KR950010439B1 - Inkjet head and inkjet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

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Description

Inkjet recording head and inkjet recording apparatus using the same

1 is a perspective view of an ink jet head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is an exploded perspective view of the ink jet cartridge.

3 is a perspective view illustrating the assembly of the cartridge of FIG.

4 is a perspective view illustrating an installation portion of the ink jet unit.

5 is an illustration of the installation of the cartridge.

6 shows an appearance of the device according to the invention.

7 is a graph of thermal temperature and printing period.

8 and 9 are perspective views of a device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

10 is a perspective view of a conventional apparatus.

The present invention relates to an ink jet recording head and an ink jet recording apparatus using the ink jet recording head, wherein the ink jet recording head is provided with an integrated ink ejector for ejecting a recording liquid (ink) and an ink container for containing ink.

In an ink jet recording head with an integrated ink ejector and ink container, the ink ejector includes an energy generating member for ejecting a recording liquid (ink), and the container contains ink to be supplied.

10 shows an example of an ink jet recording head having an ink container 1. It contains a porous material 2 filled with ink. Ink is mainly supplied by the capillary phenomenon of the ink passage extending from the invisible source to the ink ejecting portion. From the casting assembly of the printer, a printing signal is supplied from the electrical contact portion 6 on the printed circuit board 6B to the recording head via the electrical contact portion 6A.

The pulse voltage is then applied to a heater (energy generating element) disposed near the ink emitting portion, and correspondingly the recording liquid is discharged. The recording liquid consumed by recording is supplied from the container by capillary action in the ink passage adjacent to the discharge portion.

When the ink container is closed, the consumption of the recording liquid creates a vacuum in the ink container. Soon, the vacuum becomes too high and hinders ink ejection. To avoid this, the ink container is provided with an air vent for communication between the inside of the ink container and the atmosphere, and the air vent is indicated by reference numeral 5a.

The electrical contact 6 on the printed circuit board 6B is covered by the ink container housing as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the upper portion of the electrical contact portion is covered by the ink container housing so that the installation portion is not visible, so that operability is not good when the ink jet recording head is installed on the main assembly of the printer. In addition, since the upper portion of the ink ejecting portion is covered, permeability is not good as a result of heat accumulating to such an extent that the temperature rise range of the recording head prevents ink ejection with long term use.

According to the present invention, the window is formed in the ink container housing at one point on the electrical contact portion and on the ink ejection portion, so that the electrical contact portion can be easily identified when the ink jet recording head is installed on the printer, thereby improving operability.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a slit-shaped window is provided, which improves permeability at the unit ejection portion and suppresses the temperature rise of the ink ejection portion.

These and other objects, features, and advantages will become more apparent by describing the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 through 6 illustrate an ink jet unit (IJU), an ink jet head (IJH), an ink container (IT), an ink jet cartridge (IJC), and a head carriage HC of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. And the main assembly (IJRA) and the relationship between them. The structure of each element will be described below.

As can be seen from the perspective view of FIG. 3, the inkjet cartridge IJC in this embodiment has a relatively large ink receiving space and the end of the inkjet unit IJU is from the front surface of the ink container IT. Slightly protruding

The inkjet cartridge IJC can be installed in the correct position on the cartridge HC (Fig. 5) of the inkjet recording apparatus main assembly IJRA by means of an electrical contact portion and an appropriate positioning member which will be described later. In this embodiment, there is a disposable head detachably mounted on the cartridge AC.

The structures disclosed in FIGS. 2-6 have several new features to be described.

(i) Inkjet Unit (IJU)

An ink jet unit (IJU) is a bubble jet recording type that uses an electrothermal transducer that generates thermal energy in response to an electrical signal to make film boiling of ink.

Referring to FIG. 2, the unit is composed of a heater plate 100 having electrothermal transducers (emission heaters) arranged in lines on a Si substrate, and an electrical lead wire made of aluminum or the like to supply electric power. Electrothermal transducers and electrical leads are formed by a film forming process.

The wiring board 200 is connected to the heater plate 100 and has a pad 201 disposed at the end of the wiring to receive electrical signals from the heater plate 100 (eg, by wire bonding technology) and the main assembly of the recording device. The wiring corresponding to the wiring is included.

The top plate 1300 is provided with grooves defining a partition wall separating the common liquid chamber and the adjacent ink passage, respectively, for receiving ink to be supplied to the ink passage. The top plate 1300 is an orifice plate 400 having an ink jet opening 1500 for accommodating ink supplied from the ink container IT and for directing the ink toward the common chamber, and a plurality of discharge outlets corresponding to the ink passages. It is formed integrally with The material of the integral mold is preferably made of polysulfone, but other molding resin materials are possible.

The support member 300 is made of metal, for example, and functions to support the rear of the wiring board 200 in a plane, and the ink jet unit IJU constitutes a bottom plate.

The confining spring 500 is of the "M" type with a central portion which presses toward the common chamber at light pressure. The clamp 501 intensively pressurizes at a portion of the liquid passage, preferably at a line pressure, to an adjacent portion of the discharge outlet. The confinement spring 500 has a leg for clamping the top plate 1300 and the heater plate 100 by penetrating through the opening 3121 of the support plate 300 to engage the rear surface of the support plate 300. Therefore, the heater plate 100 and the upper plate 1300 are clamped by the pressing force concentrated by the clamp 501 and the leg of the spring 500. The support plate 300 has positioning openings 312, 1900, 2000 that engage the positioning and fuse-fixing protrusions 1800, 1801 of the ink container IT and the two positioning protrusions 1012. It also includes protrusions 2500 and 2600 at the rear side for positioning relative to the cartridge HC of the main assembly IJRA.

In addition, the support member 300 is provided with a hole 320 through which the ink supply pipe 2200, which will be described later, penetrates to supply ink from the ink container. The wiring board 200 is provided on the supporting member 300 by a binder or the like. The support member 300 has recesses 2400 and 2400 adjacent to the positioning protrusions 2500 and 2600.

As shown in FIG. 3, the assembled inkjet cartridge IJC has three face head protrusions with a plurality of parallel grooves 3000, 3001.

Recesses 2400 and 2400 are located in extensions of parallel grooves at the top and bottom surfaces to prevent ink or foreign matter from reaching projections 2500 and 2600 along the grooves. The covering member 800 has a parallel groove portion 3000 as shown in FIG. 5 and the ink jet cartridge IJC constitutes an outer casing and defines ink to limit the space for accommodating the ink jet unit IJU. Cooperate with courage An ink supply member 600 having a parallel groove 3001 has an ink conduit pipe 1600 that communicates with the ink supply pipe 2200 described above and is cantilevered on the supply pipe 2200 side.

In order to ensure the capillary phenomenon on the fixed side of the ink conduit pipe 1600 and the ink supply pipe 2200, a sealing pin 602 is inserted.

The gasket 601 seals the connection portion between the ink container IT and the supply pipe 2200. The filter 700 is disposed at the container side end of the supply pipe. The ink supply member 600 is molded and therefore the cost is low while maintaining high positional accuracy. In addition, the cantilever structure of the conduit 1600 ensures a pressurized connection between the conduit 1600 and the ink inlet 1500 even though the ink supply member 600 is mass produced.

In this embodiment, the complete communication state is simply and reliably obtained by flowing the sealing binder from the ink supply member side under the pressure contact portion state. The ink supply member 600 inserts and penetrates the rear surface pin (not shown) of the ink supply member 600 through the openings 1901 and 1902 of the support member 300, and the pins of the support member 300 are inserted into the ink supply member 600. The portion protruding through the rear surface is fixed to the support member 300 by heat-fusing.

Some heat-fusing protrusions are accommodated in a recess (not shown) in the ink jet unit IJU that installs the side surface of the ink container IT so that the unit IJU can be accurately positioned.

(ii) ink container (IT)

The ink container is composed of the main body 1000, the ink absorbing material and the cover member 1100. The ink absorbing material 900 is inserted into the main body 1000 from the side facing the unit IJU installation side, and as a result, the cover member 1100 seals the main body.

The ink absorbing material 900 is disposed on the main body 1000. The ink supply port 1200 functions to supply ink to the ink jet unit IJU composed of the above-mentioned parts 100-600, and the unit IJU is installed in the part 1010 of the main body. It serves as an ink injection inlet that allows the initial ink to be supplied to the absorbent material 900 before.

In this embodiment, the ink can be supplied through the air vent pot and the supply opening. The rib 2300 is formed on the inner surface of the main body 1000 for good supply of ink, and the ribs 2301 and 2302 are formed inside the cover member 1100, which is ink from the air vent port side. It is effective to provide an ink present portion in the ink container which extends continuously from the supply opening 1200 to the corner portion of the main body farthest. Therefore, it is preferable that ink is supplied through the supply opening 1200 in order to distribute the ink uniformly in the proper order. This ink supply method is actually effective. In the present embodiment, the number of ribs 2300 is four, and the ribs 2300 extend in parallel with the direction of movement of the carriage adjacent to the rear side of the main body of the ink container, whereby the absorbent material 900 is mainly Close contact with the inner surface of the rear side of the body is prevented. Ribs 2301 and 2302 are formed on the inner surface of the cover member 1100 at positions that are actually extensions of the ribs 2300, but in contrast to the large ribs 2300, the sizes of the ribs 2301 and 2302 are ribbed. When divided, the smaller it is, the larger the air space is taken by the ribs 2301 and 2302 than by the ribs 2300. Ribs 2302 and 2301 are distributed over the entire area of cover member 1100 and this area is no greater than half of the total area. Because of the provision of the ribs, the ink at the corner of the ink absorbing material furthest from the supply opening can be stably and reliably supplied to the inlet opening by capillary action. The cartridge is equipped with an air vent port to communicate the inside and outside air of the cartridge. In the vent pot 1400, there is a waterproof 1400 to prevent the inner ink from leaking to the outside through the vent pot 1400.

The ink receiving space in the ink container (IT) is a rectangular horizontal pipe and the longitudinal direction faces the direction of cartridge movement. The rib device is therefore particularly effective. The ribs are preferably formed on the entire inner surface of the cover member 1100 to stabilize the ink supply from the ink absorbent material 900 when the longitudinal direction extends along the direction of movement of the cartridge, or when the ink receiving space is cuboid. do. The cubic shape is preferable in view of receiving as much ink as possible in a limited space. However, from the point of view of using ink with minimal application in the ink container, the provision of ribs tongued on two sides forms a corner.

In this embodiment, the inner ribs 2301 and 2302 of the ink container IT are uniformly distributed in the thickness direction of the ink absorbing material having a rectangular flat pipe shape. This structure is important because the air pressure distribution in the ink container IT becomes uniform when the ink in the absorbent material is consumed, so that the amount of unapplied ink remaining is actually zero. Since the ambient air pressure is quickly set for the ink absorbing material appearing outside the circular arc, it is centered on the protrusion on the ink supply opening 1200 on the upper surface of the rectangular ink absorbing material, and has the same radius as the rectangular length surface. Preferably, the ribs are disposed on the outer surface of the circular arc. The position of the air vent of the ink container IT is not limited to the position of this embodiment if it is preferable that the ambient air flows into the position where the ribs are arranged.

In this embodiment, the rear surface of the ink jet cartridge IJC is flat, and therefore the space required when installed in the apparatus is minimized while maintaining maximum ink capacity. Therefore, the size of the device can be reduced, and at the same time the frequency of cartridge replacement is minimized.

It is a projection for the air vent pot 1401 that uses the space behind the space used to equalize the ink jet unit IJU. The inside of the protrusion is actually empty, and the empty space 1402 serves to supply air into the ink container 1402 uniformly in the thickness direction of the absorbent material. These features described above make the cartridge as a whole better than conventional cartridges. The air supply space 1402 is larger than the conventional cartridge. In addition, the air vent pot 1401 is in the upper portion, and therefore, if the ink leaves the absorbent material for some reason, the air supply space 1402 temporarily retains the ink to allow the ink to be absorbed back into the absorbent material. You can. Therefore, waste of ink is saved.

Referring to FIG. 4, the structure of the surface of the ink container IT in which the unit IJU is installed is shown. Two positioning protrusions 1012 are on line L1, which is the line passing through the actual center of the arrangement of the outlet outlets at orifice plate 400. It is also parallel to the bottom surface of the ink container IT and parallel to the ink container supporting reference surface of the cartridge.

The height of the protrusion 1012 is slightly smaller than the thickness of the support member 300 and the protrusion 1012 functions to accurately position the support member 300. In this figure there is a tooth detent 2100 to which the orthogonal engagement surface of the carriage positioning hook 4001 is engaged on an extension (right). Therefore, the positioning force of the ink jet unit against the cartridge acts on a plane parallel to the reference plane including the line L1. These relationships are equally important with the positioning accuracy of the ejection outlet of the recording head, where the accuracy of the ink container positioning will be explained in relation to the fifth degree.

The protrusions 1800 and 1801 corresponding to the fixing holes 1900 and 2000 for fixing the support member 300 to the surface of the ink container IT are longer than the protrusion 1012, so that they penetrate through the support member 300. The protrusion is fused to fix the support member 300 to the side surface.

Shown is when line L3 passes perpendicular to line L1 through protrusion 1800 and when line L2 passes perpendicular to line L1 through protrusion 1801. The center of the feed opening 1200 is actually on line L3, and the connection between the feed opening 1200 and the feed time 2200 is stable and strained so that even if the cartridge falls, or an impact is applied to the cartridge, Even if given, the force applied to the joint can be minimized. In addition, since the lines L2 and L3 do not overlap and the protrusions 1800 and 1801 are disposed adjacent to the protrusion 1012 closer to the ink discharge outlet of the ink jet head, the positioning of the ink jet unit with respect to the ink container is Is further improved. In this figure, the curve L4 indicates the position of the outer wall of the ink supply member 600 when installed. Since the protrusions 1800 and 1801 follow the curve L4, the protrusions effectively provide the accuracy of positioning and sufficient mechanical strength with respect to the weight of the end structure of the head IJH.

The tip protrusion 2700 of the ink container IT is engaged with a hole formed in the front plate 000 of the cartridge to prevent the ink cartridge from being located at the outermost position. The stopper 2101 is coupled to an unshown rod of the carriage HC, and when the cartridge IJC is rotated and installed correctly, as will be described later, the stopper 2101 is located under the rod, so that Although the upward force to release the cartridge is applied unnecessarily, the correct installation state is maintained. After the ink container IT is installed, it is covered with a cover 800. The unit (IJC) is wrapped around except for the floor. However, the bottom opening allows the cartridge IJC to be installed on the carriage HC and is close to the carriage HC, so that the inkjet unit is actually enclosed on six sides. Therefore, heat generation from the inkjet head IJH in the enclosed space is effective to maintain the temperature of the enclosed space. However, when the cartridge IJC is operated continuously for a long time, the temperature increases slightly. With respect to the temperature increase, the upper surface of the cartridge IJC is provided with a slit 1700 having a width smaller than that of the enclosed space, whereby natural heat radiation is increased to prevent the temperature rise, while the whole unit IJU The uniform temperature distribution of is not affected by ambient conditions.

After the ink jet cartridge IJC is assembled, the ink is supplied from the inside of the cartridge through the supply opening 1200, the opening 320 of the support member 300, and the inlet formed in the rear surface of the ink supply member 600. Supplied to the chamber in member 600. Ink from the chamber of the ink supply member 600 is supplied to the common chamber through the ink inlet 1500, the supply pipe and the outlet formed in the upper plate 1300. The connection portion for ink communication is sealed by silicone rubber or butyl rubber to ensure a sealing seal.

In this embodiment, the top plate 1300 is made of a resin material resistant to ink, such as polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylene oxide, polypropylene. It is molded integrally with the orifice plate portion 400.

As described above, the integral part is composed of the ink supply member 600, the upper plate 1300, the orifice plate 400, the parts integral with them, and the ink container body 1000. Therefore, the precision of assembly is improved and mass production is easy. The number of parts is smaller than that of the conventional apparatus, so that good performance is ensured.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the post-assembly shape is such that the upper portion 603 of the ink supply member 600 forms the slit S, as shown in Fig. 3. It is intended to cooperate with the upper end with the slit 1700. To form a slit (not shown) similar to the slot S, the bottom portion 604 cooperates with the transfer surface end 4011 of the thin plate to which the bottom cover 800 of the ink container IT is coupled. The slit between the ink container IT and the ink supply member 600 is effective to increase thermal radiation, and prevents the expected pressure that the ink container IT directly affects the supply member or the ink jet unit IJU. It is effective to The various structures described above are individually effective in providing each advantage, and they are more effective when combined with each other.

(iii) installing the inkjet cartridge (IJC) into the carriage (HC),

In FIG. 5, the flat roller 5000 guides the upper branch recording medium P from the bottom. The carriage HC moves along the flat roller 5000. The carriage HC is comprised of the front plate 4000, the support plate 4003 for electrical connection, and the positioning hook 4001. The front plate 4000 has a thickness of 2 mm and is arranged closer to the flat roller.

The front plate 4000 is disposed closely to the front surface of the ink jet cartridge IJC when the cartridge IJC is installed in the carriage. The support plate 403 supports the flexible sheet 4005 having a pad 2011 corresponding to the pad 201 of the wiring board 200 of the ink jet cartridge IJC, and supports the rear surface of the flexible sheet 4005. A rubber pad sheet 4007 for generating an elastic force pressed against the pad 2001 is supported. The positioning hook 4001 serves to fix the ink jet cartridge IJC in the recording position. The front plate 4000 is provided with two positioning protrusion surfaces 4010 corresponding to the positioning protrusions 2500 and 2600 of the support member 300 of the cartridge. After the cartridge is installed, the front plate receives the force in a direction perpendicular to the protruding surface 4010. Therefore, a plurality of reinforcing leads (not shown) extend in the direction of the force on the flat roller side of the front plate. The ribs project slightly (about 0.1 mm) toward the flat roller from the front surface position L5 when the cartridge IJC is installed, and therefore they function as head protection protrusions. The support plate 4003 is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs 4004 extending in the direction perpendicular to the front plate ribs. The reinforcing rib 4004 has a height that decreases from the plate roller side to the hook 4001 side. By this, the cartridge is inclined as shown in FIG. 5 when installed.

The support plate 4003 is provided with two additional positioning surfaces 4006 in the lower left portion, ie in a position closer to the hook. The positioning surface 4006 corresponds to the protruding surface 4010 by an additional positioning surface 4006, and the cartridge exerts a force in the opposite direction from the force received by the cartridge by the positioning protruding surface 4010 described above. To make the electrical contact stable. Between the upper and lower protruding surfaces 4010, pad contact regions are disposed such that the amount of deformation of the protrusions of the rubber sheet 4007 corresponding to the pads 2011 is determined. When the cartridge IJC is fixed in the recording position, the positioning surface is in contact with the surface of the supporting member 300. In this embodiment, the pad 201 of the support member 300 is distributed so as to be symmetrical with respect to the line L1 thereof, so that the amount of deformation of each protrusion of the rubber sheet 4007 is determined by the pads 2011 and 201. It is made uniform to stabilize the contact pressure. In this embodiment, the pads 201 are arranged in two columns and two rows of top and bottom.

The hook 4001 is provided with a long hole that is coupled to the fixing pin 4009. By using the movable range provided by the long hole, the hook 4001 is rotated counterclockwise, and then moved to the left along the flat roller 5000, whereby the inkjet cartridge IJC is moved to the carriage HC. To be located. This movable mechanism of the hook 4001 is achieved by another structure, but it is preferable to use a lever or the like.

During the rotation of the hook 4001, the cartridge IJC moves from the position shown in FIG. 5 to the position toward the flat surface, and the positioning protrusions 2500 and 2600 are positioned at which they engage the positioning surface 4010. To come. And the hook 4001 moves to the left, such that the hook surface 4002 is in contact with the tooth detent of the cartridge IJC, and the ink cartridge IJC has a positioning surface 2500 and a positioning protrusion 4010 in a horizontal plane. Rotation with respect to the contact between and causes the pads 201 and 2011 to contact each other. When the hook 4001 is locked, i.e. held in a locked or locked position, thereby between the pads 201 and 2011, between the positioning positions 2500 and 4010, the standing surface 4002 and the tooth detent The contacts are completed at the same time between the standing surfaces and between the support member 300 and the positioning surface 4006, and therefore the cartridge IJC is completely installed on the carriage.

(iv) general arrangement of devices

6 is a perspective view of an ink jet recording apparatus IJRA in which the present invention is used.

The lead screw 5005 rotates through the drive transmission gears 5011 and 5009 by the forward and backward rotation of the drive motor 5013. The lead screw 5005 has a helical groove 5004 to which the pins (not shown) of the carriage HC are coupled, whereby the carriage HC reciprocates in the directions a and b. The sheet regulating plate 5000 regulates the sheet on the flat roller that exceeds the carriage movement range. The groove position detecting members 5007 and 5008 are in the form of photocouplers to detect the presence of the lever 5006 of the carriage, and the rotation direction of the motor 5013 is correspondingly changed. The supporting member 5016 supports the front surface of the recording head in the capping member 5022 to cap the recording head. The absorbing member 5015 functions to absorb the recording head through the opening 5023 of the cap to recover the recording head.

The cleaning braid 5017 is moved back and forth by the moving member 5019. These are supported on the support frame 5018 of the main assembly of the device. Braids are possible in other forms, more particularly known cleaning braids. The lever 5021 is effective for starting the absorption recovery action, and moves by the movement of the cam 5020 coupled with the carriage, and the driving force from the drive motor is controlled by a known transmission member such as a clutch or the like.

Capping, cleaning, and absorbing action can be performed in this embodiment when the carriage is in the home position by the lead screw 5005. However, the present invention can be used in other types of systems where these actions are implemented at different timings. Each structure is advantageous and in addition their combination is more preferred.

Referring to Figure 1, a first embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. 1 is an ink container, 2 is a porous material containing ink in the ink container, and 4 is an ink ejector having an energy generating member which is formed integrally with the container 1 and generates energy for releasing ink; 5 shows a cap for capping an air vent for communication between the interior of the ink container 1 and the atmosphere; 6 represents an electrical contact for receiving a printing signal from a casting assembly of the printer; 7 shows a window for allowing installation of the ink jet recording head in the casting assembly of the printer.

When an electrical signal is supplied from the main assembly of the printer through the electrical contact portion 6, the recording liquid (ink) is discharged through the ejector 4 in accordance with the signal so that recording is performed on the recording sheet or paper.

Ink is supplied from the porous material 3 to the unit ejector 4 mainly by capillary action of an ink passage adjacent to the ejection portion in the ink container. To prevent the generation of too high a vacuum in the ink container, the outside air can flow into the container through the air vent port of the cap 5, corresponding to the amount of recording liquid consumption.

On the carriage 5 of the printer, there is provided an electrical contact section 9 having an electrical contact section 6a to which the electrical contact section 6 of the recording head can come into contact. The contact 6a is connected to the flexible table. The recording head is provided so that the projecting contact 9 is inserted into the space of the recording head. At this time, the ink jet recording head can be installed on the carriage, while the contact portion 9 is observed through the window 7.

In this embodiment, the rectangular mark 7A is given on the adjacent housing opposite to the longitudinal end of the window 7 of the ink jet recording head, and the window 7 is in the form of a slit. When the color of the housing of the ink jet recording head is black, the color of the mark 7A is a relatively bright color such as yellow, so that the mark 7A is clear, and the color of at least the upper portion of the contact portion 9 is a relatively bright color such as yellow. This is preferred. By doing so, the action of inserting the contact portion 9 into the space of the ink jet recording head so that the contact portion 6 establishes an electrical contact portion with the contact portion 6A can be performed more quickly. In this case, instead of the use of bright colors at least on the top of the contact 9, it can be provided on at least the top of the contact 9 in a separating member which is of relatively light color.

FIG. 7 shows the temperature difference of the ink ejector of the recording head when the printing operation is continued at high duty. In this figure, A represents the temperature change of the ink ejector of the ink jet head cartridge when the slit-shaped window is provided; B shows the temperature change that may occur in the ink ejector of the ink jet head cartridge as shown in FIG.

As can be seen from the figure, the temperature rise of the ink jet recording head during continuous printing can be suppressed by the provision of the window 7.

When the head temperature rises, the volume of the recording liquid droplets emitted by the ink jet head increases, and the response frequency decreases. When the temperature of the head increases at some level, the recording head improperly responds to the printing frequency, resulting in inadequate emission, i.e. a reduction in the amount of emission resulting in a decrease in printed image quality.

According to the present embodiment, the installation of the window is effective to suppress the temperature rise of the head, so that high quality printing can be maintained for a long time even in continuous high duty printing.

The size of the window is preferably larger than a × b (FIG. 1), which is the dimension of the contact portion 9 of the main assembly of the printer, and for this reason the operability is good when the ink jet recording head is installed on the printer. However, it is preferable if the contact is observed even if the size is smaller than the above dimension due to the limitation from the ink container structure.

8 and 9 are perspective views of another embodiment. In FIG. 8, slits are provided in the face of the recording head in addition to the top of the electrical contact in the first embodiment.

In FIG. 9, the window of the first embodiment is covered with a screen made of resin, for example. Although the electrical contact can be observed, it is difficult for the operator hand to contact the electrical contact. In addition, the contacts can be protected from dust, and the electrical contacts are more reliably protected. In addition, since the screen is used, the permeability is actually the same as in the first embodiment.

As described above, in accordance with the present invention, a window on the electrical contact portion is provided adjacent to the ink ejector, whereby the ink jet recording head installation performance is improved, and the permeability is improved to suppress the temperature phase of the recording head.

In particular, when the emission energy generating member includes an electrothermal transducer, the heat radiation effect is important for the absorbent material. From the standpoint of the operability and the heat radiation effect, it is preferable that the window be provided with a length longer than the length of the electrical contact with the plurality of electrical contacts in the form of slits. If the slit-shaped window extends near the ink discharge portion including the energy generating member, the heat radiation effect is better. Moreover, provision of windows and side openings in corresponding positions with each other is preferred from the standpoint of thermal balance.

In addition, the size of the window is adapted to prevent the operator's fingers from entering the window and / or side openings, whereby the electrical contact cannot be directly accessed by the finger or the like. Electrostatic charges that may be generated by direct contact to the electrical contact by any member may adversely affect the energy generating member. This problem can be solved.

The present invention is particularly suitably used for a bubble jet recording head and recording apparatus developed by Canon Corporation in Japan. This is because high density of photographic elements and high resolution of recording are possible.

Principles of operation and typical constructions are disclosed in US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740,796. This principle is applicable to so-called on demnad recording systems and continuous recording systems, but in particular this applies to electrothermal transducers in which at least one drive signal is arranged on a liquid (ink) holding sheet or a fluid passage. It is suitable for on-demand because of the principle, and the drive signal is sufficient to provide a rapid temperature rise beyond the nuclear boiling point, whereby thermal energy is provided by the electrothermal transducer to generate film boiling on the heating portion of the recording head. Bubbles are thereby formed in the liquid (ink) corresponding to each drive signal.

By the expansion and impingement of the bubble, the fluid (ink) is injected through the outlet outlet to generate at least one small droplet. The drive signal is preferably in the form of a pulse because the expansion and collision of the bubbles are achieved at the same time, and the liquid (ink) is released in a rapid reaction. Driving signals in the shape of pulses are preferably disclosed in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262. In addition, the temperature rise ratio of the thermal surface is preferably disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,313,124.

The structure of the recording head may be as disclosed in US Pat. Nos. 4,558,333 and 4,459,600, wherein the heating portion is formed in the curved portion in addition to the structure of the combination of the discharge outlet, the liquid passage and the electrothermal transducer as disclosed in the aforementioned patent. Is placed.

Additionally, the present invention is applicable to the structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 123670/1984, wherein a common slit is used as a discharge outlet for a plurality of electrothermal transducers, and is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1385461/1984. Applicable to the structure, wherein an opening for absorbing the pressure wave of thermal energy is formed corresponding to the discharge portion.

This is because the present invention is effective for reliably performing a recording operation with high efficiency regardless of the shape of the recording head.

The present invention is effectively applicable to a so-called full-line recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum recording width. Such a recording head includes a single recording head and a plurality of recording heads combined to cover the entire width.

Additionally, the present invention is applicable to a continuous recording head, wherein the recording head is fixed to a replaceable chipped recording head capable of being supplied with ink by being installed in the casting body by being electrically connected to the main apparatus on the casting body or It is fixed to a cartridge type recording head having an integrated ink container.

Installation of recovery means and auxiliary means for preliminary operation is preferred, since they can stabilize the effects of the present invention. For these means, the recording operation as capping means for the recording head, cleaning means, compression or suction means, preheating means by means of an injection heat transducer or a combination of an injection heat transducer and an additional heating element, and means for preheating means which are not for recording operation. There is a means to stabilize.

As for the type of recordable head that can be mounted, there is a single recording head corresponding to a single color ink or a plurality of recording heads corresponding to a plurality of ink materials having different recording colors or concentrations.

The invention is applicable to at least one monochromatic mode with multi-colors, mainly black and different ink materials, and to a device with a full-color mode, which is a recording unit or a plurality of recording heads integrally formed by a mixture of colors. Do.

Moreover, it is a liquid in the above embodiment. However, this may be an ink material that is solidified at or below room temperature or liquefied at room temperature.

In an ink jet recording head, the ink is controlled within a range of 30 ° C. to 70 ° C. to stabilize the viscosity of the ink to provide a stabilized ejection. In the conventional recording apparatus of this type, the ink is provided when a recording signal is applied. It is a liquid in the temperature range.

In addition, the temperature rise due to thermal energy is positively prevented by dissipating the thermal energy in the state change of the ink from the solid state to the liquid state, or the ink material solidifies when the thermal energy is used to prevent evaporation of the ink.

In either case, if the application of the ink signal generates thermal energy, the ink is in a liquid state and the liquidized ink is released. The ink starts to solidify when it reaches the recording material. The present invention is applicable to ink materials which have become liquid by the application of thermal energy.

Such an ink material may be held as a liquid or solid material on through-holes or recesses formed in the porous sheet as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 56847/1979 and 71260/1985. The sheet faces the electrothermal transducer. The most effective for the ink materials described above is a film boiling system. The ink jet recording apparatus may be used as an exit terminal of a computer, a copying apparatus combined with an image reader, or an information processing apparatus such as a facsimile with an information transmitting / receiving function.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the structure disclosed herein, the present invention is not limited to the specific configuration and this application may make modifications or changes that may occur within the object of the invention or within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (29)

Generating energy through the housing, the ink container 1 in the housing containing ink, the discharge outlet 400 for discharging ink supplied from the ink container 1, and the discharge outlet 400. An ink jet recording head having an energy generating member 100 for supplying and further comprising an electrical contact portion 6 for supplying electrical energy; An ink jet recording apparatus comprising a carriage member (15) provided with a contact member (9) having an electrical contact portion (6a) for electrical connection with a contact portion (6a), and provided with the ink jet recording head. The housing is provided with a pupil, the electrical contact portion 6 is provided on a wall defining the pupil, and the inkjet recording head is on the carriage 15 with the contact member 9 in the pupil. And the housing is provided with a window (7,1700) extending from the pupil to allow observation of the contact member (9). An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said energy generating member (100) comprises a leading edge separate vent member for generating electrical energy. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said window (7,1700) is in the form of a slit having a length greater than a range in which a plurality of electrical contact portions (6) are arranged. 4. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said window (7,1700) extends in the vicinity of an ink ejecting portion (4) having an energy generating member (100). An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said window (7,1700) and said pupil are aligned. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said window (7,1700) and said pupil are sized to prevent insertion of an operator's finger. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of windows (7,1700) are provided with different walls defining the pupils. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said window (7,1700) is covered with a screen. 2. The window (7) according to claim 1, wherein the windows (7, 1700) are in the form of slits, and the mark (7a) is provided near the longitudinally opposite ends of the windows (7,1700), wherein the mark (7a) and Ink jet recording apparatus, characterized in that at least the upper surface of the contact member (9) is the same index. 10. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a right angle of the mark (7a) is triangular. 10. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the color is a bright index. 10. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the color of the housing is black, and the color of the mark (7a) and the contact member (9) is yellow. 10. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said ink container (1) contains an ink absorbing material (2). housing ; An ink container (1) in the housing to contain ink, a discharge outlet (400) for discharging ink from the ink container (1); An energy generating member (100) for generating energy for releasing ink through the discharge outlet (400); In the ink jet recording head composed of an electrical contact portion 6 which electrically couples the energy to the generating member 100, a pupil is formed in the housing to allow engagement with another member via the opening of the pupil, Wherein the energy generating member 6 is on a wall defining the pupil, and an additional window 7 extends from the pupil to permit observation of the electrical contact 6. Record head. 15. The ink jet recording head according to claim 14, wherein the energy generating member (100) comprises an electrothermal transducer member for generating electrical energy. 15. The inkjet recording head according to claim 14, wherein the window (7,1700) is in the form of a slit having a length greater than the range in which the plurality of electrical contacts (6) are arranged. 17. The ink jet recording head according to claim 16, wherein the window (7, 1700) extends in the vicinity of an ink ejecting portion (4) having an energy generating member (100). 15. The ink jet recording head according to claim 14, wherein the window (7,1700) and the pupil are aligned. 15. The ink jet recording head according to claim 14, wherein the window (7,1700) and the pupil are sized to prevent the insertion of an operator's finger. 15. The inkjet recording head according to claim 14, wherein a plurality of said windows (7,1700) are provided on different walls defining said pupils. 15. An ink jet recording head according to claim 14, wherein said window (7,1700) is covered with a screen. 15. The ink jet recording head according to claim 14, wherein the windows (7,1700) are in the form of slits, and the marks (7a) are provided near the longitudinally opposite ends of the windows (7,1700). . An ink jet recording head according to claim 22, wherein each of said marks (7a) is triangular. An ink jet recording head according to claim 22, wherein the color of the mark (7a) is a bright index. An ink jet recording head according to claim 22, wherein the color of the housing is black, and the color of the mark (7a) and the contact member (9) is yellow. An ink jet recording head according to claim 22, wherein said ink container (1) contains an ink absorbing material (2). An ink jet recording head according to claim 14, wherein said ink container (1) contains ink. An ink jet recording apparatus having a carriage 15 carrying an ink jet recording head, the ink jet recording head comprising a housing provided with a pupil, an ink container for containing ink in the housing, and energy for releasing ink. And an electrical contact portion provided on the wall forming the pupil for supplying an electrical signal to the energy generating member, wherein the carriage 15 is provided with a protrusion to be inserted into the pupil formed in the recording head. 9), characterized in that the projection 9 has an electrical contact 6a which is electrically connected with the electrical contact 6 of the recording head when the projection 9 is inserted into the pupil. Inkjet recorder. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 28, characterized by supplying means for supplying recording paper (P) to receive ink ejected from the recording head.

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