JP3928697B2 - Inkjet recording head - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording head mounted on an ink jet recording apparatus that discharges and prints ink droplets supplied from an ink supply means.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a conventional ink jet recording head holds a head main body 101 that ejects ink droplets and an ink supply unit 102 such as an ink cartridge that stores ink supplied to the head main body 101. Means 103. A head case 104 to which the head main body 101 is fixed is fixed to the lower surface of the holding means 103, and one opening is connected to the ink supply means 102 and the other opening is connected to the head case 104. An ink flow path 105 that is connected to the ink introduction path of the head main body 101 and supplies ink from the ink supply means 102 to the head main body 101 is provided.
[0003]
On the other hand, the ink supply means 102 is partitioned into, for example, a plurality of ink chambers 106 filled with inks of a plurality of colors, and a plurality of ink supply ports 107 of the ink supply means 102 are provided for each ink chamber 106, that is, for each color. Is provided.
[0004]
Then, an ink supply needle 108 provided at one opening of the ink flow path 105 is inserted into the ink supply port 107 of the ink supply means 102, whereby ink is supplied to the head body 101 via the ink flow path. Is done.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In such an ink jet recording head, since the head main body is usually smaller than the ink cartridge, the ink supply port of the ink cartridge and the ink introduction port of the head main body have different positions in the ink supply direction. There is a case where an inclined ink communication path is provided on the lower surface of the holding means.
[0006]
However, in the case of providing such an inclined ink communication path in the conventional ink jet recording head, the strength of the peripheral wall that defines the ink communication path is increased by forming along the predetermined wall provided in the holding means. Was holding. For this reason, when the holding means is molded with resin or the like and cooled, there is a problem that irregularities are formed in the ink communication path. That is, the peripheral wall of the ink communication path has a problem that the wall side of the holding means is substantially thick, so that the amount of contraction due to cooling increases, and irregularities are formed in the ink communication path.
[0007]
In view of such circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording head that can satisfactorily form an ink communication path and can always satisfactorily supply ink to a head body.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A first aspect of the present invention that solves the above problem includes a head main body having a plurality of nozzle openings for discharging ink droplets, holds an ink supply means, and an ink supply port of the ink supply means, a head main body, An ink jet recording head having a holding part having an ink flow path communicating with the ink flow path, wherein the holding part forms a plurality of tubular flow paths each having an ink communication path forming at least a part of the ink flow path And at least one of the flow path forming portions is inclined with respect to the lower surface of the holding portion and protrudes from the lower surface of the holding portion, and the tip of the protruding flow path forming portion is the holding portion. An ink jet printer, characterized in that it is supported by a support portion erected in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lower surface of the liquid crystal, and the support portion is provided substantially only near the tip of the flow path forming portion. In the head.
[0009]
In the first aspect, the strength in the direction substantially orthogonal to the lower surface of the holding portion of the inclined flow path forming portion is improved, and breakage due to a load applied during assembly or the like is prevented. Further, the flow path forming part (ink communication path) can be favorably formed by molding without being affected by providing the support part.
[0012]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the ink jet recording head according to the first aspect, wherein the wall defining the ink communication path has a substantially uniform thickness.
[0013]
In the second aspect, when the flow path forming portion (ink communication path) is formed by molding, the amount of heat shrinkage due to cooling of the peripheral wall defining the ink communication path becomes substantially uniform, and the ink communication path is uneven on the inner surface. Is formed satisfactorily without being formed.
[0014]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the ink jet recording head according to the first or second aspect, wherein the holding portion is formed of a resin material.
[0015]
In the third aspect, the flow path forming portion can be formed with a predetermined strength, and the ink communication path can be favorably formed.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the following, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Of course, the configuration of the present invention is not limited to this.
[0017]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ink jet recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the main part thereof, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an ink cartridge case, and FIG. It is a figure and a bottom view.
[0018]
A cartridge case 11 that is a holding member constituting an ink jet recording head 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cartridge mounting portion 12 to which an ink cartridge (not shown) that is an ink supply unit is mounted. For example, in this embodiment, the ink cartridge is configured as a separate body filled with black and three color inks, and the cartridge case 11 includes four cartridge mounting portions 12 to which the ink cartridges of the respective colors are mounted. Have In addition, on the bottom surface of the cartridge case 11, a plurality of ink communication paths 14 </ b> A to 14 </ b> D having one end opened to each cartridge mounting portion 12 and the other end opened to the head case side described later are provided.
[0019]
The illustrated cartridge case 11 shows only the base that forms the bottom of the cartridge case 11, and although not shown, the casing that defines the space for holding the ink cartridge is actually fixed on the base. It becomes a cartridge case.
[0020]
An ink supply needle 15 inserted into the ink supply port of the ink cartridge is attached to the upper surface side of the cartridge case 11, that is, on the opening portion of the ink communication paths 14 </ b> A to 14 </ b> D of each cartridge mounting portion 12. It is fixed through a filter 16 for removing foreign matter.
[0021]
On the other hand, on the lower surface side of the cartridge case, a head case 18 to which a head body 17 that discharges ink droplets from nozzle openings by driving a piezoelectric element is fixed to an end surface opposite to the cartridge case is a sealing member made of an elastomer or the like. 19 and a circuit board 20 for driving the piezoelectric element.
[0022]
The head case 18 is provided with a storage chamber 22 for storing piezoelectric element units 21A and 21B having a plurality of piezoelectric elements and positioning and fixing the piezoelectric elements. Since the ink jet recording head 10 of the present embodiment includes a piezoelectric element unit 21A for discharging black ink and a piezoelectric element unit 21B for discharging color ink, the head case 18 includes these piezoelectric elements. Two accommodation chambers 22 for accommodating the units 21A and 21B are arranged in parallel. Further, outside each storage chamber 22, an ink supply path 23A that communicates with the ink communication path 14A and supplies black ink to the head body 17, and an ink communication path 14B to 14D communicate with each color ink. A plurality of ink supply paths 23 </ b> B to 23 </ b> D for supplying the head main body 17 are provided.
[0023]
Here, each of the ink supply paths 23 </ b> A to 23 </ b> D is provided close to a region facing the head body 17 at the center of the head case 18. Further, the ink supply paths 23B to 23D for supplying the color ink to the head body 17 are arranged in a line in a direction substantially orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the ink cartridge side openings 14A to 14D on the ink cartridge side. That is, there is a case where the opening positions of the ink supply paths 23A to 23D do not correspond to the opening positions of the ink communication paths 14 on the ink cartridge side. For example, in the present embodiment, only the central ink communication path 14C among the three ink communication paths 14B to 14D that supply color ink is provided corresponding to the ink supply path 23C. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the ink supply paths 23A, 23B, and 23D are communicated with each other by inclining the other ink communication paths 14A, 14B, and 14D in a three-dimensional manner.
[0024]
Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, tubular flow path forming portions 24 </ b> A to 24 </ b> D each having ink communication paths 14 </ b> A to 14 </ b> D project from the lower surface side of the cartridge case 11. . Further, the ink communication part is formed at a substantially central part of the cross section of the flow path forming part, and the thickness of the peripheral wall defining the ink communication part is substantially uniform.
[0025]
In the present embodiment, among the flow path forming portions 24B to 24D corresponding to the color ink, only the central flow path forming portion 24C is erected in a direction substantially orthogonal to the lower surface of the cartridge case 11, and the other The flow path forming portions 24A, 24B, and 24D are provided so as to be three-dimensionally inclined, and the ink communication paths 14A to 14D and the ink supply paths 23A to 23D are communicated with each other.
[0026]
Further, the tips of the flow path forming portions 24A, 24B, and 24D that are three-dimensionally inclined in this way are respectively supported by support portions 25 that are erected in a direction substantially orthogonal to the bottom surface of the cartridge case 11. Yes. Thereby, the strength with respect to the load applied in the direction substantially orthogonal to the bottom surface of the cartridge case 11 of each of the inclined flow path forming portions 24A, 24B, and 24D is secured. That is, the support portion 25 prevents breakage due to a load applied during assembly of the flow path forming portions 24A, 24B, and 24D.
[0027]
The support portion 25 is preferably formed to be relatively small so that the strength of the flow path forming portion 24 can be ensured. In this embodiment, substantially only the tip of each flow path forming portion 24 is supported. I have to. The flow path forming portion 24D has a support portion 25 on the entire lower side thereof, but the inside thereof has a hollow structure with a space portion 25a formed from the cartridge mounting portion 12 side as shown in FIG. Substantially only the tip is supported.
[0028]
In this way, the flow path forming portion 24 in which the ink communication path 14 is formed is provided on the lower surface side of the cartridge case 11, and the flow path forming portions 24 A, 24 B, and 24 D that are three-dimensionally inclined are supported by the support portion 25. Since it is supported, the ink communication path 14 can be integrally and satisfactorily formed in the cartridge case 11 by molding a resin material.
[0029]
That is, since only the tip of the flow path forming portion 24 is supported by the support portion 25, the thickness of the peripheral wall of the ink communication path 14 is substantially uniform. For this reason, the amount of heat shrinkage due to cooling after molding becomes substantially uniform, and the ink communication path 14 is favorably formed without forming irregularities on the inner surface. Therefore, ink can be satisfactorily supplied to the head main body 17 via the ink communication path 14.
[0030]
Further, since the flow path forming portion 24 in which the ink communication path 14 is formed is projected, the contact area between the cartridge case 11 and the head case 18 is reduced, and the ink communication path 14 and the ink supply path 23 are reduced. Ink leakage from the connecting portion can be relatively easily prevented.
[0031]
Each member constituting the above-described ink jet recording head is laminated on the lower surface side of the cartridge case 11 in the order of the seal member 19, the circuit board 20, the head case 18, and the head main body 17, and the head main body 17 on the outside thereof. A frame 27 having a window portion 26 that exposes the nozzle opening is inserted, fixed to the cartridge case 11 with screws 28 (see FIG. 1), and then mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus.
[0032]
Further, in the present embodiment, the cartridge case and the head case are described as an example, but it goes without saying that these may be integrally formed.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the ink jet recording head of the present invention, the tip of the flow path forming portion provided to be inclined with respect to the bottom surface of the holding member is supported by the support portion. It can be satisfactorily formed by molding. That is, the strength of the flow path forming portion can be ensured and the ink communication path can be satisfactorily formed without forming irregularities on the inner surface.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an ink jet recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of an ink jet recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cartridge case according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 4A and 4B are a top view and a bottom view of a cartridge case according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an ink jet recording head according to the prior art.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Cartridge case 12 Cartridge mounting part 14A-14D Ink communication path 15 Ink supply needle 16 Filter 17 Head main body 18 Head case 19 Seal member 20 Circuit board 21A, 21B Piezoelectric element unit 22 Accommodating chamber 23A-23D Ink supply path 24A-24D Flow Road formation part 25 support part

Claims (3)

An ink jet comprising a head body having a plurality of nozzle openings for ejecting ink droplets, and having a holding part having an ink flow path for holding the ink supply means and communicating the ink supply port of the ink supply means and the head body. In the recording head,
The holding part has a plurality of tubular flow path forming parts each formed with an ink communication path constituting at least a part of the ink flow path, and at least one of the flow path forming parts is a lower surface of the holding part Is inclined to the lower surface of the holding portion, and the tip of the protruding flow path forming portion is supported by a support portion standing in a direction substantially orthogonal to the lower surface of the holding portion. The ink jet recording head is characterized in that the support portion is provided substantially only near the tip of the flow path forming portion.   2. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the wall defining the ink communication path has a substantially uniform thickness.   The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion is made of a resin material.

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