Liquid discharge head and liquid discharge device

Abstract

To provide a liquid discharge head that suppresses detachment of a discharge module from a support member, and to provide a liquid discharge device.SOLUTION: A liquid supply unit 220 is positioned to a support member 81 to which a discharge module 200 is bonded. A liquid connection part 211 of a discharge unit 300 is connected to the liquid supply unit 220 so as to be movable in a connection part between a discharge unit 300 and the liquid supply unit 220.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid ejection head and a liquid ejection device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid ejection head configured such that a liquid flow path is provided in a support member. However, when the liquid becomes high temperature during use, such as in the case of UV ink, for example, heat is transferred from the liquid to the support member, and the support member may be affected by linear expansion, which may reduce the liquid ejection accuracy. Therefore, a liquid ejection head configured to attach a ejection unit to a support member without a liquid flow path is known.

[0003] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a liquid ejection head 13 configured to attach an ejection unit 17 to a support member 11 without a liquid flow path. The support member 11 is provided with a through hole, and the ejection module 12 is attached in a form inserted into the through hole of the support member 11. The ejection module 12 is adhesively fixed to an adhesion surface 14 which is a surface on the ejection direction (Z direction) side of the support member 11. The ejection unit 17 is connected to a liquid supply unit 15 by a connection portion 16, and liquid is supplied from the liquid supply unit 15 to the ejection unit 17.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When connecting the discharge unit 17 and the liquid supply unit 15, a force is applied to the discharge unit 17 in the Z direction. When a force is applied to the discharge unit 17 in the Z direction, a force is applied to the adhesive joint between the discharge module 12 and the support member 11 in a direction that peels the discharge module 12 away from the support member 11, which may cause the discharge module 12 to detach from the support member 11.

[0006] Furthermore, if the liquid discharge head 13 becomes hot during use, the discharge unit 17 will expand due to the effect of linear expansion, and a force will act in the direction that separates the discharge module 12 from the support member 11, which may cause the discharge module 12 to detach from the support member 11.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention provides a liquid dispensing head and a liquid dispensing device that suppress the dispensing module from detaching from the support member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] Therefore, the liquid discharge head of the present invention comprises a discharge module that discharges liquid in the discharge direction, a support member that supports the discharge module, and a liquid supply unit that is connected to the discharge module by a connecting channel and supplies liquid to the discharge module, wherein the support member is a liquid discharge head that adheres to and supports the discharge module on the discharge direction side of the support member, the liquid supply unit is positioned with respect to the support member, and with the discharge module and the liquid supply unit connected by the connecting channel, the connecting channel is provided to be movable with respect to the liquid supply unit. Furthermore, the connecting channel comprises a first channel member and a second channel member, and an elastic member is provided between the first channel member and the second channel member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a liquid dispensing head and a liquid dispensing device that suppress the dispensing module from detaching from the support member. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1]This is a schematic diagram illustrating a typical liquid dispensing head. [Figure 2] This is a schematic perspective view showing a liquid dispensing device. [Figure 3] This is an external perspective view showing the liquid dispensing head. [Figure 4] This is an exploded perspective view showing the liquid dispensing head. [Figure 5] This is an external view showing the discharge module. [Figure 6] This is an exploded perspective view of the discharge module. [Figure 7] This is a diagram showing the discharge module. [Figure 8] This diagram shows the support member and the discharge module. [Figure 9] This figure shows the state with the first flow path unit installed, as shown in Figure 8(a). [Figure 10] This figure shows the state with the second flow path unit attached, as shown in Figure 9(a). [Figure 11] This diagram shows an electrical wiring board support member and a liquid supply unit. [Figure 12] This diagram shows a liquid supply unit connected to a dispensing unit. [Figure 13] This diagram shows the dispensing unit and the liquid supply unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a liquid ejecting apparatus 101 on which a liquid ejecting head module 1 applicable to the present embodiment can be mounted. The liquid ejecting apparatus 101 forms an image on a recording medium 112 by ejecting a liquid (hereinafter also referred to as ink) from the liquid ejecting head module 1 while moving the recording medium 112 at a position facing the liquid ejection surface of the liquid ejecting head module 1. The liquid ejecting head module 1 mounted on the liquid ejecting apparatus 101 includes liquid ejecting heads 1Ca, 1Cb corresponding to cyan (C) ink, and liquid ejecting heads 1Ma, 1Mb corresponding to magenta (M) ink. Further, the liquid ejecting head 1 includes liquid ejecting heads 1Ya, 1Yb corresponding to yellow ink, and liquid ejecting heads 1Ka, 1Kb corresponding to black (K) ink.

[0013] The liquid ejecting head module 1 is provided with a plurality of ejection ports along the X direction corresponding to the width of the recording medium 112. The recording medium 112 is conveyed in the A direction by a conveying unit 110, and recording is performed by the liquid ejecting head module 1. Since the liquid ejecting heads 1Ca, 1Cb, 1Ma, 1Mb, 1Ya, 1Yb, 1Ka, 1Kb all have the same configuration, hereinafter, they will be described as the liquid ejecting head 3 without being divided by color.

[0014] FIGS. 3(a) and (b) are external perspective views showing a liquid ejecting head 3 applicable to the present embodiment. FIG. 3(a) is a view showing the liquid connection portion 111 so as to be confirmed, and FIG. 3(b) is a view showing the state of FIG. 3(a) rotated around the X axis so that the recording element substrate 10 can be confirmed. The liquid ejecting head 3 includes four recording element substrates 10 capable of ejecting liquid arranged in a staggered manner, and a signal input terminal 91 and a power supply terminal 92 which are electrically connected via a flexible wiring substrate and an electric wiring substrate described later.

[0015] The signal input terminal 91 and the power supply terminal 92 are electrically connected to the control unit of the liquid ejection device 101, and supply a discharge drive signal and the power necessary for discharge to the recording element substrate 10, respectively. By aggregating the wirings by an electric circuit in the electric wiring substrate, the number of the signal output terminal 91 and the power supply terminal 92 can be made smaller than the number of the recording element substrates 10. Thereby, when assembling the liquid ejection head 3 to the liquid ejection device 101 or when replacing the liquid ejection head 3, the number of electrical connection parts that need to be removed is reduced. By the action of the ejection energy generated by the recording element provided in the recording element substrate 10, the liquid ejection head 3 ejects liquid.

[0016] The liquid connection part 111 is connected to the liquid supply system of the liquid ejection device 101. Thereby, ink is supplied from the supply system of the liquid ejection device 101 to the liquid ejection head 3, and the ink that has passed through the liquid ejection head 3 is recovered to the recovery system of the liquid ejection device 101. Thus, the inks of each color are configured to be able to circulate through the path of the liquid ejection device 101 and the path of the liquid ejection head 3.

[0017] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the liquid ejection head 3. The ejection module 200 is attached to the electric wiring board support member 82, and the electric wiring board support member 82 is attached to the support member 81. The liquid supply unit 220 is provided with the liquid connection part 111, and a filter (not shown) communicating with each opening of the liquid connection part 111 is provided inside the liquid supply unit 220 to remove foreign matters in the supplied ink. The electric wiring board support member 82 supports the electric wiring board 90. The liquid supplied from the liquid supply unit 220 is supplied to the ejection module 200 through the liquid connection part 211 of the flow path member 210.

[0018] FIG. 5 is an external view showing the ejection module 200, FIG. 5(a) is a view seen from the side of the third flow path member 70, and FIG. 5(b) is a view seen from the side of the recording element substrate 10. Further, FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the ejection module 200. Further, FIG. 7(a) is a cross-sectional view of the ejection module 200, and FIG. 7(b) is an enlarged view showing a portion α in FIG. 7(a).

[0019] In the manufacturing of the discharge module 200, first, the recording element substrate 10 and the flexible wiring board 40 are bonded to the recording element substrate support member 130. Electrodes 21 for mounting the drive circuit board 20 are provided on the flexible wiring board 40, and the drive circuit board 20 is fixed with a conductive adhesive. The recording element substrate 10 and the drive circuit board 20, and the drive circuit board 20 and the flexible wiring board 40 are electrically connected by wire bonding. The drive circuit board 20 is connected to the refrigerant flow path 52 via a heat dissipation member 30 to suppress the temperature rise due to heat generation during operation. In the discharge module 200, a liquid flow path is formed by a first flow path member 50, a second flow path member 60, and a third flow path member 70. The first flow path member 50 is preferably made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as alumina, in order to facilitate the transfer of the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path 52 to the heat dissipation member 30.

[0020] One discharge module 200 has four flow paths. Two of the four flow paths, liquid flow paths 210, communicate with the recording element substrate 10 and are flow paths for the liquid to be discharged, while the remaining two flow paths are refrigerant flow paths 52 through which the refrigerant flows, and are flow paths for cooling the temperature of the drive circuit board 20.

[0021] Figure 8 shows the support member 81 and the discharge module 200. Figure 8(a) is an external perspective view, Figure 8(b) is a top view, Figure 8(c) is a cross-sectional view of section VIIIc-VIIIc in Figure 8(b), and Figure 8(d) is an enlarged view of section β in Figure 8(c). Note that the flexible wiring board 40 is omitted in Figure 8 for clarity. In this embodiment, a configuration in which four discharge modules 200 are mounted on the support member 81 is used as an example, but the invention is not limited to this configuration. A configuration in which one or more discharge modules 200 are mounted may also be used. The first flow channel member 50 of the discharge module 200 is bonded to the Z-direction side of the support member 81, which is the direction in which the liquid is discharged. As shown in Figure 5(a), the X-direction side of the first flow channel member 50 is covered by the flexible substrate 40. Therefore, the discharge module 200 is bonded to the support member 81 at the adhesive surfaces 51 of the first flow channel members 50 that protrude from both ends of the flexible substrate 40. This configuration allows the support member 81 and the liquid flow channel in the discharge module 200 to be separated, thereby suppressing heat transfer to the support member 81 when using high-temperature liquids and preventing displacement of the liquid discharge head 3 due to heat.

[0022] Figure 9 shows the state in which the first flow path unit 140 is installed in the state shown in Figure 8(a). Figure 9(a) is an external perspective view, Figure 9(b) is a top view, and Figure 9(c) is a cross-sectional view at IXc-IXc in Figure 9(b). The discharge module 200 is connected to the liquid supply unit 220 via a connecting flow path. The first flow path unit 140, which is part of the connecting flow path, is formed by joining the fourth flow path member 141 and the fifth flow path member 142 (see Figure 9(c)) with adhesive. The first flow path unit 140 also has an elastic joint rubber 100 (see Figure 9(c)) between it and the two discharge modules 200 which are arranged in parallel in the X direction. The discharge module 200 and the first flow path unit 140 are connected via a flow path by pressing the first flow path unit 140 in the Z direction by screw fastening.

[0023] Figure 10 shows the discharge unit 300 with the second flow path unit 150 attached in the state shown in Figure 9(a). Figure 10(a) is an external perspective view, Figure 10(b) is a top view, and Figure 10(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along Xc-Xc in Figure 10(b). The discharge unit 300 comprises the second flow path unit 150, the first flow path unit 140, and the discharge module 200. The sixth flow path member 151 and the seventh flow path member 152 (see Figure 10(c)) are joined together with adhesive to form the second flow path unit 150. The second flow path unit 150 is connected to two first flow path units 140 arranged in parallel in the Y direction by sandwiching a joint rubber 100 between them and pressing them together in the Z direction by screw fastening.

[0024] With this configuration, the liquid flow paths of the four discharge modules 200 bonded to the support member 81 are connected to the flow paths of the two first flow path units 140, and the flow paths of the two first flow path units 140 are connected to the flow path of one second flow path unit 150. As a result, the liquid flow paths of the four discharge modules 200 can be combined into the flow path of the second flow path unit 150, making it easier to connect to the liquid supply unit 220 (see Figure 4).

[0025] Depending on the temperature of the liquid used, the support member 81 may undergo thermal deformation, potentially causing a change in the relative position of the discharge modules 200 in the Y or X direction. Furthermore, using high-temperature liquids may cause each discharge module 200, the first flow path unit 140, and the second flow path unit 150 to be affected by linear expansion, potentially causing a change in their relative position in the Y or X direction. Such misalignments in the relative positions of these components could lead to liquid leakage at the flow path connections.

[0026] Therefore, in this embodiment, an elastic joint rubber 100 is sandwiched between the first flow path unit 140 and the second flow path unit 150, and the second flow path unit 150 is pressed against the first flow path unit 140 in the Z direction by screw fastening. With this configuration, the effects of relative positional displacement in the Y and X directions can be absorbed by the joint rubber 100. As a result, liquid leakage at the flow path connection due to the effects of linear expansion in the Y or X direction can be suppressed.

[0027] Figure 11 shows the electrical wiring board support member 82 attached to the support member 81 and the liquid supply unit 220. Note that the discharge module 200 is not shown in Figure 11. Figure 11(a) is a schematic perspective view, Figure 11(b) is a top view, and Figure 11(c) is a cross-sectional view of XIc-XIc in Figure 11(b).

[0028] The liquid supply unit 220 is attached to the electrical wiring board support member 82, and the electrical wiring board support member 82 is attached to the support member 81. This positions the liquid supply unit 220 relative to the support member 81.

[0029] Figure 12 shows the liquid supply unit 220 connected to the discharge unit 300. Figure 12(a) is a schematic perspective view, Figure 12(b) is a top view, and Figure 12(c) is a cross-sectional view of Figure 12(b) at XIIc-XIIc.

[0030] The discharge unit 300 is connected to the liquid supply unit 220 via the liquid connection portion 211 in the second flow path unit 150, and liquid is supplied to it. The liquid connection portion 211 in the second flow path unit 150 is connected to the liquid supply unit 220 by inserting the sealing member 101 while pressing it radially against the liquid connection portion 201.

[0031] When connecting the discharge unit 300 and the liquid supply unit 220, the liquid supply unit 220 moves in the Z direction while the liquid connection part 211 is inserted into the recess of the liquid supply unit 220. At this time, if the amount of movement of the liquid supply unit 220 exceeds the desired amount, an excessive force in the Z direction will be applied to the second flow path unit 150. Since the discharge module 200 is bonded to the discharge direction side (Z direction side) of the support member 81, if the Z direction force applied to the second flow path unit 150 is transmitted to the discharge module 200, there is a risk that the discharge module 200 will be detached from the support member 81.

[0032] Therefore, in this embodiment, the liquid supply unit 220 is positioned relative to the support member 81 by the electrical wiring board 82. As a result, the amount of movement of the liquid supply unit 220 during connection does not exceed the desired amount, which prevents excessive force from being applied to the liquid connection part 211 and prevents the adhesive between the discharge module 220 and the support member 81 from peeling off.

[0033] In this embodiment, the liquid supply unit 220 is described as being attached to the electrical wiring board support member 82, and the electrical wiring board support member 82 is attached to the support member 81, but the configuration is not limited to this. It is sufficient that the liquid supply unit 220 is positioned relative to the support member 81, and for example, the liquid supply unit 220 may be directly attached to the support member 81.

[0034] Furthermore, when a high-temperature liquid is flowed through it, each component of the liquid discharge head 3 is likely to undergo linear expansion in the Z direction. This deformation caused by the linear expansion of each component may exert force on the adhesive joint between the discharge module 220 and the support member 81, potentially causing the joint to detach.

[0035] Therefore, in this embodiment, the liquid connection portion 211 is connected to the liquid supply unit 220 by inserting it while pressing the sealing member 101 radially against the liquid connection portion 211. Furthermore, even in the connected state, the liquid connection portion 211 is configured to be movable in the Z direction relative to the liquid supply unit 220. As a result, the effect of linear expansion in the Z direction in each component of the liquid discharge head 3 can be absorbed at the connection portion into which the liquid connection portion 211 is inserted. This suppresses the application of force to the adhesive portion between the discharge module 220 and the support member 81, and prevents the adhesive portion from peeling off.

[0036] In this way, the liquid supply unit 220 is positioned relative to the support member 81 to which the discharge module 200 is bonded. Furthermore, at the connection point between the discharge unit 300 and the liquid supply unit 220, the liquid connection part 211 of the discharge unit 300 is movably connected to the liquid supply unit 220. This makes it possible to provide a liquid discharge head and liquid discharge device that suppresses the discharge module 200 from detaching from the support member 81.

[0037] (Second embodiment) A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Since the basic configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, only the characteristic configurations will be described below.

[0038] Figure 13 shows the discharge unit 300 and the liquid supply unit 220 in this embodiment. Unlike the first embodiment, in this embodiment, one discharge module 200 is attached to the support member 81, and the discharge module 200 is attached to the fixed surface 400 on the support member 81 to which the liquid supply unit 220 is fixed. In addition, the liquid connection part 211 and the liquid supply unit 220 are connected by a tube 102.

[0039] Because the discharge module 200 is attached to the fixed surface 400, no force acts on the discharge module 200 in a direction that would cause it to detach from the support member 81 when it is connected to the liquid supply unit 220 by the tube 102. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the discharge module 200 from detaching from the support member 81. In addition, the tube 102 can absorb the effect of linear expansion in the Z direction in each component of the liquid discharge head 3 by deforming. As a result, it is possible to prevent force from being applied to the adhesive joint between the discharge module 200 and the support member 81, and thus prevent the adhesive joint from detaching. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1. Liquid dispensing head module 3. Liquid dispensing head 10 Recording element substrate 81 Support member 101 Liquid discharge device 200 Discharge Modules 211 Liquid connection part 220 Liquid supply units 300 Discharge Unit

Claims

1. A dispensing module that dispenses liquid in the direction of discharge, A support member that supports the aforementioned discharge module, The system comprises a liquid supply unit connected to the discharge module by a connecting channel and supplying liquid to the discharge module, The support member is a liquid dispensing head that adheres and supports the dispensing module on the dispensing direction side of the support member, The liquid supply unit is positioned relative to the support member, With the discharge module and the liquid supply unit connected by the connecting channel, the connecting channel is provided to be movable relative to the liquid supply unit. The liquid discharge head is characterized in that the connecting channel comprises a first channel member and a second channel member, and an elastic member is provided between the first channel member and the second channel member.

2. The liquid dispensing head according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two or more dispensing modules are supported on the support member.

3. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connecting channel is connected to the liquid supply unit by a portion of it being inserted into a recess provided in the liquid supply unit.

4. The aforementioned connecting channel and the liquid supply unit are connected via a sealing member. The liquid discharge head according to claim 3, characterized in that the sealing member is in pressure contact with the connecting channel and the recess in the radial direction with respect to the discharge direction as the axis.

5. The aforementioned discharge module has an element substrate equipped with an element that generates discharge energy used when discharging liquid, The liquid discharge head according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the connecting channel comprises a first channel through which the liquid to be discharged flows and a second channel through which the refrigerant flows.

6. The liquid dispensing head according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the liquid supply unit is positioned with respect to the support member via an electrical wiring board support member.

7. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting channel and the liquid supply unit are connected via a tube.

8. A liquid dispensing device configured to be able to mount the liquid dispensing head described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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