JP2016107401A - Head module, inkjet recording device and method for assembling head module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent entrance of ink mist inside a mount plate.SOLUTION: A head module 50 includes: multiple inkjet heads 60 having a nozzle array where multiple nozzles for ejecting ink to a nozzle end 61 are aligned; and a mount plate 51 to which the multiple inkjet heads are arranged. One opening part 511 to which the nozzle end of the multiple inkjet heads is mounted is formed by penetrating through the mount plate and a first elastic member is inserted into a clearance between the multiple inkjet heads mounted to the one opening part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a head module, an ink jet recording apparatus, and a method for assembling the head module.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known an ink jet recording apparatus that increases the dot pitch density by attaching a single mounting plate to a plurality of ink jet heads each having a plurality of nozzles arranged in a line.
In this ink jet recording apparatus, the nozzle end of the ink jet head is inserted from the front side of the substrate with respect to the attachment plate through which the rectangular opening is formed, and the ink jet head is fixed on the attachment plate by screwing.
And each inkjet head needs to perform highly accurate position adjustment with respect to a mounting plate, in order to implement | achieve the high density of a dot pitch. For this reason, it is indispensable that the opening formed in the mounting plate is provided with a certain gap in order to secure an adjustment margin with respect to the wall surface around the nozzle end of the inkjet head.

By the way, on the upper side of the mounting plate, there are arranged a control board for controlling the ink ejection drive of each ink jet head, a connector for connecting the ink jet head and the control board, and the like. If ink mist generated around the part enters the upper side of the mounting plate, it may cause a problem.
For this reason, a gap between the opening formed on the mounting plate and the nozzle end of the inkjet head is sealed with a sponge-like sheet to prevent the ink mist from penetrating upward (for example, Patent Documents). 1 (see FIG. 11).

JP 2007-090692 A

By arranging a plurality of inkjet heads in close proximity to the mounting plate, the dot pitch can be further densified.
However, if the inkjet heads are arranged close to each other, it is difficult to secure a margin for position adjustment. Therefore, it is difficult to form an opening for each inkjet head on the mounting plate, and it is difficult to form a plurality of inkjet heads arranged close to each other. It is necessary to insert them into one opening at a time.
In that case, it is necessary to arrange a plurality of inkjet heads arranged close to each other with a gap between them in order to secure a margin for adjusting the position, and the ink mist passes through the gap between the heads to the mounting plate. There was a risk of entering the upper side.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a head module, an ink jet recording apparatus, and a method for assembling the head module that effectively reduce the intrusion of ink mist into the inside of a mounting plate that supports a plurality of ink jet heads.

The invention according to claim 1 is a head module,
A plurality of inkjet heads having a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink are arranged at the nozzle end;
A head module comprising a mounting plate on which the plurality of inkjet heads are disposed,
The attachment plate is formed with an opening through which nozzle ends of the plurality of inkjet heads are attached,
A first elastic member interposed between the plurality of inkjet heads attached to the one opening is provided.

The invention according to claim 2 is the head module according to claim 1,
The first elastic member is formed of any one of a resin sheet, a sponge, and rubber.

The invention described in claim 3 is the head module according to claim 1,
The first elastic member is formed from a closed-cell sponge.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the head module according to any one of the first to third aspects,
The nozzle ends of the plurality of inkjet heads are attached in a state of being inserted into the openings,
A second elastic member is provided in a gap between the opening and nozzle ends of a plurality of inkjet heads inserted into the opening.

The invention according to claim 5 is the head module according to claim 4,
The second elastic member is formed of any one of a resin sheet, a sponge, and rubber.

The invention according to claim 6 is the head module according to claim 4,
The second elastic member is formed from a closed-cell sponge.

The invention according to claim 7 is the head module according to any one of claims 4 to 6,
The second elastic member is a long sheet,
One edge portion along the longitudinal direction of the sheet is adhered to one surface forming the gap, and the other edge portion along the longitudinal direction of the sheet is attached to the other surface forming the gap. The sheet is bent or curved so as to abut.

The invention according to claim 8 is the head module according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The first elastic member is a long sheet or flat plate,
A holding member that holds both ends of the first elastic member on the mounting plate side is provided.

The invention according to claim 9 is the head module according to claim 8,
Said 1st elastic member has a convex part inserted in the said opening part, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

The invention according to claim 10 is an inkjet recording apparatus,
A head module according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is provided.

The invention according to claim 11 is an assembly method of a head module,
A method for assembling a head module, comprising: a plurality of inkjet heads having a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles that discharge ink are arranged at nozzle ends; and a mounting plate on which the plurality of inkjet heads are arranged.
An arrangement step of arranging nozzle ends of the plurality of inkjet heads in one opening formed through the mounting plate;
A position adjusting step of adjusting and fixing the plurality of inkjet heads arranged in the one opening with respect to the mounting plate;
An insertion step of inserting a first elastic member into a gap between the plurality of inkjet heads that have been adjusted and fixed.

The invention according to claim 12 is the method of assembling the head module according to claim 11,
It includes a holding step of attaching to the mounting plate a holding member that holds both ends of the first elastic member inserted by the insertion step on the mounting plate side.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively reduce the intrusion of ink mist inside the mounting plate.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention. It is a perspective view of the carriage which comprises an inkjet recording device. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of the carriage of FIG. 2. It is a perspective view of a head module. It is a top view of a head module. It is sectional drawing along the VV line of the head module of FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line WW of the head module in FIG. 5. It is a bottom view of a head module. It is the top view which simplified and illustrated the structure of the attachment structure of the inkjet head with respect to a head module. It is a perspective view of another head module. It is sectional drawing of another head module. It is sectional drawing of the head module which has a mounting plate as another example.

[Outline of Embodiment]
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus 100 according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied.
In FIG. 1, the print unit 20 constituting the inkjet recording apparatus 100 is schematically shown.

As shown in FIG. 1, an ink jet recording apparatus 100 forms an image by ejecting ink from above onto a transport apparatus 10 that transports a recording medium (not shown) in a predetermined direction and a transported recording medium. A plurality of (for example, two) print units 20, on which a plurality of (for example, two) inkjet heads 60 to be unitized, a plurality of head modules 50,. In this case, a plurality of pedestals 30 on which humans are placed and a support base 40 for supporting them are mainly provided.
In the following description, the horizontal direction of the recording medium is the front-rear direction, the horizontal direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction is the left-right direction, and the direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is the upper-lower direction.

[Conveyor]
The conveying device 10 includes a driving roller 11 and a driven roller (not shown), and an endless conveying belt 12 that is stretched between the driving roller 11 and the driven roller (not shown).
The driving roller 11 and the driven roller are arranged so as to extend in the left-right direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording medium. Then, for example, the driving roller 11 is rotated by a conveying motor (not shown) attached to the driving roller 11 so that the conveying belt 12 circulates between the driving roller 11 and the driven roller and is placed on the upper surface thereof. The recorded recording medium is conveyed along the front-rear direction, and on the other hand, the rotation of the driving roller 11 is stopped, whereby the conveying belt 12 is stopped and the conveyance of the recording medium is stopped.
As the recording medium, for example, a resin film or a metal can be used in addition to paper and cloth.

[Support stand]
For example, the support base 40 includes a support frame 41 extending along the front-rear direction.
Two support frames 41 are provided so as to sandwich the conveyor belt 12 in the left-right direction, and support the conveyor belt 12 via a driving roller 11 and a driven roller that are rotatably provided at both ends of each support frame 41. Yes.
Further, the two support frames 41, 41 support the plurality of print units 20,... And the plurality of mounts 30,.

[Stand]
The plurality of print units 20,... And the plurality of mounts 30,... Are arranged adjacent to each other in a staggered manner in the front-rear direction. That is, the plurality of mounts 30 are provided so as to sandwich each print unit 20 in the front-rear direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.
Thereby, in each print unit 20, maintenance of each part arranged on the downstream side (front side) in the transport direction, for example, replacement of the head module 50, connection of the supply pipe 27 and the discharge pipe 28 (see FIG. 3 and the like). Work such as replacement can be performed by placing an operator on the pedestal 30 disposed on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the print unit 20.
Similarly, in each print unit 20, the maintenance work of each part disposed on the upstream side (rear side) in the transport direction is performed on the gantry 30 that is arranged on the upstream side of the print unit 20 by the worker in the transport direction. It can be done.

[Print unit: Overall configuration]
Each of the plurality of print units 20,... Has a carriage 21 that is long in the left-right direction on which the plurality of head modules 50 are mounted, and a lifting mechanism 22 that supports the left and right ends of the carriage 21 so as to be movable up and down. It has.
The plurality of print units 20,... Are, for example, Y (yellow), Lm (light magenta), Or (orange), M (magenta), Bk (black), Bl (blue), C (cyan), Lc ( Eight colors such as light cyan) are provided. These print units 20 are arranged in the order of Y, Lm, Or, M, Bk, Bl, C, and Lc from the upstream side in the transport direction, for example.
Note that the color, arrangement order, number, and the like of the plurality of print units 20 are merely examples, and are not limited thereto, and can be arbitrarily changed as appropriate.

The elevating mechanism 22 can arbitrarily adjust the distance between the recording medium on the transport belt 12 and the nozzles of the ink jet head 60 of the head module 50 by moving the carriage 21 in the vertical direction. Thereby, the nozzle of the inkjet head 60 can be adjusted to a height suitable for image formation corresponding to various recording media having different thicknesses.
When the inkjet recording apparatus 100 includes a maintenance device that performs forced ink suction, ink discharge, nozzle surface wiping, capping, moisturizing processing, and the like with respect to the inkjet head 60, the carriage 21 is maintained by the lifting mechanism 22. It can also be adjusted to a height corresponding to the device.

[Print unit: Carriage]
Next, the carriage 21 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the carriage 21 as viewed obliquely from the upper left rear. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a surface of the carriage 21 taken along line IV-IV.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the carriage 21 includes a bowl-shaped frame portion 23 connected to an elevating mechanism 22, and a plurality of (for example, 30) head modules 50,. Ink is applied to a plurality of (for example, eight) circuit boards 25 that drive the support member 24 that supports the plurality of head modules 50, and the inkjet heads 60 of the head modules 50. A common flow path forming member 26 that forms a common flow path (not shown) to be distributed and supplied, a supply pipe 27 for supplying ink to the inkjet head 60, and a discharge pipe for discharging ink from the inkjet head 60 28 etc. are mounted.

The frame portion 23 includes two first beam members 231 and 231 whose both ends are connected to the lifting mechanism 22, and four column members 232 and 232 connected to the lower ends of the first beam members 231 and 231. .., And two standing wall members 234 and 234 that are connected to the lower ends of the column members 232, and connected to the support member 24.
The frame portion 23 is an aluminum member, for example. However, the frame portion 23 is an example and is not limited thereto, and the material of the frame portion 23 can be arbitrarily changed as appropriate.

The two first beam members 231 and 231 are disposed on the uppermost side of the frame portion 23. The two first beam members 231 and 231 are long members that extend in the left-right direction, and are disposed at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction.
The common flow path forming member 26 extends along the longitudinal direction of the first beam member 231 on either one of the front and rear directions (for example, the front side) of the two first beam members 231 and 231. Is installed. That is, the common flow path forming member 26 is provided above the head module 50 supported by the support member 24.

The common flow path forming member 26 forms a common flow path for distributing and supplying ink to each of the inkjet heads 60 of each head module 50.
Specifically, although not shown, the common flow path forming member 26 is a cylindrical member mainly extending in the left-right direction, and a cross section (common flow path forming member) orthogonal to the extending direction of the common flow path. 26 internal shape) is substantially circular.

In addition, a plurality of inkjet heads 60 are disposed on one side (for example, the rear side) of the common flow path forming member 26 in a substantially central portion in the vertical direction and perpendicular to the extending direction of the common flow path forming member 26. A branch channel forming portion 261 is provided (see FIG. 3; only one is shown) for forming a plurality of branch channels (not shown) for supplying ink to each. The plurality of branch flow path forming portions 261 are arranged in parallel along the extending direction of the common flow path forming member 26.
Further, each of the plurality of branch flow path forming portions 261,... Is connected to the supply pipe 27 via an electromagnetic valve 239 (see FIG. 3) that switches between a state where the flow path is blocked and a state where the flow path is closed. The ink in the common flow path of the common flow path forming member 26 is an ink jet head through a plurality of branch flow path forming portions 261 and corresponding supply pipes 27 in a state where the flow paths are communicated by the electromagnetic valve 239. 60 side is supplied.

In addition, an inflow path forming portion (not shown) that forms an ink inflow passage (not shown) through which ink flows into the common flow path at one end portion (for example, the left end portion) in the left-right direction of the common flow path forming member 26. Is arranged. The inflow path forming portion is disposed at one end side (for example, the left side) from all of the plurality of branch flow path forming portions 261,... And below the plurality of branch flow path forming portions 261,. Has been.
An outflow path forming portion 263 that forms an ink outflow path (not shown) for flowing out the ink in the common flow path is provided at the other end portion (for example, the right end portion) in the left-right direction of the common flow path forming member 26. (See FIG. 3). The outflow path forming portion 263 is arranged on the other end side (for example, the right side) from all of the plurality of branch flow path forming portions 261,... And above the plurality of branch flow path forming portions 261,. It is installed.

The four column members 232,... Are connected to the left and right ends of the two first beam members 231 and 231, respectively. Further, each of the four column members 232,... Stands up and down, and the upper end of each column member 232 is connected to the lower end surface of the first beam member 231.
Further, among the four column members 232,..., A substantially horizontal plate member 235 is bridged between the lower ends of the two column members 232 and 232 on the left and right sides.

  The long member 233 is a long member extending along the left-right direction, and is attached to the two column members 232 on the rear side of both end portions in the left-right direction, and is substantially the same as the first beam member 231 on the rear side. It is arranged directly below. In addition, a board holding portion 236 that holds the circuit board 25 is disposed on the long member 233.

A predetermined number (for example, 8) of the substrate holding portions 236 corresponding to the number of circuit boards 25 is arranged in parallel in the left-right direction. Moreover, the board | substrate holding | maintenance part 236 is a flat member, for example, and the circuit board 25 is screwed to the wide surface part of the back side. Moreover, the board | substrate holding | maintenance part 236 is attached to the two attachment members 237 and 237 so that attachment or detachment is possible at the both ends of the left-right direction.
The attachment member 237 is a columnar member that stands up and down, and spans the first beam member 231 and the long member 233. In addition, a groove-shaped guide (not shown) into which the end of the substrate holding part 236 is inserted is formed on the inner part of the mounting member 237 on the substrate holding part 236 side along the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, since the adjacent end portions of the two substrate holding portions 236 and 236 adjacent in the left-right direction are attached to one mounting member 237, the two substrate holding portions 236 and 236 are arranged. Are provided with three attachment members 237.
When the circuit board 25 held on the board holding part 236 is exchanged, the board holding part 236 is inserted / removed in the vertical direction along the guide of the mounting member 237.

  In the present embodiment, one circuit board 25 is provided with drive circuits corresponding to the plurality of inkjet heads 60..., But is not limited to this example. The number of drive circuits provided in 25 can be arbitrarily changed as appropriate. For example, one circuit board 25 may be provided for each inkjet head 60, or may be provided for each of the more inkjet heads 60,.

The two upright wall members 234 and 234 are connected to the lower end of the column member 232 at both ends in the left-right direction via plate members 235. Specifically, a substantially horizontal plate-like connecting member (not shown) is provided on the upper part of the two standing wall members 234 and 234, and the connecting member and the plate member 235 are connected to each other. .
Moreover, the two upright wall members 234 and 234 are, for example, substantially rectangular flat plate-like members, and are disposed so as to face each other in the left-right direction.
Further, a support member 24 that supports the plurality of ink jet heads 60,... Is attached to the lower ends of the two standing wall members 234, 234.
Further, the long member 233 is attached to the column member 232 on the rear side of both ends in the left-right direction and extends in the left-right direction.

  In this way, the board holding portion 236 that holds the circuit board 25 is provided on the upper side of the long member 233, and the plurality of head modules 50 are provided below the column member 232 to which the long member 233 is attached. A support member 24 for supporting the above is provided. That is, the circuit board 25 is provided above the head module 50 supported by the support member 24.

Although not shown, any one of the connecting members connected to the plate member 235 is provided with a pin that fits into the shaft hole of the corresponding plate member 235. The two upright wall members 234 and 234 to which the support members 24 that support the plurality of head modules 50 are attached are configured to be rotatable in the horizontal direction about the pin of the connecting member as an axis.
This makes it possible to adjust the relative horizontal angle of the plurality of inkjet heads 60 with respect to the conveyance direction of the recording medium by the conveyance device 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, the support member 24 includes, for example, a horizontally supported bottom plate 241 and a reinforcing portion 242 that is provided on the upper surface of the bottom plate 241 and is erected in the vertical direction. .
The support member 24 is an aluminum member, for example. However, the support member 24 is an example and is not limited thereto, and the material of the support member 24 can be arbitrarily changed as appropriate.

The bottom plate 241 is formed in a long shape so as to extend in the left-right direction, and has a flat plate shape that is substantially rectangular in plan view. Further, the bottom plate 241 is connected to the standing wall members 234 corresponding to both ends in the left-right direction.
The reinforcing portion 242 has a flat plate shape having a predetermined thickness in the front-rear direction, and is disposed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the bottom plate 241. In addition, the reinforcing portion 242 is formed in a length substantially equal to the bottom plate 241 along the left-right direction, like the bottom plate 241.

A plurality of head modules 50,... Are arranged on the upper surface of the bottom plate 241 in a predetermined arrangement (for example, a staggered pattern) along the longitudinal direction. Specifically, two rows of module rows each including a plurality of head modules 50 arranged along the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) of the support member 24 so as to sandwich the reinforcing portion 242 in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 2 shows only one row).
The head modules 50 in each module row are arranged at regular intervals in the left-right direction, and each head module 50 in the other module row discharges ink in an area between the head modules 50 located next to one module row. Arranged in a staggered manner to do.

The bottom plate 241 is formed with openings corresponding to the individual arrangements of the two rows of head modules 50 penetrating vertically corresponding to the head modules 50 individually. Each head module 50 is attached to the upper surface of the bottom plate 241 so that each inkjet head 60 can discharge ink downward.
Positioning pins are formed on the upper surface of the bottom plate 241 so as to contact the outer edge of a mounting plate 51 (described later) that forms the bottom of each head module 50. The bottom surface of the mounting plate 51 of each head module 50 has an opening portion of the bottom plate 241. Reference pins 512 and 512 that contact the inner edge are formed (see FIG. 8). These positioning pins, reference pins 512 and 512, and the contact surfaces with which these pins abut are all formed with extremely high processing accuracy. With these positioning structures, the mounting plate of each head module 50 with respect to the bottom plate 241 51 can be attached with sufficiently high positional accuracy.
In addition, the periphery of the opening on the upper surface of the bottom plate 241 is smooth, and the portion in contact with the opening on the bottom surface of the mounting plate 51 of each head module 50 is also formed smoothly. When the head module 50 is attached to the bottom plate 241, the attachment plate 51 and the bottom plate 241 are in close contact with each other, and a gap through which ink mist generated during ink ejection passes is not generated between them. .

  3, above the plurality of head modules 50,... Is common to one module row side (for example, the front side) of the two module rows composed of the plurality of head modules 50,. A flow path forming member 26 is disposed, and a circuit board 25 is disposed on the other module row side (for example, the rear side).

[Outline of head module]
4 is a perspective view of the head module 50, FIG. 5 is a top view, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line WW in FIG. Is a bottom view.
As shown in the figure, the head module 50 includes a plurality of (for example, two) inkjet heads 60 and 60 each having a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles that eject ink are arranged on the bottom surface of the nozzle end 61, and two inkjet heads. Each of the inkjet heads 60 receives ink from an ink chamber (not shown) via a supply pipe 27 and a mounting plate 51 arranged in a state in which 60 and 60 are arranged along the direction intersecting the nozzle row (front-rear direction). , 60, outlets 54, 54 for discharging ink from the respective inkjet heads 60, 60 to a waste liquid tank (not shown) via the discharge pipe 28, and right and left of the heads 60, 60. It mainly includes a pair of handle metal plates 53, 53 erected on the mounting plate 51 on both sides.

[Inkjet head]
The ink-jet head 60 is provided on the bottom surface of the nozzle end 61, and forms a nozzle plate 62 (see FIG. 8) on which an infinite number of nozzles are formed, and a drive mechanism for discharging ink from each nozzle. A head chip (not shown).
The nozzle plate 62 is a flat plate that is long and horizontally disposed in the left-right direction, and has an infinite number of through holes serving as nozzles.

Each nozzle is composed of four nozzle rows parallel to the left-right direction at a uniform nozzle pitch (P). The four nozzle rows are arranged at regular intervals in the front-rear direction, and the second nozzle row in the front-rear direction is offset to the left (or right) by P / 2 with respect to the first nozzle row. The third nozzle row is offset by P / 4 to the left (or right) with respect to the first nozzle row, and the fourth nozzle row is relative to the third nozzle row. Thus, they are arranged offset to the left (or right) by P / 2.
The two inkjet heads 60, 60 included in the head module 50 are attached to the attachment plate 51, one of which is offset leftward (or rightward) by P / 8 relative to the other.
That is, a total of eight nozzle rows of the two inkjet heads 60 constituting the head module 50 are arranged so as to be shifted in the left-right direction by P / 8 in order. Therefore, these two inkjet heads 60 and 60 can realize high-resolution dot formation with a dot pitch of P / 8.

  In the head chip, ink flow paths that lead to the individual nozzles of the nozzle plate 62 are formed, and these ink flow paths are connected to a manifold (not shown) that leads to the inlet 52 and the outlet 54. Ink supplied from the inlet 52 can be guided to individual nozzles. Each flow path formed in the head chip is individually provided with a piezoelectric element for ejecting ink from the nozzle, and wiring for applying a driving voltage to each piezoelectric element is provided above the ink jet head 60. It is connected to a connector 63 provided in. The connector 63 is cable-connected to a drive circuit of the circuit board 25, and ink is ejected from each nozzle by a drive signal from the drive circuit.

  An attachment structure 65 for attaching the inkjet head 60 to the attachment plate 51 is provided on the nozzle end 61 side of each inkjet head 60. The mounting structure 65 will be described later.

[Handle sheet metal]
The handle metal plates 53 and 53 are vertically erected on the left end portion and the right end portion of the upper surface of the mounting plate 51 so as to sandwich the two inkjet heads 60 and 60. Each handle sheet metal 53 is a substantially rectangular flat plate parallel to the vertical direction and the front-rear direction, and either the front edge or the rear side edge is bent vertically with a slight width, and the bending strength in the left-right direction is determined. Is reinforced.
The lower end portion of the handle metal plate 53 is screwed to the mounting plate 51 at two locations on the front side and the rear side. In addition, a rectangular notch 531 is formed at the lower end of the handle sheet metal 53, and extending portions 651 and 652 in the mounting structure 65 of the two inkjet heads 60 protrude from the notch 531.

  Further, two bar-shaped handles 532 and 532 are installed on the two handle metal plates 53 and 53 at different heights on the front side and the rear side of the upper end portion thereof. These two handles 532 and 532 are both parallel in the left-right direction.

[Mounting plate]
The mounting plate 51 is a substantially rectangular flat plate, and is mounted on the bottom plate 241 of the carriage 21 with its flat surface parallel to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. The mounting plate 51 is attached to the bottom plate 241 so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the left-right direction.
In the center of the mounting plate 51, a single opening 511 is formed through which the nozzle ends 61, 61 of the two inkjet heads 60, 60 are inserted from above.
The opening 511 is rectangular, and its longitudinal direction is parallel to the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 8, the two inkjet heads 60, 60 attached to the attachment plate 51 with the nozzle end portions 61, 61 inserted in the opening 511 are both formed on the nozzle plates 62, 62. The nozzle row is in a state along the left-right direction.
The inkjet heads 60 and 60 need to accurately adjust the positioning with respect to the mounting plate 51 as the nozzle density and accuracy increase. For this reason, the opening portion 511 is formed between the side surface portion around the nozzle end portions 61 and 61 and the inner edge portion of the opening portion 511 in a state where the nozzle end portions 61 and 61 of the two inkjet heads 60 and 60 are inserted. The dimensions of each other are set so that a gap is formed between them for adjusting the position.

[Position adjustment of inkjet head]
FIG. 9 is a plan view schematically showing the structure of the attachment structure 65 of the ink jet head 60 with respect to the head module 50. In FIG. 9, nozzles that can be seen only from the bottom side are shown for convenience. Further, these nozzles are illustrated with larger nozzle diameters and nozzle pitches than actual for the sake of clarity of explanation.
The attachment and position adjustment of the inkjet head 60 with respect to the attachment plate 51 will be described with reference to FIGS.

As described above, the nozzle end portion 61 of the inkjet head 60 is in the vicinity of the nozzle surface of the mounting structure 65 with respect to the mounting plate 51, and has a bowl-shaped extension extending to the left and right ends at the left and right ends. Outlet portions 651 and 652 are formed. These extending portions 651 and 652 are formed with through holes penetrating vertically, and the inkjet head 60 can be fixed to the mounting plate 51 through screws 653 and 653. The through holes of these extending portions 651 and 652 have play with respect to the screws 653 and 653. When the screws 653 and 653 are loosened, the position of the inkjet head 60 can be adjusted, and the screws 653 and 653 are fastened. It can be fixed in the adjusted position.
In addition, the mounting plate 51 is provided with reference pins 512 and 512 that protrude downward from the lower surface thereof at the respective left and right ends.
In addition, an inclined portion 654 that is inclined by 45 degrees with respect to the front-rear direction is formed at one corner of the extending portion 651 (the left front oblique corner in FIG. 9), and the extending portion 652 has a V-shape. The notch 655 is formed.

Then, when adjusting the position of the inkjet head 60, with the screws 653 and 653 at both ends loosened, a spring material is pressed against the inclined portion 654, and the vertical direction (right side in FIG. A state in which a pressing force is applied obliquely rearward). Thereby, it can be made equal to the state pressed to both right direction and back direction.
Then, the position of the cutout portion 655 is adjusted while being pushed back against the spring material in the illustrated arrow direction (left direction), and the intermediate portion of the inkjet head 60 in the left-right direction is illustrated against the spring material. Adjust the position while pushing back in the direction of the arrow (forward). These position adjustment operations may be performed by adjusting the position of each adjustment position by rotating the adjustment screw material that moves forward and backward by the rotation operation while pressing the adjustment screw material against the adjustment position. Position adjustment may be performed by moving the screw material up and down by rotating operation while bringing the conical surface of the screw material having a surface into contact with the position of the arrow from above. In any case, any adjustment material may be used as long as it is in contact with the notch 655 or the outer edge of the ink jet head 60 and causes a slight change in position with respect to an artificial operation amount.
By adjusting the position with respect to the two places, the posture and position of the inkjet head 60 in plan view change. By adjusting the position based on the posture change and the position change, the position of the nozzle (referred to as the reference nozzle n1) positioned on one end side of any one nozzle row formed on the nozzle surface side of the inkjet head 60 is changed to two. With respect to the target position determined by the two reference pins 512 and 512, positioning is performed while measuring so as to be within an allowable range in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.
Furthermore, on the assumption that the reference nozzle n1 satisfies the above conditions, the positional deviation in the front-rear direction with respect to the reference nozzle n1 of the nozzle located on the other end side of the same nozzle row (referred to as the farthest nozzle nd) is within an allowable range. Position while measuring.
In a state where the above two conditions are satisfied by adjusting the position of the inkjet head 60, the two screws 653 and 653 are fastened to fix the inkjet head 60 to the mounting plate 51. Thereby, the position adjustment of the inkjet head 60 is completed.

[Prevents ink mist from entering the carriage]
As described above, since the position of each inkjet head 60 is adjusted in the front-rear direction with respect to the mounting plate 51, the position between the opening 511 of the mounting plate 51 and the inkjet head 60, and the two sink jet heads 60. , 60 is provided with a gap for adjustment. In addition, since the extension parts 651 and 652 extend on the left and right sides of the respective ink jet heads 60 and 60, no gap is generated.

  Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 9, the first elastic member 55 is disposed between the opposing surfaces of the nozzle end 61 of one inkjet head 60 and the nozzle end 61 of the other inkjet head 60. Inserted between the front surface of the nozzle end portion 61 of one inkjet head 60 (front side) and the opposed surface inside the opening 511 and the rear surface and opening of the nozzle end portion 61 of the other inkjet head 60 (rear side). Second elastic members 56 and 56 are interposed between the opposing surfaces inside the portion 511.

The first elastic member 55 is a substantially rectangular flat plate whose width in the front-rear direction is substantially the same as or slightly narrower than the opening 511, and the above-described extending portions 651 and 652 from the nozzle end portion 61 of the inkjet head 60. It has the same shape as the front part or the rear part of the part excluding. The first elastic member 55 is made of a material having shrinkage properties such as a synthetic resin sheet such as polyethylene terephthalate, rubber, sponge, and the like, and each ink jet due to its elasticity when inserted between the two ink jet heads 60, 60. A head having flexibility that does not cause a change in the adjusted position when the heads 60, 60 are pressed is used.
In addition, the first elastic member 55 is preliminarily attached to one inkjet head 60 with an adhesive tape, a double-sided tape, an adhesive, etc., and the inkjet head 60 is positioned and attached to the mounting plate 51 in this state. And done.

The second elastic member 56 is a substantially rectangular sheet having a width in the front-rear direction that is approximately the same as or somewhat narrower than the opening 511, and is made of a synthetic resin sheet such as polyethylene terephthalate, or a flexible material such as rubber or sponge. Made of flexible material. The second elastic member 56 is thinner than the gap generated between the opening 511 and the inkjet head 60.
As shown in FIG. 7, the second elastic member 56 has an upper end that is one edge along the longitudinal direction in advance with “adhesive tape, double-sided tape, adhesive, etc. Is attached to the upper surface of the mounting plate 51 in the vicinity of the opening 511 or the inner surface of the opening 511, and the lower end that is the other edge along the longitudinal direction is “the other side forming the gap”. The surface facing the opening 511 at the nozzle end of the inkjet head 60 as a “surface” is in contact with the entire width in the left-right direction. Further, the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the second elastic member 56 are curved or bent so that the lower end portion is in contact with the inkjet head 60 side by elasticity.

  Although the workability improvement effect described above cannot be obtained, one end of the second elastic member 56 is attached to the mounting plate 51 and is brought into contact with the inkjet head 60 with the other end facing upward. Alternatively, one end of the second elastic member 56 may be attached to the inkjet head 60 side, and the other end may be brought into contact with the inner surface of the opening 511 of the mounting plate 51.

[Technical effects of the embodiment of the invention]
As described above, in the head module 50, one opening portion 511 into which the nozzle end portions 61 and 61 of the two inkjet heads 60 and 60 arranged side by side are inserted is formed in the mounting plate 51 so as to penetrate therethrough. A first elastic member 55 is provided in a gap between the nozzle end portions 61 and 61 of the two inkjet heads 60 and 60 inserted into the 511.
For this reason, when attaching the plurality of ink jet heads 60 to the attachment plate 51, the first elastic member 55 can block the gaps essential between the plurality of ink jet heads 60 in order to adjust the position. It is possible to effectively reduce the intrusion of the ink mist into the carriage 21.

  In addition, since the second elastic member 56 is provided in the gap between the nozzle end portions 61 and 61 of the two inkjet heads 60 and 60 inserted into the opening 511 and the inner surface of the opening 511, the mounting plate When the ink jet head 60 is attached to the head 51, the gap between the ink jet head 60 and the opening 511 for adjusting the position thereof can be closed by the second elastic member 56, and the ink mist carriage It is possible to further effectively reduce the intrusion into 21.

  Since the first elastic member 55 and the second elastic member 56 are made of a synthetic resin sheet such as polyethylene terephthalate, sponge, or rubber, the first elastic member 55 and the second elastic member 56 have moderate flexibility, elasticity, and flexibility, and effectively have a gap. It becomes possible to seal.

The second elastic member 56 has an upper end attached to the upper surface of the mounting plate 51 or the inner surface of the opening 511, and a lower end to contact the front or rear surface of the nozzle end 61 of the inkjet head 60. The sheet is bent or curved.
Thereby, the inkjet head 60 is not restrained by the second elastic member 56, and the operation of attaching and removing the inkjet head 60 to and from the attachment plate 51 can be easily performed.
Further, since the end of the second elastic member 56 that contacts the inkjet head 60 faces downward in the same direction as the mounting direction of the inkjet head 60 with respect to the mounting plate 51, the inkjet head 60 is inserted into the opening 511. In this case, the second elastic member 56 can form a good contact state without the orientation of the lower end portion being dragged by the ink jet head 60 and being directed in an inappropriate direction. That is, the work of attaching the ink jet head 60 to the mounting plate 51 is not hindered, and workability can be improved.

[Other examples of the first elastic member]
Other examples of the first elastic member are shown in FIGS. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a head module 50A equipped with another first elastic member 55A, and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the head module 50A in a plane along the gap between the two inkjet heads 60 and 60.
Hereinafter, only the difference between the head module 50A and the head module 50 described above will be described, and redundant description will be omitted.

The head module 50A is different in that it includes a first elastic member 55A different from the first elastic member 55 described above. The first elastic member 55A is a flat plate-like elastic body having the same material as that of the first elastic member 55, but the shape of the flat plate surface is different.
That is, the first elastic member 55 has a flat rectangular plate shape, and the width in the left-right direction is substantially equal to the width of the opening 511 over the entire height. The lower portion 551A is substantially equal to the width in the left-right direction of the opening 511 and can be inserted. The upper portion 552A has both ends in the left-right direction extending outward, and is wider than the lower portion 551A. The vertical width of the upper portion 552A is equal to the vertical depth of the notch portion 531 of the handle sheet metal 53 described above.
As a result, the left and right end portions of the upper portion 552A of the first elastic member 55A protrude outward from the notches 531 and 531 of the two handle metal plates 53 and 53, and the upper end portion of the upper portion 552A has two handles. It contacts the inside of the notches 531 and 531 of the sheet metal 53 and 53, and the upward movement of the first elastic member 55A is restricted.
Further, since the lower portion 551A of the first elastic member 55A is inserted into the opening 511, the movement of the first elastic member 55A in the left-right direction is restricted. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the first elastic member 55A from coming off in the left-right direction.
Accordingly, the first elastic member 55A can be prevented from coming out between the ink jet heads 60 and 60 without being bonded to the ink jet head 60, and the first elastic member 55A can be easily attached. It becomes possible.
The first elastic member 55A is inserted between the two inkjet heads 60, 60 from above. For this reason, it is desirable that the flat surfaces on both sides of the first elastic member 55A be made slippery as smooth surfaces without irregularities so that the insertion can be performed easily.

[How to assemble the head module]
A method for assembling the head module 50A having the first elastic member 55A will be described.
First, in a state where the second elastic members 56 and 56 are mounted on the mounting plate 51 in advance, the two inkjet heads 60 and 60 are disposed in the opening 511 in an inserted state (arrangement step).
Next, the position of the two inkjet heads 60, 60 inserted into the opening 511 is adjusted with respect to the mounting plate 51 by the mounting structure 65 described above, and fixed by screws 653, 653 (position adjusting step).
Next, the first elastic member 55A is inserted from above into the gap between the nozzle end portions 61 and 61 of the two inkjet heads 60 and 60 that are fixed and adjusted (insertion step). At this time, the lower portion 551A of the first elastic member 55A is inserted into the opening 511.
Next, two handle metal plates 53 and 53 as holding members that hold both ends of the first elastic member 55 </ b> A inserted by the insertion step on the mounting plate 51 side are screwed to both ends of the mounting plate 51. It is attached by (holding process).
As a result, the left and right ends of the upper portion 552A of the first elastic member 55A are held by the cutout portions 531 and 531 of the respective handle metal plates 53 and 53, and the first elastic member 55A is prevented from falling off.

[Technical effects on other first elastic members]
In the first elastic member 55A, both end portions of the first elastic member 55A protruding from both side surfaces of the upper portion 552A in the left-right direction are held on the mounting plate 51 side by handle metal plates 53, 53. Further, the first elastic member 55A has a lower portion 551A inserted into the opening 511.
Therefore, the first elastic member 55A does not require an adhesive, an adhesive tape, or the like for attachment, and does not require work such as adhesion of the first elastic member 55A to the attachment plate 51. For this reason, it becomes possible to perform the attachment work of 55 A of 1st elastic members more easily.

  Further, in the method of assembling the head module 50A including the first elastic member 55A, the insertion step is performed after the position adjustment step, so that the first elastic member 55A obstructs the position adjustment work of the inkjet heads 60 and 60. Therefore, it is possible to perform smooth and highly accurate positioning.

  Further, in the method of assembling the head module 50A including the first elastic member 55A, since the holding step is performed after the insertion step, the attachment work of the respective handle metal plates 53, 53 is performed to perform the first elastic member 55A. Fixing can also be performed, the assembly method can be simplified, and the burden of assembly work can be reduced.

[Other examples of mounting plate]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the nozzle end portions 61 and 61 of the two inkjet heads 60 and 60 are inserted into the opening 511 of the mounting plate 51 is illustrated. However, the inkjet head 60 is disposed with respect to the mounting plate 51. Not limited to this.
For example, like the mounting plate 51B of the head module 50B shown in FIG. 12, the nozzle end portions 61, 61 of the respective ink jet heads 60, 60 are arranged on the upper surface of the mounting plate 51B in an arrangement that enables ink ejection to the opening 511B. The first elastic member 55 </ b> B may be interposed between the inkjet head 60 and the inkjet head 60.
Also in this case, it is possible to effectively reduce the intrusion of ink mist into the upper side of the mounting plate 51B.

In this case, the width in the front-rear direction of the opening 511B of the mounting plate 51B is made smaller than the width in the front-rear direction of the two inkjet heads 60, 60 with the first elastic member 55 interposed therebetween. It is desirable to set.
As a result, an area where the front part of the end face on the nozzle end 61 side of the inkjet head 60 located on the front side and the upper surface of the mounting plate 51B are in close contact with each other and the nozzle end part of the inkjet head 60 located on the rear side An area in which a part of the rear side of the end surface on the 61 side and the upper surface of the mounting plate 51B are in close contact with each other is formed. Therefore, as in the example of FIG. 7, the nozzle end portion of the inkjet head 60 positioned between the front surface on the nozzle end portion 61 side of the inkjet head 60 positioned on the front side and the inner surface of the opening 511 and on the rear side. Since no gap is generated between the rear surface of the 61 side and the inner surface of the opening 511, the intrusion of ink mist into the upper side of the mounting plate 51B is reduced while the second elastic members 56 are not required. It becomes possible to do.

In the example of FIG. 12, the first elastic member 55B has a lower end that is the same height as the upper surface of the mounting plate 51B, but the lower end of the first elastic member 55B is lower than the upper surface of the mounting plate 51B. It is good also as a position (the state where the lower end part of the 1st elastic member 55B was inserted in opening 511B).
Further, the mounting plate 51B is provided with rising portions at the front and rear ends thereof, but this rising portion is not essential.

[Others]
Although the configuration in which the head modules 50, 50 </ b> A, and 50 </ b> B have two inkjet heads 60 is illustrated, a configuration having three or more inkjet heads 60 may be used. In that case, it is desirable to insert the first elastic members 55, 55 </ b> A, and 55 </ b> B in all the gaps generated between the adjacent inkjet heads 60.

Also, the first elastic members 55, 55A, 55B are not flat, but in the form of a sheet like the second elastic member, one end is attached to one inkjet head 60, and the other end is the other inkjet. You may make it contact | abut to the head 60. FIG.
Further, the second elastic member 56 may be formed in a flat plate shape and interposed between the inkjet head 60 and the opening 511.
Further, when the first or second elastic member 55, 55A, 55B, 56 is formed from a sponge, it is more preferable to use a closed-cell sponge. The closed-cell sponge refers to a sponge in which each bubble is a sealed space. The closed-cell sponge can prevent the permeation of liquid and gas and can more effectively reduce the intrusion of mist.

  Moreover, although the case where the inkjet heads 60 and 60 are arrange | positioned along with the front-back direction with respect to the attachment plate 51 of head module 50, 50A, 50B was illustrated in the said embodiment, the arrangement direction is limited to the front-back direction. Not.

20 Print unit 21 Carriage 25 Circuit board 50, 50A, 50B Head module 51, 51B Mounting plate 53 Handle metal plate (holding member)
55, 55A, 55B First elastic member 56 Second elastic member 60 Inkjet head 61 Nozzle end 63 Connector 65 Mounting structure 100 Inkjet recording apparatus 511, 511B Opening 512 Reference pin 531 Notch 551A Lower part (convex part)
552A Upper part 651, 652 Extension part 654 Inclination part 655 Notch part n1 Reference nozzle nd Farthest nozzle

Claims (12)

A plurality of inkjet heads having a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink are arranged at the nozzle end;
A head module comprising a mounting plate on which the plurality of inkjet heads are disposed,
The attachment plate is formed with an opening through which nozzle ends of the plurality of inkjet heads are attached,
A head module comprising a first elastic member inserted in a gap between a plurality of inkjet heads attached to the one opening.   The head module according to claim 1, wherein the first elastic member is formed of any one of a resin sheet, a sponge, and rubber.   The head module according to claim 1, wherein the first elastic member is formed of a closed-cell sponge. The nozzle ends of the plurality of inkjet heads are attached in a state of being inserted into the openings,
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second elastic member that is inserted into a gap between the opening and nozzle ends of a plurality of inkjet heads inserted into the opening. 5. Head module.   The head module according to claim 4, wherein the second elastic member is formed of any one of a resin sheet, a sponge, and rubber.   The head module according to claim 4, wherein the second elastic member is formed of a closed-cell sponge. The second elastic member is a long sheet,
One edge portion along the longitudinal direction of the sheet is adhered to one surface forming the gap, and the other edge portion along the longitudinal direction of the sheet is attached to the other surface forming the gap. The head module according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the sheet is bent or curved so as to abut. The first elastic member is a long sheet or flat plate,
The head module according to claim 1, further comprising a holding member that holds both ends of the first elastic member on the mounting plate side.   The head module according to claim 8, wherein the first elastic member has a convex portion inserted into the opening.   An ink jet recording apparatus comprising the head module according to claim 1. A method for assembling a head module, comprising: a plurality of inkjet heads having a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles that discharge ink are arranged at nozzle ends; and a mounting plate on which the plurality of inkjet heads are arranged.
An arrangement step of arranging nozzle ends of the plurality of inkjet heads in one opening formed through the mounting plate;
A position adjusting step of adjusting and fixing the plurality of inkjet heads arranged in the one opening with respect to the mounting plate;
A method of assembling a head module, comprising: an insertion step of inserting a first elastic member in a gap between the plurality of inkjet heads that have been adjusted and fixed.   The head according to claim 11, further comprising a holding step of attaching a holding member that holds both ends of the first elastic member inserted by the insertion step to the mounting plate side. How to assemble the module.

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