JP4352589B2 - Method for producing shear mode ink jet head - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for producing a shear mode ink jet head suitable for high-speed recording and advantageous for mass production.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As one of the drop-on-demand type ink jet printing apparatuses, the shear mode type apparatus described in JP-A-63-252750, JP-A-6-234212 to 234216, etc. can be reduced in size and speed. Known to be advantageous.
[0003]
This utilizes the piezoelectric thickness slip deformation of the partition wall of the ink channel formed in the piezoelectric ceramic. First, a pressure is applied to expand the ink channel volume to replenish the ink into the channel, and then the channel volume. Ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles by applying a pressure that reduces the pressure.
[0004]
At this time, since the pressure applied to eject the ink remains and vibrates after the ink is ejected, the ink pressure in the nozzle fluctuates and the ink meniscus vibrates. When this vibration is repeated several times, the vibration is gradually attenuated and the next discharge becomes possible.
[0005]
However, when ink is ejected from one ink channel, the ejection pressure is also transmitted to the adjacent ink channel, and the ink meniscus vibrates even in the non-ejection nozzle, so that there is a limit to speeding up the recording.
[0006]
In order to increase the recording speed, it is known to provide air chambers (air channels) alternately formed adjacent to the ink channels as described in JP-A-7-132596 and JP-A-7-214778. Yes.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Depending on the physical properties of the ink used and the method of ejection control, the ink channel and air channel can adopt various forms of grooves, lengths and volumes, but the air channel is sealed against the ink channel so that ink does not leak. In addition, since it is necessary to supply ink only to the ink channel, when the lengths of the air channel and the ink channel are substantially the same or longer, the ink supply port is provided only in the ink channel portion as shown in FIG. The cover plate needs to be sealed against the ink channel.
[0008]
In FIG. 1, 1 is a piezoelectric ceramic substrate, 2 is a nozzle plate, 3 is a nozzle, 4 is an ink channel, 5 is a side wall, 6 is an air channel, 7 is a cover plate, and 8 is an ink supply port.
[0009]
The piezoelectric ceramic substrate 1 is formed with an ink channel 4 and an air channel 6 of the same shape, which are cut by a diamond blade or the like, in parallel, and the side wall 5 serving as a side surface of each channel is polarized in the direction of the arrow. . The depth of each channel gradually becomes shallower as it approaches one end face 12 of the piezoelectric ceramic substrate, and a shallow groove 10 is formed in the vicinity of the end face 12. On the inner surface of each channel, metal electrodes 9 are formed on the upper half of both side surfaces by sputtering or the like. Further, metal electrodes 11 are formed on the inner surface of the shallow groove 10 on the side surfaces and the bottom surface thereof by sputtering or the like, and the metal electrode 9 and the metal electrode 11 communicate with each other. In the figure, the ink channel and the air channel have the same length.
[0010]
As described above, since the shear mode type ink jet head uses the piezoelectric thickness slip deformation of the partition wall of the ink channel formed on the piezoelectric ceramic substrate 1, the cover plate 7 is used for reasons such as strength against deformation. The ink supply port 8 is preferably formed from a ceramic material, and is formed by grinding or cutting. The surface of the piezoelectric ceramic substrate 1 on which the channel is processed and the cover plate 7 are bonded using an epoxy adhesive or the like, and the upper surface is covered with the cover plate 7 to form the ink channel 4 and the air channel 6.
[0011]
A nozzle plate 2 provided with a nozzle 3 at a position corresponding to the position of each ink channel 4 is bonded to the end surfaces of the piezoelectric ceramic substrate 1 and the cover plate 7. The nozzle plate is formed of a plastic such as polyalkylene terephthalate such as PET, polyimide, polyetherimide, polyether ketone, polyethersulfone, polycarbonate, cellulose acetate or the like.
[0012]
Actually, the cover plate has a thickness of less than 1 mm, the width of the ink channel is several μm to several tens of μm, and the ink supply port is a very fine hole. It is very difficult to apply the processing, which hinders mass production.
[0013]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to cover a shear mode ink jet head having an air channel that can effectively seal and supply ink to the ink channel of the air channel. It is to provide a plate and enable mass production of the inkjet head.
[0014]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The above object of the present invention is to
Machining slits on both sides of the first rectangular block made of ceramic;
A step of bonding two second rectangular blocks made of ceramic to both surfaces of the first rectangular block subjected to slit processing using an adhesive with the smooth surface of the second rectangular block as a slit side. When,
Wherein the second rectangular block two of the first rectangular block that is affixed, by slicing in a direction transverse to said slit, sliced perforations for ink introduction port was in a plate shape having by the slits on both sides Obtaining a cover plate,
The cover plate sliced in a plate shape is bonded to a piezoelectric ceramic substrate in which an ink channel and an air channel attached to the ink channel are grooved, and a perforation for an ink introduction port is communicated with the ink channel. Sealing the air channel against the ink channel;
Be between the piezoelectric ceramic substrate on which the cover plate is stuck in the perforations for each side of the ink introduction port, shear, characterized in that it comprises the steps of cutting a plane nozzle plate is stuck A method for producing a mode-type inkjet head,
Is achieved.
[0015]
That is, the present inventor has difficulty in perforating the ink introduction port in the thin plate and it is difficult to improve the accuracy, but it is difficult to process by forming the ink introduction port in advance with a thick block and cutting the cover plate by slicing. In addition, the present inventors have found that productivity can be improved as well as the present invention.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, specific embodiments of production will be described, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
[0017]
First, as shown in FIG. 2, the second rectangular blocks 23 and 23 'are aligned with the first rectangular block 21 in which the slits 22 are formed using a dicing saw, a diamond blade or the like using an epoxy adhesive or the like. Adhere so that there is no gap on the surface. An adhesive can be applied by dispenser application, screen application, and the like, and can be adhered by pressing and heating, and the protruding adhesive can be removed by grinding, plasma treatment, or the like. Furthermore, a glue guard can be provided at a position that does not impair the sealing performance. In order to uniformly apply the adhesive, the mating surfaces may be surface-treated by UV treatment, plasma treatment, or the like, or a primer layer may be formed.
[0018]
Next, as shown in FIG. 3, it is sliced with a wire saw or the like, and the surface on the side to be bonded to the piezoelectric ceramic substrate is smoothly finished by lapping or the like to obtain cover plate members 31 for two heads.
[0019]
FIG. 4 is a model diagram of a process of bonding the cover plate member 31 to the piezoelectric ceramic substrate 41 in which the ink channel 4 and the air channel 6 are grooved and the nozzle forming surface 42 is not cut. Shown as a cross section. The perforation 43 for the ink introduction port formed by bonding the slit 22 and the rectangular block in FIG. 2 seals the shallow groove 10 portion of the ink channel, and the partition between the perforation 43 seals the shallow groove of the air channel from the ink channel. As described above, the cover plate member 31 is aligned, and bonding is performed in the same manner as the bonding between the rectangular blocks. Next, cutting is performed at the cutting position indicated by the line AA ′ to obtain the nozzle forming surface 42 and two head members.
[0020]
Here, the perforations for the ink inlets are formed by bonding the rectangular blocks together, but of course, the perforations may be directly perforated in one block. In addition, after bonding a piezoelectric ceramic substrate and a cover plate member in a form that can collect not only two but also a plurality of heads, individual heads may be obtained by cutting, or for each head in advance. The cover plate according to the present invention may be bonded as a ceramic substrate.
[0021]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, it is possible to mass-produce a shear mode type ink jet head in which the ink channel and the air channel are reliably separated.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing one configuration of a shear mode type ink jet head having an air channel.
FIG. 2 is a model diagram for explaining a process according to the invention of claim 2;
FIG. 3 is a model diagram showing cutout of a cover plate member according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a model diagram showing bonding between a piezoelectric ceramic substrate and a cover plate member.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Piezoelectric ceramic substrate 2 Nozzle plate 3 Nozzle 4 Ink channel 5 Side wall 6 Air channel 7 Cover plate 8 Ink supply port 9, 11 Metal electrode 10 Shallow groove

Claims (1)

Machining slits on both sides of the first rectangular block made of ceramic;
A step of bonding two second rectangular blocks made of ceramic to both surfaces of the first rectangular block subjected to slit processing using an adhesive with the smooth surface of the second rectangular block as a slit side. When,
Wherein the second rectangular block two of the first rectangular block that is affixed, by slicing in a direction transverse to said slit, sliced perforations for ink introduction port was in a plate shape having by the slits on both sides Obtaining a cover plate,
The cover plate sliced in a plate shape is bonded to a piezoelectric ceramic substrate in which an ink channel and an air channel attached to the ink channel are grooved, and a perforation for an ink introduction port is communicated with the ink channel. Sealing the air channel against the ink channel;
Be between the piezoelectric ceramic substrate on which the cover plate is stuck in the perforations for each side of the ink introduction port, shear, characterized in that it comprises the steps of cutting a plane nozzle plate is stuck A method for producing a mode-type inkjet head.

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