JP4917703B2 - Inkjet printer head - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink jet printer head, and more particularly to a filter that removes bubbles, foreign matters, and the like in ink.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a conventional ink jet apparatus, ink is supplied from an ink tank that stores ink through an ink supply pipe to a printer head that ejects the ink. If there are foreign matter or bubbles in the supplied ink, printing defects are likely to occur. Therefore, a filter is provided in the ink supply tube to remove foreign matter from the ink supplied to the printer head.
[0003]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional inkjet printer head.
The printer head 1 includes an actuator 10 that ejects ink from an ink ejection channel that ejects ink formed therein, a manifold 20 that supplies ink to the ink ejection channel, an ink supply pipe 52, an ink receiving port 50, and the like. Ink stored in an ink tank of an ink jet apparatus (not shown) is supplied from the manifold 20 to the actuator 10 through the ink receiving port 50 and the ink supply pipe 52. If there are foreign matter or bubbles in the supplied ink, printing failure such as clogging of the ink ejection channel is likely to occur, so it is necessary to remove the foreign matter. To remove foreign matter or the like, the mesh-like filter 25 is housed in the housing case 53, and the housing case 53 is connected to an inlet through which ink flows into the ink supply pipe 52. When the ink supplied to the connected filter 25 passes, foreign matter or the like in the ink is removed.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since a filter for removing foreign substances and the like is provided at the entrance of the ink supply pipe, bubbles generated due to pressure fluctuations when ink is ejected in the ink flow path from the ink supply pipe to the common ink chamber in the manifold. In addition, the foreign matter generated at the time of manufacture cannot be removed.
[0005]
In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a printer head filter that effectively removes foreign matter.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The above object is achieved by the following means.
[0007]
(1) an actuator having a plurality of ink ejection channels composed of a plurality of through holes that eject ink;
A plurality of common ink chambers that are bonded to the actuator to distribute and supply ink to each ink ejection channel are formed, and the ink supplied from the ink supply pipe is branched to flow into each common ink chamber. A manifold having a path;
Have
Each of the common ink chambers includes a filter that protrudes into the common ink chamber so as to cover each flow path into which ink flows and is attached to a wall surface of the common ink chamber and through which ink supplied to the actuator passes. Inkjet printer head.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An example of an embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0010]
First, the ink supply to the printer head will be described below.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an inkjet printer head. In the figure, the printer head 1 is in a state where the upper and lower covers are removed.
[0011]
The printer head 1 includes an actuator 10, manifolds 20 and 30, an ink receiving port 50, and an ink supply pipe 52. Ink stored in an ink tank of an ink jet apparatus (not shown) is supplied to the printer head 1 from an ink receiving port 50 connected to an ink supply port 51 on the apparatus main body side. The supplied ink branches from the ink supply pipe 52 to the manifold 20 and the manifold 30, and is guided to the actuator 10 that ejects ink from the common ink chamber of the manifolds 20 and 30.
[0012]
FIG. 3 is a schematic view when the actuator and manifold of the printer head are separated.
[0013]
The actuator 10 has an ink ejection channel that ejects ink formed in two rows. The ink ejection channel is electrically connected to the control unit of the apparatus main body via an FPC (flexible printed circuit) 55, and the ink in the ink ejection channel is supplied to the nozzle panel 12 according to a control signal sent from the control unit. Spray from the hole.
[0014]
The manifold 20 supplies ink to one row of ink ejection channels, and the manifold 30 supplies ink to the other row of ink ejection channels from a common ink chamber provided in the manifold via an ink flow path 14A for each ink ejection channel. To do. A filter 26A is provided in the common ink chamber of the manifold 20, and a filter 26B is provided in the common ink chamber of the manifold 30, and the ink supplied to the ink ejection channel passes therethrough. The filters 26A and 26B are filter units made of alloy steel such as mesh-shaped stainless steel, and allow ink to pass therethrough to remove foreign matters and bubbles in the ink. The ability of the filters 26A and 26B to remove foreign matters and the like is determined according to the diameter of the ink ejection channel. For example, if the narrowest inner diameter in the ink ejection channel is 20 μm, the removal capability required for the filter is at least 20 μm or less. The common ink chamber of the manifold will be described later.
[0015]
In the printer head 1, the groove 16 of the actuator 10 and the protrusion 21 of the manifold 20, and the groove 17 of the actuator 10 and the protrusion 31 of the manifold 30 are fitted and bonded with an adhesive, and are integrated, and the ink ejection channel of the actuator 10 is integrated. In this arrangement direction, the two manifolds 20 and 30 are sandwiched.
[0016]
Next, a common ink chamber provided with a filter will be described below.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a cross section of the printer head. In FIG. 2, the printer head is cut along PQ and viewed in the VV direction.
[0017]
The ink supplied from the ink supply pipe 52 branches into the flow path 27A of the manifold 20 and the flow path 27B of the manifold 30. The ink branched into the flow path 27A passes through the filter 26A provided so as to cover the flow path 27A and is guided to the common ink chamber 25A. The common ink chamber 25A of the manifold 20 is formed when the actuator 10 and the manifold 20 are integrated. For this reason, the wall surface of the common ink chamber 25A includes the wall surface of the actuator 10, the wall surface of the manifold 20, and the filter 26A. The ink guided to the common ink chamber 25A is supplied from the ink flow path 14A of the actuator 10 to the ink ejection channel 15A. Here, the filter 26A provided in the common ink chamber 25A may be provided so as to cover the ink flow path 14A at the entrance of the actuator 10.
[0018]
When the actuator 10 is a piezoelectric element made of a ceramic member, ink is ejected from the ink ejection channel 15A due to the pressure of the piezoelectric element. If the ink flow path resistance varies depending on the position of the ink ejection channel, variations in ink ejection occur. To do. Therefore, it is more preferable to provide the common ink chamber 25A provided with a filter because foreign substances and the like can be removed and variation in flow path resistance can be reduced.
[0019]
Further, when the ink ejection channel 15A ejects ink, if there are bubbles in the common ink chamber 25A, the bubbles absorb the pressure for ejecting the ink, and the ink ejection capability is reduced. For this reason, the common ink chamber 25A is filled with ink.
[0020]
Similarly, the ink branched into the flow path 27B of the manifold 30 passes through the filter 26B and is supplied from the common ink chamber 25B to the ink ejection channel 15B of the actuator 10. The ink jet device may perform printing of a plurality of colors, high density printing, high speed printing, and the like by providing a plurality of printer heads having the same configuration as described above in parallel.
[0021]
FIG. 5 shows another form of printer head viewed from the nozzle panel side.
The printer head 1 includes an actuator 10 having a row of ink ejection channels and a manifold 20 having a common ink chamber that is in close contact with the actuator 10 and supplies ink.
[0022]
Ink supply to the ink ejection channel of the manifold 20 is performed from two common ink chambers 25 </ b> A with ink branched from the ink supply pipe. When the ink ejection channel that drives and ejects ink draws ink in the ink ejection channel that is not driven, the negative pressure of the channel that is not driven increases, and air bubbles may be trapped from the nozzle panel. In view of this, the manifold 20 is provided with a plurality of common ink chambers 25A to reduce the negative pressure by reducing the flow resistance of the ink supplied to the ink ejection channel. Further, since the filter 26A is provided so as to cover the flow path 27A into which the ink flows into each of the plurality of common ink chambers 25A, the filter 26A can be downsized.
[0023]
In addition, the common ink chamber of the manifold 20 may have a streamline shape that reduces the flow resistance, and a filter may be provided in one common ink chamber.
[0024]
【Effect of the invention】
According to the present invention, since the filter is provided in the manifold, the length of the ink flow path to the ink ejection channel is shortened, so that the influence of air bubbles at the time of manufacturing and the introduction of foreign matters at the time of ink ejection is reduced. Was provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional inkjet printer head.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an ink jet printer head according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram when an actuator and a manifold of a printer head are separated.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a cross section of a printer head.
FIG. 5 shows another form of printer head viewed from the nozzle panel side.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Actuator 12 Nozzle panel 14A Ink channel 15A Ink ejection channel 20 Manifold 25A Common ink chamber 26A Filter 27A Channel 30 Manifold 55 FPC

Claims (4)

An actuator having a plurality of ink ejection channels composed of a plurality of through holes for ejecting ink;
A plurality of common ink chambers that are bonded to the actuator to distribute and supply ink to each ink ejection channel are formed, and the ink supplied from the ink supply pipe is branched to flow into each common ink chamber. A manifold having a path;
Have
Each of the common ink chambers includes a filter that protrudes into the common ink chamber so as to cover each flow path into which ink flows and is attached to a wall surface of the common ink chamber and through which ink supplied to the actuator passes. Inkjet printer head. Wherein the actuator has an ink ejection tea down channel of one row,
Inkjet printer head according to claim 1 in which the ink in the ink ejection tea down channel of the first column from the plurality of common ink chamber, characterized in that it is supplied.   The inkjet printer head according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is a piezoelectric element made of a ceramic member.   4. The inkjet printer head according to claim 1, wherein the filter constitutes a part of a wall surface of the common ink chamber.

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