JP2009056709A - Liquid droplet jet head and method for manufacturing liquid droplet jet head - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent heat from giving a bad effect to any other member, the heat being necessary for electrically connecting an actuator to a flexible circuit material. <P>SOLUTION: A heat conductive rigid member 13 having a size covering multiple external electrodes 43 on the actuator 11, the rigidity higher than that of the flexible circuit material 12, is laminated on the flexible circuit material 12 at an opposite side of the actuator 11. Projections 13b, 13c projected to a side of the flexible circuit material 12 are formed on the rigid material 13 at the face facing the flexible circuit material 12 such that the projections 13b, 13c correspond to connection positions between electrode patterns 51 and external electrodes 43, the electrode patterns 51 being provided to the flexible circuit material 12 so as to correspond to the external electrodes 43. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a droplet discharge head having a structure in which a head unit that discharges droplets by selective driving of an actuator and a flexible wiring member are sequentially stacked, and a method for manufacturing the droplet discharge head.

  For example, in an inkjet recording head as a droplet discharge head, conventionally, a cavity portion in which a large number of nozzles that discharge ink are formed, an actuator that applies discharge pressure to the ink in the cavity portion, and a drive signal is sent to the actuator. A structure including a flexible wiring material to be input is known (Patent Document 1, etc.).

  The actuator is provided with a large number of external electrodes corresponding to the number of nozzles on the surface thereof, and the electrode pattern provided on the flexible wiring material and each external electrode are electrically connected individually, and the drive signal Is entered. Generally, bumps are formed on either the external electrode of the actuator or the electrode pattern of the flexible wiring material, and after aligning the external electrode and the electrode pattern, the heater is placed on the flexible wiring material. The bumps are melted and crushed and electrically connected by being pressed and heated by a heating member such as.

By the way, a complicated ink flow path is required in the cavity portion until ink is ejected from the nozzle. In Patent Document 1, a plurality of thin metal plates in which large and small through-holes to be ink flow paths are etched are used. The cavity portion is configured by stacking. In other words, while the cavity portion is mainly formed of a metal material, a piezoelectric type (made of piezoelectric ceramics) is applied to the actuator, so there is a large difference in the linear expansion coefficient between the actuator and the cavity portion. is there.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-161762 (see FIGS. 3 and 6)

  In the configuration of Patent Document 1, the flexible wiring material is fixed to the actuator fixed to the cavity portion. Therefore, when the external electrode of the actuator and the electrode pattern of the flexible wiring material are pressed and heated and electrically connected, the heat of the heating member is transmitted to the cavity through the actuator. As a result, there is a possibility that peeling or cracking may occur between the actuator and the cavity due to the difference in the linear expansion coefficient described above, and there is a problem that it is easy to cause a droplet discharge failure.

  The present invention solves the above-described problem, and a droplet discharge head capable of suppressing the heat necessary for electrically connecting the actuator and the flexible wiring member from adversely affecting other members, and its manufacture The purpose is to realize the method.

  In order to achieve the above object, a liquid droplet ejection head according to claim 1 includes a head unit that ejects liquid droplets by selective driving of an actuator, and a flexible wiring material that outputs a drive signal to the actuator. A plurality of external electrodes for ejecting the droplets on one surface of the actuator, the flexible wiring material has an electrode pattern corresponding to the external electrode, and the external electrode and the electrode pattern In the droplet discharge head in which the flexible wiring material is laminated on one surface of the actuator, the surface of the flexible wiring material opposite to the actuator has a plurality of external Rigid member having a size that spans the electrodes and having higher rigidity and thermal conductivity than the flexible wiring material Projections projecting toward the flexible wiring material are formed on the surface of the rigid member facing the flexible wiring material corresponding to the connection position of the external electrode and the electrode pattern. It is characterized by.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the liquid droplet ejection head according to the first aspect, the multiple external electrodes are formed in a plurality of rows, and the protrusions of the rigid member are It is provided corresponding to each column of electrodes, and is formed in a long bowl shape continuously in the extending direction of the column of external electrodes.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the liquid droplet ejection head according to the second aspect, the outermost protrusion of the plurality of hook-shaped protrusions of the rigid member has a flange smaller than the other protrusions. The width of the is wide.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the liquid droplet ejection head according to any one of the first to third aspects, the head unit has a large number of nozzles open to the outside and a liquid flow path inside. It has a cavity portion mainly made of a metal material and the piezoelectric actuator that selectively applies a discharge pressure to the liquid in the cavity portion.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the liquid droplet ejection head according to the fourth aspect, the plurality of nozzles are formed in a plurality of rows, and among the plurality of external electrodes and the plurality of protrusions. The plurality of nozzles and corresponding external electrodes and the projections of the rigid member are formed in a plurality of rows, and the outermost projection of the projections of the rigid member is more than the other projections. No. 1 is characterized in that the width of the ridge is wide.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the liquid droplet ejection head according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the external electrode and the electrode pattern are predetermined on each of the actuator and the flexible wiring material. A positioning mark for positioning the positioning mark is provided, and the rigid member is formed with a through-hole for exposing the positioning mark to the outside by cutting or punching the plate thickness. It is characterized by being.

  The method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the invention of claim 7 includes a head unit that discharges droplets by selective driving of an actuator, and a flexible wiring material that outputs a drive signal to the actuator, The actuator has a plurality of external electrodes for discharging the droplets on one surface of the actuator, the flexible wiring material has an electrode pattern corresponding to the external electrode, and the external electrode and the electrode pattern are electrically connected. In the method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head in which the flexible wiring material is laminated and disposed on one surface of the actuator, the rigidity is higher than the flexible wiring material and has thermal conductivity, and Corresponding to the connection position between the external electrode and the electrode pattern, the flexible electrode has a size extending over the plurality of external electrodes. A step of laminating and fixing a rigid member formed with a protrusion protruding toward the wiring member side on the surface of the flexible wiring member opposite to the actuator; and the flexible wiring member to which the rigid member is fixed Is opposed to one surface of the actuator and heated by bringing a planar heating member into contact with the surface of the rigid member opposite to the flexible wiring member, and the electrode pattern of the actuator and the flexible wiring member And a step of electrically connecting the external electrode.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the seventh aspect, the plurality of external electrodes are formed in a plurality of rows, and the protrusions of the rigid member are The external electrode is provided corresponding to each column and is formed in a long bowl shape continuously in the extending direction of the column of the external electrode.

  The invention according to claim 9 is the method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 8, wherein among the plurality of hook-shaped protrusions of the rigid member, the protrusion is located near the outer periphery of the rigid member. The width of the ridge of the part is formed wider than the width of the ridge of the protrusion on the center side.

  The method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the invention of claim 10 comprises a head unit that discharges droplets by selective driving of an actuator, and a flexible wiring material that outputs a drive signal to the actuator. The actuator has a plurality of external electrodes for discharging the droplets on one surface of the actuator, the flexible wiring material has an electrode pattern corresponding to the external electrode, and the external electrode and the electrode pattern are electrically connected. In the method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head in which the flexible wiring material is laminated and disposed on one surface of the actuator, the plurality of flexible wiring materials on the surface opposite to the actuator in the flexible wiring material It has a size that spans external electrodes and is more rigid and heat conductive than the flexible wiring material. A step of laminating and fixing a rigid member; and the flexible wiring member to which the rigid member is fixed is opposed to one surface of the actuator, and a heating member is disposed on a surface of the rigid member opposite to the flexible wiring member. Heating the electrode pattern and electrically joining the electrode pattern of the actuator and the external electrode of the flexible wiring material, the multiple external electrodes are formed in a plurality of rows, The heating member includes a planar portion facing the rigid member, and a projection protruding from the planar portion toward the rigid member, and the projection corresponds to each row of the external electrodes. Provided, the outer electrode is formed in a long bowl shape continuously in the extending direction of the external electrode, and the outermost projection of the plurality of bowl-shaped projections in the heating member is more than the other projections. The width of the ridge is wide It is characterized in that.

  The invention according to claim 11 is the method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the head unit has a large number of nozzles open to the outside and a liquid flow path inside. And a cavity portion mainly made of a metal material and the piezoelectric actuator that selectively applies a discharge pressure to the liquid in the cavity portion.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the eleventh aspect, the plurality of nozzles are formed in a plurality of rows, the plurality of external electrodes and the plurality of protrusions. The external electrode corresponding to the plurality of nozzles and the projection of the rigid member are formed in a plurality of rows, and the outermost projection of the projection of the rigid member is the other The width of the ridge is wider than the protrusion.

  The invention according to claim 13 is the method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to any one of claims 7 to 12, wherein each of the actuator and the flexible wiring member includes the external electrode and the electrode pattern. Are aligned with each other in a predetermined positional relationship, and the rigid member has a through portion for exposing the alignment mark to the outside, with a plate thickness notched or perforated. The step of laminating and fixing the rigid member to the flexible wiring material is formed by laminating the rigid member on the flexible wiring material with the alignment mark of the flexible wiring material corresponding to the penetrating portion. Fixing the electrode pattern and electrically connecting the electrode pattern and the external electrode through the penetrating portion. It is characterized in that to align each alignment mark provided on the wire.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the rigid member is disposed on the surface of the flexible wiring member that is opposite to the actuator, the rigidity of the flexible wiring member is increased by the rigid member. In addition, a protrusion is formed on the surface of the rigid member facing the flexible wiring member corresponding to the connection position between the external electrode of the actuator and the electrode pattern of the flexible wiring member. Therefore, after fixing the rigid member to the flexible wiring material, if the flexible wiring material is aligned with the actuator of the head unit and the heating member is brought into contact with the rigid member side, the heat of the heating member is changed to the rigid member. It is transmitted to the flexible wiring material via. And the electrode pattern of a flexible wiring material and the external electrode of an actuator can be electrically connected. At this time, since the protrusion provided on the rigid member is provided corresponding to the connection position of the external electrode and the electrode pattern, the heat is concentrated at the connection position, while the part other than the protrusion is directly Since it is not in contact with the flexible wiring material, it is difficult for heat to be transmitted to parts of the actuator that are not related to electrical connection. Therefore, the adverse effect of heat on the head unit can be reduced.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the protrusion of the rigid member is formed in a bowl shape corresponding to the row of the external electrodes, the protrusion corresponding to each of the external electrodes. Compared with the case of providing a rigid member, the manufacturing of the rigid member is facilitated, and the alignment accuracy between the rigid member and the flexible wiring member can be relaxed.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, the plurality of flange-shaped protrusions are formed on the rigid member, but the outermost protrusion has a wider flange than the other protrusions. is there. When multiple protrusions are provided, when heat is transferred from the heating member, the outermost protrusion easily radiates heat to the outer heat dissipation space, but the other protrusions are adjacent to each other. It is difficult to dissipate heat. That is, when heat is transmitted from the heating member, the temperature of the outermost protrusion is lower than that of the other protrusions. As a result, a partial temperature difference occurs in the heat transmitted to the flexible wiring member through the protrusions of the rigid member, resulting in connection variations and connection failures between the external electrodes and the electrode patterns. Therefore, by widening the width of the outermost protrusion and increasing the heat capacity, the temperature difference between the protrusions can be eliminated, and the connection variation between the external electrode and the electrode pattern can be suppressed.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the head unit has a cavity portion mainly made of a metal material and a piezoelectric actuator. Since the difference in coefficient of linear expansion between the metal material and the piezoelectric material is large, if the heat when electrically connecting the external electrode of the actuator and the electrode pattern of the flexible wiring material is transmitted to the cavity, the actuator and the cavity are peeled off. And cracks occur. Therefore, as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, by providing a protrusion on the rigid member and suppressing unnecessary heat from being transmitted to the cavity, the actuator and the cavity are peeled off, cracked, etc. It is possible to reduce the risk of occurrence.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, a large number of nozzles are formed in a plurality of rows, and among the large number of external electrodes and the plurality of protrusions, the protrusions of the external electrodes and the rigid members corresponding to the large number of nozzles. The portions are formed in a plurality of rows, and the outermost protrusion has a wider ridge than the other protrusions. Thus, when the external electrode facing the nozzle in the actuator and the electrode pattern of the flexible wiring material are electrically connected, the temperature difference of the protrusion can be eliminated, and the connection variation between the external electrode facing the nozzle and the electrode pattern Can be suppressed.

In addition, since the protruding portion of the rigid member has the shape as described above, when the heat is transferred from the other to the flexible wiring material, the external electrode, etc. during the operation of the head that discharges the liquid droplet, the temperature of the rigid member increases. Therefore, it is possible to suppress variations in ejection characteristics of droplets ejected for each nozzle row.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, each of the actuator and the flexible wiring member is provided with the alignment mark for aligning the external electrode and the electrode pattern in a predetermined positional relationship. The external electrode and the electrode pattern can be aligned with high accuracy. In addition, since the rigid member is provided with a through portion for exposing the alignment mark to the outside, the flexible wiring material and the rigid member are formed using the through portion of the rigid member and the alignment mark of the flexible wiring material. And can be aligned. Furthermore, after the flexible wiring material and the rigid member are fixed, the alignment mark between the flexible wiring material and the actuator can be visually recognized through the through portion.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the rigid member in which the protruding portion that protrudes toward the flexible wiring material corresponding to the connection position between the external electrode and the electrode pattern is formed as the actuator in the flexible wiring material. Laminated and fixed on the opposite surface. Thereby, the protrusion of the rigid member is in close contact with the flexible wiring member, and the rigidity of the flexible wiring member is increased by the rigid member.

  Further, the flexible wiring member to which the rigid member is fixed is opposed to one surface of the actuator, and the planar heating member is brought into contact with the surface of the rigid member on the side opposite to the flexible wiring member to heat. As a result, the heat of the heating member is transmitted to the flexible wiring member through the protrusions of the rigid member, so that the connection position between the external electrode and the electrode pattern is intensively heated and electrically connected. In other words, it is difficult for the heat of the heating member to be transmitted to portions other than the connection position between the external electrode and the electrode pattern, and the adverse effect of the heat on the head unit can be reduced.

  According to the invention described in claim 8, since the protrusion of the rigid member is formed in a bowl shape corresponding to the row of external electrodes, the protrusion corresponding to each one of the external electrodes. Compared with the case of providing a rigid member, the manufacturing of the rigid member is facilitated, and the alignment accuracy between the rigid member and the flexible wiring member can be relaxed.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the plurality of flange-shaped protrusions are formed on the rigid member, but the outermost protrusion has a larger width of the flange than the other protrusions. is there. When multiple protrusions are provided, when heat is transferred from the heating member, the outermost protrusion easily radiates heat to the outer heat dissipation space, but the other protrusions are adjacent to each other. It is difficult to dissipate heat. That is, when heat is transmitted from the heating member, the temperature of the outermost protrusion is lower than that of the other protrusions. As a result, a partial temperature difference occurs in the heat transmitted to the flexible wiring member through the protrusions of the rigid member, resulting in connection variations and connection failures between the external electrodes and the electrode patterns. Therefore, by widening the width of the outermost protrusion and increasing the heat capacity, the temperature difference between the protrusions can be eliminated, and the connection variation between the external electrode and the electrode pattern can be suppressed.

  According to the invention described in claim 10, a rigid member having higher rigidity and heat conductivity than the flexible wiring material is laminated and fixed on the surface of the flexible wiring material on the side opposite to the actuator. Thereby, the rigidity of a flexible wiring material is improved by a rigid member. Further, the flexible wiring member to which the rigid member is fixed is overlapped with one surface of the actuator, and the heating member is brought into contact with the surface of the rigid member opposite to the flexible wiring member to be heated. The heating member is provided with a hook-like protrusion that protrudes toward the rigid member even if it corresponds to each row of external electrodes, so that the heat of the heating member corresponds to the external electrode in the rigid member. It is transmitted intensively to the part to do. Furthermore, since heat is transmitted to the portion (electrode pattern) of the flexible wiring material corresponding to the external electrode through the rigid member, the connection position between the external electrode and the electrode pattern is heated intensively, and these are electrically Connected to. In other words, it is difficult for the heat of the heating member to be transmitted to portions other than the connection position between the external electrode and the electrode pattern, and the adverse effect of heat on the head unit can be reduced.

  The heating member has a plurality of hook-shaped protrusions, and the outermost protrusion has a larger width than the other protrusions. When multiple protrusions are provided, when heat is transferred from the heating member, the outermost protrusion easily radiates heat to the outer heat dissipation space, but the other protrusions are adjacent to each other. It is difficult to dissipate heat. That is, when heat is transmitted from the heating member, the temperature of the outermost protrusion is lower than that of the other protrusions. As a result, a partial temperature difference occurs in the heat transmitted to the flexible wiring member through the protrusions of the heating member, resulting in connection variation and connection failure between the external electrode and the electrode pattern. Therefore, by widening the width of the outermost protrusion and increasing the heat capacity, the temperature difference between the protrusions can be eliminated, and the connection variation between the external electrode and the electrode pattern can be suppressed.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the head unit has a cavity portion mainly made of a metal material and a piezoelectric actuator. Since the difference in coefficient of linear expansion between the metal material and the piezoelectric material is large, if the heat when electrically connecting the external electrode of the actuator and the electrode pattern of the flexible wiring material is transmitted to the cavity, the actuator and the cavity Peeling or cracking occurs. For this reason, as described in any one of claims 7 to 10, a protrusion is provided on the heating member to prevent unnecessary heat from being transmitted to the cavity, thereby peeling or cracking the actuator and the cavity. The possibility of occurrence of can be reduced.

  According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, a large number of nozzles are formed in a plurality of rows, and among the large number of external electrodes and the plurality of protrusions, the protrusions of the external electrodes and the rigid members corresponding to the large number of nozzles. The portions are formed in a plurality of rows, and the outermost protrusion has a wider ridge than the other protrusions. Thus, when the external electrode facing the nozzle in the actuator and the electrode pattern of the flexible wiring material are electrically connected, the temperature difference of the protrusion can be eliminated, and the connection variation between the external electrode facing the nozzle and the electrode pattern Can be suppressed.

  Further, since the protrusion of the rigid member has the shape as described above, when the heat is transferred from the other to the flexible wiring material, the external electrode, etc. during the operation of the head for discharging droplets, the rigid member is heated. Therefore, it is possible to suppress variations in ejection characteristics of droplets ejected for each nozzle row.

  According to the invention described in claim 13, each of the actuator and the flexible wiring member is provided with the alignment mark for aligning the external electrode and the electrode pattern in a predetermined positional relationship. The external electrode and the electrode pattern can be aligned with high accuracy. In addition, since the rigid member is provided with a through portion for exposing the alignment mark to the outside, the flexible wiring material and the rigid member are formed using the through portion of the rigid member and the alignment mark of the flexible wiring material. And can be aligned. Furthermore, after the flexible wiring material and the rigid member are fixed, the alignment mark between the flexible wiring material and the actuator can be visually recognized through the through portion.

  A basic embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 shows an ink jet printer 100 to which an ink jet head 1 which is a droplet discharge head of the present invention is applied. The inkjet printer 100 according to the embodiment is not only a single printer device, but also a printer function (recording unit) of a multi-function device (MFD: Multi Function Device) having a copy function, a scanner function, a facsimile function, and the like. It can be applied. The ink jet printer 100 is provided inside the main body frame 2, and an ink jet head 1 that records ink by ejecting ink onto a paper PA that is a recording medium is mounted on the carriage 3, and is along the main scanning direction (Y-axis direction). Configured to travel.

  The carriage 3 is slidably mounted on a rear guide shaft 6 and a front guide shaft 7 provided in parallel in the main frame 2 along the main scanning direction (Y-axis direction). The carriage drive motor 17 disposed on the right rear side of the lens and the timing belt 18 which is an endless belt are configured to reciprocate in the main scanning direction (Y-axis direction). The paper PA is transported horizontally on the lower surface side of the inkjet head 1 along a sub-scanning direction (X-axis direction) orthogonal to the main scanning direction (Y-axis direction) by a known paper transport mechanism (not shown) ( Arrow A direction in FIG. 1). On this paper PA, ink is ejected downward from the nozzle 4 (see FIG. 5) of the inkjet head 1 moving in the main scanning direction (Y-axis direction), and recording is performed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the carriage 3 is provided with a substantially box-shaped head holder 8, and the inkjet head 1 having a substantially flat shape as a whole has a nozzle 4 opened on the lower surface side of the bottom plate 8 a of the head holder 8. The surface to be exposed is exposed downward and is fixed so as to be substantially parallel to the bottom plate 8a. On the upper surface side of the bottom plate 8 a of the head holder 8, ink was supplied from the ink supply sources (ink tanks) 5 a to 5 d placed in the main body frame 2 to the carriage side via the ink supply pipes 14 (14 a to 14 d). A damper device 9 for storing each ink is attached. In this embodiment, ink tanks of four colors (black, yellow, magenta, cyan) are provided, and the inside of the damper device 9 is partitioned into a plurality of ink chambers, and ink is stored for each color. The damper device 9 is also provided with an exhaust valve means 9b for removing bubbles remaining in the ink in the ink chamber.

  An opening (not shown) is formed through the bottom plate 8a of the head holder 8. Inside the opening, an ink outlet 9a of the damper device 9 and an ink supply port 37 of the inkjet head 1 are provided. Ink is supplied independently from the damper device 9 to the inkjet head 1 for each color through a connection hole 15b of the reinforcing frame 15 described later and an elastic seal member 9c.

  The inkjet head 1 is a head unit that is laminated with a cavity portion 10 having a plurality of nozzles 4 opened to the outside and an ink flow path inside, and a piezoelectric actuator 11 that selectively applies ejection pressure to the ink in the cavity portion 10. 20 and a flexible wiring material 12 that outputs a drive signal to the piezoelectric actuator 11 is further laminated. The cavity portion 10 and the piezoelectric actuator 11 both have a flat shape that is substantially rectangular in plan view, but the outer shape of the cavity portion 10 is formed to be slightly larger than the outer shape of the piezoelectric actuator 11. The piezoelectric actuator 11 is stacked substantially at the center of the back surface of the unit 10, and the four ink supply ports 37 provided near one side parallel to the Y-axis direction of the cavity unit 10 are exposed on the back side of the head unit 20. It is supposed to be.

  Further, the inkjet head 1 has a reinforcing frame 15 that is laminated so as to surround the piezoelectric actuator 11 on the back surface of the cavity portion 10. The reinforcing frame 15 is made of a material having rigidity (for example, a metal plate such as SUS), is a flat plate material having a square shape in plan view, and has an outer shape that is slightly larger than the cavity portion 10. Near the one side parallel to the Y-axis direction in 15a, the four connection holes 15b described above are formed side by side.

  The reinforcement frame 15 is for increasing the rigidity of the cavity portion 10, and the cavity portion 10 is bonded and fixed to the back surface (upper surface) of the reinforcement frame 15 in advance and then attached to the bottom plate 8 a of the head holder 8 with an adhesive. By being fixed, deformation and distortion of the thin flat cavity portion 10 (head holder 20) can be prevented.

  In addition, the inkjet head 1 has a front frame 16 disposed on the front surface (nozzle surface) side of the cavity portion 10. The front frame 16 is a U-shaped flat plate material in plan view, and is fixed to the front surface of the reinforcing frame 15 in order to eliminate a step between the nozzle surface of the cavity portion 10 and the periphery of the head holder 8 (FIG. 2). And FIG. 3).

  Further, the inkjet head 1 has a rigid member 13 having a rectangular shape in plan view, which is laminated at a position corresponding to the piezoelectric actuator 11 on the back surface (upper surface in FIG. 2) of the flexible wiring material 12. The rigid member 13 will be described in detail later.

  Next, the structure of the cavity part 10 in this embodiment is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cavity portion 10 includes a total of eight nozzle plates 21, spacer plates 22, damper plates 23, two manifold plates 24 a and 24 b, a supply plate 25, a base plate 26, and a cavity plate 27. A thin flat plate is laminated and bonded via an adhesive so that the flat plate surfaces face each other.

  In the embodiment, each of the plates 21 to 27 has a thickness of about 40 to 150 μm, the nozzle plate 21 is made of synthetic resin such as polyimide, and the other plates 22 to 27 are made of 42% nickel alloy steel plate. The nozzle plate 21 is provided with a large number of nozzles 4 for discharging ink having a minute diameter (about 20 μm) at minute intervals, and the nozzles 4 are arranged in a row extending along the X-axis direction, and five rows. Is provided.

  Each nozzle 4 passes through a spacer plate 22, a damper plate 23, two manifold plates 24 a and 24 b, a supply plate 25, and a passage 35 formed in the base plate 26, and enters the pressure chamber 31 of the cavity plate 27. Are connected (see FIG. 6).

  In the cavity plate 27, a plurality of pressure chambers 31 provided for each nozzle are arranged in five rows corresponding to the arrangement of the nozzles 4. As shown in FIG. 5, each pressure chamber 31 has an elongated shape in plan view and is formed so as to penetrate the thickness of the cavity plate 27 so that its longitudinal direction is along the Y-axis direction. One end of each pressure chamber 31 in the longitudinal direction communicates with the common ink chamber 34 via a communication hole 32 formed in the base plate 26 and a connection channel 33 formed in the supply plate 25. The through passage 35 is connected to the other longitudinal end of each pressure chamber 31.

  In the two manifold plates 24a and 24b, five long grooves (to be the common ink chamber 34) are formed through the plate thickness along the X-axis direction, and the two manifold plates 24a and 24b are formed. Are stacked, and the upper surface is covered with the supply plate 25 and the lower surface is covered with the damper plate 23, so that a total of five common ink chambers (manifold chambers) 34 are formed.

  On the lower surface side of the damper plate 23 adjacent to the lower surface of the manifold plate 24a, a damper chamber 36, which has the same position and shape as each common ink chamber 34 and is isolated from the common ink chamber 34, is formed as a recess. The damper plate 23 absorbs and attenuates the pressure fluctuation propagated from the pressure chamber 31 to the common ink chamber 34 by vibrating the thin plate-like ceiling portion above the damper chamber 36 by elastic deformation. Crosstalk propagating to the pressure chamber 31 is suppressed.

  Further, four ink supply ports 37 described above are formed near one side parallel to the Y-axis direction of the cavity plate 27, and the base plate 26 is associated with each ink supply port 37 in the vertical position. Four connection ports 38 are formed in each of the supply plates 25. Filter bodies 39 for removing foreign matters in the ink are collectively attached to the four ink supply ports 37 with an adhesive or the like.

  In this embodiment, the black ink is branched from the one ink supply port 37 on the left side in FIG. 5 into the two common ink chambers 34 on the left side, and a nozzle row for discharging the black ink is provided. Two columns are set. This is because black ink is used more frequently than other color inks, and cyan, yellow, and magenta inks are supplied to the other three ink supply ports 37, respectively. The

  As described above, in the cavity portion 10, the ink flows from the ink supply port 37 through the connection port 38 to the common ink chamber 34, reaches the pressure chamber 31 through the connection flow path 33 and the communication hole 32, and further penetrates. An ink flow path reaching the nozzle 4 via the path 35 is formed.

  The piezoelectric actuator 11 has a flat shape having a size extending over all the pressure chambers 31, and a plurality of piezoelectric actuators 11 are stacked in a direction orthogonal to the flat direction, similar to the known one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-254634. The ceramic layer 11a and an electrode layer disposed on the flat surface of the ceramic layer 11a are provided. Here, an appropriate number of sheet surfaces among a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic material sheets (green sheets) formed by mixing ceramic powder, binder and solvent into a flat shape so that the thickness of each sheet is about 30 μm. The piezoelectric actuator 11 is formed by forming an electrode layer with a conductive paste by a printing method or the like, and laminating and firing the plurality of green sheets. Thereby, each green sheet becomes a ceramic layer of a sintered body.

  As shown in FIG. 6, as the electrode layer, the electrode layer of the individual electrode 41 formed for each pressure chamber 31 and the electrode layer of the common electrode 42 formed across the plurality of pressure chambers 31 are ceramic layers 11a. Are provided alternately in the stacking direction, and are connected to the electrode layers through electrical through holes (not shown), respectively, and a layer of external electrodes 43 (see FIGS. 4 to 6) is provided on the top surface. It has been. The external electrode 43 is individually electrically connected to an electrode pattern 51 (described later) formed on the flexible wiring material 12.

  As is well known, by applying a high voltage between the individual electrode 41 and the common electrode 42, the portion of the ceramic layer sandwiched between the two electrodes is polarized to form an active portion. The active part is provided above each pressure chamber 31, and is displaced by a drive signal applied to the piezoelectric actuator 11 from the flexible wiring member 12, so that the discharge pressure for discharging ink is applied to the pressure chamber 31. give.

  As the external electrode 43, as shown in FIG. 7, an individual external electrode 43 a connected to each individual electrode 41 and a common external electrode 43 b connected to the common electrode 42 are provided. On the uppermost surface of the piezoelectric actuator 11, in addition to the external electrode 43, a dummy electrode 45 not connected to the flexible wiring member 12 and a circular alignment mark 46 in a plan view used for alignment with the flexible wiring member 12 are provided. Is formed.

  The alignment marks 46 are each formed in a circular shape in plan view at the center of both side edges along the Y-axis direction of the piezoelectric actuator 11. Since the alignment mark 46 is formed of the same conductive material as that of the external electrode 43, it is simultaneously printed and fired in the process of forming the external electrode 43 by printing a conductive paste on a sheet of piezoelectric ceramic material. Formed. The alignment mark 46 is arranged in a predetermined positional relationship with the external electrode 43, but the positional relationship can be ensured with high accuracy by simultaneously printing (using the same mask).

  The individual external electrodes 43a are arranged in rows extending along the X-axis direction corresponding to the pressure chambers 31 (individual electrodes 41), arranged in five rows in the Y-axis direction, and the pressure chambers 31 (individual electrodes 41). And a long and narrow shape along the Y-axis direction, and a connection terminal 44a (made of a conductive material) that is shorter and wider than the individual external electrode 43a on the upper surface of one end in the longitudinal direction. Is formed. Since the individual external electrodes 43a are arranged at a high density, the connection terminals 44a are staggered along the X-axis direction, that is, individually, in order to leave as large a distance as possible between the adjacent connection terminals 44a. The connection terminals 44a provided on one end side of the external electrode 43a and the connection terminals 44a provided on the other end side are arranged so as to be alternately arranged along the X-axis direction. Further, the connection terminals 44a are arranged so as not to be adjacent to each other in the Y-axis direction even between the individual external electrodes 43a adjacent to each other in the Y-axis direction.

  The common external electrode 43b is formed in a wide band shape along one (or both) sides parallel to the Y-axis direction of the piezoelectric actuator 11, and has a rectangular shape in plan view with an appropriate interval between the upper surfaces thereof. A connection terminal 44b is formed. The connection terminals 44 (44a, 44b) are obtained by attaching a conductive material on the external electrodes 43 by printing or plating in order to improve the bondability between the external electrodes 43 and the bumps 54 described later. The common external electrode 43b may be formed in a plurality of rows.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the flexible wiring member 12 has a belt-like shape as a whole, and one end in the longitudinal direction becomes a flat portion 12a fixed to the surface of the piezoelectric actuator 11 opposite to the cavity portion 10, and the flat portion 12a The continuous flexible portion 12b is drawn out in the Y-axis direction through the reinforcing frame 15 (see FIG. 3). The flexible wiring member 12 is a COF (chip-on-flexible wiring member) in which a chip-like IC is mounted as a drive circuit 12c in the middle of the flexible portion 12b in the longitudinal direction. The other end of the flexible portion 12b of the flexible wiring member 12 is connected to a signal source, and a drive signal sent from the signal source is output to the piezoelectric actuator 11 via the drive circuit 12c. As shown in FIG. 3, a heat sink 60 and an elastic member 61 for sandwiching the drive circuit 12 c are provided near the side plate of the head holder 8, and heat generated by the drive circuit 13 is radiated by the heat sink 60. I am doing so.

  As shown in FIG. 8B, the flexible wiring member 12 includes a base film 50 made of a transparent flat insulating material (polyimide or the like) and a conductive material fixed to one surface of the base film 50. A conductive wire 52 formed by etching (copper foil or the like) and a cover film 53 made of an insulating material covering the conductive wire 52 are provided. The flat portion 12 a is provided with a terminal electrode in which the end portion of the conducting wire 52 is exposed from the through hole formed in the base film 50 as the electrode pattern 51 corresponding to the position of the connection terminal 44 of the piezoelectric actuator 11. . On the electrode pattern (terminal electrode) 51, bumps 54 made of a heat-meltable conductive material (for example, solder) are provided so as to protrude toward the external electrode 43.

  Further, in the flexible wiring member 12, the alignment mark 55 used for alignment with the piezoelectric actuator 11 is the center of both side edges of the flat portion 12a parallel to the direction (Y-axis direction) in which the flexible portion 12b is pulled out. Is provided. The alignment mark 55 is formed of a conductive material in a circular shape that is slightly smaller than the circular shape of the alignment mark 46 of the piezoelectric actuator 11, and is etched at the same time as the formation of the conductive wire 52 to form an electrode pattern ( Terminal electrode) 51 and a predetermined positional relationship. At the position where the alignment mark 55 is provided, the cover film 53 is removed with an area slightly larger than the alignment mark 46 of the piezoelectric actuator 11, and the alignment mark 55 is exposed on the upper surface.

  The rigid member 13 is a rectangular flat plate material having substantially the same area as the piezoelectric actuator 11 in a plan view, and is made of a material having higher rigidity than the flexible wiring material 12 and excellent in thermal conductivity. For example, aluminum, Metal plates, such as copper and SUS, are applied. In the center of both sides of the rigid member 13 parallel to the Y-axis direction, there are penetrations for exposing the alignment marks 46 and 55 provided for aligning the piezoelectric actuator 11 and the flexible wiring member 12 to the outside. The part 13a is notched. The through portion 13a may be formed in a hole shape instead of a notch.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, the rigid member 13 of the first embodiment is provided with protrusions 13 b and 13 c that protrude toward the flexible wiring material 12 on the surface facing the flexible wiring material 12. The protrusion 13 b is provided corresponding to the connection position between the individual external electrode 43 a of the piezoelectric actuator 11 and the bump 54 of the electrode pattern (terminal electrode) 51 of the flexible wiring material 12. The protrusion 13 c is provided corresponding to the connection position between the common external electrode 43 b of the piezoelectric actuator 11 and the electrode pattern (terminal electrode) 51 of the flexible wiring material 12. In addition, the penetration part 13a of the rigid member 13 is formed in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the protrusions 13b and 13c.

  Since the individual external electrodes 43a are formed in five rows corresponding to the positions of the nozzles 4 of the piezoelectric actuator 11 (see FIG. 4), the protrusions 13b are made to correspond to the rows of the individual external electrodes 43a. Thus, it is formed in a long bowl shape in the column direction. That is, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9A, the rigid member 13 has five hook-shaped protrusions 13b that are long in the X-axis direction. Of the five protrusions 13b, the width W1 of the two protrusions 13b in the outermost row (two at both ends in the Y-axis direction) is the width of the flanges of the three protrusions 13b arranged between them. It is formed wider than W2 (W1> W2).

  Further, the common external electrode 43b is provided along both side edges in the X-axis direction of the piezoelectric actuator 11, and the connection terminals 44b are scattered on the common external electrode 43b with a gap (see FIG. 7). The protrusion 13c is provided along the both side edges in the X-axis direction of the rigid member 13 so as to correspond to the position of the common external electrode 43b. However, the protrusion 13c is divided at the central portion in the longitudinal direction in order to avoid the through portion 13a. Similarly, when the common external electrodes 43b are provided in a plurality of rows, the flange width of the protrusion 13c which is the outermost row of the protrusions 13c may be formed wider than the flange width of the other protrusions.

  The assembly of the ink jet head 1 configured as described above will be described.

  First, the cavity portion 10 and the piezoelectric actuator 11 are formed of an adhesive sheet (not shown) made of an ink non-permeable synthetic resin material as an adhesive on the entire lower surface (a wide surface facing the pressure chamber 31) of the piezoelectric actuator 11. Then, the piezoelectric actuator 11 is bonded and fixed to the cavity portion 10 so that each individual electrode 41 corresponds to each pressure chamber 31 in the cavity portion 10. . Thereby, a laminated body of the cavity portion 10 and the piezoelectric actuator 11 is formed.

  On the other hand, the protrusions 13b and 13c of the rigid member 13 are opposed to the cover film 53 side of the flexible wiring member 12, and the alignment mark 55 of the flexible wiring member 12 is exposed to the outside from the through portion 13a (visible). Then, after these are aligned, they are bonded and fixed. Thereby, the laminated body of the flexible wiring material 12 and the rigid member 13 is formed. As will be described later, the bonding process between the flexible wiring member 12 and the rigid member 13 increases the positional accuracy between the protrusions 13b and 13c of the rigid member 13 and the positions of the bumps 54 (individual external electrode 43a and common external electrode 43b). In order to influence, a certain degree of strict alignment accuracy is required. However, since the protrusions 13b and 13c are formed in a bowl shape and are not individually formed for each bump 54, they are not as precise as the alignment accuracy between the flexible wiring member 12 and the actuator 11 described later.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8B, the cavity portion 10 is arranged so that the surface of the piezoelectric actuator 11 on which the external electrode 43 is formed faces the surface of the flexible wiring material 12 on which the electrode pattern 51 is formed. The laminated body of the flexible wiring member 12 and the rigid member 13 is opposed to the laminated body of the piezoelectric actuator 11.

  At this time, the alignment mark 55 of the flexible wiring member 12 and the alignment mark 46 of the piezoelectric actuator 11 are aligned. In the region including the alignment mark 55, the through-hole 13 a is provided in the rigid member 13. Since the cover film 53 of the flexible wiring member 12 is removed and the base film 50 has translucency, it is seen from the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. Then, not only the alignment mark 55 of the flexible wiring member 12 but also the alignment mark 46 of the piezoelectric actuator 11 can be visually recognized through the base film 50 (see FIG. 8A).

  Since the alignment mark 46 of the piezoelectric actuator 11 is a larger circle than the alignment mark 55 of the flexible wiring member 12 located on the upper side, these centers can be easily overlapped, and flexible wiring can be performed with high accuracy. The electrode pattern 51 of the material 12 and the connection terminal 44 of the piezoelectric actuator 11 can be aligned. In addition, this makes it possible for the protrusions 13b and 13c of the rigid member 13 previously joined to the flexible wiring member 12 to correspond to the positions of the individual external electrode 43a and the common external electrode 43b. The marks 46 and 55 may be imaged with a camera and may be enlarged and displayed on the image display device for alignment, or the marks 46 and 55 may be image-processed for alignment.

  Then, as described above, in a state where the laminate of the flexible wiring member 12 and the rigid member 13 is aligned with the laminate of the cavity portion 10 and the piezoelectric actuator 11, as shown in FIG. Heat pressing means (corresponding to a heating member in claims, for example, a heater bar) 70 is applied on the member 13 to apply pressure and heat toward the piezoelectric actuator 11. At this time, the heat of the heating and pressing means 71 is transmitted to the flexible wiring member 12 through the protrusions 13 b and 13 c of the rigid member 13. Since the protrusions 13b and 13c correspond to the connection positions of the bumps 54 of the flexible wiring member 12 and the connection terminals 44 of the piezoelectric actuator 11, these are intensively heated and pressed, and the pump 54 is melted and flexible. The electrode pattern 51 of the wiring member 12 and the connection terminal 44 of the piezoelectric actuator 11 are joined electrically and mechanically.

  That is, since the region of the rigid member 13 other than the protrusions 13b and 13c is not in contact with the flexible wiring member 12, the heating and pressing unit 71 has a position other than the connection position between the flexible wiring member 12 and the piezoelectric actuator 11 described above. It becomes difficult to transmit heat.

  As a result, the heat transmitted to the cavity portion 10 can be significantly suppressed, so that even if the difference in linear expansion coefficient between the piezoelectric actuator 11 and the cavity portion 10 is large, the piezoelectric actuator 11 and the cavity portion 10 are peeled off due to the heat. Since distortion, cracks, etc. do not occur, the manufacturing yield is improved.

  Of the five protrusions 13b provided in parallel to the rigid member 13, the width of the outermost protrusion 13b is wider than the width of the inner protrusion 13b. This is because the protrusions 13b in the row have a heat radiation space on the outer side, and the temperature is more easily lowered than the inner protrusions 13b where the protrusions 13b are adjacent to each other. If all the protrusions 13b have the same width, when the bump 54 and the connection terminal 44 are electrically joined, a partial temperature difference (for each column) occurs in the protrusion 13b, and the connection at the bump 54 occurs. There is a risk that variations and defects will occur. Therefore, by increasing the width of the outermost row of protrusions 13b to increase the heat capacity, the above-described partial temperature difference of the protrusions 13b during bonding can be eliminated.

  Of course, the rigid member 13 not only has the effect of increasing the rigidity of the flexible wiring member 12 but also has better thermal conductivity than the piezoelectric actuator 11 and the flexible wiring member 12, so that it contacts the piezoelectric actuator 11 via the flexible wiring member 12. By doing so, the local heat generation of the piezoelectric actuator 11 can be dispersed and the effect of radiating heat can also be achieved. As a result, it is possible to prevent actuator malfunction due to local heat generation, discharge variation due to temperature distribution variation, and the like. In particular, as described above, the protrusions 13b are formed corresponding to the rows of the nozzles 4 and the outermost row is wide, so that heat from the outside (for example, flexible Even when the heat of the drive circuit 12c of the wiring member 12 is transmitted to the flexible wiring member 12 or the actuator 11, the partial temperature difference can be eliminated. As a result, it is possible to suppress the variation of the heat transferred to the liquid in the cavity portion 10 for each row of the nozzles 4, thereby reducing the variation in the ejection characteristics for each row of the nozzles 4.

  In addition, since the flexible wiring member 12 alone has a thin film shape and low rigidity, the flexible wiring member 12 has disadvantages that handling in the alignment process and workability are poor. Since the rigid member 13 having a higher rigidity than this is fixed to the flexible wiring material 12 before alignment, the flexible wiring material 12 can be easily operated while being kept in a flat state. Can be shortened.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In 2nd Embodiment, the protrusions 13b and 13c are not provided in the surface on the side facing the flexible wiring material 12 of the rigid member 13, and it forms in the flat surface. Then, on the surface of the heating and pressing means 71 on the rigid member 13 side, hook-shaped protrusions 71a and 71b having the same shape as the protrusions 13b and 13c described above are provided. That is, five protrusions 71a are provided on the heating and pressing means 71 in parallel to correspond to the connection positions of the bumps 54 of the flexible wiring member 12 and the connection terminals 44 of the piezoelectric actuator 11, and the protrusions 71a are sandwiched between them. Two protrusions 71b are provided so as to intersect with each other. As in the first embodiment, among the five protrusions 71a, the flange width W1 of the two outermost protrusions 71a is larger than the flange width W2 of the central three protrusions 71a sandwiched between them. It is also wide.

  Thereby, the second embodiment also has the same effect as the first embodiment, and heat for connecting the bumps 54 of the flexible wiring member 12 and the connection terminals 44 of the piezoelectric actuator 11 is transmitted to other than the connection position. This can be suppressed, and it is possible to greatly suppress the possibility that cracks, peeling, and the like occur in the piezoelectric actuator 11 and the cavity portion 10 due to heat.

  In the first and second embodiments, the number and arrangement of the protrusions 13 b and 13 c of the rigid member 13 and the protrusions 71 a and 71 b provided on the heating and pressing means 71 are the same as the external electrode 43 of the actuator 11 and the flexible wiring. The material 12 can be appropriately changed according to the connection position with the electrode pattern 51 of the material 12. In addition, it is not always necessary to form each protrusion in the shape of a bowl as described above, and if it is possible to manufacture and assemble parts, the protrusions are individually associated with the connection positions of the bumps 54 and the connection terminals 44. It may be formed.

  In the above embodiment, a piezoelectric type actuator is used. However, in other driving methods such as discharging the ink by displacing the diaphragm by static electricity, the actuator and the flexible wiring material are electrically connected. The present invention is effective when it is desired to make it difficult to transmit the heat to other members. Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to application to an inkjet printer head, and may be applied to other droplet discharge heads.

1 is a plan view of an ink jet printer to which an ink jet head of the present invention is applied. It is a disassembled perspective view of a carriage. It is sectional drawing which cut | disconnected the carriage along the Y-axis direction. It is a partial exploded perspective view of a head unit and a soaking plate. It is a disassembled perspective view of a cavity part. (A) Sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4, (b) Sectional view taken along line bb in (a). It is a top view which shows a part of uppermost surface of a piezoelectric actuator. (A) is a top view which shows a part of flexible wiring material of the state made to oppose a piezoelectric actuator, (b) is a VIIIb-VIIIb arrow directional cross-sectional view of (a). (A) is a top view of the rigid member of 1st Embodiment, (b) is a figure explaining the process of electrically connecting a flexible wiring material and a piezoelectric actuator in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the process of electrically connecting a flexible wiring material and a piezoelectric actuator in 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet head 3 Carriage 4 Nozzle 9 Damper apparatus 10 Cavity part 11 Piezoelectric actuator 12 Flexible wiring material 13 Rigid member 13a Through-hole part 13b, 13c Protrusion part 15 Reinforcement frame 20 Head unit 43 External electrode 44 Connection terminal 46 Positioning mark 50 Base Film 51 Electrode pattern 54 Bump 55 Positioning mark 71 Heating pressing means 71a, 71b Protrusion 100 Inkjet printer

Claims (13)

A plurality of external electrodes for discharging droplets onto one surface of the actuator, comprising: a head unit that discharges droplets by selective driving of the actuator; and a flexible wiring material that outputs a drive signal to the actuator. The flexible wiring material has an electrode pattern corresponding to the external electrode, the external electrode and the electrode pattern are electrically connected, and the flexible wiring material is laminated on one surface of the actuator. In the disposed droplet discharge head,
On the surface of the flexible wiring material opposite to the actuator, a rigid member having a size extending over the many external electrodes and having higher rigidity and thermal conductivity than the flexible wiring material is laminated,
On the surface of the rigid member facing the flexible wiring material, a protrusion protruding toward the flexible wiring material is formed corresponding to a connection position between the external electrode and the electrode pattern. Droplet discharge head.   The plurality of external electrodes are formed in a plurality of rows, and the protrusion of the rigid member is provided corresponding to each row of the external electrodes and is continuous in the extending direction of the row of the external electrodes. The droplet discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the droplet discharge head is formed in a long and long bowl shape.   3. The droplet discharge head according to claim 2, wherein the outermost protrusion of the plurality of flange-shaped protrusions in the rigid member has a wider width than the other protrusions.   The head unit includes a cavity portion having a plurality of nozzles opened to the outside, a liquid flow path therein, and mainly a metal material, and a piezoelectric type that selectively applies discharge pressure to the liquid in the cavity portion. The droplet discharge head according to claim 1, further comprising an actuator.   The plurality of nozzles are formed in a plurality of rows, and of the plurality of external electrodes and the plurality of protrusions, the external electrodes corresponding to the plurality of nozzles and the protrusions of the rigid member are in a plurality of rows. 5. The droplet discharge head according to claim 4, wherein the outermost protrusion among the protrusions of the rigid member is wider in width than the other protrusions. . Each of the actuator and the flexible wiring member is provided with an alignment mark for aligning the external electrode and the electrode pattern in a predetermined positional relationship,
The through-hole for exposing the said mark for alignment to the exterior is formed in the said rigid member by notching or punching | piercing board thickness, The Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Droplet discharge head. A plurality of external electrodes for discharging droplets onto one surface of the actuator, comprising: a head unit that discharges droplets by selective driving of the actuator; and a flexible wiring material that outputs a drive signal to the actuator. The flexible wiring material has an electrode pattern corresponding to the external electrode, the external electrode and the electrode pattern are electrically connected, and the flexible wiring material is laminated on one surface of the actuator. In the manufacturing method of the disposed droplet discharge head,
The flexible wiring material has higher rigidity and thermal conductivity, and corresponds to the connection position of the external electrode and the electrode pattern, and has a size extending over the large number of external electrodes on the flexible wiring material side. A step of laminating and fixing a rigid member on which a protruding protrusion is formed on the surface of the flexible wiring material opposite to the actuator; and
The flexible wiring member to which the rigid member is fixed is opposed to one surface of the actuator, and a sheet-like heating member is brought into contact with the surface opposite to the flexible wiring member in the rigid member to heat, And a step of electrically connecting the electrode pattern of the actuator and the external electrode of the flexible wiring member.   The plurality of external electrodes are formed in a plurality of rows, and the protrusion of the rigid member is provided corresponding to each row of the external electrodes and is continuous in the extending direction of the row of the external electrodes. The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 7, wherein the droplet discharge head is formed in a long bowl shape.   Of the plurality of hook-shaped protrusions in the rigid member, the width of the protrusion near the outer periphery of the rigid member is formed wider than the width of the protrusion on the center side. The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 8. A plurality of external electrodes for discharging droplets onto one surface of the actuator, comprising: a head unit that discharges droplets by selective driving of the actuator; and a flexible wiring material that outputs a drive signal to the actuator. The flexible wiring material has an electrode pattern corresponding to the external electrode, the external electrode and the electrode pattern are electrically connected, and the flexible wiring material is laminated on one surface of the actuator. In the manufacturing method of the disposed droplet discharge head,
A step of laminating and fixing a rigid member having a size extending over the plurality of external electrodes and having rigidity higher than that of the flexible wiring material on the surface of the flexible wiring material opposite to the actuator. When,
The flexible wiring material to which the rigid member is fixed is opposed to one surface of the actuator, and a heating member is brought into contact with the surface of the rigid member opposite to the flexible wiring material to heat the actuator. Electrically bonding the electrode pattern and the external electrode of the flexible wiring material,
The plurality of external electrodes are formed in a plurality of rows,
The heating member includes a planar portion facing the rigid member, and a projection protruding from the planar portion toward the rigid member, and the projection corresponds to each row of the external electrodes. Provided, formed in a long bowl shape continuously in the extending direction of the row of the external electrodes,
The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head, wherein an outermost protrusion of the plurality of ridge-shaped protrusions on the heating member has a wider ridge than other protrusions.   The head unit includes a cavity portion having a plurality of nozzles opened to the outside, a liquid flow path therein, and mainly a metal material, and a piezoelectric type that selectively applies discharge pressure to the liquid in the cavity portion. The method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 7, further comprising an actuator.   The plurality of nozzles are formed in a plurality of rows, and of the plurality of external electrodes and the plurality of protrusions, the external electrodes corresponding to the plurality of nozzles and the protrusions of the rigid member are in a plurality of rows. The droplet discharge head according to claim 11, wherein the outermost protrusion among the protrusions of the rigid member has a wider ridge than the other protrusions. . Each of the actuator and the flexible wiring member is provided with an alignment mark for aligning the external electrode and the electrode pattern in a predetermined positional relationship,
In the rigid member, a through portion for exposing the alignment mark to the outside is formed by cutting or punching the plate thickness,
The step of laminating and fixing the rigid member to the flexible wiring material includes laminating and fixing the rigid member to the flexible wiring material in correspondence with the alignment mark of the flexible wiring material,
8. The step of electrically connecting the electrode pattern and the external electrode includes aligning alignment marks provided on each of the actuator and the flexible wiring material through the penetrating portion. 13. A method for producing a droplet discharge head according to any one of items 1 to 12.

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