JP2013000909A - Liquid droplet ejection head array and image forming apparatus including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve connection of connection object terminals of a recording head and external connection terminals of an electric wiring member.SOLUTION: An externally connected connector 13 for external electrical connection is disposed at a protrusion which is provided, at a part of the long side of a rectangular inkjet recording head, to protrude in the direction along the short side orthogonal to the long side. A plurality of inkjet recording heads are disposed in zigzag while facing the long sides, each provided with the protrusion, each other. The inkjet recording heads are disposed so that the externally connected connectors 13-1 through 13-M are aligned in the direction along the long side. Consequently, the external connection connector parts 30 having external connection connectors 31-1 through 31-M, i.e. the aligned external connection terminals, are electrically connected in bulk to the externally connected connectors 13-1 through 13-M from above an inkjet recording head array.

Description

  The present invention relates to a droplet discharge head array configured by arranging a plurality of droplet discharge heads for recording characters, images, etc. by discharging ink droplets from a plurality of nozzles onto a recording medium, and from each nozzle using the same. The present invention relates to an ink jet type image forming apparatus that forms an image by ejecting liquid droplets onto a recording material.

  A droplet discharge head in this type of droplet discharge head array is used as a recording head of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a plotter. The image forming apparatus here forms an image on a recording material, but the material of the recording material is not limited to paper, and is a thread, fiber, fabric, leather, metal, plastic, glass, It means an apparatus for forming an image by discharging a liquid onto any recording material such as wood or ceramics. Image formation not only applies an image having a meaning such as a character or a figure to a recording material, but also applies an image having no meaning such as a pattern to the recording material (simply ejects a droplet). ) Also means. The liquid ejected as droplets is not limited to so-called ink, and is not particularly limited as long as it becomes liquid when ejected, and includes, for example, DNA samples, resists, pattern materials, and the like. It is.

  In recent years, an inkjet recording apparatus typified by a droplet discharge apparatus equipped with a droplet discharge head is required to output a high-quality image. Patent Document 1 discloses an ink jet recording apparatus having an ink jet recording head array (hereinafter referred to as a recording head array) in which a plurality of ink jet recording heads (hereinafter referred to as recording heads) are arranged at high density. Has been. The recording head array in the ink jet recording apparatus of Patent Document 1 is configured in a so-called staggered arrangement in which long side portions of a plurality of recording heads having a rectangular planar shape face each other and are alternately arranged in parallel. In such a staggered recording head array, since it is arranged in a plurality of rows, the width of the entire head array in the direction along the short side portion of the recording head (hereinafter referred to as the head array width) is one row. It becomes larger than the recording head array in the case where the recording head array is arranged. Accordingly, the size of the entire ink jet recording apparatus having the staggered recording head array is also increased.

  Such an increase in the size of the apparatus becomes more prominent in a color inkjet recording apparatus in which recording head arrays for respective colors are provided along the recording medium conveyance direction. Further, in a color ink jet recording apparatus, multiple colors are reproduced by overlapping and landing droplets of the preceding color on the droplets of the preceding color discharged and landed on the recording medium. In a color ink jet recording apparatus configured with a recording head array for each color, a subsequent color droplet is applied to a preceding color droplet at intermittent ejection timing in consideration of the separation distance between the recording head arrays for each color. It is landed repeatedly. As described above, as the head array width of each recording head array increases, the separation distance between the nozzles corresponding to each recording head in the adjacent recording head array also increases. For this reason, the intermittent discharge timing which is complicated control compared with control of continuous discharge timing becomes more complicated. If the discharge timing is shifted even a little, the overlap between the preceding color and the succeeding color is shifted, causing problems such as color misregistration. Therefore, an increase in the head array width of the recording head array is an obstacle to executing high image quality recording. Therefore, it is important for the print head array to make the head array width as small as possible and to reduce the separation distance between the print head arrays.

  The recording head discharges ink droplets from nozzles provided on a nozzle plate constituting a part of the ink liquid chamber by boosting the pressure in the ink liquid chamber storing ink. In order to increase the pressure in the ink liquid chamber, a diaphragm is provided on a part of the inner wall of the ink liquid chamber, and actuator means such as a piezoelectric member for imparting displacement is provided on the diaphragm. The recording head is provided with a connected terminal for supplying a drive signal such as an ejection signal to the actuator means. The external connection terminal of the electric wiring member is electrically connected to the connected terminal, and the connected electric wiring member is connected to an IC chip that outputs a drive signal such as the ejection signal.

  In the recording head array in which a plurality of recording heads are arranged in a staggered manner as in Patent Document 1, each connected end of each recording head and the IC chip are electrically connected using each electrical wiring member. Yes. Specifically, the rectangular recording head is provided with a protruding portion protruding from a part of the long side portion in the direction along the short side portion of the recording head, and each recording head is sandwiched between the recording heads. Is arranged. Then, each electrical wiring member that electrically connects each external connection terminal to each connected terminal of each recording head is pulled out from the connection location to the projection, supported by the projection, and then pulled out upward. Each is electrically connected to the IC chip.

  However, in Patent Document 1, since the external connection terminals of the electrical wiring members are electrically connected individually to the connected terminals of the recording head, the already connected electrical wiring members are connected to other electrical wiring members. It was an obstacle to connection work. For this reason, there is a possibility that the connection between the connected terminal of the recording head and the external connection terminal of the electric wiring member becomes defective.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a droplet discharge head capable of improving the connection between the connected terminal of the droplet discharge head and the external connection terminal of the electric wiring member. An array and an image forming apparatus including the same are provided.

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention provides a rectangular droplet discharge head that discharges droplets from a nozzle and a part of a long side portion in a direction along the short side portion of the droplet discharge head. A droplet discharge head array in which a plurality of droplet discharge heads are arranged so that the protrusions are arranged in a direction along a long side portion of the droplet discharge head. In the droplet discharge head array in which the connected terminal that is electrically connected to the external connection terminal of the electrical wiring member is provided in the droplet discharge head, the connected terminal is provided in the protrusion, and the adjacent droplet The droplet discharge heads are arranged so that the connected terminals of the discharge heads are arranged on the same straight line.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the droplet discharge head array according to the first aspect, the plurality of droplet discharge heads are arranged so that the long side portions provided with the protrusions face each other, and the protrusions are The droplet discharge heads are arranged so as to be aligned in a direction along the long side portion.
Further, the invention according to claim 3 is the droplet discharge head array according to claim 2, wherein the droplet discharge heads are alternately arranged.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the liquid droplet ejection head array according to the first aspect, the projection is provided at an end of a long side portion of the liquid droplet ejection head so that the planar shape is an L-shape. A droplet discharge head is configured.
Further, the invention according to claim 5 is the droplet discharge head array according to claim 4, wherein the ends of the protrusions parallel to the direction along the long side of the one of the L-shaped droplet discharge heads facing each other. The droplet discharge head pair is formed by facing the other end of the long side portion where the protrusion of the L-shaped droplet discharge head is provided.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the droplet discharge head array according to the fifth aspect, the plurality of droplet discharge head pairs are arranged in parallel along the longitudinal direction of the droplet discharge head pair. It is what.
Further, according to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the droplet discharge head array according to the fifth aspect, the plurality of droplet discharge head pairs are arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction of the droplet discharge head pairs. It is what.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the droplet discharge head array of the first aspect, the wiring board of the electric wiring member is a rigid wiring board.
The invention according to claim 9 is the droplet discharge head array according to claim 1, wherein the connected terminal is provided on one side or both sides of the projection.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, an image is formed on a recording material by ejecting a recording liquid from each droplet ejection head of the droplet ejection head array according to any one of the first to ninth aspects. It is what.

  In the present invention, in order not to increase the head array width, the plurality of droplet discharge heads are arranged so that the protrusions are aligned in the direction along the long side portion of the droplet discharge head. At that time, the respective connected terminals provided on the respective protrusions of the adjacent droplet discharge heads in the direction along the long side portion of the droplet discharge head are arranged on the same straight line. Each external connection terminal that is electrically connected to each connected terminal arranged on the same straight line is also provided in correspondence with the arrangement position of each connected terminal, and thus is provided on a straight line. . By using an electrical wiring member having each external connection terminal arranged in a straight line, each external connection terminal can be easily connected to each connected terminal of each droplet discharge head without increasing the head array width. Can be electrically connected. This facilitates the connection work between the connected terminal of the droplet discharge head and the external connection terminal of the electric wiring member, and can improve the connection.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the connection between the connected terminal of the droplet discharge head and the external connection terminal of the electric wiring member.

1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an inkjet image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view of an electric wiring side of a recording head as a droplet discharge head. 1 is a plan view illustrating a configuration of an inkjet recording head array according to a first embodiment. It is a top view which shows the structure of the external connection connector part for electrical connections. It is a connection diagram of an external connection connector. FIG. 6 is a plan view of another recording head on the electric wiring side. It is a top view which shows the structure of an inkjet recording head pair. It is a top view which shows the structure of the inkjet recording head array of 2nd Embodiment. It is a top view which shows another structure of the inkjet recording head array of 2nd Embodiment.

An example in which the droplet discharge head according to this embodiment is used as a recording head of an inkjet image forming apparatus will be described.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an ink jet type image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. The image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is a line type image forming apparatus, and has an image forming unit 202 and the like inside the apparatus main body 201. A sheet feeding tray 204 on which a large number of recording materials (sheets) 203 can be stacked is provided below the apparatus main body 201, the sheet 203 fed from the sheet feeding tray 204 is taken in, and the sheet 203 is fed by the transport mechanism 205. After the required image is recorded by the image forming unit 202 while the sheet is conveyed, the sheet 203 is discharged to a discharge tray 206 mounted on the side of the apparatus main body 201.

  In addition, a duplex unit 207 that can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 201 is provided, and when performing duplex printing, the sheet 203 is taken into the duplex unit 207 while being transported in the reverse direction by the transport mechanism 205 after one-side (front) printing is completed. Then, the other side (back side) is sent to the transport mechanism 205 again as the printable side, and the sheet 203 is discharged to the discharge tray 206 after the other side (back side) printing is completed.

  Here, the image forming unit 202, for example, four full-line type liquid droplet ejection heads that eject ink droplets of each color of black (k), cyan (c), magenta (m), and yellow (y). Recording heads 211k, 211c, 211m, and 211y (referred to as “recording head 211” when colors are not distinguished), and each recording head 211 has a nozzle surface on which nozzles for discharging droplets are directed downward. It is attached to the head holder 213. Further, maintenance recovery mechanisms 212k, 212c, 212m, and 212y for maintaining and recovering the head performance corresponding to each recording head 211 (referred to as “maintenance recovery mechanism 212” when colors are not distinguished) are provided, purge processing, During the head performance maintenance operation such as wiping processing, the recording head 211 and the maintenance / recovery mechanism 212 are relatively moved so that the capping member constituting the maintenance / recovery mechanism 212 faces the nozzle surface of the recording head 211.

  Here, the recording head 211 is arranged to eject ink droplets of each color in the order of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black from the upstream side in the paper conveyance direction, but the arrangement and the number of colors are not limited to this. Further, as the line-type head, one or a plurality of heads provided with a plurality of nozzle rows for discharging ink droplets of each color at predetermined intervals can be used, or a recording for supplying a recording liquid to the head and the head. The liquid cartridge can be integrated or separated.

  The sheets 203 in the sheet feeding tray 204 are separated one by one by a sheet feeding roller (half-moon roller) 221 and a separation pad (not shown) and fed into the apparatus main body 201, and are registered along the guide surface 223 a of the conveyance guide member 223. 225 and the conveying belt 233, and are sent to the conveying belt 233 of the conveying mechanism 205 via the guide member 226 at a predetermined timing. In addition, a guide surface 223 b that guides the sheet 203 sent out from the duplex unit 207 is also formed on the transport guide member 223. Further, a guide member 227 for guiding the sheet 203 returned from the transport mechanism 205 during duplex printing to the duplex unit 207 is also provided.

  The transport mechanism 205 includes an endless transport belt 233 that is stretched between a transport roller 231 that is a driving roller and a driven roller 232, a charging roller 234 that charges the transport belt 233, and an image forming unit 202. A platen member 235 that maintains the flatness of the conveying belt 233 at the opposite portion, a pressing roller 236 that presses the paper 203 fed from the conveying belt 233 against the conveying roller 231, and other recording liquid that is not shown, but adheres to the conveying belt 233. It has a cleaning roller made of a porous material or the like, which is a cleaning means for removing (ink). A paper discharge roller 238 and a spur 239 for sending the paper 203 on which an image is recorded to the paper discharge tray 206 are provided on the downstream side of the transport mechanism 205.

  In the image forming apparatus configured as described above, the conveying belt 233 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow, and is charged to positive polarity by coming into contact with the charging roller 234 to which a high potential applied voltage is applied. In this case, the charging belt 233 is charged at a predetermined charging pitch by switching the polarity of the charging voltage of the charging roller 234 at a predetermined time interval. Here, when the sheet 203 is fed onto the conveying belt 233 charged to this high potential, the inside of the sheet 203 is in a polarized state, and the charge opposite in polarity to the charge on the conveying belt 233 is conveyed to the conveying belt 233 of the sheet 203. The charge on the transport belt 233 and the charge on the transported sheet 203 are electrostatically attracted to each other, and the sheet 203 is electrostatically attracted to the transport belt 233. Is done. In this way, the sheet 203 strongly adsorbed to the conveyor belt 233 is calibrated for warpage and unevenness, and a highly flat surface is formed. Then, the paper 203 is moved around the conveyor belt 233 and droplets are ejected from the recording head 211, whereby a required image is formed on the paper 203, and the paper 203 on which the image is recorded is discharged to the paper discharge roller 238. Is discharged to the discharge tray 206.

  Since this image forming apparatus includes the recording head 211 formed of a droplet discharge head, an image can be formed at high speed using a recording head with high reliability. In the present embodiment, the example in which the liquid droplet ejection head according to the present invention is applied to an image forming apparatus having a printer configuration has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. It can be applied to an image forming apparatus. Also, the present invention can be applied to an image forming apparatus using a liquid other than the narrowly defined ink or a fixing processing liquid, or an apparatus other than the image forming apparatus.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view of the electric wiring side of the ink jet recording head. This figure is a plan view of the recording head on the electric wiring side. In the recording head 10, electrical wiring is provided on the surface opposite to the nozzle surface on which nozzles for ejecting ink droplets are provided. An electric wiring board 12 having a protrusion protruding in a direction along the short side is disposed on a support 11 integrated with the recording head, and an electric connection terminal serving as an electrically connected terminal is provided on the protrusion of the electric wiring board 12. The external connection connector 13 is arranged. The protruding portion shown in FIG. 2 protrudes in the direction along the short side from the substantially central portion of the electric wiring board 12.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the configuration of the ink jet recording head array of the first embodiment. An inkjet recording head array (hereinafter referred to as a recording head array) 20 shown in FIG. 1 is configured by combining a plurality of recording heads of an image forming apparatus that records characters, images, and the like by ejecting ink droplets onto a medium such as paper. . The recording head array 20 shown in FIG. 3 has a so-called staggered arrangement in which M recording heads 10-1 to 10-M (M is a positive integer) in FIG. Has been. Externally connected connectors 13-1 to 13-, which are connected terminals provided on the protruding portions protruding in the direction of the short side perpendicular to the direction along the long side of the recording heads 10-1 to 10-M. M is arrange | positioned on the same straight line shown with the dashed-dotted line in a figure in the direction along a long side part. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the external connection connector portion 30 for electrical connection, which is an external connection terminal, is connected to the external connection connectors 13-1 to 13 -M and external connection connectors 31-1 to 31-1. 31-M are arranged on the same straight line and arranged on a rigid electric wiring board 32. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the external connection connectors 13-1 to 13-M arranged on the same straight line in the recording head array 20 are arranged on the same straight line of the external connection connector portion 30 for electrical connection from above. The external connection connectors 31-1 to 31 -M corresponding to the external connection connectors 13-1 to 13 -M are electrically connected all at once. Thereby, the time required for the connection process can be shortened.

  In addition, after the connection process, one end of the external connection connector portion 30 is fixed by connection with the external connection connectors 31-1 to 31 -M, and the other end of the external connection connector portion 30 is a free end due to the rigidity of the electric wiring board 32. It will not be. Thereby, since a space other than the external connection connector portion 30 extending from the surface of the electric wiring board 32 is secured, the influence of the external connection connector portion 32 can be reduced, and the assembly work and the assembly work can be performed efficiently. . As a result, the assembly and assembly can be improved. As the arrangement of the external connection connectors 31-1 to 31 -M on the electric wiring board 31, two methods of arrangement on one side and arrangement on both sides can be considered. In addition, the external connection connectors 13-1 to 13-M on the ink jet recording head side at this time are preferably double-sided terminal types, but it is also possible to use single-sided terminal type connectors by changing to the single-sided terminal type depending on the mounting direction. is there.

  The external connection connector part 30 shown in FIG. 4 has a configuration in which external connection connector parts 31-1 to 31 -M are arranged on an electrical wiring board 31. As the electrical wiring board 31 and the external connection connectors 31-1 to 31 -M, a flexible wiring board, a rigid board, and a molded connector can be used. Further, the effect obtained by replacing the male side or female side of the electrical connection connectors 13-1 to 13-M on the ink jet recording head 10 side and the electrical connection connectors 31-1 to 31-M on the external connection connector part 30 side. Needless to say, are the same.

  FIG. 6 is a plan view on the electric wiring side of another recording head in the present embodiment. In the ink jet recording head 40 shown in the figure, an electric wiring substrate 42 having a protrusion protruding in a direction along the short side portion is disposed on a support portion 41 integral with the ink jet recording head, and on the protrusion of the electric wiring substrate 42. The externally connected connector 43 is arranged in the configuration. Then, the protruding portion of the electric wiring board 42 is arranged to be offset toward one end side of the long side portion of the electric wiring board 42, and the planar shape of the entire electric wiring board 42 is substantially L-shaped.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the configuration of the ink jet recording head pair. As shown in the figure, the ink jet recording head pair 50 is configured by combining two substantially L-shaped recording heads 40-1 and 40-2 facing each other on the protruding portion side. Further, in the ink jet recording head pair 50, the external connection connectors 43-1 and 43-2 provided on the protrusions of the electric wiring boards 42-1 and 42-2 are arranged on the same straight line in the longitudinal direction. It has become. An ink jet recording head array 60 is configured by arranging a plurality of ink jet recording head pairs 50-1 to 50-M on the support base 51 in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. The recording heads 40-1 and 40-2 as shown in FIG. 7 do not have to face each other, and may be alternately arranged by shifting in the longitudinal direction from the facing position. When the M inkjet recording head pairs 50-1 to 50-M are arranged, the externally connected connectors 43-1 to 43-M are arranged on the same straight line in the longitudinal direction. External connection connectors 31-1 to 31 -M of the external connection connector portion 30 in FIG. 4 are electrically connected to the external connection connectors 43-1 to 43 -M in a lump. Thereby, a connection operation can be easily performed in a short time.

  FIG. 9 is a plan view showing another configuration of the ink jet recording head array of the second embodiment. The ink jet recording head array 70 shown in the figure has a so-called zigzag arrangement in which the plurality of ink jet recording head pairs 50-1 to 50-M in FIG. The externally connected connectors (not shown) of the ink jet recording head pairs 50-1 to 50-M are arranged on the same straight line in the longitudinal direction. The external connection connectors 31-1 to 31 -M of the external connection connector portion 30 in FIG. 4 are electrically connected to the respective external connection connectors in a lump. Thereby, a connection operation can be easily performed in a short time.

  As described above, according to the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the protruding portion protruding in the direction along the short side perpendicular to the direction along the long side of the rectangular inkjet recording head The external connection connector 13 which is a connection terminal for electrical external connection is arranged. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the inkjet recording heads are alternately arranged in the direction along the long side portion with the end portions of the long side portion provided with the protrusions facing each other. Then, the respective inkjet recording heads are arranged so that the externally connected connectors 13-1 to 13-M provided for the external connection provided in the respective projecting portions are arranged on the same straight line in the direction along the long side portion. . Therefore, the external connection connector portion 30 having the external connection connectors 31 arranged on the same straight line can be collectively connected to the external connection connectors 13-1 to 13-M from the upper part of the inkjet recording head array. Thereby, the connection state can be improved.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Recording head 11 Support part 12 Electrical wiring board 13 External connection connector 13-1 to 13-M External connection connector 20 Inkjet recording head array 21 Support base 30 External connection connector part 31-1 to 31-M External connection connector 32 Electrical wiring board 40 Inkjet recording heads 40-1, 40-2 Inkjet recording head 41 Support section 42 Electrical wiring boards 42-1, 42-2 Electrical wiring board 43 Externally connected connectors 43-1 to 43-M Externally connected connectors 50 Inkjet recording head pair 50-1 to 50-M Inkjet recording head pair 60 Inkjet recording head array 70 Inkjet recording head array

JP 2006-248112 A

Claims (10)

A rectangular droplet discharge head that discharges droplets from a nozzle is provided with a protrusion that protrudes from a part of the long side in a direction along the short side of the droplet discharge head, and the protrusion is the droplet A droplet discharge head array in which a plurality of droplet discharge heads are arranged so as to be aligned in a direction along the long side of the discharge head, and connected to an external connection terminal of a separate electric wiring member In the droplet discharge head array in which the terminals are provided in the droplet discharge head,
The connected terminal is provided on the protrusion,
A droplet discharge head array, wherein the respective droplet discharge heads are arranged so that the respective connected terminals of the adjacent droplet discharge heads are arranged on the same straight line. The droplet discharge head array according to claim 1,
A plurality of the droplet discharge heads are arranged so that the long sides provided with the projections face each other so that the projections are aligned in a direction along the long side of the droplet discharge head. A droplet discharge head that is characterized. The droplet discharge head array according to claim 2,
A droplet discharge head array, wherein the droplet discharge heads are arranged alternately. The droplet discharge head array according to claim 1,
A droplet discharge head array, wherein the protrusion is provided at an end of a long side portion of the droplet discharge head to constitute the droplet discharge head having a planar shape of an L shape. The droplet discharge head array according to claim 4, wherein
The protruding portion of the other L-shaped droplet discharge head is provided at the end of the protruding portion parallel to the direction along the long side portion of the L-shaped droplet discharging head facing one another. A droplet discharge head array, wherein a pair of droplet discharge heads is formed so as to face an end of a long side. The droplet discharge head array according to claim 5,
A droplet discharge head array, wherein a plurality of the droplet discharge head pairs are arranged in parallel along a longitudinal direction of the droplet discharge head pair. The droplet discharge head array according to claim 5,
A plurality of droplet discharge head pairs are arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction of the droplet discharge head pair. The droplet discharge head array according to claim 1,
The droplet discharge head array according to claim 1, wherein the wiring board of the electric wiring member is a rigid wiring board. The droplet discharge head array according to claim 1,
A droplet discharge head array, wherein the connection terminal is provided on one side or both sides of the protrusion.   An image forming apparatus, wherein a recording liquid is discharged from each droplet discharge head of the droplet discharge head array according to claim 1 to form an image on a recording material.

Images