JP5324806B2 - Liquid discharge head - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid ejection heads that eject liquid droplets.

Conventionally, as an apparatus for applying a liquid to a number of points in the manufacturing process of various devices, for example, Patent Document 1 has a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged in a row, A dispenser is known in which a liquid chamber communicates with each other via an open / close valve. In this dispenser, the liquid in the liquid chamber is discharged from each nozzle toward the workpiece by performing opening / closing control of each valve. Since this dispenser can apply a liquid to many points at once, there is an advantage that productivity of various devices can be improved.
JP 2007-98348 A

  However, since the dispenser has poor responsiveness in valve opening and closing control, the liquid at the nozzle is poorly cut and it is difficult to eject a small amount of liquid droplets.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of ejecting a small amount of liquid droplets at a large number of points.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, in the liquid ejection head, a long pressure chamber extending in a predetermined direction and a plurality of nozzles respectively communicating with the pressure chamber are arranged in a row in the long direction of the pressure chamber. The nozzle row communicates with the pressure chamber, and at least one supply port that supplies liquid to the pressure chamber, and is deformed and driven so as to apply pressure to the liquid in the pressure chamber. And a head main body including at least one actuator for discharging the liquid from each of them.

  According to this configuration, in the head main body, the plurality of nozzles that communicate with the long pressure chamber are arranged in a row in the long direction, so that the liquid in the pressure chamber is converted into the liquid in the pressure chamber by the actuator deformation drive. On the other hand, when pressure is applied, liquid is ejected from each of the plurality of nozzles. In this way, it becomes possible to simultaneously discharge liquid to a large number of points.

  In the liquid discharge head having this configuration, since the actuator is driven to deform, a pressure can be instantaneously applied to the liquid in the pressure chamber, whereby a small amount of liquid droplets can be discharged from each nozzle. The actuator may be an actuator including a highly responsive element such as a piezoelectric element or a magnetostrictive element.

  The liquid discharge head may further include at least one cleaning port having a diameter larger than an outlet diameter of each nozzle while the pressure chamber communicates with production.

  Since the pressure chamber is long, unlike a small pressure chamber in a conventional so-called inkjet head, a space for providing a cleaning port can be secured. By providing such a cleaning port, it is possible to remove the foreign matter through the cleaning port even after the liquid ejection head (head body) is assembled when it is found that the foreign matter or the like is mixed in the pressure chamber. As a result, nozzle clogging caused by such foreign matter is avoided in advance, and the reliability of the liquid ejection head is increased.

  The actuator may be disposed opposite to both sides of the pressure chamber, and the actuators on both sides may be deformed and driven in the same direction in the opposite direction.

  Since the pressure chamber is long and relatively large, when the actuator is deformed and driven only in one direction so as to apply pressure to the liquid in the pressure chamber, vibration of the liquid discharge head is generated and the liquid droplet There is a possibility that a deviation occurs in the landing position.

  On the other hand, in the above-described configuration, the actuators are arranged opposite to both sides of the pressure chamber, and the vibration components are canceled by the same phase in the opposite direction so that the vibration components are cancelled. It is avoided that the head vibrates. As a result, the accuracy of the droplet landing position is improved.

  The liquid discharge head includes two head bodies in which the actuators are arranged on a side orthogonal to the nozzle row formation side with respect to the pressure chambers, and the two head bodies have the pressure chambers between the actuators. The actuators of the two head bodies may be deformed and driven in the same direction in the opposite directions, directly or indirectly joined so as to be opposed to each other.

  In this configuration, similarly to the above, the two actuators are deformed and driven in the same direction in the opposite direction, so that the vibration components are canceled out and the liquid ejection head is prevented from vibrating.

  Further, since the liquid discharge head having this configuration has two pressure chambers and two nozzle rows, for example, the same liquid may be discharged from each nozzle row, or different liquids may be supplied from each nozzle row. May be configured to be discharged. With these configurations, productivity can be further improved.

  In addition, while filling the pressure chamber to which one nozzle row communicates with liquid while not filling the pressure chamber to which the other nozzle row communicates, only from one nozzle row of the two nozzle rows, You may make it discharge a liquid.

  The liquid discharge head includes one nozzle plate formed with two nozzle rows arranged side by side, and the two head bodies have the nozzle rows communicated with the pressure chambers of the head bodies. It is good also as being respectively joined with respect to the nozzle plate. By doing so, the liquid discharge head can be made compact and the number of parts can be reduced.

  The liquid discharge head includes a pressure chamber member that partitions the pressure chamber, a pressure member that is bonded to the pressure chamber member via an elastic member, and forms a part of the pressure chamber; The pressurizing member may be configured to apply pressure to the liquid in the pressure chamber by being displaced with elastic deformation of the elastic member by deformation driving of the actuator.

  In this configuration, the pressure chamber can be largely changed in volume by the deformation driving of the actuator, and a high pressure can be instantaneously applied to the liquid in the pressure chamber. As a result, it is possible to stably discharge small droplets or high-viscosity liquids from all the many nozzles arranged in the longitudinal direction.

  The liquid discharge head includes a nozzle plate having the nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles penetrating in the plate thickness direction are arranged in a row, and the nozzle plate is an elastic member that surrounds a peripheral portion of each nozzle And an adhesive layer surrounding the elastic member, and may be joined to the pressure chamber member.

  This configuration improves the yield of the liquid discharge head. That is, when the liquid discharge head is manufactured, first, the pressure chamber member and the nozzle plate are assembled by clamping, for example, with the elastic member interposed therebetween. Then, the liquid discharge state of each nozzle is confirmed in this disassembled assembled state.

  By doing so, for example, when there is a defective nozzle, the nozzle plate can be removed from the pressure chamber member and the nozzle can be reworked.

  By doing so, the discharge state of all the nozzles can be made good, and when such a state is reached, the pressure chamber member and the nozzle plate are joined together by bonding the pressure chamber member and the nozzle plate with an adhesive. Assemble it so that it cannot be disassembled.

  Thus, by providing the elastic member surrounding the peripheral edge of each nozzle, it becomes possible to confirm the liquid discharge state of each nozzle in the disassembled assembled state. As a result, a liquid discharge head with a high yield can be manufactured as described above.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a liquid ejection apparatus includes the liquid ejection head. For this reason, a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of ejecting a small amount of liquid droplets at many points is realized, and the productivity of various devices and the like is greatly improved.

  As described above, according to the present invention, since the pressure can be instantaneously applied to the liquid in the pressure chamber by the deformation driving of the actuator and the liquid can be discharged from each nozzle communicating with the pressure chamber, At the same time, small droplets can be discharged simultaneously.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following description of the preferred embodiment is merely illustrative in nature, and is not intended to limit the present invention, its application, or its use.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of the liquid ejection apparatus A. The liquid ejection apparatus A is an apparatus used for manufacturing a flat panel display, for example, and uniformly applies a predetermined liquid material to the workpiece 4. The liquid ejection apparatus A includes a liquid ejection head 21 and a stage 31 that supports the workpiece 4.

  The liquid discharge head 21 is disposed so as to extend in the main scanning direction (X direction shown in FIG. 1) over the entire width of the workpiece 4.

  The stage 31 reciprocates in the sub-scanning direction (Y direction shown in FIG. 1) by the stage moving device 3 supported on the apparatus base 6. The stage moving device 3 includes two stage shafts 32 and 32 that are arranged at a predetermined interval in the main scanning direction and extend in the sub scanning direction, respectively. The stage 31 is guided by these stage shafts 32 and 32 and reciprocates in the sub-scanning direction by a driving source (for example, a motor) (not shown).

  With this configuration, the liquid discharge apparatus A discharges the liquid material from the liquid discharge head 21 toward the work 4 while relatively moving the liquid discharge head 21 and the work 4 on the stage 31.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the liquid discharge head 21 includes a head body 91. The head body 91 includes a pressure chamber 11 in which a liquid material is accommodated, and a plurality of nozzles 12 that communicate with the pressure chamber 11. In other words, the head main body 91 includes the pressure chamber member 14 in which the pressure chamber concave portion 141 is formed, and the nozzle plate 13 in which the nozzle 12 is formed. The head body 91 is also arranged on the side perpendicular to the nozzle 12 formation side with respect to the pressure chamber 11, and a pressure member 15 joined to the pressure chamber member 14, and an actuator that is driven to expand and contract in the left-right direction in FIG. 3. 16 and a holding member 17 that holds the actuator 16. In FIG. 2, the holding member 17 is not shown.

  The pressure chamber member 14 is a plate-like member made of, for example, stainless steel or ceramic, and has a long shape that is long in the left-right direction in FIG. The pressure chamber recess 141 is open to the lower surface of the pressure chamber member 14 and extends in the longitudinal direction. The pressure chamber recess 141 divides the front surface (left side surface in FIG. 3), the left and right side surfaces (left and right side surfaces in FIG. 2), and the upper surface of the pressure chamber 11 by the inner surface. In the present embodiment, the length of the pressure chamber recess 141 in the longitudinal direction is set to about 110 mm, the depth is about 0.5 mm, and the height is about 3 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the supply pipe 51 is attached to the pressure chamber member 14 so as to extend in the vertical direction at both the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction. The supply pipe 51 is provided so as to penetrate from the upper surface of the pressure chamber member 14 to the pressure chamber recess 141, and the supply pipe 51 allows liquid to enter the pressure chamber 11 from a liquid material supply source (not shown). A supply port for supplying the material is formed. The supply pipe 51 may be, for example, a stainless steel pipe having an inner diameter of φ80 μm and a length of about 2 mm.

  A cleaning pipe 52 is attached to the pressure chamber member 14 so as to extend in the left-right direction at each of the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction. The cleaning pipe 52 is, for example, a stainless steel pipe having an inner diameter of φ200 μm and a length of about 5 mm, and is disposed so as to penetrate from the left and right side surfaces of the pressure chamber member 14 to the pressure chamber recess 141. The cleaning pipe 52 forms a cleaning port for removing foreign matters mixed in the pressure chamber 11 during the manufacture of the head main body 91, particularly. The cleaning pipe 52 is sealed by press-fitting a sealing plug 52a after the head body 91 is manufactured. The sealing plug 52a may be removably inserted into the cleaning pipe 52.

  Thus, a concave groove 142 extending in the longitudinal direction is provided on the back surface of the pressure chamber member 14 for disposing the pressurizing member 15. The concave groove 142 is formed to be recessed inward from the back surface of the pressure chamber member 14, and communicates with the pressure chamber concave portion 141 through the communication portion 143. The width in the height direction (vertical direction) of the communication portion 143 is set to be smaller than the width in the height direction of the concave groove 142, so that the boundary between the concave groove 142 and the communication portion 143 A step portion along the periphery of the communication portion 143 is formed.

  The pressurizing member 15 is a plate-like member extending in the longitudinal direction of the head main body 91 and may be made of a relatively high rigidity material such as stainless steel or ceramic. In the present embodiment, the pressure member 15 is made of stainless steel having a length in the longitudinal direction of about 105 mm, a height of about 2.5 mm, and a thickness of about 1.0 mm. It is considered as a plate material.

  The pressing member 15 is inserted into the concave groove 142 and joined to the step portion via the elastic member 18. The elastic member 18 is formed in an annular shape along the stepped portion. The elastic member 18 is preferably made of a solvent-resistant rubber such as fluorine rubber or silicone rubber in consideration of corrosion resistance to the liquid filled in the pressure chamber 11. Thus, the back surface of the pressure chamber 11 is partitioned by the front surface of the pressure member 15.

  In this embodiment, the actuator 16 is made of a laminated piezoelectric material having a length of about 30 mm, a height of about 2.0 mm, and a thickness of about 1.5 mm. A voltage is applied to an electrode (not shown). By doing so, it expands and contracts in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 2, three actuators 16 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the pressure member 15, and one side surface (the left side surface in FIG. 3) is on the side surface of the pressure member 15. It is joined to.

  The other side surface (the right side surface in FIG. 3) of each actuator 16 is fixed to the holding member 17, and the holding member 17 is fixed to the pressure chamber member 14. As a result, the pressurizing member 15 is displaced in the left-right direction in FIG. 3 with the expansion and contraction of the elastic member 18 by the expansion and contraction drive of each actuator 16 as indicated by the arrow in FIG. Increase or decrease.

  In the present embodiment, three actuators 16 are provided (in other words, the actuator is divided into three), but as the actuator, for example, a single long actuator may be provided. . Also, the number of divisions is not limited to three, and may be divided into two, or may be divided into four or more.

  When the actuator is divided, the electrode may be shared by a plurality of actuators. It is also possible to use the pressure member 15 as a common electrode.

  The nozzle plate 13 is a long plate material made of, for example, stainless steel, and is joined to the lower surface of the pressure chamber member 14. As a result, the bottom surface of the pressure chamber 11 is partitioned by the upper surface of the nozzle plate 13.

  With respect to the nozzle plate 13, a plurality of nozzles 12 penetratingly formed in the plate thickness direction are arranged so as to be arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction, thereby forming a nozzle row 12a. The nozzle row 12a may be configured by arranging a plurality of nozzles 12 in a row, or may be configured by arranging them in a staggered manner. In the present embodiment, the nozzle row 12a is formed by arranging 300 nozzles 12 in a row at a pitch of 0.3 mm. In FIG. 2, the number of nozzles 12 is reduced for easy understanding.

  Each nozzle 12 is formed to communicate with the pressure chamber 11 in a state where the nozzle plate 13 is joined to the pressure chamber member 14. Each nozzle 12 has a tapered shape whose diameter decreases toward the tip. Here, the outlet diameter of each nozzle may be about φ0.03 mm, for example. In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted in the shape of each nozzle 12, it is good also as what has a taper part which a diameter becomes small toward a front-end | tip, and a straight part with a constant diameter while continuing to the taper part.

  In the nozzle plate 13, it is preferable to form a water repellent film on the side surface (the lower surface in FIGS. 2 and 3) where the tip opening of the nozzle 12 is formed from the viewpoint of the discharge stability of the liquid material. Such a water-repellent film can be formed by a known method.

  Between the nozzle plate 13 and the pressure chamber member 14, an elastic member 53 surrounding the proximal end opening of the nozzle 12, and surrounding the elastic member 53 and joining the nozzle plate 13 and the pressure chamber member 14 to each other. An adhesive layer 54 is interposed. This is a configuration for improving the yield of the head main body 91.

  That is, when the head main body 91 is manufactured, the nozzle plate 13 and the pressure chamber member 14 are assembled to each other by clamping with only the elastic member 53 interposed. In this manner, the nozzle plate 13 and the pressure chamber member 14 are assembled so as to be disassembled, and in this state, the actuator 16 is driven to deform to change the liquid discharge state (for example, clogging or landing position accuracy) of each nozzle 12. Check.

  As a result, when fine adjustment of the nozzle 12 is necessary, the nozzle plate 13 is removed from the pressure chamber member 14 and the nozzle 12 is reworked. If the liquid discharge state of all the nozzles 12 becomes good, the nozzle plate 13 and the pressure chamber member 14 are bonded to each other with an adhesive. That is, the nozzle plate 13 and the pressure chamber member 14 are joined so as not to be disassembled.

  Since the head main body 91 follows the manufacturing procedure as described above, the elastic member 53 and the adhesive layer 54 exist between the nozzle plate 13 and the pressure chamber member 14, as described above. Since the liquid discharge state can be made favorable for all the nozzles 12, there is an advantage that the yield of the head main body 91 can be improved. The elastic member 53 is preferably made of a solvent-resistant rubber such as fluorine rubber or silicone rubber, for example, and the elastic member 18 interposed at the joint between the pressure chamber member 14 and the pressure member 15; The same material may be used.

Further, after the nozzle plate 13 and the pressure chamber member 14 are joined via the adhesive layer 54, when foreign matter or the like is mixed in the pressure chamber 11, the foreign matter is removed through the cleaning pipe 52 as described above. It is possible. The cleaning pipe 52 has an inner diameter (for example, φ200 μm) larger than the inner diameter of each nozzle 12 and can effectively remove foreign matters in the pressure chamber 11. In this way, clogging of the nozzle 12 due to foreign matter in the pressure chamber 11 is prevented in advance, so that the reliability of the head main body 91 can be greatly improved. . A predetermined voltage is applied to each actuator 16 with the supply pipe 51, the pressure chamber 11, and each nozzle 12 filled with a liquid material. As a result, each actuator 16 is extended and deformed.

  As the actuator 16 extends and deforms, the pressure member 15 is displaced to the left in FIG. 3, so that the elastic member 18 expands and contracts and the volume of the pressure chamber 11 decreases. As a result, pressure is applied to the liquid material in the pressure chamber 11. Then, the liquid material is pushed out from each nozzle 12 and discharged as droplets toward the work 4. The droplets adhere to the surface of the work 4 in the form of dots.

  Thereafter, by canceling the voltage application to each actuator 16, the extended actuator 16 returns to the original state, the pressurizing member 15 is displaced to the right, and the volume of the pressure chamber 11 returns to the original. At this time, the liquid material is replenished into the pressure chamber 11 through the supply pipe 51.

  In the head main body 91, a plurality of nozzles 12 are arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction with respect to the long pressure chamber 11, and all the nozzles 12 move into the pressure chamber 11 by the deformation drive of each actuator 16. These liquid materials can be discharged simultaneously toward the workpiece.

  At this time, since the pressure is applied to the liquid material in the pressure chamber 11 by the deformation driving of the actuator 16 made of a piezoelectric body, a large pressure can be instantaneously applied to the liquid material. As a result, the liquid material of small droplets can be discharged from all the many nozzles 12 arranged in the long direction stably with good liquid breakage. In particular, in the head main body 91, the pressure member 11 is displaced to change the volume of the pressure chamber 11 to apply a pressure to the liquid material. Therefore, a relatively high-viscosity liquid is ejected as small droplets. be able to. Specifically, a high voltage (for example, 20 V) is applied to the actuator 16 to discharge a high-viscosity liquid having a viscosity of 30 cP (0.03 Pa · s) with a small droplet amount of about 50 pl (picoliter). Is possible.

  Thus, in the liquid ejecting apparatus A provided with the head body 91, since it is possible to eject small droplets to a large number of points, the productivity of various devices and the like can be improved.

  Here, the driving of the actuator 16 is not the so-called push-pull driving as described above, and after the pressure member 15 is displaced rightward to supply the liquid material into the pressure chamber 11, the pressure member 15 is driven. It is good also as what is called pulling drive which discharges a liquid material from each nozzle 12 by returning this.

  Further, in the head main body 91, since the actuator 16 is divided into three, for example, according to variations in the displacement characteristics of the three actuators 16, the respective actuators 16 have the same amount of displacement. You may adjust the voltage (energization waveform) applied to. Furthermore, the voltage (energization waveform) applied to each actuator 16 may be adjusted so that the displacement of the long pressure member 15 is constant in the long direction.

(Embodiment 2)
The configuration of the head main body in the liquid discharge head 21 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, a configuration as shown in FIG. 4 may be adopted.

  The head main body 92 is different from the head main body 91 in that it does not include a pressure member. That is, in the pressure chamber member 14 of the head main body 92, the pressure chamber concave portion 141 and the concave groove 142 do not communicate with each other, and the diaphragm 61 is interposed therebetween. The thickness of the diaphragm 61 may be about 0.2 mm, for example. As shown in FIG. 4, the diaphragm 61 may be provided as a part of the pressure chamber member 14 or may be integrally provided. Although not shown, the separate diaphragm 61 is attached to the pressure chamber member 14. Also good.

  In the head main body 92, the vibration plate 61 bends and deforms as the actuator 16 is driven to be deformed, whereby pressure is applied to the liquid material in the pressure chamber 11. Thus, the liquid material is discharged toward the work 4 from all the nozzles 12 communicating with the pressure chamber 11.

(Embodiment 3)
The head main body 93 shown in FIG. 5 is different from the head main body 91 shown in FIG. 3 in that the pressure member 15 is disposed at a position facing the nozzle plate 13 with the pressure chamber 11 interposed therebetween.

  A concave groove 144 extending in the longitudinal direction is formed in the pressure chamber member 14 of the head main body 93 so as to be recessed from the upper surface thereof, and the bottom thereof is the upper surface of the pressure chamber concave portion 141 via the communication portion 145. Communicated with. A pressurizing member 15 is inserted into the concave groove 144 of the upper surface opening, and the pressurizing member 15 is joined to the step portion via an elastic member 18. As a result, the upper surface of the pressure chamber 11 is partitioned by the bottom surface of the pressure member 15.

  The lower surface of the actuator 16 that expands and contracts in the vertical direction is bonded to the upper surface of the pressure member 15, and the upper surface is fixed to the holding member 19. When the actuator 16 expands and contracts in the vertical direction, the pressure member 15 is displaced in the vertical direction.

  In the head main body 93, the supply pipe 51 is attached so as to extend in the front-rear direction from the front surface of the pressure chamber member 14.

(Embodiment 4)
The head main body 94 shown in FIG. 6 is different from the head main body 91 shown in FIG. 3 in that actuators 16F and 16R are arranged on both sides of the pressure chamber 11, respectively.

  That is, the pressure chamber member 14 of the head main body 94 is formed with concave grooves 142F and 142R for disposing the pressure member 15 extending in the longitudinal direction on the front surface and the back surface, respectively. The front and rear concave grooves 142 </ b> F and 142 </ b> R communicate with the front surface and the rear surface of the pressure chamber concave portion 141 via the communication portion 143.

  Thus, front and rear pressurizing members 15F and 15R are inserted into the front and rear concave grooves 142F and 142R, respectively. And it will be divided by the side surfaces of the pressure members 15F and 15R on the rear side.

  Actuators 16F and 16R that are driven to expand and contract in the front-rear direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 6) are joined to the pressure members 15F and 15R, whereby the head body 94 sandwiches the pressure chamber 11 therebetween. The front actuator 16F and the rear actuator 16R are disposed relative to each other.

  In the head main body 94, the front actuator 16F and the rear actuator 16R are deformed and driven in the opposite direction in the same phase. As a result, the vibration components accompanying the driving of the actuators 16F and 16R cancel each other. That is, the head body 94 is a head body 94 that can suppress vibration. Due to this vibration suppressing effect, the head body 94 has an advantage that the accuracy of the landing position of the liquid material is further improved.

(Embodiment 5)
The liquid discharge head 21 shown in FIG. 7 has two head main bodies 91 shown in FIG. 3, which are arranged so as to face each other, and joined to a head holding member 62 interposed therebetween. doing. Although not shown, the side surfaces of the head main bodies 91 and 91 may be directly joined without the head holding member 62 interposed.

  With this configuration, the liquid ejection head 21 is arranged so that the actuators 16 and 16 face each other with the pressure chamber 11 interposed therebetween. As a result, similarly to the head main body 94 shown in FIG. 6, the vibration of the liquid discharge head 21 can be suppressed by driving the two actuators 16 and 16 in the opposite direction in the same phase.

  In the liquid discharge head 21, the liquid material filled in one pressure chamber 11 and the liquid material filled in the other pressure chamber 11 may be the same liquid material or different liquid materials.

  Alternatively, the liquid material may not be filled in any one of the pressure chambers 11, and only the actuator 16 may be driven to suppress vibration of the liquid discharge head 21.

  Further, in the liquid discharge head 21, the nozzles 12 of one head body 91 and the nozzles 12 of the other head body 91 may be arranged at the same pitch. The nozzles may be arranged in a staggered manner by shifting the nozzles 12 of the other head main body 91 by a half pitch.

(Embodiment 6)
The liquid discharge head 21 shown in FIG. 8 is different from the liquid discharge head 21 shown in FIG. 7 in that the nozzle plate 63 is shared by the two pressure chamber members 14.

  That is, in this liquid discharge head 21, two nozzle rows 12 a are formed on the nozzle plate 63, and two nozzle rows 12 a correspond to each pressure chamber 11, so that two nozzle rows 12 a correspond to each pressure chamber 11. The pressure chamber members 14 are joined side by side. At this time, the actuators 16 and 16 are disposed so as to face each other with the pressure chamber 11 interposed therebetween, whereby the side surfaces of the two pressure chamber members 14 are joined to each other.

(Embodiment 7)
The head main body 95 shown in FIG. 9 is different from the head main body 91 shown in FIG. 3 in that the elastic member 18 is bonded to the entire front surface of the pressure member 15.

  That is, in the head main body 95, the sheet-like elastic member 18 is previously bonded to the front surface of the above-described long pressure member 15, and the pressure member 15 to which the elastic member 18 is bonded is connected to the concave groove 142. It joins with respect to the pressure chamber member 14 in the inside. This configuration has an advantage that the pressure member 15 can be easily joined to the pressure chamber member 14.

(Other embodiments)
In addition, you may combine each said embodiment suitably in the range which can be combined.

  In addition, the actuator for applying pressure to the liquid in the pressure chamber 11 is not limited to a piezoelectric body, and for example, a magnetostrictive element can be employed.

  As described above, the present invention can simultaneously discharge a small amount of liquid droplets at a number of points. For example, in the electronics field of manufacturing various devices such as flat panel displays and circuit boards, It is useful as a liquid discharge head and a liquid discharge device used for manufacturing in various technical fields such as the optoelectronic field and the bio-medical field.

It is a schematic perspective view which shows the liquid discharge apparatus which concerns on embodiment. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a head body according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view showing the head body according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view showing a head body according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view showing a head body according to a third embodiment. FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view showing a head body according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view showing a liquid ejection head according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view showing a liquid ejection head according to a sixth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view showing a head body according to a seventh embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

11 Pressure chamber 12 Nozzle 12a Nozzle row 13 Nozzle plate 14 Pressure chamber member 15 Pressure member 16 Actuator 18 Elastic member 21 Liquid discharge head 51 Supply pipe (supply port)
52 Cleaning pipe (cleaning port)
53 Elastic member 54 Adhesive layer 63 Nozzle plate 91 Head main body 92 Head main body 93 Head main body 94 Head main body 95 Head main body A Liquid ejection device

Claims (1)

A long pressure chamber extending in a predetermined direction;
A nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles communicating with the pressure chamber are arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction of the pressure chamber, and
At least one supply port communicating with the pressure chamber and supplying a liquid to the pressure chamber;
At least one actuator that is deformed and driven to apply pressure to the liquid in the pressure chamber, thereby discharging the liquid from each of the nozzles;
Including a head body including
The pressure chamber and the outside are communicated with each other, and at least one cleaning port having a larger diameter than the outlet diameter of each nozzle is further provided,
Two head bodies in which the actuator is arranged on the side perpendicular to the nozzle row forming side with respect to the pressure chamber are provided,
The two head bodies are joined to each other directly or indirectly so that the actuators face each other across the pressure chamber,
The actuators of the two head bodies are deformed and driven in the same phase in the opposing direction;
One nozzle plate further comprising two nozzle rows arranged side by side,
The two head bodies are liquid ejection heads that are respectively joined to the nozzle plate so that the nozzle rows communicate with the pressure chambers of the head bodies.

Images