JPH09193400A - Manufacture of nozzle of electrostatic attraction type ink jet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to constitute a low-cost board layer having a plurality of nozzles of the shape protruding at the ends by forming conductive thin layers on the entire all surfaces of the board layer, mold plate layer, and walls of pores and mold holes, and removing the thin layers of the mold plate layer at the exposed side surface. SOLUTION: In a nozzle head 1 of a board layer, nozzle holes 1a of a plurality of pores are perforated, nickel platings 3 of conductive thin layers are provided to form nozzles N. The nozzles N formed in the holes 1a are continued by the platings 3 on one side surface of the head 1, and integrally formed. The nozzles N protrude from the surface of the head 1 where the platings 3 are not executed to form protrusions Na, the ends of the protrusions Na are opened to inject ink k from here.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrostatic suction type ink jet printer in which an electrode is arranged so as to face a nozzle head having a plurality of heads, and a projection is provided at each nozzle tip of the nozzle head. The present invention relates to a nozzle manufacturing method for providing the nozzle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Ink jet printers are of a type in which bubbles are generated in an ink tank in a nozzle head and ink is ejected by a firing force, or electrodes are arranged facing a nozzle head equipped with nozzles. However, there is a type in which static electricity is generated from a nozzle to an electrode and ink is ejected by its suction force. The latter has an advantage that the ink ejection shape is narrowed down to a conical shape by static electricity, so that details can be printed clearly. In order to ensure a clear ink ejection path by electrostatic suction for clearer and more reliable printing, it is necessary that the path of generation of static electricity from the nozzle tip to the electrode be narrowed. Therefore, it is effective to make the tip of the nozzle protrude from the nozzle head.

[0003]

However, it is difficult to actually provide such a projection at the tip of the nozzle. The method used conventionally is to apply a corrosion resistant plating to a resin-molded nozzle head in which a mold hole of a nozzle up to a protrusion at the tip is formed, and to polish the surface of the nozzle tip side, thereby plating the surface. After removal, the resin is immersed in an organic solvent to dissolve the resin to a certain thickness, leaving the plated part at the tip in a form protruding from the nozzle head. It is difficult to measure the degree of dissolution, and the dissolution does not proceed evenly, which may cause unevenness on the nozzle head surface after dissolution. If there is a nozzle manufacturing method that can easily, accurately, quickly, and at low cost form such a protrusion at the tip of the nozzle, it is possible to provide an inkjet printer that is inexpensive and has excellent printing accuracy.

[0004]

The present invention uses the following means in order to solve the above problems. First of all, a step of forming a large number of small holes in a desired pattern in a substrate layer, and a step of depositing a template layer having a large number of mold holes matching the small holes on one surface of the substrate layer. A step of forming a conductive thin layer on the entire surface of the substrate layer, the template layer, each of the small holes and the template hole; and a step of removing the thin layer on the exposed surface of the template layer, A method for manufacturing a nozzle for an electrostatic suction type inkjet printer, which comprises a step of removing the template layer, is adopted.

Secondly, in the method for manufacturing a nozzle of the electrostatic suction type ink jet printer, the thin layer is removed by polishing and the template layer is removed by a chemical dissolution method.

Thirdly, in the method of manufacturing a nozzle for an electrostatic suction type ink jet printer, the substrate layer is formed by resin molding, and the template layer is gradually reduced in diameter in the thickness direction from the diameter of the small hole. And the thin layer is a nickel-plated layer, and the copper plate is removed with concentrated nitric acid or an alkaline solution.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an inkjet printer, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a nozzle head 1 having a nozzle hole 1a formed therein, and FIG. 3 is a copper plate 2 having a die hole 2a formed in a protruding portion at the tip of the nozzle. 4 is a side sectional view of the nozzle head 1 shown in FIG. 2 and the copper plate 2 shown in FIG. 3 bonded together, and FIG. 5 is a nozzle head 1 shown in FIG.
FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing a state where nickel plating 3 is applied to the entire surface of the copper plate 2, and FIG. 6 shows nickel plating 3 on the surface of the copper plate 2.
FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing a state where the copper plate 2 is removed by polishing, and FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of a nozzle formed by removing the copper plate 2.

First, a schematic structure of an ink jet printer including a completed nozzle structure will be described with reference to FIG.
In the nozzle head 1 which is a substrate layer, a plurality of small holes, that is, the nozzle holes 1a, 1a, are formed.
The nozzle N is formed by applying nickel plating 3 which is a conductive thin layer to the inner wall surface of each a.
Each of the nozzles N formed in a. 1a is made continuous by nickel plating 3 on one surface of the nozzle head 1.
It is formed integrally. Each nozzle N projects from the surface of the nozzle head 1 not plated with nickel 3 to form a protrusion Na.
Has an opening at which the ink K is ejected.

Further, an electrode 4 is formed so as to face the nozzle head 1.
Is provided, and a voltage is applied to each nozzle N to generate a potential difference between the nozzle N and the electrode 4.
A sheet is conveyed between the nozzle head 1 and the electrode 4, ink K is ejected from the opening of the projection Na at the tip of each nozzle N by electrostatic attraction, and printing is performed on the conveyed sheet P. Do it.

Next, a method of manufacturing the nozzle head 1 having the nozzles N · N ... First, as shown in FIG. 2, a nozzle head 1 (for example, a thickness of 2 mm) having a plurality of cylindrical nozzle holes 1a, 1a ... (for example, a diameter of 0.7 mm) is formed by resin molding. Since this is resin molding, it is easy to process and can be manufactured at low cost.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the copper plate 2, which is a template layer, for forming the template holes 2a, 2a, ... Each mold hole 2a of the copper plate 2 is bonded to the mold surface of No. 1
Is connected to each nozzle hole 1 a of the nozzle head 1. Each die hole 2 has substantially the same diameter (for example, 0.3 mm) as the diameter of the nozzle hole 1a of the nozzle head 1 on the bonding surface, and has a small diameter on the opposite side, that is, on the surface opening. It is tapered and has a tapered shape.

Nozzle head 1 constructed by bonding in this way
As shown in FIG. 5, nickel plating 3 is applied to the entire surface of the copper plate 2 (for example, the thickness is 0.02 mm). Therefore, the nickel plating 3 is applied to the entire surface of the nozzle head 1 and the copper plate 2 in an integrally continuous state. The nozzle N is formed by nickel plating 3 in each nozzle hole 1a. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the nickel-plated portion 3a on the surface of the copper plate 2 is removed by polishing. That is, in the copper plate 2, the surface of the copper plate 2 is exposed except for the portion where the nickel plating 3 is applied in each mold hole 2a.

The nickel head-plated nozzle head 1 and copper plate 2 are then immersed in an etching solution. As an etching solution, concentrated nitric acid or an alkali solution such as aqueous ammonia or an alkali cyanide solution is used. The resin forming the nozzle head 1 does not dissolve in acid or alkali. In the case of concentrated nitric acid, copper is well dissolved, but in the case of nickel, it forms a passive state and is not dissolved. Also, in the case of ammonia water or an alkali cyanide solution,
Nickel does not dissolve, but copper forms a complex salt and dissolves well. Therefore, when immersed in such an etching solution, the copper plate 2 is entirely dissolved and the nickel-plated portion in the mold hole 2a of the copper plate 2 remains, which forms the protrusion Na at the nozzle tip. , Nozzle head 1
The surface on the nozzle tip side of No. 2 is exposed after the copper plate 2 is melted, but this surface is not melted. Thus, finally, as shown in FIG. 7, the tip of the nozzle is in a state of protruding from the surface of the nozzle head 1 as the protrusion Na.

[0014]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION Since the present invention has the following manufacturing method, it has the following effects. That is, by using the method according to the first aspect, a substrate layer (nozzle head) having a plurality of nozzles each having a protruding tip can be configured quickly, easily, and at low cost. Therefore, it contributes to the provision of a low-priced inkjet printer.

Further, by using the method as claimed in claim 2, after the conductive thin layer forming step (plating step) and the exposed thin surface of the template layer is removed by polishing the surface thin layer. Is
The template layer is removed only by immersing it in a solution and chemically dissolving it, and a thin layer formed on the inner wall of the template hole of the template layer is projected from the substrate layer as a nozzle tip. ,
The nozzle having such a shape can be easily manufactured.

Further, by using the method according to claim 3, the substrate layer (nozzle head) formed by resin molding or a nickel-plated thin layer is formed by dipping the template layer in the concentrated nitric acid or alkaline solution after surface polishing. However, only the copper plate of the template layer is dissolved in the alkaline solution, so that the tip of the nozzle can be easily and quickly projected from the surface of the substrate layer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an inkjet printer.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a nozzle head 1 having a nozzle hole 1a formed therein.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a copper plate 2 in which a mold hole 2a of a protrusion at the tip of a nozzle is formed.

4 is a nozzle head 1 shown in FIG. 2 and a copper plate 2 shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a state in which is bonded.

5 is a side sectional view showing a state where nickel plating 3 is applied to the entire surfaces of the nozzle head 1 and the copper plate 2 shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing a state where the nickel plating 3 on the surface of the copper plate 2 is removed by polishing.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of a nozzle formed by removing the copper plate 2.

[Explanation of symbols]

 N Nozzle Na Projection K Ink P Paper 1 Nozzle Head 1a Nozzle Hole 2 Copper Plate 2a Type Hole 3 Nickel Plating 4 Electrode

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A step of forming a large number of small holes in a desired pattern in a substrate layer, and a step of depositing a template layer having a large number of mold holes matching the small holes on one surface of the substrate layer. A step of forming a conductive thin layer on the entire surface of the substrate layer, the template layer, each of the small holes and the template hole; and a step of removing the thin layer on the exposed surface of the template layer, A method of manufacturing a nozzle for an electrostatic suction type inkjet printer, comprising the step of removing the template layer. 2. A method for manufacturing a nozzle for an electrostatic suction type ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein the thin layer is removed by polishing and the template layer is removed by a chemical dissolution method. A method for manufacturing a nozzle of an electrosuction type inkjet printer. 3. The method for manufacturing a nozzle for an electrostatic attraction type ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein the substrate layer is formed by resin molding, and the template layer is gradually reduced in diameter in a thickness direction from a diameter of the small hole. The method for manufacturing a nozzle for an electrostatic suction type inkjet printer, wherein the thin plate is constituted by a nickel plate layer, and the copper plate is removed by concentrated nitric acid or an alkaline solution.