JP3126569B2 - Ink jet head, ink jet head cartridge and ink jet device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink-jet head used in an ink-jet apparatus for performing recording by discharging a recording liquid (ink or the like) as flying droplets from a discharge port and attaching the liquid to a recording medium. The present invention relates to an inkjet head cartridge and an inkjet apparatus, and more particularly to an inkjet head, an inkjet head cartridge, and an inkjet apparatus for color printing. In the present invention, “recording” is used as a term that includes printing on cloth, plastic, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional ink jet head is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6 (a view from the side of the bonding surface with the substrate) and FIG. 6 (a perspective view from the opposite side of the discharge port), a concave portion 1118 for forming a common liquid chamber for holding ink, and discharge of ink A plurality of discharge ports 1105, and a common liquid chamber and each discharge port 1
A top plate (grooved member) 1120 composed of an ink flow path 1106 communicating with the ink path 105 and an electrothermal converter (not shown) for giving ejection energy to ink in the ink flow path is provided in each ink flow path 1106. It is configured by bonding correspondingly formed silicon substrates 1119. Further, a drive circuit for driving the electrothermal transducer is built in the silicon substrate 1119, and this drive circuit is
It is electrically connected to a wire bonding pad 1122 formed at an end of the terminal 119. The silicon substrate 1119 is bonded to an aluminum plate 1121 for radiating heat from the silicon substrate 1119 with an adhesive having good heat conductivity. Aluminum plate 1121 has
A wiring board 1125 for relaying signals between the drive circuit and the ink jet recording apparatus is fixed, and terminals of the wiring board 1125 and wire bonding pads 1122 of the silicon substrate 1119 are electrically connected via bonding wires 1123. It is connected.

On the other hand, when performing color printing, as shown in FIG. 7, an ink jet unit 1101 in which a plurality of ink jet heads 1102 for ejecting inks of different colors are arranged. However, in this case, although there is an advantage that high-speed printing is possible, it is difficult to reduce the size of the apparatus because a plurality of inkjet heads 1102 are used, and the cost increases by the number of inkjet heads 1102. .

Therefore, the same common liquid chamber is divided into a plurality of parts, an ink flow path is formed for each common liquid chamber, and ink of a different color is supplied to each of the divided common liquid chambers to form one ink jet. A compact and inexpensive ink jet head capable of performing color printing with the head has been considered. In this case, it is necessary to surely separate the common liquid chambers so that the ink does not flow out to the adjacent common liquid chambers. For this reason, on the joint surface of the divided wall of the common liquid chamber with the silicon substrate, the end opposite to the discharge side end from the discharge port end where the line of the ink flow path between the common liquid chambers is located The common liquid chambers are separated by a method of forming a separation groove (hereinafter referred to as a “separation groove”) over the portion and injecting a sealing resin into the separation groove.

[0005]

However, when the sealing resin is poured into the separation groove, it is necessary to ensure that the sealing resin stops at the separation groove and does not flow into the ink flow path. As a result of the study, unless the injection amount of the sealing resin is reduced to an extremely small amount, the sealing resin flows into the ink flow path, and as a result, there is a problem that the yield is reduced.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and has an ink jet head, an ink jet head cartridge, and an ink jet head, which can prevent the ink from flowing into an ink flow path when a sealing resin is injected. It is intended to provide a device.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a substrate on which a plurality of energy generating elements for generating energy for discharging ink are arranged in parallel, and a plurality of energy generating elements for discharging ink. An ejection port, a plurality of recesses forming walls of a plurality of common liquid chambers for temporarily holding ink supplied to the respective ejection ports, and a plurality of recesses corresponding to the positions of the energy generating elements. A plurality of ink flow paths for communicating the concave portion and the respective discharge ports are formed on the bonding surface side with the substrate, and from the end on the side where the discharge port is disposed between the concave portions. Extending to the end opposite to the side where the discharge port is arranged, a separation groove filled with a sealant therein is disposed, and at the discharge port side end between the recesses, the separation groove is formed with a plurality, in the discharge port-side end portion Some position of said recess of Hanaremizo vicinity
A grooved member having a reservoir for the sealant formed therein, or a wall forming a separation groove at an end on the discharge port side between the concave portions extending into the concave portion. There may be.

Further, the separation groove at the end of the discharge port between the concave portions may communicate with the outside.

The energy generating element is an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy for discharging ink.

[0010] The sealant is a moisture-absorbing curable resin, for example, a silicone resin.

In the ink jet head of the present invention, it is conceivable that different colors of ink are supplied to the respective common liquid chambers.

[0012] The present invention further comprises an ink jet cartridge having the above-structured ink jet head, a storage container for holding ink to be supplied to the ink jet head, and an ink jet head having the above structure, wherein the ink is ejected from the ink jet head based on a recording signal. An ink jet apparatus that performs recording by discharging from an outlet also belongs to the present invention.

[0013]

In the present invention configured as described above, when the grooved member and the substrate are joined and the common liquid chamber is reliably separated, the discharge port between the concave portions constituting the common liquid chamber is formed. When the sealing resin is injected from the separation groove on the side opposite to the arranged side (hereinafter, also referred to as “rear end”), the sealing resin is provided with a plurality of separation grooves (hereinafter, referred to as “separation grooves”) at the discharge port side end between the recesses. , "Dummy nozzles"). At this time, the sealing resin is sequentially injected into the separation groove adjacent to the separation groove which is first injected at the discharge port side end portion, but inside the recess near the separation groove at the discharge port side end portion. Since the resin pool is formed in one portion of the sealing resin, the sealing resin that is going to sequentially flow into the adjacent separation groove is injected and stored in the resin pool. For this reason, it becomes difficult for the sealing resin to be injected into the row of the ink flow paths.

Further, by extending the wall forming the separation groove at the end on the discharge port side between the concave portions into the concave portion, the sealing resin which is going to wrap around to the adjacent separation groove is easily stopped. Become.

Therefore, when the sealing resin is poured into the separation groove in order to separate the common liquid chambers, the sealing resin is reliably stopped at the separation groove and does not flow into the ink flow path. The production yield is not deteriorated.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grooved member constituting one embodiment of the ink jet head of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a characteristic of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view showing a chamber separation groove, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the ink jet head of the present invention.

The ink jet recording head in this embodiment is constituted by using the grooved member shown in FIG.

The grooved member shown in FIG. 1 has a bonding surface A for bonding to a silicon substrate (not shown) on which an electrothermal converter for applying ejection energy to ink is formed, and an orifice plate intersecting with the bonding surface A. 160, a plurality of recesses 180 serving as a common liquid chamber for holding ink in the joint surface A.
And a plurality of ink flow paths 100 corresponding to the respective recesses 180, and the orifice plate 160 is formed with discharge ports for discharging ink from the respective ink flow paths 100. Then, between the concave portions 180, the adjacent concave portions 180
The common liquid chamber separation groove wall 150 is provided on the joint surface A of the common liquid chamber separation groove wall 150.
30 are formed.

As shown in FIG. 2, seven dummy nozzles 110 are arranged between the plurality of ink flow paths 100 adjacent to each other. That is, the dummy nozzles 110 are arranged at the same interval as the groove pitch of the ink flow path 100, and the dummy nozzle 110 located at the center of the
The common liquid chamber separation groove 13 having a width of two groove pitches of 00
0, and three dummy nozzles 110 are formed symmetrically about the center dummy nozzle 110 at the same width as the groove pitch of the ink flow path 100.

In the orifice plate 160, a hole 120 is formed for each dummy nozzle 110, and a groove 125 which is connected to the hole 120 formed in the central dummy nozzle 110 is formed.

Furthermore, the partition wall between the third dummy nozzle 110 and the fourth dummy nozzle 110 counted from the central dummy nozzle 110 connected to the common liquid chamber separation groove 130 toward the ink flow path 100 is common. A liquid chamber separation groove wall 140 extends inside the liquid chamber 180. A sealing resin reservoir 145 is formed in the depth direction of the common liquid chamber 180 between the liquid chamber separation groove wall 140 and the common liquid chamber separation groove wall.

As shown in FIG. 3, a silicon substrate 19 provided with an electrothermal converter incorporating a driving circuit is formed on the grooved top plate 20 having the above-described configuration from the bonding surface A shown in FIG. The aluminum plate 21 is bonded to the silicon substrate 19 with an adhesive having good thermal conductivity, thereby completing the ink jet head of this embodiment.
The aluminum plate 21 radiates heat from the silicon substrate 19.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

In the ink jet head shown in FIG. 3, when a sealant is injected into the common liquid chamber separation groove 130 between the common liquid chambers 180, the sealant is dispensed with a dispenser to form a grooved top plate as a grooved member. 20 is applied onto the silicon substrate 19 at the mounting agent injection port 170. The applied sealant flows through the common liquid chamber separation groove 130 by capillary action and reaches the dummy nozzle 110.

In this case, the sealant is first injected only into the central dummy nozzle 110. Then, after the central dummy nozzle 110 has been filled with the sealant,
The sealant overflows from the vicinity of the common liquid chamber separation groove wall of the central dummy nozzle 110, and then the central dummy nozzle 11
It overflows from the dummy nozzle 110 adjacent to 0 and is sequentially injected into the adjacent dummy nozzle 110. Ultimately, the sealant needs to stop at the seven dummy nozzles 110.

Therefore, when the sealant is injected, the pool of the sealant that overflows from the common liquid chamber 180 side of the dummy nozzle 110 adjacent to the central dummy nozzle 110 and is injected into the adjacent dummy nozzle 110 is removed by the dummy nozzle 110. Nearby common liquid chamber 1
The sealing agent overflowing from the dummy nozzle 110 is injected into the sealing resin reservoir 145 by forming a portion of the inside of the nozzle 80 by engraving in the depth direction of the liquid chamber, that is, by providing the sealing resin reservoir 145. As a result, it becomes difficult to inject the ink into the ink flow path 100.

Further, when the sealing agent is sequentially injected from the central dummy nozzle 110 to the adjacent dummy nozzle 110, the sealing resin must not eventually flow into the ink flow path 100. . Therefore, in this embodiment,
The partition wall between the third dummy nozzle 110 and the fourth dummy nozzle 110 counted from the center dummy nozzle 110 toward the ink flow path 100 is extended into the common liquid chamber 180. This makes it easier for the sealing resin to stop at the third dummy nozzle 110, so that the sealing resin is not injected into the fourth dummy nozzle 110 adjacent to the ink flow path 100 and does not flow into the ink flow path 100. .

Further, when the sealant is injected into the dummy nozzles 110, the holes 120 are formed in the orifice plate 160 for each dummy nozzle 110, so that the air escapes when the sealant is injected into the dummy nozzles 110. The sealant easily reaches the orifice plate 160. The sealing agent that has reached each dummy nozzle 110 does not come out on the surface of the orifice plate 160 due to surface tension at the hole 120 of the orifice plate 160, and the sealing agent is further removed from the orifice plate of the dummy nozzle portion and the silicon substrate. Injected in between.

Therefore, in this embodiment, a plurality of common liquid chambers are provided, and a sealing resin injection groove for separation is provided between the common liquid chambers. A similar dummy nozzle is provided to form a wall that prevents the sealing resin from flowing into the ink flow path, and furthermore, a hole is formed in the orifice plate of the dummy nozzle to allow air inside to escape when the sealant is injected. Therefore, in an ink jet head provided with a grooved member that ensures that the sealant reaches the orifice plate, a plurality of dummy nozzles are formed, and a part of the common liquid chamber near the dummy nozzle is formed in the depth direction of the liquid chamber. By providing a sealant pool by engraving,
Separation of each common liquid chamber can be reliably performed without the sealant sneaking into the ink flow path side. Further, the wall between the third and fourth nozzles inside the first nozzle from the dummy nozzle adjacent to the ink flow path can be removed. The sealant is easily extended to the inside of the common liquid chamber and provided with the sealant so that the sealant can easily stop at the third dummy nozzle. The yield can be improved.

Next, the ink jet device of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the ink jet apparatus of the present invention.

In FIG. 4, the lead screw 5004 in which the spiral groove 5005 is cut is driven to rotate via driving force transmission gears 5009 and 5011 in conjunction with forward and reverse rotation of the driving motor 5013. The carriage HC is engaged with the spiral groove 5005 by a pin (not shown), and is slidably guided by the guide rail 5003, so that the carriage HC can reciprocate in the directions indicated by arrows a and b. I have. An ink jet head cartridge 5030 in which an ink jet head having the same configuration as that shown in each of the above-described embodiments and a liquid storage container that holds ink to be supplied to the ink jet head is integrally mounted on the carriage HC. Have been. Paper holding plate 500
2 presses the recording medium P against the platen roller 5000 over the moving direction of the carriage HC. The photocouplers 5007 and 5008 confirm the presence of the lever 5006 of the carriage HC in this area, and
A home position detecting means for reversing the rotation direction of the motor 13 is constructed. A cap member 5022 for capping the front surface of the inkjet head includes a support member 501.
6, further provided with suction means 5015,
The suction recovery of the ink jet head is performed through the opening 5023 in the cap. The main body support plate 5018 has a support plate 5
A cleaning blade 5017 slidably supported by the support plate 5019 is moved in the front-rear direction by driving means (not shown). The form of the cleaning blade 5017 is not limited to the illustrated one, and it is needless to say that a known one can be applied to this embodiment. The lever 5021 is used to start the suction recovery operation, and moves with the movement of the cam 5020 abutting on the carriage HC, and the driving force from the driving motor 5013 is transmitted by a known transmission means such as a gear 5010 or clutch switching. Movement is controlled.

The capping, cleaning, and suction recovery processes are performed at corresponding positions by the action of the lead screw 5004 when the carriage HC reaches the home position side area. If a desired operation is performed at a known timing, any of the embodiments can be applied.

The present invention includes a means (for example, an electrothermal converter or a laser beam) for generating thermal energy as energy used for performing ink ejection, particularly in an ink jet recording system. The present invention provides an excellent effect in a recording head and a recording apparatus of a type that causes a change in the state of ink.

The typical configuration and principle are described in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740.
It is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent No. 796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and the continuous type. In particular, in the case of the on-demand type, liquid (ink)
By applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the recorded information and providing a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling to an electrothermal transducer arranged corresponding to the sheet or liquid path in which , Heat energy is generated in the electrothermal transducer, and the film is boiled on the heat-acting surface of the recording head.
As a result, air bubbles in the liquid (ink) can be formed in one-to-one correspondence with the drive signal, which is effective. The growth of this bubble,
The liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection opening by contraction to form at least one droplet. When the drive signal is formed into a pulse shape, the growth and shrinkage of the bubble are performed immediately and appropriately, so that the ejection of liquid (ink) having particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved, which is more preferable. Examples of the drive signal in the form of a pulse include those described in U.S. Pat.
Suitable are those described in US Pat. No. 45,262. If the conditions described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,124 relating to the temperature rise rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed. As a configuration of the recording head, in addition to the combination configuration (a linear liquid flow path or a right-angled liquid flow path) of a discharge port, a liquid path, and an electrothermal converter as disclosed in each of the above-mentioned specifications, a heat acting section U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 and U.S. Pat.
The configuration using the specification of No. 00 is also included in the present invention. In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 123670/1984 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of an electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and an aperture for absorbing pressure waves of thermal energy. The present invention is also effective as a configuration based on Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-138461, which discloses a configuration corresponding to a discharge unit.

It is preferable to add recovery means for the recording head, preliminary auxiliary means, and the like provided as components of the recording apparatus of the present invention since the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. More specifically, pre-heating of the recording head by a capping unit, a cleaning unit, a pressurizing or suctioning unit, an electrothermal converter, another heating element, or a combination thereof. It is also effective to perform a preliminary ejection mode in which ejection is performed separately from the means and printing to perform stable printing.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of recesses serving as a common liquid chamber for holding ink, a plurality of ink flow paths for each of the recesses, and an ink discharge port for each of the ink flow paths are formed. The grooved member is formed by joining a plurality of energy generating elements that generate ejection energy to a substrate formed corresponding to each of the ink flow paths. A separation groove is formed from an end on the discharge port side to an end opposite to the end on the discharge side, and the separation groove is filled with resin to separate a common liquid chamber. By providing a sealant reservoir in one portion in the recess near the plurality of separation grooves at the discharge port side end of the common liquid chamber, separation of the common liquid chamber is ensured without the sealant flowing around the ink flow path. Can be performed reliably, and furthermore, Since the wall forming the separation groove at the end on the discharge port side between the portions extends into the concave portion to provide the sealant with the overflow, the sealant is easily stopped by the overflow and the ink is easily stopped. Separation of each common liquid chamber is performed more reliably without sneaking into the flow path side, and the yield is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grooved member constituting one embodiment of an ink jet head of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view showing a plurality of liquid chamber separation grooves of a nozzle portion of the grooved member shown in FIG. 1, which is a feature of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the ink jet head of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the ink jet device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a conventional inkjet head.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a conventional inkjet head.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a conventional ink jet unit for color printing.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 ink flow channel 110 dummy nozzle 120 hole 125 groove 130 common liquid chamber separation groove 140 liquid chamber separation groove wall 145 sealing resin reservoir 150 common liquid chamber separation groove wall 160 orifice plate 170 encapsulant injection port 180 recess 19 silicon substrate 20 groove Top plate 21 Aluminum plate 5000 Platen roller 5002 Paper press plate 5003 Guide rail 5004 Lead screw 5005 Spiral groove 5006, 5021 Lever 5007, 5008 Photocoupler 5009, 5011 Driving force transmission gear 5010 Gear 5013 Driving motor 5015 Suction means 5016 Support member 5018 Main body support plate 5019 Support plate 5020 Cam 5022 Cap member 5023 Opening in cap 5030 Inkjet head cartridge HC carriage P Recording medium

Claims (9)

(57) [Claims] 1. A substrate on which a plurality of energy generating elements for generating energy for discharging ink are arranged in parallel, a plurality of discharge ports from which ink is discharged, and ink supplied to each of the discharge ports. A plurality of recesses constituting walls of a plurality of common liquid chambers to be temporarily held, and a plurality of inks for communicating the recesses and the discharge ports for each of the recesses, corresponding to the positions of the energy generating elements. The flow path is formed on the bonding surface side with the substrate, and between the concave portions, from the end on the side where the discharge ports are arranged to the end on the side opposite to the side where the discharge ports are arranged. extending, arranged separation groove sealing agent inside is filled, the discharge port-side end portion between the recesses
The isolation trench is formed in plural, the part position of the recess of the separation groove vicinity of the discharge port-side end portion in the
A grooved member having a sealing agent reservoir formed therein. 2. The ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein a wall forming a separation groove at an end on the discharge port side between the concave portions extends into the concave portion. 3. The ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein a separation groove at an end of the discharge port between the recesses communicates with the outside. 4. The ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein the energy generating element is an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy for discharging ink. 5. The ink jet head according to claim 4, wherein said sealant is a moisture-absorbing curable resin. 6. The ink jet head according to claim 5, wherein said sealant is a silicone resin. 7. The common liquid chambers are supplied with inks of different colors, respectively.
Ink jet head according to any one of the above. 8. An ink jet head cartridge comprising the ink jet head according to claim 1, and a storage container for holding ink to be supplied to the ink jet head. 9. An ink jet apparatus comprising: the ink jet head according to claim 1; and ink jetting from an ejection port of the ink jet head to perform recording based on a recording signal.