JPH09254399A - Ink jet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink jet recording apparatus preventing the drying of the ink of a nozzle part, good in workability of the bonding seal work of the auxiliary plate bonded to an ink jet recording head in order to remove air bubbles in ink passages, excellent in ink emitting characteristics and high in reliability. SOLUTION: The escape groove 33 of an adhesive seal agent 32 is provided to the surface to which an auxiliary plate 3 is bonded of a head 2. Since the escape groove 33 absorbs the excessive adhesive seal agent 32, the adhesive seal agent 32 is prevented from reaching each of ink nozzle orifices 27. This escape groove 33 is pref. provided at the central positions between the ink nozzle orifices 27 at every ink nozzle orifices 27 and at the positions of an equal distance from both ends of the ink nozzle orifice part at both ends.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus for recording ink by ejecting ink as small droplets from a nozzle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example of an on-demand type ink jet recording head (hereinafter abbreviated as a head), and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an essential part of an ink jet recording apparatus using this head. . The head 2 has a plurality of ink supply paths 24, ink pressurizing chambers 25, and ink nozzles 26 on both sides of a flow path substrate 21 having grooves serving as ink flow paths.
The vibrating plate 22 is integrally joined to form an ink flow path, and the piezoelectric element 23 is joined to the surface of the vibrating plate 22 corresponding to the ink pressurizing chamber 25 with an adhesive. When a predetermined pulse voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element 23, the piezoelectric element expands and contracts to vibrate the vibrating plate 22, causing the pressure inside the ink pressurizing chamber 25 to change abruptly. Then, the ink is ejected in a droplet form from the ink nozzle port 27.

An ink jet recording apparatus using such a head 2 is equipped with a head 2, an ink tank 1 for supplying ink to the head 2, an auxiliary plate 3 for protecting an ink nozzle port 27 of the head 2, and these components. However, air bubbles and foreign substances are mixed into the carriage 5, the platen 6 for feeding the paper 7 and the head 2, which are fitted in the guide shaft 4 so as to be movable along the guide shaft 4, and the ink nozzle port 27 is dried. When an abnormal state is caused in the ink ejection state, the ink is sucked together with the auxiliary plate 3 and the ink nozzle opening is used.
A close contact cap 8 for preventing the drying of 27, a close contact cap moving means, an ink suction means 9 and the like are provided.

The carriage 5 carrying the head 2 is
The carriage is moved in the main scanning direction along the guide shaft 4 by a carriage moving means (not shown). In synchronization with the movement of the carriage 5, the head 2 ejects ink droplets according to a signal from a control circuit (not shown) to record the ink on a sheet.
In such an ink jet recording apparatus, if air bubbles or foreign matter are mixed in the head 2 or the ink in the ink nozzle openings 27 is dried, recording becomes unstable, and in some cases recording may be impossible. In such a case,
The close contact cap 8 is pressed against the auxiliary plate 3 by the close contact cap moving means to make a closed state, the inside of the close contact cap 5 is made into a negative pressure state by the ink suction means, and bubbles, foreign matter or dry ink in the head is passed through the ink nozzle 26. Is removed by suction to restore the ink ejection function. Therefore, in order to keep the inside of the close contact cap 5 in a hermetically sealed state, it is important that the joint between the head 2 and the auxiliary plate 3 is in a hermetically sealed state.

The conventional method for joining the head 2 and the auxiliary plate 3 is as follows.
An adhesive seal groove 31 is provided on one side of the joining surface of the auxiliary plate 3, and an adhesive seal agent 32 is supplied from this groove for adhesive sealing. In this case, the adhesive seal groove 31 is provided on the opposite side of the ink nozzle opening 27 in order to prevent the ink nozzle opening 27 from being blocked with the adhesive sealant 32. As the adhesive sealant 32, a silicone-based adhesive having excellent sealability and ink resistance is used. In order to ensure a completely closed state, it is necessary that the adhesive sealant 32 spreads sufficiently over the adhesive surface, and therefore, if the viscosity of the adhesive sealant 32 is lowered, there is a risk of reaching the ink nozzle opening 27. .
Since the opening surface of the ink nozzle port 27 of the head 2 and the lower surface of the auxiliary plate 3 are sometimes wiped for cleaning, they are usually bonded so as to be flush with each other. Therefore, the distance between the adhesive surface and the ink nozzle port 27 is very short, so that the head 2
Even if the opening surface of the ink nozzle opening 27 of the above is subjected to water repellent treatment, if the adhesive sealant 32 accumulates at the end of the adhesive surface, the probability that the adhesive sealant 32 reaches the ink nozzle opening 27 Will be higher. Even if one tries to avoid this danger by controlling the viscosity of the adhesive sealant 32 and the clearance between the head 2 and the auxiliary plate 3, it is very difficult to reliably prevent the adhesive sealant from reaching the ink nozzle port 27. .

[0006]

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the workability of the adhesive seal between the head 2 and the auxiliary plate 3 is good, and the adhesive sealability is a low viscosity. Adhesive sealant 32 can be used and the ink nozzle port
An object is to ensure an adhesive seal structure of the head 2 and the auxiliary plate 3 without the risk of the adhesive sealant 32 reaching the 27.

[0007]

In order to solve this problem, in the present invention, the escape groove 33 of the adhesive sealant 32 is provided on the ink nozzle port 27 side of the surface where the auxiliary plate 3 is adhered to the head 2. Is provided. Escape groove 33 for adhesive sealant 32
By providing the above, even when the amount of the adhesive sealant 32 exceeds an appropriate amount, the excess adhesive sealant 32 is absorbed in the escape groove 33, and the adhesive sealant 32 is prevented from reaching the ink nozzle opening 27. be able to.

Further, the escape grooves 33 for the adhesive sealant 32 are provided at the central position between the ink nozzle openings 27 and at the same distances at both ends. Escape groove 33 for adhesive sealant 32
Even if the adhesive sealant 32 accumulates in the escape groove 33, the probability that the influence of the adhesive sealant 32 on the ink nozzle opening 27 is reduced by separating the ink from the ink nozzle opening 27.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The point of the present invention is to provide an auxiliary plate 3
The adhesive surface of the head 2 has a portion close to the ink nozzle opening 27, and the adhesive sealing agent 32 collects in that portion to prevent the adhesive sealing agent 32 from reaching the ink nozzle opening 27. Therefore, an escape groove 33 for the adhesive sealant 32 is provided on the ink nozzle port 27 side of the surface of the auxiliary plate 3 to which the head 2 is adhered, and the excess adhesive sealant 32 is absorbed in the escape groove 33. Since the escape groove 33 is a portion that absorbs excess adhesive sealant 32, it is provided for each ink nozzle port 27 and at the same time,
It is necessary not to get too close to the ink nozzle port 27.

Examples will be described below.

[0011]

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of an auxiliary plate 3 when FIG. 1 is viewed from below. In FIG.
The same parts as are shown in the same parts. The basic structure is exactly the same as that of the conventional technique, and therefore its explanation is omitted. The part different from the conventional one will be described.

The auxiliary plate 3 is made of a modified polyphenylene ether having excellent ink resistance and adhesiveness with a silicone-based adhesive sealant. Adhesive seal groove 31 is formed in the same manner as above, and 0.2 mm in the direction parallel to the surface, 1 mm in the direction perpendicular to the surface, and 0.2 mm in depth at the bottom of the joint surface on the ink nozzle port 27 side.
As shown in FIG. 2, escape grooves 33 for the adhesive sealant are provided at the central portion between the ink nozzle openings 27 and at both ends. The clearance between the head 2 and the joint surface of the auxiliary plate 3 is 20 on both sides.
μm, and the diameter of the ink nozzle port 27 of the head 2 is 0.05
mm, the pitch is 0.7 mm.

When the auxiliary plate 3 and the head 2 are combined as shown in FIG. 1 and a silicone adhesive sealant 32 having a viscosity of 50 poise is supplied to the adhesive seal groove 31 for adhesive sealing, the adhesive sealant 32 is adhered. It was possible to obtain a desired adhesive seal without reaching the surface of the ink nozzle 27 of the head 2 by adhesively hardening it in a state having a concave surface in the escape groove 33.

In the description of the prior art and the embodiments, the case of an on-demand type ink jet recording head has been explained, but the present invention is also effective for other types of ink jet recording heads.

[0015]

According to the present invention, since the escape groove 33 for the adhesive sealant 32 is provided on the surface of the auxiliary plate 3 on the ink nozzle port 27 side, the adhesive sealant 32 is used for the ink nozzle port 27 of the head 2.
It is possible to provide a highly reliable inkjet recording apparatus which has excellent ink ejection characteristics and which does not reach the temperature.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a main part of an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an auxiliary plate used in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of an on-demand type ink jet recording head.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of an inkjet recording apparatus according to a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Ink Tank 2 Head 21 Channel Board 25 Ink Pressurizing Chamber 22 Vibration Plate 26 Ink Nozzle 23 Piezoelectric Element 27 Ink Nozzle Port 24 Ink Supply Channel 3 Auxiliary Plate 31 Adhesive Seal Groove 33 Escape Groove 32 Adhesive Sealant 4 Guide Shaft 5 Carriage 6 Platen 7 Paper 8 Adhesion Cap 9 Adhesion Cap Moving Means and Ink Suction Means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An ink-jet recording head and an ink-jet recording head for covering the ink nozzle opening of the ink-jet recording head to prevent drying of the ink nozzle opening and sucking ink when necessary, by an adhesive sealant. In an ink jet recording apparatus provided with an auxiliary plate, a contact cap, a contact cap moving means, and an ink suction means, an adhesive sealant is provided on the ink nozzle port side of the surface of the auxiliary plate to which the ink jet recording head is adhered. An ink jet recording apparatus characterized in that a relief groove is provided. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the escape groove for the adhesive sealant is provided at the center position between the ink nozzle openings and at the same distance from both ends. Inkjet recording device.