JP3134596B2 - Contact electrode connection device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a contact electrode connecting device in which a large number of contact electrodes provided on the surface of a flexible substrate are pressed against opposing electrodes arranged opposite to the respective contact electrodes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art This type of contact electrode connecting device is, for example,
It is used for connecting a head of an ink jet printer and a flexible circuit as described in JP-A-3-101944.

In this ink jet printer, a number of nozzles are arranged in a head, and a heating resistor is provided at the back of each nozzle. If ink is supplied to the vicinity of each heating resistor and a predetermined heating resistor is energized, the ink near the heated heating resistor is heated to a boiling state and ejected from a nozzle corresponding to print information.

[0004] Here, since the head always moves, current is supplied to each heating resistor via a flexible circuit in which a conductive pattern is formed on a flexible resin substrate. Also,
Since it is necessary to replace the head every time all the ink contained in the head is consumed, the head is detachably fixed to the carriage. The energization of each heating resistor is performed by bringing a counter electrode provided on the head surface into contact with a contact electrode provided on the flexible circuit surface.

In such a contact electrode connecting device for a printer, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-234942, the resin substrate of the flexible circuit is raised from the surface of the substrate at the portion where the contact electrodes are provided. In addition, the contact electrode is easily brought into contact with the counter electrode. On the other hand, the carriage
A support plate facing the head is provided with the flexible circuit interposed therebetween, and a rubber protrusion that contacts the flexible circuit from behind each contact electrode is formed on the surface of the support plate. By doing so, each contact electrode and the counter electrode are held in a pressed state.

[0006]

However, in this type of contact electrode connecting device, when the resin substrate of the flexible circuit is plastically deformed by heat or an external force, the following problem occurs. That is, when the resin substrate undergoes plastic deformation and loses planarity, the height of the contact electrode with respect to the average substrate surface varies. When the variation is within a certain range, each contact electrode can be brought into contact with the counter electrode by pressing each contact electrode from behind via the protrusion. However, when the plastic deformation of the resin substrate becomes severe, a large stress is applied to the protrusion disposed behind the lowered contact electrode. As a result, the contact electrode cannot be brought into contact with the counter electrode only by the pressing force of the projection, and a contact failure occurs.

Therefore, conventionally, a guide member having a linear groove is provided near the contact electrode, and an edge of the resin substrate is inserted into the groove of the guide member, for example, when processing the projecting portion of the resin substrate. It has been practiced to suppress plastic deformation caused by aging. However, the work of attaching this type of guide member is a fine work, and has been an obstacle to a reduction in manufacturing cost. Further, even if the edge is held linearly by the guide member, plastic deformation may remain in the vicinity of the contact electrode, and the contact failure cannot be sufficiently prevented.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a contact electrode connecting device which can easily prevent plastic deformation of a substrate and can prevent poor contact of a contact electrode.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention, which has been made to achieve the above object, has a structure in which a large number of contact electrodes provided on the surface of a flexible substrate are provided on a counter electrode provided opposite to each of the contact electrodes. A contact electrode connection device to be pressed, and an elastic member having an end face in a shape closely contacting the back surface of the portion of each of the contact electrodes of the substrate and a portion between the contact electrodes,
A holding member that holds a state in which the elastic member is pressed in the direction of the counter electrode , wherein one of the substrates has a convex surface and the other has a convex surface.
A projection with a concave side is formed.
Is formed with the contact electrode, and the elastic member has the concave portion.
The protrusion fitted on the surface and the substrate between the protrusions
Is formed integrally with each other.

[0010]

According to another aspect of the present invention, a large number of contact electrodes are provided on the surface of a substrate provided on one of a head and a carriage of an ink jet printer, and opposed electrodes are provided on the other side in opposition to the respective contact electrodes. A contact electrode connecting device, formed on the substrate, one having a convex surface and the other having a concave surface, the convex surface having a plurality of projections on which the respective contact electrodes are formed, and a concave surface of each of the projections. An elastic member integrally formed with a number of protrusions that fit together and a portion along the substrate between the protrusions, and a holding member that holds a state where the elastic member is compressed when the head is mounted on a carriage. And characterized in that:

[0012]

According to the present invention having the above-described structure, the elastic member is in close contact with the back surface of the portion of each contact electrode of the plastic substrate and the portion between the contact electrodes. For this reason, plastic deformation of the substrate is well prevented, and the substrate near the contact electrode is also kept in the initial shape along the end surface of the elastic member. Further, even if the substrate undergoes plastic deformation, the state in which the elastic member is pressed in the direction of the substrate is held by the holding member, so that the pressing force causes the substrate to have an initial shape along the end surface of the elastic member. Become. In addition, the protrusion of the elastic member
The above shape related to the position of the contact electrode because the raised part fits
Are better retained. Further, since the elastic members are provided behind the respective contact electrodes, even if the contact electrodes have some variation in height, the variation can be absorbed by the elasticity of the elastic member. Further, when the present invention is used, a guide member or the like is not required, and plastic deformation of the substrate can be prevented only by sequentially disposing the holding member, the elastic member, and the substrate.

[0013]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a contact electrode connecting device 1 according to an embodiment. The contact electrode connecting device 1 of the present embodiment
Is provided between a head and a carriage of an ink jet printer (not shown),
0, the contact electrode 31 provided on the surface of the head-side substrate 50 exposed on the head surface.
It is held in a state of being pressed against.

The resin substrate 33 of the flexible circuit 30
A hemispherical protruding portion 35 protruding toward the head-side substrate 50 is formed at a position where each contact electrode 31 is provided, which is formed of a plastic resin. Each contact electrode 31 is formed in a substantially hemispherical shape along the shape of the convex surface 35a of the protruding portion 35.

The contact electrode connecting device 1 includes a projection 3a having a convex end face fitted into the concave surface 35b of each projection 35;
A soft rubber molded body 3 integrally formed with a flat portion 3b having a substantially flat end surface along the resin substrate 33 between the adjacent protruding portions 35, and a flat plate-shaped member abutting the molded body 3 from behind. And a holding plate 5 made of a hard synthetic resin.
The thickness of the holding plate 5 is designed so that the molded body 3 is slightly compressed when the head is mounted on the carriage. That is, the molded body 3 corresponds to an elastic member, and the holding plate 5 corresponds to a holding member.

The contact electrode connecting device 1 configured as described above
Then, when the head is mounted on the carriage, the end surfaces of the protrusion 3a and the flat portion 3b of the molded body 3 come into close contact with the concave surface 35b of the resin substrate 33 and the portion behind the adjacent protrusion 35. For this reason, plastic deformation of the resin substrate 33 is well prevented, and the resin substrate 33 near the contact electrode 31 is also kept in the initial shape along the end surface of the molded body 3. Even if the resin substrate 33 undergoes plastic deformation, the state in which the molded body 3 is pressed against the resin substrate 33 is maintained by the holding plate 5. Therefore, the resin substrate 33 is pressed by this pressing force. 3 has an initial shape along the end face. For this reason, plastic deformation of the resin substrate 33 can be prevented very well. Moreover, in the present embodiment, there is no need to provide a guide member or the like for holding the edge of the resin substrate 33, so that plastic deformation of the resin substrate 33 can be prevented very easily.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, since the molded body 3 made of soft rubber is disposed behind each contact electrode 31, even if the contact electrode 31 has a slight variation in height, the elasticity of the soft rubber makes it possible. , Can absorb variations. For this reason, the contact failure of the contact electrode 31 can be extremely effectively prevented.

In the above embodiment, the counter electrode 51 is provided on the head-side substrate and the contact electrode 31 is connected thereto. However, the counter electrode is provided on the carriage, and the contact electrode 3 is provided on the carriage.
1 may be connected. For example, such a configuration is adopted when a drive signal from a control circuit (not shown) is once transmitted to a counter electrode on the carriage, and is input from the counter electrode to a heating resistor or the like in the head via the flexible circuit 30. In this case, the holding plate 5, the molded body 3, and the flexible circuit 30 are sequentially arranged on the surface of the head, and the configuration is upside down from that of FIG.

In the above-described embodiment, the molded body 3 between the projections 3a is a substantially planar flat portion 3b. However, when the flexible circuit 30 has a curved shape in advance, the flat portion 3b is Can be curved along. By doing so, the initial shape of the flexible circuit 30 can be maintained.

Further, in the above embodiment, the molded body 3 is formed of soft rubber, but the molded body 3 may be formed of a foamable resin or the like. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention can be similarly applied to various devices other than the ink jet printer.

[0021]

As described in detail above, in the present invention, the plastic substrate is held in the initial shape along the end surface of the elastic member, so that the plastic deformation of the substrate can be prevented well. In addition, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to newly provide a guide member or the like, and it is possible to extremely easily prevent plastic deformation of the substrate.

Further, since the elastic member is provided behind each of the contact electrodes, even if the contact electrodes have some variation in height, they can be absorbed. For this reason, the contact failure of the contact electrode can be prevented very favorably.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a contact electrode connecting device according to an embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Contact electrode connection device 3 ... Molded body 3a ... Protrusion 3
b: flat portion 5: holding plate 30: flexible circuit 31: contact electrode 33: resin substrate 50: head side substrate 51: counter electrode

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01H 1/00 H01R 9/09 B41J 3/04

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A contact electrode connecting device in which a large number of contact electrodes provided on a surface of a plastic substrate are pressed into contact with counter electrodes disposed opposite to the respective contact electrodes, includes a resilient member having an end face shaped to closely the rear surface of the portion between the portion and the respective contact electrodes of the contact electrode, and a holding member for holding the state of elastic member is pressed to the counter electrode direction, the front the serial board, one convex protrusion that the other concave is formed, its the convex surface of the projecting portion and the contact point electrode is formed, the elastic member is butt electromotive unit Ru is fitted to the concave surface If the the substrate along the portion between the projecting portion characterized that you are integrally formed contact point electrode connecting device. 2. A contact electrode provided with a number of contact electrodes on a substrate surface provided on one of a head and a carriage of an ink jet printer, and a counter electrode provided on the other with a counter electrode disposed opposite to each of the contact electrodes. A connection device, formed on the substrate, one of which has a convex surface, and the other has a concave surface. And a holding member that holds a state in which the elastic member is compressed when the head is mounted on a carriage. A contact electrode connecting device, comprising: