JP2023066279A - Head system, and head mounting method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a head system which suppresses damage of a reference part of a head support member and/or a reference part of a head, when the head is mounted on the head support member.SOLUTION: A head includes a liquid supply pipe, a nozzle surface formed with a nozzle for discharging a liquid, and a reference part provided outside the nozzle surface when viewed from above. The head support member has a body part having a head storage recess opened downward, a connection pipe for making a liquid flowing therein, a positioning part projecting downward from the lower surface of the body part, and a first energization member which is movable between an energization position where the reference part energizes the head so as to be brought into contact with the positioning part, and a non-energization position where the reference part does not energize the head. When the head is inserted into a recess in the state where the supply pipe and the connection pipe are positioned when viewed from above, the head further includes a second energization member for energizing the reference part so as to be separated from the positioning part in a direction crossing a head insertion direction, and force that the first energization member at the energization position energizes the head is larger than force that the second energization member energizes the head.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

The present invention relates to head systems and head mounting methods.

A head system is used that forms an image on a medium by ejecting droplets from a head. Such a head system has a head and a head support member that supports the head.

Here, it is known that when the head is attached to the head support member, the head is positioned by bringing a reference portion provided on the head support member and a reference portion provided on the head into contact with each other. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200000 discloses positioning of the inkjet head by bringing a fulcrum contact portion provided on the inkjet head into contact with a fulcrum provided on the carriage.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-090493

However, it has been observed that when the head is positioned using the reference portion of the head support member and the reference portion of the head, the positioning accuracy may not be sufficient. As a result of intensive research by the inventors of the present invention, it was found that the reason for this is slight damage to the reference portion of the head that can occur when the head is attached to the head support member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a head system and a head mounting method capable of suppressing damage to the reference portion of the head support member and/or the reference portion of the head when mounting the head to the head support member.

According to a first aspect of the invention,
a head;
A head system is provided that includes a head support member to which the head is attached from below.
The head is
a supply pipe for supplying liquid to the head;
a nozzle for ejecting the liquid from the head;
a nozzle surface on which the nozzle is formed;
and a reference portion provided outside the nozzle surface viewed from above.
The head support member
a body portion having a head accommodating recess opening downward;
a connecting pipe for circulating the liquid;
a positioning portion protruding downward from the lower surface of the main body;
The reference portion has a first biasing member that is movable between a biasing position that biases the head so as to contact the positioning portion and a non-biasing position that does not bias the head.
In the head system, when the head is inserted into the recess with the supply pipe and the connection pipe aligned when viewed from above, the head is moved in a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the head. It further comprises a second biasing member biasing the reference portion away from the positioning portion.
A force with which the first biasing member in the biasing position biases the head is larger than a force with which the second biasing member biases the head.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a head attachment method for attaching a head to a head support member.
The head is
a supply pipe for supplying liquid to the head;
a nozzle for ejecting the liquid from the head;
a nozzle surface on which the nozzle is formed;
and a reference portion provided outside the nozzle surface viewed from above.
The head support member
a body portion having a head accommodating recess opening downward;
a connecting pipe for circulating the liquid;
and a positioning portion that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the main body portion.
In the method, when the head is inserted into the head housing recess with the supply pipe and the connection pipe aligned when viewed from above, the head is moved in a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the head. , performing a first biasing to bias the reference portion away from the positioning portion;
It includes performing a second urging for urging the head with a force larger than the first urging while maintaining the first urging to bring the reference portion into contact with the positioning portion.

According to the head system and head mounting method of the present invention, it is possible to suppress damage to the reference portion of the head support member and/or the reference portion of the head when mounting the head to the head support member.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printer. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the head system. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a support member of the head system; FIG. FIG. 4(a) is a bottom view of the base portion of the support member of the head system. FIG. 4(b) is an enlarged view of region B in FIG. 4(a). FIG. 5 is a plan view of the connection portion of the support member of the head system. 6 is a cross-sectional view along line VI1-VI1 of FIG. 5 and a cross-sectional view along line VI2-VI2 of FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the head. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the head (excluding the cover). FIG. 9 is a plan view of the ejection head. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 9. FIG. 11(a) and 11(b) are explanatory diagrams showing a state in which the head 20 is attached to the support member 10 in the head system. FIG. 11(a) shows how the head system is viewed from the front. For convenience of explanation, structures that overlap when viewed from the front are represented by a single section. FIG. 11(b) shows how the head of FIG. 11(a) is viewed from below. 12(a) and 12(b) are explanatory diagrams showing a method of attaching the head 20 to the support member 10 in the head system. FIG. 12(a) shows the head system viewed from the front. For convenience of explanation, structures that overlap when viewed from the front are represented by a single section. FIG. 12(b) shows how the head of FIG. 12(a) is viewed from below.

<Embodiment>
A head system 100 and a head mounting method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described using a case where the head system 100 is used in a printer 1000 as an example.

[Printer 1000]
As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 1000 mainly includes four head systems 100, a platen 400, a pair of transport rollers 501 and 502, a controller CONT, and a housing 900 that houses them. Further, the housing 900 accommodates an ink tank 600, four sub-tanks 700, and a cooling mechanism 800. As shown in FIG.

In the following description, the direction in which the pair of transport rollers 501 and 502 are arranged, that is, the direction in which the medium PM is transported during image formation will be referred to as the transport direction of the printer 1000 . As for the transport direction, the upstream side and the downstream side in the direction in which the medium PM is transported are called the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction, respectively.

A direction in a horizontal plane orthogonal to the transport direction, that is, a direction in which the rotation shafts of the transport rollers 501 and 502 extend is called a medium width direction. Regarding the medium width direction, the left side and the right side when viewed from the downstream side in the transport direction to the upstream side are referred to as the left side and the right side in the medium width direction, respectively. A direction orthogonal to the transport direction and the medium width direction is called the vertical direction.

Each of the four head systems 100 is a so-called line type head, and is supported by supports 100a at both ends in the medium width direction. In this embodiment, the four head systems 100 eject inks of different colors. The four color inks ejected by the four head systems 100 are, for example, cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink and black ink. Specific structures and functions of each of the four head systems 100 will be described later.

The platen 400 is a plate-like member that supports the medium PM from the opposite side (below) of the head system 100 when ink is ejected from the head system 100 toward the medium PM. The width of the platen 400 in the medium width direction is larger than the width of the largest medium on which image recording by the printer 1000 is possible.

A pair of transport rollers 501 and 502 are arranged to sandwich the platen 400 in the transport direction. A pair of transport rollers 501 and 502 transports the medium PM downstream in the transport direction in a predetermined manner when the head system 100 forms an image on the medium PM.

The ink tank 600 is divided into four sections so as to accommodate inks of four colors. The four sub-tanks 700 are provided above the four head systems 100 one by one.

The four colors of ink are delivered to reservoir 620 by conduit 610 . The conduit 610 and reservoir 620 are divided into four so that inks of four colors can be distributed and stored. Each color of ink sent to the reservoir 620 is circulated between one of the four sub-tanks 700 and the reservoir 620 via pipes and pumps (not shown).

Each of the four sub-tanks 700 supplies ink to the head system 100 arranged directly below it, and recovers ink from the head system 100 concerned.

The cooling mechanism 800 is a mechanism that circulates a coolant to cool a driver IC 233 (described later) included in the head system 100 . The cooling mechanism 800 mainly has a refrigerant tank, a pump, a refrigerant supply pipe, and a refrigerant recovery pipe (all not shown). The cooling mechanism 800 circulates coolant between the coolant tank and the head system 100 via coolant supply pipes and coolant recovery pipes.

The control unit CONT controls all the units of the printer 1000 to form an image on the medium PM. The controller CONT includes an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The controller CONT may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or the like. The control device CONT is connected to an external device (not shown) such as a PC so as to be capable of data communication, and controls each section of the printer 1000 based on print data sent from the external device.

[Head system 100]
Since the four head systems 100 have the same configuration, one of them will be described below as a representative.

The head system 100 includes a long support member 10 and ten heads 20 arranged in a zigzag pattern along the longitudinal direction of the support member 10, as shown in FIG. Each head 20 is attached to the support member 10 by being inserted into a recess provided on the lower surface of the support member 10 .

In the following description, the longitudinal direction and lateral direction of the support member 10 are referred to as the width direction and front-rear direction of the head system 100 . A direction orthogonal to the width direction and the front-rear direction is called the vertical direction of the head system 100 . For convenience of explanation, the lower side and the upper side in FIG. 2 are defined as the front side and the rear side in the front-rear direction, and the left side and the right side when the rear side is viewed from the front side are defined as the left side and the right side in the width direction.

[Support member 10]
The support member 10 mainly has a base portion 11 and a connection portion 12 as shown in FIG.

The base portion 11 is boat-shaped (bathtub-shaped) and has a front wall 11a, a rear wall 11b, a left wall 11c, a right wall 11d, a bottom plate 11f, and a separation wall 11p.

The front wall 11a, the rear wall 11b, and the separation wall 11p are rectangular plates whose longitudinal direction is the width direction, and are arranged parallel to each other. A separation wall 11p is positioned behind the front wall 11a, and a rear wall 11b is positioned behind the separation wall 11p. The front wall 11a and the separation wall 11p face each other in the front-rear direction, and the separation wall 11p and the rear wall 11b face each other in the front-rear direction. The width between the front wall 11a and the separation wall 11p and the width between the rear wall 11b and the separation wall 11p are equal to each other.

The left wall 11c and the right wall 11d are rectangular plates whose longitudinal direction is the vertical direction, and are arranged parallel to each other. The left wall 11c is connected to the left ends of the front wall 11a, the rear wall 11b, and the separation wall 11p, and the right wall 11d is connected to the right ends of the front wall 11a, the rear wall 11b, and the separation wall 11p.

The bottom plate 11f is a rectangular plate whose longitudinal direction is the width direction and whose lateral direction is the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 4A, the bottom plate 11f is provided with ten openings _OP11 in a zigzag pattern along the width direction. Each of the ten openings OP ₁₁ has a rectangular shape with the width direction as the longitudinal direction and the front-rear direction as the lateral direction. A head 20 is inserted into each of the ten openings _OP11 (details will be described later).

The bottom plate 11f is connected to the lower ends of the front wall 11a, the rear wall 11b, the left wall 11c, the right wall 11d, and the separation wall 11p. In this state, the separation wall 11p is positioned between the five openings _OP11 on the front side and the five openings _OP11 on the rear side in the front-rear direction (FIG. 4(a)).

As shown in FIG. 4B, around each of the ten openings _OP11 are a first positioning portion AL1, a second positioning portion AL2, a first plate spring PS1, a second plate spring PS2, and a third plate spring. PS3 and eccentric bolt EB are provided. The eccentric bolt EB is an example of a first biasing member, and the first plate spring PS1, second plate spring PS2, and third plate spring PS3 are examples of a second biasing member.

The first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2 are members for positioning the head 20 with respect to the support member 10 when the head 20 is inserted into the opening _OP11 and attached to the support member 10 (details will be described later). .

The first positioning portion AL1 is provided near the front end of the opening _OP11 on the left side of the opening _OP11 . The second positioning portion AL2 is provided on the right side of the opening _OP11 and on the front side of the front-rear center of the opening _OP11 . The first positioning part AL1 and the second positioning part AL2 are provided at different positions in the front-rear direction, and the second positioning part AL2 is provided behind the first positioning part AL1.

In this embodiment, each of the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2 is a cylindrical member projecting downward from the lower surface of the bottom plate 11f. The first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2 may be made of a material that is less likely to be damaged. Specifically, for example, stainless steel or the like whose hardness is increased by quenching can be used. As a result, when the head 20 is attached or replaced, it is possible to prevent the head 20 from contacting the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2, thereby preventing damage to the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2. , the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2 can be used for highly accurate positioning.

When the head 20 is inserted into the opening _OP11 , the first leaf spring PS1, the second leaf spring PS2, and the third leaf spring PS3 urge the head 20 in the width direction and the front-rear direction, thereby providing the head 20 with the first positioning. Suppresses contact and abrasion with the portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2 (details will be described later).

The first leaf spring PS1 and the second leaf spring PS2 are provided on the left side of the opening _OP11 , and the third leaf spring PS3 is provided on the right side of the opening _OP11 . The first plate spring PS1 is arranged on the rear side of the first positioning part AL1 so as to apply a rearward biasing force to the head 20 . The second leaf spring PS2 is arranged between the first positioning part AL1 and the first leaf spring PS1 so as to apply a rightward biasing force to the head 20 . The third leaf spring PS3 is arranged on the rear side of the second positioning portion AL2 so as to apply a rearward biasing force to the head 20 . Each of the first leaf spring PS1 to the third leaf spring PS3 can be a general-purpose leaf spring obtained by bending an elastic metal plate or the like.

In this embodiment, the first leaf spring PS1 to the third leaf spring PS3 are provided on both sides of the opening _OP11 in the longitudinal direction of the support member 10 (the width direction of the head system 100). It is not provided on both sides of the opening _OP11 in the hand direction (the front-rear direction of the head system 100). As a result, the dimension of the head system 100 in the front-rear direction becomes small, and it becomes possible to arrange a plurality of head systems 100 in a small area in the transport direction in the printer 1000, so that the medium PM can move in a direction deviated from the transport direction. It is possible to suppress deterioration of image quality that may occur when the sheet is conveyed.

The eccentric bolt EB urges the head 20 inserted into the opening _OP11 toward the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2 to fix the head 20 to the support member 10 (details will be described later).

The eccentric bolt EB is provided at the right rear corner of the opening _OP11 . The eccentric bolt EB has a circular head EBh in plan view and a shaft EBa. Since the rotation axis EBx of the shaft portion EBa is displaced from the center of the head EBh, the position of the outer peripheral surface of the head EBh changes according to the rotation.

The eccentric bolt EB has a biasing position (FIG. 11B) in which the head EBh biases (presses) the head 20, and a non-biasing position (FIG. 12) in which the head EBh does not bias (presses) the head 20. (b)).

The connection unit 12 (FIGS. 3 and 5) includes a hollow plate 121, ten connector sets CNS attached to the hollow plate 121, and two magnets MG ( an example of the second magnetic portion).

The hollow plate 121 has an upper plate 121e, a lower plate 121f, a front plate 121a, a rear plate 121b, a left plate 121c, and a right plate 121d. The upper plate 121e and the lower plate 121f are rectangular plates whose longitudinal direction is the width direction, and face each other in the vertical direction. A front plate 121a, a rear plate 121b, a left plate 121c, and a right plate 121d vertically connect four sides of the upper plate 121e and the lower plate 121f.

As shown in FIG. 5, the ten connector sets CNS are arranged in a zigzag pattern along the width direction. Each of the ten connector sets CNS has an ink supply line connector ISC, an ink discharge line connector IDC, a coolant supply line connector CSC, a coolant discharge line connector CDC, and an electrical wiring connector EWC.

The ink supply tube connector ISC, the ink discharge tube connector IDC, the coolant supply tube connector CSC, and the coolant discharge tube connector CDC have the same structure. As shown in FIG. 6, the ink supply tube connector ISC, the ink discharge tube connector IDC, the coolant supply tube connector CSC, and the coolant discharge tube connector CDC include a cylindrical tube portion T through which ink or coolant flows, and a It includes a pair of upper flanges F1 and a pair of lower flanges F2 projecting radially thereof (FIG. 6). A pair of upper flanges F1 and a pair of lower flanges F2 are flat plates protruding from the tube portion T. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, each of the ink supply tube connector ISC, the ink discharge tube connector IDC, the coolant supply tube connector CSC, and the coolant discharge tube connector CDC has a tube portion T provided on the upper plate 121e and the lower plate 121f. It is provided so as to vertically penetrate the hollow plate 121 through the opening OP ₁₂₁ .

In each of the ink supply tube connector ISC, the ink discharge tube connector IDC, the coolant supply tube connector CSC, and the coolant discharge tube connector CDC, the upper surface of the pair of upper flanges F1 abuts the lower surface of the upper plate 121e, and the pair of lower flanges The lower surface of F2 is in contact with the upper surface of the lower plate 121f. Therefore, the pipes T of the ink supply pipe connector ISC, the ink discharge pipe connector IDC, the coolant supply pipe connector CSC, and the coolant discharge pipe connector CDC are restricted from moving in the vertical direction.

On the other hand, the diameter of the opening OP ₁₂₁ of the upper plate 121e and the lower plate 121f is larger than the outer diameter of the pipeline T. Therefore, the pipes T of the ink supply pipe connector ISC, the ink discharge pipe connector IDC, the coolant supply pipe connector CSC, and the coolant discharge pipe connector CDC are movable in the width direction and the front-rear direction. As an example, the movable distance can be about 0.5 mm to 1 mm.

In each of the ink supply pipe connector ISC, the ink discharge pipe connector IDC, the coolant supply pipe connector CSC, and the coolant discharge pipe connector CDC, an O-ring OR (an example of an elastic sealing member) is provided on the outer periphery near the lower end of the pipe T. is provided.

The electrical wiring connector EWC has a flat box shape, and an electrical wiring connector 24 (described later) of the head 20 is inserted into its lower end. The electric wiring connector EWC is arranged to penetrate the hollow substrate 121 in the vertical direction. Similarly to the ink supply pipe connector ISC, the electrical wiring connector EWC also has a structure having a pair of upper flanges (not shown) and a pair of lower flanges (not shown) protruding from the box-shaped portion, so that it can move vertically. is regulated and attached to the hollow plate 121 in such a manner as to be movable in the width direction and the front-rear direction.

In each of the ten connector sets CNS, an ink supply tube connector ISC and an ink discharge tube connector IDC are provided behind the coolant supply tube connector CSC and the coolant discharge tube connector CDC. An electrical wiring connector EWC is provided behind the connector IDC.

When the head 20 is attached to the support member 10, the magnet MG attracts the head 20 toward the support member 10 by magnetic force to assist the attachment work (details will be described later). In this embodiment, the magnet MG is a neodymium magnet having a plate shape, a block shape, or the like. By arranging the magnet MG on the support member 10 which is larger than the head 20, a larger magnet can be arranged without increasing the size of the apparatus, and a larger magnetic force can be secured. Further, by providing the magnet MG, which is expensive, to the support member 10, which is replaced less frequently than the head 20, an increase in the running cost of the head system 100 can be suppressed.

For each of the ten connector sets CNS, two magnets MG are provided across the width of the ink supply tube connector ISC, the ink discharge tube connector IDC, the coolant supply tube connector CSC, and the coolant discharge tube connector CDC. In this embodiment, the magnets MG are provided on the lower surface of the lower plate 121f of the hollow plate 121, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3, the hollow plate 121 of the connection portion 12 is attached to the upper edges of the front wall 11a, the rear wall 11b, and the separation wall 11p of the base portion 11. As shown in FIG. The base portion 11 and the hollow plate 121 constitute the body portion of the support member 10 . When the support member 10 having the connection portion 12 attached to the base portion ₁₁ is viewed in the vertical direction, one of the ten connector sets CNS and the corresponding Two magnets MG are located which sandwich the connector set CNS. That is, when the support member 10 is viewed from below, ten recesses RC ₁₁ (FIGS. 11A and 12A) having openings OP ₁₁ as openings are arranged in a staggered manner along the width direction. , a connector set CNS and two magnets MG are arranged at the bottom of each of the ten recesses RC ₁₁ .

The support member 10 is supported by the support 100a via the upper ends of the left wall 11c and the right wall 11d of the base portion 11. As shown in FIG. The support member 10 is arranged so that the width direction and the front-rear direction of the head system 100 correspond to the medium width direction and the transport direction of the printer 1000, respectively.

A pipe (not shown) extending from the sub-tank 700 is connected to the upper end of the ink supply pipe connector ISC. A pipe (not shown) extending from the sub-tank 700 is connected to the upper end of the ink discharge pipe connector IDC. A coolant supply pipe (not shown) of the cooling mechanism 800 is connected to the upper end of the coolant supply pipe connector CSC. A coolant discharge pipe (not shown) of the cooling mechanism 800 is connected to the upper end of the coolant discharge pipe connector CDC. The electric wiring connector EWC is connected to the controller CONT via flexible wiring (not shown) and a relay board (not shown).

[Head 20]
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, each of the ten heads 20 mainly includes a channel block 21, a rectangular ejection head 22 in plan view, an ejection control section 23, an electrical wiring connector 24, a frame 25, and a cover 26. have. The frame 25 is fixed to the ejection head 22 with screws.

The channel block 21 has a main body portion 211 and an ink supply pipe IS, an ink discharge pipe ID, a coolant supply pipe CS, and a coolant discharge pipe CD which are provided on the upper part of the main body portion 211 . The ink supply pipe IS, the ink discharge pipe ID, the coolant supply pipe CS, and the coolant discharge pipe CD are all circular pipes.

Inside the body portion 211, there are flow paths for distributing the ink flowing in through the ink supply pipe IS to four manifolds M1 to M4 (FIG. 9) of the ejection head 22, which will be described later, and four manifolds M1 of the ejection head 22. A channel is provided for sending the ink discharged from .about.M4 to the ink discharge pipe ID. The channels may be configured so that ink flows in the same direction in all of the manifolds M1 to M4, and the direction of ink flow in the manifolds M1 and M3 is opposite to the direction of ink flow in the manifolds M2 and M4. It may be configured to be

In addition, the refrigerant that has flowed into the main body 211 through the refrigerant supply pipe CS is sent to the vicinity of the driver IC 233 (described later) of the discharge control unit 23, and is heat-exchanged with the driver IC 233 (that is, the driver IC 233 is cooled). A flow path is provided for sending the coolant whose temperature has risen to the coolant discharge pipe CD.

The ejection head 22 includes a channel member 221 and a piezoelectric actuator 222 (FIGS. 9 and 10).

As shown in FIG. 9, the channel member 221 is rectangular in plan view.

As shown in FIG. 10, the flow path member 221 is a laminated structure in which an ink sealing film 221A, plates 221B to 221E, and a nozzle plate 221F are laminated in this order from above. As shown in FIG. 9 , a channel CH is formed inside the channel member 221 . As an example, the channel member 221 is made of stainless steel (a type that is not suitable for quenching treatment, has high corrosion resistance, and has a low linear expansion coefficient. Specifically, for example, ferritic stainless steel such as SUS430). Corrosion of the flow path member 221 due to the circulation of ink can thereby be suppressed satisfactorily.

The channels CH include eight ink flow ports IP ₂₂ , four manifold channels M1, M2, M3, M4, and 48 individual channels iCH. Each of the four manifold flow paths M1 to M4 is a straight flow path and communicates with the ink flow port _IP22 at both ends. Twelve individual channels iCH are connected to each of the four manifold channels M1 to M4.

Each individual channel iCH includes a pressure chamber 1, a descender channel 2, and a nozzle 3, as shown in FIG. The upper surface of the pressure chamber 1 is formed by an ink sealing film 221A. The descender flow path 2 extends vertically from the pressure chamber 1 toward the nozzle 3 . The nozzles 3 are minute openings that eject ink toward the medium PM, and are formed in the nozzle plate 221F. The lower surface of the nozzle plate 221F is the lower surface of the head 20 and is the nozzle surface 20n. A nozzle row L ₃ (FIG. 9) is formed on the nozzle surface 20n along the direction in which the manifold channels M1 to M4 extend.

As shown in FIG. 10, the piezoelectric actuator 222 includes a first piezoelectric layer L1 provided on the upper surface of the channel unit 221, a second piezoelectric layer L2 above the first piezoelectric layer L1, the first piezoelectric layer L1, and a second piezoelectric layer L2. It is composed of a common electrode cET sandwiched between two piezoelectric layers L2 and a plurality of individual electrodes iET provided on the upper surface of the second piezoelectric layer L2. The plurality of individual electrodes iET are provided on the upper surface of the second piezoelectric layer L2 such that they are positioned above the pressure chambers 1 of the plurality of individual channels iCH. A portion of the second piezoelectric layer L2 sandwiched between the common electrode cET and each of the plurality of individual electrodes iET becomes an active portion AC polarized in the thickness direction.

As shown in FIG. 8, the ejection control unit 23 includes a holding plate 231, an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits, flexible printed circuit board) 232 wound around the holding plate 231, and two driver ICs 233 mounted on the FPC 232. .

A plurality of contacts (not shown) are formed in a portion of the FPC 232 located on the lower surface side of the holding plate 231 . Two driver ICs 233 are mounted on the portion of the FPC 232 located on the upper surface side of the holding plate 231 .

The ejection control unit 23 is arranged on the upper surface of the piezoelectric actuator 222 so that each of the plurality of contacts of the FPC 232 is electrically connected to each of the plurality of individual electrodes iET of the piezoelectric actuator 222 . Thereby, each of the plurality of individual electrodes iET of the piezoelectric actuator 222 is connected to the driver IC 233 via the FPC 232 .

The ejection head 22 is fixed to the lower surface of the channel block 21 . In this state, each of the eight ink circulation ports IP ₂₂ communicates with the channel inside the channel block 21 . The piezoelectric actuator 222 and the ejection control section 23 are arranged inside a concave portion (not shown) provided on the lower surface of the channel block 21 .

The electrical wiring connector 24 (an example of a first electrical connector) has a flat box shape and is provided to the side of the channel block 21 so as to protrude upward from the channel block 21 . The electrical wiring connector 24 is configured such that its upper end can swing relative to its lower end about an axis extending in the horizontal direction of the electrical wiring connector 24 (longitudinal direction of the head 20). This facilitates alignment when inserting the electrical wiring connector 24 into the electrical wiring connector EWC of the support member 10 .

The electrical wiring connector 24 has an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit Board) 241 (an example of a circuit board) inside. A lower end portion of the FPC 241 is connected to the driver IC 233 of the ejection control section 23 .

The frame 25 is a member for positioning and fixing the head 20 to the support member 10 . Frame 25 is provided around channel member 221 .

As shown in FIG. 8, the frame 25 includes a body portion 251 that is rectangular in plan view, and a first protrusion PR1, a second protrusion PR2, a third protrusion PR3, and a fourth protrusion PR4 provided on a side surface 251s of the body portion 251. have.

In this embodiment, the frame 25 is made of the same material as the ejection head 22 . Thus, by forming the ejection head 22 and the frame 25 from the same material (that is, by making the thermal expansion coefficient of the ejection head 22 and the thermal expansion coefficient of the frame 25 the same), the Deformation of the ejection head 22 is suppressed, and changes in the ejection state due to temperature changes are suppressed. Note that the channel member 221 of the ejection head 22 and the frame 25 may be integrally formed.

The main body 251 has a rectangular block shape or a thick plate shape when viewed from the top, and an opening OP ₂₅ having a rectangular shape when viewed from the top is provided in the central portion of the upper surface 251e. The frame 25 is fixed to the ejection head 22 by inserting the ejection head 22 into the opening OP ₂₅ and screwing the ejection head 22 to the frame 25 .

The first protrusion PR1 is provided on one side of the body portion 251 in the longitudinal direction, near one end in the lateral direction. The first protrusion PR1 has a flat plate shape that is square in plan view, and has an upper surface PR1e and a side surface PR1s extending in the vertical direction. The top surface PR1e is flush with the top surface 251e of the body portion 251 .

The second protrusion PR2 is provided on one side of the body portion 251 in the longitudinal direction and on the other end portion in the lateral direction. The second protrusion PR2 has a trapezoidal flat plate shape in a plan view, and has an upper surface PR2e and a side surface PR2s extending in the vertical direction. The upper surface PR2e is flush with the upper surface 251e of the body portion 251. As shown in FIG. The side surface PR2s includes an inclined portion PR2ss that is inclined so as to shift to one side in the width direction as it progresses to one side in the length direction. In this embodiment, the inclined portion PR2ss is inclined 45° with respect to both the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction when viewed in the vertical direction.

The third protrusion PR3 is provided on the other side of the body portion 251 in the longitudinal direction, near the central portion in the lateral direction. The third protrusion PR3 has a flat plate shape that is square in plan view, and has an upper surface PR3e and a side surface PR3s extending along the vertical direction. The upper surface PR3e is flush with the upper surface 251e of the body portion 251 .

The fourth protrusion PR4 is provided on the other side of the body portion 251 in the longitudinal direction, at the other end portion in the lateral direction. The fourth protrusion PR4 has a trapezoidal flat plate shape in a plan view, and has an upper surface PR4e and a side surface PR4s extending in the vertical direction. The upper surface PR4e is flush with the upper surface 251e of the body portion 251 . The side surface PR4s includes an inclined portion PR4ss that is inclined so as to shift to one side in the short direction as it proceeds to the other side in the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the inclined portion PR4ss is inclined 45° with respect to both the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction when viewed in the vertical direction.

The cover 26 prevents liquid from entering the head 20 and protects electrical structures such as the electrical wiring connector 24 . The cover 26 has an upper plate 261 that is rectangular in plan view, and side plate portions 262 that extend downward from the four sides of the upper plate 261 .

The upper plate 261 is provided with an opening OP ₂₆ and a slit SL ₂₆ . The opening OP ₂₆ is provided in the central portion of the upper plate 261 in the longitudinal direction. The slit SL ₂₆ is provided so as to be adjacent to the opening OP ₂₆ in the lateral direction of the upper plate 261 and extend in the longitudinal direction of the upper plate 261 .

Magnetic portions MGP (an example of a first magnetic portion) made of a magnetic material are provided on both sides of the opening OP ₂₆ in the longitudinal direction of the upper plate 261 . As the magnetic material, for example, stainless steel (SUS430) can be used. The upper surface of the magnetic part MGP may be flush with the upper surface of the upper plate 261 or may be above or below the upper surface of the upper plate 261 .

A space surrounded by the upper plate 261 and the side plate portion 262 accommodates the channel block 21 and the electrical wiring connector 24 . The ink supply pipe IS, the ink discharge pipe ID, the coolant supply pipe CS, and the coolant discharge pipe CD of the channel block 21 protrude above the upper plate ₂₆₁ through the opening OP26. The electrical wiring connector 24 protrudes upward from the upper plate 261 through the slit _SL26 . By arranging the ink supply pipe IS and the like between the pair of magnetic parts MGP, it is possible to efficiently arrange the pipes and the magnetic parts without increasing the size of the head 20 .

[Mounting Structure of Head 20 to Support Member 10]
The arrangement of each part in the state where the head 20 is attached to the support member 10 is as shown in FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b).

The head 20 is attached to the support member 10 with its longitudinal direction and lateral direction aligned with the width direction and front-rear direction of the head system 100 .

A portion of the head 20 located above the frame 25 is inserted into the opening OP ₁₁ (recess RC ₁₁ ) of the base portion 11 of the support member 10 and accommodated inside the base portion 11 . The upper surfaces PR1e to PR4e (an example of the head reference portion) of the first to fourth projections PR1 to PR4 of the frame 25 are in contact with the lower surface of the lower plate 11f of the base portion 11 (an example of the support member reference portion). The lower surface of the lower plate 11f of the base portion 11 functions as a reference surface on the support member 10 side in positioning the head 20 in the vertical direction. The upper surfaces PR1e to PR4e of the frame 25 function as reference surfaces on the side of the head 20 in positioning the head 20 in the vertical direction.

The ink supply pipe IS, the ink discharge pipe ID, the coolant supply pipe CS, and the coolant discharge pipe CD of the head 20 are connected to the ink supply pipe connector ISC, the ink discharge pipe connector IDC, the coolant supply pipe connector CSC, and the coolant supply pipe connector CSC of the support member 10, respectively. The lower end of the coolant discharge pipe connector CDC is inserted. The upper end of the electrical wiring connector 24 of the head 20 is inserted into the lower end of the electrical wiring connector EWC of the support member 10 .

The pair of magnets MG of the support member 10 vertically face the pair of magnetic portions MGP provided on the cover 26 of the head 20 with a gap therebetween.

As shown in FIG. 11(b), the eccentric bolt EB provided on the lower surface 11f of the base portion 11 of the support member 10 is in a biasing position in which the head EBh is positioned near the opening _OP11 , and the eccentric bolt EB is in the first position. The inclined portion PR4ss of the side surface PR4s of the four protrusions PR4 is pressed forward left. As a result, a forward-facing region of the side surface PR1s of the first protrusion PR1 and a region of the side surface 251s of the main body 251 facing leftward and located forward of the protrusion PR1 (hereinafter referred to as "first reference region RA1"). ) is in contact with the first positioning portion AL1, and the forward-facing region of the side surface PR3s of the third projection PR3 (hereinafter referred to as “second reference region RA2”) is in contact with the second positioning portion AL2. . The first reference area RA1 and the second reference area RA2 are examples of the "reference portion".

The head 20 is fixed to the support member 10 by being sandwiched between the eccentric bolt EB, the first positioning portion AL1, and the second positioning portion AL2. In this embodiment, the first to fourth protrusions PR1 to PR4 are at the same position in the vertical direction, and the first positioning portion AL1, the second positioning portion AL2 and the leaf springs PS1 to PS3 are at the same position in the vertical direction. Therefore, the head 20 is aligned in the vertical direction, that is, the first positioning portion AL1, the second positioning portion AL2, the first reference area RA1, and the second reference area RA2 are aligned in the horizontal direction (the width direction and the front-rear direction). In the facing state, the leaf springs PS1 to PS3 urge the head 20 in the direction in which the first reference area RA1 and the second reference area RA2 are separated from the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2. ing. The eccentric bolt EB applies to the head 20 an urging force larger than the urging force of the plate springs PS1 to PS3, so that the first reference area RA1 and the second reference area RA2 are brought into contact with the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2. are in contact.

[Method of Attaching Head 20 to Support Member 10]
An example of attaching the head 20 to the support member 10 is as follows.

First, as shown in FIG. 12A, the operator inserts the head 20 into the opening OP ₁₁ (recess RC ₁₁ ) and moves the head 20 upward.

The upward movement of the head 20 is assisted by the attractive force generated between the pair of magnets MG of the support member 10 and the pair of magnetic portions MGP of the cover 26 of the head 20 . A magnetic portion MGP is provided at each of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the head 20, and a magnet MG is provided so as to face each magnetic portion MGP. Therefore, the head 20 is pulled upward with good balance, and the head 20 can be easily maintained in a horizontal state during attachment.

Next, the ink supply pipe IS, the ink discharge pipe ID, the coolant supply pipe CS, and the coolant discharge pipe CD of the head 20 are connected to the ink supply pipe connector ISC, the ink discharge pipe connector IDC, and the coolant supply pipe connector CSC of the support member 10, respectively. , and the lower end of the coolant discharge pipe connector CDC.

In the head system 100 of the present embodiment, the ink supply tube connector ISC, the ink discharge tube connector IDC, the coolant supply tube connector CSC, and the coolant discharge tube connector CDC are arranged in the width direction and the front-rear direction with respect to the base portion 11 of the support member 10, respectively. The movable range is larger than the movable range in the width direction and the front-rear direction of the head 20 within the opening OP ₁₁ (recess RC ₁₁ ). Therefore, the ink supply pipe IS, the ink discharge pipe ID, the coolant supply pipe CS, and the coolant discharge pipe CD of the head 20 inserted into the opening OP ₁₁ (recess RC ₁₁ ) are connected to the ink supply pipe connector ISC and the ink discharge pipe connector IDC. , the coolant supply line connector CSC, and the coolant discharge line connector CDC are easy to align.

When the head 20 is moved upward while inserting each connector of the support member 10 into each tube of the head 20, the first leaf spring PS1 urges the forward-facing region of the side surface PR2s of the second projection PR2 backward. , the second leaf spring PS2 urges the left-facing region of the side surface 251s of the main body 251 rightward, and the third leaf spring PS3 urges the front-facing surface of the fourth protrusion PR4 rearward.

As a result, the first reference area RA1 and the second reference area RA2 of the head 20 moving upward are prevented from coming into contact with the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2 of the support member 10. , the second reference area RA2, the first positioning portion AL1, and the second positioning portion AL2 can be prevented from being scratched or damaged by collision.

Next, the upper surfaces PR1e to PR4e of the first protruding portion PR1 to the fourth protruding portion PR4 of the head 20 are brought into contact with the lower surface of the bottom plate 11f of the base portion 11 of the support member . As a result, the head 20 is positioned in the vertical direction. In this state, there is a gap between the magnet MG and the magnetic portion MGP. Therefore, the vertical positioning of the head 20 can be performed with high accuracy without interference from the magnet MG and the magnetic portion MGP. In this state, the tubes of head 20 are connected to the connectors of support member 10. FIG. In this state, the head 20 continues to receive biasing forces from the leaf springs PS1 to PS3 that separate the first reference area RA1 and the second reference area RA2 from the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2.

The ink supply pipe IS, the ink discharge pipe ID, the coolant supply pipe CS, and the coolant discharge pipe CD are connected to the ink supply pipe connector ISC, the ink discharge pipe connector IDC, the coolant supply pipe connector CSC, and the coolant discharge pipe connector CDC. In this state, deformation (torsion, etc.) of the O-rings OR provided on the ink supply pipe connector ISC, the ink discharge pipe connector IDC, the coolant supply pipe connector CSC, and the coolant discharge pipe connector CDC causes the ink supply pipe IS and the ink discharge. A force is generated that pushes the pipe ID, the coolant supply pipe CS, and the coolant discharge pipe CD downward. In this embodiment, the attractive force generated between the magnet MG and the magnetic portion MGP is larger than the pressing force generated by the deformation of the O-ring OR. The change in the vertical position of is suppressed.

Next, the eccentric bolt EB is rotated by a tool and displaced from the non-biased position shown in FIG. 12(b) to the biased position shown in FIG. 11(b), thereby moving the head EBh forward left. , and the head EBh urge the head 20 forward to the left. As a result, the head 20 moves in the width direction and the front-rear direction, and the first reference area RA1 and the second reference area RA2 come into contact with the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2, thereby moving the head 20 in the width direction and the front-rear direction. Orientation is made.

In this embodiment, the ink supply tube connector ISC, the ink discharge tube connector IDC, the coolant supply tube connector CSC, the coolant discharge tube connector CDC, and the electric wiring connector EWC are arranged in the width direction and the width direction according to the movement of the head 20 for positioning. / Or it is movable in the front-back direction. Therefore, although the head 20 moves slightly in the width direction and the front-rear direction for positioning, the generation of undesirable strain and stress at the joints of each tube and each connector is suppressed.

In this embodiment, the eccentric bolt EB is provided at the corner of the opening _OP11 , and exerts an urging force on the corner of the head 20 which is rectangular in plan view. Therefore, it is possible to satisfactorily bias the head 20 in the width direction and in the longitudinal direction with the single eccentric bolt EB.

The positioned head 20 is sandwiched by the first alignment portion AL1, the second alignment portion AL2, and the eccentric bolt EB, so that the head 20 is positioned with respect to the base portion 11 in the vertical direction, the width direction, and the front-rear direction. fixed in the state.

In this state, the biasing force exerted by the eccentric bolt EB on the head 20 to the front left is greater than the biasing force exerted on the head 20 by the plate springs PS1 to PS3. Therefore, although the head 20 continues to receive the biasing force from the leaf springs PS1 to PS3 that separates the first reference area RA1 and the second reference area RA2 from the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2, It is maintained in a positioned state in the width direction and the front-rear direction.

[Image forming method]
Image formation on the medium PM using the printer 1000 and the head system 100 is performed as follows.

First, the medium PM in a feed tray (not shown) is sent to the transport roller 501 and is sent onto the platen 400 by the transport roller 501 . The plurality of heads 20 of the head unit 100 continuously eject ink droplets onto the medium PM transported in the transport direction by the transport rollers 501 and 502 to form an image on the medium PM. The medium PM on which the image is formed is sent to the downstream side of the transport roller 502 and discharged to a discharge tray (not shown).

Ink droplets are ejected using the head 20 by applying pressure to the ink in the predetermined pressure chambers 1 using the piezoelectric actuator 222 . Ink in the sub-tank 700 is continuously supplied to the pressure chamber 1 through the ink supply pipe connector ISC, the flow channel block 21, the manifolds M1 to M4, and the like. Among the inks in the manifolds M1 to M4, the ink that has not been supplied to the pressure chamber 1 is discharged to the sub-tank 700 via the channel block 21, the ink discharge pipe connector IDC, and the like.

Advantageous effects of the head system 100 of this embodiment are summarized below.

The head system 100 of the present embodiment attracts the head 20 toward the support member 10 by the magnetic force generated between the magnet MG provided on the support member 10 and the magnetic portion MGP provided on the head 20 . can be maintained in a vertically positioned state. Therefore, the operator who attaches the head 20 to the support member 10 can position the head 20 in the horizontal direction (that is, in the width direction and in the front-rear direction) without labor for preventing the head 20 from dropping or being displaced in the vertical direction. can be easily performed.

In the head system 100 of the present embodiment, only by rotating the eccentric bolt EB to bring the first reference area RA1 and the second reference area RA2 of the head 20 into contact with the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2, the head can be adjusted. Horizontal positioning of 20 is particularly easy.

In the head system 100 of this embodiment, the first leaf spring _PS1 to the third leaf spring PS3 are provided around the opening OP11 of the support member 10. When inserting the head 20 into the opening _OP11 , The first leaf spring PS1 to the third leaf spring PS3 urge the first reference area RA1 and the second reference area RA2 of the head 20 in the direction away from the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2. Therefore, it is possible to suppress contact and rubbing between the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2 and the first reference region RA1 and the second reference region RA2 that may occur when the head 20 is inserted into the opening _OP11 . Damage to the first reference area RA1, the second reference area RA2, the first positioning portion AL1, and the second positioning portion AL2 can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress deterioration in positioning accuracy caused by damage to the first reference area RA1, the second reference area RA2, the first positioning portion AL1, and the second positioning portion AL2. As a result, highly accurate positioning with an error of about 1 μm to 2 μm can be achieved.

In the head system 100 of this embodiment, the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2 provided in the support member 10 are made of a material whose hardness can be increased by quenching. It is made of a material that is not suitable for processing but has high corrosion resistance. As a result, the hardness of the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2 provided on the support member 10, which is replaced less frequently than the head 20, is higher than the hardness of the first reference area RA1 and the second reference area RA2 of the head 20. As a result, the positioning of the head 20 can be performed with high accuracy over a long period of time. Furthermore, if the channel member 221 and the frame 25 are made of the same material, the channel member 221 and the frame 25 have the same coefficient of thermal expansion, and the channel member 221 has corrosion resistance suitable for ink circulation. can be formed from a material with a high

Since the head mounting method of the present embodiment uses the head system 100, the same advantageous effects as the head system 100 can be obtained.

<Modification>
The following modifications can also be used in the head system 100 of the above embodiment.

In the head system 100 of the above-described embodiment, the support member 10 is provided with the magnet MG and the head 20 is provided with the magnetic portion MGP, but the present invention is not limited to this. The support member 10 may be provided with the magnetic portion MGP and the head 20 may be provided with the magnet MG, or both the support member 10 and the head 20 may be provided with the magnet MG.

In the head system 100 of the above embodiment, a pair of magnets MG are provided on both sides of the connector set CNS of the support member 10, and a pair of magnetic parts MGP are provided on both sides of the ink supply pipe IS of the head 20, etc. Yes, but not limited to this. The magnet MG may only be arranged on one side of the connector set CNS. Alternatively, by adjusting the arrangement of the connector set CNS, the ink supply pipe IS, etc., the magnetic portion MGP may be provided in the central portion of the head 20 in the longitudinal direction, and the magnet MG may be provided in the support member 10 at a position facing the magnetic portion MGP. good.

In the head system 100 of the above embodiment, the magnet MG is provided on the connection portion 12 of the support member 10 and the magnetic portion MGP is provided on the upper plate 261 of the cover 26 of the head 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. The magnet MG and the magnetic portion MGP can be provided at arbitrary positions so that the magnet MG and the magnetic portion MGP face each other in the vertical direction when the head 20 is attached to the support member 10 .

Specifically, for example, a magnet MG is provided on the bottom plate 11f of the base portion 11 of the support member 10, and projections similar to the first projections PR1 to PR4 project from the side surface 251s of the main body portion 251 on the frame 25 of the head 20. may be provided, and the magnetic portion MGP may be provided on the protrusion. Alternatively, any one of the first projections PR1 to PR4 of the frame 25 may be provided with the magnetic portion MGP.

In the head system 100 of the above-described embodiment, the magnet MG and the magnetic portion MGP are arranged in a state in which the head 20 is attached to the support member 10 so as not to interfere with the positioning of the head 20 in the vertical direction. are provided so as to face each other with a gap, but this is not restrictive. The magnet MG and the magnetic part MGP may be provided so as to contact each other when the vertical positions of the head 20 are aligned. In this case, one surface of the magnet MG and/or one surface of the magnetic portion MGP may be used as a reference surface for positioning the head 20 in the vertical direction. For example, the upper surfaces PR1e to PR4e of the first projection PR1 to the fourth projection PR4 of the frame 25 of the head 20 are the magnetic part MGP, and the magnet MG is placed on the lower surface of the bottom plate 11f of the base part 11 of the support member 10 so as to face the magnetic part MGP. may be provided.

In the head system 100 of the above embodiment, the ink supply tube connector ISC, the ink discharge tube connector IDC, the coolant supply tube connector CSC, the coolant discharge tube connector CDC, and the electric wiring connector EWC are movable in the width direction and the front-rear direction. Although attached to the hollow plate 121 in the manner described above, they may also be immovably fixed to the hollow plate 121 . Also, the electrical wiring connector EWC may be swingable like the electrical wiring connector 24, and the electrical wiring connector 24 may be horizontally movable with respect to the cover 26 like the electrical wiring connector EWC. In addition, the electrical wiring connector 24 may be configured so that neither horizontal movement nor rocking is performed.

In the head system 100 of the above embodiment, the first positioning portion AL1 is provided on the left side of the opening _OP11 , and the second positioning portion AL2 is provided on the right side thereof, but this is not restrictive. The first positioning part AL1 and the second positioning part AL2 can be arranged at arbitrary positions so that the head 20 is positioned in the width direction and/or the front-rear direction by contact with the head 20 . Further, either the first positioning portion AL1 or the second positioning portion AL2 may be omitted, and a positioning portion similar to the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2 may be added to provide three or more positioning portions. may be provided. The number and arrangement of the projections of the frame 25 of the head 20 can be appropriately changed according to the number and arrangement of the positioning sections so that the reference areas abut against the positioning sections.

In the head system 100 of the above embodiment, the first leaf spring PS1 and the second leaf spring PS2 are provided on the left side of the opening _OP11 , and the third leaf spring PS3 is provided on the right side. Not limited. Around the opening _OP11 , when the head 20 is inserted into the opening _OP11 (recess _RC11 ), the first reference area RA1 and the second reference area RA2 are separated from the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2. Any number of leaf springs can be provided in any arrangement so as to be biased to

Instead of or in addition to the first leaf spring PS1 to the third leaf spring PS3, the head 20 (for example, the cover 26) is provided with leaf springs that perform the same functions as the first leaf spring PS1 to the third leaf spring PS3. may be provided.

In the first leaf spring PS1 to the third leaf spring PS3, instead of the leaf springs, arbitrary biasing members such as coil springs that apply an elastic biasing force may be used. Alternatively, magnets may be used instead of leaf springs for magnetic biasing. In this case, for example, magnets of the same polarity are arranged on the support member 10 and the head 20 .

In the head system 100 of the above embodiment, the eccentric bolt EB is provided at the right rear corner of the opening _OP11 , but the present invention is not limited to this. The eccentric bolt EB can be placed at any position so as to urge the head 20 so that the first reference area RA and the second reference area RA2 come into contact with the first positioning portion AL1 and the second positioning portion AL2 at the urging position. can be set.

In the head system 100 of the above-described embodiment, a tapered bolt having a tapered head whose outer diameter increases toward the top may be used instead of the eccentric bolt EB. As with the eccentric bolt, the taper bolt also changes the position of the outer circumference of the head according to rotation, and shifts between the biased position and the non-biased position.

In the head system 100 of the above embodiment, the upper surfaces PR1e to PR4e of the first projections PR1 to PR4 of the frame 25 are the reference surfaces on the head 20 side, and the lower surface of the lower plate 11f of the base portion 11 is the support member 10 side. Although the vertical position of the head 20 is determined by abutting these as reference surfaces, the present invention is not limited to this. The reference portion for positioning the vertical position of the head 20 is not limited to a planar portion, and may be a linear or point-like portion.

In the head system 100 of the above embodiment, the magnet MG and the magnetic part MGP may be omitted.

In the above, the embodiment and the modified example have been described by exemplifying the case where ink is ejected from the head system 100 to form an image on the medium PM. The head system 100 may be a liquid ejection system that ejects any liquid for image formation, and the medium PM on which an image is formed may be, for example, paper, cloth, resin, or the like. Also, the head system 100 may be used as a head system for a serial head type printer.

The embodiments described herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. For example, the number, configuration, etc. of head systems 100 in printer 1000 may vary. The number of colors that can be printed simultaneously by the printing apparatus 1000 is not limited, and the configuration may be such that only single-color printing is possible. Also, the number, arrangement, etc. of the individual channels iCH can be changed as appropriate. Also, the technical features described in each embodiment and modifications can be combined with each other.

As long as the features of the present invention are maintained, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and other forms conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention. be

10 Supporting member 20 Head 21 Channel block 22 Ejection head 23 Ejection control unit 24 Electrical wiring connector 25 Frame 26 Cover 100 Head system 1000 Printer AL1 First positioning unit AL2 Second positioning unit MG Magnet MGP Magnetic unit OP ₁₁ Opening PR1 First Protrusion PR2 Second protrusion PR3 Third protrusion PR4 Fourth protrusion PS1 First leaf spring PS2 Second leaf spring PS3 Third leaf spring RA1 First reference area RA2 Second reference area RC ₁₁ concave portion

Claims (18)

a head;
A head system comprising a head support member to which the head is attached from below,
The head is
a supply pipe for supplying liquid to the head;
a nozzle for ejecting the liquid from the head;
a nozzle surface on which the nozzle is formed;
a reference portion provided outside the nozzle surface viewed from above,
The head support member
a body portion having a head accommodating recess opening downward;
a connecting pipe for circulating the liquid;
a positioning portion protruding downward from the lower surface of the main body;
a first biasing member movable between a biasing position biasing the head so that the reference portion contacts the positioning portion and a non-biasing position not biasing the head;
When the head is inserted into the recess with the supply pipe and the connection pipe aligned as viewed from above, the head is moved in a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the head so that the reference portion is aligned with the further comprising a second biasing member biasing away from the positioning portion;
A head system in which a force with which the first biasing member in the biasing position biases the head is greater than a force with which the second biasing member biases the head. the connection pipe is held by the main body so that movement in the vertical direction is restrained and the connection pipe is movable relative to the main body in the horizontal direction;
2. The head system according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal movable range of the connection pipe is larger than the horizontal movable range of the head housed in the head housing recess. the head has a circuit board with a first electrical connector;
the head support member has a downwardly facing second electrical connector;
the first electrical connector is pivotable or horizontally movable within the head and/or the second electrical connector is pivotable or horizontally movable within the head support member;
3. The head system according to claim 1, wherein the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are coupled in a state in which the head is attached to the head support member. The head is
a channel member having a channel including the nozzle;
a frame fixed to the flow path member and having the reference portion;
4. The head system according to claim 1, wherein the channel member and the reference portion are made of the same material. 5. The head system according to claim 4, wherein the material forming the channel member and the frame is a material that does not undergo surface hardening due to baking. 6. The head system according to claim 4, wherein hardness of said positioning portion is higher than that of said reference portion. the body portion of the head support member has a longitudinal shape with a dimension in a first direction that is larger than a dimension in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction when viewed from above;
the head accommodating recess includes a plurality of recesses arranged in a zigzag pattern along the first direction of the main body;
the second biasing member is provided on the body portion of the head support member,
The second biasing member is provided on at least one side of each of the plurality of recesses in the first direction, and is not provided on both sides of each of the plurality of recesses in the second direction. 7. The head system according to any one of 1-6. The frame has a first projection and a second projection that project to one side in the first direction when the head is housed in the head housing recess,
a surface of the first projection facing one side in the second direction when the head is housed in the head housing recess is the reference portion;
8. The head system according to claim 7, wherein said second biasing member has a first member biasing said second projection toward the other side in said second direction. 9. The head system according to claim 8, wherein said second biasing member has a second member biasing said head in the other side of said first direction. the frame has a third projection and a fourth projection that project toward the other side in the first direction when the head is accommodated in the head accommodation recess;
a surface of the third projection facing the one side in the second direction when the head is housed in the head housing recess is the reference portion;
10. The head system according to claim 9, wherein said second biasing member has a third member biasing said fourth projection toward said other side in said second direction. 11. Any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the first biasing member is provided at a corner of at least one of the plurality of recesses on one side in the first direction and the other side in the second direction of the recess. or the head system according to claim 1. The head system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein said first biasing member is an eccentric bolt. The head system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein said second biasing member is a leaf spring. The head is
a first magnetic part;
a head reference portion facing upward;
The head support member
a second magnetic part;
a downward facing support member reference portion;
At least one of the first magnetic portion and the second magnetic portion includes a magnet,
2. A state in which said head is attached to said head support member, said first magnetic portion and said second magnetic portion face each other in the vertical direction, and said head reference portion and said support member reference portion are in contact with each other. Head system according to any one of 1 to 13 A head attachment method for attaching a head to a head support member, comprising:
The head is
a supply pipe for supplying liquid to the head;
a nozzle for ejecting the liquid from the head;
a nozzle surface on which the nozzle is formed;
a reference portion provided outside the nozzle surface viewed from above,
The head support member
a body portion having a head accommodating recess opening downward;
a connecting pipe for circulating the liquid;
a positioning portion protruding downward from the lower surface of the main body,
When the head is inserted into the head housing recess with the supply pipe and the connection pipe aligned when viewed from above, the head is moved to the reference portion in a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the head. performing a first bias that biases away from the positioning portion;
The method includes performing a second bias that biases the head with a force greater than the first bias to bring the reference portion into contact with the positioning portion while maintaining the first bias. the connection pipe is held by the main body so that movement in the vertical direction is restrained and the connection pipe is movable relative to the main body in the horizontal direction;
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising moving the head and the connecting tube as a unit in the horizontal direction. the head has a circuit board with a first electrical connector;
the head support member has a downwardly facing second electrical connector;
the first electrical connector is horizontally movable within the head and/or the second electrical connector is horizontally movable within the head support member;
17. The method of claim 15 or 16, further comprising mating the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector. The head is
a first magnetic part;
a head reference portion facing upward;
The head support member
a second magnetic part;
a downward facing support member reference portion;
At least one of the first magnetic portion and the second magnetic portion includes a magnet,
moving the head upward toward the head support member while the first magnetic portion and the second magnetic portion face each other in the vertical direction when the head is inserted into the head accommodating recess;
18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, further comprising abutting said head reference portion and said support member reference portion.

Images