JP6237062B2 - Liquid ejecting apparatus and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejection apparatus and a method for manufacturing the same.

  As a liquid ejecting apparatus, an ink jet head that ejects ink onto a recording sheet to record an image or the like is known. In the ink jet head, when the recording paper is warped or paper is jammed during printing, the recording paper may come into contact with the ink ejection surface, and the nozzles formed on the ink ejection surface and its surroundings may be damaged. In order to solve this problem, in Patent Document 1, a nozzle guide is separately attached to the outer edge of the inkjet head so as to protrude downward from the ink discharge surface.

JP 2013-132864 A

  In Patent Document 1, a nozzle guide that is a separate member is attached to an inkjet head. Therefore, the number of parts increases and the cost increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to prevent the discharge target from coming into contact with the nozzle and its surroundings while reducing the cost, and to increase the rigidity of the flow path structure. Another object is to provide a liquid ejection device.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, a liquid discharge device includes a flow path structure in which a liquid flow path is formed and a plurality of nozzles that are stacked on one surface of the flow path structure and communicate with the liquid flow path. The flow path structure has a recess on the one surface, and the nozzle formation member has a thickness smaller than the depth of the recess and is accommodated in the recess. It is what.

  In the present invention, the flow channel structure in which the liquid flow channel is formed has a concave portion on one surface, and the nozzle forming member has a thickness smaller than the depth of the concave portion and is accommodated in the concave portion. Thereby, a contact with a liquid discharge surface and discharge object can be suppressed. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the ejection target to come into contact with the nozzle and its surroundings. Further, the flow channel structure has a portion surrounding the nozzle forming member in addition to the portion where the liquid flow channel necessary for discharging the liquid from the nozzle is originally formed. Therefore, the thickness of the portion surrounding the nozzle forming member is added to the thickness of the portion where the fluid flow path necessary for discharging the liquid from the nozzle is formed. As the thickness increases, the flow path structure has increased rigidity. Therefore, the handling property of the flow path structure is improved. Further, since the flow path structure itself is provided with a step, it is not necessary to separately attach a member for protecting the liquid discharge surface. Accordingly, the number of parts can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the liquid ejection apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein a filler is filled between the inner side surface of the recess and the side surface of the nozzle forming member.

  In the present invention, the filler is filled between the inner surface of the recess and the side surface of the nozzle forming member. Therefore, the space between the inner side surface of the recess and the side surface of the nozzle forming member can be filled with the filler. Thereby, it can prevent that a liquid accumulates between the inner surface of a recessed part, and the side surface of a nozzle formation member. Moreover, scattering of the liquid when the liquid is wiped off by wiping can be prevented. Further, when the liquid is wiped off by the wipe, the inner surface of the recess or the side surface of the nozzle forming member can be prevented from being caught by the wipe. Moreover, peeling of the nozzle forming member can be prevented.

  According to a third aspect of the invention, in the first or second aspect of the invention, the liquid ejection apparatus includes a plurality of the nozzle forming members, and the plurality of nozzle forming members are accommodated on the one surface of the flow path structure. The plurality of concave portions are formed, and convex portions separating adjacent concave portions are formed between the plurality of concave portions.

  In the present invention, the liquid ejection device includes a plurality of nozzle forming members, and a plurality of recesses that respectively accommodate the plurality of nozzle forming members are formed on one surface of the flow path structure. Therefore, all the nozzles of the liquid ejection apparatus are formed by being divided into a plurality of nozzle forming members. Since each nozzle forming member is individually accommodated in the recess, the distance from the step formed by the recess to each nozzle formed on the nozzle forming member can be reduced. Thereby, it can suppress more that a discharge target contacts a nozzle and its circumference | surroundings. In addition, the flow path structure has, for example, a thicker portion and a higher rigidity because there is a convex portion separating adjacent concave portions as compared with a case where a large concave portion is provided in a wide area. Becomes higher. Thereby, the handleability of the flow channel structure is further improved.

  In the liquid ejection device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, one nozzle group is constituted by the plurality of nozzles formed on each nozzle forming member, and the nozzles are arranged between the plurality of nozzle groups. The liquid to be discharged is different.

  In the present invention, one nozzle group is constituted by a plurality of nozzles formed on each nozzle forming member, and the liquid ejected from the nozzles is different among the plurality of nozzle groups. Accordingly, since the nozzle forming members in which the plurality of nozzle groups are formed are accommodated in the plurality of recesses, and the adjacent recesses are separated by the projections, different types of liquids are difficult to mix with each other.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus according to a fifth aspect, in the fourth aspect, the cap member having a plurality of cap portions respectively covering the plurality of nozzle groups can contact the one surface of the flow path structure. The partition portions that separate the plurality of cap portions are in contact with the convex portions, respectively.

  In the present invention, a cap member having a plurality of cap portions that respectively cover a plurality of nozzle groups can be contacted with one surface of the flow path structure, and a partition portion that separates the plurality of cap portions is respectively provided on the convex portion. Abut. Therefore, when the cap member and the one surface of the flow path structure are in contact, the space between the adjacent cap portions can be reliably sealed by the partition wall portion. Thereby, it can prevent reliably that a liquid of a different kind mixes.

  The liquid ejection device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the liquid discharge device according to the first aspect, wherein the flow path structure is a plate-shaped first member and a second member laminated on the first member. A plurality of first flow path portions communicating with the plurality of nozzles in the liquid flow path, respectively, and the concave portion is formed on one surface of the first member. The second member is laminated on a surface opposite to the one surface of the first member, and a second flow path portion communicating with the plurality of first flow path portions is formed in the liquid flow path. It is characterized by.

  Among the liquid channels, the member in which the first channel portion is formed is plate-shaped, and if the thickness is small, the rigidity thereof is lowered, and thus poor handling is particularly problematic. However, in this invention, the recessed part in which a nozzle formation member is accommodated is formed in one surface of the 1st member. Accordingly, the first member is formed with a portion surrounding the nozzle forming member in addition to a portion where the first flow path is originally formed which is necessary for discharging the liquid from the nozzle. That is, in the first member, the thickness of the portion surrounding the nozzle forming member is added to the thickness of the portion where the first flow path necessary for discharging the liquid from the nozzle is formed. As the thickness increases, the rigidity of the first member increases. Therefore, the handleability of the first member is improved.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus according to a seventh aspect, in the sixth aspect, the first member has a positioning hole for positioning with respect to the second member, the nozzle forming member as viewed from the stacking direction. It is provided outside the recessed portion accommodated, and the positioning hole is filled with a hole filling agent.

  The positioning hole is preferably closed to prevent liquid from accumulating. Here, if it is going to block a positioning hole with a nozzle formation member, a positioning hole will be formed in the recessed part which accommodates a nozzle formation member. However, when the positioning hole is formed in the concave portion, the size of the concave portion is increased accordingly. Accordingly, the distance between the step and the nozzle and its surroundings is increased.

  In the present invention, the positioning hole is provided on the outer side of the recess in which the nozzle forming member is accommodated when viewed from the stacking direction. Therefore, the size of the recess can be reduced regardless of the positioning hole. Thereby, since a level | step difference can be formed in the position closer to a nozzle, it can suppress more that a discharge target contacts a nozzle and its periphery. The positioning hole is filled with a hole filling agent. Therefore, the positioning hole can be filled with the hole filling material. Thereby, it can prevent that a liquid accumulates in a positioning hole.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a liquid ejection device, comprising: a flow channel structure in which a plurality of liquid flow channels are formed; And a nozzle forming member for forming a plurality of nozzles, wherein a recess forming step for forming a recess on one surface of the flow path structure and a thickness of the recess A stacking step of stacking the nozzle forming member smaller than the depth in the recess, and a nozzle forming step of forming the plurality of nozzles communicating with the liquid flow path in the nozzle forming member. It is characterized by this.

  In the present invention, similarly to the first aspect of the invention, it is possible to suppress the discharge target from coming into contact with the nozzle and its surroundings while suppressing the cost. In addition, the rigidity of the channel structure can be increased.

1 is a top view illustrating a schematic configuration of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment. It is a top view of an inkjet head. It is a bottom view of an inkjet head. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. (A) is sectional drawing of the inkjet head when a nozzle discharge surface is covered with the cap member, (b) is sectional drawing of the inkjet head at the time of wiper wiping off. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of an inkjet head. It is a bottom view of the inkjet head of a modification. It is a bottom view of the inkjet head of a modification.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to an inkjet printer that prints an image or the like by ejecting ink droplets onto a recording sheet. As shown in FIG. 1, the inkjet printer 1 includes a platen 2, a carriage 3, an inkjet head 4, a transport mechanism 5, a maintenance mechanism 6, a control device 7, and the like. In the following description, the front side in FIG. 1 is defined as the upper side, and the other side of the page is defined as the lower side, and the explanation will be made using direction words “up” and “down” as appropriate. Further, the conveyance direction of the recording paper P is defined as “conveyance direction”, and the scanning direction of the carriage 3 is defined as “scanning direction”.

  A recording paper P, which is a recording medium, is placed on the upper surface of the platen 2. The carriage 3 is configured to be capable of reciprocating in the scanning direction along the two guide rails 8 and 9 in a region facing the platen 2. An endless belt 10 is connected to the carriage 3. The carriage 3 moves in the scanning direction when the endless belt 10 is driven by the carriage drive motor 11.

  The inkjet head 4 is attached to the carriage 3 and moves in the scanning direction together with the carriage 3. The ink-jet head 4 includes four ink cartridges 12k, 12y, 12c, and 12m (black (K), yellow (Y), cyan (C), and magenta (M)) that are attached to the ink-jet printer 1, and tubes (not used). Connected). Of the four color inks, the black ink is a pigment ink, and the other three color inks are dye inks.

  A plurality of nozzles 13 are formed on the lower surface of the inkjet head 4. The plurality of nozzles 13 are arranged along the transport direction, and constitute four nozzle rows 44k, 44y, 44c, and 44m arranged in the scanning direction. Four color inks are respectively supplied from the four ink cartridges 12k, 12y, 12c, and 12m to the four nozzle rows 44k, 44y, 44c, and 44m. Note that “k”, “y”, “c”, and “m” correspond to black, yellow, cyan, and magenta, respectively. The inks of three colors other than black, specifically yellow, cyan, and magenta, are particularly referred to as color inks. The inkjet head 4 ejects four colors of ink from the four nozzle rows 44k, 44y, 44c, and 44m to the recording paper P placed on the platen 2, respectively. The specific configuration of the inkjet head 4 will be described in detail later.

  The transport mechanism 5 has two transport rollers 41 and 42 arranged so as to sandwich the platen 2 in the transport direction. The two transport rollers 41 and 42 are driven by a transport motor (not shown). The transport mechanism 5 transports the recording paper P placed on the upper surface of the platen 2 in the transport direction by two transport rollers 41 and 42.

  The maintenance mechanism 6 is arranged at a position outside the area facing the recording paper P (on the right side in FIG. 1) in the movement range of the carriage 3 in the scanning direction. The maintenance mechanism 6 includes a cap member 35, a suction pump 31, and a wiper 40.

  After printing, the cap member 35 is driven upward by a cap drive motor (not shown) in a state where the carriage 3 moves to a position directly above the maintenance mechanism 6 and the lower surface of the inkjet head 4 faces the cap member 35. . As a result, the cap member 35 has a lower surface of the inkjet head 4 so that the first cap portion 35a and the second cap portion 35b separated by the partition wall portion 35c cover the nozzle row 44k and the nozzle rows 44y, 44c, 44m, respectively. Close contact with (capping).

  The suction pump 31 is connected to the cap member 35 via a tube 37 and a switching device 38. The suction pump 31 is used to suck the ink in the first cap part 35a and the second cap part 35b. This suction is switched between the first cap portion 35a and the second cap portion 35b by the switching device 38. The suction pump 31 discharges the black ink and the color ink from the nozzle row 44k and the nozzle rows 44y, 44c, 44m, respectively (suction purge). Thereby, the ejection failure of the nozzle 13 resulting from bubbles or the like is eliminated.

  The wiper 40 is erected at a position closer to the platen 2 than the cap member 35. The wiper 40 is made of, for example, flexible rubber. The black ink and the color ink are respectively discharged from the nozzle row 44k and the nozzle rows 44y, 44c, and 44m, and then the wiper 40 is raised. Thereafter, when the carriage 3 moves in the scanning direction, the wiper 40 wipes off ink adhering to the lower surface of the inkjet head 4.

  The control device 7 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) including various control circuits. The control device 7 is connected to various devices or drive units of the ink jet printer 1 such as the ink jet head 4, the carriage drive motor 11, a transport motor (not shown), a cap drive motor (not shown), and a suction pump 31.

  The control device 7 causes the CPU and ASIC to execute various processes according to the program stored in the ROM. For example, the control device 7 controls a cap drive motor (not shown) of the maintenance mechanism 6, the suction pump 31, and the like to execute capping, suction purge, and the like. In addition, although the control apparatus 7 gave the example which performs various processes by CPU and ASIC, this invention is not limited to this, The control apparatus 7 may be implement | achieved by what kind of hardware configurations. For example, the processing may be performed by only the CPU or only the ASIC. The functions may be shared by two or more CPUs or two or more ASICs.

  Next, a specific configuration of the inkjet head 4 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the inkjet head 4 includes a flow path unit 26 and a piezoelectric actuator 30.

  First, the flow path unit 26 will be described. The flow path unit 26 includes the plate laminate 20 and nozzle forming members 27a and 27b. The plate laminate 20 is configured by laminating plates 21, 22, 23, and 24 in order from the lower surface side of the inkjet head 4. The plates 21, 22, 23, and 24 are made of a metal material such as stainless steel, for example. A first recess 29 a and a second recess 29 b are formed on the lower surface of the lowermost plate 21. Nozzle forming members 27a and 27b are accommodated in the first recess 29a and the second recess 29b, respectively. The nozzle forming members 27a and 27b are made of, for example, a synthetic resin. More specifically, the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b are made of, for example, polyimide.

  An ink supply port 14 is formed in the uppermost plate 24. A total of four ink supply ports 14 are formed, one for each ink color. The four ink supply ports 14 are arranged in the scanning direction. The four ink supply ports 14 are connected to four ink cartridges 12k, 12y, 12c, and 12m (see FIG. 1), respectively.

  A manifold 19 is formed on the plate 22. A total of four manifolds 19 are formed, one for each color. The four manifolds 19 are connected to four ink supply ports 14 formed in the plate 24, respectively. Four color inks are supplied to the four manifolds 19 from the four ink cartridges 12k, 12y, 12c, and 12m through the four ink supply ports 14, respectively. The four manifolds 19 extend in the transport direction. The four manifolds 19 are arranged in the scanning direction. The four manifolds 19 communicate with a plurality of pressure chambers 18 through a plurality of via holes 23 a formed in the plate 23.

  The plurality of pressure chambers 18 are formed in the plate 24 that is the uppermost layer of the flow path unit 26. The plurality of pressure chambers 18 are arranged in four rows in the scanning direction along the four manifolds 19 extending in the transport direction. The plurality of pressure chambers 18 are covered from above by the piezoelectric layers 31 and 32 of the piezoelectric actuator 30 bonded to the upper surface of the flow path unit 26. The pressure chamber 18 is a hole having a substantially rectangular planar shape that is long in the scanning direction. One end in the longitudinal direction of each pressure chamber 18 communicates with the manifold 19 via a plurality of via holes 23 a, and the other end in the longitudinal direction communicates with a plurality of flow path forming holes 25.

  The plurality of flow path forming holes 25 are formed by communicating holes provided in the plates 21, 22, 23, and 24, respectively. As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of holes 21k provided in the plate 21, a plurality of holes 22k provided in the plate 22, a plurality of holes 23k provided in the plate 23, and a plurality of holes 24k provided in the plate 24 Are communicated with each other to form a plurality of black ink flow path forming holes 25k. Similarly, a plurality of flow path forming holes for the color ink are also formed by communicating the respective holes. The plurality of flow path forming holes 25 communicate with the plurality of nozzles 13, respectively.

  The plurality of nozzles 13 are formed on the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b. The plurality of nozzles 13 are arranged along the transport direction, and constitute four nozzle rows 44k, 44y, 44c, and 44m arranged in the scanning direction.

  As a result, the flow path unit 26 is formed with a plurality of individual ink flow paths that branch from the manifold 19, pass through the pressure chambers 18, pass through the flow path formation holes 25, and reach the nozzles 13.

  Next, the piezoelectric actuator 30 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the piezoelectric actuator 30 is joined to the upper surface of the plate 24 so as to cover the plurality of pressure chambers 18. The piezoelectric actuator 30 includes an ink sealing film 33, two piezoelectric layers 31 and 32, a plurality of individual electrodes 15, and a common electrode 17.

  The ink sealing film 33 is a thin film formed of a material having low ink permeability, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel. The ink sealing film 33 is bonded to the upper surface of the plate 24 so as to cover the plurality of pressure chambers 18.

  The two piezoelectric layers 31 and 32 are made of a piezoelectric material mainly composed of lead zirconate titanate, which is a mixed crystal of lead titanate and lead zirconate. The piezoelectric layers 31 and 32 are arranged on the upper surface of the ink sealing film 33 in a state where they are laminated.

  The plurality of individual electrodes 15 are disposed on the upper surface of the piezoelectric layer 31. More specifically, each individual electrode 15 is disposed in a region of the upper surface of the piezoelectric layer 31 that faces the central portion of the pressure chamber 18. The plurality of individual electrodes 15 are arranged in the transport direction corresponding to the plurality of pressure chambers 18 to form four individual electrode rows in the scanning direction. Individual terminals 36 are drawn out from the individual electrodes 15, and bumps 16 made of a conductive material such as gold are provided at the end portions of the individual terminals 36. A COF (not shown), which is a wiring member, is pressed against and bonded to the bumps 16. Thereby, the individual terminal 36 is electrically connected to the wiring formed in the COF (not shown) via the bump 16.

  The common electrode 17 is disposed between the two piezoelectric layers 31 and 32. The common electrode 17 faces the plurality of individual electrodes 15 in common across the piezoelectric layer 31.

  By applying a voltage to the plurality of individual electrodes 15 and the common electrode 17, the two piezoelectric layers 31 and 32 are displaced in the thickness direction in regions facing the plurality of pressure chambers 18, respectively. Thereby, the volume of the several pressure chamber 18 changes, respectively. Due to this volume change, pressure is applied to the ink in each pressure chamber 18, and ink is ejected from the nozzle 13 communicating with the pressure chamber 18.

  By the way, the inkjet head 4 of the present embodiment is devised to suppress contact between the recording paper P and the nozzles 13 and their surroundings. This will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a first recess 29 a and a second recess 29 b are formed on the lower surface of the plate 21. The first recess 29a surrounds the nozzle forming member 27a where the nozzle row 44k is formed and extends in the transport direction. The second recess 29b surrounds the nozzle forming member 27b in which the nozzle rows 44y, 44c, and 44m are formed and extends in the transport direction. The first recess 29 a and the second recess 29 b are substantially rectangular when viewed from the thickness direction of the plate 21. This shape is appropriately changed depending on the interval between nozzles 13 adjacent in the scanning direction, the number of nozzle rows arranged in the scanning direction, and the like.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, nozzle forming members 27a and 27b are accommodated in the first recess 29a and the second recess 29b, respectively. The shape and size of the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b viewed from the thickness direction of the plate 21 are substantially equal to the shape and size of the first concave portion 29a and the second concave portion 29b, respectively. The thicknesses of the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b are smaller than the depths of the first recess 29a and the second recess. Accordingly, a step 43 is formed in the first recess 29a and the second recess 29b.

  Here, the example of the concrete dimension of the said level | step difference 43 is given below. The thickness of the plate 21 is, for example, 170 μm, and the depth of the first recess 29a and the second recess 29b is, for example, 70 μm. Therefore, the thickness of the portion of the plate 21 where the hole is formed is 100 μm. The thickness of the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b is, for example, 50 μm. Accordingly, the depth of the step 43 formed in the first recess 29a and the second recess 29b is, for example, 20 μm. Note that the greater the depth of the step 43, the more effective the contact prevention of the recording paper P described later, but the wiping property with the wiper 40 described above is lowered.

  Further, a convex portion 34 is formed between the first concave portion 29a and the second concave portion 29b so as to separate them. A first recess 29a in which a nozzle forming member 27a in which a nozzle row 44k for discharging black ink is formed and a nozzle row 44y, 44c, and 44m in which color ink is discharged is formed by the protrusion 34. The second recess 29b in which the forming member 27b is accommodated is partitioned. Thereby, it is difficult to mix the black ink made of pigment ink and the color ink made of dye ink.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5A, the convex portion 34 has the first cap portion 35 a for black ink and the color ink for the cap member 35 when the cap member 35 is in close contact with the lower surface of the inkjet head 4. The partition wall portion 35c between the second cap portion 35b and the second cap portion 35b is a region for abutting without interfering with the nozzle 13. At the time of capping described above, the control device 7 controls a cap drive motor (not shown) so that the first cap part 35a and the second cap part 35b cover the first recess 29a and the second recess 29b, respectively. The cap member 35 is brought into close contact with the lower surface of the inkjet head 4. At this time, the partition wall portion 35c that separates the first cap portion 35a and the second cap portion 35b contacts the convex portion 34 that separates the first recess portion 29a and the second recess portion 29b. Thereby, between the 1st cap part 35a and the 2nd cap part 35b can be reliably sealed by the partition part 35c. Thereby, it is possible to reliably prevent the black ink made of pigment ink and the color ink made of dye ink from being mixed during the suction purge.

  As described above, the step 21 is formed in the plate 21 by forming the first recess 29a and the second recess 29b. Thereby, contact between the lower surface of the inkjet head 4 and the recording paper P can be suppressed. Accordingly, it becomes difficult for the recording paper P to come into contact with the nozzle 13 and its surroundings.

  Further, all the nozzles 13 are formed separately by the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b, and the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b are accommodated in the first recess 29a and the second recess 29b, respectively. Therefore, for example, the nozzle forming member 27a, 27b is formed from the step 43 as compared with the case where one large concave portion is formed in the nozzle forming member in which the plurality of nozzles 13 are formed in a wide region. Further, the distance to each nozzle 13 is reduced. Therefore, the contact between the lower surface of the inkjet head 4 and the recording paper P can be further suppressed.

  The flow path forming hole 25 is necessary for connecting the nozzle 13 and the pressure chamber 18 and is set to a certain length according to the flow path shape. Therefore, originally, the plate 21 has a thickness corresponding to the length of a hole that is a part of the flow path forming hole 25 (for example, 100 μm), but it is not easy to handle a plate having a thickness of 100 μm.

  In the plate 21, in addition to the original thickness, that is, the thickness corresponding to the length of the hole, the thickness corresponding to the depth of the first recess 29a and the second recess 29b is added. Specifically, 70 μm which is the depth of the first recess 29a and the second recess 29b is added to 100 μm which is the thickness of the portion where the hole is formed. Therefore, the thickness of the plate 21 is increased from the original thickness of 100 μm to 170 μm. Thereby, since rigidity increases, the handleability of the plate 21 improves.

  Further, since the step 21 is provided on the plate 21 itself, it is not necessary to separately attach a member for protecting the lower surface of the inkjet head 4. Accordingly, the number of parts can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

  In addition, a filler 28 is filled between the inner side surfaces of the first concave portion 29a and the second concave portion 29b and the side surfaces of the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b. The filler 28 forms a smooth curved surface 28a from the lower surface of the first plate 21 to the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b. The filler 28 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin. More specifically, the filler 28 is made of, for example, silicon.

  By filling the space between the inner surface of the first recess 29a and the second recess 29b and the side surface of the nozzle forming member 27a, 27b with the filler 28, the inner surface of the first recess 29a and the second recess 29b and the nozzle forming member. It is possible to prevent ink from collecting between the side surfaces of 27a and 27b. Moreover, peeling of the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b can be prevented.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, the curved surface 28 a is formed by the filler 28, so that the step 43 formed in each of the first recess 29 a and the second recess 29 b becomes smooth. Accordingly, as described above, it is possible to prevent the ink from being scattered when the ink is wiped off by the wipe 40. Furthermore, when the ink is wiped off with the wipe 40, the inner surface of the first recess 29a and the second recess 29b or the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b and the wipe 40 can be prevented from being caught. Thereby, the durability of the wipe 40 is improved.

  2 and 3, the flow path unit 26 is provided with through holes 35a, 35b, 35c, and 35d at corners of the plates 21, 22, 23, and 24, respectively. The plates 21, 22, 23, and 24 are overlapped by applying an adhesive, and are positioned and joined by communicating the respective through holes 35 a, 35 b, 35 c, and 35 d. After joining, the through hole 35 is filled with a hole filling material 45. The hole filling material 45 is made of, for example, silicon. Thereby, it is possible to prevent ink from collecting in the through hole 35. Moreover, since the through-hole 35a is provided in the corner | angular part of the plate 21, it is not necessary to ensure the space which provides the through-hole 35a in the 1st recessed part 29a and the 2nd recessed part 29b. Therefore, the size of the first recess 29a and the second recess 29b can be reduced. Thereby, since the level | step difference 43 can be formed in the position nearer to the nozzle 13, it can suppress more that the nozzle 13 and its periphery and the recording paper P contact.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a water repellent film 46 is formed on the surface of the inkjet head 4 on the ink ejection side. Examples of the water repellent film 46 include fluorine resins such as ethylene trifluoride chloride resin (PCTFE resin), vinylidene fluoride resin, and vinyl fluoride resin, and surface modifiers and coating agents containing fluorine atoms. For example, KP801M (product name: manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.), Cytop (product name: manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.), AF1600 (product name: manufactured by EI DuPont de Nemours and Company), DEFENNSA77702 ( Photo radical polymerization resin: Dainippon Ink and Chemicals Co., Ltd.), FS-116 (trade name: Daikin Industries, Ltd.), Florard (trade name: Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd.), etc. can be used.

(Inkjet head manufacturing process)
Next, the manufacturing process of the inkjet head 4 described above, particularly the manufacturing process of the plate 21 and the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, a first recess 29a and a second recess 29b are formed in the plate 21 by half etching. A convex portion 34 that separates the first concave portion 29a and the second concave portion 29b is formed between the first concave portion 29a and the second concave portion 29b. A plurality of holes 21k penetrating the plate 21 in the thickness direction are formed in the first recess 29a by full etching. A plurality of holes 21y, 21c, and 21m that penetrate the plate 21 in the thickness direction are formed in the second recess 29b by full etching.

  As shown in FIG. 6 (b), a shape substantially equal to the first concave portion 29a and the second concave portion 29b is obtained by cutting a polyicid sheet whose thickness is thinner than the depth of the first concave portion 29a and the second concave portion 29b. The nozzle forming members 27a and 27b having the same size are produced. The nozzle forming members 27a and 27b are accommodated in the first recess 29a and the second recess 29b, respectively, and are joined by an adhesive.

  As shown in FIG. 6C, the filler 28 is filled between the inner side surfaces of the first concave portion 29a and the second concave portion 29b and the side surfaces of the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b. At this time, the filler 28 is filled from the lower surface of the plate 21 to the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b so as to form a smooth curved surface 28a.

  As shown in FIG. 6 (d), a water-repellent liquid made of a fluorine-based material is applied, for example, by spraying or the like to the ink ejection side surface (lower surface in the figure) of the inkjet head 4. A water repellent film 46 is formed. Thereafter, the water repellent film 46 is baked at a predetermined temperature.

  As shown in FIG. 6 (e), the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b are irradiated with a laser beam from the surface opposite to the surface on which the first concave portion 29a and the second concave portion 29b of the first plate 21 are formed. A plurality of nozzles 13 communicating with the flow path forming holes 21k, 21y, 21c, and 21m are formed. Thus, the plate 21 and the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b are manufactured.

  An adhesive is applied to the plates 22, 23, and 24 so as to overlap each other, and the respective through holes 35 b, 35 c, and 35 d are communicated to be positioned and joined. Thereby, the plate laminated body with which plates 22, 23, and 24 were joined is manufactured.

  An adhesive is applied to the surface of the plate 21 opposite to the first concave portion 29a and the second concave portion 29b side, and the plate laminate and the plate 21 to which the plates 22, 23, 24 are joined are superposed on each other. The through holes 35a, 35b, 35c and 35d are positioned and joined by communicating with each other. Thus, the ink jet head 4 is manufactured.

  The ink jet head 4 in the present embodiment corresponds to the liquid ejection apparatus in the present invention. The plurality of individual ink channels in the present embodiment correspond to the liquid channels in the present invention. The plate laminate 20 in the present embodiment corresponds to the flow path structure in the present invention. The 1st recessed part 29a and the 2nd recessed part 29b in this embodiment are corresponded to the recessed part in this invention. The nozzle rows 44k and 44y, 44c, 44m in the present embodiment correspond to the nozzle group in the present invention. The through hole 35 in the present embodiment corresponds to a positioning hole in the present invention. The plate 21 in the present embodiment corresponds to the first member in the present invention. The plates 22, 23, and 24 in this embodiment correspond to the second member in the present invention. The holes formed in the plate 21 in the present embodiment correspond to the first flow path portion in the present invention. The holes formed in the plates 22, 23, and 24 in this embodiment correspond to the second flow path portion in the present invention.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and examples, and various design changes can be made as long as they are described in the claims. is there.

  In the present embodiment, the nozzle forming member 27 is a polyisid sheet, but the nozzle forming member may be formed by applying and curing liquid polyimide, for example.

  In the present embodiment, the first recess 29a in which the nozzle forming member 27a provided with the nozzle row 44k is accommodated and the second recess in which the nozzle forming member 27b provided with the nozzle rows 44y, 44c and 44m are accommodated. 29b is separated by the convex portion 34, but the concave portion is, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, one nozzle forming member 27c provided with the nozzle rows 44k, 44y, 44c, 44m is one concave portion. It may be accommodated in 29c. Thereby, since it becomes difficult for the recording paper P to contact the lower surface of the inkjet head 4, it can prevent that the recording paper P, the nozzle 13, and its periphery contact.

  Further, for example, the plate 21 is formed with a recess in which the nozzle forming member provided with the nozzle rows 44k and 44y is accommodated and a recess in which the nozzle forming member provided with the nozzle rows 44c and 44m is accommodated. May be separated by convex portions. That is, a nozzle forming member in which a nozzle row from which black ink made from pigment ink is discharged and a nozzle row from which color ink made from dye ink is formed may be accommodated in one recess. In this case, the black ink and the yellow ink are mixed during the suction purge by using a cap member that abuts the region between the nozzle row 44k and the nozzle row 44y and can isolate the nozzle row 44k and the nozzle row 44y. It can prevent fitting.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a nozzle forming member 27d having a nozzle row 44k for discharging black ink, a nozzle forming member 27e having a nozzle row 44y for discharging yellow ink, and a nozzle row for discharging cyan ink The nozzle forming member 27f in which 44c is formed and the nozzle forming member 27g in which the nozzle row 44m for ejecting magenta ink is formed may be provided with a recess, and the adjacent recesses may be separated by the protrusion. . Thereby, a level | step difference can be arrange | positioned closer with respect to each nozzle 13 formed in the nozzle formation members 27d, 27e, 27f, and 27g. Thereby, it can suppress more that the recording paper P contacts the nozzle 13. FIG. Further, as in the present embodiment, the first concave portion 29a and the second concave portion 29b are provided, and compared with the case where one convex portion 34 is formed therebetween, the thickness of the convex portion is increased. Thick parts increase and rigidity increases. Thereby, the handleability of the plate 21 can be further improved. In addition, by providing the cap member with a plurality of cap portions that respectively cover the plurality of recesses, and by providing a plurality of partition walls that separate the adjacent cap portions, it is possible to prevent inks of different colors from being mixed during the suction purge. it can.

  In the present embodiment, in the manufacturing process of the plate 21 and the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b, the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b are accommodated in the first concave portion 29a and the second concave portion 29b, respectively, and then the filler 28 is used. The plurality of nozzles 13 are formed after filling and forming the water repellent film 46, but the manufacturing procedure of the plate 21 and the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b is not limited to this. For example, after the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b are accommodated in and joined to the first recess 29a and the second recess 29b, respectively, the filler 28 is filled to form the plurality of nozzles 13, and then the water repellent film 46 is formed. It doesn't matter. In addition, after the nozzle forming members 27a and 27b are accommodated in and joined to the first concave portion 29a and the second concave portion 29b, a plurality of nozzles 13 are formed, the filler 28 is filled, and then the water repellent film 46 is formed. It doesn't matter.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet printer 4 Inkjet head 7 Control apparatus 13 Nozzle 20 Plate laminated body 21-24 Plate 26 Flow path unit 27a, 27b Nozzle formation member 28 Filling material 29a 1st recessed part 29b 2nd recessed part 34 Convex part 35 Cap member 40 Wiper 43 Level difference

Claims (7)

A channel structure in which a liquid channel is formed;
A nozzle forming member which is laminated on one surface of the flow channel structure and in which a plurality of nozzles respectively communicating with the liquid flow channel are formed;
With
The flow path structure has a recess on the one surface,
The nozzle forming member has a thickness smaller than the depth of the recess, and is accommodated in the recess .
A plurality of the nozzle forming members;
The one surface of the flow channel structure is formed with a plurality of the recesses that respectively accommodate the plurality of nozzle forming members,
Between the plurality of concave portions, a convex portion separating adjacent concave portions is formed,
One nozzle group is constituted by the plurality of nozzles formed on each nozzle forming member,
A liquid ejecting apparatus , wherein liquid ejected from the nozzles is different among the plurality of nozzle groups .   The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a filler is filled between an inner surface of the recess and a side surface of the nozzle forming member. A cap member having a plurality of cap portions respectively covering the plurality of nozzle groups can contact the one surface of the flow path structure,
3. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein partition portions that separate the plurality of cap portions are in contact with the convex portions, respectively. A channel structure in which a liquid channel is formed;
A nozzle forming member which is laminated on one surface of the flow channel structure and in which a plurality of nozzles respectively communicating with the liquid flow channel are formed;
With
The flow path structure has a recess on the one surface,
The nozzle forming member has a thickness smaller than the depth of the recess, and is accommodated in the recess .
The flow path structure includes a plate-shaped first member and a second member laminated on the first member,
In the first member, a plurality of first flow path portions respectively communicating with the plurality of nozzles in the liquid flow path are formed, and the concave portion is formed on one surface thereof.
The second member is laminated on a surface opposite to the one surface of the first member, and a second flow path portion communicating with the plurality of first flow path portions is formed in the liquid flow path. A liquid discharge apparatus characterized by that. In the first member, a positioning hole for positioning with respect to the second member is provided outside the concave portion in which the nozzle forming member is accommodated, as viewed from the stacking direction.
The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the positioning hole is filled with a hole filling agent. A nozzle forming member in which a first nozzle and a second nozzle different from the first nozzle are formed;
A plate formed with a first flow path communicating with the first nozzle, a second flow path communicating with the second nozzle and different from the first flow path;
With
The nozzle forming member is laminated on one surface of the plate,
The plate has a recess on the one surface,
The nozzle forming member has a thickness smaller than the depth of the recess and is accommodated in the recess. A nozzle forming member in which a first nozzle and a second nozzle different from the first nozzle are formed;
A liquid ejection apparatus comprising: a plate formed with a first flow path communicating with the first nozzle, and a second flow path communicating with the second nozzle and different from the first flow path. A manufacturing method of
A recess forming step of forming a recess on one surface of the plate;
A flow path forming step for forming the first flow path and the second flow path in the plate;
A laminating step in which the nozzle forming member whose thickness is smaller than the depth of the concave portion is accommodated in the concave portion and laminated;
A nozzle forming step of forming, on the nozzle forming member, the first nozzle communicating with the first flow path and the second nozzle communicating with the second flow path;
A method for manufacturing a liquid ejection apparatus, comprising:

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