JPH04247945A - Head cartridge with recording head and ink tank integrated, ink jet recorder, and recording head device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize a small-size and simple ink supply path member and supply ink stably. CONSTITUTION:A projection 1500b which adherently deforms by bonding is provided on a bonding part 1500a, for example, on a recording head side. In this manner, a recording head can be bonded to an ink supply path member in a close contact state by absorbing a dimensional difference between both.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus, a recording head used in the apparatus, and a head cartridge integrated with an ink tank.

0002

[Background Art] Generally, a print head and an ink tank integrated head cartridge (hereinafter referred to as a head cartridge), in which a print head that discharges ink and an ink tank that stores ink to be supplied to the print head are integrated, are
It is provided to be detachably attached to the inkjet recording apparatus. By being detachably provided in this manner, the head cartridge can be replaced with a new one when the ink is used up, and ink can be supplied again, and the recording head can be replaced with a new one. An example of the configuration of such a head cartridge is shown in FIG.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a head cartridge.

In FIG. 1, the recording head unit IJU is a unit that ejects ink by generating thermal energy in response to an electrical signal and causing film boiling in the ink. The heater board 100 includes electrothermal converters (discharge heaters) arranged in a plurality of rows on a Si substrate to generate the thermal energy, and electrical wiring made of Al or the like for supplying electric power to the electrothermal converters (discharge heaters). Formed using membrane technology,
The wiring board 200 has wiring corresponding to the wiring of the heater board 100 (for example, connected by wire bonding).
and a pad 201 located at the end of this wiring and receiving an electrical signal from the main device. The top plate 1300 is
It is provided with a partition for configuring an ink path, a common liquid chamber, etc. corresponding to each of the plurality of ink ejection ports, and an ink receiving port 1500 for receiving ink supplied from an ink tank and introducing it into the common liquid chamber. , an orifice plate 400 having a plurality of discharge ports is integrally provided. Top plate 1300
The partition walls and the like provided therein are integrally molded with the top plate 1300, and polysulfone is preferable as the material for integrally molding them, but other resin materials for molding may also be used.

[0005] The support body 300 supports the back surface of the wiring board 200 on a flat surface, is made of metal, for example, and serves as a structural member of the recording head unit. The pressing spring 500 has an M-shape, and presses a portion of the top plate 1300 corresponding to the common liquid chamber at the center of the M-shape, and also presses a line corresponding to the ink path of the top plate 1300 with a front sagging portion 501. Press by contact. The foot of the pressing spring 500 is in the hole 3121 of the support body 300.
By engaging with the back side of the support body 300 through the
The heater board 100 and the top plate 1300 are connected to the support body 300
This causes the pressing spring 5 to
00 and its front sagging portion 501, the heater board is
The door 100 and the top plate 1300 can be fixed to the support body 300 by pressure bonding. The support body 300 has two positioning holes 312 and 1900 that engage with each of two positioning protrusions 1012 and two positioning and heat-sealing holding protrusions 1800 provided on the ink tank. Protrusions 2500 and 2600 for positioning the cartridge with respect to the carriage on the apparatus main body side are provided on the back side. In addition, the support 300 also has a hole 320 that allows an ink supply pipe 2200 (described later) to pass therethrough, which allows ink to be supplied from an ink tank. The wiring board 200 is attached to the support body 300 by adhering it with an adhesive or the like.

[0006] Note that the recesses 2400 and 24 of the support body 300
00 are provided near the positioning protrusions 2500 and 2600, respectively, and these recesses are formed on three sides around the recording head unit IJU in the assembled head cartridge (shown in FIG. 2). A plurality of parallel grooves 3000, 3
001 extension point to prevent unnecessary substances such as dust and ink from reaching the protrusions 2500 and 2600. The lid member 800 in which the parallel grooves 3000 are formed forms an outer wall of the head cartridge and also forms a portion that accommodates the recording head unit IJU. Also,
The ink supply path member 600 in which the parallel grooves 3001 are formed connects the ink conduit 1600 that communicates ink with the ink supply pipe 2200 described above by connecting it to the ink supply pipe 2200.
The connection side with the ink supply pipe 200 has a fixed cantilever shape, and the ink supply pipe 2
A sealing pin 602 is provided to ensure capillary action with 200. Note that 601 is a packing that seals the connection between the ink tank and the supply pipe 2200, and 700 is the supply pipe 2200.
This is a filter installed at the tank side end of the tank. Since the ink supply path member 600 is molded, it is not only formed at low cost and with high positional accuracy, but also has a cantilevered shape of the conduit 1600, so that the ink receiving port of the conduit 1600 and the top plate 1300 can be easily used during mass production. The pressure contact state with respect to 1500 can be stabilized. In this example, the sealing adhesive is poured from the ink supply path member side under this pressure-contact state.

Note that the support body 3 of the ink supply path member 600
00 is fixed through the holes 1901 and 19 of the support 300.
02 of the ink supply path member 600 through the holes 1901 and 1902 of the support 300, and heat-sealing the protruding portion to the back of the support 300. It will be done. Note that this slightly protruding area of the heat-sealed back surface is a depression (not shown) in the side wall surface of the recording head unit IJU mounting surface of the ink tank.
The positioning surface of the unit IJU can be accurately obtained.

[0008] The ink tank is a cartridge main body 100.
0, an ink absorber 900, and a lid 1100 for sealing the ink absorber 900 after the ink absorber 900 is inserted from the side opposite to the unit IJU mounting surface of the cartridge main body 1000. . Absorber 900 is placed within cartridge body 1000. Supply port 120
0 is a supply port for supplying ink to the unit IJU consisting of the above-mentioned parts 100 to 600, and ink is injected from the supply port 1200 in a process before placing the unit in the part 1010 of the cartridge main body 1000. It is also an injection port for impregnating the absorber 900 with ink. In the head cartridge of this example, the part where ink can be injected into the ink tank is the atmosphere communication port 1401.
and a supply port 1200. However, the main body 1000
The in-tank air presence area, which is formed by the rib 2300 provided on the inner surface and the ribs 2500, 2501 provided on the inner surface of the lid 1100, is provided in a continuous portion from the atmosphere communication port 1401 side, and the ink supply By adopting a configuration that extends over the farthest corner region from the mouth 1200, good ink supply performance from the ink absorber is maintained. Therefore, it is important that relatively good and uniform ink injection into the absorber be performed through the supply port 1200. This method is extremely effective in practice. The ribs 2300 include four ribs parallel to the carriage movement direction at the rear of the cartridge body 1000 (Fig.
(only the top two are shown), and the absorber is the main body 10
This prevents it from coming into close contact with the 00 surface. Furthermore, the partial ribs 2501 and 2500 are provided on the inner surface of the lid 1100 on an extension in the extending direction of the rib 2300, but unlike the rib 2300, they are in a divided state. This increases the space in which air exists compared to the former. Note that the ribs 2500 and 2501 are distributed over a surface that is less than half of the total area of the lid 1100. These ribs connect the tank supply port 1 of the ink absorber 900.
The ink in the region of the corner farthest from 200 can be more stably and reliably guided to the supply port 1200 side by capillary force. Reference numeral 1401 denotes an atmosphere communication port provided in the lid member to communicate the inside of the ink tank with the atmosphere. Reference numeral 1400 denotes a lacquer material placed inside the atmosphere communication port 1401;
This prevents ink from leaking from the atmosphere communication port 1400.

The ink storage space of the ink tank has a rectangular shape, and the above-mentioned arrangement of ribs is particularly effective when the long sides are on the sides, but when the long sides are in the direction of carriage movement, or In the case of a cube, the lid 110
By providing ribs throughout the ink absorber 900, the ink supply from the ink absorber 900 can be stabilized.

Ink tank and unit IJ
After the unit IJU is installed, the unit IJU is surrounded except for the lower opening by the lid 800 that covers the unit IJU, but the head cartridge is installed in the carriage on the apparatus main body side, and at this time, the lower opening is Since it is close to the carriage, a substantial four-sided surrounding space is formed. Therefore, the heat generated from the recording head IJH within this surrounding space is uniformly distributed within this space and is effective in keeping this space at a uniform temperature. However, when the head IJH is continuously driven for a long period of time, a slight temperature increase may occur. For this reason, in this example, a slit 1700 with a width smaller than this space is provided on the upper surface of the cartridge to help natural heat dissipation from the support 300, thereby preventing temperature rise and distributing the temperature distribution of the entire unit IJU. To make the uniformity independent of the environment.

When the head cartridge IJC is assembled as shown in FIG. 2, ink flows from the supply port 1200 of the ink tank through the hole 320 provided in the support 300 and the introduction port provided on the inner back side of the supply tank 600. Ink supply path member 6 via supply pipe 2200
After being led to the conduit 1600 in 00 and passing through it,
The ink flows into the common liquid chamber through the ink introduction port 1500 of the top plate 1300. A packing made of, for example, silicone rubber or rubber is disposed at the connection portion between the supply pipe and the conduit as described above, and sealing is performed thereby to secure an ink supply path.

[0012] In this embodiment, the top plate 1300
is made of a resin having excellent ink resistance such as polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylene oxide, polypropylene, etc., and is integrally molded with the orifice plate portion 400 using a mold.

As mentioned above, the integrally molded parts are the ink supply path member 600, the top plate/orifice plate integrated, and the ink tank body 1000, which not only achieves a high level of assembly accuracy but also greatly improves the quality of mass production. It is valid. Furthermore, since the number of parts can be reduced compared to the prior art, excellent desired characteristics can be reliably exhibited.

[0014]

By the way, in order to connect the ink receptacle 1500 of the recording head and the conduit 1600 described above, the free end side of the cantilevered conduit 1600 is brought into contact with the ink receptacle 1500, and the entire conduit 1600 is bent. This improves adhesion and further seals it completely with a sealant.

[0015] However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, since it is necessary to bend the conduit, there are the following problems.

(1) The conduit is bent with a relatively weak force because it is a part of the ink supply path member made of resin or the like. For this reason, the length of the conduit is longer than a predetermined length, making it difficult to miniaturize the ink supply path member having the cantilevered conduit as described above.

(2) While the free end of the cantilever-shaped conduit must be movable, the portion where the ink supply path member contacts the recording head is sealed when functions such as ink suction operate. There is a need. For this reason, it is necessary to provide a certain amount of clearance between the contacting portion of the ink supply path member and the free end of the conduit, which makes it difficult to downsize the ink supply path member. The mold for molding with resin becomes complicated and expensive.

(3) Since the flexure of the conduit is used to bring the conduit into close contact with the ink receptacle of the recording head, it is not possible to make the entire circumference of the hole that forms the ink receptacle come into close contact, and the sealant for sealing is insufficient. In some cases, the ink may get caught between the ink receptacle and the conduit, or the seal may become insufficient, resulting in ink leakage.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to realize miniaturization and simplification of the ink supply path member and to enable stable ink supply. An object of the present invention is to provide a head cartridge with an integrated recording head and ink tank, an inkjet recording device using this head cartridge, and a recording head unit.

[0020]

[Means for Solving the Problems] To this end, in the present invention,
By joining a recording head for ejecting ink, an ink storage member storing ink to be supplied to the recording head, and the recording head, an ink supply path from the ink storage member to the recording head is established. In the head cartridge integrally having an ink supply path member for configuring the head cartridge, at least one of each joint portion where the recording head and the ink supply path member join together is provided with a protrusion that is deformed by the joint. It is characterized by

[0021] Further, in an inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording by discharging ink, a recording head for discharging ink, an ink storage member storing ink to be supplied to the recording head, and the recording head and A head cartridge is provided which integrally includes an ink supply path member for forming an ink supply path from the ink storage member to the recording head by joining, and the recording head and the ink supply path member are joined. The invention is characterized in that at least one of the respective joint portions is provided with a protrusion that is deformed by the joint.

Further, in the recording head unit, the recording head unit includes an ink supply path member for forming an ink supply path from the ink storage member to the recording head by joining with the recording head for ejecting ink. The present invention is characterized in that at least one of each joint where the head and the ink supply path member are joined is provided with a protrusion that is deformed by the joint.

[0023]

[Function] According to the above structure, for example, by forming a protrusion that is tightly deformed by bonding on the joint part on the recording head side by effectively utilizing burrs generated during resin molding, the recording head and ink supply When joining the path members, mutual dimensional differences can be absorbed and they can be brought into close contact.

[0024]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Elements similar to those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention. On the top plate 1300,
a plurality of ink ejection ports and a liquid path communicating with each of the ink ejection ports;
A groove is formed to form a common liquid chamber that communicates with each liquid path, and a hole and a protrusion 1500a forming an ink receiving port 1500 are formed at a portion corresponding to the common liquid chamber. The heater board 100 is provided with electrothermal converters as ejection energy generating elements corresponding to each liquid path. The ink supply path member 600 is formed with an ink flow path 623 for supplying ink from the ink tank to the ink receptacle 1500.

FIG. 4 is a front view of each of the above-mentioned elements, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the area around the ink receptacle 1500 of the top plate 1300.

[0028]Protrusion 1500a constituting socket 1500
The upper surface has a width b of 0.005 to 0.1 mm and a height a of 0.
．． A burr-shaped annular protrusion 1500b that is easily deformed and has a diameter of about 0.01 to 0.2 mm is integrally formed.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing the state after the ink supply path member 600 and the recording head are assembled, and FIG. 7 shows the protrusion 1500a and the ink supply path member 60 in this state.
FIG.

The ink supply path member 600 is thermally caulked at the joint surface with the support 300, so that the ink supply path member 600 is attached to the support 300.
Fixed on 00. During thermal caulking, the ink supply path member 600 is pressed against the top plate 1300, and the top plate 1300
As shown in FIG.
a and are in close contact. The deforming force of the annular protrusion 1500b is about 100 to 300 g in this embodiment.

Note that the ink supply path member 600 is a resin molded product, and since it is difficult to form a complete ink flow path 623 by molding alone due to the mold structure, the plug 602 is press-fitted into the ink flow path 623. forming a road. Further, the end of the ink flow path 623 where the filter 700 is provided is pressed against the foam containing the ink in the ink tank, so that the ink in the ink tank can be taken in.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of an ink supply path member and a top plate showing another embodiment of the present invention.

In this example, the annular protrusion 60 is crushed during joining.
0b was formed on the ink supply path member 600 side. In this case, the surface of the member 600 on which the protrusion 600b is formed is retracted one step further from the joint surface with the support body 300, so that it is more recessed than the case where the annular protrusion 1500b is formed on the top plate 1300 as in the above embodiment. It is also easy to handle as it is less susceptible to deformation due to handling during the manufacturing process.

In addition, the ink supply path member 600 and the top plate 13
If it is possible to increase the force when joining 00, it is possible to form both the protrusion 600b and the protrusion 1500b so that they do not interfere with each other, and to make each of them collapse by joining, it will be more effective in terms of adhesion. It is.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show a modification of the configuration shown in FIG. In this example, in addition to the protrusion 1500b,
The protrusion 150 of the socket 1500 is attached to the ink supply path member 600.
A fitting portion 600a is provided to fit with 0a. This results in
In the bonded state shown in FIG. 9B, a relatively large amount of the sealant 399 can be applied, and the distance between the joints between the ink supply path member 600 and the top plate 1300 and the outside air is increased, and the ink supply path You can make it difficult for air to get inside. In addition, by using an elastic sealant such as a silicone-based or urethane-based sealant as the sealant, it is possible to absorb strain caused in the bonded portion due to heat or mechanical vibration.

Furthermore, FIGS. 10A and 10B show a modification of the configuration shown in FIG. 9, in which the fitting portion 600a has a tapered portion 600c. Thereby, after fitting with the top plate 1300, it is possible to make close contact with a part of the side surface of the protrusion 1500a of the top plate 1300, and together with the close contact with the annular protrusion 1500b, the sealing performance can be further improved. Also in FIG. 10, the joint portion is sealed with the sealant 39 in the same manner as explained in FIG.
It is desirable to seal with 9.

It should be noted that the annular protrusion 1500b or 600b described above does not necessarily need to be actively formed together with the formation of the top plate and the ink supply path member. That is, with the formation of the top plate etc., the ink receptacle 1500 and the ink path 6 are
If a burr occurs in the opening of 23, this may be used as an annular projection. In FIGS. 9 and 10, the protrusion may be provided on the ink supply path member side as in FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a printer that can use the head cartridge according to each embodiment of the present invention.

Here, 9 is a head cartridge that can be constructed using each of the recording heads described in FIGS. 3 to 10, and 11 is a carriage on which this head cartridge is mounted for scanning in the S direction in the figure. 13 is a hook for attaching the head cartridge 9 to the carriage 11, and 15 is a lever for operating the hook 13. This lever 15 is provided with a marker 17 for indicating a scale provided on the cover, which will be described later, so as to read the printing position, setting position, etc. by the recording head of the head cartridge. Reference numeral 19 denotes a support plate that supports the electrical connection to the head cartridge 9. 21 is a flexible cable for connecting the electrical connection section and the main body control section.

Reference numeral 23 denotes a guide shaft for guiding the carriage 11 in the S direction, and is inserted into a bearing 25 of the carriage 11. Reference numeral 27 denotes a timing belt to which the carriage 11 is fixed and which transmits power for moving the carriage 11 in the S direction, and pulleys 29A arranged on both sides of the device.
, 29B. On one pulley 29B,
Driving force is transmitted from the carriage motor 31 via a transmission mechanism such as gears.

A conveyance roller 33 is driven by a conveyance motor 35 for regulating the recording surface of a recording medium such as paper (hereinafter also referred to as recording paper) and conveying it during recording. 37 is a paper pan for guiding the recording medium from the paper feed tray 4 side to the recording position; 39 is a paper pan disposed in the middle of the recording medium feeding path to convey the recording medium to the roller 33;
This is a feed roller for pressing toward and conveying it. A platen 34 faces the ejection port of the head cartridge 9 and regulates the recording surface of the recording medium. 4
Reference numeral 1 denotes a paper discharge roller that is disposed downstream of the recording position in the recording medium conveyance direction and discharges the recording medium toward a paper discharge port (not shown). Reference numeral 42 denotes a spur provided corresponding to the paper ejection roller 41, which presses the roller 41 through the recording medium to generate a force for conveying the recording medium by the paper ejection roller 41. Reference numeral 43 denotes a release lever for releasing the respective biases of the feed roller 39, presser plate 45, and spur 42 when setting a recording medium or the like.

Reference numeral 45 denotes a presser plate for suppressing floating of the recording medium in the vicinity of the recording position and ensuring close contact with the conveying roller 33. In this example, an inkjet recording head that performs recording by ejecting ink is used as the recording head. Therefore, the distance between the ink ejection orifice forming surface of the recording head and the recording surface of the recording medium is relatively small, and the distance must be strictly controlled to avoid contact between the recording medium and the ejection orifice forming surface. , it is effective to provide a presser plate 45. 47 is a scale provided on the holding plate 45, and 49 is a marker provided on the carriage 11 corresponding to this scale, and the print position and setting position of the recording head can also be read by these.

Reference numeral 51 denotes a cap made of an elastic material such as rubber, which faces the ink discharge orifice forming surface of the recording head in the home position, and is supported so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from the recording head. This cap 51 is used to protect the print head during non-printing and during ejection recovery processing of the print head. The discharge recovery process refers to the cap 51
by facing the ejection port forming surface and driving the energy generating element provided inside the ink ejection port and used for ink ejection, ink is ejected from all the ejection ports, thereby removing air bubbles, dust, and thickened viscosity. Preliminary ejection (processing to remove the cause of ejection failure such as ink that is no longer suitable for recording),
Separately from this, it is a process for forcibly discharging ink from the ejection ports while covering the ejection port forming surface with the cap 51 to eliminate causes of ejection failure.

Reference numeral 53 denotes a pump used to apply suction force for forced ejection of ink and to suck ink received in the cap 51 during ejection recovery processing by such forced ejection or ejection recovery processing by preliminary ejection. be. 55 is a waste ink tank for storing waste ink sucked by this pump 53; 57 is a pump 53;
This is a tube that communicates between the waste ink tank 55 and the waste ink tank 55.

Reference numeral 59 denotes a blade for wiping the ejection orifice forming surface of the recording head, and there are two positions in which it protrudes toward the recording head and performs wiping during the head movement process, and a retracted blade that does not engage the ejection orifice forming surface. It is supported so that it can be moved to and from the position. 61 is a motor; 63 receives power from the motor 61 to drive the pump 53 and the cap 51;
This is a cam device for moving the blade 59 and the blade 59, respectively. (Others) Note that, in particular, in the inkjet recording method, the present invention includes a means (for example, an electrothermal converter, a laser beam, etc.) for generating thermal energy as the energy used for ejecting ink, and This provides excellent effects in recording heads and recording apparatuses that use energy to cause changes in the state of ink. This is because such a system can achieve higher recording density and higher definition.

For its typical configuration and principle, see, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740.
Preferably, it is carried out using the basic principles disclosed in the '796 specification. This method is the so-called on-demand type.
It is applicable to both continuous types, but in particular, in the case of on-demand type, it is applicable to the electrothermal converter placed corresponding to the sheet holding the liquid (ink) or the liquid path. , by applying at least one drive signal that corresponds to recorded information and provides a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling, the electrothermal transducer generates thermal energy to produce film boiling on the thermally active surface of the recording head. liquid (ink) that corresponds one-to-one to this drive signal.
This is effective because it can form air bubbles inside. The growth and contraction of the bubble causes liquid (ink) to be ejected through the ejection opening to form at least one droplet. It is more preferable to use this drive signal in a pulse form, since the growth and contraction of bubbles can be carried out immediately and appropriately, making it possible to eject liquid (ink) with particularly excellent responsiveness. This pulse-shaped drive signal is described in US Pat. No. 4,463,359 and US Pat.
345262 are suitable. Furthermore, if the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 concerning the invention regarding the temperature increase rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, even more excellent recording can be performed.

In addition to the configuration of the recording head, which is a combination of ejection ports, liquid paths, and electrothermal converters (straight liquid flow path or right-angled liquid flow path) as disclosed in the above-mentioned specifications, U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 and U.S. Pat. No. 44 disclose a configuration in which a heat acting part is arranged in a bending region.
A configuration using the specification of No. 59600 is also included in the present invention. In addition, JP-A-59-123670 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge part for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and a hole that absorbs pressure waves of thermal energy is disclosed. The effects of the present invention are also effective even with a configuration based on Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 138461/1985 which discloses a configuration corresponding to the discharge section. That is, regardless of the form of the recording head, according to the present invention, recording can be performed reliably and efficiently.

Furthermore, the present invention can be effectively applied to a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum width of a recording medium that can be recorded by the recording apparatus. Such a recording head may have either a configuration in which the length is satisfied by a combination of a plurality of recording heads, or a configuration as a single recording head formed integrally.

In addition, even in the case of a serial type as in the above example, the recording head is fixed to the main body of the apparatus, or by being attached to the main body of the apparatus, electrical connection with the main body of the apparatus and ink flow from the main body of the apparatus are possible. The present invention is also effective when using a replaceable chip-type recording head that can be supplied with ink or a cartridge-type recording head in which an ink tank is integrally provided in the recording head itself.

Furthermore, it is preferable to add a recovery means for the recording head, a preliminary auxiliary means, etc., which are provided as a configuration of the recording apparatus, to the present invention because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. . Specifically, these include capping means for the recording head, cleaning means, pressure or suction means, preheating means using an electrothermal transducer or another heating element, or a combination thereof; It is also effective to perform a preliminary ejection mode in which ejection is performed separately from printing in order to perform stable printing.

Regarding the type and number of recording heads to be mounted, for example, in addition to one type that corresponds to a single color ink, there are also types and number of recording heads installed to correspond to a plurality of inks of different recording colors and densities. A plurality of them may be provided. That is, for example, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to a recording mode for only a mainstream color such as black, but may also be a recording mode in which the recording head is configured integrally or in a combination of multiple colors, The present invention is also extremely effective for devices equipped with at least one full color by color mixture.

In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention described above, the ink is described as a liquid, but ink that solidifies at room temperature or lower, softens or liquefies at room temperature, or inkjet method. In general, the temperature of the ink itself is adjusted within the range of 30°C to 70°C to keep the viscosity of the ink within the stable ejection range. Any eggplant is fine. In addition, the temperature increase caused by thermal energy can be actively prevented by using the energy to change the state of the ink from a solid state to a liquid state, or ink that solidifies when left standing is used to prevent ink evaporation. In any case, the ink is liquefied by applying thermal energy in accordance with the recording signal, and the liquid ink is ejected, or the ink has already begun to solidify by the time it reaches the recording medium. The present invention is also applicable when using ink that is liquefied only by energy. The ink used in such cases is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 54-56847 or Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-1989.
As described in Japanese Patent No. 71260, the material may be held in a liquid or solid state in a porous sheet recess or through-hole and face an electrothermal converter. In the present invention, the most effective method for each of the above-mentioned inks is to implement the above-mentioned film boiling method.

In addition, the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention can be used as an image output terminal for information processing equipment such as a computer, a copying machine combined with a reader, or a facsimile machine having a transmitting and receiving function. It may also take a form.

[0054]

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, by forming a protrusion that is tightly deformed by bonding at the bonding portion between the recording head and the ink supply path member,
When the recording head and the ink supply path member are joined together, the mutual dimensional difference can be absorbed and they can be brought into close contact with each other. Further, at this time, burrs generated during resin molding can be effectively used as the protrusions, and the protrusions can be obtained without requiring any special process.

As a result, there is no need for a movable part within the ink supply path member, making it possible to downsize the supply path member and reduce the cost of the molding mold, making it possible to construct an inkjet recording head at a low cost.

Furthermore, since the deformed portion can be in close contact over the entire circumference, it is possible to easily prevent ink from leaking or from getting around the sealant for preventing leakage, thereby improving reliability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a conventional head cartridge.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the head cartridge shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a recording head and an ink supply path member according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded front view of the configuration shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing details of the ink receptacle of the top plate shown in FIG. 3;

6 is a front view showing the structure shown in FIG. 3 when joined; FIG.

7 is a sectional view showing details of the connection between the ink receptacle protrusion and the ink supply path member in the connected state shown in FIG. 6; FIG.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing details of an ink supply path member and a top plate showing another embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a sectional view showing a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3. FIG.

10 is a sectional view showing still another modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3. FIG.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of a printer that can use the head cartridge according to each embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

100 Heater board 300 Support 400 Orifice plate 600 Ink supply path member 600a Fitting part 600b Annular projection 623 Ink flow path 1300 Top plate 1500 Ink socket 1500a protrusion 1500b Annular projection

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A recording head for discharging ink, an ink storage member storing ink to be supplied to the recording head, and joining to the recording head,
In a head cartridge that integrally includes an ink supply path member for configuring an ink supply path from the ink storage member to the recording head, respective joint portions where the recording head and the ink supply path member are joined. A head cartridge characterized in that at least one of the head cartridges is provided with a protrusion that is deformed by the joining. 2. The head cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the joint portion including the protrusion is made of resin. 3. The head cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the joint portion is sealed with a sealant. 4. The head cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the recording head ejects ink based on the generation of bubbles in the ink due to thermal energy. 5. An inkjet recording device that performs recording by discharging ink, comprising: a recording head for discharging ink, an ink storage member storing ink to be supplied to the recording head, and the recording head. A head cartridge is provided which integrally includes an ink supply path member that is joined together to form an ink supply path from the ink storage member to the recording head, and the recording head and the ink supply path member are connected to each other. An inkjet recording apparatus characterized in that at least one of each of the joint parts to be joined is provided with a protrusion that is deformed by the joining. 6. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the joint portion including the protrusion is made of resin. 7. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the joint portion is sealed with a sealant. 8. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the recording head discharges ink based on the generation of bubbles in the ink due to thermal energy. 9. A recording head unit comprising an ink supply path member for forming an ink supply path from an ink storage member to the recording head by joining with a recording head for ejecting ink, A recording head unit characterized in that at least one of each joint portion where the head and the ink supply path member are joined is provided with a protrusion that is deformed by the joining. 10. The recording head unit according to claim 9, wherein the joint portion including the protrusion is made of resin. 11. The recording head unit according to claim 9, wherein the joint portion is sealed with a sealant. 12. The recording head unit according to claim 9, wherein the recording head ejects ink based on the generation of bubbles in the ink due to thermal energy.