JP2012143911A - Liquid injection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress the formation of a surface recess of a sealing material sealing a clearance between a liquid injection head and a head holder.SOLUTION: This printer includes an ink jet head 4 having an ink injection face 4a in which a nozzle 10 is opened. The ink jet head 4 is held by a head holder 43 disposed to surround the ink jet head 4 with the ink injection face 4a exposed. The liquid sealing material 30 is filled in a clearance between an outer peripheral edge of the ink injection face 4a of the ink jet head 4 and an inner peripheral face of the head holder 43 and hardened. Wires 31-33 applying resistance to the filled liquid sealing material 30 to suppress flowing to the back side of the clearance are inserted to the clearance.

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid.

  Conventionally, some liquid ejecting apparatuses having a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid are provided with a head holder that holds the liquid ejecting head. As a liquid ejecting apparatus provided with such a head holder, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an ink jet printer.

  In the ink jet printer described in Patent Document 1, a piezoelectric actuator is bonded to the upper surface of a flow path unit in which an ink flow path including nozzles is formed to constitute a liquid ejecting head. The head holder (housing) of the ink jet printer is disposed so as to surround the liquid ejecting head with the liquid ejecting surface opened by the nozzles on the lower surface of the flow path unit being exposed, and holds the liquid ejecting head. Yes.

  Furthermore, in the ink jet printer described in Patent Document 1, in order to prevent ink and dust from entering through the gap between the head holder and the liquid jet head, a potting material (sealing) made of a silicone-based filler is used to prevent the gap from entering the gap. Material). In addition, the actuator is prevented from malfunctioning due to short-circuiting between the wiring and electrodes such as the actuator located above the gap and the wiring board that supplies power to the actuator with the ink or dust that has entered through this gap. ing.

JP 2009-208223 A (FIG. 4)

  By the way, when the gap between the head holder and the liquid jet head is sealed with a sealing material in this way, for example, a liquid sealing material is generally injected into the gap with a dispenser and cured. It is. At this time, the liquid sealing material injected into the gap between the head holder and the liquid jet head flows to the back side of the gap until it completely cures. Then, a dent is formed on the surface of the sealing material, and the liquid adhering to the liquid ejection surface easily accumulates in the surface dent. And the liquid collected in the surface dent may contaminate the inside of the apparatus.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus that suppresses formation of a surface recess of a sealing material that seals a gap between a liquid ejecting head and a head holder.

  A liquid ejecting apparatus according to an aspect of the invention includes a liquid ejecting head having a liquid ejecting surface with a nozzle open, and the liquid ejecting head is disposed so as to surround the liquid ejecting head with the liquid ejecting surface exposed. A liquid sealant is injected into the gap between the liquid ejecting head and the head holder and hardened, and the liquid seal injected into the gap is sealed in the gap. A flow suppressing member is provided which applies resistance to the stopper and suppresses the flow toward the back side of the gap.

  According to the liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention, when the flow suppressing member is inserted into the gap between the liquid ejecting head and the head holder, the flow suppressing member is moved when the liquid sealing material is about to flow to the back side of the gap. It becomes resistance and it becomes difficult for the liquid sealing material to flow to the back side of the gap, so that it is possible to suppress the formation of the surface depression of the sealing material that seals the gap.

  Further, the flow suppressing member is a material whose surface wettability is equal to or higher than the wettability of the inner peripheral surface of the head holder and the side end surface of the liquid jet head forming the gap. Preferably it is formed.

  According to this, since the sealing material adheres to the surface of the flow suppressing member and is held, the flow suppressing effect by the flow suppressing member can be enhanced.

  Further, the liquid adhering to the liquid ejecting surface is moved relative to the liquid ejecting surface in a predetermined wiping direction in a state where a part of the liquid ejecting head is in contact with the liquid ejecting surface. A wiper is provided, and the flow suppressing member is inserted into at least a gap portion located on the downstream side in the wiping direction with respect to the liquid ejection surface among the gaps surrounding the liquid ejection surface. It is preferable.

  If there is a surface dent in the sealing material that seals the gap at the position where the wiper is wiped, the liquid wiped off by the wiper accumulates in the surface dent, and the wiper deforms when the wiper is finished. It will be blown away and scattered by the restoring force when returning to. Therefore, it is significant to suppress the formation of the surface dent of the sealing material that seals the gap at the wiper end position of the wiper.

  In addition, the flow suppressing member is preferably a wire having a diameter smaller than the width of the gap.

  In the first place, it is desirable to make the gap between the liquid jet head and the head holder as small as possible so that liquid does not enter. However, when the gap is too small, the applicability of the sealing material is deteriorated, and it becomes difficult to continuously apply the sealing material without interruption. For this reason, since a certain size is required, a wire that can express a certain strength or higher is suitable as a flow suppressing member inserted into such a gap even if it is thin.

  At this time, a first gap portion having a predetermined width and a second gap portion having a width larger than the first gap portion exist between the liquid ejecting head and the head holder, and the second gap portion It is preferable that the number of the wires inserted into the gap portion is larger than that of the first gap portion.

  According to this, by increasing the number of wires inserted into the second gap portion having a large gap width, it is possible to reliably prevent the sealing material from flowing to the back side of the gap in the second gap portion. Can do. In addition, it is possible to divert a wire having a small diameter formed in accordance with the first gap portion having a narrow gap width by simply changing the number of wires in the second gap portion, thereby reducing the product cost.

  A first gap portion having a predetermined width and a second gap portion having a width larger than the first gap portion exist between the liquid ejecting head and the head holder, and the first gap A first wire having a circular cross section is inserted into the portion, a second wire having a flat cross section is inserted into the second gap portion, and the length of the long axis of the flat cross section of the second wire is the first length. The diameter of the circular cross section of the wire is larger, and the second wire is inserted into the second gap portion in such a posture that the major axis of the flat cross section is substantially parallel to the width direction of the second gap portion. May be.

  According to this, it is possible to insert one wire having a circular cross section having a larger diameter than the first wire into the second gap portion having a large gap width, but from the diameter of the circular cross section of the first wire. Since the second wire having a long cross section with a long long axis is inserted in a posture in which the long axis of the flat cross section is substantially parallel to the width direction of the second gap portion, the long axis of the flat cross section is wide. Compared with the case where it inserts with the attitude | position orthogonal to a direction, a 2nd wire is arrange | positioned so that a clearance gap may be filled effectively. Thereby, big resistance can be provided to a sealing material and the flow suppression effect by a flow suppression member can further be improved.

  In addition, the wire is disposed in parallel with the length direction of the gap when inserted into the gap, and is perpendicular to the flow suppression portion and the flow suppression portion that suppresses the flow of the sealing material. And leg portions that extend in the direction and are inserted in the depth direction of the gap.

  According to this, if the wire enters the back side of the gap too much, the effect of suppressing the surface dent is small, but the flow suppressing part continues to move in the depth direction by inserting the leg part in the depth direction of the gap. Without this, the flow suppressing portion can be present near the entrance of the gap. Moreover, the contact area of the wire with respect to the sealing material is increased, and the wire can be prevented from falling off from the sealing material.

  The gap sealing method of the liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention is arranged so as to surround the liquid ejecting head having a liquid ejecting surface in which a nozzle opens, and the liquid ejecting head in a state where the liquid ejecting surface is exposed. In a liquid ejecting apparatus including a head holder for holding a liquid ejecting head, a method of sealing a gap between the liquid ejecting head and the head holder by curing a liquid sealing material, A flow suppressing member that inserts a resistance into the liquid sealing material injected into the gap and suppresses the flow toward the back side of the gap is inserted.

  According to the gap sealing method of the liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention, the resistance when the flow suppressing member attempts to flow to the back side of the gap by inserting the flow suppressing member into the gap between the liquid ejecting head and the head holder. Thus, it becomes difficult for the liquid sealing material to flow to the back side of the gap, and the formation of the surface dent of the sealing material sealing the gap can be suppressed.

  Here, after inserting the flow suppressing member into the gap, the liquid sealing material may be injected into the gap.

  According to this, by putting the flow suppressing member in advance, it becomes easy to embed the flow suppressing member in the sealing material, the contact area of the flow suppressing member with respect to the sealing material increases, and the flow from the sealing material It is possible to prevent the suppression member from falling off. In addition, for example, after injecting the sealing material, by inserting the flow suppressing member into the sealing material, there is a hole in the sealing material due to the influence when the flow suppressing member is inserted, so that leakage occurs. Can be suppressed.

  Or after inject | pouring the said liquid sealing material into the said clearance gap, you may insert the said flow suppression member in this clearance gap.

  According to this, by injecting the sealing material first, until the sealing material applied to the portion that is difficult to flow to the back side of the gap flows to the portion where the flow to the back side of the gap tends to occur, The insertion of the flow suppressing member can be waited. Therefore, the flow suppressing member can be inserted after the sealing material reaches the portion where the flow toward the back side of the gap is likely to occur, and the sealing material can be prevented from overflowing.

  By inserting the flow suppressing member into the gap between the liquid ejecting head and the head holder, the flow suppressing member becomes a resistance when the liquid sealing material is about to flow to the back side of the gap, and the liquid sealing material is Since it becomes difficult to flow to the back side of the gap, it is possible to suppress the formation of the surface recess of the sealing material that seals the gap.

1 is a plan view illustrating a schematic configuration of a printer according to an embodiment. It is the top view which looked at the head unit from the lower part. It is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG. It is the elements on larger scale of Drawing 3, (a) is the elements on larger scale of B section, and (b) is the elements on larger scale of C section. It is a perspective view of a wire, (a) is a wire illustrated by B section, (b) is a wire illustrated by C section. It is a figure explaining a contact angle. It is process drawing explaining the process of sealing a clearance gap, (a) is an insertion process, (b) is an injection | pouring process. It is a figure equivalent to Drawing 7 in a modification, (a) is an injection process, and (b) is an insertion process. It is a figure equivalent to Drawing 4 (b) in a modification.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a printer having a head holder that holds an inkjet head that ejects ink onto a recording sheet.

  First, a schematic configuration of the printer of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a schematic configuration of a printer according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a printer 1 (liquid ejecting apparatus) includes a carriage 2 configured to reciprocate along a predetermined scanning direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1), and a head unit mounted on the carriage 2. 3, a transport mechanism 5 that transports the recording paper P in a paper feed direction orthogonal to the scanning direction, and a lower surface of the ink jet head 4 (liquid ejecting head), which will be described later, of the head unit 3 A suction cap 12 that can be in close contact, a wiper 13 that can wipe the lower surface of the inkjet head 4, and the like are provided.

  The carriage 2 is configured to be able to reciprocate along two guide shafts 17 extending in parallel with the scanning direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1). An endless belt 18 is connected to the carriage 2, and when the endless belt 18 is driven to travel by the carriage drive motor 19, the carriage 2 moves in the scanning direction as the endless belt 18 travels. It has become.

  A head unit 3 is mounted on the carriage 2 and moves in the scanning direction as the carriage 2 travels. Although the head unit 3 will be described in detail later, the head unit 3 has an inkjet head 4, and is transported downward (paper feeding direction) in FIG. 1 by a transport mechanism 5 from a plurality of nozzles 10 of the inkjet head 4. A desired character or image is recorded on the recording paper P by ejecting ink onto the recording paper P.

  The transport mechanism 5 includes a paper feed roller 25 disposed upstream of the head unit 3 in the paper feed direction and a paper discharge roller 26 disposed downstream of the head unit 3 in the paper feed direction. The paper feed roller 25 and the paper discharge roller 26 are rotationally driven by a paper feed motor 27 and a paper discharge motor 28, respectively. The transport mechanism 5 transports the recording paper P from above in FIG. 1 to the head unit 3 by the paper feed roller 25, and characters, images, etc. are transported by the ink jet head 4 of the head unit 3 by the paper discharge roller 26. The recorded recording paper P is discharged downward in FIG.

  The suction cap 12 is arranged in a region (maintenance region) outside (on the right side in FIG. 1) of the print region facing the recording paper P conveyed by the conveyance mechanism 5 in the movement range of the carriage 2 in the scanning direction. And connected to the suction pump 14. The suction cap 12 is made of a flexible material such as rubber or synthetic resin.

  When the carriage 2 (inkjet head 4) has moved to the maintenance area, the suction cap 12 faces an ink ejection surface 4a (see FIG. 2), which will be described later, in which a plurality of nozzles 10 of the inkjet head 4 are opened. . In this state, the suction cap 12 is driven upward by a drive mechanism (not shown), is in close contact with the ink ejection surface 4 a of the inkjet head 4 and covers the plurality of nozzles 10.

  When the suction operation of the suction pump 14 is performed with the suction cap 12 in close contact with the ink ejection surface 4a of the inkjet head 4 and covering the nozzle 10, the suction cap 12 and the ink ejection surface 4a are defined. The air in the sealed space is sucked to reduce the pressure, and the ink is discharged from the nozzle 10 to the suction cap 12 (liquid purge). Thereby, it is possible to discharge the thickened ink in the nozzle 10 and the bubbles mixed in the ink flow path in the inkjet head 4 from the nozzle 10 together with the ink. The liquid purge is performed after replacement of the cartridge in which bubbles are likely to be mixed into the ink flow path in the inkjet head 4.

  The wiper 13 is disposed adjacent to the suction cap 12 on the printing region side in the scanning direction relative to the suction cap 12 in the maintenance region. The wiper 13 is made of a material having elasticity such as rubber, extends upward, and has a width longer than the length of the ink ejection surface 4a in the paper feeding direction. The wiper 13 is movable in a vertical direction perpendicular to the scanning direction and the paper feeding direction over a wiping position that can contact the ink ejecting surface 4a and a retracted position that does not come into contact with the lifting mechanism (not shown). .

  After the above-described liquid purge, when the suction cap 12 is separated from the ink ejection surface 4a of the inkjet head 4, a part of the ink discharged from the nozzle 10 adheres to the ink ejection surface 4a. Therefore, after the wiper is moved to the wiping position, the inkjet head 4 is moved together with the carriage 2 from the maintenance area to the printing area in the wiping direction parallel to the scanning direction with respect to the wiper 13 (see FIG. 2: right side of FIG. 1). The wiper 13 at the wiping position wipes off the ink adhering to the ink ejection surface 4a. Further, when the ink ejection surface 4a of the inkjet head 4 is not wiped, the wiper 13 is retracted to the lower retracted position.

  Next, the head unit 3 will be described. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the head unit as viewed from below. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. In FIG. 2, the wires 31 to 33 inserted into the sealing material 30 and not visible in this plan view are shown with hatching.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the head unit 3 has a flow path unit 40 in which an ink flow path including the nozzle 10 is formed, and ink for ejecting ink in the ink flow path of the flow path unit 40 from the nozzle 10. The inkjet head 4 having the piezoelectric actuator 41, the reinforcing frame 42 that reinforces the flow path unit 40, and the head holder 43 that holds the inkjet head 4 are provided.

  The flow path unit 40 is composed of a plurality of laminated metal plates such as stainless steel (SUS430 in the present embodiment), and a plurality of nozzles 10 are formed on the lower surface thereof. A plurality of nozzle rows are arranged in the direction to form a nozzle row, and four nozzle rows are arranged in the scanning direction. The lower surface of the inkjet head 4 is an ink ejection surface 4a (liquid ejection surface) in which a plurality of nozzles 10 are opened, and magenta, cyan, yellow, and black inks are ejected for each nozzle row. The piezoelectric actuator 41 is supplied with a driving signal such as a driving potential and a ground potential from a flexible wiring board 44 (FPC) disposed on the upper surface thereof, and applies pressure to the ink in the ink flow path of the flow path unit 40. Give.

  The reinforcing frame 42 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, and is sufficiently thicker and more rigid than the flow path unit 40. The reinforcing frame 42 is a frame-like frame that is slightly larger than the outer shape of the flow path unit 40 in plan view, and has a rectangular opening 42 a that accommodates the actuator 41. The reinforcing frame 42 is joined to the upper surface of the flow path unit 40 in a state where the actuator 41 is accommodated in the opening 42a. The reinforcing frame 42 serves to reinforce the flow path unit 40 so that the flow path unit 40 is not bent and the ejection direction of ink from the nozzles 10 is not shifted.

  The head holder 43 is made of a synthetic resin material (in this embodiment, ABS / PBT resin including glass fiber), and has a rectangular shape larger than the outer shape of the reinforcing frame 42 in plan view. The head holder 43 is formed with a rectangular opening 43 a that houses the reinforcing frame 42, the flow path unit 40, and the actuator 41. With such a configuration, the head holder 43 is arranged so as to surround the inkjet head 4 with the ink ejection surface 4a of the flow path unit 40 (inkjet head 4) being exposed from the opening 43a of the head holder 43. The head holder 43 and the reinforcing frame 42 are bonded with a UV adhesive (not shown). Thereby, the flow path unit 40 and the actuator 41 are held by the head holder 43 via the reinforcing frame 42.

  By the way, the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the opening 43a of the head holder 43 and the outer peripheral edge (side end surface) of the flow path unit 40 is originally intended to prevent the invasion of ink, but at least a public assembly that can be assembled. Only the difference creates a gap.

  Further, as described above, during the wiping operation of the ink ejection surface 4a by the wiper 13, the wiper 13 moves from the maintenance area to the printing area in the wiping direction. At this time, in the gap portion 45a (first gap portion) located on the downstream side in the wiping direction with respect to the ink ejection surface 4a, the ink attached to the wiper 13 that wiped off the ink ejection surface 4a is not collected. The gap width is narrower than the gap portion 45b (second gap portion) located on the upstream side.

  A temperature curable resin (in this embodiment, an epoxy adhesive) that absorbs moisture in the air and cures is injected into the gap between the head holder 43 and the flow path unit 40 in a liquid state and cured. Further, the wire 31 is inserted into the gap portion 45a located on the downstream side in the wiping direction, and the two wires 32 and 33 are inserted into the wide gap portion 45b located on the upstream side in the wiping direction. In addition, the wires 31-33 in this embodiment are equivalent to the flow suppression member in this invention.

  FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3, (a) is a partially enlarged view of B part, and (b) is a partially enlarged view of C part. 5A and 5B are perspective views of the wire, where FIG. 5A is a wire illustrated in a B portion, and FIG. 5B is a wire illustrated in a C portion. In this embodiment, the width X1 between the outer peripheral edge of the flow path unit 40 and the outer peripheral edge of the reinforcing frame 42 in FIG. 4A is 0.25 mm, and the outer peripheral edge of the reinforcing frame 42 and the head holder The clearance X2 on the downstream side in the wiping direction between the inner peripheral surface of 43 is 0.5 mm. 4B, the width X1 between the outer peripheral edge of the flow path unit 40 and the outer peripheral edge of the reinforcing frame 42 is 0.25 mm. The outer peripheral edge of the reinforcing frame 42 and the inner peripheral surface of the head holder 43 The clearance X3 on the upstream side in the wiping direction is 0.75 mm. That is, as described above, the gap on the downstream side is narrower than the upstream side in the wiping direction.

  First, the gap portion 45a on the downstream side in the wiping direction will be described. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 5A, the wire 31 has a circular cross section (φ0.4 mm in this embodiment) having a diameter smaller than the width of the gap portion 45a, and the gap portion is unidirectional. The flow suppressing part 31a extending by the length of 45a, and two leg parts bent in parallel to each other in an L shape after extending from both ends of the flow suppressing part 31a in a direction orthogonal to the flow suppressing part 31a 31b.

  And the flow suppression part 31a of the wire 31 is inserted in the clearance gap part 45a along the paper feed direction so that the extension direction of the flow suppression part 31a and the length direction of the clearance gap part 45a may become parallel. Further, after the two leg portions 31b are inserted into the gap portion 45a, the two leg portions 31b are bent into an L-shape and sandwiched between the two ink jetting surfaces 4a in the paper feeding direction (gap portions aligned vertically in FIG. 3). Has been placed. Further, the length of the leg portion 31b is slightly shorter than the depth of the gap portion 45a, so that the tip of the flow suppressing portion 31a on the inlet side of the gap portion 45a is not protruded from the ink ejection surface 4a. Has been. And the liquid sealing material 30 is inject | poured and hardened in the clearance gap part 45a, and since the flow suppression part 31a is arrange | positioned at the entrance side of a clearance gap, the surface of the sealing material 30 becomes a flow suppression part. The shape is almost flat including the portion raised by 31a.

  Next, the gap portion 45b on the upstream side in the wiping direction will be described. As shown in FIG. 4B and FIG. 5B, the wire 32 is a circular cross section having the same diameter as the wire 31. The wire 33 has a circular cross section (φ0.35 mm in this embodiment) slightly smaller than the wire 31. And the wire 32 has the flow suppression part 32a and the leg part 32b of the same shape as the wire 31. As shown in FIG. The wire 33 has the same shape as the flow suppressing portion 31a of the wire 31 with respect to the flow suppressing portion 33a, and the leg portion 33b extends from both ends of the flow suppressing portion 33a in a direction orthogonal to the flow suppressing portion 33a, and then It is bent inward in a U shape so as to approach.

  Then, the flow suppressing portion 32a of the wire 32 is inserted near the reinforcing frame 42 of the gap portion 45b along the paper feed direction so that the extending direction of the flow suppressing portion 32a and the length direction of the gap portion 45b are parallel to each other. Has been. Further, after the two leg portions 32b are inserted into the gap portion 45b, the two leg portions 32b are bent in an L shape and sandwiched between the ink ejection surfaces 4a in the paper feed direction (gap portions aligned vertically in FIG. 3). Has been placed. Further, the length of the leg portion 32b is slightly shorter than the depth of the gap portion 45b, so that the tip of the flow suppressing portion 32a on the inlet side of the gap portion 45b does not protrude beyond the ink ejection surface 4a. Has been.

  Further, the flow suppressing portion 33a of the wire 33 is arranged near the head holder 43 in the gap portion 45b along the paper feed direction so that the extending direction of the flow suppressing portion 33a and the length direction of the gap portion 45b are parallel to each other. 32 is inserted side by side. Two leg portions 33b are inserted into the gap portion 45b. Further, the length of the leg portion 33b is slightly shorter than the depth of the gap portion 45b, so that the tip of the flow suppressing portion 33a on the inlet side of the gap portion 45b is not protruded from the ink ejection surface 4a. Has been. And the liquid sealing material 30 is inject | poured and hardened in the clearance gap part 45b, and since the flow suppression parts 32a and 33a are arrange | positioned at the entrance side of a clearance gap, the surface of the sealing material 30 is fluid. It has a nearly flat shape including a portion raised by the suppressing portions 32a and 33a.

  In addition, the wettability in the surface of the wires 31-33 is compared with the wettability of the outer periphery of the flow path unit 40 which forms the clearance parts 45a and 45b, the outer periphery of the reinforcement frame 42, and the inner peripheral surface of the head holder 43. In this embodiment, it is made of stainless steel (SUS304 as an example). As shown in FIG. 6, the wettability is determined from the size of the contact angle θ (wetting angle) when the liquid adheres to the surface of the member. The smaller the contact angle θ, the higher the wettability. The liquid tends to wet and spread on the surface of the member. The wires 31 to 33 are made of lighter specific gravity than the sealing material 30.

  Next, the process of sealing the gaps described above with the sealing material 30 will be described. FIGS. 7A and 7B are process diagrams for explaining the process of sealing the gap, where FIG. 7A is an insertion process and FIG. 7B is an injection process. In the following, the process of sealing the gap portion 45a with the sealing material will be described, and the gap portion 45b is the same, and the description thereof will be omitted. Before sealing the gap 45a, the flow path unit 40, the actuator 41, the reinforcing frame 42, and the head holder 43 are joined. Then, as shown in FIG. 7A, the wire 31 that is bent and formed with the flow suppressing portion 31a and the leg portion 31b is inserted into the gap portion 45a (insertion step).

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7B, the sealing material 30 made of the above-described liquid temperature curable resin (in this embodiment, epoxy adhesive) is injected into the gap portion 45a with a dispenser (injection step). Then, after being left to cure for 4 hours at high temperature, the gap portion 45 a is sealed with the sealing material 30. Then, until the sealing material 30 is completely cured from the liquid state, the gap portion 45a tries to flow to the back side, but the wire 31 becomes a resistance when the sealing material 30 flows to the back side of the gap, The liquid sealing material 30 is less likely to flow to the back side, the surface of the sealing material 30 is less likely to shrink, and the formation of a surface recess in the sealing material 30 that seals the gap 45a can be suppressed. . In addition, although description is abbreviate | omitted about insertion of the two wires 32 and 33 to the clearance gap part 45b, the two wires 32 and 33 may be inserted in the clearance gap part 45b in the state couple | bonded, It may be inserted separately.

  Moreover, since the wettability in the surface of the wires 31-33 is formed with the material which is equivalent or more compared with the wettability of the material which forms the clearance gap parts 45a and 45b, the sealing material 30 is Since it adheres and is hold | maintained on the surface of the wires 31-33, the flow suppression effect by the wires 31-33 can be heightened.

  Furthermore, if a surface dent is generated in the sealing material 30 that seals the gap portion 45a at the wiping end position (downstream in the wiping direction) of the wiper 13, the ink wiped off by the wiper 13 is a surface dent. In addition, the wiper 13 is wiped away and scattered by the restoring force when the wiper 13 returns to its original state after wiping is completed. Therefore, it is significant to suppress the formation of the surface recess of the sealing material 30 that seals the gap portion 45a on the downstream side in the wiping direction.

  Further, the number of wires inserted into the gap portion 45b having a width larger than that of the gap portion 45a can be increased, and the flow of the sealing material 30 to the back side of the gap can be reliably prevented in the gap portion 45b. Further, the wires 31 to 33 have leg portions 31b to 33b in addition to the flow suppressing portions 31a to 33a, and the leg portions 31b to 33b are inserted into the gap back side of the gap portions 45a and 45b, thereby allowing the flow. The flow suppressing portions 31a to 33a can be positioned at the entrances of the gaps at the positions where the leg portions 31b to 33b are in contact with each other without continuing to move the suppressing portions 31a to 33a to the back side of the gap. Moreover, the contact area of the wires 31-33 with respect to the sealing material 30 becomes large, and it can prevent that the wires 31-33 fall out from the sealing material 30. FIG. Further, the positioning of the wires 31 to 33 in the paper feeding direction can be facilitated only by inserting the leg portions 31b to 33b into the gaps along the scanning direction. Furthermore, since the wire 31 to 33 swells the center of the surface of the sealing material 30, if the wires 31 to 33 are not inserted, the recessed portion swells, so that the surface of the sealing material 30 is less likely to shrink. Therefore, it becomes closer to flat and it is possible to make it difficult to collect ink.

  Moreover, the sealing material 30 can be made to adhere to the circumference | surroundings of the wires 31-33 by putting the wires 31-33 previously in the clearance gap parts 45a and 45b, and the flow of the sealing material 30 is suppressed effectively. can do. Moreover, it becomes easy to embed the wires 31 to 33 in the sealing material 30, the contact area of the wires 31 to 33 with respect to the sealing material 30 is increased, and the wires 31 to 33 are prevented from falling off from the sealing material 30. be able to. Furthermore, if the sealing material 30 is injected and then the wires 31 to 33 are inserted into the sealing material 30, it is possible to prevent the sealing material 30 from having holes and leaking. That is, the leak inspection can be performed visually, and the leak inspection becomes easy. Further, since the wires 31 to 33 are not exposed from the surface of the sealing material 30, for example, the wiper 13 comes into contact with the wires 31 to 33, or vibration is generated and stress is generated to seal the wires 31 to 33. It can prevent that a crack arises from the interface of the material 30, or peeling of the wires 31-33 arises.

  Next, modified examples in which various changes are made to the present embodiment will be described. However, those having the same configuration as that of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

  In the present embodiment, the sealing material 30 is injected after the wires 31 to 33 are inserted into the gap portions 45a and 45b, but this order may be reversed. Specifically, the sealing of the gap portion 45a will be described as an example. FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams corresponding to FIG. 7 in the modification, in which FIG. 8A is an injection process and FIG. 8B is an insertion process. As shown to Fig.8 (a), the liquid sealing material 30 mentioned above is inject | poured into the clearance gap part 45a with a dispenser (injection process).

  The sealing material 30 may be a temperature curable resin similar to that in the above-described embodiment, but a material having a high viscosity before curing is preferable. In this modification, a humidity curable resin (in this embodiment, a silicone adhesive seal) is used. Material). This is to make it difficult for the sealing material 30 injected into the gap portion 45a to flow to the back side of the gap as much as possible. In the above-described embodiment, the wires 31 to 33 are inserted before the sealing material 30. Therefore, in order to make it easy to inject the sealing material 30, the resin material has a low viscosity before curing. And as shown in FIG.8 (b), the wire 31 in which it bent in the liquid sealing material 30 of the clearance gap part 45a and the flow suppression part 31a and the leg part 31b were formed is inserted (insertion process).

  Thereafter, the sealing material 30 is allowed to stand for 24 hours to be cured and then re-cured under high temperature and high humidity, and then the gap portion 45 a is sealed with the sealing material 30. Then, the sealing material 30 tries to flow to the back side through the gap 45a until it completely cures from the liquid state, but it becomes a resistance when the wire 31 tries to flow to the back side of the gap, and the liquid seal The stopper 30 is less likely to flow to the back side, and the formation of a surface dent in the sealing member 30 that seals the gap 45a can be suppressed.

  Further, since the wire 31 having a hard surface and strong against abrasion is exposed from the sealing material 30, for example, the wiper 13 is difficult to contact the sealing material 30, and the sealing material 30 is broken by the wiper 13 and clogs the nozzle 10. Can be prevented. Further, by injecting the sealing material 30 first, the wire 31 can be inserted only into the portion where the flow to the back side of the gap portion 45a is likely to occur, and the sealing material 30 is prevented from overflowing. can do.

  In the present embodiment, the two wires 32 and 33 are inserted into the gap portion 45b having a larger gap width than the gap portion 45a. However, one wire having a diameter larger than those of the wires 32 and 33 is inserted. May be inserted. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the wire 132 has a flat cross section, and the major axis thereof is larger than the diameter of the circular cross section of the wires 31 to 33 described above. Then, the wire 132 may be inserted into the gap portion 45b in a posture in which the long axis of the flat cross section of the wire 132 is substantially parallel to the width direction of the gap portion 45b (the left-right direction in FIG. 9). According to this, it is possible to reliably prevent the flow of the sealing material 30 toward the back side of the gap in the wide gap portion 45b without increasing the number. In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the wire 132 is not a circular cross-section but a flat cross-section, and the long axis of the flat cross-section is inserted in a posture substantially parallel to the width direction of the gap portion 45b. Compared to a case where the wire 132 is inserted in a posture orthogonal to the width direction, the wire 132 is disposed so as to effectively fill the gap portion 45b. Thereby, large resistance can be given to the sealing material 30, and the flow suppression effect by the wire 132 can further be improved.

  Furthermore, the wires 31 to 33 may not have the leg portions 31a to 33b as long as the wires 31 to 33 have the flow suppressing portions 31a to 33a. However, in this case, it is necessary to consider specific gravity, viscosity, wire surface roughness, and the like so that the wires 31 to 33 do not sink into the sealing material 30 due to gravity. Further, the wires 31 to 33 may enter the sealing material 30 without raising the surface of the sealing material 30.

  In the present embodiment, the wires are inserted on both sides of the wiping direction in the gap surrounding the outer peripheral edge of the ink ejection surface 4a. However, the wires may be inserted all around the wiping direction. The wire may be inserted only on the side of the wire, and the insertion position of the wire may be an arbitrary position.

  Further, the flow suppressing member that suppresses the flow toward the back side of the sealing material 30 is not limited to a wire, and may be a plate or a sheet member that can narrow a gap. It may be bad. Further, the resistance applied to the sealing material 30 may be increased by increasing the surface roughness of the flow suppressing member. However, as described above, the gap between the inkjet head 4 and the head holder 43 is made as narrow as possible so that ink does not enter. As a flow suppressing member inserted into such a narrow gap, even if it is thin, the wires 31 to 33 that can express a certain strength or more are more suitable than molded products such as plates and sheet members.

  In the present embodiment, the wires 31 and 32 and the wire 33 have different diameters, but they may all have the same diameter. In this case, when there are two gap portions with different widths, it is possible to divert a wire having a small diameter formed in accordance with a gap portion with a narrow gap width by simply changing the number of wires in the gap portion with a wider gap. Thus, the product cost can be reduced.

  In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to an ink jet printer that records an image or the like by ejecting ink onto a recording sheet. The application target of the present invention is used for such an application. Not limited to. That is, it is possible to apply the present invention to various liquid ejecting apparatuses that eject various types of liquids other than ink onto a target according to the application.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer 3 Head unit 4 Inkjet head 4a Ink ejection surface 10 Nozzle 30 Sealing material 31-33 Wire 43 Head holder 45a, 45b Gap part

Claims (10)

A liquid ejecting head having a liquid ejecting surface with a nozzle opening;
A head holder that is disposed so as to surround the liquid ejecting head in a state in which the liquid ejecting surface is exposed, and holds the liquid ejecting head;
A liquid sealing material is injected and cured in the gap between the liquid jet head and the head holder,
Further, the gap is characterized in that a flow suppressing member is inserted, which gives resistance to the liquid sealing material injected into the gap and suppresses the flow to the back side of the gap. Liquid ejecting device.   The flow suppressing member is formed of a material whose wettability on the surface thereof is equal to or higher than the wettability of the inner peripheral surface of the head holder and the side end surface of the liquid jet head forming the gap. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus is a liquid ejecting apparatus. A wiper that wipes off the liquid adhering to the liquid ejecting surface by moving relative to the liquid ejecting surface in a predetermined wiping direction parallel to the liquid ejecting surface in a state where a part of the liquid ejecting head is in contact with the liquid ejecting surface. With
The flow suppressing member is inserted in at least a gap portion located downstream of the liquid ejection surface in the wiping direction among the gaps surrounding the liquid ejection surface. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1.   The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flow suppressing member is a wire having a diameter smaller than a width of the gap. Between the liquid ejecting head and the head holder, there are a first gap portion having a predetermined width and a second gap portion having a width wider than the first gap portion,
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the number of the wires inserted into the second gap portion is larger than that of the first gap portion. Between the liquid ejecting head and the head holder, there are a first gap portion having a predetermined width and a second gap portion having a width wider than the first gap portion,
A first wire having a circular cross section is inserted into the first gap portion, and a second wire having a flat cross section is inserted into the second gap portion,
The length of the long axis of the flat cross section of the second wire is larger than the diameter of the circular cross section of the first wire, and the second wire has the long axis of the flat cross section in the second gap portion. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus is inserted in a posture that is substantially parallel to a width direction of the two gap portions. The wire is
A flow suppressing part that is arranged in parallel with the length direction of the gap when inserted into the gap and suppresses the flow of the sealing material;
A leg portion extending in a direction orthogonal to the flow suppressing portion and inserted in a depth direction of the gap;
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: A liquid ejecting head having a liquid ejecting surface in which a nozzle is opened, and a liquid ejecting device provided with a head holder that is disposed so as to surround the liquid ejecting head with the liquid ejecting surface exposed. In the apparatus, the gap between the liquid ejecting head and the head holder is a method of sealing by sealing a liquid sealing material,
In the liquid ejecting apparatus, a flow suppressing member is inserted into the gap to provide resistance to the liquid sealing material injected into the gap to suppress the flow to the back side of the gap. Gap sealing method.   The gap sealing method for a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the liquid sealing material is injected into the gap after the flow suppressing member is inserted into the gap. 9. The gap sealing method for a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein after the liquid sealing material is injected into the gap, the flow suppressing member is inserted into the gap.

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