JP2010221508A - Method of attaching channel member, liquid discharge type recording head, and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the adhesion strength of a rough channel member having an irregular surface and to suppress an adhesive agent from leaking to the channel. <P>SOLUTION: The method of attaching a channel member includes the first process of applying a first adhesive agent having viscosity allowing it to get into irregularities of the surface to the irregular rough surface of a die cap 100 forming the channel in which ink runs, the second process of applying a second adhesive agent having higher viscosity than the first adhesive agent to the surface of the first adhesive agent, and the third process of putting a head body 102 in which the channel is formed on the surface of the second adhesive agent and attaching the die cap 100 to the head body 102. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for bonding flow path members, a liquid discharge type recording head, and an image forming apparatus.

  In order to prevent the adhesive that adheres the flow path members forming the flow paths of the liquid discharge type recording head from being peeled off and the liquid from leaking out of the flow paths, it is necessary to increase the bonding strength of these.

  Here, since the flow path member is required to be low in cost, it is not expensive silicon or ceramic having a flat surface and good adhesion, but an inexpensive resin molded product having a rough surface and rough surface. Used. In order to make this resin molded product a flat surface, a precise mold is required, which is expensive.

  However, in order to reduce the cost, when the flow path is constituted by a rough flow path member having a rough surface, even if a high-viscosity adhesive that generally increases the adhesive strength is used, FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, since the adhesive does not enter the concave portion on the surface of the flow path member, and there is a gap between the concave portion and the adhesive and a sufficient adhesion area cannot be obtained, the adhesive strength cannot be increased after all.

  In addition, when a channel is formed with a gap in the recess on the surface of the channel member, the liquid flowing through the channel enters the recess, the chemical bond between the adhesive and the channel member is cut, and the adhesive strength is reduced. Decreases rapidly.

  Conversely, as shown in FIG. 9B, the low-viscosity adhesive can enter the recesses on the surface of the flow path member and fill the gap, but may leak into the flow path. As a result, the dimensions of the flow path change, and, for example, in the liquid discharge type recording head, there arises a problem that the discharge performance varies for each nozzle. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the flow path is clogged and non-ejection occurs.

  Here, in Patent Document 1, an adhesive is applied to the bonding surface of the disk substrate, and is rotated at a high speed by a swinging device to form a uniform first adhesive layer on the entire bonding surface, and the first bonding is performed again. An optical disk that adheres a disk substrate on which the second adhesive layer is formed and another disk substrate that forms a pair with the second adhesive layer by applying an adhesive having a higher viscosity than the adhesive of the layer to form a second adhesive layer The adhesion method is disclosed.

JP 2002-42383 A

  However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 is a method for bonding optical disks, not a method for bonding flow path members. The optical disk described in Patent Document 1 has no flow path, and there is no problem that the liquid enters the concave portion on the surface of the optical disk from the flow path and the adhesive strength is reduced.

  Moreover, in patent document 1, although the thing whose viscosity is lower than the adhesive agent used for a 2nd adhesive layer is used for the adhesive agent of a 1st adhesive layer, there is no mention about the viscosity of the adhesive agent of a 1st adhesive layer. For this reason, it is not certain whether the adhesive of the first adhesive layer has a low viscosity so as to enter the concave portion of the adhesive layer surface of the optical disk.

  Therefore, in view of the problem that air bubbles are present in the adhesive layer of the disk substrate in Patent Document 1, the viscosity of the adhesive of the first adhesive layer does not fit well with the adhesive layer surface of the disk substrate. It is presumed that a high-viscosity adhesive is used, and the adhesive does not enter the concave portion of the adhesive layer surface of the optical disk.

  The present invention relates to a method for adhering a flow path member, a liquid discharge type recording head, and image formation capable of increasing the adhesive strength of a rough flow path member having a rough surface and suppressing leakage of the adhesive into the flow path. An object is to provide an apparatus.

  The first aspect of the present invention is the first step of applying a first adhesive having a viscosity that enters the concave portion of the surface to the rough surface of the concave-convex shape of the flow path member forming the flow path through which the liquid flows; A second step of applying a second adhesive having a viscosity higher than that of the first adhesive on the surface of the first adhesive, and a member to be bonded that forms the flow path on the surface of the second adhesive; A flow path member and a third step of bonding the member to be bonded.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the first adhesive and the second adhesive are thermosetting adhesives, and in the third step, the first adhesive and the second adhesive are heated. The flow path member bonding method according to claim 1, wherein the flow path member is cured.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first step, the flow path member is heated to a temperature at which the first adhesive is not cured, and the first adhesive is applied to a surface of the flow path member. Item 3. A method for bonding a flow path member according to Item 2.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first adhesive and the second adhesive, the main agent and the curing agent are the same, and the content of the viscosity modifier is different. This is a method for bonding a road member.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the flow path member according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, in the second step, the second adhesive is applied more than the first adhesive. It is an adhesion method.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first step, the first adhesive is applied by adjusting the amount so that the first adhesive is buried in the recess of the flow path member and does not flow from the flow path member to the flow path. The flow path member bonding method according to claim 5.

In the invention according to claim 7, when the surface of the adherend is a rough surface having an uneven shape,
The flow path member bonding method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a third adhesive having a viscosity that enters a concave portion on a surface of the bonded member is applied before the third step. .

  In the invention according to claim 8, the first adhesive, the second adhesive, and the third adhesive are thermosetting adhesives, and the main agent and the curing agent of the third adhesive are the first adhesive. The flow path member bonding method according to claim 7, which is the same as that of the adhesive and the second adhesive.

  The invention according to claim 9 is the flow path member according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the flow path member is a resin material constituting a liquid discharge type recording head for discharging the liquid. This is an adhesion method.

  A tenth aspect of the invention is a liquid discharge type recording head in which the flow path member and the member to be bonded are bonded by the bonding method according to any one of the first to ninth aspects.

  An eleventh aspect of the invention is an image forming apparatus including the liquid discharge type recording head according to the tenth aspect and a paper feed conveyance unit that conveys a recording medium toward the liquid discharge type recording head.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the first adhesive enters the recesses on the surface of the flow path member, so that the bonding area between the first adhesive and the flow path member is increased compared to the configuration that does not enter the recesses, As a result, the adhesive strength between the flow path member and the member to be bonded can be increased. In addition, it is possible to prevent the liquid from entering the concave portion from the flow path and reducing the bonding strength between the flow path member and the adherend.

  Furthermore, since the second adhesive having a higher viscosity than the first adhesive is applied to the surface of the first adhesive, the adhesive does not overflow and the adhesive can be applied sufficiently. The bonding strength between the road member and the member to be bonded can be increased. Here, if two adhesives, the first adhesive and the second adhesive, are used, the amount of the first adhesive used can be reduced, so that the first adhesive is prevented from leaking into the flow path. can do. Since the second adhesive has a higher viscosity than the first adhesive, it is difficult for the second adhesive to leak into the flow path.

  According to invention of Claim 2, in order to heat and harden the 1st adhesive agent and 2nd adhesive agent of a thermosetting adhesive, a 1st adhesive agent and a 2nd adhesive agent are hardened reliably and fully. The adhesive strength and liquid resistance can be increased.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, when the flow path member is heated to a temperature at which the first adhesive is not cured, the first adhesive applied to the surface of the flow path member is warmed and the viscosity decreases. It becomes easy to enter the concave portion on the surface of the flow path member. Further, since the first adhesive becomes easy to self-leveling (self-smoothing) when heated, a uniform adhesive surface can be obtained. Thereby, the adhesive strength of a flow-path member and a to-be-adhered member can be raised more.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, since the main agent and the curing agent of the first adhesive and the second adhesive are the same, the curing conditions are the same, and the first adhesive and the second adhesive can be cured at the same time. Compared with the case where the main agent and the curing agent of the adhesive and the second adhesive are different, the number of bonding steps between the flow path member and the bonded member can be reduced.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, since the second adhesive having a higher viscosity than the first adhesive is applied more than the first adhesive, the application amount of the first adhesive is reduced and the second adhesive is reduced. Leakage of one adhesive into the flow path can be suppressed. Moreover, compared with the case where the application amount of the second adhesive is equal to or less than the application amount of the first adhesive, the viscosity of the entire adhesive can be improved, and the adhesive does not overflow into the flow path. Since the adhesive can be applied, the adhesive strength can be increased.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the first adhesive is applied in an amount that does not flow out from the surface of the flow path member to the flow path, leakage of the first adhesive into the flow path is eliminated. Can do.

  According to the invention described in claim 7, since the third adhesive enters the concave portion of the surface of the adherend member, the bonding area between the third adhesive and the adherend member increases as compared to the configuration in which the third adhesive does not enter the concave portion, As a result, the adhesive strength between the flow path member and the member to be bonded can be increased. In addition, it is possible to prevent the liquid from entering the concave portion from the flow path and reducing the bonding strength between the flow path member and the adherend.

  According to the invention described in claim 8, since the main agent and the curing agent of the first adhesive, the second adhesive, and the third adhesive are the same, the curing conditions are the same, and the first adhesive, the second adhesive, and The third adhesive can be cured at the same time, and compared with the case where the main agent and the curing agent of the third adhesive are different from those of the first adhesive and the second adhesive, the number of bonding steps between the flow path member and the bonded member can be reduced. it can.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, even in the liquid discharge type recording head in which the flow path is formed of a rough uneven resin material, the adhesive strength is increased and the leakage of the adhesive into the flow path is suppressed. be able to.

  According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, since the liquid resistance is excellent and the adhesive strength between the flow path members is high, a sturdy liquid discharge type recording head can be provided. Further, it is possible to prevent the liquid from the liquid discharge type recording head from becoming non-discharge.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the liquid from the liquid ejection type recording head from being non-ejected, so that it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that does not cause image disturbance.

It is a figure which shows the adhesion method of this embodiment. 1 is an overall configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus including an inkjet line head according to a first embodiment. It is a cross-sectional perspective view of an inkjet line head. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the inkjet line head shown in FIG. 3. (A) is the figure which looked at the lower end part of the die cap and the partition wall from the bottom except the head main body shown in FIG. (B) is the figure which looked at the head main body from the top except for the die cap and lower end part shown in FIG. It is the figure which showed a series of processes of the adhesion | attachment method of a die cap and a head main body. It is a modification of the die cap which concerns on this embodiment. It is a modification of the adhesion method of the die cap and head body concerning this embodiment. It is the figure which showed the bonding method of the prior art.

  Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus including an inkjet line head as a liquid discharge type recording head according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  First, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 will be described. FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus including the inkjet line head according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[Image forming apparatus]
As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment feeds paper that is fed and conveyed upstream in the conveyance direction of a sheet as a recording medium (hereinafter referred to as “paper”). A transport unit 12 is provided. On the downstream side of the paper feeding / conveying unit 12, a processing liquid applying unit 14 for applying a processing liquid to the recording surface of the paper along the paper conveying direction, an image forming unit 16 for forming an image on the recording surface of the paper, An ink drying unit 18 for drying the image formed on the recording surface, an image fixing unit 20 for fixing the dried image on the paper, and a discharge unit 21 for discharging the paper on which the image is fixed are provided.

Hereinafter, each processing unit will be described.
(Paper feed section)
The paper feeding / conveying unit 12 is provided with a stacking unit 22 on which sheets are stacked. On the downstream side of the stacking unit 22 in the sheet conveying direction (hereinafter, the “sheet conveying direction” may be omitted), A paper feeding unit 24 that feeds the papers stacked on the stacking unit 22 one by one is provided. The sheet fed by the sheet feeding unit 24 is conveyed to the processing liquid coating unit 14 through a conveying unit 28 constituted by a plurality of pairs of rollers 26.

(Processing liquid application part)
In the treatment liquid application unit 14, a treatment liquid application drum 30 is rotatably disposed. The processing liquid coating drum 30 is provided with a holding member 32 that holds the paper by sandwiching the leading end of the paper, and the paper is held on the surface of the processing liquid coating drum 30 via the holding member 32. In this state, the sheet is conveyed downstream by the rotation of the treatment liquid coating drum 30.

  Note that an intermediate conveying drum 34, an image forming drum 36, an ink drying drum 38, and an image fixing drum 40, which will be described later, are also provided with a holding member 32 in the same manner as the processing liquid coating drum 30. The holding member 32 transfers the paper from the upstream drum to the downstream drum.

  A processing liquid coating device 42 and a processing liquid drying device 44 are disposed above the processing liquid coating drum 30 along the circumferential direction of the processing liquid coating drum 30. The treatment liquid is applied to the surface, and the treatment liquid is dried by the treatment liquid drying device 44.

  Here, the treatment liquid reacts with the ink to aggregate the color material (pigment) and has an effect of promoting separation of the color material (pigment) and the solvent. The treatment liquid application device 42 is provided with a storage portion 46 for storing the treatment liquid, and a part of the gravure roller 48 is immersed in the treatment liquid.

  A rubber roller 50 is disposed in pressure contact with the gravure roller 48, and the rubber roller 50 contacts the recording surface (front surface) side of the paper to apply the processing liquid. Further, a squeegee (not shown) is in contact with the gravure roller 48 to control the amount of treatment liquid applied to the recording surface of the paper.

  Ideally, the treatment liquid film thickness is sufficiently smaller than the droplets of the head droplets. For example, when the droplet volume is 2 pl, the average diameter of the droplets of the head droplet is 15.6 μm, and when the treatment liquid film thickness is thick, the ink dots float in the treatment liquid without contacting the recording surface of the paper. To do. In order to obtain a landing dot diameter of 30 μm or more with a droplet ejection amount of 2 pl, it is preferable to make the treatment liquid film thickness 3 μm or less.

  On the other hand, in the treatment liquid drying device 44, a hot air nozzle 54 and an infrared heater 56 (hereinafter referred to as “IR heater 56”) are disposed close to the surface of the treatment liquid application drum 30. The hot air nozzle 54 and the IR heater 56 evaporate a solvent such as water in the processing liquid to form a solid or thin film processing liquid layer on the recording surface side of the paper. By thinning the treatment liquid in the treatment liquid drying step, the dots deposited by ink in the image forming unit 16 come into contact with the surface of the paper to obtain the required dot diameter, and react with the thinned treatment liquid. It is easy to obtain an action of agglomerating color materials and fixing to the paper surface.

  In this way, the paper on which the processing liquid has been applied and dried on the recording surface by the processing liquid application unit 14 is conveyed to an intermediate conveyance unit 58 provided between the processing liquid application unit 14 and the image forming unit 16.

(Intermediate transport section)
The intermediate transport drum 58 is rotatably provided in the intermediate transport unit 58, and a sheet is held on the surface of the intermediate transport drum 34 via a holding member 32 provided in the intermediate transport drum 34, and the intermediate transport drum 34 The sheet is conveyed downstream by the rotation of 34.

(Image forming part)
An image forming drum 36 is rotatably provided in the image forming unit 16, and a sheet is held on the surface of the image forming drum 36 via a holding member 32 provided on the image forming drum 36. The sheet is conveyed downstream by the rotation of 36.

  Above the image forming drum 36, a head unit 66 composed of a single-pass inkjet line head 64 is disposed adjacent to the surface of the image forming drum 36. In this head unit 66, at least the basic color YMCK inkjet line heads 64 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the image forming drum 36, and are formed on the processing liquid layer formed on the recording surface of the paper by the processing liquid coating unit 14. An image of each color is formed. The inkjet line head 64 has a length corresponding to the maximum paper width of the paper targeted by the image forming apparatus 10, and the nozzle surface has a length exceeding at least one side of the maximum size paper (within the drawable range). A plurality of nozzles for discharging ink are arranged over the entire width.

  The treatment liquid has the effect of aggregating the color material (pigment) and latex particles dispersed in the ink into the treatment liquid, and forms an aggregate that does not generate color material flow on the paper. As an example of the reaction between the ink and the treatment liquid, acid is contained in the treatment liquid, pigment dispersion is destroyed by PH down, and the color material bleeds using a mechanism of aggregation, color mixing between each color ink, liquid mixture at the time of ink droplet landing Avoids droplet-interference caused by

  The ink jet line head 64 performs droplet ejection in synchronization with an encoder (not shown) that detects the rotational speed disposed on the image forming drum 36, thereby determining the landing position with high accuracy and at the same time. Irregular droplet ejection can be reduced without depending on the shake, the accuracy of the rotary shaft 68, and the drum surface speed.

  The head unit 66 can be retracted from the upper part of the image forming drum 36, and maintenance operations such as cleaning the nozzle surface of the inkjet line head 64 and discharging the thickened ink, the head unit 66 is moved to the upper part of the image forming drum 36. It is carried out by evacuating from.

  The sheet on which the image is formed on the recording surface is conveyed to an intermediate conveyance unit 70 provided between the image forming unit 16 and the ink drying unit 18 by the rotation of the image forming drum 36. Since the configuration is substantially the same as that of the intermediate conveyance unit 58, description thereof is omitted.

(Ink drying section)
An ink drying drum 38 is rotatably provided in the ink drying unit 18, and a plurality of hot air nozzles 72 and IR heaters 74 are arranged on the upper portion of the ink drying drum 38 in proximity to the surface of the ink drying unit 18. It is installed.

  Here, as an example, the pair of IR heaters 74 arranged in parallel with the hot air nozzles 72 are alternately arranged so that the hot air nozzles 72 are arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side. In addition to this, a large number of IR heaters 74 are arranged on the upstream side to irradiate a large amount of heat energy on the upstream side to increase the temperature of moisture, and a large number of hot air nozzles 72 are arranged on the downstream side to blow off saturated water vapor. Also good.

  Here, the hot air nozzle 72 is arranged so that the blowing angle of the hot air is inclined toward the rear end side of the paper. Accordingly, the flow of hot air from the hot air nozzle 72 can be collected in one direction, and the paper is pressed against the ink drying drum 38 side, and the state where the paper is held on the surface of the ink drying drum 38 can be maintained. it can.

  With the hot air generated by the hot air nozzle 72 and the IR heater 74, the solvent separated by the color material aggregating action is dried in the paper image forming unit, and a thin image layer is formed.

  Although the warm air varies depending on the paper conveyance speed, it is usually set to 50 ° C. to 70 ° C., and the ink surface temperature is set to 50 ° C. to 60 ° C. by setting the temperature of the IR heater 74 to 200 ° C. to 600 ° C. It is set to be. The evaporated solvent is discharged together with air to the outside of the image forming apparatus 10, but the air is recovered. This air may be cooled by a cooler / radiator or the like and recovered as a liquid.

  The sheet on which the image on the recording surface is dried is conveyed to an intermediate conveyance unit 76 provided between the ink drying unit 18 and the image fixing unit 20 by the rotation of the ink drying drum 38. Since the configuration is substantially the same as that of the intermediate conveyance unit 58, description thereof is omitted.

(Image fixing part)
An image fixing drum 40 is rotatably provided in the image fixing unit 20. In the image fixing unit 20, latex particles in a thin image layer formed on the ink drying drum 38 are heated / pressurized. And has a function of fixing and fixing on the paper.

  A heating roller 78 is disposed above the image fixing drum 40 in the vicinity of the surface of the image fixing drum 40. The heating roller 78 has a halogen lamp incorporated in a metal pipe made of aluminum or the like having a good thermal conductivity. The heating roller 78 applies heat energy equal to or higher than the Tg temperature of the latex. As a result, the latex particles are melted and pressed into the irregularities on the paper for fixing, and the irregularities on the image surface are leveled to obtain glossiness.

  A fixing roller 80 is provided on the downstream side of the heating roller 78. The fixing roller 80 is disposed in pressure contact with the surface of the image fixing drum 40 so as to obtain a nip force with the image fixing drum 40. I have to. Therefore, at least one of the fixing roller 80 and the image fixing drum 40 has an elastic layer on the surface and a uniform nip width with respect to the paper.

  The sheet on which the image on the recording surface is fixed by the above-described process is conveyed to the discharge unit 21 side provided on the downstream side of the image fixing unit 20 by the rotation of the image fixing drum 40.

  In this embodiment, the image fixing unit 20 has been described. However, the image fixing unit 20 is not necessarily required because it is sufficient that the image formed on the recording surface can be dried and fixed by the ink drying unit 18.

  Next, the inkjet line head 64 as a recording head according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be briefly described.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the inkjet line head 64.

  The inkjet line head 64 includes a die cap 100, a head body 102, a partition wall 104, and a housing 106 as an example of a flow path member.

  The die cap 100, the head body 102, the partition wall 104, and the housing 106 form a supply chamber 108 and a circulation chamber 110 as flow paths through which the ink 107 flows inside the inkjet line head 64.

  When the ink 107 is supplied to such an inkjet line head 64, the ink 107 sequentially flows from a not-shown ink reservoir through the connection pipe 112 and the supply chamber 108, and from the ink supply port 114 to the flow path inside the head main body 102. Supplied to.

  Further, a part of the ink 107 inside the head main body 102 flows into the circulation chamber 110 from the ink circulation port 116, and returns to the ink reservoir through the circulation chamber 110 and the connection pipe 118. A part of the ink 107 in the supply chamber 108 also flows into the circulation chamber 110 from the communication path 120 (see FIG. 4) between the lower end 104A of the partition wall 104 and the head main body 102, and is connected to the circulation chamber 110. It is returned to the ink reservoir through the tube 118.

  FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the inkjet line head 64 shown in FIG. FIG. 5A is a view of the die cap 100 and the lower end portion 104A of the partition wall 104 as viewed from below except for the head main body 102 shown in FIG. FIG. 5B is a view of the head main body 102 as viewed from above except for the die cap 100 and the lower end portion 104A shown in FIG.

  The die cap 100 is, for example, a resin molded product, and has a thermal expansion coefficient close to that of the material of the head main body 102. The recessed portion 100A of the die cap 100 is formed between the first projecting wall 100B and the second projecting wall 100C as shown in FIG.

  About the length of this hollow part 100A, the horizontal length L1 between the 1st protrusion wall 100B and the 2nd protrusion wall 100C is 0.5-2 mm, for example, From the hollow part 100A to the front-end | tip of the projection part 100C The vertical length L2 is, for example, 50 to 200 μm.

  Moreover, as for the hollow part 100A, the bottom face is an uneven | corrugated rough thing which consists of the convex part 122 and the recessed part 124 as shown in FIG. 1, The surface roughness Ra is 2-3 micrometers, for example. Here, taking the surface roughness of the groove bottom of the optical disk as an example, the surface roughness of the groove bottom of the optical disk is generally formed flat at 0.329 to 0.339 nm (see JP-A-2006-48848). In comparison with this, it can be said that the bottom surface of the recess 100A is rough.

  A low-viscosity adhesive 126 is applied to the bottom surface of the recess 100A, and the recess 124 shown in FIG. A high viscosity adhesive 128 is applied to the surface of the low viscosity adhesive 126.

  The head main body 102 is in contact with the surface of the high-viscosity adhesive 128, and the die cap 100 and the head main body 102 are bonded with a two-layer adhesive composed of the low-viscosity adhesive 126 and the high-viscosity adhesive 128. .

  The head main body 102 is formed by bonding, for example, three Si plates, and ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles of the head main body 102 when a voltage is applied to a piezoelectric element (not shown) provided therein. It has become.

  On the upper side of the head main body 102 and on the inner side of the die cap 100, the lower end portion 104A of the partition wall 104 is located.

  The die cap 100, the head main body 102, and the partition wall 104 as described above form part of the supply chamber 108 and the circulation chamber 110 as a flow path for the ink 107.

  Next, a method for bonding the die cap 100 as the flow path member and the head body 102 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a series of steps of the method for bonding the die cap 100 and the head main body 102.

  First, in the process illustrated in FIG. 6A, the low-viscosity adhesive 126 is applied to the bottom surface of the recessed portion 100 </ b> A of the die cap 100. At this time, the low-viscosity adhesive 126 is adjusted to such an amount as to have a thickness of 50 to 100 μm, for example, so that the low-viscosity adhesive 126 does not leak from the second protruding wall 100C to the supply chamber 108 or the circulation chamber 110 side. It is preferable to apply it. Further, from the viewpoint of increasing the adhesive strength, it is more preferable to apply the resin so that the recess 124 on the bottom surface of the recess 100A shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the low-viscosity adhesive 126 has a low viscosity so as to enter the recess 124 on the bottom surface of the recess 100 </ b> A without any gap. The viscosity is, for example, 10 × 10 ⁴ mPa · S or less In particular, 5 × 10 ⁴ mPa · S or less is preferable. For this reason, the adhesive area between the low-viscosity adhesive 126 and the die cap 100 is increased as compared with the case where the adhesive does not enter the recess 122, and as a result, the adhesive strength between the die cap 100 and the head body 102 is increased. be able to.

  Various types of low-viscosity adhesive 126 are used, and an epoxy thermosetting adhesive is preferable from the viewpoint of ink resistance and manufacturing suitability. A photo-curing type adhesive is inferior in ink resistance because it does not cure sufficiently where light does not strike. A room-temperature curable adhesive can also be used, but ink resistance is better when it is solidified by heat curing.

  However, even when the same low-viscosity adhesive 126 is used in the case where similar unevenness is present on the bottom surface of the recess 100A on average and in the case where large unevenness is present randomly on a flat surface, the adhesive strength is the same. Different. For this reason, the viscosity of the adhesive suitable for the die cap 100 is determined by adhering the test piece of the die cap 100 and the test piece of the head main body 102 with an adhesive having a changed viscosity, and applying these to the ink. After dipping in 107, it is necessary to measure and determine the shear strength and tensile strength.

  As a method for applying the low-viscosity adhesive 126, for example, there are various methods such as the following methods, and therefore, the method is appropriately selected according to the viscosity of the adhesive and the shape of the place to be applied.

  Spin coating method: suitable for applying an adhesive to a structure of several μm to several tens of μm, and can be applied uniformly on a flat surface. However, it is necessary to mask in advance for patterning. Moreover, it is difficult to apply an adhesive having a viscosity of tens of thousands mPa · S.

Spray coating method: Even a structure having an uneven surface can be applied to the entire surface. This method is suitable for an adhesive having a viscosity of 1 × 10 ⁴ mPa · S or less (particularly 8000 mPa · S or less). However, it is necessary to mask in advance for patterning.

  Dispenser method: Can be applied where needed and patterning is easy. Also, an adhesive having a viscosity of several tens of thousands mPa · S can be applied. However, in order to apply thinly, it is necessary to control the needle size, pressure, and the like. Furthermore, it is necessary to bring the needle point of the dispenser closer to the substrate, and it is necessary to control and apply the needle point while measuring the distance with a laser displacement meter or the like.

  Here, when the low-viscosity adhesive 126 is applied, if the die cap 100 is heated to a temperature at which the low-viscosity adhesive 126 is not cured, the viscosity of the low-viscosity adhesive 126 decreases and the depression 100A is further reduced. It becomes easy to enter the recess 124 on the bottom surface of the. In addition, since the low-viscosity adhesive 126 is heated, self-leveling (self-smoothing) is facilitated, so that a uniform adhesive surface is obtained. As a result, the adhesive strength between the die cap 100 and the head main body 102 can be further increased.

  Next, in the step shown in FIG. 6B, the high-viscosity adhesive 128 is applied on the low-viscosity adhesive 126 using, for example, a dispenser method. At this time, the head body 102 is surely brought into contact with the head body 102 by coating so as to be higher than the protrusion 100C.

The viscosity of the high-viscosity adhesive 128 is higher than that of the low-viscosity adhesive 126, and is preferably 10 × 10 ⁴ mPa · S or more, for example. For this reason, the adhesive does not overflow into the flow path and a sufficient adhesive can be applied, so that the adhesive strength between the die cap 100 and the head body 102 can be increased. Moreover, even if it apply | coats so that it may become higher than the protrusion part 100C, it can suppress leaking into the supply chamber 108 or the circulation chamber 110. FIG.

  The high-viscosity adhesive 128 is, for example, an epoxy thermosetting adhesive, and the same main agent and curing agent as the low-viscosity adhesive 126 are preferably used. In this case, the viscosity of the low-viscosity adhesive 126 and the high-viscosity adhesive 128 is adjusted by the amount of a viscosity modifier, for example, a filler such as silica. As a result, the curing conditions are the same, the low-viscosity adhesive 126 and the high-viscosity adhesive 128 can be cured at the same time, and the number of bonding steps between the die cap 100 and the head main body 102 is reduced as compared with the case where the main agent and the curing agent are different. Can do.

  The application amount of the high-viscosity adhesive 128 may be smaller than the application amount of the low-viscosity adhesive 126, but it is more than the low-viscosity adhesive 126 from the viewpoint of improving the adhesive strength and suppressing leakage from the die cap 100. More is preferable.

  Finally, in the step shown in FIG. 6C, the head body 102 is stacked on the high-viscosity adhesive 128, and pressure is applied to bond the die cap 100 and the head body 102 together. At this time, if the high-viscosity adhesive 128 and the low-viscosity adhesive 126 are thermosetting, the low-viscosity adhesive 126 and the high-viscosity adhesive 128 are cured by heating.

  As mentioned above, although this embodiment was described, this invention is not limited to this embodiment.

  For example, the bonding of the flow path member according to the present embodiment is not limited to the bonding of the die cap 100 and the head main body 102 described above, but the bonding of the members constituting the head main body 102, the housings 106 and 108, and the die. The present invention can also be applied to adhesion with the cap 100 and adhesion between the lower end portion 104A of the partition wall 104 and the head body 102 when the communication path 120 as shown in FIG. 3 is not formed.

  Further, the shape of the die cap as an example of the flow path member is not limited to the shape of the die cap 100 shown in FIG. 4. For example, as shown in FIG. The shape may be such that the first protruding wall 100B or the first protruding wall 100B and the second protruding wall 100C do not exist as compared to the die cap 100 shown.

  In this case, since the first protruding wall 100B or the first protruding wall 100B and the second protruding wall 100C are not present, the applied low-viscosity adhesive 126 is likely to leak from the die cap 100. By using the combination of the high-viscosity adhesive 128, the application amount of the low-viscosity adhesive 126 can be reduced, and leakage of the low-viscosity adhesive 126 can be suppressed. Note that the amount of the low-viscosity adhesive 126 applied may be an amount that allows the low-viscosity adhesive 126 to be buried in at least the recess 124 shown in FIG.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, when the surface of the head body 102 as well as the die cap 100 is rough, the surface of the head body 102 may be removed before the step shown in FIG. A step of applying to the surface in advance a low-viscosity adhesive 130 having a viscosity that enters the recess without gaps may be included.

  As a result, the low-viscosity adhesive 130 enters the concave portion on the surface of the head main body 102 without a gap, so that the bonding area between the low-viscosity adhesive 130 and the head main body 102 increases as compared with the configuration in which the low-viscosity adhesive 130 does not enter the concave portion. The adhesive strength between 100 and the head main body 102 can be increased.

  In addition, since the concave portion on the surface of the head main body 102 is filled with the low-viscosity adhesive 130 without a gap, the ink 107 enters the concave portion from the supply chamber 108 or the circulation chamber 110 and the adhesive strength between the die cap 100 and the head main body 102 is lowered. This can be prevented.

  Here, if the low-viscosity adhesive 126, the high-viscosity adhesive 128, and the low-viscosity adhesive 130 are all the same main agent and curing agent, the curing conditions are the same, and the low-viscosity adhesive 126, high-viscosity adhesive 128, low The viscosity adhesive 130 can be cured at the same time, and the number of bonding steps between the die cap 100 and the head main body 102 can be reduced as compared with the case where the main agent and the curing agent are different.

  The viscosity of the low-viscosity adhesive 130 does not have to be the same as that of the low-viscosity adhesive 126, and a viscosity suitable for the material of the head body 102 is selected.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the low viscosity adhesive 126 has a low viscosity so as to enter the recess 122 without any gap. However, if 70% or more of the volume of the recess 122 enters, the required adhesive strength can be obtained.

  In the present embodiment, the inkjet line head 64 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to an apparatus having a flow path, such as a microfluidic device or a liquid heater. is there.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image forming apparatus 12 Paper feed conveyance part 64 Inkjet line head (liquid discharge type recording head)
100 Die cap (channel member, adherend)
102 Head body (flow path member, adherend member)
104A Lower end (channel member, adherend member)
106 Housing (flow path member, adherend member)
107 Ink (liquid)
108 Supply chamber (flow path)
110 Circulation chamber (flow path)
124 Concavity 126 Low-viscosity adhesive (first adhesive)
128 High viscosity adhesive (second adhesive)
130 Low viscosity adhesive (third adhesive)

Claims (11)

A first step of applying a first adhesive having a viscosity that enters a concave portion of the surface of the rough surface of the flow path member forming a flow path through which the liquid flows;
A second step of applying a second adhesive having a higher viscosity than the first adhesive on the surface of the first adhesive;
A third step of bonding the flow path member and the adherend member by overlapping the adherend member forming the flow path on the surface of the second adhesive;
A method for adhering a flow path member. The first adhesive and the second adhesive are thermosetting adhesives,
In the third step, the first adhesive and the second adhesive are heated and cured.
The method for bonding a flow path member according to claim 1.   3. The flow path member according to claim 2, wherein in the first step, the flow path member is heated to a temperature at which the first adhesive is not cured, and the first adhesive is applied to a surface of the flow path member. Bonding method.   The flow path member bonding method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first adhesive and the second adhesive have the same main agent and curing agent, and differ in the content of the viscosity modifier.   5. The flow path member bonding method according to claim 1, wherein, in the second step, the second adhesive is applied more than the first adhesive.   6. The flow path according to claim 5, wherein in the first step, the first adhesive is applied while being adjusted to an amount that is embedded in the concave portion of the flow path member and does not flow from the flow path member to the flow path. Method for bonding members. If the surface of the adherend is a rough surface with irregularities,
The flow path member bonding method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a third adhesive having a viscosity that enters a concave portion on a surface of the bonded member is applied before the third step.   The first adhesive, the second adhesive, and the third adhesive are thermosetting adhesives, and the main agent and the curing agent of the third adhesive are the first adhesive and the second adhesive. The method for adhering a flow path member according to claim 7, wherein the same is used.   The method for adhering a flow path member according to claim 1, wherein the flow path member is a resin material constituting a liquid discharge type recording head that discharges the liquid.   A liquid discharge type recording head in which the flow path member and the adherend member are bonded by the bonding method according to claim 1.   An image forming apparatus comprising: the liquid discharge recording head according to claim 10; and a paper feed transport unit that transports a recording medium toward the liquid discharge recording head.

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