JP6341653B2 - Liquid ejecting head manufacturing method, liquid ejecting head, and liquid ejecting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a liquid ejecting head, a liquid ejecting head, and a liquid ejecting apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an inkjet head (liquid ejecting head) has been provided as a device for ejecting droplet-like ink (hereinafter simply referred to as ink droplets) toward a recording medium and recording an image or characters on the recording medium. Inkjet printers (liquid ejecting devices).

  The ink jet head includes a head module in which a plurality of channels filled with ink are formed and nozzle holes communicating with the respective channels are formed, and a unit base on which the head module is mounted. Drive electrodes are provided on both side walls defining the above-described channel. In the ink jet head, by applying a predetermined driving voltage to each driving electrode, the side wall is deformed and the volume in the channel is changed. As a result, ink droplets are ejected from the nozzle holes toward the recording medium.

  In recent years, various techniques for increasing the number of nozzle holes have been proposed in order to improve the density of characters and images recorded on a recording medium. For example, a configuration in which a plurality of head modules are mounted on a unit base to achieve high density recording has been studied.

  By the way, when the head module is mounted on the unit base, it is necessary to position the head module with respect to the unit base. For example, in Patent Document 1 below, an alignment mark provided on a nozzle plate having nozzle holes and a reference mark provided on a positioning device are simultaneously photographed by an imaging means to obtain an image, and A configuration is disclosed in which image processing is performed on an alignment mark to position an alignment mark and a reference mark. Patent Document 1 also discloses a configuration in which a surface treatment film having a high contrast ratio with respect to a reference mark and an alignment mark is formed on a positioning device when imaged by an imaging unit.

Japanese Patent No. 4341654

However, in the conventional configuration described above, since positioning is performed by image processing, a large positioning device is required, and focus adjustment and contrast ratio adjustment are required. For this reason, there are problems that the apparatus cost increases and the positioning process becomes complicated.
In particular, in the configuration in which a plurality of head modules are mounted on the unit base as described above, there is a demand for maintenance or replacement of only one of the plurality of head modules on the user side.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejecting head manufacturing method and a liquid ejecting head capable of easily positioning the head module and the unit base at low cost. And a liquid ejecting apparatus.

The present invention provides the following means in order to solve the above problems.
A method of manufacturing a liquid jet head according to the present invention is a method of manufacturing a liquid jet head in which a head module having a jet hole plate in which jet holes for jetting liquid are arranged in parallel is assembled to a unit base. A head positioning step of positioning the head module with respect to the unit base by superimposing the unit base, and in the head positioning step, a light source disposed on one side with respect to the head module and the unit base The emitted light reaches the other side of the head module and the unit base through the base side positioning hole formed in the unit base and the head side positioning hole formed in the ejection hole plate. The unit base and the head module; It is characterized by relatively moving.
The liquid ejecting head according to the present invention is a liquid ejecting head including a head module having an ejecting hole plate in which an ejecting hole for ejecting liquid is formed, and a unit base for holding the head module, Of the head module and the unit base, a lap portion where both overlap each other has a head side positioning hole and a base side positioning hole through which light emitted from a light source passes when the head module and the unit base are assembled. It is characterized by being formed separately.

According to this configuration, in the head positioning step, the head with respect to the unit base is moved by relatively moving the unit base and the head module so that the light emitted from the light source passes through the base side positioning hole and the head side positioning hole. Module positioning can be performed. As a result, the cost of the positioning device can be reduced and the positioning process can be simplified compared to the conventional configuration in which positioning is performed by image processing.
In this case, for example, in a configuration in which a plurality of head modules are mounted on the unit base, the position of the nozzle hole of each head module relative to the unit base can be easily and accurately positioned. In addition, as described above, by reducing the cost of the positioning device and simplifying the positioning process, it is possible to perform maintenance or replacement of only one of the plurality of head modules on the user side. Become.

In the liquid jet head manufacturing method according to the invention, the light source may be a laser.
According to this configuration, by using a laser as the light source, it becomes easy to detect the amount of light passing through the positioning hole, and the workability of the head positioning process can be improved.

In the liquid jet head manufacturing method according to the invention, the base side positioning hole and the head positioning hole have a first positioning hole and a second positioning hole having an inner diameter smaller than that of the first positioning hole. In the head positioning step, a first positioning step of moving the unit base and the head module relative to each other so that light emitted from the light source passes through the first positioning hole, and emitted from the light source. And a second positioning step of moving the unit base and the head module relative to each other so that the light passing through the second positioning hole may be included.
In the liquid ejecting head according to the invention, the head side positioning hole and the base side positioning hole may include a first positioning hole and a second positioning hole smaller than the first positioning hole, respectively. Good.
According to this configuration, in the first positioning step and the second positioning step, the unit base and the head module are positioned stepwise to improve workability compared to a configuration in which the unit base is directly positioned at a desired relative position. Can do.

In the liquid jet head manufacturing method according to the invention, the unit base is moved before the head positioning step so that the light emitted from the light source passes through the base side positioning hole. You may have a base positioning process.
According to this configuration, in the base positioning step, it is possible to reduce the cost of the positioning device and simplify the positioning step as compared with the conventional configuration in which positioning is performed by image processing. In this case, the workability in the base positioning process can be improved by performing the base positioning process by the same method as the head positioning process.

Further, in the liquid ejecting head according to the invention, the ejecting hole plate has an ejecting hole array in which a plurality of the ejecting holes are arranged in parallel, and the head side positioning hole is included in the ejecting hole plate. The outer side of the injection hole row may be formed on an extension line of the injection hole row.
According to this configuration, the head side positioning hole can be formed at the same timing as the step of forming the injection hole in the injection hole plate, and a reduction in manufacturing efficiency accompanying the formation of the head side positioning hole can be suppressed.

The liquid ejecting apparatus according to the invention includes the liquid ejecting head according to the invention, and a moving mechanism that relatively moves the liquid ejecting head and the recording medium.
According to this configuration, since the liquid ejecting head of the present invention is provided, a highly reliable liquid ejecting apparatus in which the ejection holes are positioned with high accuracy can be provided.

  According to the present invention, positioning of the head module and the unit base can be easily performed at low cost.

It is a perspective view of the ink jet printer in a 1st embodiment. It is a perspective view of the ink jet head in a 1st embodiment. It is a bottom view of the inkjet head in a 1st embodiment. It is a bottom view of the unit base in a 1st embodiment. It is a perspective view of the head chip in a 1st embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view of the head chip in a 1st embodiment. It is sectional drawing which follows the AA line of FIG. 3 in 1st Embodiment. It is process drawing for demonstrating the base positioning process in 1st Embodiment. It is process drawing for demonstrating the head positioning process in 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the positioning part in 2nd Embodiment, Comprising: It is a schematic block diagram (bottom view) of an inkjet head.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, as an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus including the liquid ejecting head of the present invention, an ink jet printer that performs recording on a recording medium such as recording paper using ink (liquid) (hereinafter simply referred to as a printer). Will be described as an example. In the drawings used for the following description, the scale of each member is appropriately changed in order to make each member a recognizable size.

[Printer]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the printer 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 1 includes a pair of transport mechanisms 2 and 3 that transport a recording medium S such as paper, an ink jet head 4 that ejects ink droplets onto the recording medium S, and ink in the ink jet head 4. And a scanning unit 6 that scans the inkjet head 4 in a direction (sub-scanning direction) orthogonal to the conveyance direction (main scanning direction) of the recording medium S.

  In the following description, the sub-scanning direction will be described as the X direction, the main scanning direction as the Y direction, and the X direction and the direction perpendicular to the Y direction as the Z direction. Here, the printer 1 is mounted and used so that the X direction and the Y direction are horizontal, and the Z direction is vertical.

  The pair of transport mechanisms 2 and 3 rotate the grid rollers 2a and 3a extending in the X direction, the pinch rollers 2b and 3b extending parallel to the grid rollers 2a and 3a, and the grid rollers 2a and 3a around their axes, respectively. And a drive mechanism (not shown) such as a motor to be operated.

  The ink supply means 5 includes an ink tank 10 that contains ink, and an ink pipe 11 that connects the ink tank 10 and the inkjet head 4. A plurality of ink tanks 10 are provided. For example, ink tanks 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10B containing four types of inks of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are arranged along the Y direction. The ink pipe 11 is a flexible hose having flexibility, for example, and can follow the operation (movement) of the carriage 16 that supports the inkjet head 4. The ink tank 10 is not limited to the ink tanks 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10B that contain four types of inks of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, and an ink tank that contains multicolored inks. You may have.

The scanning means 6 is disposed so as to be movable along a pair of guide rails 14 and 15 that extend in the X direction and are arranged in parallel to each other at an interval in the Y direction. A carriage 16 and a drive mechanism 17 that moves the carriage 16 in the X direction are provided.
The drive mechanism 17 is disposed between the pair of guide rails 14 and 15, and is disposed between the pair of pulleys 18 spaced apart in the X direction and wound between the pair of pulleys 18 to move in the X direction. An endless belt 19 that rotates, and a drive motor 20 that rotationally drives one pulley 18.

  The carriage 16 is connected to an endless belt 19 and is movable in the X direction as the endless belt 19 is moved by the rotational drive of one pulley 18. A plurality of inkjet heads 4 are mounted on the carriage 16 in a state of being arranged in the X direction. In the illustrated example, four inkjet heads 4 that respectively eject yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (B) inks, that is, inkjet heads 4Y, 4M, 4C, and 4B are carriages 16. It is mounted on. The transport mechanisms 2 and 3 and the scanning unit 6 described above constitute a moving mechanism that relatively moves the inkjet head 4 and the recording medium S.

<Inkjet head>
Next, the above-described inkjet head 4 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inkjet head 4, and FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the inkjet head 4. The inkjet heads 4Y, 4M, 4C, and 4B have the same configuration except for the color of the supplied ink. Therefore, in the following description, the inkjet heads 4 will be collectively described.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the inkjet head 4 includes a unit base 25 fixed to the carriage 16 (see FIG. 1) and a plurality of head modules 26 mounted on the unit base 25. . The inkjet head 4 ejects ink of each color with a predetermined ejection amount by applying a driving voltage. At this time, the inkjet head 4 is moved in the X direction by the scanning unit 6 so that recording can be performed in a predetermined range on the recording medium S, and this recording is performed on the recording medium S by the transport mechanisms 2 and 3 in the Y direction. It is possible to perform recording on the entire recording medium S by repeating the process while being conveyed.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the unit base 25.
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the unit base 25 is a plate material that is rectangular in a plan view as viewed from the Z direction, and the Y direction is the long side direction. A plurality (two in the present embodiment) of dowels 31 projecting outward in the X direction are provided at one long side portion of the outer peripheral edge of the unit base 25 with an interval in the Y direction. Also, a dowel 31 that protrudes outward in the Y direction is provided on one short side portion of the outer peripheral edge of the unit base 25. These dowels 31 are abutted against the carriage 16 for positioning when the unit base 25 is fixed to the carriage 16.

  The unit base 25 is formed with a plurality (two in the present embodiment) of insertion holes 32 into which the head modules 26 are individually inserted with an interval in the X direction. These insertion holes 32 are long holes that penetrate the unit base 25 in the Z direction and extend along the Y direction. In the unit base 25, through holes 33 (see FIG. 4) penetrating the unit base 25 in the Z direction are formed in portions located on both sides in the Y direction with respect to the insertion hole 32 described above. Screws 34 (see FIG. 2) for fixing each head module 26 to the unit base 25 are inserted into these through holes 33.

(Head module)
As shown in FIG. 2, the head module 26 includes a head chip 40 (see FIG. 5), an ink supply unit 41 that supplies the ink supplied from the ink supply unit 5 to the head chip 40, and the head chip 40. And a control means 42 for applying a drive voltage to the base plate 43. Since each head module 26 has the same configuration, in the following description, one head module 26 will be described, and the other head modules 26 will be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

  The base plate 43 is made of metal such as aluminum, and is arranged in a standing state in the Z direction. The base plate 43 has a lower end inserted into the insertion hole 32 of the unit base 25 and an upper portion protruding upward from the insertion hole 32.

  A flow path member 44 that supplies ink to the head chip 40 is fixed to the lower portion of the base plate 43. A pressure buffer 45 having a storage chamber for storing ink is supported at the upper end of the base plate 43. The flow path member 44 and the pressure buffer 45 are connected to the base plate 43 via the ink connection pipe 46 on the outer side in the Y direction. The pressure buffer 45 is connected to the ink tank 10 described above via the ink pipe 11.

When the ink is supplied from the ink tank 10 via the ink pipe 11, the pressure buffer 45 once stores the ink in the internal storage chamber, and then stores a predetermined amount of ink in the ink connection pipe 46 and the flow path member. Supplied to the head chip 40 via 44.
The flow path member 44, the pressure buffer 45, and the ink connecting pipe 46 constitute the ink supply unit 41 described above.

In addition, an IC substrate 51 on which a control circuit 50 such as an integrated circuit for driving the head chip 40 is mounted on a portion of the upper end portion of the unit base 25 adjacent to the pressure buffer 45 in the Y direction. It is attached. The IC substrate 51 is covered with a cover member 53. The control circuit 50 of the IC substrate 51 and the drive electrodes (not shown) of the head chip 40 are electrically connected via a flexible substrate 52 on which a wiring pattern (not shown) is printed. As a result, the control circuit 50 can apply a drive voltage to the drive electrodes of the head chip 40 via the flexible substrate 52.
The above-described control means 42 is configured by the IC substrate 51 on which the control circuit 50 is mounted and the flexible substrate 52.

(Head chip)
Next, the head chip 40 will be described in detail. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the head chip 40, and FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the head chip 40.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the head chip 40 of this embodiment includes a nozzle row (a first nozzle row 61 and a second nozzle) composed of a plurality of nozzle holes (a first nozzle hole 61 a and a second nozzle hole 62 a). The row 62) is a two-row type head chip 40 formed in two rows. Specifically, the head chip 40 includes a first discharge unit 63 and a second discharge unit 64, a nozzle plate 65 fixed to the discharge units 63 and 64, a nozzle plate 65 and the discharge units 63 and 64. And a nozzle cap 66 to be supported.

The first ejection part 63 is a so-called edge chute type that ejects ink from a nozzle hole 61a facing a longitudinal direction (Z direction) end of an ejection channel 73a, which will be described later, and includes a first actuator plate 71 and a first cover plate 72. Are stacked in the X direction.
The first actuator plate 71 is a plate made of a piezoelectric material such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate), and its polarization direction is set along the thickness direction (X direction). A plurality of channels 73 are juxtaposed at intervals in the Y direction on one main surface 71a in the X direction of the first actuator plate 71 (a surface located on the cover plate 72 side). The plurality of channels 73 are grooves extending linearly along the Z direction in a state opened to the one main surface 71 a side, and one end in the Z direction opens at the lower end surface of the first actuator plate 71. . A drive wall 74 having a rectangular cross section and extending in the Z direction is formed between the plurality of channels 73, and each channel 73 is partitioned by the drive wall 74.

  The plurality of channels 73 are roughly divided into an ejection channel 73a filled with ink and a dummy channel 73b not filled with ink. The discharge channels 73a and the dummy channels 73b are arranged alternately in the Y direction. A drive electrode (not shown) is formed on the inner surface of the channel 73 (drive wall 74) by vapor deposition or the like. When the drive voltage is applied to the drive electrode via the flexible substrate 52 described above, the drive wall 74 is deformed by the piezoelectric sliding effect, and the volume in the discharge channel 73a is changed.

  The first cover plate 72 has one main surface 72 a bonded to one main surface 71 a of the first actuator plate 71. The first cover plate 72 communicates with a concave common ink chamber 76 formed on the other main surface 72b (surface opposite to the first actuator plate 71), the common ink chamber 76, and the ejection channel 73a. A plurality of slits 77 to be made.

The common ink chamber 76 is a long rectangular opening along the Y direction formed in a portion of the first cover plate 72 located at the other end portion in the Z direction of the channel 73. The common ink chamber 76 communicates with the flow path member 44 described above, and is configured such that ink in the flow path member 44 flows.
The slit 77 is formed in the common ink chamber 76 at a position corresponding to the ejection channel 73a, and communicates with the inside of the common ink chamber 76 and the inside of the ejection channel 73a. It is comprised so that it may distribute | circulate to the discharge channel 73a.

  The second discharge unit 64 is configured by stacking a second actuator plate 81 and a second cover plate 82 in the X direction. Note that, in the second discharge unit 64, the same configuration as the first discharge unit 63 described above is denoted by the same reference numeral and description thereof is omitted.

On one main surface 81a of the second actuator plate 81, a plurality of channels 73 are disposed at the same pitch as the channels 73 of the first actuator plate 71 described above and spaced in the Y direction. The discharge channel 73a and the dummy channel 73b of the second actuator plate 81 are alternately arranged with respect to the discharge channel 73a and the dummy channel 73b of the first actuator plate 71. Therefore, in the head chip 40 of this embodiment, the discharge channels 73a of the first actuator plate 71 and the discharge channels 73a of the second actuator plate 81 are arranged in a staggered manner.
The first actuator plate 71 and the second actuator plate 81 have the other main surfaces 71c and 81c joined together.

As shown in FIG. 3, the nozzle cap 66 has a rectangular shape whose plan view outer shape viewed from the Z direction is larger than the insertion hole 32 of the unit base 25 described above, and the upper surface thereof abuts against the lower surface of the unit base 25. . A screw 34 is screwed into the nozzle cap 66 through the above-described through hole 33 (see FIG. 4) of the unit base 25, whereby the head module 26 is fixed to the unit base 25.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the nozzle cap 66 is formed with a fitting hole 66a penetrating in the Z direction, and the first discharge part 63 and the second discharge part 64 are located in the fitting hole 66a. Are fitted together. At this time, the lower end surface of the nozzle cap 66 is combined with the lower end surfaces of the discharge portions 63 and 64 so as to be flush with each other.

  The nozzle plate 65 is in the form of a sheet made of a film material such as polyimide having a thickness of about 50 μm, and is fixed to the nozzle cap 66 and the lower end surfaces of the discharge portions 63 and 64 by adhesion or the like. The nozzle plate 65 of the present embodiment is provided over substantially the entire surface of the nozzle cap 66, and the outer peripheral portion thereof overlaps with the unit base 25 in the Z direction (a lap region L in FIG. 3). . As shown in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the wrap regions L are set on both sides in the Y direction with respect to the insertion hole 32.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the nozzle plate 65 has a nozzle array (first nozzle hole 61a and second nozzle hole 62a) having a plurality of nozzle holes arranged in parallel in the Y direction. Two rows of one nozzle row 61 and second nozzle row 62) are arranged.

The first nozzle row 61 has a plurality of first nozzle holes 61a penetrating the nozzle plate 65 in the Z direction, and the first nozzle holes 61a are arranged in a straight line at intervals in the Y direction. . The first nozzle hole 61a communicates with the discharge channel 73a of the first actuator plate 71 described above.
The second nozzle row 62 has a plurality of second nozzle holes 62 a penetrating the nozzle plate 65 in the Z direction, and is arranged in parallel with the first nozzle row 61 described above. Each second nozzle hole 62a communicates with the discharge channel 73a of the second actuator plate 81 described above. Therefore, each dummy channel 73 b does not communicate with the nozzle holes 61 a and 62 a and is covered from below by the nozzle plate 65.

(Positioning part)
7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. In FIG. 7, only the unit base 25, the nozzle plate 65, and the nozzle cap 66 are shown for easy understanding.
Here, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 7, the inkjet head 4 of the present embodiment is provided with a positioning portion 91 that positions each head module 26 with respect to the unit base 25. Specifically, the positioning portion 91 is a transmission hole for transmitting laser light in a positioning process described later, and includes a head-side positioning hole 92 provided in the nozzle plate 65 of each head module 26 and the unit base 25. And a base-side positioning hole 93 provided in the base plate.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of head-side positioning holes 92 are provided at portions located on both sides in the Y direction with respect to the first nozzle row 61 in the wrap region L of the nozzle plate 65 described above. That is, each head side positioning hole 92 is located on an extension line of the first nozzle row 61.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, each head-side positioning hole 92 penetrates the nozzle plate 65 in the Z direction, and has an inner diameter equal to that of the nozzle hole 61a. Thereby, each head side positioning hole 92 can be formed at the same timing as the formation process of the nozzle hole 61a to the nozzle plate 65, and the fall of the production efficiency accompanying formation of the head side positioning hole 92 can be suppressed. In the nozzle cap 66 described above, an escape hole 94 that avoids the head side positioning hole 92 is formed in a portion that overlaps the head side positioning hole 92 in the Z direction. The escape hole 94 is formed to be sufficiently larger than the head-side positioning hole 92, and is rectangular in this embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the base-side positioning holes 93 are provided as a pair in the unit base 25 at positions that overlap with the head-side positioning holes 92 described above in the Z direction. That is, the base side positioning holes 93 are formed in portions of the unit base 25 that are located on both sides in the Y direction with respect to the insertion hole 32. The base side positioning hole 93 is formed to be equal to the inner diameter of the head side positioning hole 92 described above. The base side positioning hole 93 is formed at a predetermined position with the dowel 31 described above as a reference.

[Inkjet head manufacturing method]
Next, the manufacturing method of the inkjet head 4 mentioned above is demonstrated. In the following description, an assembling process when one head module 26 among the plurality of head modules 26 is assembled to the unit base 25 using the positioning device 100 (see FIG. 8) will be mainly described. In the following description, the directions of the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction correspond to the orientation of the printer 1 described above.

(Positioning device)
First, the positioning device 100 used in the assembly process of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a process diagram for explaining the base positioning process.
As shown in FIG. 8, the positioning device 100 includes a pair of sensors 101 that individually detect the positions along the XY direction of the head-side positioning holes 92 and the base-side positioning holes 93 described above. Each sensor 101 is disposed opposite to an emission part (light source) 102 that emits laser light P along the Z direction, and a light receiving part 103 that receives the laser light P and is disposed opposite to the emission part 102 at an interval in the Z direction. And.

  The sensor 101 is in an OK state (for example, the state shown in FIG. 8B) while the laser beam P emitted from the emitting unit 102 is received by the light receiving unit 103, while the laser beam P is shielded and the light receiving unit When the laser beam P is not received by the laser beam P, the NG state (for example, the state shown in FIG. 8A) is detected, and the positions of the head-side positioning holes 92 and the base-side positioning holes 93 in the XY directions are detected. . A laser having a relatively small beam diameter and a small divergence angle is preferably used as the laser emitted from the emitting unit 102. Further, the sensors 101 are arranged with an interval equivalent to the interval between the positioning holes 92 and 93 described above in the Y direction.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, when the assembly process is performed using the positioning device 100 described above, the unit base 25 is first set on a jig (not shown) (base setting process). Then, the unit base 25 set on the jig and each sensor 101 are positioned (base positioning step). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8B, the laser light P emitted from each emitting portion 102 passes through the corresponding base side positioning hole 93 of the unit base 25 and is received by the light receiving portion 103. In such a manner (so as to be in an OK state), the position of the unit base 25 along the XY direction is adjusted. Thereby, the positioning of the unit base 25 with respect to the positioning device 100 is completed.

  Next, the head module 26 is set on the unit base 25 (head setting step). Specifically, the head module 26 is inserted into the insertion hole 32 of the unit base 25 from the ink supply unit 41 (see FIG. 2) side with the head module 26 positioned below the unit base 25. At this time, in a state where the position of the unit base 25 with respect to the positioning device 100 is fixed, the head module 26 is inserted into the insertion hole 32 until the nozzle cap 66 of the head module 26 abuts against the unit base 25 from below. Thereby, the unit base 25 and the nozzle cap 66 are overlapped (see FIG. 9A).

FIG. 9 is a process diagram for explaining the head positioning process.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 9A, the head module 26 and the unit base 25 (each sensor 101) are positioned (head positioning step). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9B, the laser light P emitted from each light receiving portion 103 passes through each base side positioning hole 93 of the unit base 25 and the head side positioning hole 92 of the head module 26. Then, the position along the XY direction of the head module 26 is adjusted so that the light receiving unit 103 receives the light (so as to be in an OK state). Thereby, the head module 26 is positioned with respect to the unit base 25.

Thereafter, the screws 34 (see FIG. 3) are inserted through the above-described through holes 33 (see FIG. 4) of the unit base 25, and the unit base 25 and the head module 26 are fixed (fixing step). Thereby, one head module 26 is assembled to the unit base 25. In addition, the assembly of the unit base 25 of the other head module 26 can be performed through the same processes as the above-described head setting process to fixing process.
As a result, the above-described inkjet head 4 is completed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the head positioning step, the unit base 25 and the head module 26 are configured such that the light emitted from the emitting unit 102 passes through the base side positioning hole 92 and the head side positioning hole 93. By adjusting the relative position, the head module 26 can be positioned with respect to the unit base 25. As a result, the cost of the positioning device 100 can be reduced and the positioning process can be simplified compared to the conventional configuration in which positioning is performed by image processing.

In particular, in the configuration in which a plurality of head modules 26 are mounted on the unit base 25 as in the present embodiment, the positions of the nozzle holes 61a and 62a of the head modules 26 with respect to the unit base 25 are simply and accurately positioned. Can do. Further, as described above, the maintenance and replacement of only one of the plurality of head modules 26 can be performed on the user side by reducing the cost of the positioning device 100 and simplifying the positioning process. Is also possible.
Moreover, since the unit base 25 and the head module 26 are positioned using light, unlike the positioning method using positioning pins or the like, for example, the unit base is suppressed after deformation of the film-like nozzle plate 65 is suppressed. 25 and the head module 26 can be positioned.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the workability | operativity in a base positioning process can be improved by performing a base positioning process by the method similar to a head positioning process.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, by using the emitting unit 102 that emits the laser beam P as the positioning device 100, it becomes easy to detect the amount of light passing through the positioning holes 92 and 93, and the workability of the positioning process is improved. Can do.

  And since the printer 1 of this embodiment is provided with the inkjet head 4 mentioned above, the highly reliable printer 1 in which the nozzle holes 61a and 62a were positioned with high precision can be provided.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the positioning unit 200 in the second embodiment, and is a schematic configuration diagram (bottom view) of the inkjet head 4. In FIG. 10, the first positioning holes 92a and 93a and the second positioning holes 92b and 93b are collectively shown for easy understanding. A point P located at the center of the first positioning hole 92a and the second positioning hole 92b represents the laser light P emitted in the Z direction from an emission part (not shown).

  Although 1st Embodiment mentioned above demonstrated the case where each positioning hole 92,93 of the positioning part 91 was each formed in the equivalent magnitude | size, it is not restricted to this. For example, like the positioning part 200 shown in FIG. 10, in each positioning hole 92 and 93, 1st positioning hole 92a, 93a and 2nd positioning hole 92b, 93b smaller than 1st positioning hole 92a, 93a are provided. You may make it the structure which has.

  In this case, first, after the headset step shown in FIG. 10A, a first positioning step for positioning the first positioning holes 92a and 93a and a second positioning step for positioning the second positioning holes 92b and 93b. And do. Specifically, in the first positioning step, as shown in FIG. 10B, the unit base 25 and the head module 26 are relatively moved so that the laser light P passes through the first positioning holes 92a and 93a. Thereby, the rough positioning of the unit base 25 and the head module 26 is performed.

  Thereafter, in the second positioning step, as shown in FIG. 10C, the unit base 25 and the head module 26 are relatively moved so that the laser beam P passes through the second positioning hole. Thereby, the unit base 25 and the head module 26 are positioned with high accuracy.

  According to this configuration, in addition to the same effects as the first embodiment described above, the unit base 25 and the head module 26 are positioned in stages in the first positioning step and the second positioning step. The workability can be improved as compared with the configuration in which the positioning is performed directly at a desired relative position.

  The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the ink jet printer 1 is described as an example of the liquid ejecting apparatus, but the present invention is not limited to the printer. For example, a fax machine or an on-demand printer may be used.
In the above-described embodiment, the multi-color printer 1 in which a plurality of inkjet heads 4 are mounted has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the inkjet head 4 may be a single monochrome printer 1.

  In addition, as the ink used in the embodiment of the present invention, various materials such as water-based ink, oil-based ink, UV ink, fine metal particle ink, carbon ink (carbon black, carbon nanotube, fullerene, graphene) are used. it can. Among the inks described above, water-based ink, oil-based ink, and UV ink are preferably used for the printer 1 for a plurality of colors, and the fine metal particle ink and carbon ink are preferably used for the printer 1 for a single color.

The number and positions of the positioning holes 92 and 93 can be changed as appropriate.
Further, the inner diameters of the positioning holes 92 and 93 can be appropriately changed according to the required position accuracy.
In the positioning step described above, a threshold value may be set so that an OK state is established when the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 103 exceeds a predetermined amount.

In the above-described embodiment, a configuration using a so-called transmissive optical sensor including the emitting unit 102 and the light receiving unit 103 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a reflective optical sensor may be used. .
Further, a light source is arranged on one side with respect to the positioning holes 92 and 93 of the unit base 25 and the head module 26, and light emitted from the light source is detected visually from the other side of the positioning holes 92 and 93. It doesn't matter.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the two head modules 26 are mounted on the unit base 25 has been described. However, the configuration is not limited thereto, and a single or three or more head modules 26 may be mounted.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration using the actuator plates 71 and 81 whose polarization direction is one direction in the thickness direction has been described. However, two actuator plates having different polarization directions in the thickness direction may be used. Absent.
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the so-called isolated type head chip 40 in which the discharge channels 73a and the dummy channels 73b are alternately arranged has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a so-called shared wall type head chip in which the discharge channels 73a are continuously arranged can be employed.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the edge shoot type head chip 40 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this case, and ink is ejected from the nozzle hole 43a facing the longitudinal center of the ejection channel 73a. It does not matter as a side shoot type.
In this case, for example, the nozzle plate 65 may be overlaid on the other main surface 71c side of the actuator plate 71, and a communication port communicating with the nozzle hole 61a may be formed in the longitudinal center portion of the discharge channel 73a.

  In addition, in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention, it is possible to replace suitably the component in the embodiment mentioned above by a known component, and you may combine each modification mentioned above suitably.

1 ... Inkjet printer (liquid ejecting device)
2, 3 ... Conveying mechanism (moving mechanism)
4, 4Y, 4M, 4C, 4B ... Inkjet head (liquid ejecting head)
6. Scanning means (moving mechanism)
25 ... Unit base 26 ... Head module 61a ... First nozzle hole (injection hole)
62a ... 2nd nozzle hole 61 ... 1st nozzle row (injection hole row)
62 ... Second nozzle row (injection hole row)
65 ... Nozzle plate (injection hole plate)
92 ... Head side positioning hole 93 ... Base side positioning hole 92a, 93a ... First positioning hole 92b, 93b ... Second positioning hole 102 ... Emitting part (light source)
S: Recording medium

Claims (6)

A method of manufacturing a liquid ejecting head in which a head module having an ejection hole plate in which ejection holes for ejecting liquid are arranged in parallel is assembled to a unit base,
A head positioning step of superimposing the head module and the unit base and positioning the head module with respect to the unit base;
In the head positioning step,
Light emitted from a light source arranged on one side with respect to the head module and the unit base passes through a base side positioning hole formed in the unit base and a head side positioning hole formed in the ejection hole plate. Moving the unit base and the head module relative to each other so as to reach the other side of the head module and the unit base ;
In the method of manufacturing a liquid jet head,
The base side positioning hole and the head positioning hole have a first positioning hole and a second positioning hole having an inner diameter smaller than that of the first positioning hole,
In the head positioning step,
A first positioning step of relatively moving the unit base and the head module so that light emitted from the light source passes through the first positioning hole;
A second positioning step of relatively moving the unit base and the head module so that light emitted from the light source passes through the second positioning hole;
A method of manufacturing a liquid jet head, comprising: A method of manufacturing a liquid jet head according to claim 1,
The method of manufacturing a liquid jet head, wherein the light source is a laser. A method of manufacturing a liquid jet head according to claim 1 or 2 ,
A liquid ejecting head having a base positioning step of moving the unit base so that light emitted from the light source passes through the base-side positioning hole is provided in a previous stage of the head positioning step. Production method. A head module having an ejection hole plate in which ejection holes for ejecting liquid are formed;
A liquid ejecting head comprising a unit base for holding the head module,
Of the head module and the unit base, a lap portion where both overlap each other has a head side positioning hole and a base side positioning hole through which light emitted from a light source passes when the head module and the unit base are assembled. Formed separately ,
In the liquid jet head,
The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein each of the head-side positioning hole and the base-side positioning hole has a first positioning hole and a second positioning hole smaller than the first positioning hole . The liquid ejecting head according to claim 4 ,
The injection hole plate has an injection hole array in which a plurality of the injection holes are arranged in parallel.
The head-side positioning hole is formed outside the ejection hole array in the ejection hole plate and on an extension line of the ejection hole array. A liquid ejecting head according to claim 4 or 5 ,
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: a moving mechanism that relatively moves the liquid ejecting head and the recording medium.

Images