JP7088107B2 - Manufacturing method of inkjet head, inkjet recording device and inkjet head - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an inkjet head, an inkjet recording device, and a method for manufacturing an inkjet head.

Conventionally, there is an inkjet recording device that records an image by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles provided in the inkjet head and landing it at a desired position. The inkjet head used in the inkjet recording apparatus has a nozzle and a head chip provided with an ink flow path communicating with the nozzle, and is on an opening forming surface of the head chip in which an opening of the ink flow path is formed. In some cases, an ink chamber is provided in which a part of the inner wall surface is formed of the opening forming surface. In this inkjet head, the ink in the ink chamber is supplied to the ink flow path from the opening of the opening forming surface and ejected from the nozzle.

In an inkjet head having such an ink chamber, there is a technique in which an ink chamber is divided into a plurality of sub ink chambers by a partition wall whose end surface is joined to an opening forming surface, and these plurality of sub ink chambers are used for different purposes.
For example, there is a technique of recording images of a plurality of colors by one inkjet head by supplying inks of different colors from each sub ink chamber to the head chip (for example, Patent Document 1).
In addition, there is a technique to remove air bubbles and foreign substances in the ink flow path from the head chip together with the ink by refluxing a part of the ink supplied from one sub ink chamber to the ink flow path to the other sub ink chamber. There is (for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-109476 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-209966

However, in the above-mentioned conventional technique, the partition wall may be pressed by the pressure of the ink and peeled off from the opening forming surface so that the sub ink chambers communicate with each other. On the other hand, if the thickness of the partition wall is increased in order to secure the strength of the partition wall and the joint strength with the opening forming surface, the partition wall changes when the positional relationship between the partition wall and the opening forming surface changes due to thermal deformation. Cannot follow, and the partition wall may be peeled off.
As described above, the above-mentioned conventional technique has a problem that it is not easy to secure the required strength of the partition wall while suppressing the peeling of the partition wall.

An object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet head, an inkjet recording apparatus, and a method for manufacturing an inkjet head, which can secure the required strength of the partition wall while suppressing peeling of the partition wall.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of the inkjet head according to claim 1 is
A head chip having a nozzle for ejecting ink and an ink flow path communicating with the nozzle, and having a plurality of openings of one or more ink flow paths formed on a predetermined opening forming surface.
An ink having an ink chamber in which a part of the inner wall surface is formed of the opening forming surface, and the ink chamber communicates with the one or more ink flow paths through the plurality of openings of the opening forming surface. Reservoir and
Equipped with
The ink storage unit has a partition wall having an end face bonded to the opening forming surface, which divides the ink chamber into a plurality of sub ink chambers.
It is characterized in that at least a part of the partition wall is made of an elastic body.

The invention according to claim 2 is the inkjet head according to claim 1.
The partition wall is characterized in that at least an end portion in contact with the opening forming surface is made of the elastic body.

The invention according to claim 3 is the inkjet head according to claim 2.
The joint surface of the elastic body with the opening forming surface is rectangular.

The invention according to claim 4 is the inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The Young's modulus of the elastic body is characterized by being 1 MPa or more and 100 MPa or less.

The invention according to claim 5 is the inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The elastic body is characterized in that it is provided in a state of being compressed in a direction perpendicular to the opening forming surface.

The invention according to claim 6 is the inkjet head according to claim 5.
The elastic body is characterized in that it is provided in a compressed state so that the length in the direction perpendicular to the opening forming surface is 70% or more and less than 100% in the uncompressed state.

The invention according to claim 7 is the inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The elastic body is characterized in that it is provided in a state of being compressed in the longitudinal direction of the partition wall in a plane parallel to the opening forming surface.

The invention according to claim 8 is the inkjet head according to claim 7.
The elastic body is characterized in that it is provided in a compressed state so that the length in the longitudinal direction is 95% or more and less than 100% in the uncompressed state.

The invention according to claim 9 is the inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
The ink storage portion is characterized by having an adhesive layer for adhering the elastic body and an adjacent member of the ink storage portion adjacent to the elastic body.

The invention according to claim 10 is the inkjet head according to claim 9.
The adhesive layer adheres the end portion of the elastic body in the plane parallel to the opening forming surface in the longitudinal direction of the partition wall and the adjacent member adjacent to the end portion in the longitudinal direction. It is characterized by.

The invention according to claim 11 is the inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
The adjacent member of the ink storage portion adjacent to the elastic body is characterized in that a through hole through which a predetermined pressing member for pressing the elastic body can pass is provided.

The invention according to claim 12 is the inkjet head according to claim 11.
The through hole is characterized in that it is provided in a region where the elastic body is arranged when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the opening forming surface.

The invention according to claim 13 is the inkjet head according to claim 11 or 12.
The ink storage portion is characterized by having a plate-shaped member having a rigidity higher than that of the elastic body, which is provided between the adjacent member provided with the through hole and the elastic body.

The invention according to claim 14 is the inkjet head according to claim 13.
The plate-shaped member is characterized in that it is made of metal.

The invention according to claim 15 is the inkjet head according to claim 13 or 14.
With respect to the longitudinal direction of the partition wall in the plane parallel to the opening forming surface, the length of the plate-shaped member is ½ or more of the length of the elastic body, and in the longitudinal direction of the partition wall in the plane. In the vertical thickness direction, the length of the plate-shaped member is ½ or more of the length of the elastic body.

The invention according to claim 16 is the inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
It is characterized in that the elastic body and an adjacent member of the ink storage portion adjacent to the elastic body are integrally formed.

The invention according to claim 17 is the inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The partition wall has the elastic body and a base having a higher rigidity than the elastic body.
The elastic body is characterized by being an adhesive that adheres the base portion and the opening forming surface.

The invention according to claim 18 is the inkjet head according to any one of claims 9 to 16.
The adjacent member is characterized in that it is a part of the partition wall.

The invention according to claim 19 is the inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 16.
The partition wall is characterized by being made of the elastic body.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, the invention of the inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 20 is described.
The inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 19 is provided.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, the invention of the method for manufacturing an inkjet head according to claim 21 is described.
A head chip having a nozzle for ejecting ink and an ink flow path communicating with the nozzle, and having a plurality of openings of one or a plurality of the ink flow paths formed on a predetermined opening forming surface, and an inner wall surface. The ink chamber has an ink chamber formed of the opening forming surface, and the ink chamber communicates with the one or more ink flow paths through the plurality of openings of the opening forming surface. The ink storage unit has a partition wall having an end face bonded to the opening forming surface, which divides the ink chamber into a plurality of sub ink chambers, and at least a part of the partition wall is an ink jet made of an elastic body. It ’s a method of manufacturing heads.
A step of arranging a plate-shaped member having a higher rigidity than the elastic body at a predetermined position of the ink storage portion and arranging the elastic body at a predetermined position on the plate-shaped member.
A step of attaching a member having the opening forming surface to the ink storage portion,
A predetermined pressing member is passed through a part of the through holes among the plurality of through holes provided in the adjacent member adjacent to the elastic body with the plate-shaped member sandwiched between the ink storage portions, and the pressing member is used to pass the predetermined pressing member. The step of pressing the plate-shaped member and the elastic body against the opening forming surface, and
A step of supplying an adhesive from a through hole that does not pass through the pressing member among the plurality of through holes to bond the adjacent member and the elastic body.
It is characterized by including.

According to the present invention, there is an effect that the required strength of the partition wall can be secured while suppressing the peeling of the partition wall.

It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the inkjet recording apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of an inkjet head. It is an exploded perspective view of a head tip. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of an inkjet head. It is a figure which shows the structure of a partition wall. It is a figure explaining the compression state in the Z direction of an elastic body. It is a figure explaining the compression state in the Y direction of an elastic body. It is a figure which shows the cross section perpendicular to the Y direction of the partition wall which concerns on the modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the cross section perpendicular to the Y direction of the partition wall of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the cross section perpendicular to the Y direction of the partition wall of 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the partition wall of 4th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the inkjet head which has the partition wall of FIG. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the inkjet head which has the partition wall of FIG. It is a figure which shows the cross section perpendicular to the X direction of the partition wall which concerns on the modification 1 of 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the cross section perpendicular to the Y direction of the partition wall which concerns on the modification 2 of 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the partition wall of 5th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other aspect of a plurality of sub ink chambers.

Hereinafter, embodiments relating to the inkjet head, the inkjet recording apparatus, and the method for manufacturing the inkjet head of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The inkjet recording device 100 includes a transport belt 101, a transport roller 102, a head unit 103, and the like.

The transport roller 102 rotates about a rotation axis parallel to the X direction in FIG. 1 by driving a transport motor (not shown). The transport belt 101 is a ring-shaped belt whose inside is supported by a pair of transport rollers 102, and moves around the pair of transport rollers 102 as the transport rollers 102 rotate. The inkjet recording apparatus 100 moves the recording medium M around the transport belt 101 at a speed corresponding to the rotation speed of the transport roller 102 while the recording medium M is placed on the transport belt 101. A transport operation for transporting in the moving direction (Y direction in FIG. 1) is performed.

The head unit 103 ejects ink from the nozzle 111 (see FIG. 2B) to the recording medium M conveyed by the conveyor belt 101 based on the image data, and records the image on the recording medium M. In the inkjet recording apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the four head units 103 corresponding to the four color inks of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) are in the transport direction of the recording medium M. They are arranged so as to be lined up at predetermined intervals in order from the upstream side. The number of head units 103 may be 3 or less or 5 or more depending on the number of colors used for recording.

Each head unit 103 has a flat plate-shaped base 103a and a plurality of (here, seven) inkjet heads 1 fixed to the base 103a in a state of being fitted to a hole penetrating the base 103a. The head unit 103 has a housing that stores components including a plurality of inkjet heads 1, but the description is omitted in FIG.

In the inkjet head 1, a plurality of nozzles 111 for ejecting ink are arranged in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the recording medium M (in the present embodiment, a width direction orthogonal to the transport direction, that is, the X direction). Further, each inkjet head 1 is provided with a nozzle row consisting of nozzles 111 one-dimensionally arranged in the X direction (see FIG. 2B). The inkjet head 1 may be provided with a plurality of nozzle rows so that the positions of the nozzles 111 are displaced from each other in the X direction.
The inkjet head 1 is provided with an ink ejection unit, which is a mechanism for ejecting ink from the nozzles 111, corresponding to each nozzle 111.

For the plurality of inkjet heads 1 in each head unit 103, the arrangement range of the nozzle 111 in the X direction covers the width of the recording medium M on the transport belt 101 in the X direction so that an image can be recorded. They are arranged in a houndstooth pattern. By arranging the inkjet head 1 in this way, in the inkjet recording device 100, the ink is conveyed by ejecting ink from the inkjet head 1 at an appropriate timing according to the image data in a state where the head unit 103 is fixed. An image can be recorded on the recording medium M. That is, the inkjet recording device 100 records an image by a single pass method.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the inkjet head 1. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the inkjet head 1 viewed from above (+ Z direction side), and FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the inkjet head 1 viewed from below (−Z direction side). be. In FIG. 2B, the number of nozzles 111 is abbreviated to 7 for convenience of explanation, but in reality, several hundred or more nozzles 111 are arranged.
The inkjet head 1 includes a head chip 10 provided with a nozzle 111, an ink storage unit 3 for temporarily storing ink supplied to the head chip 10 and ink discharged from the head chip 10, the head chip 10 and the head chip 10. A holding member 5 or the like provided between the ink storage portions 3 for holding the head chip 10 is provided.

Inside the ink storage unit 3, an ink chamber 300 for storing ink is provided. Further, the ink chamber 300 is divided into a plurality of sub ink chambers by a partition wall 30 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B). In the example of FIG. 2, as a sub ink chamber, a supply ink chamber 300a and a pair of discharge ink chambers 300b sandwiching the supply ink chamber 300a are provided. The supply ink chamber 300a stores the ink supplied to the nozzle 111 of the head chip 10. Further, the discharge ink chamber 300b stores the ink discharged from the head chip 10. Further, the ink storage unit 3 includes an inlet 301 into which ink supplied from the outside to the supply ink chamber 300a flows in, an outlet 302 in which ink discharged from the discharge ink chamber 300b to the outside flows out, and the like.

The head chip 10 ejects the ink supplied from the supply ink chamber 300a of the ink storage unit 3 from the nozzle 111. Further, the head chip 10 is provided with an ink discharge flow path for discharging a part of the supplied ink to the discharge ink chamber 300b of the ink storage unit 3.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the head tip 10. In FIG. 3, the components of the head tip 10 are disassembled and drawn with the nozzle 111 facing upward (that is, in the same orientation as in FIG. 2B).
The head chip 10 has a structure in which a nozzle substrate 11, a flow path substrate 12, a pressure chamber substrate 13, and a wiring substrate 14 are laminated in this order. Further, in FIG. 3, an FPC 20 (Flexible Printed Circuit) electrically connected to the wiring board 14 is also drawn.

The nozzle substrate 11 is a polyimide substrate in which nozzles 111, which are holes penetrating in the thickness direction (Z direction), are provided so as to form a row along the X direction. The surface of the nozzle substrate 11 on the −Z direction side forms the ink ejection surface 112 of the inkjet head 1.

The flow path substrate 12 is provided with a through flow path 121 communicating with the nozzle 111 and an individual discharge flow path 122 branching from the through flow path 121.
Further, the pressure chamber substrate 13 includes a pressure chamber 131 communicating with the through flow path 121, a common discharge flow path 132 communicating with the individual discharge flow path 122, and a vertical discharge flow path 133 communicating with the common discharge flow path 132. , Are provided.
Further, the wiring board 14 is provided with an ink supply hole 141 communicating with the pressure chamber 131 and a discharge hole 142 communicating with the vertical discharge flow path 133.

The flow path substrate 12 and the pressure chamber substrate 13 are rectangular parallelepiped plate-shaped members having substantially the same shape as the nozzle substrate 11 when viewed from the Z direction.
The flow path substrate 12 is made of, for example, a silicon substrate. The nozzle substrate 11 is adhered (fixed) to the surface of the flow path substrate 12 on the −Z direction side, and the pressure chamber substrate 13 is adhered (fixed) to the surface on the + Z direction side via an adhesive.
The material of the pressure chamber substrate 13 is a ceramic piezoelectric body (a member that deforms when a voltage is applied). Examples of such a piezoelectric material include PZT (lead zirconate titanate), lithium niobate, barium titanate, lead titanate, lead metaniobate and the like. In the pressure chamber substrate 13 of this embodiment, PZT is used.
The wiring board 14 is a flat plate-shaped substrate having an area larger than the area of the pressure chamber substrate 13, and is adhered to the surface of the pressure chamber substrate 13 on the + Z direction side via an adhesive. As the wiring board 14, for example, a substrate such as glass, ceramics, silicon, or plastic can be used.

In a state where the flow path board 12, the pressure chamber board 13, and the wiring board 14 are joined, the through flow path 121, the pressure chamber 131, and the ink supply hole 141 are connected to each other, and the ink channel 15 (see FIG. 4A) is connected. ). The ink channel 15 is provided at a position overlapping the nozzle 111 when viewed from the Z direction, and communicates with the nozzle 111. The ink channel 15 and the nozzle 111 constitute an ink ejection flow path 16 (see FIG. 4A). The ink ejection flow path 16 is an aspect of the “ink flow path”. Further, ink is supplied to each ink channel 15 from the supply ink chamber 300a through the opening 1411 of the ink supply hole 141.

An electrode (not shown) is formed on the inner wall surface of the ink channel 15. The wall surface between the ink channels 15 (specifically, the portion of the wall surface made of the piezoelectric material of the pressure chamber substrate 13) is displaced according to the potential difference of the drive signal applied to the electrodes of the adjacent ink channels 15. When the wall surface repeats the shear mode type displacement, the pressure of the ink in the ink channel 15 fluctuates, and the ink in the ink channel 15 is ejected from the nozzle 111 according to the fluctuation of the pressure. That is, the inkjet head 1 of the present embodiment performs shear mode type ink ejection.

In the flow path substrate 12, the first individual flow path 1221 branches from each of the plurality of through flow paths 121 (ink channels 15) in the + Y direction, and at the end of the first individual flow path 1221 on the + Y direction side, A second individual flow path 1222 extending in the + Z direction and penetrating the flow path substrate 12 is connected. The individual discharge flow path 122 is configured by the first individual flow path 1221a and the second individual flow path 1222a.
On the joint surface of the pressure chamber substrate 13 with the flow path substrate 12, a groove forming a common discharge flow path 132 extending in the X direction is provided in a range overlapping with the plurality of second individual flow paths 1222 when viewed from the Z direction. ing. The common discharge flow path 132 is formed by closing the opening of the groove provided in the pressure chamber substrate 13 by the flow path substrate 12 in a state where the flow path substrate 12 and the pressure chamber substrate 13 are joined. To. Further, in a state where the flow path substrate 12 and the pressure chamber substrate 13 are joined, the common discharge flow path 132 is connected to a plurality of individual discharge flow paths 122.
Further, vertical discharge flow paths 133 penetrating the pressure chamber substrate 13 in the Z direction are connected to both ends of the common discharge flow path 132 on the X direction side.
The wiring board 14 is provided with a pair of discharge holes 142 penetrating the wiring board 14 at positions overlapping the pair of vertical discharge flow paths 133 when viewed from the Z direction. The opening 1421 of the discharge hole 142 communicates with the discharge ink chamber 300b.

The ink discharge flow path 17 (see FIG. 4B) is configured by the individual discharge flow path 122, the common discharge flow path 132, the vertical discharge flow path 133, and the discharge hole 142. By providing the ink discharge flow path 17, a part of the ink supplied from the supply ink chamber 300a to the ink channel 15 can be discharged to the discharge ink chamber 300b via the ink discharge flow path 17. It has become. As a result, air bubbles and foreign substances in the ink channel 15 can be discharged to the outside of the head chip 10 together with the ink. The ink discharge flow path 17 is an aspect of the “ink flow path”.
In addition, instead of the configuration in which the ink is discharged from both ends of the common discharge flow path 132 in the X direction, the configuration in which the ink is discharged from only one end of the common discharge flow path 132 may be used. That is, the configuration may be such that only one vertical discharge flow path 133 and one discharge hole 142 are provided. In this case, only one discharge ink chamber 300b of the ink storage unit 3 may be provided corresponding to the discharge hole 142.

A plurality of wirings 143 connected to the electrodes of the ink channel 15 are provided on the adhesive surface of the wiring board 14 with the pressure chamber board 13. Further, the FPC 20 is connected to the end of the wiring board 14 where the wiring 143 is provided, for example, via an ACF (anisotropic conductive film). A drive signal output from a drive circuit (not shown) is supplied to the electrodes of the ink channel 15 via the wiring 21 on the FPC 20 and the wiring 143.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the inkjet head 1.
4 (a) is a diagram showing a cross section perpendicular to the Y direction at the position of line AA in FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 (b) is a diagram showing a cross section in the position of line BB of FIG. 3 in the Y direction. It is a figure which shows the cross section perpendicular to. In the following, the + Z direction is also referred to as an upper direction, and the −Z direction is also referred to as a lower direction.
As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the ink storage portion 3 is located on the upper side (+ Z direction side) of the opening forming surface 10a in which the openings 1411, 1421 are formed in the head chip 10. Have been placed. The ink storage unit 3 has an ink chamber 300 surrounded by an outer wall 39 of the ink storage unit 3 and an opening forming surface 10a of the head chip 10. That is, the ink chamber 300 is formed by a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer wall 39 having one surface open and an opening forming surface 10a that closes the opening of the outer wall 39. Therefore, in the ink chamber 300, a part (bottom surface) of the inner wall surface is composed of the opening forming surface 10a.
The material of the outer wall 39 of the ink storage unit 3 is not particularly limited, but various resins such as PPS resin, which are excellent in mechanical strength and chemical resistance to ink, metals, alloys, and the like can be used.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the ink storage unit 3 has a partition wall 30 that partitions the ink chamber 300 into the supply ink chamber 300a and the discharge ink chamber 300b. The partition wall 30 is a plate-shaped member extending along a YZ plane, and an end surface (lower end surface) in the −Z direction is joined to the opening forming surface 10a. In the following, the portion where the partition wall 30 and the opening forming surface 10a are joined is referred to as a joining portion 30a.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the supply ink chamber 300a communicates with the ink channel 15 via the opening 1411 formed in the opening forming surface 10a. As a result, the ink in the supply ink chamber 300a is commonly supplied to the plurality of ink channels 15 and is ejected from the nozzle 111.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, the pair of ejection ink chambers 300b communicate with the ink ejection flow path 17 via the openings 1421 formed in the opening forming surface 10a, respectively. As a result, the ink discharged from the ink channel 15 through the ink discharge flow path 17 flows into the discharge ink chamber 300b and is stored.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the partition wall 30.
FIG. 5A is a view showing a cross section of the partition wall 30 perpendicular to the Y direction, and corresponds to a partially enlarged view of FIGS. 4A and 4B.
FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a cross section of the ink storage unit 3 perpendicular to the X direction at a position passing through the partition wall 30. In FIG. 5B, the position of the inner wall surface of the ink chamber 300 is indicated by a broken line. Therefore, the range surrounded by the broken line in FIG. 5B corresponds to the partition wall 30.

The partition wall 30 is at least partially made of an elastic body 31. The partition wall 30 of the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B has a rib-shaped base portion 32 extending from the outer wall 39 of the ink storage portion 3 and an elastic body provided at the tip of the base portion 32. It consists of 31. That is, the elastic body 31 at the tip of the partition wall 30 is joined to the opening forming surface 10a. The elastic body 31 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the joint surface with the opening forming surface 10a is rectangular. In the present embodiment, the base portion 32 corresponds to the “adjacent member” of the ink storage portion 3 adjacent to the elastic body 31. In other words, a part (base 32) of the partition wall 30 is an adjacent member.
The base portion 32 is integrally shaped with the outer wall 39 and is made of the same material as the outer wall 39. Therefore, the base portion 32 has a higher rigidity than the elastic body 31. Here, "integrally molded" means that they are molded at once in the same process (for example, an injection molding process in which a resin is put into a mold and solidified). Further, high rigidity means that Young's modulus is high.

The elastic body 31 is not particularly limited, but for example, silicone rubber, fluororubber, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber), or the like can be used. Further, as the elastic body 31, it is preferable to use a material having a Young's modulus of 1 MPa or more and 100 MPa or less.

The elastic body 31 is provided in a state of being compressed in a direction (Z direction) perpendicular to the opening forming surface 10a. Further, the elastic body 31 is provided in a state of being compressed in the longitudinal direction (that is, the Y direction) of the partition wall 30 in the plane parallel to the opening forming surface 10a (in the XY plane).

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a compressed state of the elastic body 31 in the Z direction.
As shown in FIG. 6, the elastic body 31 is incorporated in a state of being compressed in the Z direction so that the length (height) in the Z direction is smaller than that in the uncompressed state. By being compressed in this way, when the distance between the base portion 32 and the opening forming surface 10a increases due to thermal deformation or the like, the elastic body 31 expands by that amount to absorb the thermal deformation, and the partition wall 30 forms an opening. It is possible to suppress peeling from the surface 10a. As a result, it is possible to prevent ink from leaking between the supply ink chamber 300a and the discharge ink chamber 300b.
The compressibility of the elastic body 31 in the Z direction can be larger than 0% and 30% or less. In other words, it can be in a compressed state so that the length in the Z direction is 70% or more and less than 100% of the uncompressed length.

Further, by setting the elastic body 31 in a compressed state in the Z direction, the elastic body 31 is always in a state of being urged by exerting an elastic force on the opening forming surface 10a, so that the elastic body 31 and the opening forming surface are urged. It is possible to join 10a without using an adhesive. After compressing the elastic body 31, the elastic body 31 and the opening forming surface 10a may be further adhered to each other by using an adhesive.
Similarly, since the elastic body 31 is always in a state of urging the base portion 32 by applying an elastic force, the elastic body 31 and the base portion 32 can be joined without using an adhesive. After compressing the elastic body 31, the elastic body 31 and the base portion 32 may be further adhered to each other by using an adhesive.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a compressed state of the elastic body 31 in the Y direction.
As shown in FIG. 7, the elastic body 31 is incorporated in a state of being compressed in the Y direction so that the length in the Y direction is smaller than that in the uncompressed state. Specifically, the compressibility of the elastic body 31 in the Y direction can be larger than 0% and 5% or less. In other words, the length in the Y direction can be compressed so as to be 95% or more and less than 100% of the uncompressed state. By being compressed in this way, the elastic body 31 exerts an elastic force on the portion (side wall) of the outer wall 39 of the ink storage portion 3 that is in contact with both ends of the elastic body 31 in the Y direction and is urged. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ink from leaking from between the elastic body 31 and the side wall.
With such a configuration, the elastic body 31 is in a state of being urged by exerting an elastic force on the outer wall 39 in contact with the Y direction. Therefore, the elastic body 31 and the outer wall 39 are joined without using an adhesive. Is possible. After compressing the elastic body 31, the elastic body 31 and the outer wall 39 may be further adhered to each other by using an adhesive.

The elastic body 31 may be compressed only in either the X direction or the Y direction. Further, if the airtightness at both ends in the X direction and both ends in the Y direction is ensured, the elastic body 31 may be incorporated without compression.

(Modification example)
Next, a modification of the first embodiment will be described.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a cross section of the partition wall 30 according to the modified example, which is perpendicular to the Y direction.
As shown in FIG. 8A, the position of the elastic body 31 is not limited to the position in contact with the opening forming surface 10a, and even if the elastic body 31 is provided in a state of being sandwiched in the middle of the base portion 32 in the Z direction. good.
Further, as shown in FIG. 8B, two or more separate elastic bodies 31 may be included in the partition wall 30. Of these, one elastic body 31 may be joined to the opening forming surface 10a.

As described above, the ink jet head 1 of the present embodiment has a nozzle 111 for ejecting ink, an ink ejection flow path 16 and an ink ejection flow path 17 as ink flow paths communicating with the nozzle 111, and ink ejection. The head chip 10 in which the opening 1411 of the flow path 16 and the opening 1421 (plurality of openings) of the ink discharge flow path 17 are formed on the opening forming surface 10a, and a part of the inner wall surface is composed of the opening forming surface 10a. The ink storage unit 3 has an ink chamber 300, and the ink chamber 300 communicates with the ink ejection flow path 16 via the opening 1411 of the opening forming surface 10a and with the ink ejection flow path 17 via the opening 1421. The ink storage unit 3 has a partition wall 30 having an end face joined to an opening forming surface 10a, which partitions the ink chamber 300 into a supply ink chamber 300a and an ejection ink chamber 300b, and at least a part of the partition wall 30 is formed. It is composed of an elastic body 31.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a problem that the partition wall 30 is peeled off from the opening forming surface 10a. That is, when the partition wall 30 is pressed in the X direction due to the pressure difference between the supply ink chamber 300a and the discharge ink chamber 300b, the elastic body 31 is deformed, thereby relaxing the force applied to the joint portion 30a and reducing the partition wall 30. It can be made difficult to peel off from the opening forming surface 10a. Further, when the positional relationship between the partition wall 30 and the opening forming surface 10a is changed by thermal deformation (that is, when the ink storage portion 3 and / or the head chip 10 is deformed by heat), the elastic body 31 follows this. By deforming the partition 30a, the force applied to the joint portion 30a due to thermal deformation can be alleviated, and the partition wall 30 can be made difficult to peel off. As a result, it is possible to secure the required strength of the partition wall 30 while suppressing the peeling of the partition wall 30.

Further, at least the end portion of the partition wall 30 in contact with the opening forming surface 10a is made of an elastic body 31. As a result, the adhesion between the tip of the partition wall 30 (elastic body 31) and the opening forming surface 10a can be improved, so that the partition wall 30 can be joined to the opening forming surface 10a without using an adhesive.

Further, the joint surface of the elastic body 31 with the opening forming surface 10a is rectangular. As a result, the largest joint area between the partition wall 30 and the opening forming surface 10a can be secured.

Further, by setting the Young's modulus of the elastic body 31 to 1 MPa or more and 100 MPa or less, the adhesion between the tip of the partition wall 30 (elastic body 31) and the opening forming surface 10a can be ensured within a necessary and sufficient range. Further, the partition wall 30 can be easily deformed according to the thermal deformation of the ink storage portion 3 and / or the head chip 10 while suppressing the stress load applied to the peripheral members.

Further, the elastic body 31 is provided in a state of being compressed in a direction perpendicular to the opening forming surface 10a. As a result, the elastic body 31 is always in a state of being urged by exerting an elastic force on the opening forming surface 10a, so that the adhesion between the elastic body 31 and the opening forming surface 10a can be further improved. As a result, the elastic body 31 and the opening forming surface 10a can be joined without using an adhesive. Further, when the partition wall 30 is pressed by the pressure difference between the inks of the supply ink chamber 300a and the discharge ink chamber 300b, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a problem that the bonding position of the elastic body 31 with respect to the opening forming surface 10a is displaced or peeled off. can do. Further, when the ink storage portion 3 and / or the head chip 10 is thermally deformed in the direction in which the partition wall 30 and the opening forming surface 10a are separated from each other, the elastic body 31 is elongated to absorb the thermal deformation, so that the elastic body can be absorbed. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of a defect that a gap is generated between the 31 and the opening forming surface 10a.

Further, the elastic body 31 is provided in a compressed state so that the length in the direction perpendicular to the opening forming surface 10a is 70% or more and less than 100% of the uncompressed state. By compressing in such a range, the elastic body 31 can be in a state of exerting a sufficient elastic force on the opening forming surface 10a, and the elastic force is too strong to cause the ink storage portion 3 and the head tip 10 to be compressed. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of damage defects.

Further, the elastic body 31 is provided in a state of being compressed in the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the partition wall 30 in a plane parallel to the opening forming surface 10a. As a result, the elastic body 31 is in a state of being urged by exerting an elastic force on the portions (side walls) of the outer wall 39 of the ink storage portion 3 that are in contact with both ends of the elastic body 31 in the Y direction. It is possible to prevent ink from leaking from between the 31 and the outer wall 39.

Further, by providing the elastic body 31 in a compressed state so that the length in the Y direction is 95% or more and less than 100% in the uncompressed state, the outer wall 39 (the outer wall 39 () while suppressing the bending of the elastic body 31. A sufficient elastic force can be generated to suppress the leakage of ink from the side wall).

Further, since the inkjet recording apparatus 100 of the present embodiment includes the inkjet head, problems such as poor ink ejection and poor image quality due to ink leakage between the supply ink chamber 300a and the ejection ink chamber 300b may occur. It can be suppressed.

(Second embodiment)
Next, the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the configuration of the partition wall 30 is different from that of the first embodiment.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a cross section of the partition wall 30 of the second embodiment perpendicular to the Y direction.
In the partition wall 30 of the present embodiment, the elastic body 31 is made of an adhesive having elasticity. As such an adhesive, one that is applied in a liquid state and cured by applying energy such as ultraviolet rays or heat can be used. As shown in FIG. 8, the adhesive forming the elastic body 31 wets and spreads on the opening forming surface 10a when applied in a liquid state, and therefore has a shape in which the hem widens toward the opening forming surface 10a. ..
As the adhesive forming the elastic body 31, an adhesive having a Young's modulus of 1 MP or more and 100 MPa or less after curing can be used. In this embodiment, a fluororesin is used as the elastic body 31.

As described above, in the inkjet head 1 of the second embodiment, the partition wall 30 has an elastic body 31 and a base portion 32 having a higher rigidity than the elastic body 31, and the elastic body 31 has an opening formed with the base portion 32. It is an adhesive that adheres to the surface 10a. This makes it possible to improve the adhesion between the partition wall 30 and the opening forming surface 10a.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, the configuration of the partition wall 30 is different from that of the first embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a cross section of the partition wall 30 of the third embodiment perpendicular to the Y direction.
The partition wall 30 of the present embodiment has an adhesive layer 33 between the elastic body 31 and the base portion 32. The adhesive layer 33 adheres the elastic body 31 and the base portion 32.
The hardness (Young's modulus) of the adhesive layer 33 after curing is arbitrary and may be higher than the hardness of the elastic body 31.

As described above, in the inkjet head 1 of the third embodiment, the ink storage unit 3 adheres the elastic body 31 and the base portion 32 of the ink storage unit 3 as an adjacent member adjacent to the elastic body 31. It has an adhesive layer 33 that is present. In such a configuration, after adjusting the height (compressibility) of the elastic body 31, the adhesive layer 33 can be formed by supplying an adhesive to the gap between the elastic body 31 and the base portion 32, so that the elastic body 31 can be formed. Regardless of the height of 31, the gap between the elastic body 31 and the base 32 can be filled with the adhesive layer 33. Therefore, the elastic body 31 can be adjusted to a desired height while keeping the height of the partition wall 30 constant.

(Fourth Embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In the fourth embodiment, the configuration of the partition wall 30 is different from that of the first embodiment.
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the partition wall 30 of the fourth embodiment.
The upper figure of FIG. 11 is a view showing a cross section perpendicular to the Y direction. As shown in the above figure, in the partition wall 30 of the present embodiment, a plate-shaped member 34 having a higher rigidity than the elastic body 31 is arranged on the upper surface of the elastic body 31. As the plate-shaped member 34, stainless steel such as SUS316 or various metals can be used.
The elastic body 31 is provided in a state of being compressed by being pressed downward by the plate-shaped member 34. As a result, a gap is formed between the lower surface of the base portion 32 and the plate-shaped member 34.
In order to uniformly press the elastic body 31, the length of the plate-shaped member 34 in the Y direction (that is, the longitudinal direction of the partition wall 30 in the plane parallel to the opening forming surface 10a) is the length of the elastic body 31. The length in the X direction (that is, the thickness direction perpendicular to the Y direction of the partition wall 30 in the plane) is ½ or more of the length of the elastic body 31. preferable.

Further, a through hole 32a that penetrates the outer wall 39 and the base portion 32 in the Z direction is provided from the outer surface of the outer wall 39 to the lower surface of the base portion 32.
The lower view of FIG. 11 shows the positional relationship between the through hole 32a and the elastic body 31 when viewed from the + Z direction, and is a plan view showing the adhesive layer 33 and the plate-shaped member 34 in a transparent view. The cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in the lower part of FIG. 11 corresponds to the upper part of FIG. As shown in the lower part of FIG. 11, the through hole 32a is provided in the region where the elastic body 31 is arranged when viewed from the + Z direction.

The gap between the lower surface of the base portion 32 and the plate-shaped member 34 is filled with the adhesive layer 33. As a result, the base portion 32 and the plate-shaped member 34 are adhered to each other. Further, the through hole 32a in the cross section passing through the line CC in FIG. 11 is filled with the adhesive layer 33.

12 and 13 are diagrams illustrating a method of manufacturing the inkjet head 1 having the partition wall 30 of FIG.
In the method for manufacturing the inkjet head 1 having the partition wall 30 of FIG. 11, first, as shown in FIG. 12A, through holes 32a penetrating the outer wall 39 and the base 32 in the Z direction are provided at three locations different in the Y direction. The provided ink storage unit 3 is manufactured.

Next, as shown in FIG. 12B, the plate-shaped member 34 is positioned and arranged with respect to the ink storage unit 3 from the −Z direction side, and the elastic body 31 is further positioned on the plate-shaped member 34. And place it. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 12 (c), a member having the opening forming surface 10a is attached to the lower surface of the ink storage portion 3 and the elastic body 31. In FIG. 12C, the wiring board 14 is drawn as a member having the opening forming surface 10a, but here, the entire head chip 10 having the wiring board 14 may be attached.
The steps of FIGS. 12 (b) and 12 (c) are actually performed with the ink storage unit 3 turned upside down.

Next, as shown in FIG. 13A, a rod-shaped pressing member 40 (pin) is passed through the through holes 32a at both ends except the center of the three through holes 32a, and the plate-shaped member 34 is pressed by the pressing member 40. Press downward (in the −Z direction) with a predetermined pressure. As a result, the elastic body 31 is compressed in the Z direction, and a gap is created between the base portion 32 and the plate-shaped member 34.

Next, as shown in FIG. 13B, the liquid adhesive layer 33 is poured from the central through hole 32a. The adhesive layer 33 wets and spreads in the gap between the base portion 32 and the plate-shaped member 34 through the through hole 32a in the center, and fills the gap. Then, the adhesive layer 33 is cured by a predetermined method.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 13C, the pressing member 40 is removed from the through hole 32a to complete the inkjet head 1.

(Modification 1)
Next, a modification 1 of the fourth embodiment will be described.
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a cross section of the partition wall 30 according to the first modification, which is perpendicular to the X direction.
As shown in FIG. 14, the elastic body 31 is incorporated without compression in the longitudinal direction (Y direction), and the end portion of the elastic body 31 in the Y direction and the outer wall 39 (side wall) adjacent to the end portion in the Y direction. And may be adhered by the adhesive layer 33. In the present modification 1, the side wall of the outer wall 39 adjacent to the elastic body 31 corresponds to the adjacent member of the ink storage portion 3 adjacent to the elastic body 31.

(Modification 2)
Next, the second modification of the fourth embodiment will be described.
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a cross section of the partition wall 30 according to the modified example 2 perpendicular to the Y direction.
The partition wall of the modified example 2 corresponds to the partition wall 30 shown in FIG. 11 in which the plate-shaped member 34 is omitted. When the elastic body 31 is directly pressed by the pressing member 40 from above and the variation depending on the position of the deformation amount of the elastic body 31 is sufficiently small, the plate-shaped member 34 may be omitted in this way.
The manufacturing method of the inkjet head 1 having the partition wall 30 of FIG. 15 is the same as the manufacturing method shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, except that the plate-shaped member 34 is not arranged.

As described above, in the inkjet head 1 of the fourth embodiment, the pressing member 40 for pressing the elastic body 31 passes through the base portion 32 of the ink storage portion 3 as an adjacent member adjacent to the elastic body 31. A possible through hole 32a is provided. As a result, the elastic body 31 can be pressed by the pressing member 40, so that the elastic body 31 can be easily incorporated in a pressed state. Further, by adjusting the pressure by the pressing member 40, the compressibility of the elastic body 31 can be easily adjusted.

Further, the through hole 32a is provided in the region where the elastic body 31 is arranged when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the opening forming surface 10a. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a problem that the adhesive layer 33 supplied to the through hole 32a flows from the side surface of the elastic body 31 to the outside of the partition wall 30.

Further, the ink storage portion 3 has a plate-shaped member 34 provided between the base portion 32 provided with the through hole 32a and the elastic body 31 and having a higher rigidity than the elastic body 31. According to this, by pressing the plate-shaped member 34 with the pressing member 40, the elastic body 31 can be uniformly pressed and compressed by the surface of the plate-shaped member 34.

Further, the plate-shaped member 34 is made of metal. Since such a plate-shaped member 34 has high rigidity, the elastic body 31 can be more effectively pressed and compressed. Further, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a problem that the plate-shaped member 34 is eroded (corroded) by the ink.

Further, in the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the partition wall 30 in the plane parallel to the opening forming surface 10a, the length of the plate-shaped member 34 is ½ or more of the length of the elastic body 31, and the partition wall in the plane. In the thickness direction (X direction) perpendicular to the false charge direction of 30, the length of the plate-shaped member 34 is ½ or more of the length of the elastic body 31. By using the plate-shaped member 34 having such a size, the elastic body 31 can be effectively and uniformly pressed by the surface of the plate-shaped member 34 and compressed.

Further, in the first modification, the adhesive layer 33 is adjacent to the end portion of the elastic body 31 in the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the partition wall 30 in the plane parallel to the opening forming surface 10a in the Y direction. It is bonded to the outer wall 39 as an adjacent member. As a result, in a configuration in which the elastic body 31 is incorporated without being compressed in the Y direction, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a problem that ink leaks from the side surface of the elastic body 31. Further, even in the configuration in which the elastic body 31 is compressed in the Y direction and incorporated, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a problem that ink leaks from the side surface of the elastic body 31 when the ink storage portion 3 expands.

Further, in the method of manufacturing the inkjet head 1 of the fourth embodiment, a plate-shaped member 34 having a higher rigidity than the elastic body 31 is arranged at a predetermined position of the ink storage unit 3, and a predetermined position on the plate-shaped member 34. A step of arranging the elastic body 31 in the ink storage section 3, a step of attaching a member having an opening forming surface 10a to the ink storage section 3, and an adjacent member (adjacent member) adjacent to the elastic body 31 with the plate-shaped member 34 of the ink storage section 3 interposed therebetween. A step of passing a pressing member 40 through a part of the through holes 32a among a plurality of through holes 32a provided in the base portion 32) and pressing the plate-shaped member 34 and the elastic body 31 against the opening forming surface 10a by the pressing member 40. And the step of supplying the adhesive layer 33 from the through hole 32a which has not passed through the pressing member 40 among the plurality of through holes 32a and adhering the adjacent member and the plate-shaped member 34. According to such a manufacturing method, the elastic body 31 can be incorporated into the partition wall 30 in a state of being uniformly compressed at a desired compressibility. As a result, the ink chamber 300 can be reliably partitioned, and the partition wall 30 that flexibly follows the thermal deformation of the ink storage portion 3 and / or the head chip 10 can be formed.

(Fifth Embodiment)
Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. In the fifth embodiment, the configuration of the partition wall 30 is different from that of the first embodiment.
FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the partition wall 30 of the fifth embodiment. FIG. 16A is a diagram showing a cross section of the partition wall 30 perpendicular to the Y direction, and FIG. 16B is a diagram showing a cross section of the ink storage unit 3 perpendicular to the X direction at a position passing through the partition wall 30. Is.

The partition wall 30 of the present embodiment is entirely made of an elastic body 31. As shown in FIG. 16, a groove 39a is formed at a position of the outer wall 39 where the partition wall 30 (elastic body 31) is attached, and the partition wall 30 is formed by embedding the plate-shaped elastic body 31 in the groove 39a. To. At this time, the elastic body 31 may be compressed in the Y direction and embedded in the groove portion 39a. Further, the elastic body 31 and the outer wall 39 may be adhered to each other with an adhesive. In addition to the groove portion 39a of the outer wall 39 (or instead of the groove portion 39a), the groove portion may be provided on the opening forming surface 10a (wiring substrate 14). Further, a groove may be provided at a position on the outer wall 39 where the side surface of the elastic body 31 is attached. Further, the partition wall 30 (elastic body 31) may be fixed to the outer wall 39 without providing the groove portion.
Further, the fifth embodiment may be combined with the fourth embodiment described above. That is, a through hole may be provided at the position of the groove 39a in the outer wall 39, and the elastic body 31 and the outer wall 39 may be adhered to each other in a state where the elastic body 31 is compressed in the Z direction by the pressing member 40 through the through hole. In this case, by arranging the plate-shaped member 34 on the upper surface of the elastic body 31, the elastic body 31 can be pressed more uniformly.
In the present embodiment, the outer wall 39 constitutes an "adjacent member" of the ink storage portion 3 adjacent to the elastic body 31.

As described above, in the inkjet head 1 of the fifth embodiment, the partition wall 30 is made of an elastic body 31. As a result, when the ink storage portion 3 and / or the head chip 10 is deformed, the partition wall 30 can be more flexibly followed and deformed. Further, even if the partition wall 30 is thickened, it is possible to secure the ability to follow the deformation of the ink storage portion 3 and / or the head chip 10, so that the load applied to the opening forming surface 10a is suppressed and the head chip 10 is damaged. And deformation can be suppressed.

(Sixth Embodiment)
Next, the sixth embodiment will be described.
In each of the above embodiments, the partition wall 30 having the elastic body 31 is formed by attaching the elastic body 31 to the outer wall 39 of the ink storage portion 3 and the base portion 32 extending from the outer wall 39. In the embodiment, the adjacent member adjacent to the elastic body 31 among the constituent members of the ink storage portion 3 and the elastic body 31 are integrally molded. That is, the adjacent member and the elastic body are molded in the same process to form an integral member. For example, in the injection molding process in which the resin is placed in a mold and solidified, a material that becomes a highly rigid resin after curing is supplied to the regions corresponding to the outer wall 39 and the base 32 of the ink storage portion 3 to correspond to the elastic body 31. The ink storage unit 3 of the present embodiment can be manufactured by supplying a material having elasticity after curing to the region to be cured and then simultaneously curing these materials.

As described above, in the inkjet head 1 of the sixth embodiment, the elastic body 31 and the adjacent member of the ink storage portion 3 adjacent to the elastic body 31 are integrally molded. As a result, it is possible to reliably suppress the occurrence of a problem that ink leaks between the elastic body 31 and the adjacent member. Further, the partition wall 30 including the elastic body 31 can be formed in a position and shape with higher accuracy.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and each modification, and various modifications can be made.
For example, in the above embodiment, the partition wall 30 divides the ink chamber into a plurality of sub ink chambers, one sub ink chamber is used as the supply ink chamber 300a, and the other sub ink chamber is used as the discharge ink chamber 300b. As described above, the configuration and use of the plurality of sub ink chambers are not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, one inkjet head 1 is formed by communicating each of a plurality of sub ink chambers 300c and 300d to separate ink channels 15 and storing different inks in the sub ink chambers 300c and 300d, respectively. There may be a configuration in which inks of a plurality of colors having different colors are ejected from the nozzle 111. In such a configuration, since it is necessary to join the partition wall 30 to the opening forming surface 10a between the adjacent openings 1411 of the ink channel 15, it is difficult to secure the thickness of the partition wall 30, but at least a part of the partition wall is elastic. By using the partition wall 30 made of the body 31, it is possible to secure the required strength of the partition wall while suppressing the peeling of the partition wall.

Further, in the above embodiment, the example in which the outer wall 39 of the ink storage portion 3 and the base portion 32 of the partition wall 30 are integrally shaped has been described, but the base portion 32 is joined to the outer wall 39. It may be configured. In this case, the materials of the base 32 and the outer wall 39 may be different from each other.

Further, the configuration of the head chip 10 is not limited to that described in the above embodiment, and has a nozzle and an ink flow path communicating with the nozzle, and a plurality of openings of one or more ink flow paths are predetermined. Any head tip can be used as long as it is formed on the opening forming surface of the above. For example, for an inkjet head having a vent mode head chip that fluctuates the pressure of the ink in the pressure chamber by deforming a piezoelectric element fixed to the wall surface of the pressure chamber in the middle of the ink flow path to eject the ink. The present invention may be applied.

Further, in the above embodiment, the single-pass type inkjet recording apparatus 100 has been described as an example, but the present invention may be applied to an inkjet recording apparatus that records an image while scanning the inkjet head.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof. ..

1 Inkjet head 3 Ink storage part 5 Holding member 10 Head chip 10a Opening forming surface 11 Nozzle board 12 Flow path board 13 Pressure chamber board 14 Wiring board 15 Ink channel 16 Ink discharge flow path 17 Ink discharge flow path 30 Partition 30a Joint portion 31 Elastic body 32 base (adjacent member)
32a Through hole 33 Adhesive layer 34 Plate-shaped member 39 Outer wall (adjacent member)
39a Groove 40 Pressing member 100 Inkjet recording device 103 Head unit 111 Nozzle 121 Through flow path 122 Individual discharge flow path 131 Pressure chamber 132 Common discharge flow path 133 Vertical discharge flow path 141 Ink supply hole 142 Outlet hole 143 Wiring 300 Ink chamber 300a Supply Ink chamber (secondary ink chamber)
300b Discharge ink chamber (secondary ink chamber)
1411, 1421 Opening M Recording medium

Claims (21)

A head chip having a nozzle for ejecting ink and an ink flow path communicating with the nozzle, and having a plurality of openings of one or more ink flow paths formed on a predetermined opening forming surface.
An ink having an ink chamber in which a part of the inner wall surface is formed of the opening forming surface, and the ink chamber communicates with the one or more ink flow paths through the plurality of openings of the opening forming surface. Reservoir and
Equipped with
The ink storage unit has a partition wall having an end face bonded to the opening forming surface, which divides the ink chamber into a plurality of sub ink chambers.
An inkjet head characterized in that at least a part of the partition wall is made of an elastic body. The inkjet head according to claim 1, wherein at least an end portion of the partition wall in contact with the opening forming surface is made of the elastic body. The inkjet head according to claim 2, wherein the joint surface of the elastic body with the opening forming surface is rectangular. The inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the elastic body has a Young's modulus of 1 MPa or more and 100 MPa or less. The inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the elastic body is provided in a state of being compressed in a direction perpendicular to the opening forming surface. The fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the elastic body is provided in a compressed state so that the length in the direction perpendicular to the opening forming surface is 70% or more and less than 100% of the uncompressed state. The described inkjet head. The inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the elastic body is provided in a state of being compressed in the longitudinal direction of the partition wall in a plane parallel to the opening forming surface. .. The inkjet head according to claim 7, wherein the elastic body is provided in a compressed state so that the length in the longitudinal direction is 95% or more and less than 100% in the uncompressed state. One of claims 1 to 8, wherein the ink storage portion has an adhesive layer for adhering the elastic body and an adjacent member of the ink storage portion adjacent to the elastic body. Inkjet head described in. The adhesive layer adheres the end portion of the elastic body in the plane parallel to the opening forming surface in the longitudinal direction of the partition wall and the adjacent member adjacent to the end portion in the longitudinal direction. The inkjet head according to claim 9. Claims 1 to 10 are characterized in that an adjacent member of the ink storage portion adjacent to the elastic body is provided with a through hole through which a predetermined pressing member for pressing the elastic body can pass. The inkjet head according to any one of the above. The inkjet head according to claim 11, wherein the through hole is provided in a region where the elastic body is arranged when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the opening forming surface. 11. The ink storage portion is characterized by having a plate-shaped member provided between the adjacent member provided with the through hole and the elastic body, which is more rigid than the elastic body. Or the inkjet head according to 12. The inkjet head according to claim 13, wherein the plate-shaped member is made of metal. With respect to the longitudinal direction of the partition wall in the plane parallel to the opening forming surface, the length of the plate-shaped member is ½ or more of the length of the elastic body, and in the longitudinal direction of the partition wall in the plane. The inkjet head according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the length of the plate-shaped member is ½ or more of the length of the elastic body in the vertical thickness direction. The inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the elastic body and an adjacent member of the ink storage portion adjacent to the elastic body are integrally molded. The partition wall has the elastic body and a base having a higher rigidity than the elastic body.
The inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the elastic body is an adhesive that adheres the base portion and the opening forming surface. The inkjet head according to any one of claims 9 to 16, wherein the adjacent member is a part of the partition wall. The inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the partition wall is made of the elastic body. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising the inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 19. A head chip having a nozzle for ejecting ink and an ink flow path communicating with the nozzle, and having a plurality of openings of one or a plurality of the ink flow paths formed on a predetermined opening forming surface, and an inner wall surface. The ink chamber has an ink chamber formed of the opening forming surface, and the ink chamber communicates with the one or more ink flow paths through the plurality of openings of the opening forming surface. The ink storage unit has a partition wall having an end face bonded to the opening forming surface, which divides the ink chamber into a plurality of sub ink chambers, and at least a part of the partition wall is an ink jet made of an elastic body. It ’s a method of manufacturing heads.
A step of arranging a plate-shaped member having a higher rigidity than the elastic body at a predetermined position of the ink storage portion and arranging the elastic body at a predetermined position on the plate-shaped member.
A step of attaching a member having the opening forming surface to the ink storage portion,
A predetermined pressing member is passed through a part of the through holes among the plurality of through holes provided in the adjacent member adjacent to the elastic body with the plate-shaped member sandwiched between the ink storage portions, and the pressing member is used to pass the predetermined pressing member. The step of pressing the plate-shaped member and the elastic body against the opening forming surface, and
A step of supplying an adhesive from a through hole that does not pass through the pressing member among the plurality of through holes to bond the adjacent member and the elastic body.
A method for manufacturing an inkjet head, which comprises.

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