JP3115755B2 - Ink jet recording head, method of manufacturing the same, and ink jet recording apparatus - Google Patents

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 head for recording by discharging droplets from fine discharge ports, and an ink jet recording apparatus using the ink jet recording head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An ink jet recording method for performing recording by discharging droplets (ink) from a fine discharge port onto a recording medium has attracted attention. The ink jet recording method is a non-impact type recording method, so there is no danger of noise, recording can be performed on plain paper without special processing, high-speed, high-definition recording is possible, and inks of a plurality of colors can be obtained. Is advantageous in that color recording can be performed by using the color filter. 2. Description of the Related Art In general, a recording apparatus (inkjet recording apparatus) using an inkjet recording method uses an inkjet recording head in which a discharge energy generating element for giving discharge energy to ink and a discharge port are integrated. FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a conventional ink jet recording head.

[0003] This ink jet recording head 900 has
A plurality of discharge ports 909, an ink flow path provided for each discharge port 909 and communicating with the discharge ports 909, a liquid chamber commonly provided in the ink flow path for supplying ink to each ink flow path, A discharge energy generating element disposed in the ink flow path. Here, the ejection energy generating element is arranged on the surface of a substrate (heater board) 901 made of silicon or the like by using a semiconductor manufacturing technique. On the other hand, the ink flow path and the liquid chamber are integrally formed as a groove and a recess formed in the grooved top plate 902, and the discharge port 909 is formed as a portion where the groove is exposed on the side surface of the grooved top plate 902. I have. In this case, the flow path wall separating the adjacent ink flow paths is formed as a linear projection between the groove portions of the grooved top plate 902. Then, the ink jet recording head 9
00, a substrate 901 is disposed on a support member 903 for constructing each component to form an ink jet recording head, and the substrate 901 and the grooved top plate 902 are connected to the plate member 9 made of spring.
This is completed by press-bonding with the use of No. 04. The spring plate-shaped member 904 is a substantially M-shaped member, which applies a pressing force to the grooved top plate 902 by the central portion 904c and prevents the grooved top plate 902 from being displaced by the side surface portion 904d. The leg 904 e is inserted into a through hole 903 b provided in the support member 903.

In such an ink jet recording head, since the substrate (heater board) and the grooved top plate are only bonded by pressure by the pressing force of the spring plate-shaped member, at least one of the substrate and the grooved top plate. If the flatness is poor, a gap may be formed between the grooved top plate and the substrate. Therefore, in order to prevent the ink from leaking from the gap, the outer periphery of the joint between the substrate and the grooved top plate is sealed with a sealant.

[0005]

When color recording is to be performed by the above-described ink jet recording head, it is necessary to form a grooved top plate in advance so that liquid chambers are separated for each ink color. It is possible. However, in the case of the ink jet recording head of such a form, since the separation wall separating the respective liquid chambers is formed integrally with the grooved top plate, the grooved top plate and the substrate are formed at the separation wall portion as described above. There is a possibility that a gap may be formed between the ink chambers. If such a gap is present, the ink in each liquid chamber penetrates and diffuses through the gap, causing color mixing of the ink and deteriorating the quality of a recorded image. .

It is conceivable to provide a sealant in the gap between the separation walls in the same manner as the outer periphery of the joint between the substrate and the grooved top plate. However, if the amount of the sealant is too large, the sealant is sealed in the adjacent flow passage. If the amount of the blocking agent protrudes, and if the amount is too small, the separation wall portion is not completely sealed, so that it is difficult to control the amount of the sealing agent, and the separation between the adjacent liquid chambers can be reliably performed. Did not.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording head in which separation between liquid chambers is reliably performed and color mixing of ink does not occur, and an ink jet recording apparatus using the ink jet recording head.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording head comprising: a plurality of separated recesses respectively corresponding to a plurality of liquid chambers for supplying ink; and a groove connected to the recess and corresponding to a flow path. A first member integrally formed with a discharge port forming portion that is an end of the groove and is exposed on a discharge port surface; and a discharge energy generating element that applies discharge energy to ink is provided corresponding to the flow path. An ink jet recording head formed by pressing the first and second members in contact with each other, wherein the first and second members are formed on the first member to separate the plurality of recesses. The wall-shaped portion is provided with a separation groove communicating with the outer peripheral portion.

According to the method of manufacturing an ink jet recording head of the present invention, there are provided a plurality of separated liquid chambers for supplying ink, a flow path communicating with the liquid chamber, and a discharge port surface formed at a tip end of the flow path. A method for manufacturing an ink jet recording head, comprising: a discharge port formed in said flow path; and a discharge energy generating element for providing discharge energy to ink provided in correspondence to said flow path, wherein a plurality of recesses respectively corresponding to said liquid chambers and said flow path are provided. And a separation groove formed in the wall portion so as to communicate with a wall portion for separating the plurality of recesses and a discharge port forming portion corresponding to the discharge port, and an outer peripheral portion. And a second member provided with the ejection energy generating element, wherein the first and second members are provided.
Then, a sealing agent is injected into the separation groove.

[0010] An ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention includes the ink jet recording head of the present invention, and mounting means for mounting the ink jet recording head.

[0011]

In the first member (the top plate with a groove), a separation groove communicating with the outer peripheral portion is provided in a wall-shaped portion separating the concave portions corresponding to the liquid chambers. By injecting a sealant into the separation groove after pressure contact with the second member, or by providing a rib portion to be fitted in the separation groove on the second member side, the liquid chambers can be separated from each other. Ink penetration
Diffusion can be prevented, and color mixing of ink can be prevented.

One or more separation grooves are arranged between adjacent recesses. When a rib is provided on the second member, the rib may be formed using a photosensitive resin.

[0013]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of an ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

The heater board 100 has an electrothermal transducer (not shown) provided for each ink flow path disposed on the surface. Typically, the heater board 100 is formed by applying a semiconductor manufacturing technique to a silicon substrate. Is formed. A wiring portion (not shown) for supplying a current to each electrothermal converter is also formed on the heater board 100. One end of the wiring board 200 is connected to a wiring portion of the heater board 100 by a bonding wire (not shown), and the other end of the wiring board 200 is for receiving an electric signal from a main body device of the inkjet recording apparatus. A plurality of pads (not shown) are provided. Each pad corresponds to each electrothermal converter. With such a configuration, an electric signal from the main device is supplied to each electrothermal converter.

This ink jet recording head has a fine discharge port for discharging ink, an ink flow path communicating with the discharge port, and a four-passage for supplying ink to the ink flow path.
Liquid chambers are provided. The liquid chambers are independent of each other and correspond to a plurality of discharge ports, respectively. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a number of grooves 101 corresponding to each ink flow path, and recesses 110a to 11 corresponding to each liquid chamber.
0d and the orifice plate portion 14 forming the discharge port surface
0 is integrally formed as a top plate 130 with a groove, and the top plate 130 with a groove is pressed against the heater board 100 to complete each ink channel and each liquid chamber. The orifice plate 140 has a discharge port 10
9 are provided, and each discharge port 109 is provided with a groove 1
It communicates with 01. The recesses 110a to 110d are partitioned by walls 111a to 111c, respectively. Separation grooves 11 are provided on the illustrated upper surfaces of the walls 111a to 111c, that is, the pressure contact surfaces with the heater board 100, respectively.
3a to 113c are engraved. Separation grooves 113a-11
3c is provided to extend to the outer peripheral portion of the grooved top plate 130. Further, supply ports 115a to 115d for supplying ink to the corresponding liquid chambers are formed in the illustrated bottoms of the recesses 110a to 110d. Groove top plate 1
The material of 30 is, for example, polysulfone.

Heater board 100 and wiring board 200
A metal support 300 that supports the rear surface of the ink jet recording head in a plane should serve as a bottom plate of the ink jet recording head. A pressing spring 500 for pressing the grooved top plate 130 against the heater board 100 is provided. Presser spring 500
Is a portion formed by bending a U-shaped cross section in order to apply a linear and elastic pressing force to a region near the discharge port 109 of the grooved top plate 130, and a relief hole provided in the support 300. It has a claw portion 500a to be hooked by using the 305, and a pair of rear leg portions 500b for receiving the force acting on the spring by the support body 300. Further, a groove 310 is formed at the tip of the support 300 on the side of the discharge port surface. The attachment of the wiring board 200 to the support 300 is performed by sticking with an adhesive or the like.

Concave portions 110a-110d of grooved top plate 130
An ink supply member 600 for supplying ink to the (common liquid chamber) is provided. Inside the ink supply member 600, there are four communication ports that communicate with the supply ports 115a to 115d, respectively.
The ink supply pipes 620 are provided, and filters 700 are provided at the ends of the ink supply pipes 620, respectively. The fixing of the ink supply member 600 is performed by using the grooved top plate 13.
In addition, the ink supply member 600 is fitted into the protrusion 150 on the side of the supply ports 115a to 115d, and two pins (not shown) on the back side of the ink supply member 600 pass through the holes 191 and 192 of the support, respectively. This is easily performed by projecting and heat-sealing this.

The ink supply member 600 is attached by pressing the grooved top plate 130 by the pressing spring 500 to the heater board 100.
Is performed after pressing against the grooved top plate 130.
Orifice plate section 140 and ink supply member 600
And a uniform gap is formed between them. And
A sealant is injected from a sealant injection port (not shown) provided at an upper portion of the ink supply member 600 to seal the bonding wire and to form a gap between the orifice plate 140 and the ink supply member 600. The sealing is further performed, and the gap between the orifice plate portion 140 and the front end face of the support plate 300 is completely sealed via the groove 310 provided in the support plate 300. At this time, the sealant 120 is
It penetrates along 3a-113c and fills the gap between the grooved top plate 130 and the heater board 100. As a result, not only can the amount of the sealant be easily controlled, but also the adhesion between the substrate and the grooved top plate can be improved,
Separation between the liquid chambers is ensured, different inks can be supplied to each liquid chamber, and color mixing of inks when performing color recording using inks of a plurality of colors can be prevented. . FIG. 3 is a front view of the ink jet recording head as viewed from the orifice plate section 140 side, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view when the liquid chamber portion is cut in a direction perpendicular to the ink flow path.

In this embodiment, TSE399 (trade name) manufactured by Toshiba Silicone Co., Ltd. was used as a sealant having an adhesive force to polysulfone and capable of performing wire bonding sealing. The structure of each of the separation grooves 113a to 113c is as follows.
As approximate dimensions, length 2mm, width and height each 0.2m
m. The structure of the separation groove is appropriately changed according to the properties and purpose of the sealing agent and the top plate member to be used.

<Embodiment 2> For example, in the grooved top plate 130, the number of separation grooves provided on the wall separating the adjacent recesses is not limited to one, and is not limited to that shown in FIG. , Each wall 111a-111c of the grooved top plate 130
In each case, two separation grooves 116 are provided, and the sealant 120 permeates into these separation grooves 116. In this case, the adhesion of the sealant to the separation wall portion is improved as compared with the first embodiment, and the reliability over a long period can be improved.

<< Embodiment 3 >> Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, ribs are provided on the surface of the heater board 100 in correspondence with the separation grooves 113a to 113c provided in the walls 111a to 111c of the grooved top plate 130. Parts 125a to 125c are formed. The rib portions 125a to 125c can be preferably formed of a photosensitive resin. Although it is possible to introduce a sealing agent into the separation groove after providing the rib portion, the rib portions 125a to 125c and the separation grooves 113a to 113
By adopting a configuration in which 3c is fitted, it is possible to prevent the penetration and diffusion of ink from each liquid chamber without introducing a sealant, and complete separation between the liquid chambers is achieved. Thus, it is possible to solve the problem of color mixing when performing color recording using a plurality of color inks. Further, the positioning of the substrate and the grooved top plate can be reliably performed by the rib portions.

<< Embodiment of Inkjet Recording Apparatus >> Next, an inkjet recording apparatus using the above-described inkjet recording head will be described. FIG. 7 is an external perspective view showing an example of an ink jet recording apparatus (IJRA) in which the ink jet recording head obtained according to the present invention is mounted as an ink jet head cartridge (IJC).

In FIG. 7, reference numeral 20 denotes an ink jet head cartridge (IJC) having a group of nozzles for ejecting ink so as to face the recording surface of the recording paper sent on the platen 24. Reference numeral 16 denotes a carriage HC that holds the IJC 20, which is connected to a part of a drive belt 18 that transmits the driving force of a drive motor 17, and is slidable with two guide shafts 19A and 19B disposed in parallel with each other. By doing so, the reciprocating movement over the entire width of the recording paper of the IJC 20 becomes possible.

Reference numeral 26 denotes a head recovery device, which is an IJC 20
, For example, at a position facing the home position. The head recovery device 26 is operated by the driving force of the motor 22 via the transmission mechanism 23, and I
JC20 capping is performed. This head recovery device 2
In connection with the capping of the IJC 20 by the cap section 26A of No. 6, ink suction by an appropriate suction means provided in the head recovery device 26 or ink pressure feeding by an appropriate pressurizing means provided in an ink supply path to the IJC 20 is performed. In addition, an ejection recovery process such as removing the thickened ink in the nozzles by forcibly discharging the ink from the ejection port is performed. Also, by performing capping at the end of recording or the like, IJC is protected.

Reference numeral 30 denotes a blade disposed on a side surface of the head recovery device 26 and formed as a wiping member made of silicone rubber. The blade 30 is a blade holding member 30
A is held in a cantilever form, and the head recovery device 26
Similarly to the above, it is operated by the motor 22 and the transmission mechanism 23, and can be engaged with the discharge surface of the IJC 20. Thereby, at an appropriate timing in the recording operation of the IJC 20, or after the ejection recovery processing using the head recovery device 26, the blade 30 is made to protrude into the movement path of the IJC 20, and the ejection surface of the IJC 20 is moved with the movement operation of the IJC 20 It removes dew condensation, wetness, dust and the like.

The present invention provides an excellent effect particularly in an ink jet recording head and an ink jet recording apparatus of the ink jet recording method in which flying droplets are formed by utilizing thermal energy and recording is performed among the ink jet recording methods. is there.

Representative configurations and principles thereof are disclosed in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740,796, and the present invention is based on these basic principles. preferable. This recording method can be applied to both on-demand type and continuous type.

This recording method will be described briefly. An electrothermal transducer disposed corresponding to a sheet or a liquid path holding a liquid (ink) and a liquid (ink) corresponding to recording information. By applying at least one drive signal for exceeding the nucleate boiling phenomenon and giving a rapid temperature rise that causes the film boiling phenomenon, heat energy is generated, and film boiling occurs on the heat-acting surface of the recording head. . As described above, since bubbles corresponding to the drive signal applied to the electrothermal converter from the liquid (ink) can be formed one-to-one, it is particularly effective for an on-demand type recording method. The liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection hole by the growth and shrinkage of the bubble to form at least one droplet. When the drive signal is formed into a pulse shape, the growth and shrinkage of the bubble are performed immediately and appropriately, so that the ejection of a liquid (ink) having particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved, which is more preferable. Examples of the drive signal in the form of a pulse include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262.
Those described in the above-mentioned specification are suitable. Further, when the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 relating to the temperature rise rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

The structure of the recording head is a combination of a discharge hole, a liquid flow path, and an electrothermal converter (a linear liquid flow path or a right-angle liquid flow path) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications. In addition, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,600, those having a configuration in which a heat acting portion is arranged in a bent region are also included in the present invention.

In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59-123670 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge hole of an electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and absorbs pressure waves of thermal energy. The present invention is also effective in a configuration based on JP-A-59-138461, which discloses a configuration in which an opening corresponds to a discharge unit.

Further, as a recording head in which the present invention is effectively used, there is a full line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum width of a recording medium on which a recording apparatus can record. The full line head may be a full line configuration by combining a plurality of recording heads as disclosed in the above specification, or may be a single full line recording head formed integrally.

In addition, the print head is replaceable with a print head of a replaceable chip type, which can be electrically connected to the main body of the apparatus or supplied with ink from the main body of the apparatus, or is integrated with the print head itself. The present invention is also effective when a cartridge-type recording head provided in a fixed manner is used.

It is preferable to add recovery means for the printhead, preliminary auxiliary means, and the like to the recording apparatus of the present invention since the recording apparatus of the present invention can be further stabilized. If these are specifically mentioned, a capping unit, a cleaning unit, a pressurizing or suction unit, a preheating unit using an electrothermal converter or another heating element or a combination thereof, a recording head, It is also effective to add a means for performing a preliminary ejection mode for performing another ejection in order to perform stable printing.

In the embodiments of the present invention described above, the description is made using the liquid ink. However, in the present invention, the ink which is solid at room temperature or the ink which becomes soft at room temperature is used. Can be used. In general, in the above-described ink jet device, the temperature of the ink itself is adjusted within a range of 30 ° C. or more and 70 ° C. or less to control the temperature so that the viscosity of the ink is in a stable ejection range. It is sufficient if the ink is in a liquid state.

In addition, an excessive temperature rise of the head and the ink due to thermal energy is positively prevented by using it as energy for changing the state of the ink from a solid state to a liquid state, or the purpose is to prevent evaporation of the ink. For example, an ink that solidifies in a standing state may be used. In any case, the ink is liquefied for the first time by the application of heat energy, such as one in which the ink is liquefied and ejected as an ink liquid by application of the heat energy according to the recording signal, or one which already starts to solidify when reaching the recording medium. The use of an ink having the following properties is also applicable to the present invention.

Such an ink is disclosed in JP-A-54-56847 or JP-A-60-71260.
A configuration may be adopted in which the liquid sheet or the solid substance is held as a liquid or solid substance in the recesses or through holes of the porous sheet and faces the electrothermal converter.

In the present invention, the most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.

In addition to the above, the recording apparatus according to the present invention may be provided as an image output terminal of an information processing apparatus such as a word processor or a computer as an integrated or separate apparatus, a copying apparatus combined with a reader, and the like. May take the form of a facsimile machine having a transmission / reception function.

[0040]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the first member (the top plate with a groove), the separation groove communicating with the outer peripheral portion is provided in the wall-like portion separating the concave portions corresponding to the liquid chambers. Accordingly, after the first member and the second member are pressed against each other, a sealing agent is injected into the separation groove, or a rib portion that fits into the separation groove is provided on the second member side. This makes it possible to prevent the penetration and diffusion of the ink between the liquid chambers, and has an effect that the separation between the liquid chambers is completely performed. Thus, when performing color printing using a plurality of color inks, color mixing of inks can be prevented, and clear colors of each ink can be reproduced, so that high-quality printing can be performed. This has the effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a configuration of an inkjet recording head according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a grooved top plate viewed from a heater board side.

FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the ink jet recording head of FIG. 1 as viewed from an orifice plate portion side.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a main part of the inkjet recording head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a main part of an ink jet recording head according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a main part of an ink jet recording head according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus using the ink jet recording head of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a conventional ink jet recording head.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 16 carriage 17 drive motor 18 drive belt 19A, 19B guide shaft 20 inkjet head cartridge 22 cleaning motor 23 transmission mechanism 24 platen 26 head recovery device 26A cap part 30 blade 30A blade holding member 100 heater board 101 groove part 109 discharge port 110a- 110d Depressions 111a to 111c Walls 113a to 113c, 116 Separation groove 115a to 115d Supply port 120 Sealant 125a to 125c Rib portion 130 Grooved top plate 140 Orifice plate 200 Wiring board 300 Support plate 500 Pressing spring 600 Ink supply member 700 Filter

(56) References JP-A-6-8443 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 2/05 B41J 2/16

Claims (12)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plurality of separated concave portions respectively corresponding to a plurality of liquid chambers for supplying ink, a groove portion connected to the concave portion and corresponding to a flow path, and a tip of the groove portion, which is exposed on a discharge port surface. A first member integrally formed with the formed discharge port forming portion, and a second member provided with a discharge energy generating element for providing discharge energy to ink corresponding to the flow path, In the ink jet recording head formed by pressing the first and second members, a plurality of recesses are separated from each other and communicate with an outer peripheral portion of a wall-shaped portion formed on the first member. An ink jet recording head having a separation groove. 2. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the separation grooves are provided between the adjacent concave portions. 3. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein a sealant is injected into the separation groove. 4. A rib portion fitted in the separation groove is provided in the second groove.
3. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein said ink jet recording head is provided on a surface of said member. 5. The method according to claim 5, wherein the rib portion corresponding to the separation groove is the second portion.
4. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein said ink jet recording head is provided on a surface of said member. 6. The ink jet recording head according to claim 4, wherein the rib portion is formed using a photosensitive resin. 7. An ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein said discharge energy generating element is an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy for ink discharge.
7. The ink jet recording head according to any one of items 6 to 6. 8. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the ink is ejected from the ejection port using film boiling generated in the ink by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal transducer. 9. A plurality of separated liquid chambers for supplying ink, a flow path communicating with the liquid chamber, a discharge port formed at a tip end of the flow path, and exposed to a discharge port surface, and corresponding to the flow path. And a discharge energy generating element for providing discharge energy to the ink, the method comprising: providing a plurality of recesses respectively corresponding to the liquid chambers, a groove corresponding to the flow path, and the discharge port. A first member integrally formed with a corresponding discharge port forming portion, a wall portion for separating the plurality of recesses, and a separation groove provided in the wall portion so as to communicate with an outer peripheral portion; A method for manufacturing an ink jet recording head, comprising using a second member provided with the ejection energy generating element, pressing the first and second members into pressure contact, and then injecting a sealant into the separation groove. 10. The method of manufacturing an ink jet recording head according to claim 9, wherein the first member provided with a plurality of the separation grooves between the adjacent concave portions is used. 11. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: the ink jet recording head according to claim 1; and mounting means for mounting the ink jet recording head. 12. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising moving means for relatively moving the recording medium and the placing means.