JPH07179004A - Ink jet head cartridge and ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize highly accurate and easy installation of an ink jet head cartridge to an ink jet recording device and easy recycling of an ink jet head. CONSTITUTION:An ink jet head cartridge is positioned to a carriage by means of positioning pins 25 provided on a head fixing member 20, positioning holes 67 provided on the carriage 60, fixing projections 27 provided on the head fixing member 20 and fixing pawls 65 provided on the carriage 60. Further, the ink jet head cartridge is fixed to the carriage by means of the fixing projections 27 provided on the head fixing member 20, the fixing pawls 65 provided on the carriage, a projection 28 provided on the head fixing member 20 and snap hooks 68 provided on the carriage 60.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the structure of an ink jet recording apparatus for recording with ink.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Ink jet recording apparatuses perform recording by ejecting ink from an ink jet head and adhering the ink to a recording medium such as paper. Therefore, it is necessary to supply the ink to the inkjet head from the ink containing portion that contains the ink. An inkjet head cartridge that integrates an inkjet head and an ink storage unit can easily form a supply path from the ink storage unit to the inkjet head, can downsize the entire inkjet recording device, and can be replaced when the inkjet head deteriorates. It is widely used because it can be done easily.

When mounting such an ink jet head cartridge in an ink jet recording apparatus, it is necessary to accurately transmit a driving force and a driving signal, to accurately arrange and fix the recording medium at an appropriate position, and for this purpose. Problems such as easy positioning and fixing must be solved. As a positioning structure of such an inkjet head cartridge, for example, FIG.
The one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-188246 is known. In the figure, the head cartridge 2
00 is the head cartridge 200 for the carriage.
Positioning portions 201d, 201e, and 201f provided on the plate-shaped base plate 201 of FIG.
It is positioned and fixed by a guide member 202b provided on the ink tank and a fixing pin provided on the back surface of the ink tank.

Further, in the ink jet head cartridge, when the time until the ink stored in the ink containing portion is consumed is short with respect to the life of the ink jet head, the ink jet head is reused and only the ink containing portion is reused. Replacing should also be considered. As an ink jet head cartridge for solving this, for example, the one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-214355 shown in FIG. 14 is known. In the drawing, the recording head 10 provided with nozzles includes a pin 211 and a supply pipe 21.
One or both of them are positioned on the ink tank 213, and the lid 214 is detachably held on the ink tank 213 by fixing the lid 214 to the ink tank 213 by a snap member 215 or the like.

[0005]

Regarding the positioning of the inkjet head cartridge with respect to the inkjet recording apparatus, the positioning is performed by a plate-shaped member in the conventional example, and the nozzle row is only one row near the end of the plate-shaped member. If it is formed, it can be positioned accurately. However, when there are multiple nozzle rows, there is a problem in that the positioning accuracy in the rotational direction with respect to the nozzle row direction is low. Further, when the ink tank is used for positioning, the inkjet head and the ink tank must be positioned with sufficient accuracy, and the positioning portion with the inkjet recording device must be formed with sufficiently high accuracy. I have a problem. Also, when force is applied to the ink tank for fixing, the ink tank is deformed and an unpredictable pressure distribution occurs inside, which may cause stability of ink ejection and decrease in efficiency of ink removal from the ink storage unit. Become. Further, when the inkjet head is separated from the ink tank and reused, the dimensional accuracy of the ink tank itself and the positioning accuracy with respect to the recording head must be further increased, so that the positioning with respect to the inkjet recording apparatus can be accurately performed. Can not. Even if the ink tank part is used for positioning and fixing, if the dimensional accuracy of the ink storage part and the positional accuracy of the ink jet head and the ink storage part are improved to a sufficient degree, the cost of the ink storage part will increase and only the ink storage part However, there is a problem that the effect of replacing the inkjet head and reusing the inkjet head is low. Further, regarding the structure in which the ink jet head cartridge can be separated into the ink tank that is the ink storage portion and the ink jet head, in the conventional example, the ink tank, the recording head, and the lid have three parts, and the holding structure is complicated and easy. There is a problem that it can not be exchanged.

Therefore, the present invention solves such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to mount an ink jet head cartridge in an ink jet recording apparatus with high accuracy and easily. Another object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet head cartridge and an ink jet recording apparatus having a shape and structure capable of easily reusing the ink jet head.

[0007]

An ink jet head unit including an ink jet head chip having a nozzle, a flow path and a drive section, and a head fixing member having a supply path for guiding ink to the ink jet head chip, and a supply An ink jet recording apparatus including an ink jet head cartridge configured to accommodate ink to be supplied to an ink jet head chip by a path and an ink accommodating container coupled to a head fixing member, and a movable carriage that mounts the ink jet head cartridge. The head fixing member is an L-shaped member in which the surface having the positioning and holding means of the inkjet head chip and the surface contacting the carriage are formed at an angle. Further, the head fixing member and the carriage have positioning fixing means for performing positioning and fixing only by the head fixing member and the carriage. Further, the inkjet head chip has a wiring for supplying a recording signal from the inkjet recording device to the drive section, and this wiring is positioned by the positioning means for positioning the inkjet head cartridge and the carriage, which is provided on the head fixing member. Further, the ink container has flexibility.

[0008]

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

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus 1 of the present invention. In the figure, the inkjet head cartridge 2 is positioned and fixed on a carriage 60, and the carriage 60 can be moved in the direction of arrow A by a carriage motor 70. A print medium 80 such as print paper is wound around a platen 81 and can be moved in the direction of arrow B by a paper feed motor 82. The ink jet head cartridge 2 mounted on the carriage 60 is in the print area 90 during printing, and moves to the standby position 91 where the ink suction means 100 is provided when printing is not performed for a predetermined time or longer. The ink suction unit 100 has a cap 101 and a cap advance / retreat mechanism (not shown), and can realize a state in which the cap 101 is in contact with the ink ejection surface of the inkjet head cartridge 2 and a state in which the cap 101 is not in contact. it can.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a mounting portion of the ink jet head cartridge 2 and the carriage 60 shown in FIG. In the drawing, the inkjet head cartridge 2 is a view from the direction in which the bottom surface 29 of the head fixing member 20 is viewed, and the carriage 60 is a view from the direction in which the joint surface of the inkjet head cartridge 2 is shown as indicated by the coordinate axes in the drawing. The inkjet head cartridge 2 includes an inkjet head unit 3 and an ink container 40. FPC that is a wiring joined to the inkjet head unit 3
The (flexible print cable) 15 is arranged on the bottom surface 29 of the head fixing member 20 through the groove 35 of the head fixing member 20 that constitutes the inkjet head unit. On this surface, the wiring 16 is provided with the electrode 16. A lid member 45 is joined to one surface of the ink container 40, and a film 47 is joined to the lid member 45. The ink container 40 is connected to the inkjet head unit 2 at the surface opposite to the surface to which the lid member 45 is joined. The carriage 60 is a carriage plate 6 in which the head fixing member 20 abuts on a carriage base 61, through which a moving guide shaft 71 penetrates, via an elastic plate having appropriate elasticity.
3 is provided, and a wiring 67 for transmitting a print signal to the inkjet head cartridge 2 is arranged.

The ink jet head cartridge 2 includes a positioning pin 25, a fixing projection 27, and a projection 2 provided on the head fixing member 20 of the ink jet head unit 3.
8 and the carriage 60 is positioned and fixed. That is, first, the positioning pin 2 of the head fixing member 20
5 is inserted into the positioning hole 64 provided in the carriage 60 in the direction of arrow D in the figure. At this time, the fixing projection 27 of the head fixing member is also moved in the direction of arrow C in the figure. Next, the inkjet head cartridge 2 is moved in the y-axis direction in the figure, and the fixing projection 27 of the head fixing member 20 is engaged with the fixing claw 65 provided on the carriage 60. At this time, the protrusion 28 provided at the rear end of the head fixing member 20.
Are engaged and fixed with snap hooks 68 provided on the carriage 60. The snap hook applies a pressing force to the inkjet head cartridge 2 in the ink ejection direction, that is, the positive direction of the y-axis to perform the above-described positioning, and the inkjet head cartridge 2 is fixed to the carriage 60, and the inkjet head cartridge 2 is fixed to the carriage 60. It is possible to realize a structure that can be easily carried out when it is removed. In this embodiment, the fixing protrusion 27 is provided on the head fixing member 20 side, and the fixing claw 65 is provided on the carriage 60 side. However, a fixing groove is provided on the head fixing member 20 side, and the fixing groove is provided on the carriage 60 side. There is no problem even if the fixing projection is provided.

With the above structure, the positioning pin 25 and the positioning hole 64 are positioned in the x direction for positioning, and the fixing projection 27 and the fixing claw 6 are arranged in the y direction.
5 and the pressing force in the y direction by the snap hook 68 causes the positioning. In the z direction, the positioning is performed by the engagement between the fixing projection 27 and the fixing claw 65, the pressing force in the z direction by the elastic plate, and the fixing by the engagement of the projection and the snap hook.

Further, rotation about the x-axis is performed by the fixing projection 2
There may be some rattling when the projection 28 and the snap hook 68 are engaged with each other around the engaging portion between the fixing claw 65 and the fixing claw 65, but the engagement between the fixing projection 27 and the fixing claw 65 is considered. By moving the portion away from the snap hook side, it is possible to reduce the positional deviation of the nozzles provided on the end face in the y-axis direction of the inkjet head cartridge 2. The rotation about the y axis does not occur due to the engagement between the fixing protrusion 27 and the fixing claw 65 and the pressing force in the z axis direction by the elastic plate. The rotation about the z-axis is performed by engaging the positioning pin 25 and the positioning hole 64, engaging the fixing protrusion 27 and the fixing claw 65, pressing force in the z-axis direction by the elastic plate, and y-axis direction by the snap hook. It does not occur due to the pressing force against.

In the ink jet head cartridge, z
When two or more nozzle rows in the axial direction are arranged in the x-axis direction, when rotation about the z-axis occurs, the distance to the platen differs for each row, which causes a difference in print quality between rows. appear. However, in the configuration shown in the present embodiment, a plurality of structures that do not cause rotation about the z-axis are provided as described above, and such deterioration of print quality does not occur.

The diameter of the positioning pin 25 of the head fixing member 20 is small so that it can be inserted into and removed from the positioning hole 64 of the carriage 60 in the x-axis direction, and the ink jet head cartridge 2 is used by the carriage 60 in the y-axis direction. In order to be fixed on the carriage 60, it must be formed with a difference larger than the distance traveled on the carriage 60. Therefore, when the positioning pin 25 of the head fixing member 20 has a circular cross section, the positioning hole 64 of the carriage 60 is preferably oval or elliptical as shown in the drawing, but rectangular does not pose any problem.

The wiring 15 is a bottom surface 29 of the head fixing member 20.
In, an electrode 16 is provided. At this time, the wiring 15 is provided with a hole through which the positioning pin 25 passes so that the wiring 15 is positioned by the positioning pin 25 used for positioning the inkjet head cartridge 2 and the carriage. As a result, the electrode 16 of the wiring 15 is positioned and arranged with respect to the positioning pin 25 of the head fixing member 20. Therefore, on the carriage side as well, the electrode of the wire 67 for transmitting the print signal of the ink jet recording apparatus to the ink jet head cartridge is positioned and arranged with respect to the positioning hole 64 of the carriage 60.
It is possible to secure the electrical continuity of the electrodes by positioning the electrode with respect to the carriage 60. Further, when the wiring 15 is arranged on the bottom surface 29 of the head fixing member 20 and the positioning pin 25 is formed on the bottom surface 29, even if the inkjet head cartridge 2 is placed on a flat surface with the positioning pin side facing down, the wiring 15 The surface of the electrode 16 does not come into direct contact with the flat surface, and therefore dust or foreign matter does not adhere to the electrode 16 to cause conduction failure.

The head fixing member 20 abuts the carriage 60 with a sufficient area, and the portion for holding the ink jet head chip in order to form a nozzle surface at an angle with respect to this surface is also formed at an angle. It is common to Therefore, the one having an L-shape as shown in the drawing is preferable. Such a shape can be easily, accurately, and inexpensively formed by resin molding, but can also be formed by machining a metal material or the like.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a positioning state of the ink jet head cartridge 2 and the carriage 60 of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. In the figure, the inkjet head cartridge 2 is composed of an inkjet head chip 10, a head fixing member 20, and an ink container 40. The inkjet head chip 10 is positioned on the head fixing member 20 and joined by an adhesive. The ink container 40 has an ink discharge portion 42 and the ink supply pipe 2 of the head fixing member 20.
1 and the seal is constituted by an O-ring 24. In addition, the head fixing member 20 and the ink container 40
And are held separably by a coupling means (not shown). Ink is supplied from the ink container 40 to the inkjet head chip 10 through the ink supply pipe 21 of the head fixing member 20 which is an ink supply path, and is ejected from the nozzle in the positive direction of the y-axis in the drawing. The carriage 60 includes a carriage base 61, an elastic plate 62, a carriage plate 63,
The wiring 67 has a laminated structure.

The head fixing member 20 is positioned by inserting its positioning pin 25 into the positioning hole 64 of the carriage 60. A push switch 69 is provided at the bottom of the positioning hole 64 of the carriage 60. The push switch 69 is turned off by inserting the positioning pin 25.
The state is changed from the on state to the on state or from the on state to the off state. As a result, the presence or absence of the inkjet head cartridge 2 can be electrically detected. Therefore, when the inkjet head cartridge 2 is not mounted on the carriage 60, the power of the inkjet recording apparatus cannot be turned on, or even when the inkjet recording apparatus is powered on, the inkjet head cartridge 2 remains on the carriage 60. If it is not installed in the printer, it can be used for a maintenance mechanism such as not waiting for a print signal or issuing a warning sound when the print signal is sent to the inkjet recording device.

By providing a plurality of such push switches 69, the inclination of the ink jet head cartridge 2 can be detected. Further, when there are two or more types of inkjet head cartridges 2 having the same shape, that is, the color head and the monochrome head, and the inkjet head cartridges 2 having different print quality, print speed, number of nozzles, resolution, etc. are placed on the same carriage 60. When used in combination, it can also be used as an identification mechanism that determines the type of the inkjet head cartridge 2 by a combination of on and off of a plurality of push switches 69. That is, the state of the push switch 69 is selected by changing the length of the positioning pins 25 or the number of the positioning pins 25 depending on the type of the inkjet head cartridge 2.

The ink container 40 has a porous body 44 inside.
The porous body 44 is impregnated with ink. The porous body 44 is preferably a foam material or the like that is not affected by the ink and does not deteriorate the ink. The ink container 40 has an ink discharge part 42 on the side where the inkjet head chip 10 and the head fixing member 20 are formed, and the ink supply pipe 21 of the head fixing member 20 is connected to the ink discharging part 42. A lid member 45 is joined to the surface of the ink storage container 40 that faces the ink discharge portion 42.

The material of the ink container 40 and the lid member 45 is not particularly limited as long as it is not attacked by the ink contained therein and does not deteriorate the ink and can withstand impacts during use and transportation. It is generally formed by molding. Ink storage container 40
By using the same material for the lid member 45 and the lid member 45, they can be easily joined by solvent welding or ultrasonic welding.
However, bonding with an adhesive is not difficult, and there is no problem if bonding is performed with a material having sufficient adhesive strength that is not affected by the ink used and does not deteriorate the ink, and the material of the ink container 40 and the lid member 45 Is not limited. The lid member 45 is provided with a communication hole 46 with the outside, and the communication hole 46 is covered with a film 47. It is effective that the film 47 has a property of being permeable to air but impermeable to ink components. For example, a resin film or other air permeable filter is preferably used. If the expected effect is obtained with the same material as the lid member 45, the lid member 45 and the lid member 45 can be easily joined by solvent welding, ultrasonic welding, or the like.

An air chamber 54 communicating with the outside through a communication hole 46 is provided between the porous body 44 and the lid member 45. By providing the air chamber communicating with the outside on the surface of the ink storage container 40 opposite to the ink discharge part 42, the ink in the ink storage container 40 is pushed toward the ink discharge part 42 at atmospheric pressure.

The porous body 44 impregnated with ink is housed in such a manner that the side closer to the ink discharge part 42 has a higher compression rate. By storing the porous body 44 in the ink storage container 40 with such a compressibility distribution, the average pore diameter in the porous body becomes smaller toward the ink discharge portion side, and the average pore diameter continuously increases as the distance from the ink discharge portion 42 increases. It is possible to form a large state. Although various methods of providing such a compressibility distribution in the porous body 44 are conceivable, for example, the area of the cross section parallel to the bottom surface of the ink container 40 is
There is a method of making the ink discharge portion side smaller. In this embodiment, the inner surface of the ink container 40 is inclined in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the construction of the ink jet head unit 3 of the ink jet head cartridge 2 of the present invention shown in FIG. In the figure, the inkjet head unit 3 includes an inkjet head chip 10 in which a nozzle plate 11, a flow path plate 12, a pressure chamber plate 13, a drive unit 14, and a wiring 15 are stacked, and a head fixing member 2.
It is composed of 0 and. Ink supplied from the ink container passes through the ink supply pipe 21 of the head fixing member 20, is supplied to the inkjet head chip 10 from the supply hole 12a of the flow path plate 12, and is supplied to the pressure chamber 13a provided in the pressure chamber plate 13. The flow path plate 12 is pressurized by the driving unit 14.
And is discharged from a nozzle 11a provided on the nozzle plate 11. The nozzle plate 11 and the flow path plate 12 can be obtained by laminating plate-shaped members having respective shapes, processing the plate-shaped members by machining, etching, or molding by resin molding. .

It is also possible to integrally form a part of the head fixing member 20, for example, to integrally form the flow path part and the head fixing member 20 and join the nozzle plate to one surface and to the other side. The ink jet head unit 3 can also be formed by joining the drive unit to the surface. Further, in the configuration in which the flow path portion and the nozzle portion are integrally formed with the head fixing member 20 and the driving portion 14 is joined, the nozzle can be arranged with extremely high accuracy with respect to the positioning portion for the carriage of the inkjet head cartridge. Therefore, it is possible to accurately arrange the nozzle position with respect to the inkjet recording apparatus 1.

In the structure in which the plate-like members are laminated as shown in this embodiment, each shape can be formed with high precision and easily. The drive unit 14 has a function of generating pressure in the flow path, and for example, an electro-mechanical conversion element such as a piezoelectric element is used. The wiring 15 can be easily handled by using a flexible printed board having a shape in which necessary wiring is drawn on a sheet in an appropriate shape.

In this embodiment, the nozzle plate 11 has a nozzle 11a.
The nozzle rows arranged in the z-axis direction are arranged in three rows in the x-axis direction. Therefore, the pressure chamber plate 13 and the drive unit 14 which are divided corresponding to each nozzle row are provided. Further, the ink supply pipe 21 of the head fixing member, which communicates with the supply hole 12a provided in the flow path plate 12, has three nozzles corresponding to each nozzle row.
Book is provided. Nozzle plate 1 for 3 nozzle rows
1 and the flow path plate 12 are integrally formed, and the pressure chamber plate 13 and the drive unit 14 are separately formed for each row. By making the pressure chamber plate 13 and the drive unit 14 separate for each row, this portion is divided into blocks, and the number of nozzle rows, the spacing between nozzle rows, the positional relationship, etc. can be freely set and easily changed. be able to. In addition, since the positional accuracy between the columns is not required in the configuration having only one column, the manufacturing is easy, and the cost can be significantly reduced including the improvement of the yield and the effect of mass production. Further, by fixing the space between the pressure chamber plate 13 and the adjacent drive block of the drive block including the drive unit 14 to the head fixing member, vibration of the drive block generated at the time of driving is transmitted to the adjacent drive block. Without doing
Therefore, it is possible to prevent poor stability of ink ejection and deterioration of ejection characteristics due to such vibration.

In order to realize such a structure, in this embodiment, the head fixing member 20 is provided with a rib 2 for fixing the head chip.
0a is provided, and a window 15a is formed in the wiring 15 so that this rib can pass through the wiring 15 and be joined to the flow path plate 12.
Is provided. The wiring 15 is arranged on the bottom surface 29 through the groove 35 provided in the head fixing member 20. Wiring 1
By providing the bent portion of the wiring, which is most likely to be deteriorated in the drawing of No. 5, in the groove 35, it is impossible to easily contact the bent portion, and the deterioration of the wiring 15 can be prevented. .

In this embodiment, as described above, the ink supply paths are divided for the three nozzle rows, so that three different types of ink can be used. The three types of ink may be of different colors for color output, or the same color but of different properties such as drying property, penetrability, water resistance, etc., and can be applied to many types of recording materials. Alternatively, it may be one that can obtain the recording quality according to the application. Further, when the recording speed is increased, the resolution is increased, and the printing quality is improved by increasing the number of nozzles, the three types of ink may be the same. In this case, one storage
Although the volume efficiency is improved by combining the two types, there is an advantage such as cost reduction because the same ink storage container for color output can be used.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a positioning state of the ink jet head unit 3 and the carriage 60 showing another embodiment of the present invention. As in FIG. 3, the ink is ejected in the positive direction of the y-axis in the figure. In the figure, the inkjet head chip 10 is positioned by inserting a positioning pin 25a provided on the head fixing member 20 into the positioning hole 17 thereof. In addition, the head fixing member 2
0 is positioned by inserting the positioning pin 25b into a positioning hole 64 provided in the carriage 60. They may be provided in reverse, that is, the inkjet head chip 10 may be provided with a positioning pin and the head fixing member 20 may be provided with a positioning hole, or the carriage 60 may be provided with a positioning pin. The head fixing member 20 may be provided with a positioning hole.

The head fixing member 20 is preferably formed by resin molding because a complicated shape can be manufactured accurately, easily and inexpensively. Therefore, with respect to the positioning pin 25 and the hole, sufficiently accurate positioning can be easily realized by taking advantage of the characteristics of resin molding. In this example, the positioning pin 2 of the inkjet head chip
By forming the positioning pin 25b of the carriage 5a and the positioning pin 25b of the carriage in the same direction, it is possible to form the shapes for both positioning pins in the same molding die. It can be said that it depends on the processing accuracy of the processing machine.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the construction of the ink jet head unit 3 shown in FIG. In the figure,
The wiring 15 is joined to the drive unit 14 as in FIG. 4, is drawn out to the side opposite to the side on which the ink supply tube 21 is formed, and is attached to a part of the joining surface of the ink jet head chip 10 of the head fixing member 20. It is arranged on the bottom surface 29 of the head fixing member 20 which is a joint surface between the inkjet head cartridge and the carriage through the groove 35 provided, and the bottom surface 2
In FIG. 9, an electrode 16 is provided on the wiring 15.

The wiring 15 is provided with a hole through which the positioning pin passes so that the wiring 15 can be positioned by the positioning pin 25 provided on the surface side of the head fixing member 20 to which the ink jet head chip 10 is joined. This allows wiring 15
The electrode 16 is positioned with respect to the positioning pin 25 of the head fixing member 20. In this case, the wiring 15 includes a positioning pin 25a for the inkjet head chip 10 and a positioning pin 25b for the carriage.
By positioning with respect to both, it is possible to perform positioning with higher accuracy. However, since the bending must be performed after the positioning, it is expected that this bending will reduce the accuracy. Therefore, the rear end portion and the side portion of the bottom surface 29 of the head fixing member 20 are provided with the protrusions 34 for positioning the wiring, which also enables the positioning. If a groove corresponding to this protrusion is provided on the carriage, the positioning can be performed here. Further, the head fixing member 20
By providing such a protrusion 34 on the bottom surface 29 of the electrode 15, even if the inkjet head cartridge is placed on a flat surface with this surface facing down, the surface of the electrode 16 of the wiring 15 does not directly contact the flat surface, and thus No dust or foreign matter will adhere to the device, resulting in poor conduction.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention in which the ink jet head unit 3 and the carriage 60 are positioned and fixed. As in FIG. 3, the ink is ejected in the positive direction of the y-axis in the figure. The inkjet head chip 10 is positioned by inserting the positioning pin 25 provided in the head fixing member 20 into the positioning hole 17 as in the case of FIG. Further, the head fixing member 20 has the slant surface of the positioning projection 26 on the carriage 6
Positioning is performed by abutting on the inclined surface of the positioning protrusion 66 provided on position 0. When the inkjet head cartridge 2 is pressed in the ink ejection direction, that is, in the positive direction of the y-axis in the drawing with the slopes contacting each other, the slopes of the positioning protrusions 26 of the inkjet head cartridge 2 cause the inkjet head cartridge 2 to move the carriage 60. Direction z
Receives a negative axial force. Therefore, by using the positioning protrusion having such an inclined surface, positioning in the y-axis direction in the drawing and positioning in the z-axis direction can be performed at the same time.

FIG. 8 shows a plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. The figure shows the positioning protrusion 26 of the head fixing member 20 of FIG.
Is viewed from above, and the left side of the figure shows the shape of the carriage 60. The positioning protrusion 26 of the head fixing member 20 has an inclined surface even when viewed from above, and the positioning portion 66 of the carriage 60 also has an inclined surface that abuts against this.
Therefore, in this case, when a pressing force in the ink ejection direction, that is, the positive direction of the y-axis is applied to the inkjet head cartridge, the inkjet head cartridge 2 is positioned at an appropriate position on the carriage 60 by the inclined surface of the positioning portion. That is, the x-axis direction is positioned by the inclined surface, and the y-axis direction is positioned by abutting the positioning protrusions. The reason why the central portion of the positioning protrusion 26 of the inkjet head cartridge 2 is not a protrusion is that the positioning protrusion 26 that is in contact with the slope is given a spring property so that the positioning in the x-axis direction in the figure is reliably performed and a position shift occurs. This is because the dimensional error of the positioning protrusion between the inkjet head cartridge and the carriage 60 is absorbed and the positioning accuracy in the ink ejection direction, that is, the y-axis direction is improved.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the structure of the ink jet head unit 3 shown in FIG. Also in the figure, the wiring 15 is joined to the drive unit as in FIG. 6, is drawn out to the side opposite to the side to which the ink supply pipe 21 is joined, and one of the joining surfaces of the ink jet head chip 10 of the head fixing member 20. It is arranged on the bottom surface 29 of the head fixing member 20, which is the joint surface between the inkjet head cartridge and the carriage, through the groove 35 provided in the section.
In FIG. 9, an electrode 16 is provided on the wiring 15. Wiring 15
Is the inkjet head chip 1 of the head fixing member 20.
The width of the positioning portion is narrow so that the positioning portion is provided at a portion of the positioning portion provided on the side where 0 is joined without the projection 26 and is positioned by the positioning projection 26. As a result, the electrode 16 of the wiring 15 is positioned and arranged with respect to the positioning protrusion 26 of the head fixing member 20. However, also in this case, since the positioning must be performed and then the bending must be performed, it is expected that the accuracy will be deteriorated by this bending, and the wiring positioning projection 34 is formed at the rear end of the bottom surface 29 of the head fixing member 20. Is provided.

Next, the relationship between the inkjet head unit and the ink container will be described. As a method of connecting the ink storage container to the head fixing member, there is a method of fitting the ink supply pipe 21 of the head fixing member 20 to the ink discharge portion 42 of the ink storage container 40. This method can connect the ink container 40 to the head fixing member 20 with the simplest structure. However, if the ink supply pipe 21 of the head fixing member 20 is scratched or foreign matter is attached to the ink supply pipe 21, the ink container 40 may be damaged. It is expected that the ink will leak from the.
Further, when the ink storage container 40 is repeatedly replaced, the probability of occurrence of such scratches and adhesion of foreign matter increases.

Therefore, FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of a method of connecting the head fixing member 20 and the ink container 40. Figure 10
In (a), the ink supply pipe 21 of the head fixing member 20.
And the ink discharge portion 42 of the ink container 40 are engaged,
The seal is achieved by an O-ring 24 provided at the base of the ink supply pipe 21. The holding of the ink container 40 by the head fixing member 20 is achieved by the pin 30 provided around the ink supply pipe 21 and the hole 48 provided in the ink container 40. It is preferable that the pin 30 and the hole 48 are formed to have a fit that is approximately the same diameter or slightly fits. Considering that only the ink container 40 is replaced and the head fixing member 20 is repeatedly used, the material of the ink container 40 is made slightly softer than that of the head fixing member 20. It is preferable that the pin 30 is less likely to undergo dimensional change and shape deterioration due to repeated use. In the figure, the pin 30 and the hole 48 are fitted in two places, but one place may be used if a sufficient holding force is obtained,
Also, if they are provided at several places around the periphery, reliable connection is possible.
Further, a hole is formed in the head fixing member 20 so that the ink container 4
You may provide a pin at 0. When the head fixing member 20 is provided with a pin, the pin is less likely to be impacted by the ink supply pipe 21, so that the deformation of the pin can be avoided. It has the advantage of forming holes with little deformation in the members used. Further, the head fixing member 20 has a protrusion 31 on the lower surface.
Is provided and engages with the groove 49 of the ink storage container 40, thereby achieving the functions of vertically positioning the ink storage container 40 with respect to the head fixing member 20 and preventing the ink storage container 40 from coming off.

A filter member 23 is provided at the tip of the ink supply pipe 21 of the head fixing member 20, and is pressed against the porous body contained in the ink container 40. The filter member 23 should be joined to the ink supply pipe 21 of the head fixing member 20 so that there is no gap larger than the mesh diameter of the filter member 23 for the purpose of the filter member 23. Therefore, if the filter member itself is not deformed, it may be movable in the pressing direction. Head fixing member 2
0 is often formed by resin molding as described above, and in this case, the head fixing member 20 and the filter member 2 are
The joining with 3 can be easily performed by heat fusion. Further, it is possible to form a sufficiently joined state by insert molding in which the filter member 23 is incorporated during molding.

In FIG. 10B as well, the ink sealing is achieved by the O-ring 24 provided at the base of the ink supply pipe 21. The holding of the ink container 40 by the head fixing member 20 is achieved by engaging a snap hook 32 provided around the ink supply pipe 21 with a hole 50 provided in the ink container 40. This engagement can be released by pushing the snap hook 32 from the hole 50 of the ink container 40, and the head fixing member 20 and the ink container 40 can be separated. Ink storage container 4
By making the hole 50 of 0 have a special shape, the head fixing member 20 and the ink storage container 40 can be separated from each other without special jigs and tools, and the head fixing member 20 and the ink storage container 40 are carelessly separated. Is prevented from being separated.

In FIG. 10C, the head fixing member 2
In order to hold the ink storage container 40 by 0, the pin 52 is provided at the overlapping portion of the head fixing member 20 and the ink storage container 40.
It is performed by fitting. The pin 52 is fitted into the through hole 51 provided in the ink supply passage of the head fixing member 20 and the portion that does not affect the seal of the ink supply passage. When the connection is made in this way, a reliable connection without any play is achieved. In addition, the head fixing member 20 and the ink container 40 cannot be separated unless a special jig or tool for pushing the pin 52 from one side to the other is used, so that the head fixing member 20 and the ink storage container 40 are not separated carelessly.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of an ink jet head cartridge showing another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, three kinds of different inks can be used as in the case of FIG. Therefore, the ink storage container 40 has three storage portions corresponding to the respective inks. When the ink containing container 40 having three containing parts is joined to the head fixing member 20, the ink supply pipe 21 of the head fixing member 20 and the ink discharging part 4 of the ink containing container 40 are joined together.
Positioning with 2 is not easy, and therefore ink may leak from this portion. In this embodiment, the head fixing member 20 and the ink container 40 are connected to each other with reference to FIG.
Pin 3 provided on the head fixing member 20 shown in FIG.
0 and the hole 48 provided in the ink container 40 are fitted together. By using an O-ring (not shown) at the connecting portion between the ink supply pipe 21 and the ink discharge portion 42, a slight positional deviation between the ink supply pipe 21 and the ink discharge portion 42 can be allowed. Ink storage container 4
When replacing 0, the material of the ink container 40 is made to have a low rigidity with respect to the head fixing member 20, so that it can be easily fitted even if the diameter of the hole 48 is smaller than the diameter of the pin 30. However, since the ink container 40 is made of a material that is easily deformed, the ink supply pipe 2
Even if the positions of 1 and the ink discharge portion 42 are slightly deviated from each other, the ink can be coupled without leaking. Further, in this embodiment, the slit 53 is provided between the ink discharge parts of the ink storage container 40.
Is provided so that the position of the ink discharge portion 42 can follow the position of the ink supply pipe 21. Therefore, even if the accuracy of the shape and position of the ink container 40 is considerably low, ink does not leak and there is no problem in terms of function.

The head fixing member 20 is L-shaped as described above.
The character shape is preferable, but the angle between the surface that contacts the carriage and the surface that holds the inkjet head chip 10 is often required to be formed with sufficiently high accuracy. In this embodiment, ribs 33 are provided between the contact surface with the carriage and the bonding surface of the inkjet head chip 10 in order to accurately form the angle. The rib 33 is arranged at a position to be engaged with the above-mentioned slit 53 between the ink discharging portions when the rib 33 is coupled with the ink container 40.
When the shape in which the slit 53 is provided between the ink discharge portions of the ink container 40 is formed by resin injection molding, the slit 53 is easily deformed in the direction of narrowing the slit.
Such deformation can be improved by engaging the rib 33 of the head fixing member 20 with. In addition, since the structure for positioning and coupling is provided in the vicinity of the ink discharge portion of the ink storage container 40, the thickness tends to be thicker than other portions, and when resin injection molding is performed, sink marks are generated and deformation or deformation occurs. It may cause deterioration of dimensional accuracy. The slits 53 between the ink discharge portions as described above can have a shape of meat steal as a measure against such sink marks, and this is also effective.

Although the above-mentioned embodiment describes the ink jet head cartridge using three kinds of ink, the same applies not only when using one kind of ink but also when using two kinds or four kinds or more. It goes without saying that it has an effect.

When the ink jet head cartridge is mounted on the carriage by using the method shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 7, the ink jet head cartridge is positioned and fixed only through the head fixing member. Therefore, neither the positioning means nor the fixing means need be formed in the ink container. Therefore, the shape of the ink storage container can be arbitrarily formed as long as it is within the range of the ink ejection capacity of the inkjet head chip, from low-priced small-capacity ink storage containers to long-life large-capacity ink storage containers. Such as ink storage containers with different capacities, ink storage containers with a shape that matches the form of the inkjet recording device,
An ink storage container can be used according to the purpose or purpose. Further, if the ink jet head chip is in a usable state but the ink has run out, it is possible to replace only the ink storage container without removing the entire ink jet head cartridge from the carriage, and thus the ink jet head cartridge. It is possible to reduce the positional deviation and the deterioration of the positioning means due to the repeated attachment and detachment from the carriage. Furthermore, since the ink storage container is not used for fixing, the rigidity of the ink storage container can be lowered.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of an ink jet head cartridge 2 having a pack-shaped ink storage container 41 formed from such a viewpoint. The inkjet head chip 10 and the head fixing member 20 are positioned by bringing the end surface 18 of the inkjet head chip 10 and the positioning surface 19 of the head fixing member 20 into contact with each other, as in FIG. Further, the positioning between the inkjet head cartridge 2 and the carriage is similar to that of FIG.
Positioning pins 25 are provided on the bottom surface 29 of the head fixing member 20, as is done with the positioning holes of the carriage. The ink storage container is a pack-shaped container 41 made of a material such as an aluminum laminated film, and a portion of the head fixing member 20 on which the ink storage container 41 is installed is formed in a tray shape to hold the ink storage container 41. . An ink supply path is formed by inserting an ink supply needle 22 provided on the head fixing member 20 into an end surface of the ink storage container 41. When such an ink storage container is used, it is not necessary to use a resin-made ink storage container that becomes a waste after use, so that resource saving can be achieved. Further, not only is the ink container self-confident, but also the structure is simple, the cost can be further reduced, and the product can be provided to the consumer at a lower cost.

[0048]

As described above, the ink jet head cartridge and the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention include the ink jet head unit including the ink jet head chip, the head fixing member, and the ink container for accommodating the ink. In an inkjet recording apparatus having a movable carriage on which the inkjet head cartridge is mounted, the head fixing member has an angle L between the surface having the positioning and holding means of the inkjet head chip and the surface in contact with the carriage. Since it is a character-shaped member that is positioned and fixed only by the head fixing member and the carriage, the nozzles of the inkjet head chip and the inkjet recording device can be positioned accurately and reliably. Easily performed and can be fixed head cartridge to the ink jet recording apparatus.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of an inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the inkjet head unit of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of an inkjet head unit of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an inkjet head unit of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the inkjet head cartridge of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the inkjet head cartridge of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of an inkjet head cartridge of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a conventional inkjet head cartridge.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a conventional inkjet head cartridge.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet recording apparatus 2 Inkjet head cartridge 3 Inkjet head unit 10 Inkjet head chip 11 Nozzle plate 12 Flow path plate 13 Pressure chamber plate 14 Driving part 15 Wiring 17 Positioning hole 20 Head fixing member 21 Ink supply pipe 23 Filter member 24 O-ring 25 Positioning pin 26 Positioning protrusion 27 Fixing protrusion 28 Snap hook protrusion 30 Coupling pin 32 Coupling snap hook 40 Ink storage container 42 Ink discharge part 48 Fixing coupling hole 50 Snap hook hole 51 Coupling through hole 52 Coupling pin 60 Carriage 64 inkjet head cartridge positioning hole 65 inkjet head cartridge fixing claw 68 snap hook 71 guide shaft

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location B41J 3/04 102 Z

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An inkjet head unit including an inkjet head chip having a nozzle, a flow path, and a drive section, and a head fixing member having a supply path for supplying ink to the head chip, and a head fixing member of the head unit. An ink jet recording apparatus having an ink jet head cartridge comprising an ink storage container coupled to a head and supplying ink to the head chip through the supply path, and a carriage capable of mounting the cartridge, wherein the head fixing device is provided. The inkjet recording apparatus is characterized in that the member is an L-shaped member in which the surface having the positioning holding means for the head chip and the surface contacting the carriage are formed at an angle. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the head fixing member and the carriage have positioning fixing means for performing positioning and fixing only by the head fixing member and the carriage. 3. The ink jet head chip has a wiring for supplying a recording signal from an ink jet recording apparatus to a drive section, and the wiring is provided on a head fixing member, and the means for positioning the ink jet head cartridge and the carriage. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the inkjet recording apparatus is positioned by. 4. An inkjet head unit including an inkjet head chip having a nozzle, a flow path and a drive section, and a head fixing member having a supply path for supplying ink to the head chip, and a head fixing member of the head unit. An ink jet head cartridge having an ink storage container that is connected to the head chip and supplies ink to the head chip through the supply path, wherein the ink storage container has flexibility.