JPH06238913A - Freely detachable ink-jet unit and ink-jet device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a liquid injection recording head which is inexpensive and miniaturized, can freely inter-change ink tanks as an ink-jet head is mounted on a carriage and contrive reduction of a running cost and guarantees a high- grade image record. CONSTITUTION:An ink discharge part 101, ink supply part 102, electric connecting part 103 and positioning part 104 are provided respectively on four surfaces of an ink-jet head 100 which is mounted detachably on a carriage, hereupon, the positioning part 104, ink supply part 102 and electric connecting part 103 are arranged on the surface different from the surface where the ink discharge part 101 is arranged and at least one of the electric connecting part 103 or the ink supply part 102 is arranged on the side opossite to the side where the positioning part 104 is arranged.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet device, and more particularly to an ink jet printing device used in printers, facsimiles, copiers and the like.

The term "record" used below is used as a word including printing on paper, cloth, or the like.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art The ink jet system is smaller, lighter, and cheaper than other systems, and it is easy to realize a low-priced device. Moreover, there is little noise during recording, and recording on plain paper is possible. It has become the mainstream of low-cost printers. Among them, the bubble jet method makes it easy to arrange a large number of ink ejection ports of an inkjet head in high density, and it is a method of low energy consumption in electric drive, so many products using this method It is being offered to the market.

The form of ink supply in the currently known ink jet printing apparatus is roughly classified into the following two cases. That is, the first is a method in which an inkjet head is mounted on a carriage and a large-capacity ink tank is arranged at a predetermined position of the apparatus main body, and ink is supplied from this ink tank to the inkjet head via an ink tube. belongs to. When this method is adopted, the running cost is very low, but the life of the inkjet head itself is required to be approximately the same as or longer than that of the printing apparatus in which it is used, so the inkjet head configuration and its material are used. However, as a result, the cost of the inkjet head itself becomes high.

On the other hand, as a second method, there is an ink jet unit in which an ink tank and an ink jet head are integrated and which can be attached to and detached from a carriage. When this method is adopted, there is almost no need to run the tube, and the ink replacement process is easy,
The size of the device can be reduced. However, since the ink tank and the inkjet head are both replaced when the ink in the ink tank is exhausted, the running cost becomes high. In such a case, in particular, the ink jet head having a life until at least the ink is used up is wasted, which is not preferable from the viewpoint of ecology and the like.

As one configuration for solving the problem of the above-mentioned second method, there is a configuration in which an ink jet head and an ink tank can be separated and each can be attached to and detached from a carriage, for example, JP-A-63-4953. Known by the gazette. With such a configuration, the inkjet head and the ink tank can be exchanged independently of each other, and therefore, it is effective for solving the above-mentioned problems such as high running cost.

By the way, in the construction in which the ink jet unit is attachable to and detachable from the carriage, it is desirable to consider the positioning of the ink jet unit with respect to the carriage and the electrical signal connection with the apparatus main body side. JP-A-60-204342, JP-A-60-2
Japanese Patent No. 04343 discloses this point. That is, in these publications, a contact for electrical signal connection is provided on the outer surface of the ink jet unit at a position above the ink ejection port, and accordingly, an electrical contact on the apparatus main body side is also provided on the carriage. It is disclosed. It is also disclosed that an engaging member is provided for mounting or positioning the inkjet unit on the carriage.

[0008]

However, in the ink jet unit disclosed in the above publications, the ink jet head and the ink tank are integrated, and the above ink jet head and the ink tank are separable from each other. In such a case, it cannot be said that the configurations of the electrical contacts and the like disclosed in the above publications are necessarily appropriate. That is, in an inkjet unit in which the inkjet head and the ink tank are separable, the inkjet head is provided with not only the electrical contacts and the positioning member of the inkjet head, but also an ink supply unit for receiving ink from the ink tank. The number of configurations to be provided in the inkjet head is increased. It is necessary to consider the attaching / detaching operation when the inkjet head and the ink tank are attached / detached to each other, and the connection configuration for ink supply.

Therefore, when the ink jet unit is attached to and detached from the carriage, and the ink jet head and the ink tank constituting the ink jet unit are separable from each other, the following points should be taken into consideration when setting the ink jet head and the ink jet unit. It is necessary to design. 1) to prevent deterioration of electrical reliability due to adhesion of ink or paper powder, etc. 2) to improve accuracy when attaching an inkjet head or the like to a carriage, and 3) to improve ease of replacement of an ink tank or the like,
4) To increase the alignment accuracy between the inkjet heads for performing color recording, and 5) to easily manufacture the inkjet heads.

An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet head, an ink jet unit, and an ink jet device which are inexpensive, can be miniaturized, have high operability and reliability, and can record high quality images.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet head, an ink jet unit, and an ink jet device in which an ink tank and the like can be operably attached and detached while being mounted in the ink jet device.

[0012]

Therefore, according to the present invention,
In an inkjet head that ejects ink,
Ink ejection unit provided with ejection ports for ejecting ink
And a device using the inkjet head,
When the cuddle head is attached,
A positioning unit for positioning, and the inkjet
When ink is supplied to the head, it contacts the ink supply means.
Next, an ink supply unit for supplying the ink,
Transfers electrical signals by connecting to the electrical connection on the device side
An electrical connection part for the head,
On the surface different from the surface where the
The power supply section and the electrical connection section are arranged, and the electrical connection section
And the surface on which the ink supply section is arranged.
One is on the opposite side to the side with the positioning
It is characterized by

In addition, when an ink jet head for ejecting ink, the ink ejecting portion having an ejection port for ejecting ink, and the ink jet head is mounted on an apparatus using the ink jet head,
A positioning part for positioning with the device, an ink supply part for connecting with an ink supply means to supply the ink when ink is supplied to the inkjet head, and an electrical connection on the device side. A head electrical connection portion for connecting and receiving an electric signal by connecting to the unit,
The positioning unit, the ink supply unit, and the electric connection unit are arranged on a surface different from the surface on which the ink ejection unit is arranged, and the surface on which the electric connection unit is arranged and the ink supply unit are arranged. At least one of the surfaces is detachably connected to the inkjet head, which is disposed on the side opposite to the side on which the positioning portion is disposed, and the ink that is supplied to the inkjet head is detachably connected to the inkjet head via the ink supply portion. And an ink tank that is

Further, in an ink jet device for ejecting ink to a medium to attach the ink to the medium, the ink jet head according to claim 1 or 9 which is detachably attached to the ink jet device, and the ink jet head is detachable. It is equipped with a carriage that can be freely mounted and can run.

[0015]

According to the above construction, reliability is improved by not forming the ink ejection surface on the same surface as the ink supply surface and the electrical joint surface, and each surface interferes with the function of the other surface. You can avoid it.

[0016]

First, prior to the detailed description of the embodiments, the basic structure of an ink jet head (hereinafter also referred to as a recording head) to which the present invention is applied and the reason for the structure will be described.

The present invention is an ink jet unit in which an ink tank and an ink jet head can be attached to and detached from a carriage, and (A) a portion for receiving an electric signal from the apparatus main body side (hereinafter referred to as an electric connecting portion),
(B) A portion for receiving ink from the ink tank (hereinafter referred to as an ink supply unit), (C) A portion for ejecting ink (hereinafter referred to as an ink ejection unit), (D) A portion for positioning the inkjet head with respect to the carriage ( (Hereinafter referred to as the positioning portion)) are provided on each surface of the recording head.

Further, regarding the construction of these four main functional parts, the reliability of the ink jet head, the image quality,
Since it is required to easily replace the inkjet head and the ink tank, it is desirable to consider the following conditions.

That is, (1) If the ink supply section or the electrical connection section is also provided on the same surface as the surface on which the ink ejection section is provided, a space in the ejection direction for providing these sections is provided. Since it is necessary, the distance between the surface forming the ink ejection portion and the surface of the recording medium such as a recording sheet becomes large, and as a result, for example, the “deviation” in the ejection direction increases and the image quality is degraded. Will be invited.

(2) Since the ink tank is replaced more often than the ink-jet head is replaced, a force in the attachment / detachment direction of the ink tank is applied to the ink-jet head by the operation of the ink-jet head and the separated ink tank. When the inkjet head moves due to such a force due to the attachment / detachment of the ink tank, an accurate inkjet head position cannot be ensured, and thus an accurate landing position of the ejected ink droplet cannot be ensured, which deteriorates the image quality. become.

(3) At the ink ejection portion of the ink jet head facing the surface of the recording medium, mist of ink or dirt due to paper dust occurs. Therefore, when the positioning portion of the inkjet head or the ink supply portion is provided on the surface on which the ink ejection portion is arranged, misalignment of the position or clogging of the filter of the ink supply path may occur. Therefore, it is desirable to provide the positioning portion and the ink supply portion on a surface different from the surface on which the ink ejection portion is arranged. In particular, when the electric connection portion is provided, there is a possibility that contact failure may occur due to the above-mentioned stains or a short circuit may occur due to ink conduction, and ink may not be ejected or misdots may be ejected even when there is no image signal. .

FIG. 1 shows an ink jet head, an ink tank, and an arrangement relating to the mounting of these carriages in an embodiment of the present invention in consideration of the above conditions (1) to (3).
Shown in.

Here, 100 is an ink jet head, and 101, 102, 103 and 104 are ink ejecting parts, ink supplying parts, electric connecting parts and positioning parts for the carriage on the recording apparatus side of the ink jet head 100, respectively. is there. Reference numeral 105 denotes an ink supply pipe which is an ink supply member provided in the ink supply unit 102 of the inkjet head 100, and 106 an ink tank, which is the ink supply unit 102 of the inkjet head 100.
The ink tank 106 is joined to the ink tank via the supply pipe 105 in the direction of the arrow, so that the ink supply path formed between the two is kept liquid-tight by a seal (not shown), and the ink tank 106 is ejected from the ink jet head 100. Ink is supplied to.

Reference numeral 107 is a carriage which constitutes the ink jet device on which the recording head 100 and the ink tank 106 are mounted and which is moved along a guide shaft 108 by a driving means (not shown). In the carriage 107 of the present example, a head support portion 107A that holds the ink ejection portion 101 having ink ejection ports in a positioned state and a positioning portion 104 of the inkjet head 100 are in contact with each other and a positioning pin 104A thereof is fitted. Head mounting portion 107B having a positioning hole 118, and this head mounting portion 107
The connector 107C is rotatably supported by B via a hinge pin 109, and has a connector portion 107C provided with a large number of electric contacts 110 on its inner surface. Reference numeral 111 denotes a plurality of electrical contacts that form the electrical connection portion 103 of the inkjet head 100. While the inkjet head 100 is fixed to the carriage 107, the connector portion 107C is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the drawing to bring the surface provided with the electrical contact 110 into contact with the electrical connection portion 103, so that the apparatus main body side and the inkjet The head 100 side can be electrically connected. Reference numeral 112 denotes a recording sheet as a recording medium that is held and conveyed so as to face the ink ejection unit 101 of the inkjet head 100.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a state in which the ink jet head 100 shown in FIG. 1, the ink tank 106, the head supporting portion 107A of the carriage 107, the head fixing portion 107B, and the connector portion 107C are respectively coupled together with their joining directions. It is shown in.

In the present embodiment, each component of the above-described recording head is arranged in the recording head so as to satisfy the following conditions.

That is, the other constituent elements are arranged on the surface different from the surface on which the ink ejection portion is arranged. As a result, it is not necessary to increase the paper distance between the ink ejection unit and the recording medium beyond the distance required for recording, and there is no risk of increasing the deviation in the ink ejection direction. Further, since the ink does not affect the electrical connection portion and the positioning portion due to the scattering or the like, there is no possibility that the electrical connection failure or the positioning failure due to the wetting of the ink occurs. In particular, in the present embodiment, among the respective constituent elements, the electrical connection portion most reluctant to wet the ink is arranged on the surface opposite to the ink ejection portion (back side), and further arranged above the ejection portion. . Therefore, as described above, it is possible to further prevent the poor electrical connection due to the wetting of the ink. Also in the positioning section, since it is arranged above the position where the ejection section is arranged, it is possible to efficiently prevent the positioning accuracy from being deviated due to wetting and dirt of the ink.

The wetting of the ink from the ink supply section is
Although not as serious as the ink scattering from the ink ejection section described above,
In this embodiment, the ink supply section is arranged on a surface different from the electric connection section and the positioning section, and particularly the electric connection section is arranged above the ink supply section. Therefore, as described above, the influence of ink wetting can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the direction in which the ink tank 106 is joined to the ink jet head 100 and the positioning pin 104A of the ink jet head 100 (see FIG. 1).
(See) engages with the positioning hole 118 (see FIG. 1) of the fixed portion 107B in the same direction. That is, the positioning unit 104 is arranged on the opposite side of the surface of the inkjet head 100 on which the ink supply unit 102 is arranged. With such an arrangement, the inkjet head 100
Since the positioning portion can directly receive the pressing force (in the direction of C in FIG. 2) against the head when the ink tank is connected to the ink tank, a large force is required particularly when the inkjet head and the ink tank are attached and detached. Even when the working ink tank and the head are coupled, there is no risk of misalignment between the inkjet head and the apparatus.

In addition to the arrangement of the respective constituent elements as described above, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG.
1, each component of the ink supply unit 102, the electrical connection unit 103, and the positioning unit 104 is the inkjet head 10.
0 are provided on different surfaces. This allows
Each surface can be used as a dedicated part in the connection operation of each part, and it becomes possible to improve the operability and best perform the function of each part.

Further, in this embodiment, a taper portion 101T which engages with the carriage on the apparatus side is provided in the vicinity of the ejection portion of the ink jet head as an additional structure.

Therefore, the direction in which the ink tank 106 is joined, the above-mentioned tapered surface 101T, and the head supporting portion 1
The direction in which the inkjet head 100 engages with the head support portion 107A in a state where the tapered surface 107T of 07A is in contact is perpendicular. The direction in which the connector portion 107C engages with the electrical connection portion 103 is the same as the direction in which the inkjet head 100 engages with the head support portion 107A.

According to the operation direction at the time of engagement described above,
For example, when the ink tank is replaced, the ink jet head 100 may be attached to the ink jet head 100 by attaching / detaching the ink tank 106.
Even if a force as shown by is applied, the contact between the tapered surface 101T and the tapered surface 107T causes the inkjet head 10
The position of 0 does not shift. Further, at this time, the head mounting portion 107B as described above can resist the force shown by C in the figure. In particular, the connector 107C exerts a force on the inkjet head 100 in the F direction in the drawing, so that the positional displacement of the inkjet head 100 is favorably prevented.

Further, in this embodiment, since the connection portion of the ink tank to and from the ink jet head, which is most frequently attached and detached, is independent of the other components, the ink jet head can be easily attached and detached.

Next, the structure of another embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 3A, the ink ejection portion 101 and the ink supply portion 102 having the ejection ports are provided on the opposite surfaces, and the electric power is provided on one of the surfaces orthogonal to these surfaces. An example of an inkjet head in which the connecting portion 103 and the positioning portion 104 are provided on the opposite surface will be described.

FIG. 3B is a view showing the fixing and electrical connection when the ink jet head 100 having the structure shown in FIG. 3A is mounted on the carriage 107, the joining relationship of the ink tanks 106, and the respective engagements at the time of joining. It is a figure which shows a direction.

Also in this embodiment, as in the previous embodiment, the other constituent elements are arranged on the surface different from the surface on which the ink ejection portion is arranged. Further, in particular, the electrical connection portion 107C and the positioning portion are arranged above the ink ejection portion 101. With such a configuration, the effects associated with the positional relationship between the ink ejection portion and the other constituent elements can be obtained in the present invention as in the above-described embodiment.

Further, in the case of the present embodiment, the ink jet head and the carriage portion of the recording apparatus are different from those in the previous embodiments in order to prevent the positional deviation due to the force particularly generated when the head and the apparatus are electrically connected. The electrical connection portion of is disposed on the side opposite to the surface on which the positioning portion for the carriage is disposed. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent positional deviation and the like caused by the force applied to the recording head when the inkjet head and the carriage are electrically connected.

The configuration shown in FIG. 2 is more desirable in the case where a large force acts on the ink jet head when the ink supply section is connected than in the case where the electrical connection is made. The opposite is the case in the example.

Also in this embodiment, the respective constituent elements are arranged on different surfaces of the head, and the same effect as in the previous embodiment can be obtained.

Also in this embodiment, similarly to the above-mentioned embodiments, a taper portion is provided near the ink ejection portion.

In the case of the present embodiment, the ink jet head 100 is attached and detached when the ink tank 106 is attached and detached.
7A in the same direction as the engaging direction. At this time (when it occurs when the ink tank is attached or detached), the positioning pin 104 is used to prevent the positional deviation of the inkjet head 100.
The engagement between A and the positioning hole 118 and the tapered surface 101
The contact between T and 107T is further improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, the ink supply unit is different from the other components for the convenience of arranging the positioning unit, the electrical connection unit, and the ink ejection unit, and from the viewpoint of easy attachment / detachment of the ink tank to / from the ink jet head. It is provided above.

In this case, even if ink leaks from the connecting portion between the ink tank and the ink jet head, the ink wetting prevention wall 1 is prevented so that the electrical connecting portion is not affected.
08 is provided.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining still another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4A, the ink ejection portion 101 and the ink supply portion 102 are provided on the opposite surfaces, respectively, and An example of an inkjet head in which the positioning unit 104 is provided on a different surface on the side where the ink ejection unit 101 is arranged and the electric connection unit 103 is provided on a different surface upper side on the side where the ink supply unit 102 is arranged is shown. In FIG. 4B, the carriage 10 is provided with the inkjet head having such a configuration.
7A and 7B are views showing fixing and electrical connection when mounted on the No. 7, and a joining relation of the ink tank 106 to the inkjet head 100 and an engaging direction at the time of engagement.

Also in this embodiment, as in the previous embodiments, the respective components are arranged on the surface different from the surface on which the ink ejecting portion is arranged. Further, the electrical connection portion is arranged on the surface in the direction opposite to the surface on which the ink ejection portion is arranged, and on the same side as the ink supply portion, it is arranged above the ink supply portion. Therefore, there is no concern that the electrical contacts will be stained with ink. On the other hand, since the positioning portion is arranged on the surface on the side where the ink ejection portion is arranged, it is not as effective as the previous embodiments from the viewpoint of ink scattering, but it is arranged above the ink ejection portion. Therefore, the influence of the wetting of the ink from the ink ejection portion can be prevented.

Further, in this embodiment, the ink tank is connected to the head because the ink supply portion and the electrical connection portion are arranged on the same side surface and the positioning portion is arranged on the opposite side surface. Since the direction and the direction in which the electrical contacts are connected are the same and the force at the time of this connection is received by the positioning portion side, there is no risk of misalignment between the head and the carriage.

In each of the embodiments after this embodiment, the respective components are arranged on different surfaces, but since a plurality of constituent elements are arranged on the same surface, it is possible to reduce the drawing from the viewpoint of operability. It is not as superior as the embodiments of FIGS.

Next, still another embodiment will be described.

In FIG. 5A, the ink ejection portion 101 and the positioning portion 104 are formed in a stepped shape on different surfaces on the same side, and the electric connection portion 103 is formed on the surface opposite to these sides.
Further, an example of an inkjet head in which the ink supply unit 102 is provided on one surface of the surface orthogonal to this surface will be described. FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a positioning direction when the inkjet head having such a configuration is mounted on a carriage and a supply direction of ink and an electric signal to the inkjet head 100 during recording and an ink ejection direction.

Also in this embodiment, as in the above-described embodiments, the ink ejection portion is arranged on a surface different from the surface on which the other components are arranged. The arrangement relationship between the electrical connection portion and the ink supply portion, and the electrical connection portion and the ejection portion is the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and similar effects can be obtained. Further, the relationship and effect of the positioning part, the discharge part and the electrical connection part are the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIG.

In FIG. 6A, the positioning portion 104 is provided on the surface orthogonal to the surface on which the ink ejection portion 101 is provided, and the ink supply portion 102 and the electrical connection portion 103 are provided in a stepped manner on the surface opposite to this surface. FIG. 6B shows the connection direction of each part, and the direction is indicated by an arrow.

Also in this embodiment, as in the previous embodiments, the arrangement of the ink ejecting portion and each of the other constituent elements is different. The electrical connection portion 103 is disposed above the ink supply portion and the ink ejection portion, and in the present embodiment, the electrical connection portion is disposed on the same side as the ink supply portion. As described above, since the boundary portion has the stepped shape, the influence of the ink can be prevented.

The arrangement of the positioning portion, the electrical connection portion, the ink supply portion, and the connection direction between them and the head are the same as those in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, and the same effect can be obtained.

Still another embodiment will be described.

In FIG. 7A, the ink ejecting portion 101, the positioning portion 104, and the ink jet head 100 are arranged in a stepped manner on different surfaces on the same side, and an ink supply portion 102 is provided on the opposite surface. An example of an inkjet head in which the electrical connection portion 103 is provided on one of the surfaces orthogonal to these surfaces will be shown. FIG. 7B is a diagram showing a connecting direction of each part, and the direction is indicated by an arrow.

In this embodiment, the positional relationship and effect of the ink ejection portion, the electrical connection portion, and the ink supply portion are shown in FIG.
It is similar to the embodiment shown by.

The relationship and effect of the positioning part and the ink supply part or the ink ejection part are the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIG.

Further, in the present embodiment, the periphery of the ink supply portion is surrounded by a wall-shaped member that is one step higher, and even if ink leaks from the ink supply portion, the electrical connection portion and the like are not wet with the ink. It is like this.

As described in each of the above embodiments, according to the present invention, other constituent elements are arranged on at least the surface different from the surface on which the ink ejection portion is arranged, and the electric connection portion with the apparatus side is formed. At least one of the arranged surface and the surface on which the ink supply portion is arranged is arranged on the opposite side to the side on which the positioning portion is arranged.

With such a structure, the effect of preventing the electrical contact at the electrical connection portion from being damaged by mist or paper dust at the time of ink ejection, and the inkjet head can be easily positioned. It is possible to reduce the positional deviation of and to easily attach and detach the inkjet head and the ink tank on the carriage. Further, even in a color recording apparatus in which a plurality of inkjet units are mounted in parallel on a carriage and an ink tank or an inkjet head can be exchanged for each unit, the alignment is extremely easy and the quality of recorded images is improved. It can contribute to improvement.

Next, a constitutional example of an ink jet head to which the present invention is applied will be described below.

8 and 9 show an example of an ink jet head (hereinafter also referred to as IJH) to which the present invention is applied.

The IJH 100 is provided with a substrate 1 (hereinafter referred to as a heater board) provided with an ink ejection pressure generating element, and a groove which is joined to the substrate 1 to form a liquid chamber 7 for containing ink and a liquid passage 8. And the top plate 2. The top plate 2 also integrally has an orifice plate 4 in which an ink ejection port 9 for ejecting ink communicating with the liquid passage 8 is formed.

The heater board 1 is bonded and fixed to the supporting substrate 3 with an adhesive. The top plate 2 is the heater board 1.
The heater portion (not shown) serving as an ink ejection pressure generating element and the groove for the liquid passage 8 are temporarily adhered to each other so that they are aligned with each other. Are arranged in a front sag shape on the front end face of the.

Ink is supplied from the ink supply member 5 to the top plate 2.
The ink is supplied from the ink supply port 2A formed on the. Further, the ink supply member 5 has a protrusion bar (not shown),
It is fixed to the support substrate 3 by inserting a protrusion bar into a through hole provided on the support substrate 3 and caulking it with heat.

Furthermore, the ink supply member 5 shown in FIG.
10 between the heater board 1 and the top plate 2
A sealing material is poured as a bonding space in the joining regions of A, 10B and the grooved top plate 4 and the front end surface of the support substrate 3 with a slight gap.

The groove 3A between the support substrate 3 and the grooved top plate 4 may be any groove as long as the sealing material can be sufficiently enclosed therein. After being temporarily fixed in the above state, it is fixed by the presser spring 6.

Here, the groove 3A provided in the supporting substrate 3
Is important to form a space that is continuous with the gap between the grooved top plate 4 and the ink supply member 5. The groove 3A is completely covered with the top plate 4, and the gaps 10A and 10B are
Is not preferable. This is because the flow path of the injected sealing material is cut off and good sealing cannot be achieved.

The sealant is injected from a sealant injection port (not shown) in the upper part of the ink supply member 5 to seal the wire bonding portion for transmitting an electric signal and at the same time, the gap 10A.
And 10B are sealed, and the gap area between the grooved top plate 4 and the front end surface of the support substrate 3 is further sealed by passing through the groove 3A provided in the support substrate 3 as shown by hatching in FIG. . As described above, in order for the sealing material to seal the gap without blocking the ink ejection port 9, it is necessary to have an appropriate thixotropy and an appropriate viscosity. That is, when the viscosity of the sealing material is too low, the sealing material enters even the liquid passage 8 and the ink ejection port 9 in the top plate 2 and causes clogging. On the other hand, if the viscosity is too high, the sealing material will not completely wrap around the grooved top plate 4.

The viscosity of the sealing material used in the present invention is 1,0.
00 to 15,000 cps, more preferably 2,000
0-10,000 cps, most preferably 4,000-
It is 10,000 cps.

Further, the sealing material has good adhesiveness to the heater board 1 made of a silicon wafer, the supporting substrate 3 made of a metal, the substrate 2 made of a synthetic resin, the grooved top plate 4, the ink supply member 5 and the like. Is required. Also. In order to bond a plurality of different materials having different thermal expansion coefficients, a soft material capable of absorbing the difference in thermal expansion due to the temperature environment, specifically, a sealing material having a hardness of JIS standard A100 or less is used. Must be used.

On the other hand, since this sealing material also serves to cover and protect the wire bonding portion 10C,
It must be a material that does not corrode the aluminum wire bonding part or aluminum electrode. In order to prevent corrosion of electrodes and wire bonding, the concentration of impurity ions such as Cl ^- and Na ^{+ in the} encapsulant is 30ppm.
The following is preferable.

Such a material is also required to have such properties that it is excellent in ink resistance, particularly in bath agent resistance and alkali resistance, since it locally contacts the ink. Moreover,
It must also have low permeability to oxygen, nitrogen, and water vapor.

Next, the overall assembly structure of the above IJH will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 10, reference numeral 1A denotes an electrothermal converter (discharge heater) arranged in a plurality of rows on a Si substrate, and electric wiring such as Al for supplying electric power to the electrothermal converter, which is formed by a film forming technique. A wiring board including the heater board 1 formed by the above, and a wiring corresponding to the wiring of the heater board 1 (for example, connected by wire bonding) and an electric signal which is located at an end of the wiring and receives an electric signal from the main body device (not shown) And a pad.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a top plate, which is an ink receiving port 2 for receiving the ink supplied from the ink tank and introducing it into the common liquid chamber.
It has A and is integrally molded with the grooved top plate 4 having a plurality of ejection openings 9 corresponding to the respective ink liquid paths 8. Polysulfone is preferable as the integral molding material, but other molding resin materials may be used.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a support substrate made of, for example, metal that supports the back surface of the wiring substrate 1A on a flat surface. 6 is a presser spring,
The common liquid chamber is pressed with a light pressure at the center of the M shape, and a part of the liquid passage, preferably the area near the discharge port, is pressed with a light pressure at the center of the M shape. By pressing the heater board 1 and the top plate 2 through the holes 3A of the support substrate 3 and engaging the rear side of the heater board 1 and the top plate 2 with each other so as to sandwich them, the pressing spring 6 Then, the heater board 1 and the top plate 2 are pressure-bonded and fixed by the concentrated biasing force of the front slant portion 6A. The ink supply member 5 forms a fixed cantilever on the supply pipe 105 side of the ink conduit 5A continuous with the ink supply pipe 105 described above, and secures a capillary phenomenon between the fixed side of the ink conduit 5A and the ink supply pipe 105. A sealing ball for inserting is inserted. Reference numeral 7 is a filter provided at the end of the supply pipe 105 on the tank side.

Since the ink supply member 5 is molded, the ink supply member 5 is inexpensive, has a high positional accuracy, and is free from a decrease in accuracy in forming and manufacturing. In addition, the cantilevered conduit 5A allows the conduit 5A to be used even during mass production. The pressure contact state with respect to the ink receiving port 105 can be stabilized. In this example, it is possible to surely obtain a more complete communication state by only pouring the sealing adhesive from the ink supply member side under this pressure contact state. To fix the ink supply member 5 to the support substrate 3, a pin (not shown) on the back surface side of the ink supply member 5 is projected through a hole on the support substrate 3 so that the portion projected on the back surface side of the support substrate 3 is heated. It is easily done by fusing.

Next, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a plurality of IJHs will be shown. That is, a head unit (hereinafter referred to as a head device) that holds a plurality of IJHs as an integrated unit and can freely connect an ink tank to each IJH will be described.

11 to 13 show the structure of such a head device. In this example, the IJHs 100A, 100B, 100C, 10 for ejecting inks of four different colors are used.
0D is retained in the unit frame 200, and high-speed recording can be performed by supplying ink of the same color to these IJHs 100A to 100D. However, in any case, each IJH100A
It goes without saying that it is necessary for the .about.100D to be held in the unit frame 200 while maintaining high precision with each other.

As shown in FIG. 11, the unit frame 200 has an outer frame 201 and a partition 202, and these outer frame 20
In the case where IJHs 100A, 100B, 100C and 100D are shown in FIG.
Is inserted from the direction of the arrow with the posture facing downward. Further, reference numeral 214 denotes a color mixing prevention member formed of a porous material, which is disposed between the adjacent IJHs, and different inks are adjacent to each other when the ink ejection surface is wiped by the wiper at the time of color printing. It is prevented from being brought to the ink ejection surface of.

FIG. 12 shows a process of mounting the IJHs 100A to 100D on the unit holding portions 203 as shown in FIG. 11 and then assembling them into one head device 210. Here, 204 is a connector plate having an electrical connection portion 103 having a plurality of electrical contacts 111 formed on its upper surface. On the lower surface side of the connector plate 204, connector pins 205A to 205D for connecting between the individual electrical contacts 111 and IJHs 100A to 100D (not shown).
Is provided. Further, 204A and 204B are fixing arms and positioning pins extending from both ends of the connector plate 204 toward the fixing groove 200A and the pin hole 200B of the unit frame 200, respectively, and 204C is positioning the assembled head device 210 on the carriage. It is a positioning hole for doing.

Reference numeral 206 denotes a cover member having a hole 206A into which the respective chunk supply ports 105 of IJH 100A to 100D are fitted, and protecting a precision portion inside, and its fixing arm 206B has a fixing groove of the unit frame 200. It is attached to 200B. FIG. 13 shows a head device 210 integrated as described above.
0, the ink tanks 106A to 106A are stored in the individual IJHs housed inside through the individual ink supply ports 105.
D is attached. In addition, these ink tanks 106A
.About.106D enables individual replacement when the contained ink is consumed.

FIG. 14 is an inkjet printing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as IJ) for recording by mounting the head device 210 as shown in FIG. 13 according to the present invention on the carriage 107.
(Abbreviated as RA) will be outlined.

Here, 301 is a lead screw which is screwed with a part of the carriage 107 and moves the carriage 107 along the recording sheet 112, 302 is its drive motor, and 303 is the driving force of the drive motor 302 to the lead screw 301. A drive transmission gear for transmission, 304 is the carriage 10.
7 is a photocoupler that detects when 7 is guided near the home position, and 305 is a lever that is opened from the carriage 107 side to open / close the optical path of the photocoupler 304. Thus, when the carriage 107 is guided to the position related to the photo coupler 304,
By detecting this, the forward and reverse driving directions of the drive motor 302 can be changed, and the carriage 107 can be moved to the right from the home position.

On the other hand, the recording sheet 112 is the sheet pressing plate 3.
The sheet is pressed against the platen 307 by the sheet 06, and the sheet is fed by the sheet feeding unit (not shown) via the platen 307 every time the head device 210 prints for one scan. 308 and 309 are cap members and cleaning blades, 310 is pumping means involved in the recovery operation, and 311 is supporting means that supports the cap members 308, cleaning blades 309 and the like.

Since the recording operation performed by the IJRA thus constructed and the recovery operation for each recording head are well known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. However, as in the present embodiment, each recording head is controlled by the head device 210. Since it is held by highly accurate registration, a high-quality recorded image is guaranteed, and furthermore, it is possible to easily replace the head itself and the ink tank due to ink consumption for each recording head.

(Others) The present invention is provided with a means (for example, an electrothermal converter or a laser beam) for generating thermal energy as energy used for ejecting ink, particularly in the ink jet recording system. The present invention brings about excellent effects in a recording head and a recording apparatus of the type in which the state of ink is changed by the heat energy. This is because such a system can achieve high density recording and high definition recording.

With regard to its typical structure and principle, see, for example, US Pat. No. 4,723,129 and US Pat. No. 4,740.
What is done using the basic principles disclosed in 796 is preferred. This method is a so-called on-demand type,
It can be applied to any of the continuous type, but especially in the case of the on-demand type, it can be applied to the sheet holding the liquid (ink) or the electrothermal converter arranged corresponding to the liquid path. By applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the recording information and giving a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling, heat energy is generated in the electrothermal converter, and film boiling is caused on the heat acting surface of the recording head. Liquid (ink) corresponding to this drive signal in a one-to-one correspondence
It is effective because bubbles can be formed inside. Due to the growth and contraction of the bubbles, the liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection opening to form at least one droplet. It is more preferable to make this drive signal into a pulse shape, because the bubble growth and contraction are immediately and appropriately performed, so that the ejection of the liquid (ink) with excellent responsiveness can be achieved. As the pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable. If the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 of the invention relating to the rate of temperature rise on the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the constitution of the recording head, in addition to the combination constitution of the ejection port, the liquid passage, and the electrothermal converter (the linear liquid passage or the right-angled liquid passage) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications, US Pat. No. 4,558,333, US Pat. No. 4,558,333, which discloses a configuration in which a heat acting portion is arranged in a bending region.
The structure using the specification of No. 59600 is also included in the present invention. In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59-123670 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of the electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and an opening for absorbing a pressure wave of thermal energy is provided. The effect of the present invention is effective even if the configuration corresponding to the ejection portion is disclosed in JP-A-59-138461. That is, according to the present invention, recording can be surely and efficiently performed regardless of the form of the recording head.

In addition, even in the case of the serial type as in the above example, the recording head fixed to the apparatus main body, or the electrical connection with the apparatus main body or the ink from the apparatus main body by being attached to the apparatus main body The present invention is also effective when a replaceable chip type recording head that can be supplied is used.

Further, as the constitution of the recording apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable to add the ejection recovery means of the recording head, the preliminary auxiliary means and the like because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specifically, heating is performed by using a capping unit, a cleaning unit, a pressure or suction unit for the recording head, an electrothermal converter or a heating element other than this, or a combination thereof. Examples thereof include a preliminary heating unit for performing the discharge and a preliminary discharge unit for performing discharge different from the recording.

Regarding the type and number of recording heads to be mounted, for example, only one is provided corresponding to a single color ink, or a plurality of inks having different recording colors and densities are supported. A plurality of pieces may be provided. That is, for example, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to the recording mode of only the mainstream color such as black, but it may be either the recording head is integrally formed or a plurality of combinations may be used. The present invention is also extremely effective for an apparatus provided with at least one of full-color recording modes by color mixing.

In addition, in the above-described embodiments of the present invention, the ink is described as a liquid, but an ink that solidifies at room temperature or lower and that softens or liquefies at room temperature may be used. Or, in the inkjet system, it is common to control the temperature of the ink itself within the range of 30 ° C. or higher and 70 ° C. or lower to control the temperature so that the viscosity of the ink is within the stable ejection range. Sometimes, a liquid ink may be used. In addition, the temperature rise due to thermal energy is positively prevented by using it as the energy of the state change of the ink from the solid state to the liquid state, or in order to prevent the evaporation of the ink, it is solidified and heated in the standing state. You may use the ink liquefied by. In any case, by applying thermal energy such as ink that is liquefied by applying thermal energy according to the recording signal and liquid ink is ejected, or that begins to solidify when it reaches the recording medium. The present invention can be applied to the case where an ink having a property of being liquefied for the first time is used. In this case, the ink is
JP-A-54-56847 or JP-A-60-7
As described in Japanese Patent No. 1260, it may be configured to face the electrothermal converter in a state of being held as a liquid or a solid in the concave portion or the through hole of the porous sheet. In the present invention, the most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.

In addition, as the form of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, other than the one used as an image output terminal of information processing equipment such as a computer, a copying apparatus combined with a reader or the like, and a facsimile apparatus having a transmission / reception function can be used. It may be a form or the like.

[0098]

As described above, reliability is improved by not forming the ink ejection surface on the same surface as the ink supply surface and the electrical joint surface, and each surface has a function that other surfaces have. Can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a basic configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a connection relationship between an inkjet head and an external element in the above embodiment.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing an inkjet head of another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3B is an explanatory diagram showing a connection relationship between the inkjet head and external elements.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing an inkjet head of still another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is an explanatory view showing an assembling procedure of the connection relationship between the inkjet head and external elements.

5A is a perspective view showing an ink jet head of still another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5B is an explanatory view for explaining the function of each surface of the ink jet head according to its acting direction.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing an ink jet head of still another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6B is an explanatory view for explaining the function of each surface of the ink jet head according to its acting direction.

FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing an ink jet head of still another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7B is an explanatory view for explaining the function of each surface of the ink jet head according to its acting direction.

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an inkjet head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a front view showing a partially broken structure of the inkjet head shown in FIG. 8. FIG.

10 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the inkjet head shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of an assembly process of an inkjet unit using an inkjet head of another embodiment of the present invention used for color recording.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing the next step of assembling the inkjet unit shown in FIG.

13 is a perspective view showing an ink tank mounting process which is a process subsequent to the assembling process of the inkjet unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing an inkjet printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100, 100A to 100D Recording head 101 Ink ejection unit 102 Ink supply unit 103 Electrical connection unit 104 Positioning unit 105 Ink supply port 106 Ink tank 107 Carriage 107B Head mounting unit 107C Connector unit 110, 111 Contact point 112 Recording sheet 200 Unit frame 203 Unit Holding part 210 Head device

Front page continuation (72) Inventor Eiichiro Shimizu 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Masahiko Hikuma 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Go Orikasa 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Seiichiro Karita 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc.

Claims (24)

[Claims] 1. An ink jet head for ejecting ink, an ink ejecting section having an ejection port for ejecting ink, and a device using the ink jet head when the ink jet head is mounted. A positioning portion for positioning between the ink jet head and ink when the ink is supplied to the ink jet head;
An ink supply unit for connecting the ink supply unit to supply the ink, and a head electric connection unit for connecting to the electric connection unit on the apparatus side for exchanging an electric signal. On the side different from the side where the parts are arranged,
The positioning section, the ink supply section, and the electrical connection section are arranged, and at least one of the surface on which the electrical connection section is arranged and the surface on which the ink supply section is arranged is opposite to the side on which the positioning section is arranged. An inkjet head characterized by being arranged on the side. 2. The ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein an electrical connection portion is arranged above the ink ejection portion. 3. The ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein an electric connection portion is arranged above the ink supply portion. 4. The ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein the positioning portion is arranged above the ink ejection portion and the ink supply portion. 5. The surface on which the ink ejection portion is provided and the surface on which the positioning portion is provided are respectively located on the opposite side to the side on which the ink supply portion or the head electrical connection portion is provided. Item 2. The inkjet head according to Item 1. 6. The ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein the ink jet head integrally has a plurality of head chips. 7. The plurality of head chips each have an ink supply port, the plurality of ink supply ports configure the ink supply unit, and different kinds of ink are supplied through the plurality of ink supply ports, respectively. The inkjet head according to claim 6, wherein 8. The ink-jet head uses thermal energy to generate bubbles in the ink, and ejects the ink as the bubbles are generated.
Or the inkjet head according to 7. 9. An ink jet head for ejecting ink, an ink ejecting section having an ejection port for ejecting ink, and a device using the ink jet head when the ink jet head is mounted. A positioning portion for positioning between the ink jet head and ink when the ink is supplied to the ink jet head;
An ink supply unit for connecting with an ink supply unit to supply the ink, and a head electric connection unit for connecting with the electric connection unit on the apparatus side to exchange electric signals, An ink jet head having a plurality of outer surfaces, wherein the ink ejection portion, the positioning portion, the ink supply portion, and the head electrical connection portion are provided on different surfaces of the plurality of outer surfaces, respectively. 10. An ink jet head for ejecting ink, comprising: an ink ejecting section provided with an ejection port for ejecting ink; and a case where the ink jet head is attached to an apparatus using the ink jet head. A positioning part for positioning with the device, and when ink is supplied to the inkjet head,
An ink supply unit for connecting the ink supply unit to supply the ink, and a head electric connection unit for connecting to the electric connection unit on the apparatus side for exchanging an electric signal. On the side different from the side where the parts are arranged,
The positioning section, the ink supply section, and the electrical connection section are arranged, and at least one of the surface on which the electrical connection section is arranged and the surface on which the ink supply section is arranged is opposite to the side on which the positioning section is arranged. An inkjet head disposed on the side, and an ink tank removably connected to the inkjet head via the ink supply unit and storing ink to be supplied to the inkjet head. unit. 11. The ink jet unit according to claim 10, wherein an electrical connection portion is arranged above the ink ejection portion. 12. The electric connection portion is arranged above the ink supply portion, and the electric connection portion is arranged above the ink supply portion.
1. The inkjet unit according to 1. 13. The ink jet unit according to claim 10, wherein the positioning portion is arranged above the ink ejection portion and the ink supply portion. 14. The surface on which the ink ejection portion is provided and the surface on which the positioning portion is provided are respectively located on the opposite side to the side on which the ink supply portion or the head electrical connection portion is provided. Item 10. The inkjet unit according to Item 10. 15. The inkjet unit according to claim 10, wherein the inkjet head integrally includes a plurality of head chips. 16. The plurality of head chips each have an ink supply port, the plurality of ink supply ports configure the ink supply unit, and different kinds of ink are supplied through the plurality of ink supply ports, respectively. The inkjet unit according to claim 10, wherein the inkjet unit is formed. 17. In an inkjet unit, positioning is performed between an ink ejecting section in which an ejection port for ejecting ink is arranged and the apparatus when the apparatus using the inkjet head is attached to the apparatus. A positioning section for supplying ink to the inkjet head, an ink supply section for supplying ink to the inkjet head, and a head electrical connection section for connecting and receiving an electrical signal by connecting to an electrical connection section on the device side, The inkjet head has a plurality of outer surfaces, and the ink ejection section, the positioning section, the ink supply section, and the head electrical connection section are provided on different surfaces of the plurality of outer surfaces, respectively, and the ink. The inkjet head is detachably connected to the inkjet head via a supply unit. An ink-jet unit comprising: an ink tank that stores ink to be supplied to. 18. An inkjet device for ejecting ink onto a medium to attach the ink to the medium, wherein the inkjet head according to claim 1 or 9 is removably attached to the inkjet device, and the inkjet head is detachable. An inkjet device, which is equipped with a carriage that can be freely mounted and can run. 19. The ink jet device according to claim 18, wherein an electrical connection portion is disposed above the ink ejection portion. 20. The electric connection portion is arranged above the ink supply portion, and the electric connection portion is arranged above the ink supply portion.
9. The inkjet device according to item 9. 21. The ink jet apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the positioning portion is arranged above the ink ejection portion and the ink supply portion. 22. The surface on which the ink ejection portion is provided and the surface on which the positioning portion is provided are respectively located on the opposite side to the side on which the ink supply portion or the head electrical connection portion is provided. Item 19. The inkjet device according to item 18. 23. The ink jet apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the ink jet head integrally has a plurality of head chips. 24. Each of the plurality of head chips has an ink supply port, the plurality of ink supply ports configure the ink supply unit, and different kinds of ink are supplied through the plurality of ink supply ports. The inkjet device according to claim 18, wherein the inkjet device is provided.