JP2013212668A - Method of manufacturing liquid ejection head unit, liquid ejection head unit, and liquid ejecting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head unit that can enhance attaching workability of the liquid ejection head to a support member and maintainability, to provide a liquid ejection head unit, and to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus.SOLUTION: A recording head unit is manufactured through: a position adjustment step of regulating the position of a recording head body 32 to a head fixing member 33 based on the alignment pattern; a first fixing step of fixing a head fixing member and a recording head body; and a second fixing step of fixing the base plate and the head fixing member while the mounting position to the base plate is defined by making the head fixing member touch the positioning surface of the base plate.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a liquid ejecting head unit including a liquid ejecting head such as an ink jet recording head, a liquid ejecting head unit, and a liquid ejecting apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to a liquid ejecting head via a fixing member. The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a liquid jet head unit configured to be attached to a support member, a liquid jet head unit, and a liquid jet apparatus.

  The liquid ejecting apparatus is an apparatus that includes a liquid ejecting head capable of ejecting liquid as droplets from a nozzle and ejects various liquids from the liquid ejecting head. A typical example of the liquid ejecting apparatus is an ink jet recording that includes an ink jet recording head (hereinafter referred to as a recording head) and performs recording by ejecting liquid ink as ink droplets from the nozzle of the recording head. An image recording apparatus such as an apparatus (printer) can be given. In addition, liquid ejecting apparatuses for ejecting various types of liquids such as color materials used for color filters such as liquid crystal displays, organic materials used for organic EL (Electro Luminescence) displays, electrode materials used for electrode formation, etc. Is used. The recording head for the image recording apparatus ejects liquid ink, and the color material ejecting head for the display manufacturing apparatus ejects solutions of R (Red), G (Green), and B (Blue) color materials. The electrode material ejecting head for the electrode forming apparatus ejects a liquid electrode material, and the bioorganic matter ejecting head for the chip manufacturing apparatus ejects a bioorganic solution.

  Some of the printers described above are equipped with a recording head unit in which a plurality of recording heads are fixed to a support member (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Each recording head introduces ink from an ink supply source such as an ink cartridge into a pressure chamber (pressure generation chamber), and operates pressure generation means such as a piezoelectric element and a heating element to change the pressure in the ink in the pressure chamber. The ink in the pressure chamber is ejected as ink droplets from the nozzles opened in the nozzle surface by using the pressure fluctuation. The support member is a plate-like member parallel to the nozzle surface of the recording head, and has an opening that penetrates in the plate thickness direction. Each recording head is fixed to the edge of the opening by a screw or the like with the nozzle surface exposed from the opening of the support member.

JP 2008-221745 A

  In the above configuration, each recording head is fixed to the support member in a state where the relative position is defined with high accuracy. As a result, the droplets ejected from each recording head land on the liquid landing target such as a recording medium with higher positional accuracy. However, for example, when the recording head is repaired or replaced during maintenance, it takes time to readjust the mounting position when the recording head is fixed to the support member, resulting in a reduction in operating rate. .

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a liquid ejecting head unit capable of improving the workability and maintenance performance of a liquid ejecting head with respect to a support member. A head unit and a liquid ejecting apparatus are provided.

A method of manufacturing a liquid ejecting unit according to the present invention includes a nozzle surface having a nozzle group in which a plurality of nozzles that eject liquid are arranged in parallel, and a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from each nozzle;
A fixing member made of a material having higher rigidity than the outer member of the liquid jet head, and fixed to the liquid jet head;
A support member to which the liquid ejecting head is attached via the fixing member;
And the support member has a positioning surface that defines a mounting position of the liquid jet head, and a manufacturing method of a liquid jet head unit,
Forming an alignment pattern for a liquid landing target by ejecting liquid from each nozzle of the liquid ejecting head;
A position adjusting step of adjusting a relative position of the liquid jet head with respect to the fixing member based on the alignment pattern;
A first fixing step of fixing the fixing member and the liquid ejecting head in a state where a relative position of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the fixing member is defined;
A second fixing step of fixing the support member and the fixing member in a state in which the fixing member is brought into contact with the positioning surface of the support member and an attachment position with respect to the support member is defined;
It is characterized by including.

  According to the present invention, since the liquid ejecting head is fixed to the fixing member in a state where the relative position with respect to the fixing member is defined based on the alignment pattern, the restriction surface of the fixing member is abutted against the positioning surface of the support member. By fixing in the contacted state, the relative position of the liquid jet head with respect to the support member is accurately defined. This eliminates the need to confirm the displacement of the liquid ejecting head fixed to the support member, and improves the workability when attaching the liquid ejecting head. Further, when the liquid ejecting head is newly replaced during maintenance, or when the liquid ejecting head once removed from the support member is attached to the support member again, the regulating surface of the fixing member is brought into contact with the positioning surface of the support member. Since the positioning is completed by fixing in the state, the liquid jet head can be replaced and repaired quickly and easily.

Further, the alignment pattern is a ruled line formed by simultaneously ejecting liquid from each nozzle constituting the nozzle group,
In the position adjustment step, it is preferable that an inclination of the ruled line when the fixing member is used as a reference is acquired and the position of the liquid jet head with respect to the fixing member is adjusted so that the inclination is within a target range.

  According to this configuration, the position of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the fixed member is adjusted so that the inclination of the ruled line actually formed by ejecting the liquid from each nozzle constituting the nozzle group is within the target range. Even in the state where the liquid ejecting head is attached to the support member, the landing position deviation when the liquid is ejected from each nozzle constituting the nozzle group is suppressed.

  In addition, the liquid jet head unit of the present invention is manufactured through the above manufacturing steps.

  According to another aspect of the invention, a liquid ejecting apparatus includes the liquid ejecting head having the above-described configuration.

2A and 2B are schematic diagrams for explaining an internal configuration of the printer. FIG. 3A is a plan view and FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the recording head unit as viewed from the nozzle surface side. 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams illustrating a configuration of a recording head unit, where FIG. 2A is a side view, FIG. It is a schematic diagram explaining the structure of a baseplate, (a) Side view, (b) Bottom view, (c) It is an enlarged view of the area | region A in (b). 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams illustrating a configuration of a recording head, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view with a head fixing member attached, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view with a head fixing member removed. It is sectional drawing of the BB 'line in FIG.5 (b). It is a schematic diagram explaining the apparatus structure in a position adjustment process, (a) is a top view by the side of a nozzle surface, (b) is a side view. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of an alignment pattern. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which a spacer is interposed between a head fixing member and a recording head main body. It is a figure explaining a mode that the fitting convex part of a recording head is fitted in the fitting recessed part of a baseplate.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiments described below, various limitations are made as preferred specific examples of the present invention. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following description unless otherwise specified. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. In the following description, an ink jet recording apparatus (hereinafter, printer 1) equipped with a recording head unit 2 which is a kind of liquid ejecting head unit will be described as an example of the liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention.

  FIG. 1A is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of the printer 1, and FIG. 1B is a side view. The printer 1 includes a recording head unit 2, an ink tank 3, a paper feed roller 4, and a transport mechanism 5. In the recording head unit 2, the recording head 7 (a liquid ejecting head in a broad sense) is along the paper width direction of the recording paper 6 (a kind of a recording medium or a landing target) (a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording paper 6). Are arranged. The ink tank 3 is a kind of storage member (liquid supply source) in which ink to be supplied to the recording head unit 2 is stored. The ink in the ink tank 3 is supplied to the recording head unit 2 via the ink supply tube 8.

  The paper feed roller 4 is disposed on the upstream side of the transport mechanism 5 and is a pair of upper and lower rollers 4a that can be synchronously rotated in opposite directions while sandwiching a recording paper 6 fed from a paper feed unit (not shown). 4b. The paper feed roller 4 is driven by the power from the paper feed motor 9 and cooperates with a skew correction roller (not shown) to correct the inclination of the recording paper 6 with respect to the transport direction and the positional deviation in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction. Then, the recording paper 6 is supplied to the transport mechanism 5 side.

  The transport mechanism 5 includes a transport belt 11, a transport motor 12, a driving roller 13, a driven roller 14, a tension roller 15, a pressure roller 16, and a belt charging unit 17. The transport motor 12 is a drive source of the transport mechanism 5 and transmits power to the drive roller 13. The conveyor belt 11 is an endless belt, and is stretched between the driving roller 13 and the driven roller 14. The tension roller 15 is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the transport belt 11 between the driving roller 13 and the driven roller 14 and applies tension to the transport belt 11 by the biasing force of a biasing member such as a spring. The pressure roller 16 is disposed immediately above the driven roller 14 with the conveyance belt 11 interposed therebetween, and presses the recording paper 6 toward the conveyance belt 11.

  The belt charging unit 17 includes a charging roller 18 and a charging power source 19. The charging roller 18 is disposed on the lower side of the upstream side of the driven roller 14 with the conveyor belt 11 in between, and is in contact with the conveyor belt 11. The charging power source 19 is electrically connected to the charging roller 18 and applies an AC voltage to the charging roller 18. The driven roller 14 is grounded, and serves as a counter electrode with respect to the charging roller 18 facing the conveyance belt 11. In the belt charging unit 17, the charging power source 19 supplies charges to the transport belt 11 via the charging roller 18 to charge the transport belt 11. Then, dielectric polarization occurs in the recording paper 6 placed on the charged conveying belt 11, and an electrostatic adsorption force acts between the recording paper 6 and the conveying belt 11. Further, the pressure roller 16 presses the recording paper 6 placed on the charged conveying belt 11 against the conveying belt 11 to improve the adhesion of the recording paper 6 to the conveying belt 11.

  A linear scale 21 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the conveyor belt 11 over the entire belt. The linear scale 21 is configured by arranging a plurality of slit-shaped detection patterns at regular intervals (for example, 360 dpi) in the conveyance direction of the conveyance belt 11. The detection pattern of the linear scale 21 is optically detected by the detection head 22, and the detection signal is output as an encoder signal to a control unit (not shown) of the printer 1. Therefore, the control unit can grasp the conveyance amount of the recording paper 6 by the conveyance mechanism 5 (conveyance belt 11) based on the encoder signal. The encoder signal defines the generation timing of a drive signal for driving a piezoelectric element 41 (described later) of the recording head 7.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the recording head unit 2 as viewed from the nozzle surface 50 side. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of the recording head unit 2. FIG. 3 (a) is a side view, FIG. 3 (b) is a bottom view, and FIG. 3 (c) is a front view. is there. The recording head unit 2 of this embodiment is configured by attaching a plurality of recording heads 7 to a base plate 24 (corresponding to a support member in the present invention). The base plate 24 is a thick metal plate made of, for example, stainless steel. The base plate 24 of this embodiment includes a support wall portion 25 having a mounting surface 27 perpendicular to the nozzle surface 50 (nozzle formation substrate 45: see FIG. 6) of the recording head 7, and the upper end edge of the support wall portion 25. It is formed in a T-shaped cross section from a flange portion 26 protruding in a direction orthogonal to the mounting surface 27 (a direction parallel to the nozzle surface 50 of the recording head 7).

  The support wall portion 25 is a rectangular parallelepiped member that is long in the direction in which the recording heads 7 are juxtaposed. Surfaces on both sides in the plate thickness direction of the support wall portion 25 are attachment surfaces 27 to which the recording head 7 is fixed. As shown in FIG. 4, in the support wall portion 25 in the present embodiment, a fitting concave portion 28 into which a fitting convex portion 63 (described later) of the recording head 7 is fitted is located at the recording head mounting position of the mounting surface 27. A total of eight are formed on both sides, four by four. The fitting recess 28 is a portion in which the support wall portion 25 is recessed in the thickness direction from one side surface to the other side surface, and is orthogonal to the nozzle row 49 in a plane parallel to the nozzle surface 50 of the recording head 7. The first receiving surface 28a (a kind of positioning surface in the present invention) that defines the position in the direction to perform, and the second receiving surface 28b that defines the position in the nozzle row direction within the same surface (FIG. 4 (c)). That is, the first receiving surface 28 a is a surface parallel to the mounting surface 27, and the second receiving surface 28 b is a surface perpendicular to both the first receiving surface 28 a and the nozzle surface 50. One of the second receiving surfaces 28b on both sides of the fitting recess 28 serves as a positioning surface that defines the position of the recording head 4 in the nozzle row direction.

  In addition, the fitting recessed part 28 of this embodiment is extended from the lower end (opposite side to the flange part 26) of the support wall part 25 to the middle of the upper side (flange part 26 side). That is, while the lower end surface of the fitting recess 28 is open, a ceiling surface formed by the structure of the support wall portion 25 is formed at the upper end of the fitting recess 28. Also, four similar fitting recesses 28 are arranged in a row on the mounting surface 27 on the other side. The recording head 7 attached to one attachment surface 27 and the recording head 7 attached to the other attachment surface 27 are alternately shifted in the nozzle row direction. In the present embodiment, the row of the recording heads 7 on one side and the row of the recording heads 7 on the other side are arranged so as to be shifted by a distance that is half the arrangement pitch of the recording heads 7. Correspondingly, on the mounting surface 27 of the support wall portion 25, the row of the fitting recesses 28 on one side and the row of the fitting recesses 28 on the other side are a distance that is half the row pitch of the recording heads 7. They are lined up just off. Note that recording head mounting screw holes 29 are formed on both side edges of the fitting recess 28 in the direction in which the recording heads 7 are arranged. A spiral is cut on the inner peripheral surface of the recording head mounting screw hole 29.

  The flange portion 26 is formed in a thick plate shape that is parallel to the nozzle surface 50 of the recording head 7. By this flange portion 26, the strength of the support wall portion 25 (base plate 24) is increased. The flange portion 26 of the present embodiment is formed in a bowl shape that protrudes outward from the mounting surfaces 27 on both sides of the support wall portion 25 at the upper portion of the support wall portion 25. In the flange portion 26, a communication hole 30 communicating with the connection flow path of each recording head 7 on the recording head 7 side is formed in a state of penetrating in the plate thickness direction. The side of the communication hole 30 opposite to the recording head 7 is connected to the ink supply tube 8. Thereby, the ink in the ink tank 3 is supplied to each recording head 7 via the ink supply tube 8 and the communication hole 30.

5A and 5B are schematic diagrams for explaining the configuration of the recording head 7. FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a state in which the head fixing member 33 is attached, and FIG. 5B is a state before the head fixing member 33 is attached. It is a perspective view of the state. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB ′ in FIG. In FIG. 6, the configuration corresponding to the other nozzle row 49 is omitted because it is symmetrical in the left-right direction with the illustrated one.
In the present embodiment, the recording head 7 is opposed to the recording head main body 32 (a liquid ejecting head in a narrow sense) that ejects ink droplets from the nozzles 48 and one side surface of the recording head main body 32 (when attached to the base plate 24). And a head fixing member 33 attached to the surface on the side to be operated.

  The recording head main body 32 in this embodiment includes a head case 37 (a kind of outer member), a vibrator unit 36, and a flow path unit 35. As described above, since the configuration corresponding to the other nozzle row 49 is symmetrical in the left-right direction, the description on one side is omitted. The head case 37 is a case member that constitutes most of the upper surface and side surfaces of the recording head main body 32, and the piezoelectric element 41 (corresponding to the pressure generating means in the present invention) is accommodated therein. More specifically, the head case 37 is a hollow box-shaped member made of, for example, a resin such as an epoxy resin. The flow path unit 35 is fixed to the front end side of the head case 37 with the nozzle forming substrate 45 exposed. Further, inside the head case 37, a housing space 38 for housing the vibrator unit 36, and a case flow path 39 for supplying ink from the ink tank 3 to the flow path unit 35 side are at the height. It is formed to penetrate in the direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the upstream side of the case flow path 39 is a cylindrical connection portion 39 ′ protruding upward from the upper surface of the head case 37. The connecting portion 39 ′ is provided at a position corresponding to the communication hole 30 of the flange portion 26 in a state where the recording head 7 is attached to the base plate 24. That is, when the recording head 7 is attached to the base plate 24, the connecting portion 39 'and the communication hole 30 are configured to communicate with each other via a packing or the like (not shown). Further, the lower end of the case flow path 39 communicates with a reservoir 51 (described later) via an ink introduction port of the flow path unit 35. As shown in FIG. 5, a total of two head fixing member mounting screw holes 40 for fixing the head fixing member 33 are formed on one side surface of the recording head main body 32 at both ends in the nozzle row 49 direction. Has been. A spiral is cut on the inner peripheral surface of the screw hole 40 for attaching the head fixing member.

  The vibrator unit 36 includes a piezoelectric element group including a plurality of piezoelectric elements 41 (a kind of pressure generating means), a flexible cable 43 (wiring member), and the like. The piezoelectric elements 41 constituting the piezoelectric element group are formed in a comb-like shape elongated in the vertical direction, and are cut into extremely thin widths of about several tens of μm. The piezoelectric element 41 is configured as a longitudinal vibration type piezoelectric element 41 that can expand and contract in the vertical direction. Each piezoelectric element 41 is fixed in a so-called cantilever state by joining a fixed end portion onto a fixed plate 42 so that the free end portion protrudes outward from the front end edge of the fixed plate 42. And the front-end | tip of the free end part in each piezoelectric element 41 is joined to the island part 58 which comprises the diaphragm part 57 in each flow path unit 35 so that it may mention later. One end of the flexible cable 43 is connected to the piezoelectric element 41 at the side of the fixed end opposite to the fixed plate 42, and the other end is connected to the control unit of the printer 1. The connection of the flexible cable 43 to the control unit is not shown. The fixing plate 42 that supports each piezoelectric element 41 is made of a metal plate material having rigidity capable of receiving a reaction force from the piezoelectric element 41. In this embodiment, it is made of a SUS (stainless steel) plate having a thickness of about 1 mm.

  The channel unit 35 includes a nozzle forming substrate 45, a channel forming substrate 46, and a diaphragm 47. In the flow path unit 35, the nozzle forming substrate 45 is disposed on one surface of the flow path forming substrate 46, and the vibration plate 47 is disposed on the other surface of the flow path forming substrate 46 opposite to the nozzle forming substrate 45. Are laminated and integrated by adhesion or the like.

  The nozzle formation substrate 45 is a thin plate made of a silicon single crystal in which a plurality of nozzles 48 are arranged in a row at a pitch corresponding to the dot formation density. A nozzle row 49 (a kind of nozzle group) is constituted by the nozzles 48 formed in these rows. In the present embodiment, for example, a nozzle row 49 composed of 180 nozzles 48 is arranged along the paper width direction. The lower surface of the nozzle forming substrate 45 (the surface opposite to the flow path forming substrate 46) is the nozzle surface 50.

  The flow path forming substrate 46 is a plate-like member that forms a series of ink flow paths including a reservoir 51 (common liquid chamber), an ink supply port 52, and a pressure chamber 53. The flow path forming substrate 46 of this embodiment is manufactured by etching a silicon single crystal substrate. The reservoir 51 is an empty portion that introduces ink common to the plurality of pressure chambers 53. A case channel 39 communicates with one end of the reservoir 51 in the nozzle row 49 direction via an ink introduction port of the vibration plate 47. The ink supply port 52 is formed as a narrowed portion with a narrow channel width communicating between the pressure chamber 53 and the reservoir 51. The pressure chambers 53 are elongated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the nozzle row 49, and are formed in a plurality of rows corresponding to the nozzles 48 in a state of being partitioned by partition walls.

  The diaphragm 47 is a double-structure composite plate material in which a resin film 56 such as PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) is laminated on a metal support plate 55 such as SUS. The vibration plate 47 is formed with an ink introduction port connecting the reservoir 51 and the case flow path 39 penetrating in the vertical direction. The diaphragm 47 seals one opening surface of the pressure chamber 53 (the surface opposite to the nozzle forming substrate 45), and forms a diaphragm portion 57 for changing the volume of the pressure chamber 53. At the same time, a compliance portion 59 is formed to seal one opening surface of the reservoir 51 (surface opposite to the nozzle forming substrate 45). More specifically, the diaphragm portion 57 is an island portion for performing etching on the support plate 55 corresponding to the pressure chamber 53, removing the portion in an annular shape, and joining the tip of the free end portion of the piezoelectric element 41. A plurality of 58 are formed. Similar to the planar shape of the pressure chamber 53, the island portion 58 has a block shape elongated in a direction orthogonal to the nozzle row 49, and the resin film 56 around the island portion 58 functions as an elastic film. Further, the portion functioning as the compliance portion 59, that is, the portion corresponding to the reservoir 51 is formed by removing the support plate 55 by etching processing following the opening shape of the reservoir 51, and only the resin film 56 is formed.

  In the recording head main body 32 having the above-described configuration, the ink from the ink tank 3 is taken in through the ink supply tube 8 and the communication hole 30 of the base plate 24, so that the case flow path 39, the reservoir 51, the ink supply port 52, And a series of flow paths composed of the pressure chambers 53 are filled with ink. Then, by supplying a drive signal from the control unit of the printer 1, the free end portion of the piezoelectric element 41 is expanded and contracted to cause a pressure fluctuation in the pressure chamber 53. By controlling the pressure fluctuation, an ink droplet is ejected from the nozzle 48 communicating with the pressure chamber 53, or the meniscus in the nozzle 48 is vibrated to such an extent that the ink is not ejected.

  The head fixing member 33 is a plate material made of metal such as SUS, for example, having higher rigidity than the head case 37. Regarding the dimensions of the head fixing member 33, the dimension in the nozzle row 49 direction is longer than the dimension in the same direction of the head case 37 and the dimension (height) in the direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface 50 is It is shorter (lower) than the dimension (height) in the same direction. The head fixing member 33 is aligned with the upper surface of the recording head main body 32 and the relative position in the nozzle row direction is defined with respect to the nozzle 48 (the nozzle serving as a positioning reference) on the nozzle surface 50. The head case 37 is attached. Details of positioning of the recording head main body 32 and the head fixing member 33 will be described later.

  In a state where the head fixing member 33 is attached to the head case 37 of the recording head main body 32, both end portions of the head fixing member 33 in the direction of the nozzle array 49 protrude outward from the head case 37 (recording head main body 32). . The head fixing member 33 has a first screw insertion hole 61 corresponding to the head fixing member mounting screw hole 40 of the head case 37 penetrating in the plate thickness direction. The inner diameter of the first screw insertion hole 61 is set to be slightly larger than the inner diameter of the head fixing member mounting screw hole 40. Further, a second screw insertion hole 62 corresponding to the recording head mounting screw hole 29 of the base plate 24 penetrates the portion of the head fixing member 33 protruding from the head case 37 in the thickness direction. The inner diameter of the second screw insertion hole 62 is set slightly larger than the inner diameter of the recording head mounting screw hole 29.

  In the head fixing member 33 in the present embodiment, a fitting convex portion 63 is formed on the surface opposite to the head case 37. The fitting convex portion 63 is a portion in which a portion inside the first screw insertion hole 61 protrudes on the side opposite to the head case 37. In other words, the plate thickness inside the first screw insertion hole 61 in the head fixing member 33 is thicker than other portions. The fitting convex portion 63 has a first restricting surface 63 a that abuts on the first receiving surface 28 a of the fitting concave portion 28 of the base plate 24, and a second that abuts on the second receiving surface 28 b of the fitting concave portion 28. It is comprised from the control surface 63b. The position in the direction orthogonal to the nozzle row of the recording head 7 with respect to the base plate 24 is defined by the contact between the first regulating surface 63a and the first receiving surface 28a. The position of the recording head 7 in the nozzle row direction relative to the base plate 24 is defined by the contact between the second receiving surface 28b for positioning the fitting recess 28 and the second restricting surface 63b facing the second receiving surface 28b. Is done. That is, the fitting position of the recording head 7 with respect to the base plate 24 in the nozzle surface 50 direction is defined by the fitting of the fitting convex portion 63 and the fitting concave portion 28.

Next, a manufacturing method of the recording head unit 2 having the above configuration will be described.
The recording head unit 2 includes a position adjusting step for adjusting the position of the recording head main body 32 with respect to the head fixing member 33, a first fixing step for fixing the head fixing member 33 and the recording head main body 32 in the positioning state, and a base plate 24. Manufactured through a second fixing step of fixing the base plate 24 and the head fixing member 33 in a state where the head fixing member 33 is brought into contact with the positioning surfaces (28a, 28b) and the mounting position with respect to the base plate 24 is defined. Is done.

  FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic views for explaining the apparatus configuration in the position adjustment step, where FIG. 7A is a plan view on the nozzle surface 50 side, and FIG. 7B is a side view. In the figure, jigs and the like are indicated by broken lines. The positioning adjustment device includes a first jig 65, a second jig 66, and a camera 67. The first jig 65 is a jig that holds the head fixing member 33 and is fixed at a specified position in the positioning adjustment device. On the other hand, the second jig 66 is a jig for holding the recording head main body 32 and is movably arranged in the positioning adjustment device. The camera 67 is composed of a CCD camera or the like, images the alignment pattern recorded on the recording paper 6, and outputs it to the control device (not shown). Further, a supply tube (not shown) from the ink cartridge side is connected to the connection portion 39 ′ of the case flow path 39, and ink is supplied to the internal flow path of the recording head main body 32.

  In the position adjusting step, first, the head fixing member 33 is attached to the jig of the first jig 65. At this time, the first jig 65 is in contact with the first restricting surface 63a and the second restricting surface 63b of the fitting convex portion 63 so that the head fixing member 33 is positioned at the specified position of the positioning adjustment device. Hold on. Next, the recording head main body 32 is attached to the second jig 66. The second jig 66 holds the recording head main body 32 in a state where one side surface of the recording head main body 32 (head case 37) is in contact with the surface of the head fixing member 33 opposite to the fitting convex portion 63. Hold. Subsequently, in this state, ink is simultaneously ejected from all the nozzles 48 constituting the nozzle array 49 of the recording head main body 32, and the ruled lines along the nozzle array direction are recorded on the recording paper 6 as an alignment pattern. The recorded alignment pattern is picked up by the camera 67 and displayed on a monitor (not shown).

  FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an alignment pattern. In the drawing, a ruled line indicated by a broken line A is a reference line, and a ruled line indicated by a solid line B is an alignment pattern recorded by the recording head main body 32. In the present embodiment, the reference line A is displayed on the monitor so as to overlap the captured image of the alignment pattern. Note that the edge of the head fixing member 33 (for example, the edge of the lower end edge of the head case 37 side surface of the head fixing member 33) imaged together with the alignment pattern by the camera 67 can be used as the reference line A. . When the recorded alignment pattern B is inclined with respect to the reference line A as shown in FIG. 8A, the target state, that is, the alignment pattern B is as shown in FIG. The position of the recording head main body 32 is adjusted by the second jig 66 so as to be parallel to the reference line A. For example, the inclination angle of the alignment pattern B with respect to the reference line A is measured by a control device (not shown), or the operator visually confirms it on the monitor, and on the nozzle surface 50 of the recording head main body 32 according to the inclination angle. The angle (inclination) in the parallel plane is adjusted by the second jig 66. Note that a target range (for example, 0 ° ± 0.5 °) may be determined with respect to the inclination of the ruled line B with respect to the reference line A, and adjustment may be performed so as to be within the target range.

  Next, with the position adjusted, the fixing screw is inserted into the first screw insertion hole 61 and screwed into the head fixing member mounting screw hole 40, whereby the head fixing member 33 and the recording head main body 32 are connected. Temporarily fix. That is, the screw is not completely tightened so that the position can be adjusted somewhat. The head fixing member 33 and the recording head main body 32 may be temporarily fixed with an adhesive. In this temporarily fixed state, the alignment pattern B is recorded again on the recording paper 6, the inclination with respect to the reference line A is confirmed, and the position of the recording head main body 32 is adjusted by the second jig 66 until both are parallel. To do.

  As a result of adjusting the relative position of the recording head main body 32 with respect to the head fixing member 33, if a gap is generated between the head fixing member 33 and the recording head main body 32, as shown in FIG. A spacer 69 (filler) having a size corresponding to the gap is interposed between the head body 32 and the head body 32. In addition to the spacer 69, other fillers such as an adhesive may be filled. In this state (when the filler is an adhesive, the adhesive is cured), the head fixing member 33 and the recording head main body 32 are permanently fixed by tightening the fixing screw (first fixing step). Thereby, the recording head 7 in which the relative position between the head fixing member 33 and the nozzle 48 of the head fixing member 33 is defined with high accuracy is completed.

  Next, the recording heads 7 manufactured by the above procedure are sequentially fixed to the base plate 24 (second fixing step). In this second fixing step, as shown in FIG. 10, the fitting convex portion 63 of the recording head 7 (head fixing member 33) is fitted into the fitting concave portion 28 in the mounting surface 27 of the base plate 24. At this time, the first restricting surface 63a and the second restricting surface 63b of the head fixing member 33 are arranged with respect to the first receiving surface 28a and the second receiving surface 28b of the fitting recess 28 which is the positioning surface of the base plate 24. By bringing them into contact with each other, the recording head 7 is positioned with respect to the base plate 24. In this state, a fixing screw is screwed into the recording head mounting screw hole 29 through the second screw insertion hole 62 to fix the recording head 7 to the base plate 24. In this way, the recording head unit 2 is completed by fixing the required number of recording heads 7 to the base plate 24.

  As described above, according to the recording head unit 2 of the present invention, the recording head main body 32 is fixed to the head fixing member 33 in a state where the relative position with respect to the head fixing member 33 is defined based on the alignment pattern. The relative position of the recording head 7 with respect to the base plate 24 is accurately defined by fixing the regulating surface of the head fixing member 33 in contact with the positioning surface of the base plate 24. This eliminates the need for checking the positional deviation of the recording head 7 fixed to the base plate 24 and improves the workability when the recording head 7 is attached. Further, when the recording head 7 is newly replaced at the time of maintenance, or when the recording head 7 once removed from the base plate 24 is attached to the base plate 24 again, the restriction surface of the head fixing member 33 is applied to the positioning surface of the base plate 24. Since the positioning is completed by fixing in the contacted state, the recording head 7 can be replaced and repaired quickly and easily.

By the way, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the fitting convex portion 63 is provided in the head fixing member 33 and the fitting concave portion 28 is provided in the base plate 24. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a fitting concave portion may be provided on the head fixing member, and a fitting convex portion may be provided on the base plate. Further, a configuration is adopted in which a convex portion (for example, a rib) for restricting the position of the recording head 7 in the nozzle row direction is provided on the mounting surface 27 of the base plate 24 without providing a fitting convex portion and a fitting concave portion on both members. You may do it. Even in this case, the position of the recording head with respect to the base plate can be defined by bringing the head fixing member 33 into contact with the mounting surface 27 (positioning surface) and with the projection.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the base plate 24 and the head fixing member 33, and the recording head main body 32 and the head fixing member 33 are fixed using screws, respectively, but this is not restrictive. For example, each member may be bonded and fixed using an adhesive such as a UV curable resin or a seal.

  In each of the above embodiments, the so-called longitudinal vibration type piezoelectric element 41 is exemplified as the pressure generating means. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a so-called flexural vibration type piezoelectric element can be employed. In addition, in a configuration that employs pressure generating means such as a heating element that generates pressure fluctuations by generating bubbles due to heat generation, or an electrostatic actuator that generates pressure fluctuations by displacing the working surface of the pressure chamber by electrostatic force Also, the present invention can be applied.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to a printer as long as it is a liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid such as ink from a nozzle, and various ink jet recording apparatuses such as a plotter, a facsimile machine, and a copier, The present invention can also be applied to liquid ejecting apparatuses other than recording apparatuses, such as display manufacturing apparatuses, electrode manufacturing apparatuses, chip manufacturing apparatuses, and the like.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer, 2 ... Recording head unit, 6 ... Recording paper, 7 ... Recording head, 24 ... Base plate, 25 ... Support wall part, 26 ... Flange part, 27 ... Mounting surface, 28 ... Fitting recessed part, 28a ... 1st 28 ... second receiving surface, 29 ... recording head mounting screw hole, 32 ... recording head main body, 33 ... head fixing member, 40 ... head fixing member mounting screw hole, 41 ... piezoelectric element, 48 ... Nozzle, 49 ... Nozzle row, 50 ... Nozzle surface, 61 ... First screw insertion hole, 62 ... Second screw insertion hole, 63 ... Fitting projection, 63a ... First restriction surface, 63b ... Second Restricting surface, 65 ... first jig, 66 ... second jig, 67 ... camera, 69 ... spacer

Claims (4)

A liquid ejecting head having a nozzle surface formed with a nozzle group formed by arranging a plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid, and ejecting liquid from each nozzle;
A fixing member made of a material having higher rigidity than the outer member of the liquid jet head, and fixed to the liquid jet head;
A support member to which the liquid ejecting head is attached via the fixing member;
And the support member has a positioning surface that defines a mounting position of the liquid jet head, and a manufacturing method of a liquid jet head unit,
Forming an alignment pattern for a liquid landing target by ejecting liquid from each nozzle of the liquid ejecting head;
A position adjusting step of adjusting a relative position of the liquid jet head with respect to the fixing member based on the alignment pattern;
A first fixing step of fixing the fixing member and the liquid ejecting head in a state where a relative position of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the fixing member is defined;
A second fixing step of fixing the support member and the fixing member in a state in which the fixing member is brought into contact with the positioning surface of the support member and an attachment position with respect to the support member is defined;
A method of manufacturing a liquid ejecting head unit, comprising: The alignment pattern is a ruled line formed by simultaneously ejecting liquid from each nozzle constituting the nozzle group,
In the position adjustment step, the inclination of the ruled line when the fixing member is used as a reference is acquired, and the position of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the fixing member is adjusted so that the inclination is within a target range. The method of manufacturing a liquid jet head unit according to claim 1.   A liquid jet head unit manufactured through the manufacturing process according to claim 1.   A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising the liquid ejecting head unit according to claim 3.

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