ejected as ink droplets from the nozzle 2a onto the paper P through the communication holes 5a, 4a and 3a, and an image is recorded on the paper P. On the paper P, Y, M, C, and K images are sequentially overwritten, and a color image is recorded.

  The paper P on which the color image is recorded is discharged to the paper discharge tray 21 by the transport mechanism 30 via the main transport path 31d.

  When the duplex recording mode is set, the paper P once discharged to the paper discharge tray 21 returns to the main transport path 31e again, passes through the reverse transport path 32, and again passes through the main transport path 31b. Then, the color image is recorded on the surface opposite to the surface of the paper P recorded last time by the recording head units 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the convex portion 9 is composed of a laminate of an upper layer made of metal and a lower layer made of synthetic resin, and in the vicinity of the nozzle 2a, the upper layer made of metal on the nozzle plate 2 is removed and made of synthetic resin. You may comprise so that a lower layer may form a part of nozzle 2a.

  The droplet discharge head, the manufacturing method thereof, and the droplet discharge apparatus of the present invention are used in various industrial fields in which high-definition image information patterns are required to be formed by discharging droplets, such as polymer films and the like. Ink is ejected onto the glass surface to form display color filters, solder paste is ejected onto the substrate to form component mounting bumps, circuit board wiring, etc. It is effectively used in the electrical / electronic industry field, the medical field for producing a biochip for inspecting the reaction with a sample by discharging a reaction reagent onto a glass substrate or the like.

1 is a plan view of a droplet discharge head according to a first embodiment of the present invention. (A) is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG. 1, (b) is the B section detailed drawing of (a). It is a top view which shows the convex part of the droplet discharge head which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the droplet discharge head shown in FIG. (A)-(g) is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the droplet discharge head concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention in order of a process. It is a top view which shows the convex part of the droplet discharge head which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the convex part of the droplet discharge head which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows typically the color printer to which the droplet discharge apparatus which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention is applied.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Droplet discharge head 2 Nozzle plate 2a Nozzle 2b Nozzle plate 3 Pool plate 3a Communication hole 3b Liquid pool 4A 1st supply hole plate 4B 2nd supply hole plate 4a Communication hole 4b Supply hole 5 Supply path plate 5a Communication hole 5b Supply path 6 Pressure generation chamber plate 6a Pressure generation chamber 7 Diaphragm 7a Supply hole 8 Piezoelectric element 8a Individual electrode 8b Common electrode 9 Protrusion 9A Protrusion plate 9B Resist pattern 9a First recess 9b First liquid flow path 9c Second recess 9d End surface 9e on the nozzle side End portion 9f of the second recess in the wiping direction Second liquid channel 9g End portion 10 in the wiping direction of the first recess 10 Water repellent film 10a Underlayer 10b Water repellent layer 12 Flexible wiring board (FPC)
13 Channel member 20 Paper feed tray 21 Paper discharge tray 30 Transport mechanisms 31a to 31e Main transport path 32 Reverse transport path 33 Pickup roll 34 Transport roll 35 Endless belt 36 Drive roll 37 Driven rolls 41Y, 41M, 41C, 41K Recording head unit 42Y, 42M, 42C, 42K Ink tank 43 Charging roll 44 Preten 45 Maintenance unit 100 Color printer 101 Housing 102 Recording position P Paper Wa Width of first connection opening Wc Width of second connection opening S1 First Laminated body S2 Second laminated body

Claims (12)

A droplet discharge head comprising: a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles for discharging droplets; and a convex portion disposed around the nozzle on the surface of the nozzle plate so that an end surface of the nozzle plate surrounds the nozzle Because
The convex portion connects the first concave portion formed by the end surface surrounding the nozzle and the surface of the nozzle plate, the second concave portion extending in the wiping direction, and the first concave portion and the second concave portion. A liquid droplet ejection head, comprising: a first liquid flow path that is relatively convex with respect to the first liquid flow path.   The first liquid channel extends from the first recess in a direction moved to the downstream side of the wiping direction from a direction orthogonal to the wiping direction, and the first recess and the second recess The droplet discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the droplet discharge heads are connected.   The width of the first connection opening with the first recess of the first liquid channel is larger than the width of the second connection opening with the second recess. Item 2. A droplet discharge head according to Item 1.   2. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein when a plurality of the second recesses are formed, terminal portions of the plurality of second recesses in the wiping direction are connected to each other by a second liquid channel. Droplet discharge head.   5. The droplet discharge head according to claim 4, wherein an end portion of the first recess in the wiping direction is connected to the second liquid flow path. A droplet discharge head comprising: a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles for discharging droplets; and a convex portion disposed around the nozzle on the surface of the nozzle plate so that an end surface of the nozzle plate surrounds the nozzle A method of manufacturing
A first step of joining the convex plate for forming the convex portion to the surface of the nozzle plate for forming the nozzle;
The convex portion connects the first concave portion formed by the end surface surrounding the nozzle and the surface of the nozzle plate, the second concave portion extending in the wiping direction, and the first concave portion and the second concave portion. A second step of forming the convex portion on the convex plate so as to be configured from a convex portion relative to the first liquid channel.
A third step of joining a pool plate in which a communication hole communicating with the nozzle is formed on the back surface of the nozzle plate;
A fourth step of forming a water repellent film on the surface of the nozzle plate and the surface and end surface of the convex portion;
And a fifth step of forming the nozzle by drilling a through hole from the back side of the nozzle plate.   In the second step, a resist pattern is formed on the surface of the convex plate, and the convex plate is patterned by etching the convex plate using the resist pattern as a mask to form the convex portion. A method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 6.   In the second step, the first liquid channel extends in the direction moved from the first recess to the downstream side in the wiping direction from the direction orthogonal to the wiping direction, and the first recess. The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 6, wherein the convex portions are formed by patterning so as to connect the second concave portions.   In the second step, the width of the first connection opening with the first recess of the first liquid channel is larger than the width of the second connection opening with the second recess. The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 6, wherein the convex portion is formed by patterning to be large.   In the second step, when the convex portions are formed by patterning so that a plurality of the second concave portions are formed, the terminal portions of the plurality of second concave portions in the wiping direction are the second liquid. The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 6, wherein the convex portions are formed by patterning so as to be connected to each other by a flow path.   In the second step, the convex portion is formed by patterning a terminal portion of the first concave portion in the wiping direction so as to be connected to the second liquid channel. Item 11. A method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to Item 10. A droplet discharge head comprising: a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles for discharging droplets; and a convex portion disposed around the nozzle on the surface of the nozzle plate so that an end surface of the nozzle plate surrounds the nozzle A droplet discharge device comprising:
In the droplet discharge head, the convex portion includes a first concave portion formed by an end surface surrounding the nozzle and a surface of the nozzle plate, a second concave portion extending in a wiping direction, the first concave portion, A droplet discharge device comprising a portion relatively convex with respect to the first liquid channel connecting the second recess.

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