JP2012139611A - Method for manufacturing filter, filter, liquid jetting head, and liquid jetting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for manufacturing a filter which is capable of improving foreign matter collection capability, while suppressing a rise of a pressure loss as much as possible.SOLUTION: A surface of a filter material is fused by applying heat on the surface of the filter material 36 of the filter 16 having a mesh structure formed by combining metal wires 36A and 36B. A new opening 16B in which a former opening is narrowed by forming an eave-shaped extension part from a periphery of the former opening by the fusion is formed. The fusion is performed by irradiation of a laser light or an electron beam.

Description

The present invention relates to a filter manufacturing method, a filter, a liquid ejecting head, and a liquid ejecting apparatus, and is particularly useful when applied to a wire mesh filter.

A liquid ejecting apparatus ejects various liquids. Among them, an ink jet recording apparatus is widely used. The ink jet recording apparatus includes an ink ejecting head that ejects ink droplets that are liquid from a plurality of nozzle openings. Images and characters are printed by causing ink droplets to land on the surface of a recording sheet or the like as a medium by the ink jet head.

The ink supply flow path provided in the ink ejecting head is used to remove foreign matters mixed in the ink, that is, fine pieces or bubbles such as synthetic resin remaining in the supply flow path for some reason. The filter is arranged. As one type of filter, a metal filter such as a twill mat is known in which a metal wire having a thin wire diameter is woven into a special shape so as to be able to capture foreign matter in units of microns (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2005-246212 A

In order to improve the collection ability of the metal filter such as the twill woven as described above, it is necessary to form a fine mesh structure filter by reducing the diameter of the metal wire.

However, even if a metal wire with a thin wire diameter is used, there is not only a limit due to a wire diameter that can be produced and a lack of strength against the load in the process of forming the filter,
The manufacturing cost of the filter itself also increases.

On the other hand, in the filter, the foreign matter collecting ability and the pressure loss are generally in a trade-off relationship. Therefore, when the mesh structure is made fine for the purpose of improving the foreign matter collecting ability, a new problem arises that the pressure loss in the ink supply flow path becomes large.

Such a problem is not limited to a filter mounted on a liquid ejecting head such as an ink jet recording head, and similarly exists in a filter mounted on another apparatus.

In view of the above-described problems of the prior art, the present invention provides a filter manufacturing method, a filter, a liquid ejecting head, and a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of improving the foreign matter collecting ability while suppressing an increase in pressure loss as much as possible. The purpose is to provide.

An aspect of the present invention that achieves the above object is characterized by having a melting step of applying heat to the surface of the filter material having a mesh structure formed by combining metal wires to melt the surface of the filter material. It is in the manufacturing method of a filter.
According to this aspect, since the opening of the mesh structure is narrowed by the presence of the melted portion on the surface, it is possible to form a filter with an improved foreign matter collecting ability. On the other hand, the melted portion exists only on the surface portion, that is, the inside of the mesh structure of the material of the filter remains as it is. Thus, it is possible to form a filter with improved foreign matter collecting ability while suppressing an increase in pressure loss as much as possible.

Here, the melting step can be suitably realized by melting by laser light irradiation or electron beam irradiation.

In the melting step, it is desirable to melt both surfaces of the filter material. This is because the manufacturing conditions of the filter can be made the same, and this can prevent warping of the filter. Further, it is desirable to have a step of narrowing the gap of the mesh structure by applying a pressing force to both surfaces of the filter material prior to the melting step to crush. In this case, since a predetermined filter can be manufactured using an inexpensive filter material having a larger mesh structure opening, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In the melting step, it is preferable that the laser beam is melted by irradiation with laser light, and the laser light has a direction intersecting with an axial direction of a metal wire forming the mesh structure. When irradiating while traveling along the axial direction of the metal wire or when irradiating while scanning in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction, the shape of the hole in the opening of the mesh structure by the melting part, This is because it can be stably formed in a short processing time. Here, the mesh structure may be formed of a twill woven.

Another aspect of the present invention is a filter having a mesh structure formed by combining metal wires, wherein the surface of the filter is melted.
According to this aspect, since the opening of the mesh structure is narrowed by melting the surface, the foreign matter collecting ability can be improved. On the other hand, the melted part exists only on the surface,
That is, since the mesh structure of the filter material remains as it is, an increase in pressure loss can be suppressed. Thus, the filter can improve the foreign matter collecting ability while suppressing the increase in pressure loss as much as possible.

Here, it is desirable that both surfaces of the filter are melted. This is because the manufacturing conditions of the filter can be made the same, and this can prevent warping of the filter.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a liquid ejecting head including the filter.
According to this aspect, it is possible to realize a liquid jet head with improved reliability by preventing liquid discharge failure.

Another aspect of the present invention is a liquid ejecting apparatus including the filter.
According to this aspect, it is possible to realize a liquid ejecting apparatus that prevents liquid discharge failure and has improved reliability at low cost.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the recording head according to the embodiment of the invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. It is the top view and partially expanded perspective view of the filter which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the manufacturing method of the filter of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the filter of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an ink jet recording apparatus which is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ink jet recording head includes a filter manufactured by the filter manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, an ink jet recording apparatus 1 that is a liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present embodiment has a plurality of different colors such as black (B), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). An ink jet recording head 10 (hereinafter referred to as a recording head) equipped with an ink cartridge (liquid storing means) 2 having a storage chamber for storing ink is provided. Recording head 10
Is mounted on a carriage 3, and the carriage 3 on which the recording head 10 is mounted is provided on a carriage shaft 5 attached to the apparatus main body 4 so as to be axially movable. Then, the driving force of the driving motor 6 is transmitted to the carriage 3 through a plurality of gears and a timing belt 7 (not shown), so that the carriage 3 is moved along the carriage shaft 5. On the other hand, the apparatus body 4 is provided with a platen 8 along the carriage shaft 5, so that a recording medium S such as paper fed by a paper feeding device (not shown) is conveyed on the platen 8. ing.

Next, the recording head 10 according to this embodiment will be described. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the recording head according to this embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a cartridge case 11, which is an example of a head holder constituting the ink jet recording head 10, has a cartridge mounting portion 12 in which the above-described ink cartridge (not shown) is mounted. For example, in the present embodiment, each ink cartridge filled with black ink and a plurality of color inks is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 12. Further, a plurality of ink communication paths (first liquid flow paths) 13 having one end opened to each cartridge mounting portion 12 and the other end opened to the head case side described later are formed on the bottom surface of the cartridge case 11. Tubular channel forming part 1
4 protrudes (see FIG. 3).

A plurality of ink supply needles 15 inserted into the ink cartridge are provided on the upper surface side of the cartridge case 11, that is, on the opening portion of the ink communication path 13 of the cartridge mounting portion 12, to remove bubbles and foreign matters in the ink. 16 is fixed.

A head member 19 is fixed to the lower surface side of the cartridge case 11 with the seal member 17 and the circuit board 18 interposed therebetween. The head member 19 according to this embodiment includes a head case 21 that is a hollow box-shaped member for housing a piezoelectric element unit 20 having a plurality of piezoelectric elements,
The head case 21 is composed of a head main body 22 fixed to the end surface opposite to the cartridge case 11. The head main body 22 includes a nozzle plate 24 having a plurality of nozzles 23 formed therein, a flow path forming substrate 26 in which a flow path including a pressure generating chamber 25 communicating with the nozzles 23 is formed, and nozzles of the flow path forming substrate 26 It is comprised with the diaphragm 27 distribute | arranged to the surface opposite to the plate 24. FIG. The nozzle plate 24 and the vibration plate 27 and the flow path forming substrate 26 are bonded to each other by an adhesive. The head case 21 is provided with an ink supply path 28 having one end communicating with the pressure generating chamber 25 and the other end communicating with the ink communicating path 13 of the cartridge case 11. A connecting portion between the ink communication path 13 and the ink supply path 28 is sealed by a seal member 17.

Thus, the seal member 17, the circuit board 18, the head case 21 constituting the head member 19 and the head main body 22 are arranged in this order on the lower surface side of the cartridge case 11, and the nozzles 23 of the head main body 22 are arranged outside these members. An ink jet recording head 10 is formed by fitting a frame 30 having a window portion 29 that exposes and fixing it to the cartridge case 11 with a screw 31.

The filter 16 provided in the recording head 10 described above is manufactured by the manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, the filter 16 will be described in detail. 4A is a plan view of the filter, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing a part of the filter extracted and enlarged.

As shown in FIG. 4, the filter 16 is manufactured by processing a filter material having a micron-order mesh structure by weaving fine metal wires such as stainless steel (SUS), for example. That is, as will be described in detail later, the surface is melted by irradiation with laser light. Therefore, the melted portion 16A has a melted surface. As a result, a bowl-shaped protruding portion that extends from the periphery of the original opening is formed, and a new opening 16B is formed in which the original opening is narrowed. On the other hand, the melting part 16A remains on the surface portion, so
The mesh structure inside 6 remains the original structure. Here, in this embodiment, melted portions 16 </ b> A are formed on both surfaces of the filter 16. The melted portion 16A only needs to be formed on at least one surface, but the warpage of the filter 16 can be prevented by forming the melted portion 16A on both surfaces to make the manufacturing conditions the same.

In such a filter 16, the opening of the mesh structure is narrowed by the melting part 16 </ b> A, so that the foreign matter collecting ability can be improved. On the other hand, the melted portion 16A is formed only on the surface portion, and the original mesh structure remains in the inside, so that an increase in pressure loss can be suppressed.

Here, the first embodiment relating to the method of manufacturing the filter 16 according to the above embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 5A, the filter material 36 is made of, for example, a metal wire 3 such as SUS.
It is formed by weaving 6A and 36B. The surface of the filter material 36 is irradiated with laser light. In this case, the scanning direction of the laser light accompanying irradiation is either the X direction in FIG. 5A, which is the axial direction of the metal line 36A, or the Y direction in FIG. 5A, which is the axial direction of the metal line 36B. It is optimal that the direction A intersects with the direction A. When the scanning direction is the X direction, the laser beam is scanned along the metal line 36A. Therefore, when one metal line 36A is irradiated with the laser beam, the adjacent metal line 36A in the Y direction. The heat transfer efficiency is poor. For this reason, it is difficult to uniformly melt the surface of the filter material 36, and the stable opening 16
B (see FIG. 5B) cannot be formed. However, the scanning speed can be maximized.

On the other hand, when the scanning direction is the Y direction, the laser beam is scanned along the metal line 36B, so that a portion that is difficult to melt due to the gap between the adjacent metal lines 36A in the Y direction is formed. Again, it is difficult to uniformly melt the surface of the filter material 36, and similarly, the stable opening 16B (see FIG. 5B) cannot be formed. Moreover, the scanning speed is the slowest.

On the other hand, as described above, the surface of the filter material 36 can be evenly melted when the scanning direction of the laser light accompanying irradiation is the A direction that is the crossing direction. The scanning speed at this time is slower than that in the X-direction scanning and faster than that in the Y-direction scanning.

As a result, the surface of the filter material 36 can be uniformly melted to form the filter 16 having the melting part 16A and the opening part 16B, as shown in FIG. 5B.

Here, the laser light is applied to both surfaces of the filter material 36. This makes the heating conditions of the filter 16 the same and prevents the filter 16 from warping.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second embodiment relating to a method for manufacturing the filter 16. Figure (a
As shown in FIG. 4, this embodiment includes a step of narrowing the gap of the mesh structure by applying a pressing force to both sides of the filter material and crushing it prior to the step of melting the surface of the filter material by laser light irradiation. It is what you have. That is, as shown in FIG. 6A, the filter material 36 formed by, for example, a twill weave is crushed as shown in FIG. 6B by pressing or pressing with a roller. Thereafter, similarly to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the surface is irradiated with a laser to form a melting portion 16 </ b> A on the surface of the filter 16.

According to this embodiment, the predetermined filter 16 can be manufactured using the inexpensive filter material 36 having a larger mesh structure opening.

(Other embodiments)
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the technical idea according to the present invention is not limited to that described above. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the cartridge case 1
The filter 16 provided between the ink supply needle 15 and the ink supply needle 15 has been described. However, if the filter of the present invention is a filter used in a liquid ejecting head typified by the ink jet recording head 10, its installation location, etc. Is not particularly limited. Of course, the filter 16 may be mounted on a liquid ejecting apparatus represented by the ink jet recording apparatus 1 in addition to the ink jet recording head 10. As a filter mounted on the liquid ejecting apparatus, for example, a storage unit such as a storage tank for storing a liquid such as ink is not mounted on the carriage 3 but is fixed to the apparatus body 4. A filter or the like provided between the recording head 10 and the like may be used.

Moreover, as a timing which fuse | melts a filter, you may melt after welding to an attachment plate filter. This can suppress the influence of warpage. Furthermore, when changing the melting condition between the central portion of the filter and the outside, the shape may be made with a laser and a mask.

In the embodiment described above, the twill tatami weave filter 16 has been described as the wire mesh filter, but it is not limited to the twill tatami weave. As long as the mesh structure is formed by combining metal wires such as SUS, there is no further limitation. For example, a flat woven filter may be used, and the filter is not limited to one in which fine metal wires are woven, and may be a non-woven fabric combined with fine metal wires of SUS.

As the ink jet recording apparatus 1 described above, the ink jet recording head 10 is mounted on the carriage 3 and moves in the main scanning direction. However, the present invention is not particularly limited to this. For example, the recording medium S such as paper with the ink jet recording head 10 fixed thereto is fixed.
The present invention can also be applied to a so-called line type recording apparatus that performs printing only by moving the image in the sub-scanning direction.

In addition, the present invention is intended for a wide range of liquid ejecting heads in general, for example, for manufacturing recording heads such as various ink jet recording heads used in image recording apparatuses such as printers, and color filters such as liquid crystal displays. The present invention can also be applied to a coloring material ejecting head, an organic EL display, an electrode material ejecting head used for forming electrodes such as an FED (field emission display), a bioorganic matter ejecting head used for biochip manufacturing, and the like.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to a method for manufacturing a filter mounted on a liquid jet head typified by an ink jet recording head, and can also be applied to a method for manufacturing a filter mounted on another apparatus.

1 Inkjet recording device, 16 filter, 16A melting section, 16B
Opening, 17 seal member, 18 circuit board, 19 head member, 20 piezoelectric element unit, 21 head case, 22 head body, 23 nozzle, 24
Nozzle plate, 25 pressure generation chamber, 26 flow path forming substrate, 27 diaphragm, 28
Ink supply path, 29 window, 30 frame, 31 screw, 36 filter material,
36A, 36B Metal wire

Claims (11)

A method for producing a filter, comprising a melting step of applying heat to a surface of a filter material having a mesh structure formed by combining metal wires to melt the surface of the filter material. In the manufacturing method of the filter according to claim 1,
The method for manufacturing a filter, wherein the melting step is performed by irradiation with laser light. In the manufacturing method of the filter according to claim 1,
The method for manufacturing a filter, wherein the melting step is performed by irradiation with an electron beam. In the manufacturing method of the filter given in any 1 paragraph of Claims 1-3,
A method for producing a filter, characterized in that, in the melting step, both surfaces of the filter material are melted. In the manufacturing method of the filter as described in any one of Claims 1-4,
Prior to the melting step, the filter manufacturing method includes a step of narrowing a mesh structure gap by applying a pressing force to both sides of the filter material to crush. In the manufacturing method of the filter according to claim 4 or claim 5,
The melting step is melted by laser light irradiation,
The method of manufacturing a filter, wherein the laser beam is in a direction intersecting an axial direction of a metal wire forming the mesh structure. In the manufacturing method of the filter as described in any one of Claims 1-6,
The method for manufacturing a filter, wherein the mesh structure is formed of a twill woven. A filter having a mesh structure formed by combining metal wires,
A filter characterized in that the surface of the filter is melted. The filter according to claim 8, wherein
A filter characterized in that both surfaces of the filter are melted. A liquid ejecting head comprising the filter according to claim 8. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising the filter according to claim 8.