Head chip, liquid injection head, and liquid injection recording device

Abstract

To provide a head chip, a liquid injection head, and a liquid injection recording device capable of achieving downsizing in a channel extending direction.SOLUTION: This head chip comprises: an actuator plate in which a discharge channel and a non-discharge channel are formed; an intermediate plate; and a surface plate. A common electrode is formed in an inner surface of the discharge channel. A first individual electrode and a second individual electrode are formed in an inner surface of the non-discharge channel. An intermediate common wiring connected to the common electrode, a first intermediate individual wiring connected to the first individual electrode, a second intermediate individual wiring connected to the second individual electrode, and a connection wiring for connecting the first and second intermediate individual wirings are formed in the intermediate plate. A surface common wiring for connecting the intermediate common wiring and the common terminal, and a surface individual wiring for connecting the connection wiring and the individual terminal are formed in the surface plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a head chip, a liquid jet head, and a liquid jet recording apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] An inkjet head ejects ink onto a recording medium through a head chip. The head chip is equipped with an actuator plate in which ejection channels are formed. To eject ink in the head chip, a voltage is applied between drive electrodes formed on the inner surface of the ejection channel to deform the actuator plate. This changes the volume of the ejection channel, causing the ink in the ejection channel to be ejected through the nozzle hole.

[0003] For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which terminal wiring is formed on a portion (hereinafter referred to as the "tail portion") of the surface of the actuator plate that is located outside the ejection channel in the extension direction of the ejection channel. The pad connects the drive electrode to an external wiring such as a flexible printed circuit board. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2002-529289 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the conventional technology, because the external wiring is mounted on the tail portion of the actuator plate, it is difficult to reduce the size of the actuator plate in the extension direction of the ejection channels.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a head chip, a liquid jet head, and a liquid jet recording apparatus that can be made smaller in size in a channel extension direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure employs the following aspects. (1) A head chip according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an actuator plate having a plurality of ejection channels, through which a liquid passes from a first side to a second side in the first direction and which communicate with an ejection hole provided on the first side in the thickness direction at a midpoint in the first direction, and a plurality of non-ejection channels, through which the liquid does not flow, which are alternately formed in a second direction intersecting the first direction as viewed from the thickness direction, the actuator plate having a common electrode formed on inner sides of the ejection channels facing each other in the second direction, a first individual electrode formed on an inner side of the non-ejection channels facing a first side in the second direction, a second individual electrode formed on an inner side of the non-ejection channels facing a second side opposite to the first side in the second direction, an intermediate plate superimposed on a second side opposite to the first side in the thickness direction with respect to the actuator plate, and a plurality of non-ejection channels, through which the liquid does not flow, which are alternately formed in a second direction intersecting the first direction as viewed from the thickness direction, the common electrode formed on inner sides of the ejection channels facing each other in the second direction, a first individual electrode formed on an inner side of the non-ejection channels facing a first side in the second direction, a second individual electrode formed on an inner side of the non-ejection channels facing a second side opposite to the first side in the second direction, the second individual electrode formed on an inner side of the non-ejection channels facing and a surface plate which is overlaid on the second side of the intermediate plate and has a common terminal and individual terminals connected to external wiring formed on a surface facing the second side in the thickness direction, wherein the intermediate plate is formed with an intermediate common wiring which penetrates the intermediate plate in the thickness direction and is connected to the common electrode, a first intermediate individual wiring which penetrates the intermediate plate in the thickness direction and is connected to the first individual electrode, a second intermediate individual wiring which penetrates the intermediate plate in the thickness direction and is connected to the second individual electrode, and a connection wiring which connects the first intermediate individual wiring and the second intermediate individual wiring which correspond to the first individual electrode and the second individual electrode which face each other with one of the ejection channels interposed therebetween, and the surface plate is formed with a surface common wiring which penetrates the surface plate in the thickness direction and connects between the intermediate common wiring and the common terminal, and a surface individual wiring which penetrates the surface plate in the thickness direction and connects between the connection wiring and the individual terminals.

[0008] According to this aspect, the terminals are formed on the surface plate that is overlapped with the actuator plate in the thickness direction. This allows the actuator plate to be made smaller in the first direction than when the terminals are formed on the extension line of the channel in the actuator plate (outside the first direction). By making the actuator plate smaller in the first direction, for example, when making head chips at the wafer level, the number of actuator plates that can be obtained from one wafer can be increased. Moreover, by interposing an intermediate plate between the surface plate and the actuator plate, it is possible to improve design freedom compared to the case where only one plate is used to mount external wiring and connect corresponding individual electrodes, etc. In this case, it is possible to narrow the pitch of each channel, and it is also possible to increase the resolution of the information printed by the head chip. Furthermore, the wiring pattern can be simplified even on the surface of the surface plate facing the second side in the thickness direction, thereby preventing problems such as short circuits from occurring when mounting each terminal and external wiring.

[0009] (2) In the head chip according to aspect (1) above, both ends of the non-ejection channel in the first direction preferably terminate within the actuator plate. According to this aspect, it is possible to reliably close the non-ejection channel while reducing the number of parts and reducing costs, compared to a case in which both ends of the non-ejection channel in the first direction are closed by a member separate from the actuator plate.

[0010] (3) In the head chip according to the above aspect (1) or (2), it is preferable that the total number of the surface common wires is set to be equal to or less than the total number of the intermediate common wires. According to this aspect, by setting the total number of surface common wires to be equal to or less than the total number of intermediate common wires, the wiring pattern on the surface plate can be simplified.

[0011] (4) In the head chip according to any one of the above aspects (1) to (3), it is preferable that the thickness of the surface plate is greater than that of the intermediate plate. According to this aspect, when liquid is ejected, the displacement of the intermediate plate toward the second side in the thickness direction caused by an increase in pressure in the ejection channel, etc., can be restricted by the surface plate, thereby improving the pressure generated in the ejection channel and enabling liquid to be ejected efficiently. Furthermore, by forming the intermediate plate thin, it is possible to suppress variations in the position and dimensions of the intermediate common wiring and the intermediate individual wiring, thereby improving the yield.

[0012] (5) In a head chip according to any one of aspects (1) to (4) above, it is preferable that, among the surface of the actuator plate facing the second side in the thickness direction, a common output wiring is formed in a portion located outside the first direction with respect to the non-ejection channel, which connects the common electrodes of adjacent ejection channels to each other and to which the intermediate common wiring is connected; among the surface of the actuator plate facing the second side in the thickness direction, a first individual output wiring is formed in a portion located on the first side in the first direction with respect to the non-ejection channel, which is connected to the first individual electrode through the opening edge of the non-ejection channel and is connected to the first intermediate individual wiring; and, among the surface of the actuator plate facing the second side in the thickness direction, a second individual output wiring is formed in a portion located on the second side, opposite to the first side in the first direction with respect to the non-ejection channel, which is connected to the second individual electrode through the opening edge of the non-ejection channel and is connected to the second intermediate individual wiring. According to this aspect, the various electrodes are led out via the output wiring onto the surface of the actuator plate facing the second side in the thickness direction, making it easier to ensure stable conduction between the various intermediate wirings and the various electrodes.

[0013] (6) A head chip according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an actuator plate having a plurality of ejection channels extending in a first direction intersecting the thickness direction, through which liquid passes from a first side to a second side in the first direction and which communicate with ejection holes provided on the first side in the thickness direction at a midpoint in the first direction, and a plurality of non-ejection channels extending in the first direction with both sides in the first direction blocked and through which the liquid does not flow, which are alternately formed in a second direction intersecting the first direction as viewed from the thickness direction, and both ends of the non-ejection channels in the first direction terminate within the actuator plate. According to this aspect, it is possible to reliably close the non-ejection channel while reducing the number of parts and reducing costs, compared to a case in which both ends of the non-ejection channel in the first direction are closed by a member separate from the actuator plate.

[0014] (7) A liquid jet head according to an aspect of the present disclosure preferably includes the head chip according to any one of the above aspects (1) to (6). According to this aspect, since the head chip according to the above aspect is included, it is possible to provide a small-sized, low-cost liquid jet head.

[0015] (8) A liquid jet recording apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure preferably includes the liquid jet head according to aspect (7) above. According to this aspect, since the head chip according to the above aspect is included, it is possible to provide a small-sized, low-cost liquid jet head. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the size of the head chip in the first direction. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an inkjet printer according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an inkjet head and an ink circulation mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the discharge unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the head chip according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the actuator plate according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the head chip taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the head chip taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] 8 is an end view corresponding to line VIII-VIII in FIG. 5. [Figure 9] 5 is a flowchart for explaining a manufacturing method of the discharge unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 9 is a process diagram for explaining a machining process of the actuator according to the first embodiment, and is an end view corresponding to FIG. 8. [Figure 11] FIG. 9 is a process diagram for explaining a machining process of the actuator according to the first embodiment, and is an end view corresponding to FIG. 8. [Figure 12] FIG. 9 is a process diagram for explaining a machining process of the actuator according to the first embodiment, and is an end view corresponding to FIG. 8. [Figure 13] FIG. 9 is a process diagram for explaining a machining process of the actuator according to the first embodiment, and is an end view corresponding to FIG. 8. [Figure 14] FIG. 8 is a process diagram for explaining an intermediate plate machining process according to the first embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 7. [Figure 15] FIG. 8 is a process diagram for explaining an intermediate plate machining process according to the first embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 7. [Figure 16] FIG. 8 is a process diagram for explaining an intermediate plate machining process according to the first embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 7. [Figure 17] FIG. 8 is a process diagram for explaining a surface plate processing step according to the first embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 7. [Figure 18] FIG. 8 is a process diagram for explaining a surface plate processing step according to the first embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 7. [Figure 19] FIG. 8 is a process diagram for explaining a surface plate processing step according to the first embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 7. [Figure 20] FIG. 9 is a process diagram for explaining the grinding step according to the first embodiment, and is an end view corresponding to FIG. 8. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a plan view of an actuator plate according to a second embodiment. [Figure 22] 22 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the line XXII-XXII in FIG. 21. [Diagram 23] 23 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the line XXIII-XXIII in FIG. 21. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments and modified examples described below, the same reference numerals may be used to designate corresponding configurations, and the description may be omitted. In the following description, expressions indicating relative or absolute arrangements, such as "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," and "coaxial," not only strictly indicate such arrangements, but also indicate a state in which the components are relatively displaced with a tolerance or an angle or distance to the extent that the same function is obtained. In the following embodiment, an inkjet printer (hereinafter, simply referred to as a printer) that uses ink (liquid) to record on a recording medium will be taken as an example for description. In the drawings used in the following description, the scale of each component has been appropriately changed so that each component can be recognized.

[0019] (First embodiment) [Printer 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a printer 1. A printer (liquid jet recording apparatus) 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a pair of transport mechanisms 2 and 3, an ink tank 4, an inkjet head (liquid jet head) 5, an ink circulation mechanism 6, and a scanning mechanism .

[0020] In the following explanation, an X, Y, Z Cartesian coordinate system is used as necessary. In this case, the X direction coincides with the transport direction (sub-scanning direction) of the recording medium P (e.g., paper, etc.). The Y direction coincides with the scanning direction (main scanning direction) of the scanning mechanism 7. The Z direction indicates the height direction (gravity direction) perpendicular to the X and Y directions. In the following explanation, the X, Y, and Z directions will be explained with the arrows on the figures as the plus (+) side and the opposite side to the arrows as the minus (-) side. In this specification, the +Z side corresponds to the upward direction of gravity, and the -Z side corresponds to the downward direction of gravity.

[0021] The transport mechanisms 2 and 3 transport the recording medium P to the +X side. The transport mechanisms 2 and 3 each include a pair of rollers 11 and 12 extending in the Y direction, for example. The ink tanks 4 each contain ink of four colors, for example, yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. Each inkjet head 5 is configured to be capable of ejecting ink of one of the four colors, yellow, magenta, cyan, or black, according to the ink tank 4 connected thereto.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the ink-jet head 5 and the ink circulation mechanism 6. As shown in FIG. 1 and 2, the ink circulation mechanism 6 circulates ink between the ink tank 4 and the inkjet head 5. Specifically, the ink circulation mechanism 6 includes a circulation flow path 23 having an ink supply pipe 21 and an ink discharge pipe 22, a pressure pump 24 connected to the ink supply pipe 21, and a suction pump 25 connected to the ink discharge pipe 22.

[0023] The pressure pump 24 applies pressure to the inside of the ink supply pipe 21, and sends ink to the inkjet head 5 through the ink supply pipe 21. As a result, the ink supply pipe 21 side relative to the inkjet head 5 is under positive pressure. The suction pump 25 reduces the pressure inside the ink discharge tube 22 and sucks ink from the inkjet head 5 through the ink discharge tube 22. This creates a negative pressure on the ink discharge tube 22 side relative to the inkjet head 5. By driving the pressure pump 24 and the suction pump 25, the ink can be circulated between the inkjet head 5 and the ink tank 4 through the circulation flow path 23.

[0024] 1, the scanning mechanism 7 causes the inkjet head 5 to scan back and forth in the Y direction. The scanning mechanism 7 includes a guide rail 28 extending in the Y direction, and a carriage 29 movably supported by the guide rail 28.

[0025] <Inkjet head 5> The inkjet head 5 is mounted on a carriage 29. In the illustrated example, a plurality of inkjet heads 5 are mounted side by side in the Y direction on one carriage 29. The inkjet head 5 includes a discharge unit 30 (see FIG. 2), an ink supply unit (not shown) that connects the ink circulation mechanism 6 and the discharge unit 30, and a control unit (not shown) that applies a drive voltage to the discharge unit 30.

[0026] (First embodiment) [Discharge unit 30] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the discharge unit 30. As shown in FIG. 3 is a so-called circulation type side shoot type discharge unit 30 that circulates ink between the ink tank 4 and discharges ink from the center of an ejection channel 51 (described later) in the extension direction (Y direction). The discharge unit 30 includes a flow path plate 31, a head chip 32, a nozzle plate 33, a flow path cover 34, and a flexible printed circuit board 35 (see FIG. 6).

[0027] <Flow path plate 31> The flow channel plate 31 is formed in a rectangular frame shape with the thickness direction being the Z direction and the longitudinal direction being the X direction. The flow channel plate 31 defines a chip storage section 31a, an inlet common flow channel 31b, and an outlet common flow channel 31c. The chip storage section 31a, the inlet common flow channel 31b, and the outlet common flow channel 31c are in communication with each other and penetrate the flow channel plate 31 in the Z direction.

[0028] The chip receiving portion 31a is formed in the center in the Y direction of the flow path plate 31. The chip receiving portion 31a is formed in an elongated hole shape with the X direction as the longitudinal direction in a plan view. The inlet common flow channel 31b is formed in a portion of the flow channel plate 31 that is located on the +Y side of the chip storage unit 31a. The inlet common flow channel 31b is formed in an elongated hole shape with the X direction as the longitudinal direction, similar to the chip storage unit 31a. The +X side end of the inlet common flow channel 31b protrudes in the X direction with respect to the chip storage unit 31a. The outlet common flow channel 31c is formed in a portion of the flow channel plate 31 that is located on the -Y side with respect to the chip storage unit 31a. The outlet common flow channel 31c is formed in an elongated hole shape with the X direction as the longitudinal direction, similar to the inlet common flow channel 31b. The -X side end of the outlet common flow channel 31c protrudes in the X direction with respect to the chip storage unit 31a.

[0029] <Head chip 32> As shown in FIG. 3, head chip 32 is formed in a block shape with the thickness direction being the Z direction and the longitudinal direction being the X direction. Head chip 32 is fitted into chip accommodating section 31a. Specifically, head chip 32 is formed so that the thickness in the Z direction is equivalent to that of flow path plate 31 and the planar shape is equivalent to that of chip accommodating section 31a. In this case, head chip 32 has a +X side end face fixed by adhesion or the like to a surface facing the -X side among the inner surfaces of chip accommodating section 31a, and a -X side end face fixed by adhesion or the like to a surface facing the -X side among the inner surfaces of chip accommodating section 31a. Therefore, in flow path plate 31, inlet common flow path 31b and outlet common flow path 31c are blocked by head chip 32.

[0030] Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of head chip 32. Fig. 5 is a plan view of actuator plate 41. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of head chip 32 corresponding to line VI-VI in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of head chip 32 corresponding to line VII-VII in Fig. 5. As shown in Figs. 4 to 7, the head chip 32 includes an actuator plate 41, an intermediate plate 42, and a surface plate 43. The head chip 32 has the actuator plate 41, the intermediate plate 42, and the surface plate 43 stacked in this order in the Z direction. In the following description, in the Z direction, the direction from the actuator plate 41 toward the surface plate 43 (+Z side) may be referred to as the upper side, and the direction from the surface plate 43 toward the actuator plate 41 (-Z side) may be referred to as the lower side. In the first embodiment, the lower surface of the head chip 32 is disposed flush with the lower surface of the flow path plate 31. On the other hand, the upper surface of the head chip 32 is disposed flush with the upper surface of the flow path plate 31.

[0031] The actuator plate 41 is made of a piezoelectric material such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate). The actuator plate 41 is a so-called chevron substrate formed by laminating two piezoelectric plates whose polarization directions are different in the Z direction. However, the actuator plate 41 may be a so-called monopole substrate whose polarization direction is one direction over the entire Z direction.

[0032] A channel row 46 is formed in the actuator plate 41. The channel row 46 has ejection channels 51 that are filled with ink and non-ejection channels 52 that are not filled with ink. The channels 51, 52 are alternately arranged at intervals in the X direction in the actuator plate 41. In the first embodiment, a configuration in which the channel extension direction coincides with the Y direction will be described, but the channel extension direction may intersect with the Y direction.

[0033] The discharge channels 51 penetrate the actuator plate 41 in the Z direction and extend linearly in the Y direction over the entire length of the actuator plate 41. The +Y side opening of each discharge channel 51 communicates with the inlet common flow path 31b. Meanwhile, the -Y side opening of each discharge channel 51 communicates with the outlet common flow path 31c. That is, the inlet common flow path 31b and the outlet common flow path 31c communicate with each discharge channel 51.

[0034] 4 and 7, the non-ejection channels 52 extend linearly in the Y direction in the portions of the actuator plate 41 that are located between adjacent ejection channels 51. The portions of the actuator plate 41 that are located between adjacent ejection channels 51 and non-ejection channels 52 each constitute a driving wall 53. Therefore, the channels 51, 52 are surrounded on both sides in the X direction by a pair of driving walls 53.

[0035] Both ends of the non-ejection channel 52 in the Y direction terminate within the actuator plate 41. Therefore, the non-ejection channel 52 does not communicate with the inlet common flow path 31b and the outlet common flow path 31c. The non-ejection channel 52 is formed in a circular arc shape that protrudes downward when viewed from the X direction. That is, the dimension of the non-ejection channel 52 in the Y direction gradually decreases from the top to the bottom. Specifically, the non-ejection channel 52 has a through portion 52a located in the center in the Y direction and cut-up portions 52b that are continuous with both sides of the through portion 52a in the Y direction.

[0036] The through portion 52a passes through the actuator plate 41 in the Z direction. The cut-up portion 52b opens on the upper surface of the actuator plate 41, and the dimension in the Z direction gradually decreases as it moves away from the through portion 52a in the Y direction. That is, the upper end opening of the non-ejection channel 52 is formed by the through portion 52a and the cut-up portion 52b. On the other hand, the lower end opening of the non-ejection channel 52 is formed by the through portion 52a. The bottom surface of the cut-up portion 52b is formed in an arc shape with a uniform radius of curvature. A dividing groove 52c is formed in the center of the bottom surface of each cut-up portion 52b in the X direction. The dividing groove 52c is recessed over the entire length in the Y direction with respect to the bottom surface of each cut-up portion 52b. The dividing groove 52c extends concentrically with the cut-up portion 52b in a side view.

[0037] In the following description, the portion of the actuator plate 41 located between adjacent ejection channels 51 and on the -Y side of the non-ejection channels 52 is referred to as a first tail portion 41a. The portion of the actuator plate 41 located between adjacent ejection channels 51 and on the +Y side of the non-ejection channels 52 is referred to as a second tail portion 41b.

[0038] <Intermediate plate 42> 4, 6, and 7, the intermediate plate 42 functions as a connection substrate between various drive wirings formed on the actuator plate 41 and various terminal wirings formed on the surface plate 43. The intermediate plate 42 is a plate material made of a piezoelectric material such as PZT, a resin material such as polyimide, or other non-conductive material. In the illustrated example, the dimension of the intermediate plate 42 in the Z direction is smaller than that of the actuator plate 41.

[0039] The intermediate plate 42 has the same outer shape as the actuator plate 41 in a plan view, and is superimposed on the entire upper surface of the actuator plate 41. The intermediate plate 42 is bonded to the upper surface of the actuator plate 41 with an adhesive or the like.

[0040] As shown in Figs. 4 and 7, the intermediate plate 42 is formed with an intermediate common hole 42a, a first intermediate individual hole 42b, and a second intermediate individual hole 42c. Each of the intermediate holes 42a to 42c is circular in plan view and tapered so that the inner diameter gradually decreases from top to bottom. However, the inner diameter of each of the intermediate holes 42a to 42c may be uniform over the entire Z direction. In addition, the plan view shape of each of the intermediate holes 42a to 42c can be appropriately changed to an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, or the like. The intermediate common hole 42a, the first intermediate individual hole 42b, and the second intermediate individual hole 42c may be the same shape or different shapes.

[0041] The intermediate common hole 42a penetrates in the Z direction through a portion of the intermediate plate 42 that overlaps with the first tail portion 41a in a plan view. That is, the intermediate common hole 42a is provided between the discharge channels 51 adjacent to each other.

[0042] The first intermediate individual hole 42b and the second intermediate individual hole 42c are formed separately on both sides in the Y direction with respect to the non-ejection channel 52. Specifically, the first intermediate individual hole 42b penetrates in the Z direction a portion of the intermediate plate 42 that overlaps with the first tail portion 41a in a plan view and is located on the +Y side of the intermediate common hole 42a. The second intermediate individual hole 42c penetrates in the Z direction a portion of the intermediate plate 42 that overlaps with the second tail portion 41b in a plan view. That is, the first intermediate individual hole 42b and the second intermediate individual hole 42c are provided for each non-ejection channel 52.

[0043] <Surface plate 43> The surface plate 43 is used for connecting the head chip 32 and the flexible printed circuit board (external wiring) 35. The surface plate 43 is a plate material made of a piezoelectric material such as PZT, a resin material such as polyimide, or other non-conductive material. In this case, the intermediate plate 42 and the surface plate 43 may be made of the same material or different materials. In the first embodiment, it is preferable that the surface plate 43 has a higher rigidity (a larger Young's modulus) than the intermediate plate 42. In the illustrated example, the dimension of the surface plate 43 in the Z direction is larger than that of the actuator plate 41. That is, the dimension of each plate constituting the head chip 32 in the Z direction is the largest for the surface plate 43 and the smallest for the intermediate plate 42.

[0044] The surface plate 43 has the same outer shape as the intermediate plate 42 in a plan view, and is superimposed on the entire upper surface of the intermediate plate 42. The surface plate 43 is bonded to the upper surface of the intermediate plate 42 by an adhesive or the like.

[0045] The surface plate 43 is formed with a surface common hole 43a and surface individual holes 43b. Each of the surface holes 43a, 43b has an elliptical shape with the Y direction as the major axis in a plan view, and is formed in a tapered shape in which the inner diameter gradually decreases from the top to the bottom. However, the inner diameter of each of the surface holes 43a, 43b may be uniform over the entire Z direction. The plan view shape of each of the surface holes 43a, 43b can also be appropriately changed to a circular shape, a polygonal shape, or the like. The surface common hole 43a and the surface individual holes 43b may be the same shape or different shapes.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, the surface common hole 43a penetrates in the Z direction through a portion of the surface plate 43 that overlaps with the -Y side end of the discharge channel 51 in a plan view (a portion located between adjacent first tail portions 41a). That is, the surface common hole 43a is provided corresponding to each discharge channel 51. In a plan view, the surface common hole 43a is disposed shifted in the X direction relative to the intermediate common hole 42a. Meanwhile, in a side view, the lower end opening of the surface common hole 43a is located on the +Y side relative to the intermediate common hole 42a. However, the lower end opening of the surface common hole 43a may be provided on the -Y side relative to the intermediate common hole 42a, or may be provided at the same position in the Y direction.

[0047] The surface individual hole 43b penetrates in the Z direction through a portion of the surface plate 43 that overlaps with the +Y side end of the non-ejection channel 52 in a plan view (a portion located on each second tail portion 41b). That is, the surface individual hole 43b is provided corresponding to each non-ejection channel 52. The surface individual hole 43b and the intermediate individual holes 42b, 42c are aligned in a straight line in the Y direction. Specifically, the lower end opening of the surface individual hole 43b is located on the +Y side with respect to the second intermediate individual hole 42c. However, the lower end opening of the surface individual hole 43b may be provided on the -Y side with respect to the second intermediate individual hole 42c, or may be formed at a position that overlaps with the first tail portion 41a in a plan view.

[0048] The surface common hole 43a and the surface individual holes 43b are arranged at both ends in the Y direction of the surface plate 43, shifted by half a pitch with respect to the arrangement pitch of the ejection channels 51 (or non-ejection channels 52). In the first embodiment, the surface common hole 43a and the surface individual holes 43b are shifted from each other in the X direction when viewed from the Y direction. However, a portion of the surface common hole 43a and the surface individual holes 43b may overlap each other when viewed from the Y direction.

[0049] Next, various wirings formed on the head chip 32 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the actuator plate 41 is provided with common wiring 61 and individual wiring 62 as drive wiring.

[0050] FIG. 8 is an end view corresponding to line VIII-VIII in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the common wiring 61 includes a common electrode 65 and a common output wiring 66. The common electrodes 65 are formed on the inner surfaces of the ejection channel 51 that face each other in the X direction. Each common electrode 65 is formed on the inner surface of the ejection channel 51 over the entire area in the Y and Z directions. 4, the common output wiring 66 extends in a strip shape in the X direction on the upper surface of the first tail portion 41a. The common output wiring 66 connects the common electrodes 65 that face each other in the X direction with the non-ejection channel 52 therebetween at the upper end opening edges of the ejection channels 51 that face each other in the X direction with the non-ejection channel 52 therebetween.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the individual wiring 62 includes an individual electrode 68 and an individual output wiring 69. The individual electrodes 68 include a first individual electrode 68a formed on at least the inner surface facing the -X side of the inner surface of the non-ejection channel 52, and a second individual electrode 68b formed on at least the inner surface facing the +X side. Each individual electrode 68 is formed over the entire area in the Y direction and the Z direction on the inner surface of the non-ejection channel 52, and is also formed on the bottom surface of the cut-up portion 52b. The first individual electrode 68a and the second individual electrode 68b formed in the same non-ejection channel 52 are separated from each other by a separating groove 52c.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4, the individual output wiring 69 includes a first individual output wiring 69a and a second individual output wiring 69b. The first individual output wiring 69a extends in the Y direction on the upper surface of the first tail portion 41a. The first individual output wiring 69a is connected to the first individual electrode 68a at the upper opening edge of the non-ejection channel 52. The first individual output wiring 69a is separated from the common output wiring 66 on the surface of the first tail portion 41a.

[0053] The second individual output wiring 69b extends in the Y direction on the upper surface of the second tail portion 41b. The second individual output wiring 69b is connected to the second individual electrode 68b at the edge of the upper opening of the non-ejection channel 52.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the intermediate plate 42 is provided with a common connection wire 71 and individual connection wires 72 as connection wires. The common connection wiring 71 includes a common through wiring 75 and a common lead wiring 76 . The common through wiring 75 is formed on the inner surface of the intermediate common hole 42a. Specifically, the common through wiring 75 is formed on the entire inner surface of the intermediate common hole 42a and is formed over the entire Z direction. The common through wiring 75 is connected to the common output wiring 66 at the lower opening edge of the intermediate common hole 42a.

[0055] The common lead-out wiring 76 is formed on the upper surface of the intermediate plate 42. The common lead-out wiring 76 includes a strip-shaped portion 76a and a common protruding portion 76b. The strip portion 76a extends in the X direction so as to cross between the respective intermediate common holes 42a. The strip portion 76a is connected to the common through wiring 75 at the upper opening edge of the intermediate common hole 42a. That is, the strip portion 76a lumps together the common electrodes 65 via the respective common through wirings 75. It is not necessary that all the common through wirings 75 are connected to one strip portion 76a, and the common through wirings 75 may be lumped together by being shared by, for example, a plurality of strip portions 76a.

[0056] The common protrusions 76b are formed on the upper surface of the intermediate plate 42 at positions overlapping with the respective ejection channels 51 in a plan view. The common protrusions 76b protrude from the strip-shaped portions 76a to the +Y side. In the first embodiment, the common protrusions 76b and the common through-wires 75 are arranged alternately on the upper surface of the intermediate plate 42. Therefore, the total number of the common protrusions 76b is the same as the number of the common through-wires 75 or is one less.

[0057] The individual connection wiring 72 includes a first individual through wiring 81 , a second individual through wiring 82 , and an individual lead wiring 83 . The first individual through wires 81 are formed on the inner surface of the first intermediate individual hole 42b. Specifically, the first individual through wires 81 are formed around the entire inner surface of the first intermediate individual hole 42b and are formed over the entire Z direction. The first individual through wires 81 are connected to the first individual output wires 69a at the lower opening edge of the first intermediate individual hole 42b. The second individual through wires 82 are formed on the inner surface of the second intermediate individual hole 42c. Specifically, the second individual through wires 82 are formed around the entire inner surface of the second intermediate individual hole 42c and are formed over the entire Z direction. The second individual through wires 82 are connected to the second individual output wires 69b at the lower opening edge of the second intermediate individual hole 42c.

[0058] The individual lead-out wiring 83 is formed on the upper surface of the intermediate plate 42. Specifically, the individual lead-out wiring 83 includes a bridging portion 83a and an individual protruding portion 83b. The bridge portion 83a connects between the first individual through-wire 81 located on the -X side of one discharge channel 51 and the second individual through-wire 82 located on the +X side of one discharge channel 51. Specifically, the bridge portion 83a extends inclined toward the +Y side as it approaches the +X side in a plan view. A first end (-Y side end) of the bridge portion 83a is connected to the first individual through-wire 81 at the upper opening edge of the first intermediate individual hole 42b. A second end (+Y side end) of the bridge portion 83a is connected to the second individual through-wire 82 at the upper opening edge of the second intermediate individual hole 42c. This connects the individual electrodes 68a, 68b that face each other in the X direction with one ejection channel 51 in between (the second individual electrodes 68b of the non-ejection channels 52 located on the +X side of one ejection channel 51, and the first individual electrodes 68a of the non-ejection channels 52 located on the -X side of one ejection channel 51).

[0059] The individual protrusion 83b extends from the second end of the bridging portion 83a to the +Y side. That is, the individual protrusion 83b is provided at a position shifted in the X direction with respect to the common protrusion 76b.

[0060] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the surface plate 43 is provided with a common terminal wire 91 and individual terminal wires 92 as terminal wires. The common terminal wiring 91 includes a surface common wiring 91a and a common pad 91b.

[0061] As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the surface common wiring 91a is formed on the inner surface of the surface common hole 43a. Specifically, the surface common wiring 91a is formed around the entire inner surface of the surface common hole 43a and is formed over the entire Z direction. The surface common wiring 91a is connected to the common protrusion 76b at the lower opening edge of the surface common hole 43a. In other words, the total number of the surface common wirings 91a is the same as the total number of the common protrusions 76b, and is set to be the same as or one less than the common through wirings 75. The common pad 91b is formed on the upper surface of the surface plate 43 so as to surround the surface common hole 43a. The common pad 91b is formed in an elliptical shape with the Y direction as the major axis direction in a plan view. The -Y side end of the common pad 91b is connected to the surface common wiring 91a at the upper opening edge of the surface common hole 43a.

[0062] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the individual terminal wiring 92 includes a surface individual wiring 92a and an individual pad 92b. The surface individual wiring 92a is formed on the inner surface of the surface individual hole 43b. Specifically, the surface individual wiring 92a is formed around the entire inner surface of the surface individual hole 43b and is formed over the entire Z direction. The surface individual wiring 92a is connected to the individual protrusion 83b at the lower opening edge of the surface individual hole 43b.

[0063] The individual pads 92b are formed on the upper surface of the surface plate 43 so as to surround the surface individual holes 43b. The individual pads 92b are formed in an elliptical shape with the Y direction as the major axis direction in a plan view. The +Y side end of the individual pads 92b is connected to the surface individual wiring 92a at the upper opening edge of the surface individual hole 43b. The common pads 91b and the individual pads 92b are arranged at both ends of the surface plate 43 in the Y direction, shifted by half a pitch with respect to the arrangement pitch of the ejection channels 51 (or non-ejection channels 52).

[0064] <Nozzle plate 33> As shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the nozzle plate 33 covers the lower surface of the actuator plate 41 and the lower surface of the flow path plate 31 together. The nozzle plate 33 is bonded to the lower surface of the actuator plate 41 and the lower surface of the flow path plate 31 via an adhesive or the like. As a result, the nozzle plate 33 covers the lower end openings of the inlet common flow path 31b and the outlet common flow path 31c and the lower end openings of the channels 51 and 52 together. The nozzle plate 33 is formed of a resin material (polyimide, etc.). However, the nozzle plate 33 may have a single-layer structure or a laminated structure made of a resin material (polyimide, etc.), glass, silicon, etc., in addition to a metal material (SUS, Ni-Pd, etc.).

[0065] As shown in Figures 6 and 8, the nozzle plate 33 is formed with a plurality of nozzle holes 33a penetrating the nozzle plate 33 in the Z direction. The nozzle holes 33a are formed, for example, in a tapered shape in which the inner diameter gradually decreases from the top to the bottom. The nozzle holes 33a are arranged at intervals in the X direction. Each nozzle hole 33a is individually connected to a corresponding discharge channel 51. In the illustrated example, the upper end opening of each nozzle hole 33a opens at the center of the discharge channel 51 in the Y direction.

[0066] <Flow passage cover 34> 3 and 6, the flow path cover 34 sandwiches the flow path plate 31 and the head chip 32 between the flow path cover 34 and the nozzle plate 33. The flow path cover 34 includes a cover base 95, an inlet port 96, and an outlet port 97. The cover base 95 is a rectangular plate whose planar outer shape is formed to be the same as that of the flow path plate 31. The cover base 95 is overlaid on the upper surfaces of the flow path plate 31 and the head chip 32. The cover base 95 is bonded to the upper surfaces of the flow path plate 31 and the head chip 32 via an adhesive or the like, and is fastened to the flow path plate 31 with screws or the like. As a result, the cover base 95 closes the upper end openings of the inlet common flow path 31b and the outlet common flow path 31c.

[0067] A slit 95a is formed in the center of the cover base 95 in the Y direction. The slit 95a penetrates the cover base 95 in the Z direction and extends in the X direction. The slit 95a is formed at a position overlapping the center of the head chip 32 (excluding the outer periphery) in a plan view. That is, the dimension of the slit 95a in the Y direction is smaller than the dimension of the head chip 32 in the Y direction. The dimension of the slit 95a in the X direction is smaller than the dimension of the head chip 32 in the X direction. The slit 95a exposes at least a part of each of the pads 91b, 92b on the upper surface of the surface plate 43. In the illustrated example, the cover base 95 covers the outer periphery of the surface plate 43 with the opening edge of the slit 95a, and exposes the entirety of each of the pads 91b, 92b through the slit 95a.

[0068] The inlet port 96 is located at the end of the cover base 95 on the +Y side and the +X side. The inlet port 96 protrudes upward from the cover base 95. The inlet port 96 communicates with the inlet common flow channel 31b through the +X side end of the inlet common flow channel 31b (the portion protruding toward the chip accommodation section 31a). That is, the ink flowing through the ink supply tube 21 is supplied to the inlet common flow channel 31b through the inlet port 96. The outlet port 97 is located at the end of the cover base 95 on the -Y side and the -X side. The outlet port 97 protrudes upward from the cover base 95. The outlet port 97 communicates with the outlet common flow channel 31c through the -X side end of the outlet common flow channel 31c (the portion protruding toward the chip housing portion 31a). That is, the ink flowing through the outlet common flow channel 31c is discharged to the ink discharge tube 22 through the outlet port 97.

[0069] 6, the flexible printed circuit board 35 is pressure-bonded to the upper surface of the surface plate 43 through the slit 95a. The flexible printed circuit board 35 is connected to the pads 91b, 92b on the upper surface of the surface plate 43. The flexible printed circuit board 35 is pulled out upward and then connected to a control unit.

[0070] [Printer 1 operation method] Next, a case where characters, figures, etc. are recorded on a recording medium P using the printer 1 configured as described above will be described below. 1 are each fully filled with ink of a different color. Also, the ink in the ink tanks 4 is filled in the inkjet head 5 via the ink circulation mechanism 6.

[0071] When the printer 1 is operated in this initial state, the recording medium P is conveyed to the +X side while being sandwiched between the rollers 11 and 12 of the conveying mechanisms 2 and 3. At the same time, the carriage 29 moves in the Y direction, causing the inkjet head 5 mounted on the carriage 29 to move back and forth in the Y direction. While the inkjet heads 5 are moving back and forth, ink is appropriately ejected from each inkjet head 5 onto the recording medium P. In this way, characters, images, etc. can be recorded on the recording medium P.

[0072] The movement of each ink-jet head 5 will now be described in detail. In the inkjet head 5 of the circulation type side shoot type as in the first embodiment, first, the pressurizing pump 24 and the suction pump 25 shown in FIG. 2 are operated to circulate ink in the circulation flow path 23. In this case, the ink flowing in the ink supply pipe 21 is supplied into the inlet common flow path 31b through the inlet port 96. The ink supplied to the inlet common flow path 31b is distributed to each ejection channel 51 through the +Y side opening of each ejection channel 51, and then flows through each ejection channel 51 to the -Y side. After that, the ink is discharged to the outlet common flow path 31c through the -Y side opening of each ejection channel 51. The ink discharged to the outlet common flow path 31c flows into the ink ejection pipe 22 through the outlet port 97, and is returned to the ink tank 4. In this way, the ink can be circulated between the inkjet head 5 and the ink tank 4.

[0073] Then, when the inkjet head 5 starts to move back and forth by the movement of the carriage 29 (see FIG. 1), a driving voltage is applied between the common electrode 65 and the individual electrodes 68 via the flexible printed circuit board 35. At this time, the driving voltage is applied with the common electrode 65 set to a reference potential GND and the individual electrodes 68 set to a driving potential Vdd. Then, a potential difference is generated in the X direction between the common electrode 65 and the individual electrodes 68, which face each other across the driving wall 53. Due to the potential difference generated in the X direction, an electric field is generated in the actuator plate 41 in a direction perpendicular to the polarization direction (Z direction). As a result, the actuator plate 41 undergoes thickness slip deformation in the Z direction due to the shear mode. Specifically, thickness slip deformation occurs in the two driving walls 53 that define the ejection channel 51, and these two driving walls 53 deform so as to protrude toward the non-ejection channel 52 side. That is, since the actuator plate 41 of the first embodiment is composed of two piezoelectric substrates that are polarized in the thickness direction (Z direction) and are laminated, when a drive voltage is applied, the actuator plate 41 bends and deforms into a V shape centered on the middle position in the Z direction of the drive wall 53. This causes the ejection channel 51 to deform as if it is bulging.

[0074] Thereafter, when the driving voltage is set to zero, the actuator plate 41 returns to its original state, and the volume within the ejection channel 51 attempts to return to its original state. In the process of the actuator plate 41 returning to its original state, the pressure within the ejection channel 51 increases, and the ink within the ejection channel 51 is ejected to the outside through the nozzle hole 33a. The ink ejected to the outside lands on the recording medium P, and print information is recorded on the recording medium P.

[0075] <Method of Manufacturing Discharge Unit 30> Next, a description will be given of a method for manufacturing the above-mentioned discharge unit 30. FIG 9 is a flowchart for explaining a method for manufacturing the discharge unit 30. 9, the manufacturing method of the discharge unit 30 includes an actuator processing step S10, an intermediate plate processing step S20, a surface plate processing step S30, a grinding step S40, an assembly step S50, and a third bonding step S60. Among the manufacturing steps of the discharge unit 30, the actuator processing step S10, the intermediate plate processing step S20, the surface plate processing step S30, and the grinding step S40 correspond to manufacturing steps of the head chip 32. In the following description, for convenience, an example will be described in which the head chip 32 is manufactured at the chip level.

[0076] 10 to 13 are process diagrams for explaining the actuator machining step S10, and are end views corresponding to FIG. 10, a mask pattern 100 is formed on the upper surface of the actuator plate 41. Specifically, after a mask material (e.g., a laminate film) is formed on the upper surface of the actuator plate 41, the mask material is patterned using a photolithography technique. At this time, the mask pattern 100 is formed in which at least the formation regions of the common output wiring 66 and the individual output wiring 69 are opened in the mask material. Note that the dimension (pre-processing dimension) of the actuator plate 41 in the Z direction at the time of the actuator processing step S10 is larger than the dimension (post-processing dimension) of the actuator plate 41 when completed as the head chip 32.

[0077] In the channel forming step S12 shown in FIG. 11, the formation regions of the discharge channel 51 and the non-discharge channel 52 in the actuator plate 41 are processed by the first dicer 110. The first dicer 110 is formed in a disk shape when viewed from the X direction. In the channel forming step S12, the travel distance of the first dicer 110 in the Y direction is made smaller in the formation region of the non-discharge channel 52 than in the formation region of the discharge channel 51. As a result, when viewed from the X direction, the bottom surface of the non-discharge channel 52 is formed in a convex arc shape facing downward, and the bottom surface of the discharge channel 51 is formed in a straight line. In addition, the advance amount of the first dicer 110 in the Z direction is set to be larger than the post-processing dimension of the actuator plate 41 and smaller than the pre-processing dimension of the actuator plate 41. That is, after the channel forming step S12, neither the discharge channel 51 nor the non-discharge channel 52 penetrates the actuator plate 41.

[0078] 12, a common wiring 61 and individual wiring 62 are formed as drive wiring. Specifically, an electrode material is deposited by oblique deposition or the like from the upper surface side of the actuator plate 41. As a result, a common electrode 65 is formed on the inner surface of each ejection channel 51, and an individual electrode 68 is formed on the inner surface of the non-ejection channel 52. In addition, a common output wiring 66 and individual output wiring 69 are formed on the upper surface of the actuator plate 41 through a mask pattern 100.

[0079] 13, the individual electrodes 68a, 68b formed in one non-ejection channel 52 are separated. Specifically, the second dicer 115 is advanced into the center of the non-ejection channel 52 in the X direction. At this time, the dimension of the second dicer 115 in the X direction is smaller than the dimension of the non-ejection channel 52 in the X direction. Therefore, the individual electrodes 68a, 68b are separated at the bottom surface of the non-ejection channel 52.

[0080] 14 to 16 are process drawings for explaining the intermediate plate machining step S20, and are cross-sectional views corresponding to FIG. 14, the intermediate common hole 42a and the intermediate individual holes 42b, 42c are formed in the intermediate plate 42. Specifically, a laser beam is irradiated from the upper surface side of the intermediate plate 42 to penetrate the intermediate plate 42. The intermediate common hole 42a and the intermediate individual holes 42b, 42c may be formed by sandblasting, etching, or the like.

[0081] In the first bonding step S22 shown in FIG.

[0082] 16, a common connection wiring 71 and individual connection wiring 72 are formed on the intermediate plate 42 as connection wiring. Specifically, an electrode material is deposited by deposition or the like from the upper surface side of the intermediate plate 42 through a mask pattern (not shown). As a result, a common through wiring 75 is formed in the intermediate common hole 42a, and individual through wirings 81, 82 are formed in the intermediate individual holes 42a, 42b. In addition, a common lead-out wiring 76 and individual lead-out wiring 83 are formed on the upper surface of the intermediate plate 42.

[0083] 17 to 19 are process diagrams for explaining the surface plate machining step S30, and are cross-sectional views corresponding to FIG. 17, a surface common hole 43a and a surface individual hole 43b are formed in the surface plate 43. Specifically, sandblasting or the like is performed from the upper surface side of the surface plate 43 to penetrate the surface plate 43. The surface common hole 43a and the surface individual holes 43b may be formed by a laser, etching, or the like.

[0084] In the second joining step S32 shown in FIG. 18, the surface plate 43 is attached to the upper surface of the intermediate plate .

[0085] 19, a common terminal wiring 91 and individual terminal wiring 92 are formed on the surface plate 43 as terminal wiring. Specifically, a film of an electrode material is formed by performing deposition or the like from the upper surface side of the surface plate 43 through a mask pattern (not shown). As a result, a surface common wiring 91a is formed in the surface common hole 43a, and a surface individual wiring 92a is formed in the surface individual hole 43b. In addition, a common pad 91b and an individual pad 92b are formed on the upper surface of the surface plate 43.

[0086] FIG. 20 is a process diagram for explaining the grinding step S40, and is an end view corresponding to FIG. 20, a grinding process is performed on the lower surface of the actuator plate 41. Specifically, the actuator plate 41 is ground until the ejection channels 51 and the non-ejection channels 52 open on the lower surface of the actuator plate 41. Through the above steps, the head chip 32 is completed.

[0087] Thereafter, in an assembly process S50, head chip 32 is assembled to flow path plate 31. Specifically, head chip 32 is fitted into chip housing portion 31a so that the lower surface of flow path plate 31 and the lower surface of head chip 32 are flush with each other.

[0088] Next, in a third bonding process S60, the nozzle plate 33 is attached so as to cover the lower surface of the flow path plate 31 and the lower surface of the head chip 32 collectively. Thereafter, the flow path cover 34 is attached to the upper surface of the flow path plate 31. Through the above steps, the discharge unit 30 is completed.

[0089] When the head chip 32 is manufactured at the wafer level, the actuator plate wafer, the intermediate plate wafer, and the surface plate wafer are subjected to the same processes as the actuator processing process S10, the intermediate plate processing process S20, the surface plate processing process S30, and the grinding process S40 to form a wafer stack. The wafer stack is then diced into individual pieces to extract the head chips 32. The head chips 32 extracted from the wafer stack are then subjected to the assembly process S50 and subsequent processes to complete the discharge unit 30.

[0090] Thus, the head chip 32 of the first embodiment includes a common electrode 65 formed on the inner surface of the ejection channel (ejection channel) 51, a first individual electrode 68a formed on the inner surface of the non-ejection channel (non-ejection channel) 52 facing the -X side (first side in the second direction), a second individual electrode 68b formed on the inner surface of the non-ejection channel 52 facing the +X side (second side in the second direction), an intermediate plate 42 superimposed on the +Z side (second side in the thickness direction) of the actuator plate 41, and a surface plate 43 superimposed on the +Z side of the intermediate plate 42. Moreover, the intermediate plate 42 is formed with a common through wiring (intermediate common wiring) 75 connected to the common electrode 65, a first individual through wiring (first intermediate individual wiring) 81 connected to the first individual electrode 68a, a second individual through wiring (second intermediate individual wiring) 82 connected to the second individual electrode 68b, and individual lead-out wiring (connection wiring) 83 connecting the first individual through wiring 81 and the second individual through wiring 82. The surface plate 43 is formed with a surface common wiring 91a connecting the common through wiring 75 and a common pad (common terminal) 91b, and a surface individual wiring 92a connecting the individual lead-out wiring 83 and an individual pad 92b.

[0091] According to this configuration, pads 91b, 92b are formed on surface plate 43 that is overlapped in the Z direction with actuator plate 41. This makes it possible to reduce the size of actuator plate 41 in the Y direction compared to a case where pads are formed on extensions (outside in the Y direction) of channels 51, 52 in actuator plate 41. By reducing the size of actuator plate 41 in the Y direction, for example, when head chips 32 are produced at wafer level, the number of actuator plates 41 that can be obtained from one wafer can be increased. Moreover, by interposing the intermediate plate 42 between the surface plate 43 and the actuator plate 41, it is possible to improve the degree of freedom in design compared to the case where the flexible printed circuit board 35 is mounted and the corresponding individual electrodes 68a, 68b are connected to each other using only one plate. In this case, the pitch of each of the channels 51, 52 can be narrowed, and the information printed by the head chip 32 can be printed with higher resolution. Furthermore, since the wiring pattern can be simplified even on the surface of the surface plate 43 facing the +Z side, the occurrence of defects such as short circuits can be suppressed when mounting each pad 91b, 92b and the flexible printed circuit board 35.

[0092] Incidentally, in the head chip 32, a conceivable method for drawing out the various electrodes 65, 68 from the channels 51, 52 is to form the channels 51, 52 so as to penetrate the actuator plate 41 in the Y direction, and to form extraction wiring or the like on the end face in the Y direction of the actuator plate 41. However, when the above configuration is adopted, it is necessary to cover at least the openings of the non-ejection channels 52 on the end face in the Y direction of the actuator plate 41 with a cover plate or the like.

[0093] In contrast to this, in head chip 32 of the first embodiment, both ends of non-ejection channels 52 in the Y direction are configured to terminate within actuator plate 41. With this configuration, the non-ejection channel 52 can be reliably blocked while reducing the number of parts and costs compared to blocking both ends of the non-ejection channel 52 in the Y direction with a separate member (such as a cover plate) from the actuator plate 41.

[0094] In the head chip 32 of the first embodiment, the total number of the surface common wirings 91a is set to be equal to or less than the total number of the common through wirings 75. According to this configuration, by setting the total number of the front surface common wires 91a to be equal to or less than the total number of the common through wires 75, the wiring pattern on the front surface plate 43 can be simplified.

[0095] In the head chip 32 of the first embodiment, the thickness (dimension in the Z direction) of the surface plate 43 is configured to be thicker than that of the intermediate plate . According to this configuration, when ink is ejected, the displacement of the intermediate plate 42 to the +Z side caused by an increase in pressure in the ejection channel 51 can be regulated by the surface plate 43. This improves the pressure generated in the ejection channel 51, enabling ink to be ejected efficiently. Furthermore, by forming the intermediate plate 42 thin, it is possible to suppress variations in the positions and dimensions of the common through wire 75 and the individual through wires 81 and 82, thereby improving the yield.

[0096] In the head chip 32 of the first embodiment, a common output wiring 66 is formed on the upper surface of the actuator plate 41, which connects the common electrodes 65 of adjacent ejection channels 51 to each other and is connected to the common through wiring 75. A first individual output wiring 69a is formed on a portion of the upper surface of the actuator plate 41 that is located on the -Y side (first side in the first direction) with respect to the non-ejection channels 52, and is connected to the first individual electrode 68a through the upper end opening edge of the non-ejection channels 52 and is connected to the first individual through wiring 81. A second individual output wiring 69b is formed on a portion of the upper surface of the actuator plate 41 that is located on the -Y side (second side in the first direction) with respect to the non-ejection channels 52, and is connected to the second individual electrode 68b through the upper end opening edge of the non-ejection channels 52 and is connected to the second individual through wiring 82. According to this configuration, the various electrodes 66, 68a, 68b are led out to the upper surface of the actuator plate 41 via the output wirings 66, 69, which makes it easier to ensure stable conduction between the various through wirings 75, 81, 82 and the various electrodes 66, 68a, 68b.

[0097] In the head chip 32 of the first embodiment, the common pads 91b and the individual pads 92b are arranged to be shifted by half a pitch with respect to the arrangement pitch of the ejection channels 51 (or non-ejection channels 52). According to this configuration, it is easy to ensure the distance between the common pad 91b and the individual pads 92b, so that the common pad 91b and the individual pads 92b can be easily formed while suppressing short circuits between the common pad 91b and the individual pads 92b.

[0098] Since the inkjet head 5 and printer 1 of the first embodiment include the head chip 32 described above, it is possible to provide a small-sized, low-cost inkjet head 5 and printer 1.

[0099] Second embodiment Fig. 21 is a plan view of the actuator plate 41. Fig. 22 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line XXII-XXII in Fig. 21. Fig. 23 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line XXIII-XXIII in Fig. 21. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the common pad 91b and the individual pads 92b are arranged at the same position in the X direction. In head chip 32 shown in FIGS. 21 to 23, common lead-out wiring 76 extends in the X direction on the upper surface of intermediate plate 42 while being spaced apart from individual lead-out wiring 83.

[0100] The surface common hole 43a penetrates the surface plate 43 in the Z direction at a position where it overlaps with each of the first tail portions 41a in a plan view. The surface individual hole 43b penetrates the surface plate 43 in the Z direction at a position where it overlaps with each of the second tail portions 41b in a plan view. That is, the surface holes 43a, 43b are arranged at the same pitch as the arrangement pitch of the non-ejection channels 52, and face each other in the Y direction with the non-ejection channels 52 between them in a plan view.

[0101] The common pads 91b are formed so as to surround the surface common holes 43a on the upper surface of the surface plate 43. Therefore, each common pad 91b overlaps with the first tail portion 41a in a plan view. The individual pads 92b are formed so as to surround the surface individual holes 43b on the upper surface of the surface plate 43. Therefore, each individual pad 92b overlaps with the second tail portion 41b in a plan view.

[0102] The corresponding common pads 91b and individual pads 92b face each other in the Y direction with the non-ejection channels 52 interposed therebetween in a plan view at the same arrangement pitch as the non-ejection channels 52. Note that the common pads 91b and individual pads 92b facing each other in the Y direction may at least partially overlap each other as viewed from the Y direction as long as they are arranged in positions where at least a portion of them overlaps with the upper surface of the actuator plate 41 in a plan view.

[0103] In head chip 32 of the second embodiment, common pad 91b and individual pads 92b are formed at positions that overlap each other on the upper surface of actuator plate 41 (for example, tail portions 41a and 41b) in plan view. According to this configuration, when mounting the flexible printed circuit board 35 on the upper surface of the surface plate 43, the load acting on the surface plate 43 when the flexible printed circuit board 35 is pressure-bonded can be supported by the actuator plate 41. This makes it possible to suppress damage to the head chip 32 during mounting and improve the yield.

[0104] (Other variations) The technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, in the above embodiment, the inkjet printer 1 has been described as an example of a liquid jet recording apparatus, but the liquid jet recording apparatus is not limited to a printer. For example, the liquid jet recording apparatus may be a fax machine, an on-demand printer, or the like. In the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which the inkjet head moves relative to the recording medium during printing (so-called shuttle machine) has been described as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration. The configuration according to the present disclosure may be adopted in a configuration in which the recording medium moves relative to the inkjet head while the inkjet head is fixed (so-called fixed head machine). In the above embodiment, the recording medium P is paper, but this is not limited to the above configuration. The recording medium P is not limited to paper, and may be a metal material, a resin material, or a food product. In the above-described embodiment, the liquid ejection head is mounted on the liquid ejection recording device, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. In other words, the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection head is not limited to the liquid that is to be landed on the recording medium, and may be, for example, a medicinal liquid to be mixed in a medicine, a food additive such as a seasoning or a fragrance to be added to food, or an aromatic to be sprayed into the air.

[0105] In the above embodiment, the configuration has been described in which the Z direction coincides with the direction of gravity, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the Z direction may be aligned with the horizontal direction. In the above-described embodiment, the actuator plate 41 is deformed in a direction in which the volume of the ejection channel 51 is expanded by application of a voltage, and then the actuator plate 41 is restored to its original state to eject ink (so-called pull shot). However, the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration. The head chip according to the present disclosure may be configured to eject ink by deforming the actuator plate 41 in a direction in which the volume of the ejection channel 51 is reduced by application of a voltage (so-called push shot). When push shot is performed, the actuator plate 41 (drive wall 53) is deformed so as to bulge toward the inside of the ejection channel 51 by application of a drive voltage. As a result, the volume inside the ejection channel 51 decreases, and the pressure inside the ejection channel 51 increases, and the ink inside the ejection channel 51 is ejected to the outside through the nozzle hole 33a. When the drive voltage is set to zero, the actuator plate 41 is restored. As a result, the volume inside the ejection channel 51 returns to its original state. A push-shooting head chip can be realized by setting either the polarization direction of the actuator plate 41 or the direction of the electric field (layout of the common electrode and individual electrodes) inversely to that of a pull-shooting head chip.

[0106] In the above embodiment, the nozzle plate 33 is directly bonded to the lower surface of the actuator plate 41, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The nozzle plate 33 may be bonded to the lower surface of the actuator plate 41 via a buffer plate. In the above embodiment, the nozzle plate 33 is provided separately from the head chip 32, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The nozzle plate 33 may constitute a part of the head chip 32.

[0107] In the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which the non-ejection channel 52 terminates inside the actuator plate 41 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The non-ejection channel 52 may penetrate the actuator plate 41 in the Y direction. In this case, it is preferable to close the opening of the non-ejection channel 52 with a separate member on the end surface of the actuator plate 41 facing the Y direction. In the above embodiment, the discharge channel 51 penetrates the actuator plate 41 in the Z direction, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The discharge channel 51 only needs to communicate with at least the common flow paths 31b and 31c and the nozzle hole 33a.

[0108] In the above embodiment, the connection wiring is formed on the upper surface of the intermediate plate 42, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The connection wiring may be formed on the lower surface of the intermediate plate 42. In the above-described embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the total number of the surface common wirings 91a is equal to or less than the total number of the common through wirings 75, but this is not limited to the configuration. The total number of the surface common wirings 91a may be greater than the total number of the common through wirings 75. Furthermore, the common pads 91b do not need to correspond to the total number of the ejection channels 51 as long as the common electrodes 65 are collectively drawn out. In this case, the surface common wirings 91a can be arbitrarily set, for example by drastically reducing the number of the surface common wirings 91a compared to the total number of the ejection channels 51.

[0109] In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the surface plate 43 is thicker than the intermediate plate 42 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The surface plate 43 may be thinner than the intermediate plate 42.

[0110] In the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which the common output wiring 66 and the individual output wirings 69a, 69b are formed on the upper surface of the actuator plate 41 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the common output wiring 66 does not have to connect the common electrodes 65 of adjacent ejection channels 51 to each other. The common electrode 65 and the common through wiring 75 may be directly connected. Also, the individual electrodes 68a, 68b and the corresponding individual through wirings 81, 82 may be directly connected.

[0111] In the above embodiment, the individual lead-out wiring 83 connects the individual through-wires 81 and 82 to each other, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

[0112] In the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which the intermediate plate 42 and the surface plate 43 are stacked on the actuator plate 41 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, if both ends of the non-ejection channels 52 in the Y direction terminate within the actuator plate 41, the intermediate plate 42 and the surface plate 43 are not essential components. In this case, the various pads may be formed on the upper surface of the actuator plate 41.

[0113] In addition, within the scope of the present disclosure, the components in the above-described embodiments may be replaced with well-known components as appropriate, and the above-described modified examples may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 1: Printer (liquid jet recording device) 5: Inkjet head (liquid ejection head) 32: Head chip 33a: Nozzle hole (injection hole) 41: Actuator plate 42: Intermediate plate 43: Surface plate 51: Discharge channel (injection channel) 52: Non-ejection channel (non-jet channel) 65: Common electrode 66: Common output wiring 68: Individual electrode 68a: 1st individual electrode 68b: 2nd individual electrode 69a: 1st individual wiring 69b: 2nd individual wiring 75: Common through wiring (intermediate common wiring) 81: First individual through wiring (first intermediate individual wiring) 82: Second individual through wiring (second intermediate individual wiring) 83: Individual wiring (connection wiring) 91a: Surface common wiring 91b: Common pad (common terminal) 92a: Surface individual wiring 92b: Individual Pad (Individual Pad)

Claims

1. an actuator plate in which a plurality of ejection channels, which penetrate in a first direction intersecting the thickness direction, through which a liquid passes from a first side to a second side in the first direction, and which communicate with ejection holes provided on the first side in the thickness direction at a midpoint in the first direction, and a plurality of non-ejection channels, which extend in the first direction with both sides in the first direction blocked and through which the liquid does not pass, are alternately formed in a second direction intersecting the first direction as viewed from the thickness direction; a common electrode formed on inner surfaces of the injection channels facing each other in the second direction; a first individual electrode formed on an inner surface of the non-ejection channel that faces a first side in the second direction; a second individual electrode formed on an inner surface of the non-ejection channel facing a second side opposite to the first side in the second direction; an intermediate plate superposed on a second side of the actuator plate, the second side being opposite to the first side in the thickness direction; a surface plate that is superimposed on the intermediate plate on a second side in the thickness direction, and has a common terminal and individual terminals connected to external wiring formed on a surface facing the second side in the thickness direction, The intermediate plate includes: an intermediate common wiring that penetrates the intermediate plate in the thickness direction and is connected to the common electrode; a first intermediate individual wiring that penetrates the intermediate plate in the thickness direction and is connected to the first individual electrode; a second intermediate individual wiring that penetrates the intermediate plate in the thickness direction and is connected to the second individual electrode; a connection wiring that connects the first intermediate individual wiring and the second intermediate individual wiring that correspond to the first individual electrode and the second individual electrode that face each other with one of the ejection channels interposed therebetween; The surface plate includes: a surface common wiring that penetrates the surface plate in the thickness direction and connects the intermediate common wiring and the common terminal; the head chip further comprising: surface individual wiring formed to penetrate the surface plate in the thickness direction and to connect the connection wiring and the individual terminals.

2. The head chip according to claim 1 , wherein both ends of the non-ejection channel in the first direction terminate within the actuator plate.

3. 3. The head chip according to claim 1, wherein a total number of the surface common wires is set to be equal to or less than a total number of the intermediate common wires.

4. 3. The head chip according to claim 1, wherein the surface plate is thicker than the intermediate plate.

5. a common output wiring is formed in a portion of a surface of the actuator plate facing a second side in the thickness direction, the portion being positioned outside the non-ejection channel in the first direction, the common electrodes of adjacent ejection channels being connected to each other, and the intermediate common wiring is connected to the common output wiring; a first individual output wiring is formed in a portion of a surface of the actuator plate facing a second side in the thickness direction, the portion being located on a first side in the first direction with respect to the non-ejection channel, the first individual output wiring being connected to the first individual electrode through an opening edge of the non-ejection channel and being connected to the first intermediate individual wiring; A head chip as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a second individual extraction wiring is formed on a surface of the actuator plate facing the second side in the thickness direction, the second individual extraction wiring being connected to the second individual electrode through the opening edge of the non-ejection channel and connected to the second intermediate individual wiring, in a portion of the surface of the actuator plate facing the second side in the thickness direction, the portion being located on the second side opposite the first side in the first direction relative to the non-ejection channel.

6. an actuator plate including: a plurality of ejection channels penetrating in a first direction intersecting a thickness direction, through which a liquid passes from a first side to a second side in the first direction, and communicating with ejection holes provided on the first side in the thickness direction at a midpoint in the first direction; and a plurality of non-ejection channels extending in the first direction with both sides in the first direction blocked, through which the liquid does not pass, alternately formed in a second direction intersecting the first direction as viewed from the thickness direction; A head tip in which both ends of the non-ejection channel in the first direction terminate within the actuator plate.

7. A liquid jet head comprising the head chip according to claim 1 or 2.

8. A liquid jet recording apparatus comprising the liquid jet head according to claim 7.

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