JP2010280096A - Inkjet recording head and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inkjet recording head having improved loading accuracy to an inkjet recording apparatus, and to provide a manufacturing method thereof. <P>SOLUTION: A support member 4 which supports a recording element substrate 6 including an energy generation element for ejecting a recording liquid is provided with at least one reference plane as a reference for the position of the recording head when attaching the recording head to the inkjet recording apparatus. The material constituting the support member 4 is a resin containing a filler of ≥80 wt.%, and the support member 4 and a recording liquid storage member 5 for storing the recording liquid therein are integrally molded. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording head mounted on an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording by generating bubbles in a recording liquid chamber and changing the volume of the recording liquid chamber to push the recording liquid onto a recording medium, and a method for manufacturing the same. About.

  A conventional ink jet recording head includes a recording element substrate that discharges a recording liquid, a recording liquid storage member that stores the recording liquid, a recording liquid absorber and a lid member, and an electric wiring tape that transmits an ejection signal to the recording element substrate. Composed.

  The fixing of the position of the ink jet recording head to the ink jet recording apparatus is performed in a state where each reference surface is engaged and a predetermined load is applied. At this time, by increasing the rigidity of the material forming the reference surface, that is, the flexural modulus, deformation of the mounting reference surface can be suppressed, and the mounting accuracy of the ink jet recording head can be increased. In addition, by increasing the creep resistance of the reference surface of the ink jet recording head and the ink jet recording apparatus, it is possible to suppress wear when the ink jet recording head is attached and detached, and to prevent the occurrence of misalignment during attachment.

  Therefore, the mounting accuracy of the ink jet recording head and the ink jet recording apparatus is improved, and high print quality can be obtained.

JP 2000-198217 A JP-A-8-290563

  As a method for mounting a conventional ink jet recording head on an ink jet recording apparatus, in Patent Document 1, a reference surface of an ink jet recording head is formed of a resin and is brought into contact with the reference surface of the ink jet recording apparatus to improve mounting accuracy. Is disclosed. However, when a resin is used as the material constituting the reference surface, the rigidity, that is, the bending elastic modulus is insufficient, and the mounting reference surface of the ink jet recording head may be deformed. As means for improving the bending elastic modulus, Patent Document 2 discloses means for using metal or ceramics as a material constituting the reference surface of the ink jet recording head. However, when these are used, there is a risk that the contact reference surface on the ink jet recording apparatus side made of resin will be worn when the ink jet recording head is attached and detached, causing problems such as misalignment when the ink jet recording head is attached. is there.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording head in which the mounting accuracy to the ink jet recording apparatus is improved by increasing the rigidity and creep resistance of the resin member constituting the mounting reference surface of the ink jet recording head, and a method for manufacturing the same. There is to do.

In an ink jet recording head that includes a support member that supports a recording element substrate that includes an energy generating element for discharging a recording liquid, and is mounted on an ink jet recording apparatus.
The support member includes at least one reference surface that comes into contact when the ink jet recording head is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus and serves as a reference for the position of the ink jet recording head, and the support member is 80 wt%. It is characterized by containing the above filler.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ink jet recording head capable of obtaining high print quality and a manufacturing method thereof by improving the mounting accuracy of the ink jet recording head and the ink jet recording apparatus.

1 is a diagram illustrating an ink jet recording head according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a carriage that is an ink jet recording head mounting portion provided in the ink jet recording apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a state in which an ink jet recording head is mounted on a carriage. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an ink jet recording head according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows the test of the bending elastic modulus measurement in an Example.

  Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described. Although this embodiment is described using a black ink (single color type) ink jet recording head, it is also applicable to a color (YMC integrated type) ink jet recording head.

Example 1
FIG. 1A is a schematic side view of the ink jet recording head 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of the bottom surface of the ink jet recording head 1. FIG. 1C is a schematic view of the upper surface of the ink jet recording head 1. FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the ink jet recording head 1.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the ink jet recording head 1 includes a joined body 2 and a lid 3. As shown in FIG. 1D, the joined body 2 includes a support member 4 that supports the recording element substrate 6 and a recording liquid storage member 5, and the recording liquid is supplied by the support member 4 and the recording liquid storage member 5. A space for storage is formed. This space is closed by the lid 3. Further, a recording liquid absorber that absorbs and holds the recording liquid may be accommodated in this space. The recording element substrate 6 includes an energy generating element for discharging a recording liquid, and is attached to the bottom of the support member 4. Further, a contact portion 7 that is an electrical contact for receiving a drive signal or the like for driving the energy generation element is provided on the side surface of the support member 4. The contact portion 7 and the recording element substrate 6 are electrically connected by an electric wiring tape. As shown in FIG. 1B, the recording element substrate 6 is provided with an ejection port 8 for ejecting a recording liquid. A plurality of discharge ports 8 form a row, whereby a discharge port row 9 is formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1C, the support member 4 has an X reference plane that serves as a reference for the position of the ink-jet recording head 1 when the ink-jet recording head 1 is mounted on an ink-jet recording apparatus (not shown). X1, Y reference plane Y1, Z reference plane Z1, θ reference plane θ1 are provided. Further, the lid 3 is provided with a load applying surface S to which a load is applied so that the recording head does not fall off from the head mounting portion when the ink jet recording head 1 is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus.

  Next, each reference plane will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the X reference plane X <b> 1 positions the inkjet recording head 1 in a direction parallel to the recording element substrate 6 and perpendicular to the ejection port array 9. The Y reference plane Y1 positions the inkjet recording head 1 in a direction parallel to the ejection port array 9. As shown in FIG. 1A, the Z reference plane Z1 positions the ink jet recording head 1 with respect to a direction perpendicular to the recording element substrate 6 (direction of recording liquid ejection). The θ reference plane θ1 functions as a rotation stopper for the inkjet recording head 1 in order to increase the parallelism between the recording element substrate 6 and recording paper (not shown).

  According to the present embodiment, the support member 4 has the protrusion 12 having the X reference plane X1, the Y reference plane Y1, and the Z reference plane Z1 on another side surface where the contact portion 7 is not provided. In addition, the side surface of the support member 4 on which the contact portion 7 is provided has a protrusion 13 having a θ reference surface θ1.

  FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of the carriage 10 which is a head mounting portion provided in the ink jet recording apparatus. FIG. 2B is a BB cross section of the carriage 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the carriage 10 has an X reference plane Xb and a Y reference plane that are in contact with the reference planes provided on the projections 12 and 13 of the inkjet recording head 1, respectively. Yb, Z reference plane Zb, and θ reference plane θb are provided. The carriage 10 has a load application surface Fb that applies a load to the load application surface S of the inkjet recording head 1 when the inkjet recording head 1 is mounted. Also, an external signal output terminal 11 for sending a drive signal for driving the energy generating element is fixed.

  Next, how the ink jet recording head 1 is mounted on the carriage 10 provided in the ink jet recording apparatus will be described.

  FIG. 3A is a diagram for explaining how the ink jet recording head 1 is mounted on the carriage 10. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C in a state where the inkjet recording head 1 is mounted on the carriage 10. As shown in FIG. 3A, when the inkjet recording head 1 is mounted on the carriage 10, the reference planes X1, Y1, Z1, and θ1 of the inkjet recording head 1 are the reference planes Xb, Yb, and Zb of the carriage 10, respectively. , Θb. At this time, the load application surface Fb of the carriage 10 is also engaged with the load application surface S of the inkjet recording head 1, and a load is applied from the load application surface Fb of the carriage 10 to the load application surface S of the inkjet recording head 1. Accordingly, the inkjet recording head 1 is mounted on the carriage 10 with a rotational moment M about the protrusion 12 applied. As a result, the reference surfaces X1, Y1, Z1, and θ1 of the inkjet recording head 1 are in contact with and fixed to the reference surfaces Xb, Yb, Zb, and θb of the carriage 10. Therefore, by improving the rigidity of the material forming the reference surface, that is, the flexural modulus, the deformation of the protrusion 12 and the protrusion 13 having the attachment reference surface can be suppressed, and the attachment accuracy of the inkjet recording head 1 can be increased.

  Next, materials for the support member 4 and the recording liquid storage member 5 constituting the joined body 2 will be described.

  The support member 4 has not only a function of supporting the recording element substrate 6 but also a space for storing the recording liquid by being integrally formed with the recording liquid storage member 5. Therefore, as the resin constituting the support member 4, PPS and modified PPE are desirable from the viewpoints of ink resistance and heat resistance. Also, PP and PET can be used to improve ink retention, that is, gas barrier properties.

  As the filler of the support member 4, glass, alumina, carbon, or the like each containing silicon oxide can be selected.

  Conventionally, a modified PPE, PCN2910 manufactured by SABIC was used as the material for the mounting reference surface, and its flexural modulus was about 3.5 GPa (the test method in this embodiment shown in FIG. 5). As described above, in order to increase the mounting accuracy between the inkjet recording head 1 and the carriage 10, it is necessary to suppress deformation of the mounting reference surface of the recording head caused by the load at the time of mounting. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, a material having high rigidity is adopted for the support member 4 provided with each reference surface, and specifically, the flexural modulus is 6.2 GPa (test method in this embodiment). Material was adopted. As a resin constituting this material, a thermoplastic resin material containing PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) and modified PPE (polyphenyl ether) was used. In addition, in order to improve the flexural modulus of the support member 4, the material added with 80 wt% or more of spherical silica was used.

  For the recording liquid storage member 5 having a recording liquid storage function, modified PPE containing 35 wt% glass filler, specifically, PCN2910 manufactured by SABIC was used.

  After the support member 4 is molded, the support member 4 is fixed in a mold for molding the recording liquid storage member 5. Then, the support member 4 and the recording liquid storage member 5 are integrally formed as a joined body 2 by injecting the material constituting the recording liquid storage member 5 into the mold. Next, after fixing the recording element substrate 6 to the support member 4 of the joined body 2, the inkjet recording head 1 is completed through a subsequent process.

  Next, the effect will be described.

  According to the present embodiment, the bending elastic modulus of the material constituting the support member 4 is improved to 6.2 GPa. Therefore, deformation of the mounting reference surface of the support member 4 is suppressed, and the mounting accuracy of the inkjet recording head 1 can be increased.

  Further, in this embodiment, the support member 4 is made of resin, so that the wear of the reference surface during attachment to and removal from the carriage 10 is suppressed compared to the case where the support member 4 is made of metal, and the position at the time of attachment is reduced. The shift can be reduced.

(Example 2)
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 4A is a schematic side view of the ink jet recording head 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4B is a schematic view of the bottom surface of the inkjet recording head 1. FIG. 4C is a DD cross-sectional view of the inkjet recording head 1. The structure of the ink jet recording head 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, a protrusion 13 having a θ reference plane θ1 is provided on a side surface of a support member 4 provided with a contact portion 7 that is an electrical contact for receiving a drive signal for driving an energy generating element. Yes. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4C, the protrusion 13 having the θ reference surface θ <b> 1 is provided on the side surface of the recording liquid storage member 5.

  According to the present embodiment, the side surface of the support member 4 has the protrusion 12 having the X reference plane X1, the Y reference plane Y1, and the Z reference plane Z1 of the inkjet recording head 1. Further, the side surface of the recording liquid storage member 5 on which the contact portion 7 is provided has a protrusion 13 having a θ reference surface θ1.

  The mounting of the ink jet recording head 1 to the carriage 10 which is a head mounting portion provided in the ink jet recording apparatus is the same as in the first embodiment.

  In this embodiment, as described above, the θ reference plane θ1 is provided in the recording liquid storage member 5, and the X reference plane X1, the Y reference plane Y1, and the Z reference plane Z1 provided in the support member 4 portion. It is necessary to ensure relative positional accuracy.

  In the present embodiment, in order to improve the relative positional accuracy described above, the recording liquid storage member 5 is brought into contact with the support member 4 as shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C to store the recording liquid. Load application surfaces Px, Py, and Pz for applying a load when the member 5 is molded are provided. After the support member 4 is molded, the support member 4 is placed inside a mold for molding the recording liquid storage member 5. When the material constituting the recording liquid storage member 5 is filled in the mold, the loads Fx, Fy, and Fz are applied to the side surfaces of the support member 4 from the load application surfaces Px, Py, and Pz described above. Therefore, the mounting reference surface including the X reference surface X1, the Y reference surface Y1, and the Z reference surface Z1 provided on the support member 4 comes into contact with and closely contacts the inner surface of the mold. As a result, the X reference plane X1, the Y reference plane Y1, and the Z reference plane Z1 provided on the support member 4 and the θ reference plane θ1 provided on the recording liquid storage member 5 are bonded in a state where the relative positional accuracy is increased. The body 2 can be integrally formed. The bonded body 2 obtained in this manner is then fixed to the support member 4 and the recording element substrate 6 is fixed, and then an inkjet recording head is completed through a subsequent process.

  Next, the effect will be described.

  According to this embodiment, the bending elastic modulus of the material constituting the support member 4 is increased to 6.2 GPa. Therefore, deformation of the mounting reference surface of the support member 4 is suppressed, and the mounting accuracy of the inkjet recording head 1 can be increased.

  Further, in this embodiment, the support member 4 is made of resin, so that the wear of the reference surface when being attached to and detached from the carriage 10 is suppressed compared to the case where the support member 4 is made of metal, and the position at the time of attachment is reduced. The shift can be reduced.

  In the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, the relative position system of the X reference plane X1, the Y reference plane Y1, and the Z reference plane Z1 provided on the support member 4 and the θ reference plane θ1 provided on the recording liquid storage member 5 is used. Integral molding is possible in a state where the height is increased. Therefore, it is possible to increase the mounting accuracy of the inkjet recording head 1.

"Bending elastic modulus test method"
The flexural modulus in Example 1 or Example 2 was measured using DMS6100 manufactured by Seiko Instruments Inc. Fig.5 (a) is a perspective view of the test piece which shows the test method of the bending elastic modulus in an Example. As shown in FIG. 5A, a test piece T of 13 mm × 48 mm × 1.5 mm was used. FIG.5 (b) is a schematic diagram in the test of a bending elastic modulus. As shown in FIG. 5B, a load was applied and measured. (Measurement mode: Both ends bending)

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet recording head 2 Joint body 4 Supporting member 5 that supports recording element substrate Storage member 6 that stores recording liquid Recording element substrate 10 Carriage X1 X reference plane (inkjet recording head side)
Y1 Y reference plane (ink jet recording head side)
Z1 Z reference plane (ink jet recording head side)
θ1 θ reference plane (inkjet recording head side)

Claims (7)

In an ink jet recording head that includes a support member that supports a recording element substrate that includes an energy generating element for discharging a recording liquid, and is mounted on an ink jet recording apparatus.
The support member includes at least one reference surface that comes into contact when the ink jet recording head is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus and serves as a reference for the position of the ink jet recording head, and the support member is 80 wt%. An ink jet recording head comprising the above filler.   A recording liquid storage member for storing the recording liquid, which is integrally formed with the support member, is further provided, and the recording liquid storage member has at least one reference surface that contacts the ink jet recording apparatus. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1.   By placing the support member in the mold and filling the mold with resin to form the recording liquid storage member, the reference surface of the support member is in close contact with the inner surface of the mold. The inkjet recording head according to claim 2, wherein the inkjet recording head is molded.   The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the support member includes PPS or modified PPE.   The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the filler includes at least silicon oxide. In a method of manufacturing an ink jet recording head that includes a support member that supports a recording element substrate that includes an energy generating element for discharging a recording liquid, and is mounted on an ink jet recording apparatus.
The support member and the recording liquid are injected by injecting resin into the mold in a state where the support member is disposed and fixed in a mold for molding the recording liquid storage member for storing the recording liquid. A method for manufacturing an ink jet recording head, comprising: forming a housing member integrally to obtain an ink jet recording head;   The reference surface of the support member, which serves as a reference for the position when the ink jet recording head is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus, is brought into close contact with the inner surface of the mold by the resin used when forming the recording liquid storage member. The method of manufacturing an ink jet recording head according to claim 6.

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