CN118254474A - Liquid jet head - Google Patents

Abstract

The liquid ejection head according to the present disclosure includes: a printing element substrate including an ejection surface provided with a first ejection hole array in which a plurality of ejection holes configured to be capable of ejecting liquid are arranged in an arrangement direction and a second ejection hole array arranged in a direction intersecting the arrangement direction and the first ejection hole array; and a protective member provided with a first opening corresponding to the first ejection hole array and a second opening corresponding to the second ejection hole array, wherein the protective member is arranged to abut on the ejection surface of the printing element substrate via an adhesive arranged between the first ejection hole array and the second ejection hole array.

Description

Liquid jet head

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a liquid ejection head.

Background

A line type liquid ejecting apparatus that performs high-speed printing using a liquid ejecting head corresponding to a width of a medium to be printed, on which a plurality of printing element substrates are arranged, is known. During continuous single pass printing (continuous single-PASS PRINTING) while continuously or intermittently transporting a plurality of printed media, the transported printed media may float upward into contact with the printing element substrate and damage the liquid ejection head. Japanese patent laid-open No. 2006-334910 (hereinafter referred to as document 1) and japanese patent laid-open No. 4-234665 (hereinafter referred to as document 2) disclose arrangements in which a protective member made of resin or metal is bonded to an injection surface forming an injection hole.

However, with the configuration disclosed in document 1, there is a risk that the protective member may be peeled off from the ejection surface depending on the amount of adhesive or the coating method. Further, with the configuration disclosed in document 2, there is also a problem that the protective member may peel off due to the shape of the protective member or stress generated by the difference in linear expansion coefficient between the material of the protective member and the material of the ejection surface.

Disclosure of Invention

The liquid ejection head according to the present disclosure includes: a printing element substrate including an ejection surface provided with a first ejection hole array in which a plurality of ejection holes configured to be capable of ejecting liquid are arranged in an arrangement direction and a second ejection hole array arranged in a direction intersecting the arrangement direction and the first ejection hole array; and a protection member provided with a first opening corresponding to the first ejection hole array and a second opening corresponding to the second ejection hole array, wherein the protection member is arranged to abut on an ejection surface of the printing element substrate via an adhesive arranged between the first ejection hole array and the second ejection hole array.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an inkjet printing apparatus according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a liquid circulation path of an inkjet printing apparatus according to the present disclosure;

fig. 3A and 3B are perspective views of a liquid ejection head according to the present disclosure;

fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a liquid ejection head according to the present disclosure;

Fig. 5A to 5F are diagrams showing front and rear surfaces of respective flow path members of a liquid ejection head according to the present disclosure;

Fig. 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view of a flow path inside a flow path member of a liquid ejection head according to the present disclosure when viewed from the ejection module side;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6;

Fig. 8A and 8B are perspective and exploded views of a single jetting module of a liquid jetting head according to the present disclosure;

Fig. 9A to 9C are a plan view and an enlarged view of an ejection hole surface side of a printing element substrate of a liquid ejection head according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the surface X-X in FIG. 9A;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a portion of a liquid ejection head adjacent a print element substrate according to the present disclosure;

Fig. 12A to 12C are a perspective view, an exploded perspective view, and a sectional view of an ejection module of the liquid ejection head according to the first embodiment;

fig. 13A to 13C are schematic views showing an adhesive application state in fig. 12C;

fig. 14A to 14C are schematic diagrams showing examples of an adhesive application state in the ejection module of the liquid ejection head according to the first embodiment;

fig. 15A to 15C are a perspective view and a partial enlarged view showing a modification of the ejection module of the liquid ejection head according to the first embodiment;

fig. 16A to 16C are a perspective view, an exploded perspective view, and a sectional view of an ejection module of a liquid ejection head according to a second embodiment;

fig. 17A to 17C are schematic views showing an adhesive application state in fig. 16C;

fig. 18A to 18C are schematic perspective views showing a modification of the printing element substrate of the liquid ejection head according to the second embodiment;

fig. 19A to 19C are a perspective view, an exploded perspective view, and a sectional view of an ejection module of a liquid ejection head according to a third embodiment;

fig. 20A and 20B are schematic views showing an adhesive application state in fig. 19C;

Fig. 21A to 21C are schematic perspective views showing a modification of a printing element substrate of a liquid ejection head according to a third embodiment;

Fig. 22A to 22C are a perspective view, an exploded perspective view, and a sectional view of an ejection module of a liquid ejection head according to a fourth embodiment;

fig. 23A and 23B are schematic views showing an adhesive application state in fig. 22C;

fig. 24A to 24C are schematic perspective views showing a printing element substrate of a liquid ejection head according to a fifth embodiment;

fig. 25 is a schematic partially enlarged view showing a printing element substrate of a liquid ejection head according to a sixth embodiment; and

Fig. 26 is a schematic partially enlarged view showing a printing element substrate of a liquid ejection head according to a seventh embodiment.

Detailed Description

Examples of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the following description is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As an example, although a thermal system that generates bubbles using a heating element to eject liquid is employed in the present embodiment, the present disclosure can also be applied to a liquid ejection head employing a piezoelectric system and other various liquid ejection systems.

While the embodiments herein present an inkjet printing apparatus (printing apparatus) formed to circulate liquid (e.g., ink) between a tank and a liquid ejection head, the inkjet printing apparatus can be provided in other forms. For example, instead of circulating ink, the inkjet printing apparatus may be provided with two tanks on the upstream side and the downstream side of the liquid ejection head, respectively, and may be formed to flow ink in the pressure chamber by supplying ink from one tank to the other.

Further, although the embodiments herein give a so-called line type liquid ejection head (whose length corresponds to the width of the medium to be printed), the present disclosure can also be applied to a so-called serial type liquid ejection head (which performs printing while scanning the medium to be printed). An example of the serial liquid ejection head is a configuration in which one printing element substrate for black ink and one printing element substrate for color ink are mounted, respectively. The liquid ejection head according to the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and may be formed to construct a short line type liquid ejection head (which is shorter than the width of the medium to be printed and in which a number of printing element substrates are arranged such that ejection holes overlap each other in the ejection hole arrangement direction) and scan the medium to be printed with the short line type liquid ejection head.

< Description of basic configuration of the present disclosure >

(Description of inkjet printing apparatus)

Fig. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a liquid ejection device according to the present disclosure, or more specifically, an inkjet printing device 1000 (hereinafter also referred to as a printing device) that performs printing by inkjet. The printing apparatus 1000 is a line type printing apparatus including a conveying section 1 and a line type liquid ejection head 3, the conveying section 1 conveying a print medium 2, the line type liquid ejection head 3 being arranged substantially perpendicular to a conveying direction of the print medium and performing continuous single-pass printing while continuously or intermittently conveying a plurality of print media 2. The printed medium 2 is not limited to cut paper, and may be continuous roll paper. The liquid ejection head 3 is capable of full-color (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) printing using CMYK inks. Further, as will be described later, a liquid supply device (i.e., a supply path for supplying liquid to the liquid ejection head), a main tank, and a buffer tank (see fig. 2) are fluidly connected to the liquid ejection head 3. Further, an electronic control section that transmits electric power and ejection control signals to the liquid ejection head 3 is electrically connected to the liquid ejection head 3. The liquid path and the electric signal path in the liquid ejection head 3 will be described later.

(Description of circulation path)

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a circulation path applied to a printing apparatus according to the present disclosure, in which the liquid ejection head 3 is fluidly connected to a first circulation pump 1002, a buffer tank 1003, and the like. Note that fig. 2 shows only the flow path of ink of one color among CMYK inks for the sake of brevity. The buffer tank 1003, which is a sub tank connected to the main tank 1006, includes an air communication port (not shown) that communicates the inside of the tank with the outside and is capable of discharging bubbles in ink to the outside. Buffer tank 1003 is also connected to a make-up pump 1005. When the liquid in the liquid ejection head 3 is consumed by ejecting ink due to ejection (discharge) of ink from ejection holes of the liquid ejection head, suction recovery, or the like for printing, the replenishment pump 1005 transfers ink corresponding to the consumed amount from the main tank 1006 to the buffer tank 1003.

The first circulation pump 1002 has a function of drawing liquid from the liquid connection portion 111 of the liquid ejection head 3 and feeding the liquid to the buffer tank 1003. A volumetric pump having a quantitative liquid feeding capability is preferably used as the first circulation pump 1002. Although specific examples include a tube pump, a gear pump, a diaphragm pump, a syringe pump, etc., it is even possible to take a form in which a general constant flow valve or a relief valve is arranged at the pump outlet to ensure a constant flow rate, for example. When the liquid ejection head 3 is driven, the first circulation pump 1002 causes a certain amount of ink to flow in the common recovery flow path 212. The flow rate of the ink is preferably set to a level at or above which the temperature difference between the respective printing element substrates 10 inside the liquid ejection head 3 does not affect the quality of the printed image. Obviously, setting an excessive flow rate causes an excessive negative pressure between the respective printing element substrates 10 due to the influence of the pressure drop of the flow path inside the liquid ejecting unit 300, and causes density unevenness in the image. Therefore, it is preferable to set the flow rate while taking into account the temperature difference and the negative pressure difference between the respective printing element substrates 10.

The negative pressure control unit 230 is disposed between paths connecting the second circulation pump 1004 and the liquid ejecting unit 300 to each other. Therefore, the negative pressure control unit 230 has an operation function such that the pressure on the downstream side (in other words, the liquid ejection unit 300 side) of the negative pressure control unit 230 is maintained at a predetermined constant pressure even when the flow rate of the circulation system fluctuates due to the difference in the duty ratio at which printing is performed. As the two pressure adjustment mechanisms constituting the negative pressure control unit 230, any mechanism may be used as long as the mechanism can control the fluctuation of the pressure on the downstream side of the mechanism itself within a certain range centered on the desired set pressure or below a certain range centered on the desired set pressure. As an example, a mechanism similar to a so-called "pressure reducing regulator" may be used. When the pressure reducing regulator is used, as shown in fig. 2, pressure is preferably applied to the upstream side of the negative pressure control unit 230 by the second circulation pump 1004 through the liquid supply unit 220. Accordingly, since the influence of the head pressure of the liquid ejection head 3 with respect to the buffer tank 1003 can be suppressed, the degree of freedom of layout of the buffer tank 1003 in the printing apparatus 1000 can be enlarged. The second circulation pump 1004 may be a pump head pressure of a certain pressure or more in a range of ink circulation flow rates used when driving the liquid ejection head 3, and a turbo pump, a volumetric pump, or the like may be used. Specifically, a diaphragm pump or the like may be applied. Further, for example, a head tank (WATER HEAD TANK) arranged with a certain head difference with respect to the negative pressure control unit 230 may be applied instead of the second circulation pump 1004.

As shown in fig. 2, the negative pressure control unit 230 includes two pressure adjustment mechanisms respectively set to control pressures different from each other. In these two negative pressure adjustment mechanisms, the side set to a relatively high pressure (denoted by H in fig. 2) and the side set to a relatively low pressure (denoted by L in fig. 2) are connected to the common supply flow path 211 and the common recovery flow path 212 in the liquid ejection unit 300 via the liquid supply unit 220, respectively. The liquid ejecting unit 300 is provided with a common supply flow path 211, a common recovery flow path 212, and individual supply flow paths 213 and individual recovery flow paths 214 communicating with the respective printing element substrates. The individual supply flow path 213 and the individual recovery flow path 214 communicate with the common supply flow path 211 and the common recovery flow path 212, respectively. Accordingly, a part of the liquid fed by the first circulation pump 1002 passes through the internal flow path of the printing element substrate 10 from the common supply flow path 211 and flows into the common recovery flow path 212 (arrow in fig. 2). This is because a pressure difference is provided between the pressure adjustment mechanism H connected to the common supply flow path 211 and the pressure adjustment mechanism L connected to the common recovery flow path 212, and the first circulation pump 1002 is connected only to the common recovery flow path 212.

In this way, a flow of liquid passing through the inside of the common recovery flow path 212 and a flow from the common supply flow path 211 through the inside flow path in each of the printing element substrates 10 and reaching the common recovery flow path 212 are generated in the liquid ejection unit 300. Therefore, while suppressing an increase in pressure loss, the heat generated in each of the printing element substrates 10 can be discharged to the outside of the printing element substrate 10 by the flow from the common supply flow path 211 to the common recovery flow path 212. Further, since the above-described configuration enables generation of ink flow in ejection holes not involved in printing or in pressure chambers when printing is performed by the liquid ejection head 3, thickening of ink in these portions can be suppressed. Further, the thickened ink and foreign matter in the ink can be discharged to the common recovery flow path 212. As a result, the liquid ejection head 3 according to the present example can perform printing at high speed and high quality.

(Description of liquid ejecting head)

The configuration of the liquid ejection head 3 according to the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 3A and 3B are perspective views of the liquid ejection head 3 according to the present embodiment. The liquid ejection head 3 is a line type liquid ejection head in which 15 printing element substrates 10 are arranged in a single line (line arrangement), each printing element substrate 10 being capable of individually ejecting inks of a plurality of colors. As shown in fig. 3A, the liquid ejection head 3 includes a signal input terminal 91 and a power supply terminal 92 electrically connected to the respective printing element substrates 10 via the flexible wiring substrate 40 and the electrical wiring substrate 90. The signal input terminal 91 and the power supply terminal 92 are electrically connected to the control section of the printing apparatus 1000 and supply the ejection driving signal and the electric power required for ejection, respectively, to the printing element substrate 10. The number of the signal input terminals 91 and the power supply terminals 92 can be reduced by concentrating wiring using circuits inside the electric wiring substrate 90 as compared with the number of the printing element substrates 10. Therefore, the number of electrical connection members that need to be detached can be reduced when the liquid ejection head 3 is assembled with respect to the printing apparatus 1000 or when the liquid ejection head is replaced. As shown in fig. 3B, the liquid connection portion 111 provided at one side of the liquid ejection head 3 is connected to a liquid supply system of the printing apparatus 1000. Accordingly, the ink is supplied from the supply system of the printing apparatus 1000 to the liquid ejection head 3 and the ink that has passed through the liquid ejection head 3 is recovered by the supply system of the printing apparatus 1000. In this way, the inks of the respective colors can be circulated via the path of the printing apparatus 1000 and the path of the liquid ejection head 3.

Next, the configuration of the liquid ejection head 3 will be specifically described with reference to fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows an exploded perspective view of the respective components or units constituting the liquid ejection head 3. The liquid ejecting unit 300, the liquid supplying unit 220, and the electric wiring substrate 90 are mounted to the housing 80. The liquid supply unit 220 is provided with a liquid connection portion 111 (see fig. 3A and 3B) and inside with individual filters 221 (see fig. 2) for respective colors, the filters 221 communicating with respective openings of the liquid connection portion 111 so as to remove foreign substances in supplied ink. The liquid supply unit 220 is provided with filters 221 for four colors. The liquid having passed through the filter 221 is supplied to the negative pressure control unit 230 disposed on the liquid supply unit 220 in a manner corresponding to various colors. The negative pressure control unit 230 is a unit composed of individual pressure regulating valves for the respective colors. The negative pressure control unit 230 significantly reduces pressure drop variation inside the supply system (upstream side supply system of the liquid ejection head 3) of the printing apparatus 1000 with fluctuation of the liquid flow rate due to the action of valves, spring members, and the like respectively provided inside the negative pressure control unit 230. Therefore, the negative pressure control unit 230 can stabilize the negative pressure variation on the downstream side of the pressure control unit (the liquid ejection unit 300 side) within a certain range. As shown in fig. 2, two pressure regulating valves for respective colors are built into the negative pressure control unit 230 for respective colors, and the pressure regulating valves are set to different control pressures, respectively. In addition, the high pressure side of the negative pressure control unit 230 communicates with the common supply flow path 211 in the liquid ejection unit 300, and the low pressure side of the negative pressure control unit 230 communicates with the common recovery flow path 212 in the liquid ejection unit 300, respectively, via the liquid supply unit 220.

The housing 80 constituted by the liquid ejecting unit supporting portion 81 and the electric wiring substrate supporting portion 82 supports the liquid ejecting unit 300 and the electric wiring substrate 90 and ensures rigidity of the liquid ejecting head 3. The electric wiring substrate support portion 82 is for supporting the electric wiring substrate 90, and is fixed to the liquid ejection unit support portion 81 by screwing. The liquid ejection unit support 81 has an effect of correcting warpage or deformation of the liquid ejection unit 300, ensuring accuracy of relative positions of the plurality of printing element substrates 10, and thus suppressing streaks or unevenness in the printed matter. Therefore, the liquid ejection unit support 81 preferably has sufficient rigidity, and suitable materials include a metal material such as SUS or aluminum or a ceramic such as alumina. The liquid ejection unit supporting portion 81 is provided with openings 83, 84, 85, and 86 into which the joint rubber 100 is inserted. The liquid supplied from the liquid supply unit 220 is guided to the flow path member 210 constituting the liquid ejection unit 300 via the joint rubber.

The liquid ejection unit 300 is composed of a plurality of ejection modules 200 and a flow path member 210, and the cover member 130 is mounted to the printed medium side surface of the liquid ejection unit 300. In this case, as shown in fig. 4, the cover member 130 is a member having a frame-like surface provided with an elongated opening 131, and the printing element substrate 10 and the sealed section 110 included in the ejection module 200 are exposed from the opening 131 (fig. 8A and 8B). The frame section around the opening 131 has a function as an abutment surface of a cover member that covers the liquid ejection head 3 during printing standby. Accordingly, when the liquid ejection head 3 is capped by applying an adhesive, a sealing material, a filler, or the like along the periphery of the opening 131 to fill the concave-convex portion or the gap on the ejection hole surface of the liquid ejection unit 300, a closed space is preferably formed.

Next, the configuration of the flow path member 210 included in the liquid ejection unit 300 will be described. As shown in fig. 4, the flow path member 210 is a stack of the first flow path member 50, the second flow path member 60, and the third flow path member 70. In addition, the flow path member 210 is a flow path member for distributing the liquid supplied from the liquid supply unit 220 to the respective spray modules 200 and for returning the liquid reflowed from the spray modules 200 to the liquid supply unit 220. The flow path member 210 is fixed to the liquid ejection unit support portion 81 by screwing, and thus warpage and deformation of the flow path member 210 are suppressed.

Fig. 5A to 5F are diagrams showing the front surface and the rear surface of each of the first to third flow path members. Fig. 5A shows a surface of the first flow path member 50 on the side on which the spray module 200 is mounted, and fig. 5F shows a surface of the liquid spray unit support portion 81 abutting the third flow path member 70. The first and second flow path members 50 and 60 are joined such that the abutment surfaces of the respective flow path members shown in fig. 5B and 5C are opposed to each other, and the second and third flow path members 60 and 70 are joined such that the abutment surfaces of the respective flow path members shown in fig. 5D and 5E are opposed to each other. By joining the second flow path member 60 and the third flow path member 70, eight common flow paths extending in the longitudinal direction of the flow path members are formed by the common flow path grooves 62 and the common flow path grooves 71 formed in the respective flow path members. Thus, for the liquids of the respective colors, a set of a common supply flow path 211 and a common recovery flow path 212 (see fig. 6) is formed in the flow path member 210. The communication ports 72 of the third flow path member 70 communicate with the respective holes of the joint rubber 100, and are in fluid communication with the liquid supply unit 220. A plurality of communication ports 61 are formed on the bottom surface of the common flow path groove 62 of the second flow path member 60 and communicate with one end section of the individual flow path groove 52 of the first flow path member 50. The communication port 51 is formed in the other end section of the individual flow channel 52 of the first flow path member 50, and is in fluid communication with the plurality of injection modules 200 via the communication port 51. The individual flow grooves 52 allow the flow paths to converge on the central side of the flow path member.

The first to third flow path members are preferably made of a material that is resistant to liquid corrosion and has a low coefficient of linear expansion. As a base material of the flow path member, for example, alumina, LCP (liquid crystal polymer), PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), PSF (polysulfone), or modified PPE (polyphenylene ether) can be suitably used. Further, as a material of the flow path member, a composite material (resin material) formed by adding an inorganic filler such as silica particles or fibers to a base material of the flow path member can be suitably used. As a method of forming the flow path member 210, three flow path members may be stacked and bonded to each other, or a bonding method by welding may be used when a composite resin material is selected as a material.

Next, the connection relationship of the respective flow paths in the flow path member 210 will be described using fig. 6. Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of a flow path in the flow path member 210 formed by joining the first to third flow path members, as viewed from the surface of the first flow path member 50 on which the spray module 200 is mounted. A common supply flow path 211 (211 a, 211b, 211c, and 211 d) and a common recovery flow path 212 (212 a, 212b, 212c, and 212 d) extending in the longitudinal direction of the liquid ejection heads 3 for the respective colors are provided in the flow path member 210. The plurality of individual supply flow paths 213 (213 a, 213b, 213c, and 213 d) formed by the individual flow path grooves 52 are connected to the common supply flow path 211 of each color via the communication port 61. In addition, the plurality of individual recovery flow paths 214 (214 a, 214b, 214c, and 214 d) formed by the individual flow path grooves 52 are connected to the common recovery flow path 212 of each color via the communication port 61. Such a flow path arrangement enables ink to be collected from each common supply flow path 211 to the printing element substrate 10 located in the central section of the flow path member via the individual supply flow path 213. Further, ink may be recovered from the printing element substrate 10 to the respective common recovery flow paths 212 via the individual recovery flow paths 214.

Fig. 7 is a view showing a cross section taken along line VII-VII in fig. 6. As shown, the individual supply flow path 213c and the individual recovery flow path 214a communicate with the injection module 200 via the communication port 51, respectively. Only the individual supply flow path 213c and the individual recovery flow path 214a are shown in fig. 7. On the other hand, in other cross sections, as shown in fig. 6, other individual supply flow paths (213 a, 213b, and 213 d) and other individual recovery flow paths (214 b, 214c, and 214 d) communicate with the spray module 200, respectively. A flow path for supplying ink from the first flow path member 50 to the printing elements 15 (see fig. 9) provided in the printing element substrate 10 is formed in the support member 30 and the printing element substrate 10 included in each of the ejection modules 200. In addition, a flow path for recovering (refluxing) part or all of the liquid supplied to the printing element 15 to the first flow path member 50 is formed in the support member 30 and the printing element substrate 10 included in each of the ejection modules 200. In this case, the common supply flow path 211 of each color is connected to the negative pressure control unit 230 (high pressure side) of the corresponding color via the liquid supply unit 220, and the common recovery flow path 212 is connected to the negative pressure control unit 230 (low pressure side) via the liquid supply unit 220. The negative pressure control unit 230 is configured to generate a differential pressure (pressure difference) between the common supply flow path 211 and the common recovery flow path 212. Therefore, as shown in fig. 6 and 7, in the liquid ejection head according to the present embodiment, in which the respective flow paths are connected, flows in the order of the common supply flow path 211, the individual supply flow path 213, the printing element substrate 10, the individual recovery flow path 214, and the common recovery flow path 212 are generated for the respective colors.

(Description of spray Module)

Fig. 8A shows a perspective view of a single jetting module 200, and fig. 8B shows an exploded view of the jetting module 200. As a method of manufacturing the ejection module 200, first, the printing element substrate 10 and the flexible wiring substrate 40 are bonded to the support member 30 which has been provided with the liquid communication port 31 in advance. Subsequently, the terminals 16 on the printing element substrate 10 and the terminals 41 on the flexible wiring substrate 40 are electrically connected by wire bonding, and then, the wire bonding sections (electrical connection sections) are covered with a sealing material to form the sealed section 110. The terminal 42 on the opposite side of the flexible wiring substrate 40 from the printing element substrate 10 is electrically connected to the connection terminal 93 of the electric wiring substrate 90 (see fig. 4). Since the support member 30 is a support that supports the printing element substrate 10 and is also a flow path member that fluidly communicates the printing element substrate 10 and the flow path member 210 with each other, it is preferable that the support member 30 has high flatness and can be bonded to the printing element substrate with sufficiently high reliability. For example, alumina or a resin material is preferably used as the material of the support member 30.

(Description of printing element substrate)

The configuration of the printing element substrate 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 9A shows a plan view of the surface of the printing element substrate 10 on the side where the ejection holes 13 are formed, fig. 9B shows an enlarged view of a portion denoted by IXb in fig. 9A, and fig. 9C shows a plan view of the rear surface of the printing element substrate 10 in fig. 9A. As shown in fig. 9A, four ejection hole arrays are formed on the ejection hole forming member 12 of the printing element substrate 10, each of the ejection hole arrays corresponding to each ink color. Hereinafter, the direction in which the array of the plurality of injection holes 13 extends as an array of the plurality of injection holes will be referred to as "injection hole arrangement direction".

As shown in fig. 9B, the printing elements 15 (i.e., heating elements that generate bubbles from the liquid using thermal energy) are arranged at positions corresponding to the respective ejection holes 13. The pressure chamber 23 including the printing element 15 therein is partitioned by the partition 22. The printing element 15 is electrically connected to the terminal 16 shown in fig. 9A through an electric wiring (not shown) provided on the printing element substrate 10. Further, the printing element 15 generates heat and boils the liquid based on a pulse signal input from the control circuit of the printing apparatus 1000 via the electrical wiring substrate 90 (fig. 4) and the flexible wiring substrate 40 (fig. 8B). The liquid is ejected from the ejection holes 13 by the foaming force generated by boiling. As shown in fig. 9B, along each of the injection hole arrays, the liquid supply path 18 extends on one side and the liquid recovery path 19 extends on the other side. The liquid supply path 18 and the liquid recovery path 19 are flow paths provided on the printing element substrate 10 and extending in the ejection hole arrangement direction, and communicate with the ejection holes 13 via the supply port 17a and the recovery port 17b, respectively.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing a cross section of the printing element substrate 10 and the cover member 20 taken along the plane X-X in fig. 9A. As shown in fig. 9C and 10, a sheet-like cover member 20 is laminated on the rear surface of the printing element substrate 10 on which the ejection holes 13 are formed, and the cover member 20 is provided with a plurality of openings 21, the openings 21 communicating with a liquid supply path 18 and a liquid recovery path 19, which will be described later. For example, in the present embodiment, the cover member 20 is provided with three openings 21 with respect to one liquid supply path 18 and two openings 21 with respect to one liquid recovery path 19. As shown in fig. 9B, each opening 21 of the cover member 20 communicates with the plurality of communication ports 51 shown in fig. 5A. As shown in fig. 10, the cover member 20 has a function as a cover that forms a part of the walls of the liquid supply path 18 and the liquid recovery path 19 formed on the substrate 11 of the printing element substrate 10. The cover member 20 preferably has sufficient corrosion resistance with respect to the liquid, and furthermore, the opening shape and the opening position of the opening 21 are required to have high accuracy from the viewpoint of preventing color mixing. Therefore, a photosensitive resin material or a silicon plate is preferably used as the material of the cover member 20, and the opening 21 is provided by a photolithography process. In this way, the cover member 20 changes the pitch of the flow paths with the openings 21, and when pressure loss is considered, it is desirable that the cover member 20 be thin and be constituted of a film-like member.

Next, the flow of liquid inside the printing element substrate 10 will be described. The substrate 11 formed of silicon and the ejection hole forming member 12 formed of photosensitive resin are laminated to constitute the printing element substrate 10, and the cover member 20 is bonded to the rear surface of the substrate 11. A printing element 15 (see fig. 9B) is formed on one surface side of the substrate 11, and grooves constituting a liquid supply path 18 and a liquid recovery path 19 extending along the ejection hole array are formed on the rear surface side of the substrate 11. The liquid supply path 18 and the liquid recovery path 19 formed by the substrate 11 and the cover member 20 are connected to the common supply path 211 and the common recovery path 212 in the flow path member 210, respectively, and a differential pressure is generated between the liquid supply path 18 and the liquid recovery path 19. When liquid is ejected from the plurality of ejection holes 13 of the liquid ejection head 3 and printing is performed, a differential pressure is generated at the ejection holes where the ejection operation is not performed. Due to this differential pressure, the liquid in the liquid supply path 18 provided in the substrate 11 flows to the liquid recovery path 19 (flow indicated by arrow C in fig. 10) via the supply port 17a, the pressure chamber 23, and the recovery port 17 b. Due to this flow, thickened ink generated by evaporation from the ejection holes 13, bubbles in the ejection holes 13 which do not participate in printing, or in the pressure chamber 23, foreign substances, or the like can be recovered to the liquid recovery path 19. Further, thickening of the ink in the ejection hole 13 and the pressure chamber 23 can be suppressed. The liquid recovered to the liquid recovery path 19 is recovered through the opening 21 and the liquid communication port 31 (see fig. 8B) in the order of the communication port 51, the individual recovery flow path 214, and the common recovery flow path 212 in the flow path member 210, and is finally recovered to the supply flow path of the printing apparatus 1000.

In other words, the liquid supplied from the printing apparatus main body to the liquid ejection head 3 is circulated, supplied, and recovered in the following order. In the circulation path shown in fig. 2, the liquid first flows into the liquid ejection head 3 from the liquid connection portion 111 of the liquid supply unit 220, and after flowing through the negative pressure control unit 230, the liquid is supplied to the joint rubber 100. Then, the liquid is supplied in the order of the communication port 72 and the common flow path groove 71 provided in the third flow path member, the common flow path groove 62 and the communication port 61 provided in the second flow path member, and the individual flow path grooves 52 and the communication ports 51 provided in the first flow path member. Subsequently, the liquid is supplied to the pressure chamber 32 via the liquid communication port 31 provided in the support member 30, the opening 21 provided in the cover member 20, and the liquid supply path 18 and the supply port 17a provided in the substrate 11 in this order. Among the liquid supplied to the pressure chamber 23, the liquid that is not ejected from the ejection holes 13 flows in the order of the recovery port 17b and the liquid recovery path 19 provided in the substrate 11, the opening 21 provided in the cover member 20, and the liquid communication port 31 provided in the support member 30. Subsequently, the liquid flows in the order of the communication port 51 and the individual flow path groove 52 provided in the first flow path member, the communication port 61 and the common flow path groove 62 provided in the second flow path member, the common flow path groove 71 and the communication port 72 provided in the third flow path member 70, and the joint rubber 100. In addition, the liquid flows from the liquid connection portion 111 provided in the liquid supply unit 220 to the outside of the liquid ejection head 3. In this way, in the liquid ejection head of the present embodiment, since thickening of the liquid in the pressure chamber or in the vicinity of the ejection orifice can be suppressed, positional errors of ejection and ink not being ejected can be suppressed, and thus printing with high image quality can be performed.

Although the material of the ejection hole forming member in the present embodiment is a photosensitive resin, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the configuration of the present disclosure may be preferably applied even when, for example, silicon, metal, ceramic, glass, or other materials are used.

(Description of positional relationship between printing element substrates)

Fig. 11 is a plan view showing the abutting portion of the printing element substrate in two adjacent ejection modules partially enlarged. As shown in fig. 9A, a printing element substrate having a substantially parallelogram shape is used in the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 11, each of the ejection hole arrays (14 a to 14 d) in which the ejection holes 13 in each of the printing element substrates 10 are arranged is inclined at an angle with respect to the conveyance direction of the printing medium. Accordingly, the ejection hole arrays in the adjoining portion of the printing element substrate 10 are configured such that at least one ejection hole overlaps in the conveyance direction of the printing medium. In fig. 11, the two injection holes on the straight line D are in a mutually overlapping relationship. Even when the position of the printing element substrate 10 deviates from the predetermined position to some extent, such an arrangement can make black streaks or blank areas less noticeable in the printed image due to the drive control of the overlapped ejection holes. The plurality of printing element substrates 10 may be arranged on a straight line (collinear) instead of being staggered. Even when arranged on a straight line, a configuration such as that shown in fig. 11 can take measures against black stripes or blank areas in the overlapping portion of the printing element substrate 10 while preventing the length of the liquid ejection head 3 in the conveyance direction of the printing medium (the direction of the arrow in fig. 11) from increasing. Although the principal plane of the printing element substrate is a parallelogram in the present embodiment, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the configuration of the present disclosure can be preferably applied even when a printing element substrate of, for example, a rectangular, trapezoidal, or other shape is used.

< Description of embodiments of the present disclosure >

(First embodiment)

A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Descriptions of functions and components similar to those of the basic configuration of the present disclosure will be omitted, and the differences will be described.

Fig. 12A is a perspective view of a simplified spray module in the first embodiment. Fig. 12B is an exploded perspective view of fig. 12A. Fig. 12C is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIIc-XIIc in fig. 12A. Fig. 13A is a schematic view showing an adhesive application state in fig. 12C. Fig. 13B and 13C are schematic diagrams showing examples of the adhesive application positions in fig. 13A. Fig. 14A is a schematic diagram showing an example of the adhesive application state in fig. 12C. Fig. 14B and 14C are schematic diagrams showing examples of the adhesive application positions in fig. 14A. In fig. 12A to 12C, 13A to 13C, and 14A to 14C, some parts have been partially simplified for ease of understanding.

The first embodiment is different from the basic configuration in that the protection member 140 is laminated on the front surface (ejection surface 120) of the ejection hole forming member 12. Specifically, as shown in fig. 12A to 12C, the printing element substrate 10 includes a ejection surface 120. The ejection surface 120 is provided with a first ejection hole array in which a plurality of ejection holes configured to be able to eject liquid are arranged in an arrangement direction, and a second ejection hole array arranged in a direction intersecting the arrangement direction and the first ejection hole array. The protection member 140 is provided with a first opening corresponding to the first injection hole array and a second opening corresponding to the second injection hole array. In addition, the protective member 140 is arranged to abut the ejection surface 120 of the printing element substrate 10 via an adhesive arranged between the first ejection hole array and the second ejection hole array (hereinafter, also simply referred to as the ejection hole array 14). Note that, among the injection hole arrays 14a to 14d, any one of the injection hole arrays may be used as the first injection hole array. As will be described later, the ejection surface 120 is cleaned by the cleaning mechanism while abutting the cleaning mechanism. For example, the cleaning mechanism is a wiper that abuts and cleans the ejection surface 120 or the protective member 140. In order for a cleaning mechanism (not shown) to recover the liquid in the liquid ejection head 3 in a more appropriate manner, the ejection surface 120 and the protection member 140 in the vicinity of the ejection orifice array 14 are preferably configured such that no gap is generated between the ejection surface 120 and the protection member 140. Therefore, the protection member 140 is desirably coupled to the ejection surface 120 such that the protection member 140 hardly floats. For this, as shown in fig. 13A to 13C, for example, an adhesive 150 is applied to the ejection surfaces 120 between adjacent ejection hole arrays 14 and the ejection surfaces 120 are bonded to the protective member 140 by the adhesive 150. As shown in fig. 13A, the sheathing member 140 is moved in the arrow direction such that the sheathing member 140 is engaged with the ejection surface 120. As shown in fig. 13B, by intermittently applying the adhesive 150 between adjacent ejection hole arrays 14 in the arrangement direction of the ejection hole arrays, the amount of the adhesive 150 can be reduced. Further, the risk of the adhesive 150 overflowing to the ejection hole 13 side and the adhesive 150 flowing into the ejection hole 13 during the application or thermal curing of the adhesive can be reduced. When the adhesive 150 is applied between the adjacent ejection hole arrays 14, as shown in fig. 13B, the adhesive is preferably applied to a portion (e.g., a central portion) of the area between the adjacent ejection hole arrays 14 along the arrangement direction in which the ejection hole arrays 14 are arranged.

On the other hand, as shown in fig. 13C, the adhesive 150 may be continuously coated on the ejection surface 120 only between adjacent ejection hole arrays 14 in the arrangement direction of the ejection hole arrays. Accordingly, the adhesive force between the ejection surface 120 and the sheathing member 140 may be stronger than when the adhesive 150 is intermittently coated on the ejection surface 120. In addition, by applying the adhesive 150 only between adjacent ejection hole arrays 14, the adhesive 150 can be suppressed from overflowing toward the end in the longitudinal direction of the printing element substrate 10. With such a configuration, it is possible to avoid occurrence of a failure in which the overflow of the adhesive hinders the arrangement of the printing element substrates 10 when the plurality of printing element substrates 10 are arranged in a straight line (collinearly) as shown in fig. 11.

On the other hand, as shown in fig. 14A to 14C, the adhesive 150 may be coated to surround each of the plurality of injection hole arrays 14. Subsequently, as shown in fig. 14A, the sheathing member 140 moves in the arrow direction and engages with the ejection surface 120. Since the position of applying the adhesive 150 is increased with such a configuration, the adhesion between the ejection surface 120 and the sheathing member 140 can be made stronger. Further, in order to make the adhesive force between the ejection surface 120 and the sheathing member 140 stronger, a method of forming an adhesive layer (not shown) at least on the ejection surface 120 side of the sheathing member 140 may also be suitably used. As the adhesive 150, for example, a thermosetting adhesive can be suitably used.

Such a configuration enables the protection member 140 to prevent the medium 2 to be printed (see fig. 1) and the printing element substrate 10 from contacting each other when the medium 2 to be printed floats during conveyance, and to reduce the possibility of damage to the liquid ejection head 3. Therefore, the material of the protection member 140 preferably has a higher elastic modulus than the material of the injection hole forming member 12. As a material of the protective member 140, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel or aluminum, silicon, or aluminum oxide may be suitably used. Importantly, the material of the protective member 140 is preferably a material having a linear expansion coefficient close to that of the material of the printing element substrate 10. Therefore, the risk of the protection member 140 being peeled off from the injection hole forming member 12 can be reduced. Further, the outer shapes of the sheathing member 140 and the opening 141 are preferably processed with high precision. As a processing method of the sheathing member 140, for example, etching, laser processing, or machining may be suitably used. By the processing method, when burrs or flanges are formed in the outer shape of the protection member 140 and the edge portion of the opening 141, by using the surface on which the burrs or flanges have been formed as the adhesive surface side of the ejection surface 120, the possibility of damage of a cleaning mechanism (not shown) can be reduced. Further, the processing method of the sheathing member 140 may be changed between the rear surface and the front surface, or may be changed for various positions of the sheathing member 140. For example, since the outer shapes of the protection member 140 and the opening 141 are given a tapered shape due to etching, by changing the etching conditions and adjusting the taper angle between the front surface and the rear surface of the protection member 140, the liquid in the liquid ejection head 3 can also be made more suitable for recovery. Such a processing method can be relatively easily performed in the configuration of forming the opening 141 for each injection hole array 14 as described in the present disclosure, compared to the configuration of forming the opening for each injection hole.

During maintenance between one print job and the next print job in which printing is performed on a print medium, a cleaning mechanism (not shown) of the printing apparatus abuts against the protective member 140 stacked on the printing element substrate 10 so as to recover the liquid in the liquid ejection head 3 and clean the periphery of the ejection holes 13. For example, a wiper made of a rubber material may be used as the cleaning mechanism (not shown). By abutting the wiper against the protection member 140 and the ejection surface 120, even when the liquid adheres to the periphery of the ejection hole 13, the liquid in the liquid ejection head 3 can be recovered, and the periphery of the ejection hole 13 can be cleaned better.

In the case where the opening 141 of the protection member 140 is excessively large, when the to-be-printed medium 2 floats during conveyance due to a jam or the like, the possibility that the to-be-printed medium 2 and the printing element substrate 10 contact each other and damage the liquid ejection head 3 increases. Therefore, the ratio (aperture ratio) of the total area of the openings 141 of the sheathing member 140 to the area of the principal plane of the sheathing member 140 is preferably 70% or less. In addition, the width of each opening 141 may be greater than or equal to the diameter of each ejection hole and less than the interval between adjacent ejection hole arrays, and the thickness of the sheathing member 140 may be less than or equal to the thickness of the printing element substrate 10. For example, it is preferable that the width of each opening 141 is set to 200 μm or more, and the thickness of the sheathing member 140 is set to less than 50 μm. Therefore, while ensuring cleanability of the periphery of the ejection hole 13, the stress when the to-be-printed medium 2 and the printing element substrate 10 are in contact with each other can be reduced, and the possibility of damage to the liquid ejection head 3 can be reduced. Further, even when foreign matter such as dust enters the pressure chamber 23 due to the contact of the printing medium 2 with the ejection hole 13, the foreign matter can be caused to flow out of the pressure chamber 23 by circulating the liquid inside the pressure chamber 23 between the inside and the outside of the pressure chamber 23 as described above.

Fig. 15A is a perspective view of a simplified spray module showing a variation of fig. 12A. Fig. 15B is an enlarged view of a portion denoted by XVb in fig. 15A. Fig. 15C is an enlarged view of a portion denoted by XVc in fig. 15A. In fig. 15A to 15C, some parts have been partially simplified for ease of understanding.

As a modification of the first embodiment, as shown in fig. 15B and 15C, the corner 143 of the protection member 140 may be formed in an R shape. Therefore, during maintenance between print jobs, when the cleaning mechanism (not shown) abuts the liquid ejection head 3, the risk of damaging the cleaning mechanism (not shown) of the printing apparatus due to the corner of the protection member 140 can be reduced.

Alignment marks 122a and 122b for positioning between adjacent printing element substrates 10 may be formed on the printing element substrates 10. Further, a printing element substrate number (not shown) for identifying the printing element substrate 10 or an ejection hole number (not shown) for identifying the position of each ejection hole 13 may be formed on the printing element substrate 10. To identify these components, openings 142a and 142b or recesses (not shown) can be formed in the protective member 140 in a manner consistent with the alignment marks 122a and 122b, the printing element substrate number (not shown), and the ejection hole number (not shown). The recess (not shown) may be formed in an R shape. Accordingly, each printing element substrate 10 can realize positioning of each printing element substrate, identification of each printing element substrate, and identification of each ejection hole.

(Second embodiment)

A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Descriptions of functions and components similar to those of the basic configuration and the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be omitted, and the differences will be described.

Fig. 16A is a perspective view of a simplified spray module in a second embodiment. Fig. 16B is an exploded perspective view of fig. 16A. Fig. 16C is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVIc-XVIc in fig. 16A. Fig. 17A is a schematic view showing an adhesive application state in fig. 16C. Fig. 17B is a schematic diagram showing an example of the adhesive application position in fig. 17A. Fig. 17C is a schematic diagram showing details in the vicinity of the recess in fig. 17A. In fig. 16A to 16C and 17A to 17C, some parts have been partially simplified for ease of understanding.

The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a recess 121 is formed on the ejection surface 120. Specifically, as shown in fig. 16A to 16C and 17A to 17C, a concave portion 121 is formed on the ejection surface 120 between adjacent ejection hole arrays 14. In addition, the adhesive 150 is applied to the recess 121 on the ejection surface 120, and the sheathing member 140 is moved in the arrow direction (arrow direction in fig. 17A) and is bonded to the ejection surface 120. The recess 121 may be formed at the center between the adjacent injection hole arrays 14. Although the recess 121 is formed in the center between the adjacent ejection hole arrays 14, the recess 121 is not limited thereto, and may be formed anywhere between the adjacent ejection hole arrays 14 as long as an adhesive overflow does not occur when the ejection surface 120 and the protection member 140 are engaged with each other. With such a configuration, the application position of the adhesive 150 can be easily controlled. Furthermore, the engagement between the ejection surface 120 and the protective member 140 can make the adhesive force stronger than simply applying the adhesive to the planar section of the ejection surface 120. Further, by applying the adhesive 150 only between the adjacent ejection hole arrays 14, an appropriate amount of the adhesive 150 spreads, and it is possible to suppress the adhesive 150 from overflowing toward the end in the longitudinal direction of the printing element substrate 10. Therefore, even when a plurality of printing element substrates 10 are arranged in a straight line (collinearly) as shown in fig. 11, the printing element substrates can be arranged without causing the adhesive to overflow.

The depth of the recess 121 may be a depth that prevents the adhesive 150 from overflowing when the protective member 140 and the ejection surface 120 are coupled to each other, for example, a preferable depth is 6 μm. Further, although the concave portion 121 is formed on the ejection surface 120 in the present embodiment, the shape of the concave portion may be formed in a semicircle, a triangle, or the like. Accordingly, an appropriate amount of adhesive diffuses between the ejection surface 120 and the protective member 140, and overflow of the adhesive can be suppressed.

Preferably, the ejection surface 120 is hydrophobic for liquids, but the recess 121 is non-hydrophobic. Therefore, the adhesive 150 is more likely to remain in the recess 121 (fig. 17A), and the risk of the adhesive 150 flowing into the injection hole 13 can be reduced. Examples of imparting non-hydrophobicity to the concave portion 121 are a method of forming the ejection hole 13 with a hydrophobic layer and forming the pressure chamber 23 with a non-hydrophobic layer, respectively, and forming the concave portion 121 by removing a part of the hydrophobic layer, as shown in fig. 17C.

(Modification of the second embodiment)

Fig. 18A is a perspective view showing a simplified printing element substrate of the modification of fig. 16B. Fig. 18B and 18C are schematic diagrams showing examples of the adhesive application positions in fig. 18A. In fig. 18A to 18C, some components have been partially simplified for ease of understanding.

As a modification of the second embodiment, as shown in fig. 18A to 18C, concave portions 121 formed between adjacent ejection hole arrays 14 may be formed by being connected in a groove shape. The width of the recess 121 is preferably smaller than the beam width in the adjacent opening 141. Accordingly, when the ejection surface 120 and the sheathing member 140 are engaged with each other, the adhesive 150 can be prevented from overflowing to the ejection hole 13 side, and the risk of the adhesive 150 flowing into the ejection hole 13 can be reduced. Further, as an example, as shown in fig. 18B, by intermittently applying the adhesive 150 in the concave portion 121 formed in a groove shape along the extending direction of the injection hole array, the amount of the adhesive 150 can be reduced. Further, the risk of the adhesive 150 overflowing to the ejection hole 13 side and the adhesive 150 flowing into the ejection hole 13 during the application or thermal curing of the adhesive can be reduced. On the other hand, as shown in fig. 18C, the adhesive 150 may be continuously applied in the extending direction of the injection hole array in the concave portion 121 formed in the groove shape. Accordingly, the engagement between the ejection surface 120 and the protective member 140 can be further reinforced than when the adhesive 150 is intermittently applied.

(Third embodiment)

A third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Descriptions of functions and components similar to those of the basic configuration, the first embodiment, and the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be omitted, and different points will be described.

Fig. 19A is a perspective view of a simplified spray module in a third embodiment. Fig. 19B is an exploded perspective view of fig. 19A. Fig. 19C is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIXc-XIXc in fig. 19A. Fig. 20A is a schematic view showing an adhesive application state in fig. 19C. Fig. 20B is a schematic diagram showing an example of the adhesive application position in fig. 20A. In fig. 19A to 19C, 20A and 20B, some parts have been partially simplified for ease of understanding.

The third embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that a recess 121 is formed to surround each of the plurality of injection hole arrays 14. Specifically, as shown in fig. 19A to 19C, 20A and 20B, a recess 121 is formed to surround each of the plurality of injection hole arrays 14 on the injection surface 120. In addition, the adhesive 150 is applied to the recess 121 on the ejection surface 120, and the sheathing member 140 is moved in the arrow direction (arrow direction in fig. 20A) and is bonded to the ejection surface 120. Since the position where the ejection surface 120 and the sheathing member 140 are engaged with each other is increased with such a configuration, the engagement between the ejection surface 120 and the sheathing member 140 can be further reinforced.

Fig. 21A is a perspective view showing a simplified printing element substrate of the modification of fig. 19B. Fig. 21B and 21C are schematic diagrams showing examples of the adhesive application positions in fig. 21A. In fig. 21A to 21C, some parts have been partially simplified for ease of understanding.

As a modification of the third embodiment, as shown in fig. 21A to 21C, a concave portion 121 formed so as to surround each of the plurality of injection hole arrays 14 may be formed by being connected in a groove shape. As an example, as shown in fig. 21B, by intermittently applying the adhesive 150 in the concave portion 121 formed in a groove shape along the extending direction of the injection hole array, the amount of the adhesive 150 can be reduced. Further, the risk of the adhesive 150 overflowing to the ejection hole 13 side and the adhesive 150 flowing into the ejection hole 13 during the application or thermal curing of the adhesive can be reduced. On the other hand, as compared with intermittently applying the adhesive 150, as shown in fig. 21C, by continuously applying the adhesive 150 in the extending direction of the injection hole array in the concave portion 121 formed in the groove shape, the engagement between the injection surface 120 and the protection member 140 can be further reinforced.

(Fourth embodiment)

A fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Descriptions of functions and components similar to those of the basic configuration and the first to third embodiments of the present disclosure will be omitted, and different points will be described.

Fig. 22A is a perspective view of a simplified spray module in a fourth embodiment. Fig. 22B is an exploded perspective view of fig. 22A. Fig. 22C is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXIIc-XXIIc in fig. 22A. Fig. 23A is a schematic view showing an adhesive application state in fig. 22C. Fig. 23B is a schematic diagram showing an example of the adhesive application position in fig. 23A. In fig. 22A to 22C, 23A and 23B, some parts have been partially simplified for ease of understanding.

The fourth embodiment is different from the third embodiment in that a concave portion 121a is formed outside the outermost injection hole array in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the injection hole array 14. Specifically, as shown in fig. 22A to 22C, 23A and 23B, the concave portion 121 is formed so as to surround each of the plurality of injection hole arrays 14 on the injection surface 120. Further, a recess 121a is also formed outside the recess 121 formed to surround each of the plurality of injection hole arrays 14 on the injection surface 120. Further, the adhesive 150 and the adhesive 150a are applied to the concave portion 121 and the concave portion 121a on the ejection surface 120, respectively, and the sheathing member 140 is moved in the arrow direction (arrow direction in fig. 23A) and is bonded to the ejection surface 120. The same adhesive is desirably used as the adhesive 150 and the adhesive 150a. Furthermore, the recess 121a preferably has non-hydrophobicity for the liquid in a similar manner to the recess 121. Since the engagement position is increased with such a configuration, the engagement between the ejection surface 120 and the protection member 140 can be further reinforced.

(Fifth embodiment)

Fig. 24A is a perspective view showing a simplified printing element substrate of the modification of fig. 22B. Fig. 24B and 24C are schematic diagrams showing examples of the adhesive application positions in fig. 24A. In fig. 24A to 24C, some parts have been partially simplified for ease of understanding.

As the fifth embodiment, as shown in fig. 24A to 24C, a concave portion 121 formed so as to surround each of the plurality of ejection hole arrays 14 and a concave portion 121a formed outside the outermost ejection hole array in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the ejection hole array 14 may be formed by being connected in a groove shape, respectively. As an example, as shown in fig. 24B, by intermittently applying the adhesive 150 and the adhesive 150a to the concave portion 121 and the concave portion 121a formed in the groove shape, respectively, the amounts of the adhesive 150 and the adhesive 150a can be reduced. Further, the risk of the adhesive 150 overflowing to the ejection hole 13 side and the adhesive 150 flowing into the ejection hole 13 during the application or thermal curing of the adhesive can be reduced. On the other hand, as shown in fig. 24C, the adhesive 150 and the adhesive 150a are applied in a continuous manner in the concave portions 121 and the concave portions 121a formed in a groove shape, respectively, in the extending direction of the injection hole array. Accordingly, the engagement between the ejection surface 120 and the sheathing member 140 may be further reinforced as compared to intermittently applying the adhesive 150 and the adhesive 150a, respectively.

(Sixth embodiment)

Fig. 25 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a simplified printing element substrate of the modification of fig. 24A to 24C.

The sixth embodiment may be shaped so that the groove width in the lateral direction of the concave portion 121a is narrower when comparing the groove width in the lateral direction of the concave portion 121 and the groove width in the lateral direction of the concave portion 121a formed outside the outermost ejection hole array in the direction intersecting the extending direction of the ejection hole array 14.

With such a shape, the adhesive can be infiltrated into the recess 121a by capillary force only by applying the adhesive to the recess 121, and the step of applying the adhesive to the recess 121a can be omitted, so that the processing time can be shortened.

In the relationship between the protection member 140 and the groove width of the recess 121a, when the groove width of the recess 121 and the groove width of the recess 121a are wider, the adhesive strength increases. On the other hand, the groove width of the recess 121 and the groove width of the recess 121a are preferably narrower than the protection member 140 so that the adhesive does not overflow from the protection member 140 to the ejection surface 120. In addition, regarding the width of the sheathing member 140 between the injection hole arrays in the lateral direction, the area of the opening portion of the injection hole array may affect the recovery action for renewing the injection hole. Further, in terms of restorability, the larger the area of the opening portion of the injection hole array, and conversely, the narrower the width of the protection member 140 between the injection hole arrays in the lateral direction, the higher the restorability. In a preferred example, the width of the protection member 140 between the injection hole arrays in the lateral direction is in a range of 200 μm or more and 250 μm or less, the groove width of the recess 121 in the lateral direction is in a range of 80 μm or more and 120 μm or less, and the groove width of the recess 121a in the lateral direction is in a range of 30 μm or more and 70 μm or less.

Further, as shown in fig. 25, a part of the intersection of the concave portion 121 and the concave portion 121a may have a chamfer shape. Thus, the adhesive flows more easily from the recess 121 to the recess 121a. In addition, in the portion where the crossing portion has an obtuse angle, the chamfer does not significantly increase the ease of the adhesive flow. Therefore, a portion where the intersection has an obtuse angle can be given a non-chamfered shape, and by increasing the non-chamfered portion, the opening area between the injection hole arrays can be increased, and the influence on the restorability can be reduced.

Further, as shown in fig. 25, a residual portion between the chip end in the direction in which the ejection holes are arranged and the concave portion 121a is formed. In the case of a head configuration in which chips are arranged by being arranged in the ejection hole arrangement direction, in order to maintain the strength of the protection member while further reducing the distance between the chips, the chip end residue 130 is preferably configured so that the groove width of the recess 121a does not become too narrow. In a preferred example, the width of the chip end residue 130 in the lateral direction is 5 μm or more and 20 μm or less.

(Seventh embodiment)

Fig. 26 is a schematic diagram showing a part of a simplified printing element substrate of the modification of fig. 25.

As a seventh embodiment, as shown in fig. 26, a shape may be adopted in which the groove width of a portion of the recess 121 in the lateral direction in the intersection of the recess 121 and the recess 121a is the same as the width of the recess 121a in the lateral direction.

While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims (29)

1. A liquid ejection head comprising:

A printing element substrate including an ejection surface provided with a first ejection hole array in which a plurality of ejection holes configured to be capable of ejecting liquid are arranged in an arrangement direction and a second ejection hole array arranged in a direction intersecting the arrangement direction and the first ejection hole array; and

A protection member provided with a first opening corresponding to the first injection hole array and a second opening corresponding to the second injection hole array, wherein

The protective member is arranged to abut an ejection surface of the printing element substrate via an adhesive arranged between the first ejection hole array and the second ejection hole array.

2. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is intermittently applied in an arrangement direction of the first ejection hole array and an arrangement direction of the second ejection hole array.

3. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is continuously applied in an arrangement direction of the first ejection hole array and an arrangement direction of the second ejection hole array.

4. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein a recess is formed on the ejection surface and the adhesive is applied to the recess.

5. The liquid ejection head of claim 4, wherein the recess is formed to surround each of the first and second arrays of ejection orifices.

6. The liquid ejection head according to claim 5, wherein a recess is further formed on the ejection surface and outside the recess formed so as to surround each of the first and second arrays of ejection holes.

7. The liquid ejection head of claim 6, wherein the recess is connected in a groove shape.

8. The liquid ejection head of claim 7, wherein a width of the recess is smaller than a beam width between openings of the protective member.

9. The liquid ejection head of claim 8, wherein the ejection surface has hydrophobicity for liquid and the recess has non-hydrophobicity for liquid.

10. The liquid ejection head of claim 9, wherein the ejection surface is made of resin.

11. The liquid ejection head according to claim 10, wherein a ratio of a total area of the openings to an area of a principal plane of the protective member is 70% or less.

12. The liquid-ejecting head as claimed in claim 11, wherein

The width of each opening is greater than or equal to the diameter of each injection hole and less than the spacing between the first and second injection hole arrays, and

The thickness of the protective member is less than or equal to the thickness of the printing element substrate.

13. The liquid ejection head according to claim 12, wherein a width of each opening is 200 μm or more, and a thickness of the protective member is less than 50 μm.

14. The liquid ejection head according to claim 13, wherein an opening or a recess is formed in the protective member in correspondence with an alignment mark provided on the printing element substrate, a printing element substrate number, or an ejection hole number.

15. The liquid-ejecting head as claimed in claim 14, wherein the recess is formed in an R shape.

16. The liquid ejection head as claimed in claim 15, wherein corners of the protection member are formed in an R shape.

17. The liquid ejection head of claim 16, wherein a material of the protective member has a higher elastic modulus than a material of the ejection hole.

18. The liquid ejection head according to claim 17, wherein a material of the protective member has the same linear expansion coefficient as a material of the printing element substrate.

19. The liquid ejection head of claim 18, wherein the protective member is made of metal.

20. The liquid ejection head of claim 19, wherein the protective member is made of stainless steel.

21. The liquid ejection head according to claim 20, wherein an adhesive layer is formed on at least the side of the ejection surface of the protective member.

22. The liquid ejection head of claim 21, wherein the printing element substrates are arranged in plurality on the flow path member such that at least part of the printing element substrates overlap each other.

23. The liquid ejection head of claim 22, wherein the liquid ejection head is a line liquid ejection head corresponding to a width of a medium to be printed.

24. The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, comprising:

an energy generating element for ejecting the liquid; and

A pressure chamber including the energy generating element therein, wherein

The liquid in the pressure chamber circulates between the inside and the outside of the pressure chamber.

25. The liquid ejection head according to claim 5, wherein grooves along a first direction in which the recess is formed between the first ejection hole array and the second ejection hole array and grooves along a second direction intersecting the grooves along the first direction are formed, and the recess is shaped such that a width of the recess formed with the recess along the second direction is smaller than an average width of the recess formed in the recess along the first direction.

26. The liquid ejection head according to claim 25, wherein an average width of the grooves along the first direction is 80 μm or more and 150 μm or less, and a width of the grooves along the second direction is 20 μm or more and 70 μm or less.

27. The liquid-jet head according to claim 25, wherein an intersection of the groove along the first direction and the groove along the second direction has a chamfer shape.

28. The liquid ejection head of claim 25, wherein only the acute angle portion has a chamfer shape in an intersection of the groove along the first direction and the groove along the second direction.

29. The liquid ejection head according to claim 25, wherein a width between the groove along the second direction and the chip end along the ejection hole arrangement direction is 5 μm or more and 20 μm or less.