JP4222127B2 - Method for manufacturing droplet ejecting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a droplet ejecting apparatus that ejects droplets onto a recording medium.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Inkjet heads that generate ink discharge pressure using piezoelectric elements can discharge liquids other than water-based liquids, and can control the volume of droplets precisely, enabling area gradation and high durability. A droplet ejecting apparatus. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228561 describes a type of ink jet head in which separate piezoelectric diaphragms are arranged at positions corresponding to pressure chambers, as a kind of such ink jet head.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-9-314836 (FIGS. 1 and 2)
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In order to manufacture an ink jet head of the type described in Patent Document 1, a process of bonding a large number of piezoelectric diaphragms to a flow path unit in which a large number of nozzles and pressure chambers communicating with the nozzles is formed is required. The piezoelectric diaphragm is obtained by dividing a piezoelectric sheet obtained by firing a green sheet of a ceramic material with a dicer or the like. However, the process of dividing the piezoelectric sheet with the dicer includes complicated and time-consuming processes such as spraying of cooling liquid and lubricating liquid and cleaning for removing cutting waste, so that the yield of the piezoelectric diaphragm is low. As a result, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost of the inkjet head is increased.
[0005]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a droplet ejecting apparatus that does not require a complicated and time-consuming process.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention]
A method of manufacturing a droplet ejecting apparatus according to the present invention includes: a flow path unit forming a flow path unit provided with a plurality of pressure chambers, a plurality of nozzles, and a plurality of flow paths reaching each nozzle through each pressure chamber. A green sheet forming step of forming a green sheet of piezoelectric ceramic on a substrate, a dividing step of dividing the green sheet into a plurality of pieces, and firing the green sheet divided into a plurality of parts in the dividing step A firing step for obtaining a sheet; and an adhesion step for bonding at least one of the piezoelectric ceramic sheets divided into a plurality of pieces in the dividing step and fired in the firing step to the flow path unit. Then, in the dividing step, the green sheets formed on the substrate are a plurality of first small pieces corresponding to the plurality of pressure chambers and a plurality of first pieces corresponding to regions between the adjacent pressure chambers. Dividing into two small pieces, the bonding step is a region facing the plurality of pressure chambers of the flow path unit. only Or the surface of the plurality of first small pieces only An application step of applying an adhesive to the plurality of first small pieces and the plurality of the plurality of first small pieces so that the plurality of first small pieces are located in a region facing the plurality of pressure chambers. A second piece is brought into contact with the flow path unit, and only the plurality of first small pieces are bonded to the flow path unit.
[0007]
According to this configuration, since the green sheet that has not been fired is divided, the division process is simplified and the process is completed in a relatively short time compared to the case of dividing the fired piezoelectric ceramic sheet. In addition, since the yield of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet is improved, the cost of the droplet ejecting apparatus can be reduced. Further, since the piezoelectric ceramic sheet formed on the substrate is bonded to the flow path unit, the piezoelectric ceramic sheet can be arranged at a target position with high accuracy. In addition, the droplet discharge performance is improved. Moreover, in the application process, when applying the adhesive to the plurality of first small pieces, the adhesive can be applied in a short time.
[0008]
[0009]
In another aspect, the method for manufacturing a droplet ejecting apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of pressure chambers, a plurality of nozzles, a plurality of flow paths that pass through the pressure chambers and reach each nozzle, and the pressure chamber vibrates. A flow path unit forming step for forming a flow path unit covered with a plate, a green sheet forming step for forming a piezoelectric ceramic green sheet on a substrate, a dividing step for dividing the green sheet into a plurality of steps, and the dividing step Firing at least one of the firing step of obtaining the piezoelectric ceramic sheet by firing the green sheet that has been divided into a plurality of portions and the piezoelectric ceramic sheet that has been divided into a plurality of portions and fired in the firing step. And an adhesion process for adhering to the plate. Then, in the dividing step, the green sheets formed on the substrate are a plurality of first small pieces corresponding to the plurality of pressure chambers and a plurality of first pieces corresponding to regions between the adjacent pressure chambers. Dividing into two small pieces, the bonding step is a region facing the plurality of pressure chambers on the surface of the diaphragm only Or the surface of the plurality of first small pieces only An application step of applying an adhesive to the plurality of first small pieces and the plurality of the plurality of first small pieces so that the plurality of first small pieces are located in a region facing the plurality of pressure chambers. A second small piece is brought into contact with the flow path unit, and only the plurality of first small pieces are bonded to the flow path unit.
[0010]
According to this configuration, since the green sheet that has not been fired is divided, the division process is simplified and the process is completed in a relatively short time compared to the case of dividing the fired piezoelectric ceramic sheet. In addition, since the yield of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet is improved, the cost of the droplet ejecting apparatus can be reduced. Further, since the piezoelectric ceramic sheet formed on the substrate is bonded to the flow path unit, the piezoelectric ceramic sheet can be arranged at a target position with high accuracy. Moreover, since the flow path unit has a diaphragm, it is possible to perform unimorph deformation using a piezoelectric ceramic sheet, and the discharge efficiency is improved. In addition, the droplet discharge performance is improved. Moreover, in the application process, when applying the adhesive to the plurality of first small pieces, the adhesive can be applied in a short time.
[0011]
At this time, an adhesive may be applied to the surface of the diaphragm in the application step (claim 3).
[0012]
In the present invention, in the applying step, an adhesive may be applied to the surfaces of the plurality of first small pieces (claim 4). According to this configuration, the adhesive can be applied in a short time. Further, the adhesive may be a conductive adhesive (Claim 5). According to this configuration, since the conductive adhesive functions as an electrode, there is no need to separately provide an electrode between the piezoelectric ceramic sheet and the pressure chamber.
[0013]
It is preferable that the manufacturing method of the droplet ejecting apparatus according to the present invention further includes a peeling step of peeling the piezoelectric ceramic sheet bonded to the flow path unit from the substrate. According to this, the deformation of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet is not hindered by the substrate. In this case, it is preferable that the green sheet is peelable from the substrate in the green sheet forming step. According to this, the possibility that the piezoelectric ceramic sheet is damaged in the peeling step is reduced.
[0014]
In the present invention, in the dividing step, the green sheet may be divided into a plurality of parts by a laser beam. According to this configuration, the green sheet can be divided with high accuracy. Moreover, it becomes easy to widen the dividing groove of the green sheet.
[0015]
In the present invention, in the dividing step, the green sheet may be divided by pressing a mold (claim 9). According to this, the green sheet can be divided into a plurality of parts without using an expensive device.
In another aspect, the manufacturing method of the droplet ejecting apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of plates having a plurality of pressure chambers, a plurality of nozzles, and a plurality of flow paths reaching each nozzle through each pressure chamber. A method for manufacturing a droplet ejecting apparatus including a flow path unit formed by forming a green sheet of piezoelectric ceramics on a substrate, and a dividing step of dividing the green sheet into a plurality of parts At least one of a firing step of firing the green sheet divided into a plurality of parts in the dividing step to obtain a piezoelectric ceramic sheet, and a piezoelectric ceramic sheet divided into a plurality of pieces in the dividing step and fired in the firing step Is bonded to the plate forming the flow path unit. Then, in the dividing step, the green sheets formed on the substrate are a plurality of first small pieces corresponding to the plurality of pressure chambers and a plurality of first pieces corresponding to regions between the adjacent pressure chambers. Dividing into two small pieces, the bonding step is a region facing the plurality of pressure chambers on the surface of the plate only Or the surface of the plurality of first small pieces only An application step of applying an adhesive to the plurality of first small pieces and the plurality of the plurality of first small pieces so that the plurality of first small pieces are located in a region facing the plurality of pressure chambers. A second small piece is brought into contact with the flow path unit, and only the plurality of first small pieces are bonded to the flow path unit.
According to this configuration, since the green sheet that has not been fired is divided, the division process is simplified and the process is completed in a relatively short time compared to the case of dividing the fired piezoelectric ceramic sheet. In addition, since the yield of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet is improved, the cost of the droplet ejecting apparatus can be reduced. Furthermore, since the piezoelectric ceramic sheet formed on the substrate is bonded to the plate forming the flow path unit, the piezoelectric ceramic sheet can be placed at the target position with high accuracy. In addition, the droplet discharge performance is improved. Moreover, in the application process, when applying the adhesive to the plurality of first small pieces, the adhesive can be applied in a short time.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0017]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an ink jet printer including an ink jet head manufactured by the manufacturing method according to the first embodiment. An inkjet printer 110 shown in FIG. 1 includes a platen roller 140 as a conveying unit that conveys a sheet 101 that is a printing medium, and an inkjet head that ejects ink droplets onto the sheet 101 set on the platen roller 140. 1 is included.
[0018]
The platen roller 140 is rotatably attached to the frame 143 by a shaft 142 and is driven to rotate by a motor 144. The paper 101 is fed from a paper feed cassette (not shown) provided on the side of the ink jet printer 110, transported at a constant speed in the direction of the arrow in the figure by the platen roller 140, and ejected from the ink jet head 1. Predetermined printing is performed with the ink droplets, and then the paper is discharged. In FIG. 1, detailed illustration of the paper feed mechanism and paper discharge mechanism for the paper 101 is omitted. In addition, the inkjet printer 110 depicted in FIG. 1 is a monochrome printer and includes only one inkjet head 1. However, when performing color printing, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C ), At least four inkjet heads 1 of black (K) are arranged in parallel.
[0019]
The inkjet head 1 is for ejecting ink droplets onto the paper 101, and has a head body 100 and a base 111. The head main body 100 extends in one direction in a line shape. The base 111 extends in a direction perpendicular to the head main body 100 and supports the head main body 100.
[0020]
The ink ejection surface of the head main body 100 in which a large number of nozzles 8 (see FIG. 2) are formed in a line along the longitudinal direction is opposed to the conveyance surface of the paper 101 by the platen roller 140 in parallel. Therefore, the ink droplets ejected from each nozzle 8 formed on the ink ejection surface of the head main body 100 fly to the paper 101.
[0021]
Next, the detailed structure of the head body 100 will be described. FIG. 2A is a plan view of the head main body 100 as viewed from the ink ejecting surface 102. The arrows in the figure indicate the conveyance direction of the sheet 101. As shown in FIG. 2A, in the head main body 100, the ejection units 13 (dotted line portions in the drawing) are arranged in a line along a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the paper 101. Each ejection unit 13 includes one nozzle 8 as shown in FIG. 2B, which is an enlarged view of one ink ejection unit 13.
[0022]
3 is a cross-sectional view of the head body 100 taken along the line III-III in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the head body 100 includes a flow path unit 2 in which a number of pressure chambers 10 communicating with the nozzles 8 are formed, a lower electrode 36 formed on each pressure chamber 10, and a lower electrode 36. The piezoelectric sheet 21 formed and the upper electrode 35 formed on the piezoelectric sheet 21 are included. Each nozzle 8 communicates with the common ink chamber 5 via the pressure chamber 10. In this manner, in the head main body 100, the individual ink flow path 4 from the outlet of the common ink chamber 5 to the nozzle 8 through the pressure chamber 10 is formed for each pressure chamber 10.
[0023]
The flow path unit 2 is formed by laminating a top plate 22, a cavity plate 23, a supply plate 24, a manifold plate 25, and a nozzle plate 26. The top plate 22 is a metal plate in which no hole is formed, and is maintained at a ground potential by being grounded at a position (not shown). Therefore, the lower electrode 36 is also kept at the ground potential. As will be described later, the top plate 22 is deformed so as to be convex toward the pressure chamber 10 as the piezoelectric sheet 21 is deformed as a vibration plate.
[0024]
The cavity plate 23 is a metal plate provided with many openings corresponding to the pressure chamber 10. The supply plate 24 is a metal plate provided with a communication hole from the pressure chamber 10 to the common ink chamber 5 and a communication hole from the pressure chamber 10 to the nozzle 8. The manifold plate 25 is a metal plate provided with a communication hole from the pressure chamber 10 to the nozzle 8 for one pressure chamber 10 of the cavity plate 23 in addition to the hole corresponding to the common ink chamber 5. The nozzle plate 26 is a metal plate in which the nozzles 8 are respectively provided for one pressure chamber 10 of the cavity plate 22. These five plates 22 to 26 are stacked in alignment with each other so that the individual ink flow paths 4 are formed.
[0025]
The lower electrode 36 is made of an adhesive. The piezoelectric sheet 21 is made of a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic material having ferroelectricity. The piezoelectric sheet 21 is polarized in the thickness direction. The upper electrode 35 is made of a metal material such as an Ag—Pd system, and is connected to a driver IC (not shown) through a signal line (not shown). On the other hand, as described above, the lower electrode 36 is always kept at the ground potential. Therefore, an electric field is applied to the piezoelectric sheet 21 in the polarization direction by setting the potential of the upper electrode 35 higher than the ground potential. The piezoelectric sheet 21 to which an electric field is applied shrinks in the direction perpendicular to the polarization direction due to the piezoelectric transverse effect as an active layer. On the other hand, since the top plate 22 is not affected by the electric field and therefore does not spontaneously shrink, a difference in distortion in a direction perpendicular to the polarization direction occurs between the upper piezoelectric sheet 21 and the lower top plate 22. Thus, coupled with the fact that the top plate 22 is fixed to the cavity plate 23, the piezoelectric sheet 21 and the top plate 22 try to deform so as to protrude toward the pressure chamber 10 (unimorph deformation). For this reason, the volume of the pressure chamber 10 is reduced, the pressure of the ink is increased, and the ink is ejected from the nozzle 8. Thereafter, when the upper electrode 35 is returned to the same potential as the lower electrode 36, the piezoelectric sheet 21 and the top plate 22 are restored to their original shapes, and the volume of the pressure chamber 10 returns to the original volume. Inhale.
[0026]
As another driving method, the upper electrode 35 is set to a potential different from that of the lower electrode 36 in advance, and the upper electrode 35 is once set to the same potential as the lower electrode 36 every time there is a discharge request, and then again at a predetermined timing. The electrode 35 can be at a different potential from the lower electrode 36. In this case, when the upper electrode 35 and the lower electrode 36 have the same potential, the piezoelectric sheet 21 and the top plate 22 return to their original shapes, so that the volume of the pressure chamber 10 is in an initial state (the potentials of both electrodes are In contrast, the ink is sucked from the common ink chamber 5 into the pressure chamber 10. Thereafter, the piezoelectric sheet 21 and the top plate 22 are deformed so as to protrude toward the pressure chamber 10 at the timing when the upper electrode 35 is set to a potential different from that of the lower electrode 36 again. The ink rises and ink is ejected.
[0027]
As described above, in the present embodiment, since the head main body 100 has the top plate 22 as the diaphragm in the flow path unit 2, it is possible to realize excellent discharge efficiency due to unimorph deformation.
[0028]
Next, a method for manufacturing the head main body 100 of the inkjet head 1 described above will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0029]
First, a green sheet 42, which is a piezoelectric ceramic material, is uniformly formed on a ceramic substrate 41 so as to have a constant thickness (FIG. 4A). The green sheet 42 has substantially the same size as the top plate 22. At this time, the green sheet 42 is formed so as to be peelable from the ceramic substrate 41.
[0030]
Next, the green sheet 42 is divided into a plurality of small pieces 42a and a plurality of small pieces 42b by a laser beam 46 emitted from a YAG laser light source (not shown) (FIG. 4B). At this time, the small piece 42 a has substantially the same shape as the pressure chamber 10 and is slightly smaller than the pressure chamber 10. The groove between the small piece 42a and the small piece 42b has a certain width.
[0031]
Thereafter, the small pieces 42a and 42b of the green sheet 42 are fired to form the small pieces 43a and 43b of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet (FIG. 4C).
[0032]
4A to 4C, the top plate 22, the cavity plate 23, the supply plate 24, the manifold plate 25, and the nozzle plate 26, which are stacked while being aligned with each other. Are bonded to form the flow path unit 2 (FIG. 4D). At this time, holes corresponding to the pressure chamber 10, the nozzle 8, the common ink chamber 5, and the like are provided in advance in each of the metal plates 22 to 26 by etching or the like. The drawings after FIG. 4D correspond to the cross section taken along the line IV-IV in FIG.
[0033]
Next, the adhesive 50 is applied to the position facing the pressure chamber 10 of the top plate 22 of the flow path unit 2 (FIG. 4E). As a method for applying the adhesive 50, first, the adhesive 50 is uniformly applied to a planar member (not shown). At this time, the application region of the adhesive 50 has a size that can accommodate all the pressure chambers 10 in contact with the top plate 22. Then, a mold in which concave portions having the same shape as the small pieces 43 a are arranged in the same pattern as the pressure chamber 10 is pressed against the uniformly applied adhesive 50 to partially remove the adhesive 50. Then, the adhesive 50 remaining in the same shape as the small pieces 43 a on the planar member and in the same pattern as the pressure chambers 10 is transferred to a position facing the pressure chambers 10 of the top plate 22. The adhesive 50 transferred to the top plate 22 in this way functions as the lower electrode 36.
[0034]
Thereafter, the ceramic substrate 41 and the top plate 22 are aligned so that the piezoelectric ceramic sheet small piece 43 a and the pressure chamber 10 face each other, and the small pieces 43 a and 43 b are brought into contact with the top plate 22. At this time, since the adhesive 50 is applied to the position of the top plate 22 facing the pressure chamber 10, the small piece 43 a is bonded to the top plate 22 through the adhesive 50, but the small piece 43 b is attached to the top plate 22. It does not adhere (FIG. 5 (a)).
[0035]
Further, as a next step, the small piece 43a of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet is peeled from the ceramic substrate 41, and the ceramic substrate 41 is separated from the flow path unit 2 together with the small piece 43b (FIG. 5B). Thereafter, the head main body 100 of the inkjet head 1 as shown in FIG. 3 is completed through processes such as forming the upper electrode 35 on the small piece 43.
[0036]
As described above, in the present embodiment, since the green sheet 42 that has not been fired is divided by the laser beam 46, it takes a long time for troublesome operations such as spraying of cooling liquid or lubricating liquid and cleaning for removing cutting waste. There is no need for process cleaning and division processes. Therefore, the head manufacturing can be completed in a relatively short time. In addition, since the yield of the small pieces 43a of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet is improved because the green sheet 42 is fired after being divided, the cost of the inkjet head 1 can be reduced. Further, since the small pieces 43a of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet formed on the ceramic substrate 41 are bonded to the top plate 22 of the flow path unit 2, the small pieces 43a are formed rather than the case where the individual small pieces 43a are bonded to the top plate 22, respectively. Can be placed at the target position with high accuracy.
[0037]
In the present embodiment, the small piece 43a of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet is bonded to the top plate 22 so as to face the pressure chamber 10 without protruding from the range corresponding to the pressure chamber 10. Droplet discharge performance is improved.
[0038]
Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5B, the small piece 43a of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet is peeled off from the ceramic substrate 41, so that the deformation of the small piece 43a is not hindered by the ceramic substrate 41. For that purpose, since the green sheet 42 is formed to be peelable from the ceramic substrate 41 in the green sheet forming step shown in FIG. 4A, the small piece 43a is damaged in the peeling step shown in FIG. 5B. There is little fear.
[0039]
In addition, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4B, the green sheet 42 is divided into a plurality of parts by a laser beam 46. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a small piece 43a with high dimensional accuracy by dividing the green sheet 42 with high accuracy.
[0040]
In the present embodiment, since the conductive adhesive made of an epoxy material is used as the adhesive 50, the adhesive 50 can function as the lower electrode 36. Therefore, the small piece 43a and the top plate 22 There is no need to provide a separate electrode between them. Therefore, the manufacturing process is further simplified. Further, since the conductive adhesive 50 is not applied to the entire surface of the top plate 22 but only to a part thereof, wiring work on the top plate 22 can be easily performed.
[0041]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, the member to which the adhesive is applied is different from that of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the difference will be mainly described, and the same members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.
[0042]
First, in the same manner as in the step of FIG. 4A, a green sheet 42, which is a piezoelectric ceramic material, is uniformly formed on the ceramic substrate 41 so as to have a constant thickness (FIG. 6A). . Next, similarly to the process of FIG. 4B, the green sheet 42 is divided into a plurality of small pieces 42a and a plurality of small pieces 42b by the laser beam 46 (FIG. 6B). Thereafter, in the same manner as in the step of FIG. 4C, the small pieces 42a and 42b of the green sheet 42 are fired to form the small pieces 43a and 43b of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet (FIG. 4C).
[0043]
Next, the adhesive 50 is applied only to the surface of the small piece 43a (FIG. 6D). The method for applying the adhesive 50 is the same as the method described with reference to FIG. Thereafter, the small pieces 43a and 43b of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet are brought into contact with the top plate 22 of the flow path unit 2 manufactured as described with reference to FIG. At this time, the ceramic substrate 41 and the top plate 22 are aligned so that the small piece 43a and the pressure chamber 10 face each other. However, although the adhesive 50 is applied on the small piece 43a, since the adhesive 50 is not applied on the small piece 43b, the small piece 43a adheres to the top plate 22 via the adhesive 50. The small piece 43 b does not adhere to the top plate 22. Thereafter, as described with reference to FIG. 5B, the piezoelectric ceramic sheet small piece 43a is peeled from the ceramic substrate 41, and the ceramic substrate 41 is separated from the flow path unit 2 together with the small piece 43b. The head main body 100 of the inkjet head 1 as shown is completed.
[0044]
Also according to the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above can be obtained.
[0045]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The manufacturing method according to the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the range in which the adhesive is applied. Hereinafter, the difference will be mainly described, and the same members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.
[0046]
First, in the same manner as in the step of FIG. 4A, the green sheet 42, which is a piezoelectric ceramic material, is uniformly formed on the ceramic substrate 41 so as to have a constant thickness (FIG. 7A). . Next, similarly to the process of FIG. 4B, the green sheet 42 is divided into a plurality of small pieces 42c and a plurality of small pieces 42d by the laser beam 46 (FIG. 7B). Here, the small piece 42c is the same size as the small piece 42a in the first embodiment, but the small piece 42d is smaller than the small piece 42b in the first embodiment. Accordingly, the small piece 42d does not overlap the pressure chamber 10 so as not to inhibit the displacement of the top plate 22, and the deterioration of the ink discharge characteristics due to crosstalk is suppressed. Thereafter, in the same manner as in the step of FIG. 4C, the small pieces 42c and 42d of the green sheet 42 are fired to form the small pieces 43c and 43d of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet (FIG. 7C).
[0047]
Next, in the same manner as in the step of FIG. 4D, the flow path unit 2 is manufactured (FIG. 7D). Thereafter, the adhesive 50 is applied to the entire surface of the top plate 22 (FIG. 7E).
[0048]
Thereafter, the small pieces 43 c and 43 d of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet are brought into contact with the top plate 22 of the flow path unit 2. At this time, the ceramic substrate 41 and the top plate 22 are aligned so that the small piece 43c and the pressure chamber 10 face each other. At this time, since the adhesive 50 is applied to the entire surface of the top plate 22, both the small pieces 43c and the small pieces 43d are bonded to the top plate 22 (FIG. 8A).
[0049]
Further, as the next step, the small pieces 43c and 43d of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet are peeled from the ceramic substrate 41, and the ceramic substrate 41 is separated from the flow path unit 2 (FIG. 8B). Thereafter, the head body of the inkjet head 1 as shown in FIG. 3 is completed through processes such as forming the upper electrode 35 on the small piece 43c.
[0050]
Also according to the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above can be obtained. In addition, since the adhesive 50 is applied to the entire surface of the top plate 22 in the present embodiment, the application process of the adhesive 50 can be performed more simply than the first and second embodiments described above. .
[0051]
In the present embodiment, since the green sheet 42 is divided into a plurality of small pieces 42c and a plurality of small pieces 42d by the laser beam 46, the distance between the small pieces 42c and the small pieces 42d can be easily increased. In the inkjet head manufactured in this way, although the small piece 43d remains, the small piece 43d does not overlap the pressure chamber 10, so that the displacement of the top plate 22 is not hindered, and the width of the small piece 43d is narrow, so that the crosstalk. Is suppressed.
[0052]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, the member to which the adhesive is applied is different from the third embodiment. Hereinafter, the difference will be mainly described, and the same members as those in the third embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.
[0053]
First, in the same manner as in the process of FIG. 7A, the green sheet 42, which is a piezoelectric ceramic material, is uniformly formed on the ceramic substrate 41 so as to have a constant thickness (FIG. 9A). . Next, similarly to the step of FIG. 7B, the green sheet 42 is divided into a plurality of small pieces 42c and a plurality of small pieces 42d by the laser beam 46 (FIG. 9B). Thereafter, in the same manner as in the step of FIG. 7C, the small pieces 42c and 42d of the green sheet 42 are fired to form the small pieces 43c and 43d of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet (FIG. 9C).
[0054]
Next, the adhesive 50 is applied only to the surfaces of the small pieces 43c and 43d (FIG. 9D). The method for applying the adhesive 50 is the same as the method described with reference to FIG. Thereafter, the small pieces 43c and 43d of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet are brought into contact with the top plate 22 of the flow path unit 2 manufactured as described with reference to FIG. At this time, the ceramic substrate 41 and the top plate 22 are aligned so that the small piece 43c and the pressure chamber 10 face each other. At this time, since the adhesive 50 is applied to the surfaces of both the small piece 43c and the small piece 43d, both the small piece 43c and the small piece 43d adhere to the top plate 22. Thereafter, as described with reference to FIG. 8B, the piezoelectric ceramic sheet small pieces 43c and 43d are peeled off from the ceramic substrate 41, and the ceramic substrate 41 is separated from the flow path unit 2 as shown in FIG. The head body of the ink jet head 1 is completed.
[0055]
Also according to the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above can be obtained.
[0056]
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, a flow path unit in which the top plate 22 covering the pressure chamber 10 is not laminated is produced, and a small piece of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet facing the pressure chamber 10 correspondingly corresponds to the pressure chamber. The second embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that the green sheet is laser processed to a size so as to cover 10. Hereinafter, the difference will be mainly described, and the same members as those in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.
[0057]
First, in the same manner as in the process of FIG. 6A, the green sheet 42, which is a piezoelectric ceramic material, is uniformly formed on the ceramic substrate 41 so as to have a constant thickness (FIG. 10A). . Next, similarly to the process of FIG. 6B, the green sheet 42 is divided into a plurality of small pieces 42e and a plurality of small pieces 42f by the laser beam 46 (FIG. 10B). Here, the small piece 42e has a size slightly larger than the pressure chamber 10. On the other hand, the small piece 42f can have any size as long as a sufficient distance from the small piece 42e can be maintained. Thereafter, in the same manner as in the step of FIG. 6C, the small pieces 42e and 42f of the green sheet 42 are fired to form the small pieces 43e and 43f of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet (FIG. 10C). Next, the adhesive 50 is applied only to the surface of the small piece 43e (FIG. 10D). The method for applying the adhesive 50 is the same as the method described with reference to FIG.
[0058]
In addition, the cavity plate 23, the supply plate 24, the manifold plate 25, and the nozzle plate 26, which are stacked in alignment with each other, are bonded separately from the steps described with reference to FIGS. 10 (a) to 10 (d). Thus, the flow path unit 2a is formed (FIG. 10E). As shown in FIG. 10E, in the flow path unit 2a, the pressure chamber 10 is not covered with the top plate, and the flow path is exposed to the outside.
[0059]
Thereafter, the small pieces 43e and 43f of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet are brought into contact with the cavity plate 23 of the flow path unit 2a manufactured as described with reference to FIG. At this time, the ceramic substrate 41 and the cavity plate 23 are aligned so that the small piece 43e and the pressure chamber 10 face each other and the pressure chamber 10 is covered with the small piece 43e. However, since the adhesive 50 is applied on the small piece 43e but the adhesive 50 is not applied on the small piece 43f, the small piece 43e adheres to the cavity plate 23 via the adhesive 50. Does not adhere to the cavity plate 23 (FIG. 11A).
[0060]
Thereafter, the piezoelectric ceramic sheet small piece 43e is peeled off from the ceramic substrate 41, and the ceramic substrate 41 is separated from the flow path unit 2 together with the small piece 43f (FIG. 11B) to complete the head body of the inkjet head 1. To do. In the present embodiment, unlike the head main body 100 shown in FIG. 3, it is necessary to separately wire the lower electrode made of the adhesive 50 in order to set the ground potential.
[0061]
Also according to the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above can be obtained. However, in this embodiment, since the flow path unit 2a does not have the top plate 22, it is not unimorph-deformed as in the first to fourth embodiments described above, but a small piece of piezoelectric ceramic sheet. Ink is ejected from the nozzle 8 as the nozzle 43e expands and contracts due to the piezoelectric longitudinal effect.
[0062]
Next, modifications that can be applied to the above-described first to fifth embodiments will be described. The present modification relates to a green sheet dividing step, and the green sheet is divided into a plurality of parts by pressing a mold against the green sheet. As shown to Fig.12 (a), the type | mold 45 is the member from which the several convex part 45b protruded from the lower surface of the flat plate part 45a. The convex portions 45b are formed such that the height thereof is the same as the height of the small pieces of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet, and the interval between the convex portions 45b is the same as that of the small pieces of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet.
[0063]
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12B, when the mold 45 is pressed against the green sheet 42 and the green sheet 42 is divided, small pieces of the green sheet 42 are formed between the convex portions 45b.
[0064]
By adopting this modification, it is possible to divide the green sheet without using an expensive device such as the laser light source used in the first to fifth embodiments, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the inkjet head. it can.
[0065]
The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made as long as they are described in the claims. For example, in the first to fourth embodiments described above, the piezoelectric ceramic sheet piece is bonded to the top plate 22 so as to face the pressure chamber 10 without protruding from the range corresponding to the pressure chamber 10, Small pieces of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet may partially protrude from the pressure chamber 10. Moreover, the small piece of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet may have a shape that is not similar to the pressure chamber. Further, as the adhesive 50, a non-conductive adhesive may be used.
[0066]
Moreover, in the above-mentioned embodiment, although the shape and magnitude | size of the green sheet apply | coated on the ceramic substrate are made substantially the same as the top plate of a flow-path unit, it is not limited to this.
[0067]
Further, the inkjet head may be a serial head instead of a line head, and in this case, the inkjet head may be controlled to reciprocate in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction. In addition, the manufacturing method described in the above-described embodiments uses a conductive paste as a jetting medium, thereby forming a droplet jetting device that prints a fine electric circuit pattern, or using an organic light emitter as a jetting medium. The present invention is also applicable to manufacturing a droplet ejecting apparatus or the like for manufacturing a high-definition display device such as an electroluminescence display (OELD). In addition, the manufacturing method described in the above-described embodiment can be used in a wide range as long as it is an application for manufacturing a droplet ejecting apparatus that forms dots on a printing medium.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an inkjet printer including an inkjet head manufactured by a manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2A is a plan view of an ink ejection surface of the head main body shown in FIG. FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of one injection unit.
3 is a cross-sectional view of the head main body shown in FIG. 1, taken along line III-III shown in FIG. 2B.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the manufacturing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention in the order of steps.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the manufacturing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention in the order of steps.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a manufacturing method according to a second embodiment of the present invention in the order of steps.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a manufacturing method according to a third embodiment of the present invention in the order of steps.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a manufacturing method according to a third embodiment of the present invention in the order of steps.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a manufacturing method according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention in the order of steps.
FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a manufacturing method according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention in the order of steps.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a manufacturing method according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention in the order of steps.
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a modification of the green sheet dividing step applicable to the first to fifth embodiments of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Inkjet head
2 Channel unit
8 nozzles
10 Pressure chamber
21 Piezoelectric sheet
22 Top plate
23 Cavity plate
24 Supply plate
25 Manifold plate
26 Nozzle plate
35 Upper electrode
36 Lower electrode
41 Ceramic substrate
42 Green sheet
43a, 43b Small pieces of piezoelectric ceramic sheet
50 Adhesive
100 head body

Claims (10)

A flow path unit forming step of forming a flow path unit provided with a plurality of pressure chambers, a plurality of nozzles, and a plurality of flow paths that reach each nozzle through each pressure chamber;
A green sheet forming step of forming a piezoelectric ceramic green sheet on the substrate;
A dividing step of dividing the green sheet into a plurality of parts;
A firing step of obtaining a piezoelectric ceramic sheet by firing the green sheet divided into a plurality in the division step;
An adhesion step of bonding at least one of the piezoelectric ceramic sheets divided into a plurality of pieces in the division step and fired in the firing step to the flow path unit,
In the dividing step, the green sheet formed on the substrate is divided into a plurality of first small pieces respectively corresponding to the plurality of pressure chambers and a plurality of second small pieces corresponding to regions between the adjacent pressure chambers. Divided into
The bonding step, only the region facing the plurality of pressure chambers of the channel unit, or includes a coating step of applying an adhesive only on the surface of the plurality of first pieces,
In the bonding step, the plurality of first small pieces and the plurality of second small pieces are brought into contact with the flow path unit so that the plurality of first small pieces are located in a region facing the plurality of pressure chambers. Then, only the plurality of first small pieces are bonded to the flow path unit. A plurality of pressure chambers, a plurality of nozzles, and a flow path unit forming step of forming a flow path unit in which a plurality of flow paths reaching each nozzle through each pressure chamber are provided and the pressure chambers are covered with a diaphragm ,
A green sheet forming step of forming a piezoelectric ceramic green sheet on the substrate;
A dividing step of dividing the green sheet into a plurality of parts;
A firing step of obtaining a piezoelectric ceramic sheet by firing the green sheet divided into a plurality in the division step;
An adhesion step of adhering at least one of the piezoelectric ceramic sheets divided into a plurality in the division step and fired in the firing step to the diaphragm,
In the dividing step, the green sheet formed on the substrate is divided into a plurality of first small pieces respectively corresponding to the plurality of pressure chambers and a plurality of second small pieces corresponding to regions between the adjacent pressure chambers. Divided into
The bonding step, only the region facing the plurality of pressure chambers on the surface of the diaphragm, or provided with a coating step of applying an adhesive only on the surface of the plurality of first pieces,
In the bonding step, the plurality of first small pieces and the plurality of second small pieces are brought into contact with the flow path unit so that the plurality of first small pieces are located in a region facing the plurality of pressure chambers. Then, only the plurality of first small pieces are bonded to the flow path unit.   The method for manufacturing a droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an adhesive is applied to a surface of the diaphragm in the application step.   The method for manufacturing a droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an adhesive is applied to a surface of the plurality of first small pieces in the applying step.   The method for manufacturing a liquid droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is a conductive adhesive.   The method for manufacturing a droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a peeling step of peeling the piezoelectric ceramic sheet adhered to the flow path unit from the substrate. .   The method for manufacturing a droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein in the green sheet forming step, the green sheet is peelable from the substrate.   The method for manufacturing a droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the dividing step, the green sheet is divided into a plurality of parts by a laser beam.   The method for manufacturing a liquid droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the dividing step, the green sheet is divided by pressing a mold. A liquid droplet ejecting apparatus comprising a plurality of pressure chambers, a plurality of nozzles, and a flow path unit formed by laminating a plurality of plates having a plurality of flow paths reaching each nozzle through each pressure chamber. A manufacturing method comprising:
A green sheet forming step of forming a piezoelectric ceramic green sheet on the substrate;
A dividing step of dividing the green sheet into a plurality of parts;
A firing step of obtaining a piezoelectric ceramic sheet by firing the green sheet divided into a plurality in the division step;
An adhesion step of adhering at least one of the piezoelectric ceramic sheets divided into a plurality in the division step and fired in the firing step to the plate forming the flow path unit,
In the dividing step, the green sheet formed on the substrate is divided into a plurality of first small pieces respectively corresponding to the plurality of pressure chambers and a plurality of second small pieces corresponding to regions between the adjacent pressure chambers. Divided into
The bonding step, only the region facing the plurality of pressure chambers on the surface of the plate, or provided with a coating step of applying an adhesive only on the surface of the plurality of first pieces,
In the bonding step, the plurality of first small pieces and the plurality of second small pieces are brought into contact with the flow path unit so that the plurality of first small pieces are located in a region facing the plurality of pressure chambers. Then, only the plurality of first small pieces are bonded to the flow path unit.

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