JP2004249709A - Liquid discharging recording head, method of manufacturing the head, and recording device with the head - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid discharging recording head which is downsized and easily installed to a recording device, and the like, while electrical reliability is improved in an electric connection between a liquid discharging recording head cartridge and a recording device. <P>SOLUTION: The recording head H1001 comprises a card edge contact 3 having a plurality of electric contacts (not shown in the figure) which drive signals are transmitted through, and recording element substrates H1100 and H1101 provided with recording elements (not shown in the figure) to generate energy for use in discharging the liquid to a recording medium based on the drive signals. The card edge contact 3 and the recording element substrates H1100 and H1101 are electrically connected via an electric flexible cable 5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejection recording head that performs recording by ejecting a liquid onto a recording medium such as paper or cloth, a method of manufacturing the liquid ejection recording head, and a recording apparatus equipped with the liquid ejection recording head. .

  At present, a so-called serial type recording apparatus, in which a recording head is mounted on a carriage provided in a recording apparatus and recording is performed by reciprocally scanning the carriage in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of a recording medium, has become mainstream. . This is because the serial recording apparatus can form an image with a recording head smaller than the recording area, and it is easy to reduce the size and cost of the recording apparatus. In such a serial type printing apparatus, it is necessary to maintain the electrical connection between the printing head on the carriage and the control means of the printing apparatus main body even during the movement of the carriage. Are electrically connected via a flexible cable having flexibility.

  For electrical connection between the recording head and the recording device, a method of joining by soldering or inserting a card edge substrate provided on the recording head side into a cable connector on the recording device side, and further provided on a substrate on the head side or a flexible cable. There is a method in which the pad is pressed and connected to a connector pin and a rubber pad on the main body side. A recording apparatus using the latter method is described in, for example, Patent Document 1.

  However, in the method of electrical joining by soldering, it is impossible to remove the recording head once attached, and it is impossible for a user to use a different type of recording head or to replace it when the recording head breaks down.

  Also, in recent years, the number of nozzles provided in the print head has increased with the increase in the image quality of the print image and the speed of the print operation, and the number of electrical contacts with the print device has also increased. In a system in which the recording head side connector pins or rubber pads are strongly pressed and connected to the recording apparatus side, the recording head and the recording apparatus receive a large reaction force mutually. For example, in a conventional configuration in which one side of a recording head is pressed against one inner side of a carriage accommodating the recording head, and the electric contact portions provided on the respective opposite sides are strongly pressed against each other, this works there. The power becomes very large. Specifically, when the contact force of one connector pin is 50 gf (about 0.49 N) and the number of pins is 40, about 2 kgf (about 19.6 N) is provided on one side of the recording head housing. ) Will act.

  In this case, high strength is required for the surface of the recording head that holds the electric connection pad or the electric board provided on the flexible cable, so that the arrangement place of the electric connection pad is limited, and the degree of design freedom is lost. Further, if the thickness of the components of the recording head and the carriage is increased or ribs are provided to increase the rigidity of the recording head and the carriage, there is a problem that the recording apparatus becomes large.

  In particular, in a portable type printer which can be carried by one person in one hand, miniaturization and weight reduction are important design issues. However, it is required to reduce the thickness of the carriage structure by 0.1 mm. In addition, the thickness of the carriage structure must be reduced while ensuring reliable electrical contact between the recording head and the carriage.

  In a recording head that discharges liquid such as ink by an ink jet recording method, a large amount of ink may adhere to a recording area in the recording apparatus due to a mist at the time of ink discharge or a recovery operation of the head. When the degree of freedom is lost, it is difficult to arrange the electric contact in a place where the ink does not adhere to the electric contact portion, and the risk of electric short-circuit or the like increases.

  On the other hand, in the case of the method in which the card edge contact provided on the recording head is inserted into the cable connector on the recording apparatus side, the mutual reaction force due to the electric contact is canceled between the card edge contact and the cable connector, and the mutual reaction force is reduced. Has no direct effect on the carriage or printhead. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the rigidity of the carriage or the recording head with enough rigidity to withstand the force generated at the time of the conventional electric connection between the recording head and the carriage in making the electric connection, and the recording apparatus can be downsized. Are also suitable.

Prior art documents related to the present invention include Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3, Patent Document 4, Patent Document 5, and Patent Document 6 in addition to Patent Document 1 described above.
Japanese Patent No. 2814330 JP-A-2002-200742 JP-A-05-050633 JP-A-09-150540 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 05-041825 JP 05-229144 A

  However, in a conventional liquid ejection recording head having a card edge contact, the wiring and contacts of a recording element substrate that performs liquid ejection based on a drive signal sent from a recording device are formed of a rigid substrate such as a glass epoxy substrate. They are connected only via an electric board, and a card edge pattern is formed on this board. Since the substrate itself has no flexibility, there is no degree of freedom in the location and direction of the electric contact provided on the recording head, and, similarly to the pressure contact type contact, the electric contact is caused by the ink mist at the time of ink ejection and the attached ink in the recovery operation. There was a possibility that a problem such as a short circuit would occur.

  In addition, the conventional arrangement of the electrical contacts is designed to allow the user to carry the recording head in a carriage in a printer which can be used vertically and horizontally and used in a printer. There is still room for improvement in space saving, prevention of contact of the ink mist with the electrical connection portion, and secure fixing of the electrical connection member to the structure.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to improve the electrical reliability of the electrical connection between the liquid ejection recording head cartridge and the recording apparatus, and to reduce the size of the liquid ejection that can be easily mounted on the recording apparatus and reduced in size. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording head, a method for manufacturing the liquid discharge recording head, and a recording apparatus on which the liquid discharge recording head is mounted.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a card edge contact having a plurality of electrical contacts to which a driving signal is transmitted, and a recording element for generating energy used for discharging a liquid to a recording medium based on the driving signal. In a liquid discharge recording head having a recording element substrate having: a liquid discharge recording head in which a card edge contact and a recording element substrate are electrically connected via an electric flexible cable, and a method of manufacturing the liquid discharge recording head And a recording apparatus equipped with the liquid discharge recording head.

  In order to achieve the above object, a liquid discharge recording head of the present invention is used for discharging a liquid to a recording medium based on the drive signal and a card edge contact having a plurality of electrical contacts to which a drive signal is transmitted. A recording element substrate having a recording element for generating energy, and an electric flexible cable for electrically connecting the card edge contact to the recording element substrate.

  According to the liquid discharge recording head of the present invention, since the card edge contact and the recording element substrate are electrically connected via the electric flexible cable, the card edge contact can be provided at a desired position in the liquid discharge recording head. It becomes possible to install in the direction of. Therefore, by mounting the card edge contact in a position and direction in which the liquid adhering on the liquid discharge recording head is difficult to reach, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the contact is short-circuited by the liquid, thereby pulling the liquid discharge recording. The electrical reliability of the head can be improved.

  Further, since the liquid discharge recording head of the present invention can mount the card edge contact at a desired position and orientation as described above, the recording position on which the liquid discharge recording head is mounted is determined by changing the mounting position and orientation of the card edge contact. Can be set freely according to the configuration of. Therefore, the mounting position and orientation of the card edge contact in the liquid ejection recording head are set so that the direction of insertion of the liquid ejection recording head into the recording apparatus matches the direction of connection of the card edge contact to the connector of the recording apparatus. Accordingly, the liquid discharge recording head can be easily mounted on the recording apparatus, and the moving space of the liquid discharge recording head in the recording apparatus can be reduced, so that the recording apparatus can be downsized.

  Since the liquid ejection recording head of the present invention is also configured such that the card edge contact is connected to the connector on the recording apparatus side, the mutual reaction force due to the electrical contact of the connector is generated between the connector and the card edge contact. Offset. Therefore, since it is not necessary to provide the liquid discharge recording head with rigidity when making electrical connection, the thickness of the constituent members of the liquid discharge recording head is reduced, and the ribs provided for ensuring the strength are eliminated. It is possible to reduce the size of the liquid discharge recording head and the recording apparatus to which it is mounted.

  Further, the card edge contact is a direction in which a direction of insertion of the card edge contact into a card edge connector to which the card edge contact is electrically connected is substantially orthogonal to a direction in which the liquid is ejected from the recording element substrate. Alternatively, they may be configured so as to be substantially parallel.

  The electric flexible cable is attached in a substantially U-shaped manner between one surface of the housing of the liquid ejection recording head and a member having the card edge contact disposed opposite to the one surface. May be adopted. Further, the substantially U-shaped shape may be configured to open in the same direction as the liquid discharge direction.

  Thus, in the case where the card edge connector on the carriage side is open upward, for example, the mounting can be completed simply by inserting the liquid discharge recording head straight down from above the carriage. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the recording apparatus without requiring an extra space for mounting, which is caused by rotating or moving the liquid discharge recording head during the mounting operation.

  The card edge contact may have a card edge substrate formed of a rigid substrate on which a wiring circuit is formed. This makes it possible to change and integrate the wiring arrangement in the wiring circuit in the card edge board, and to simplify the connection wiring with the card edge connector. In addition, since the card edge substrate is made of a rigid substrate having high rigidity, there is no need to provide a reinforcing plate for supporting the card edge contact, thereby reducing the number of parts and the number of assembly steps, thereby reducing the cost of the liquid discharge recording head. Can be achieved.

  Further, the liquid discharge recording head has a configuration in which the liquid adhering to the surface has a convex portion for blocking the liquid from flowing toward the card edge contact, so that such liquid adheres to the card edge contact. Can be more reliably prevented, and the electrical reliability of the liquid discharge recording head can be further improved.

  Further, the convex shape portion may be provided on the electric flexible cable, and may extend in a direction intersecting a direction in which the liquid flows toward the card edge contact.

  A main body to which the card edge contact and the recording element substrate are attached; the main body having a joining surface to which the electric flexible cable is joined; The liquid ejecting recording head can also be more reliably prevented from adhering to the card edge contact by forming a concave groove for capturing the flow of the liquid adhering to the card edge contact toward the card edge contact. Can be further improved in electrical reliability.

  In this case, the concave groove may extend in a direction intersecting a direction in which the liquid flows toward the card edge contact.

  Further, the main body may have an ink tank holder that holds an ink tank that stores the liquid.

  Further, the method of manufacturing a liquid discharge recording head according to the present invention includes a card edge contact having a plurality of electrical contacts to which a drive signal is transmitted, and energy used for discharging a liquid to a recording medium based on the drive signal. A recording element substrate having a recording element for generating a recording element, a recording element unit to which the recording element substrate is attached, and a main body to which the card edge contact and the recording element substrate are attached; And a recording element substrate, wherein the recording element substrate and the recording element substrate are electrically connected via an electric flexible cable, wherein the electric flexible cable is electrically connected to the recording element substrate and the card edge contact. In this state, the recording element unit is joined to the recording element unit, and the recording element unit is Attaching the electric flexible cable, and bending the electric flexible cable along the other surface adjacent to the one surface of the main body, and at least part of the electric flexible cable at the other surface of the main body. And attaching the card edge contact to the main body in a state where a portion of the electric flexible cable not joined to the main body is bent at a predetermined angle. I do.

  According to the manufacturing method of the present invention, it is possible to manufacture a liquid discharge recording head in which a card edge contact is attached at a desired position in a liquid discharge recording head in a desired direction and the electrical reliability of the liquid discharge recording head is improved. Can be.

  Further, according to the manufacturing method of the present invention, after joining at least a part of the electric flexible cable to another surface adjacent to one surface of the main body, the card edge contact is made in a state where the electric flexible cable is bent at a predetermined angle. Since the electric flexible cable is attached to the main body, the electric flexible cable can be firmly joined to the main body without causing “floating”.

  Further, even when a dimensional error occurs in the length of the electric flexible cable, the error is caused by bending formed when a portion of the electric flexible cable that is not joined to the main body is bent by a predetermined angle. The position is absorbed by changing the position of the part appropriately according to the error. Therefore, even if a slight dimensional error occurs in the length of the electric flexible cable, there is no effect when the card edge contact is attached to the main body.

  Further, the card edge contact and the main body portion are respectively formed with holes through which fixing means for fixing the card edge contact to the main body portion are inserted, and the hole formed in the card edge contact is The electric flexible cable may be configured to have a shape extending long in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the electric flexible cable extends from the recording element substrate to the card edge contact.

  According to this configuration, even when the position of the card edge contact with respect to the main body is slightly shifted in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the electric flexible cable extends, the fixing means does not interfere with the hole of the card edge contact. It is possible to fix the card edge contact to the main body without the need. Therefore, when the card edge contact is fixed to the main body, no stress is applied to the card edge contact and the electric flexible cable to which the card edge contact is joined.

  Further, the predetermined angle is such that a direction in which the card edge contact is inserted into a card edge connector to which the card edge contact is electrically connected is substantially perpendicular to a direction in which the liquid is ejected from the recording element substrate or The angle may be substantially parallel.

  Further, the liquid discharge recording head may be provided with a step of providing a convex portion for blocking the liquid adhering to the surface of the liquid discharge recording head from flowing toward the card edge contact.

  Further, on the other surface of the main body to which at least a part of the electric flexible cable is joined, a concave groove for capturing the flow of the liquid adhering to the surface of the liquid discharge recording head toward the card edge contact. May be provided.

  Further, the main body may have an ink tank holder that holds an ink tank that stores the liquid.

  Further, the recording apparatus of the present invention is connected to a head holding member for detachably holding the liquid discharge recording head of the present invention, and a plurality of electrical contacts provided at a card edge contact of the liquid discharge recording head. It has a plurality of electrical contact terminals and a card edge connector attached to the head holding member.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the card edge contact of the liquid discharge recording head and the recording element substrate are electrically connected via the electric flexible cable. It can be mounted in a desired orientation in the position.

  Therefore, by arranging the card edge contact in a position and a direction in which the liquid hardly adheres to the card edge contact, the electrical reliability of the liquid discharge recording head can be improved. Further, the mounting position and orientation of the card edge contact in the liquid ejection recording head are set so that the direction of insertion of the liquid ejection recording head into the recording apparatus matches the direction of connection of the card edge contact to the connector of the recording apparatus. Accordingly, the mounting of the liquid discharge recording head on the recording apparatus can be facilitated, and the moving space of the liquid discharge recording head in the recording apparatus can be reduced, so that the recording apparatus can be downsized.

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

(1st Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the entire recording head according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A shows the recording head viewed from the recording element substrate side, and FIG. It is the figure seen from the tank side. 2 and 3 are schematic enlarged cross-sectional views showing the card edge contact and the card edge connector of the recording head of FIG.

  The recording head H1001 has an ink tank holder 6 which is a main body of the recording head H1001. The print head cartridge H1000 includes a print head H1001 and ink tanks 1 and 2 which are detachably mounted on the ink tank holder 6 thereof. The ink tank 1 stores black ink inside, and the ink tank 2 stores three color inks of cyan, magenta, and yellow in one housing in a state separated by a partition wall.

  The recording head H1001 is removably mounted on a carriage 103 (see FIG. 17), which is a head holding member of the main body of the recording apparatus (see FIG. 17), while being positioned by positioning means. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the card edge contact 3 provided on the recording head H1001 is inserted into the opening of the card edge connector 4 provided on the recording device side, and the electrical contact 3a on the card edge contact side is provided. (See FIG. 4) and the electrical contact 4 a on the card edge connector side make electrical contact with the card edge connector 4.

  Thus, when the card edge contact 3 is electrically connected to the card edge connector 4, as shown in FIG. 3, the contact pressure Fa by the electric contact 4a of the card edge connector 4 acts on the card edge contact 3. The card edge contact 3 is supported by a support surface facing the surface of the card edge connector 4 on which the electrical contacts 4a are provided. The contact pressure reaction force Fb received by the card edge contact 3 from the support surface of the card edge connector 4 has the same magnitude as the contact pressure Fa, and acts in a direction opposite to the contact pressure Fa. Therefore, the contact pressure Fa and the contact pressure reaction force Fb cancel each other, so that the stress due to the electrical connection between the card edge contact 3 and the card edge connector 4 is applied to a portion other than the card edge contact 3 of the recording head H1001. Does not work. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a component for increasing rigidity in preparation for a stress generated at the time of electrical connection, in a component (structure for attaching the card edge contact) of the recording head H1001, especially near the card edge contact 3. It is possible to reduce the size of the recording head H1001.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, a print element H1001 uses an electrothermal conversion printing element to cause a film to boil in ink based on a drive signal from a printing apparatus, and ejects ink to a printing medium. Substrates H1100 and H1101 are provided. Among these, the first recording element substrate H1100 is a recording element substrate for black ink, and is configured so that the black ink stored in the ink tank 1 is supplied and discharged. The second recording element substrate H1101 is a recording element substrate for color ink, and is configured to supply three color inks stored in the ink tank 2 and discharge them. These recording element substrates H1100 and H1101 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the first printing element substrate shown in FIG. 1 and is shown in a partially broken state to explain the configuration.

  The first recording element substrate H1100 has, for example, an Si substrate H1110 having a thickness of 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm, and an ink supply port H1102 that is a long groove-shaped through hole serving as an ink flow path. On both sides of the ink supply port H1102, the electrothermal transducers H1103 are formed by arranging one row each, and electric wiring (not shown) made of Al or the like for supplying electric power to the electrothermal transducers H1103. Is formed. The electrothermal transducer H1103 and the electric wiring are formed by a film forming technique. The electrothermal conversion elements H1103 in each row are arranged in a staggered manner, and correspondingly, the positions of the discharge ports H1107 in each row described later are slightly shifted so as not to be arranged in a direction orthogonal to the row direction. Is arranged.

  Further, electrode portions H1104 for supplying power to the electric wiring are formed along the outer sides of the electrothermal transducer H1103, and bumps H1105 made of Au or the like are formed on the electrode portions H1104. Is formed. On the surface of the Si substrate H1110 on which these are formed, there is an ink flow path wall H1106 that forms an ink flow path corresponding to each electrothermal conversion element H1103, and a top portion that covers the ink flow path wall H1106, A structure made of a resin material having a discharge port H1107 opened in the ceiling is formed by photolithography. The discharge port 1107 is provided to face the electrothermal transducer H1103, and forms a discharge port group H1108. According to the first recording element H1100 configured as described above, the black ink supplied from the ink tank 1 to the ink supply port H1102 uses the pressure of the bubbles generated by the heat generated by the respective electrothermal conversion elements H1103 to generate each electric current. The liquid is discharged from the discharge port 1107 facing the heat conversion element H1103.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the second printing element substrate shown in FIG. 1 and is shown in a partially broken state to explain the configuration.

  The second recording element substrate H1101 is for ejecting three color inks of cyan, magenta, and yellow. Three ink supply ports H1102, which are long groove-shaped through-holes serving as ink flow paths, are arranged in parallel. Is formed. The electrothermal transducers H1103 and the ink discharge ports H1107 are arranged in a line on both sides of the respective ink supply ports H1102 in a staggered manner. On the Si substrate H1110, electric wiring, electrode portions H1104, and the like are formed in the same manner as the first recording element substrate H1100. Is formed. Further, similarly to the first recording element substrate, a bump H1105 made of Au or the like is formed on the electrode portion H1104 for supplying electric power to the electric wiring.

  According to the second recording element H1101 configured as described above, the color ink of each color supplied from the ink tank 2 to each ink supply port H1102 depends on the pressure of the bubbles generated by the heat generated by each electrothermal conversion element H1103. Is discharged from a discharge port 1107 facing each electrothermal conversion element H1103.

  Referring to FIG. 1 again, each of the recording element substrates H1100 and H1101 and the card edge contact 3 are connected via an electric flexible cable 5. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the recording head H1001 is configured such that the direction in which the card edge contact 3 is inserted into the card edge connector 4 is substantially parallel to the direction in which the liquid is ejected from the recording head H1001.

  FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the recording head shown in FIG.

  The electric flexible cable 5 is a TAB board or an FPC board that forms an electric signal path for applying an electric drive signal for performing ink ejection to the first recording element substrate H1100 and the second recording element substrate H1101, Two openings corresponding to the recording element substrates H1100 and H1101 are formed. Near the edges of the openings of the electric flexible cable 5, electrode terminals 5b and 5c connected to the electrode portions H1104 of the recording element substrates H1100 and H1101 are formed. The electric flexible cable 5 and the recording element unit H1002 are bonded and fixed, and the electrode terminals 5b and 5c and the respective electrode portions H1104 of the recording element substrates H1100 and H1101 are electrically joined by an ultrasonic crimping method. 5 and the printing element substrates H1100 and H1101 are electrically connected.

  The recording element unit H1002 to which the electric flexible cable 5 is adhered and fixed is fixed to the lower surface of the ink tank holder 6 by screws 7a. On the lower surface of the ink tank holder 6, a joint seal member 7 made of an elastic member made of, for example, silicone rubber or the like is provided. The joint seal member 7 has a communication port for communicating each ink supply port provided in the ink tank holder 6 and each ink supply port provided in the recording element unit H1002 in a sealed state.

  At the end of the electric flexible cable 5 in the present embodiment, an electric contact 3a made of a copper foil and connected to a card edge connector 4 (see FIG. 2 and the like) provided in the recording apparatus is formed. A reinforcing plate 3b is adhered to a portion of the electric flexible cable 5 where the electric contact 3a is formed by bonding, thereby forming a card edge contact 3.

  The reinforcing plate 3b is provided with a mounting hole 3c through which a screw 7b as fixing means for fixing the card edge contact 3 to the ink tank holder 6 is passed. In the present embodiment, the reinforcing plate 3b is made of a plate material made of glass epoxy having a thickness of 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm, but the material of the reinforcing plate 3b is not limited to this, and is made of, for example, stainless steel. A metal plate may be used. In addition, as a method of joining the electric flexible cable 5 and the reinforcing plate 3b, the reinforcing plate 3b having a predetermined shape may be bonded after the positioning with the wiring pattern 3a.

  Further, when it is necessary to increase the dimensional accuracy of the card edge contact 3, the reinforcing plate 3b and the electric flexible cable 5 are formed larger than a predetermined shape, and the reinforcing plate 3b is attached to the electric flexible cable 5 and then reinforced. By punching the plate 3b into a predetermined shape simultaneously with the electric flexible cable 5, the card edge contact 3 with high dimensional accuracy can be formed.

  Next, a method of manufacturing the above-described recording head will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a perspective view for explaining a method of manufacturing the recording head shown in FIG. 1 and the like.

  First, the electric flexible cable 5 is adhered and fixed to the recording element unit H1002, and the electrode terminals 5b and 5c are electrically connected to the respective electrode portions H1104 of the recording element substrates H1100 and H1101 by an ultrasonic crimping method. The cable 5 and the printing element substrates H1100 and H1101 are electrically connected. Further, a reinforcing plate 3b is joined to the end of the electric flexible cable 5 opposite to the end where the recording element substrates H1100 and H1101 are joined, and the card edge contact 3 is provided. Thereafter, the recording element unit H1002 to which the electric flexible cable 5 is joined is positioned with respect to the ink tank holder 6, and is fixed to the lower surface of the ink tank holder 6 with screws 7a.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7, the electric flexible cable 5 is bent at an angle of about 90 degrees along the end surface of the recording element unit H1002. Then, the electric flexible cable 5 is bonded and fixed to the end face of the recording element unit H1002 and a part of the joint surface 6d of the ink tank holder 6. At this time, it is preferable that the adhesion area of the electric flexible cable 5 be an area extending from the end face of the recording element unit H1002 to substantially the center of the bonding surface 6d. For bonding the electric flexible cable 5 and the ink tank holder 6, for example, a thermosetting adhesive can be used.

  Next, the card edge contact 3 attached to the end of the electric flexible cable 5 is folded back by about 180 degrees. Then, the card edge contact 3 is positioned by abutting against the abutting portions 6a and 6b provided on the ink tank holder 6, and the screw 7b is fixed to the screw hole 6c of the ink tank holder 6 through the mounting hole 3c.

  At this time, the electrical flexible cable 5 extends from the recording element unit H1002 to the card edge contact 3 due to a dimensional tolerance of the electrical flexible cable 5 itself, an alignment error generated when the electrical flexible cable 5 is joined to the reinforcing plate 3b, and the like. The length in the distraction direction is different. However, as shown in FIG. 8, the error in the length is absorbed by the fact that the position of the bent portion generated in the portion where the electric flexible cable 5 is folded 180 degrees changes according to the error. Therefore, the length error has no effect when the card edge contact 3 is positioned by abutting against the abutting portions 6a and 6b of the ink tank holder 6.

  In this way, after joining at least a portion of the electric flexible cable to one surface of the main body, the card edge contact is attached to the main body in a state where the electric flexible cable is bent at a predetermined angle in a space facing the surface, The electric flexible cable can be firmly joined to the main body so that "floating" does not occur.

  Further, even when a dimensional error occurs in the length of the electric flexible cable, the error is caused by bending formed when a portion of the electric flexible cable that is not joined to the main body is bent by a predetermined angle. The position is absorbed by changing the position of the part appropriately according to the error. Therefore, even if a slight dimensional error occurs in the length of the electric flexible cable, there is no effect when the card edge contact is attached to the main body.

  As shown in FIG. 9, in the present embodiment, the mounting holes 3 c formed in the reinforcing plate 3 b have a long hole shape that is long in the direction (width direction) orthogonal to the above-described extension direction of the electric flexible cable 5. have. Therefore, even if an error that occurs when the reinforcing plate 3c is joined to the cable 5 causes a slight error in the positioning of the reinforcing plate 3c with respect to the ink tank 6 in the horizontal width direction, the fixing means can be used. The screw 7b (see FIG. 7) does not interfere with the mounting hole 3c when it is fixed to the screw hole 6c through the mounting hole 3c. In this manner, since the positioning error between the ink tank 6 and the card edge contact 3 in the horizontal direction described above is absorbed by the elongated hole-shaped mounting hole 3c, when the card edge contact 3 is fixed to the ink tank 6, No stress is applied to the card edge contact 3 and the cable 5 to which it is joined.

  Through the above steps, the recording head H1001 shown in FIG. 1 is configured.

  The means for fixing the card edge contact 3 to the ink tank holder 6 is not limited to the screw 7b. For example, a fixing pin is used instead of the screw 7b, and a through hole through which the fixing pin passes is formed instead of the screw hole 6c. The card edge contact 3 is also fixed to the ink tank holder 6 by passing the fixing pin through the mounting hole 3c of the card edge contact 3 and the through hole of the ink tank holder 6 and then crimping (crushing) both ends of the fixing pin. can do.

  Further, the card edge contact 3 may be configured by a card edge substrate formed by a rigid substrate on which a wiring circuit for connecting the conductor wire of the electric flexible cable 5 and the electric contact 3a is formed. According to this configuration, the wiring arrangement can be changed and integrated in the wiring circuit in the card edge board, and the connection wiring with the card edge connector 4 can be simplified. Further, if the card edge substrate is a rigid substrate having high rigidity, it is not necessary to provide the above-mentioned reinforcing plate 3b, so that it is possible to reduce the number of parts and the number of assembly steps by that much, and to reduce the cost of the recording head cartridge. Become. When the card edge contact 3 is a card edge substrate as described above, the electric flexible cable 5 and the card edge substrate are electrically connected by thermocompression bonding using an anisotropic conductive film or the like.

  Further, the arrangement position of the card edge contact 3 with respect to the ink tank holder 6 is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 1 and the like, and the extension direction, length, shape, etc. of the electric flexible cable 5 joined to the recording element unit H1002 may be changed as appropriate. Accordingly, the ink tank holder 6 can be arranged on any of the surfaces A to D of the ink tank holder 6 shown in FIG.

  As described above, the recording head H1001 of the present embodiment hardly receives a reaction force due to the electrical contact pressure Fa when the card edge contact 3 is connected to the card edge connector 4, so that the recording head H1001 Since it is not necessary to increase the thickness of each part of the recording head H1001 or to provide a rib in order to increase rigidity, it is possible to reduce the size of the recording head H1001.

  Further, since the recording element unit H1002 and the card edge contact 3 are connected by the electric flexible cable 5, the card edge contact 3 can be arranged at an arbitrary position of the recording head H1001. Therefore, it is possible to arrange the card edge contact 3 at a position where mist at the time of liquid ejection, scattered liquid due to a recovery operation or the like is unlikely to adhere to the electrical contact 3a, and the recording head H1001 may be damaged by such an adhered liquid. Can be prevented. In addition, the flexible cable 5 can be attached to the recording head while preventing the flexible cable 5 from floating from the attachment body and absorbing some attachment errors.

  Also, in the recording head of the present embodiment, as can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the electric flexible cable 5 is connected between the facing ink tank holder 6 and the reinforcing plate 3b in the liquid ejection direction (substantially the recording head cartridge). (In the mounting direction of the carriage), it is attached in a substantially U-shape. For example, in the case of a structure in which the card edge connector 4 on the carriage side is opened upward, the recording head cartridge is directly moved downward from above the carriage. The mounting can be completed simply by inserting it linearly. This eliminates the need for an extra space for mounting, which is caused by rotating or moving the recording head cartridge during the mounting operation, and is effective in reducing the size of the printing apparatus. In particular, since the mounting direction when the printhead cartridge is mounted on the carriage and the direction of the liquid (ink) discharge port are substantially the same, the positioning of the printhead cartridge on the carriage and the electrical connection are reduced. Can be done within

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This embodiment is a modification of the configuration of the card edge contact 3 of the print head H1001 in the first embodiment. Therefore, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained in the present embodiment.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing the entire recording head according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a schematic enlarged sectional view showing a portion of a card edge contact in the recording head shown in FIG. is there. 10 and 11, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, in the present embodiment, the insertion direction of the card edge contact 23 provided on the recording head H1001B into the card edge connector 24 provided on the recording device (not shown) is determined by the recording head. The direction is substantially perpendicular to the direction of liquid ejection from H1001B. In the present embodiment, the insertion direction of the card edge contact 23 into the card edge connector 24 is different from that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the moving direction of the recording head H1001B when attaching and detaching the recording head H1001B to and from the recording apparatus is changed. This is different from the first embodiment.

  As described above, the attachment position and orientation of the card edge contact 23 in the recording head H1001B can be freely set according to the configuration of the recording apparatus to which the recording head H1001B is attached. Therefore, if the direction in which the recording head H1001B is inserted into the recording apparatus matches the direction in which the card edge contact 23 is inserted into the connector 24 of the recording apparatus, the mounting of the recording head H1001B to the recording apparatus is facilitated. And the moving space of the print head H1001B in the printing apparatus can be reduced, so that the size of the printing apparatus can be reduced.

  Note that the card edge contact 23 may be a card edge substrate formed of a rigid substrate on which a wiring circuit for connecting the conductor wire of the electric flexible cable 25 and the electric contact 23a is formed. According to this, the wiring arrangement can be changed and integrated in the wiring circuit in the card edge board, and the connection wiring with the card edge connector 4 can be simplified. Further, if the card edge substrate is a rigid substrate having high rigidity, it is not necessary to provide a reinforcing plate. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and the number of assembly steps by that much, and to reduce the cost of the recording head H1001B. When the card edge contact 23 is a card edge substrate as described above, the electric flexible cable 25 and the card edge substrate are electrically connected by thermocompression bonding using an anisotropic conductive film or the like.

  Further, the arrangement position of the card edge contact 23 with respect to the ink tank holder 26 is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 10, but by appropriately changing the extension direction, length, shape, etc. of the electric flexible cable 25 joined to the recording element unit H1002. The ink tank holder 26 shown in FIG. In addition, it is needless to say that the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained in the present embodiment.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, and the same effects as those of the first and second embodiments can be obtained in the present embodiment. It is.

  FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing the recording head according to the third embodiment of the present invention in a partially exploded state. FIG. 12 shows a state before the card edge contact 33 is fixed to the ink tank holder 36. FIG. 13 is a schematic enlarged sectional view showing a portion of a card edge contact in the recording head shown in FIG.

  In the print head H1001C of the present embodiment, the liquid adhering to the surface of the print head H1001C flows toward the card edge contact 33 on the joining surface 36d of the ink tank holder 36, which is also the main body, where the electric flexible cable 35 is joined. Two concave grooves 9 for capturing are provided. Further, on the portion near the reinforcing plate 33 b of the electric flexible cable 35, there is provided a convex portion 8 for blocking the liquid adhering to the surface of the recording head H 1001 C from flowing toward the card edge contact 33.

  In other words, the method of manufacturing the recording head H1001C of the present embodiment includes the steps of providing the convex portion 8 for blocking the liquid adhering to the surface of the recording head H1001C from flowing toward the card edge contact 33; A concave groove 9 is formed on a joining surface 36d of an ink tank holder 36, which is a main body to which at least a part of the recording head H1001C is joined, to catch the flow of the liquid adhering to the surface of the recording head H1001C toward the card edge contact 33. And a process.

  Since most of the liquid adhering to the surface of the recording head H1001C flows toward the card edge contact 33 along the direction of extension of the electric flexible cable 35, the groove 9 and the convex portion 8 are in the direction intersecting the flow. The electric flexible cable 35 extends in a width direction orthogonal to the extending direction. In other words, the concave groove 9 and the convex portion 8 extend in a direction intersecting a direction in which liquid can flow from the recording element substrate toward the card edge contact 33.

  The convex portion 8 is provided on the electric flexible cable 35 near the card edge contact 33, the height is 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm, and the length is the width of the electric contact 33a of the card edge contact 33. Longer than. When the card edge contact 33 is fixed to the ink tank holder 36, the convex portion 8 is disposed at a position facing the ink tank holder 36 as shown in FIG.

  In this embodiment, the convex portion 8 is formed by applying a high-viscosity sealant. As this sealant, for example, silicone rubber or the like can be used. The method of forming the convex portions 8 is not limited to this, as long as the convex portions 8 can be formed in a predetermined shape.

  This sealant is also applied to the connection between the card edge contact 33 and the electric flexible cable 35, as shown in FIG. This protects the electrical wiring exposed when the card edge contact 33 and the electrical flexible cable 35 are joined by thermocompression bonding, and the electrical wiring is short-circuited or corroded even if liquid adheres to that portion. That has been prevented.

  The two grooves 9 provided on the joint surface 36 d of the ink tank holder 36 have a depth of 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm and a length longer than the width of the electric flexible cable 35.

  According to this configuration, even when a liquid such as ink attached to the recording head H1001C flows out as shown by an arrow in FIG. The flowing liquid is blocked by the convex portion 8. In addition, the flow of the liquid toward the card edge contact 33 along the edge of the electric flexible cable 35 on the joint surface 36d of the ink holder 36 and the gap generated between the joint surface 36d of the ink holder 36 and the electric flexible cable 35 The liquid flowing toward the card edge contact 33 along the path is captured in the groove 9.

  As described above, in the recording head H1001C of the present embodiment, the liquid attached to the recording head H1001C is prevented from reaching the card edge contact 33 by the convex portion 8 and the concave groove 9, so that such liquid is Adhesion to the card edge contact 33 can be more reliably prevented, and the electrical reliability of the card edge contact 33 can be further improved.

  Note that the shapes and dimensions of the above-mentioned convex portions 8 and concave grooves 9 are not limited to those described above, as long as the liquid attached to the surface of the recording head H1001C can be prevented from flowing to the card edge contact 33. Their shapes and dimensions may differ from those described above.

  FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view showing a modified example of the recording head of the present embodiment in a state where a part thereof is disassembled.

  In the recording head shown in FIG. 14, the convex portion 8 provided on the electric flexible cable 35 is disposed closer to the recording element unit H1002 than the groove 9. Therefore, the convex portion 8 can block the flow of the liquid toward the card edge contact 33 over the electric flexible cable 35 at a position farther from the card edge contact 33 than the example shown in FIG. In addition, the liquid flowing on the electric flexible cable 35 can be more reliably prevented from reaching the card edge contact 33. In addition, it is needless to say that the same effects can be obtained in the present embodiment also for the parts having the same configuration as the above-described embodiments.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective view showing the entire recording head according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 16 is a schematic enlarged sectional view showing a card edge contact portion in the recording head shown in FIG. In FIGS. 15 and 16, the same parts as those in the first to third embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description of those parts is omitted here. The effects achieved by the same parts as those of the embodiment can be similarly achieved in the present embodiment.

  The electric flexible cable 5 in the recording head H1001D of this embodiment is also bent at an angle of about 90 degrees along the joint surface 46d of the ink tank holder 46, and then further bent by about 180, as shown in FIG. The card edge contact 3 is fixed to the ink tank holder 46 in such a state that it is folded back. Above the outer peripheral surface of the 180-degree bent portion of the electric flexible cable 5 (a position facing the outer peripheral surface of the bent portion), a ceiling wall 11 is provided so as to cover the bent portion of the electric flexible cable 5.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the ceiling wall 11 is configured so as to have a gap a between the bent portion of the electric flexible cable 5 and the position of the bent portion by absorbing a dimensional tolerance or the like of the electric flexible cable 5. Is changed, the ceiling wall 11 and the electric flexible cable 5 do not interfere with each other. In the present embodiment, by setting the gap a to be 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm, the ceiling wall 11 and the electric flexible cable 5 can be prevented from interfering with each other, but the dimension of the gap a is limited to this. Instead, it can be changed as appropriate according to the relationship such as the dimensional tolerance of the electric flexible cable 5.

  The ceiling wall 11 is formed so as to have a gap b between the card edge contact 3 and an electric wiring exposed portion in an electric connection portion for electrically connecting the card edge contact 3 and the electric flexible cable 5. Is sealed by a sealing portion 20 made of a sealing agent injected through this gap. Further, even when the card edge contact 3 is formed of a card edge substrate, the exposed portion of the electric wiring at the upper end of the card edge substrate is sealed with the sealing portion 20 as shown in FIG.

  In other words, the method for manufacturing the recording head H1001D of the present embodiment includes the steps of forming the ceiling wall 11 that covers the bent portion of the electric flexible cable 5 provided near the card edge contact 3, and the steps of forming the ceiling wall 11 and the card edge Sealing the gap with the contact 3.

  As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, an ink tank holder 46 to which the portion of the electric flexible cable 5 bent at an angle of about 90 degrees along the end surface of the recording element unit (not shown) is adhered and fixed. The ink tank holder projections 12 are provided on both sides of the joint surface 46d. The ink tank holder projection 12 is provided so as to be higher than the surface of the portion of the electric flexible cable 5 that is bonded and fixed to the joint surface 46d of the ink tank holder 46.

  As described above, in the recording head H1001D of the present embodiment, the bent portion of the electric flexible cable 5, which is freely deformed when an external force is applied, is positioned above the bent portion of the electric flexible cable 5 (the position facing the bent portion). ) Is covered and protected by a ceiling wall 11 provided in (1). For this reason, since an external force is prevented from being applied to the bent portion of the electric flexible cable 5, it is possible to prevent the bent portion of the electric flexible cable 5 from being deformed by the external force, thereby preventing the electric flexible cable 5 from breaking. It is possible to improve the electrical reliability of the recording head.

  Further, since the gap b is provided between the ceiling wall 11 and the card edge contact 3, the sealing portion 20 for sealing the electrical connection between the card edge contact 3 and the electric flexible cable 5 has the ceiling wall. The holding force of the sealant can be increased by the meniscus force acting on the gap b between the contact 11 and the card edge contact 3. Therefore, it is possible to more stably seal the electric connection portion by using a sealing agent having a relatively low viscosity.

  Further, since the ink tank holder projection 12 which is higher than the surface of the electric flexible cable 5 joined to the joining surface 46d of the ink tank holder 46 is provided, the recording head H1001D is mounted on a recording apparatus (not shown). When removing or removing, the ink tank holder projection 12 of the joining surface 46d of the recording head H1001D comes into contact with the component on the recording device side, and the electric joint joined to the 90-degree bent portion of the electric flexible cable 5 and the joining surface 46d. The surface of the flexible cable 5 does not come into contact with components on the recording device side. As described above, the recording head H1001D of the present embodiment is provided with the ink tank holder projection 12, so that the surface of the electric flexible cable 5 joined to the 90-degree bent portion of the electric flexible cable 5 and the joining surface 46d. However, it is configured so as not to interfere with components on the recording apparatus side.

  This prevents the recording head H1001D of the present embodiment from being damaged by the electric flexible cable 5 coming into contact with components on the recording apparatus side when the recording head is attached to or detached from the recording apparatus, and the electrical reliability of the recording head H1001D. Can be improved. Further, by preventing the electric flexible cable 5 from contacting the components on the recording apparatus side, the liquid adhering to the electric flexible cable 5 can be removed from the recording apparatus during a recovery operation in which the liquid ejection surface of the recording head H1001D is wiped with a blade. It is possible to prevent the transfer to the components on the recording device side and to prevent the liquid from adhering to the recording medium or the like through the components on the recording device side and contaminating them. In addition, it is needless to say that the same effects can be obtained in the present embodiment also for the parts having the same configuration as the above-described embodiments.

(Other embodiments)
FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the entire recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The recording apparatus shown in FIG. 17 includes a reciprocating movement (main scanning) of the recording head 101 in the main scanning direction and a sub-movement of a recording sheet (recording medium) such as general recording paper, special paper, and OHP film at a predetermined pitch. While repeating conveyance in the scanning direction (sub-scan), ink is selectively ejected from the recording head 101 and attached to a recording sheet while synchronizing with these movements, thereby recording characters, symbols, images, and the like. It is a general serial type recording device formed on a sheet for use.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the recording head 101 is detachably mounted and held on a carriage 103 as a head holding member together with an ink tank 102 containing ink used for image formation. The carriage 103 is guided by a guide shaft 104 and a guide rail 105 fixed in the recording apparatus so as to be movable only in the direction of the arrow X (main scanning direction) shown in FIG. The carriage 103 is driven by a CR motor 106 as a driving unit via a carriage belt 106a to perform reciprocating scanning. As described above, the guide shaft 104, the guide rail 105, the CR motor 106, and the carriage belt 106a constitute a scanning unit that reciprocally scans the carriage 103.

  A recording medium (not shown) on which recording is performed by the recording head 101 is sandwiched between an LF roller 107 and a pinch roller 108 rotatably mounted in the recording apparatus, and the LF roller 107 is driven by an LF motor 110 via an LF gear 109. As a result, the sheet is conveyed in the arrow Y direction (sub-scanning direction) perpendicular to the arrow X direction as shown in FIG.

  A control board 111 is mounted in the printing apparatus. A control circuit provided as a control unit on the control board 111 generates control signals to the recording head 101, the CR motor 106, and the LF motor 110, and controls their operations. Since the recording head 101 and the control board 111 are electrically connected to and electrically connected by the flexible cable 112 serving as a signal transmission unit, the transmission of the control signal between the recording head 1 and the control board 111 is performed by the recording head 101. Is performed via the flexible cable 112 even during the scanning operation in the arrow X direction.

  A plurality of nozzle rows corresponding to each color are formed on the print head 101, and printing is performed by discharging ink from each nozzle. In the recording head 101, a heating resistor corresponding to each nozzle is used as an electrothermal transducer element as an energy generating means for generating ejection energy given to ink in the nozzle in order to eject ink droplets from the nozzle. A plurality is formed. A drive signal for driving the print head 101 is transmitted from the control board 111 to the print head 101 via the flexible cable 112 and the electrical connection unit attached to each of the print head 101 and the flexible cable 112. Ink is ejected from the recording head 101 based on the drive signal.

  FIG. 18A is a perspective view showing the back side of the recording head shown in FIG. 17, and FIG. 18B is a perspective view showing the front side of the carriage shown in FIG.

  A card edge substrate 114 is provided at an end of the recording head 101, and a drive signal is transmitted to a nozzle row by a wiring member (not shown). The card edge substrate 114 is a plug portion in which a conductor pattern is formed at the end of the wiring substrate of the recording head 101, and is fixed to the ink tank holder as described above.

  An opening into which the recording head 101 is inserted is formed on the upper surface of the carriage 103, and the recording head 101 is inserted into the opening from above the carriage 103. Then, the print head 101 is mounted on the carriage 103 by pushing the print head 101 into the carriage 103 in the Z direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction.

  In the carriage 103, a card edge connector 113 with which a card edge substrate 114 is engaged is mounted movably in the X direction and the Y direction with respect to the connector holding portion 103c of the carriage 103. The card edge connector 113 has a flat shape in which the X direction is a long side extending direction and the Y direction is a short side extending direction. A card edge provided on the recording head 101 is provided on the upper surface of the card edge connector 113. A card insertion slot into which the board 114 is inserted is formed. The end of the flexible cable 112 (see FIG. 17) is soldered to the card edge connector 113 on the rear side in the figure. The card edge connector 113 and the flexible cable 112 constitute signal transmission means for transmitting a drive signal from the control board 111 to the recording head 101 on the carriage 103.

  As described above, the recording apparatus according to the present embodiment includes the carriage 103 as the head holding member that detachably holds the recording head according to each of the above-described embodiments, and the electrical contacts provided at the card edge contact of the liquid discharge recording head. And a card edge connector 113 attached to the carriage 103.

  As described above, according to the recording apparatus described in each of the embodiments, the card edge contact of the liquid ejection recording head and the recording element substrate are electrically connected via the electric flexible cable. Can be attached to a desired position on the liquid discharge recording head in a desired direction.

  Therefore, by arranging the card edge contacts at positions and directions where liquid such as ink does not easily adhere to the card edge contacts, it is possible to improve the electrical reliability of the liquid discharge recording head. Further, the mounting position and orientation of the card edge contact in the liquid ejection recording head are set so that the direction of insertion of the liquid ejection recording head into the recording apparatus matches the direction of insertion of the card edge contact into the connector of the recording apparatus. As a result, the mounting of the liquid discharge recording head on the recording apparatus can be facilitated, the moving space required for mounting the liquid discharge recording head inside the recording apparatus can be reduced, and the size of the recording apparatus can be reduced. Can be.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the entire recording head according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged sectional view showing a card edge contact and a card edge connector of the recording head of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged sectional view showing a card edge contact and a card edge connector of the recording head of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a first recording element substrate shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a second recording element substrate shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a configuration of the recording head illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view for explaining a method of manufacturing the recording head shown in FIG. 1 and the like. FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a card edge contact of a recording head. FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating an ink tank holder of the recording head illustrated in FIG. 1 and a card edge contact aligned with the ink tank holder. FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the entire recording head according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic enlarged sectional view showing a card edge contact portion in the recording head shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view showing a recording head according to a third embodiment of the present invention in a state where a part of the recording head is disassembled. FIG. 13 is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a portion of a card edge contact in the recording head illustrated in FIG. 12. FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view showing a modification of the recording head shown in FIG. 12 in a partially exploded state. FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the entire recording head according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a schematic enlarged sectional view showing a section of the recording head shown in FIG. 15. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the entire recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 17A is a perspective view showing the back side of the recording head shown in FIG. 17, and FIG. 17B is a perspective view showing the front side of the carriage shown in FIG.

Explanation of reference numerals

1 Ink tank 2 Ink tanks 3, 23, 33 Card edge contacts 3a, 23a, 33a Electric contacts 3b Reinforcement plate 3c Mounting holes 4, 24 Card edge connectors 4a, 24a Electric contacts 5, 25, 35 Electric flexible cables 5b, 5c Electrodes Terminals 6, 26, 36, 46 Ink tank holders 6a, 6b Abutment portion 6c Screw holes 6d, 36d, 46d Joining surface 7 Joint seal member 7b Screw 8 Convex shape portion 9 Recessed groove 10, 20 Sealing portion 11 Ceiling wall 12 Ink tank holder protrusions H1000, H1000B, H1000C Recording head cartridges H1001, H1001B, H1001C, H1001D Recording head H1002 Recording element unit H1100 First recording element substrate H1101 Second recording element substrate H1102 Ink supply port H1103 Electrothermal conversion element H1104 Electrode section H1105 Bump H1106 Ink flow path wall H1107 Discharge port H1108 Discharge port group H1110 Si substrate

Claims (17)

A card edge contact having a plurality of electrical contacts to which a drive signal is transmitted;
A printing element substrate including a printing element that generates energy used for discharging a liquid to a printing medium based on the drive signal,
An electric flexible cable for electrically connecting the card edge contact and the recording element substrate,
A liquid discharge recording head having:   In the card edge contact, a direction in which the card edge contact is inserted into a card edge connector to which the card edge contact is electrically connected is substantially orthogonal to or substantially perpendicular to a direction in which the liquid is ejected from the recording element substrate. The liquid discharge recording head according to claim 1, wherein the liquid discharge recording head is configured to be parallel.   The electric flexible cable is attached in a substantially U-shaped curve between one surface of the housing of the liquid ejection recording head and a member having the card edge contact disposed opposite to the one surface. The liquid discharge recording head according to claim 1, wherein:   4. The liquid discharge recording head according to claim 3, wherein the substantially U-shaped shape is a shape that opens in the same direction as the liquid discharge direction.   The liquid ejection recording head according to claim 1, wherein the card edge contact has a card edge substrate formed of a rigid substrate on which a wiring circuit is formed.   The liquid discharge recording head according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the liquid discharge recording head has a convex portion for blocking the liquid attached to the surface from flowing toward the card edge contact. .   7. The liquid discharge recording head according to claim 6, wherein the convex portion is provided on the electric flexible cable, and extends in a direction intersecting a direction in which the liquid flows toward the card edge contact. .   A main body portion to which the card edge contact and the recording element substrate are attached; the main body portion has a joining surface to which the electric flexible cable is joined, and the joining surface adheres to the surface of the liquid discharge recording head; 8. The liquid discharge recording head according to claim 1, wherein a concave groove for capturing the flow of the liquid toward the card edge contact is formed. 9.   The liquid discharge recording head according to claim 8, wherein the concave groove extends in a direction intersecting a direction in which the liquid flows toward the card edge contact.   10. The liquid discharge recording head according to claim 8, wherein the main body has an ink tank holder that holds an ink tank that stores the liquid. A card edge contact having a plurality of electrical contacts to which a drive signal is transmitted, a recording element substrate including a recording element that generates energy used for discharging a liquid to a recording medium based on the driving signal, A recording element unit to which a recording element substrate is attached; and a main body to which the card edge contact and the recording element substrate are attached. The card edge contact and the recording element substrate are electrically connected via an electric flexible cable. A method for manufacturing a liquid discharge recording head that is connected
Bonding the electric flexible cable to the recording element unit in a state of being electrically connected to the recording element substrate and the card edge contact, and attaching the recording element unit to one surface of the main body;
Bending the electric flexible cable so as to be along another surface adjacent to the one surface of the main body,
Joining at least a portion of the electric flexible cable to the other surface of the main body,
Attaching the card edge contact to the main body in a state where a portion of the electric flexible cable that is not joined to the main body is bent by a predetermined angle;
A method for manufacturing a liquid discharge recording head, comprising:   The card edge contact and the main body are formed with holes through which fixing means for fixing the card edge contact to the main body are inserted, respectively, and the hole formed in the card edge contact is provided with the electric hole. The method of manufacturing a liquid discharge recording head according to claim 11, wherein the liquid discharge recording head has a shape that extends in a direction orthogonal to an extending direction of the flexible cable from the recording element substrate to the card edge contact.   The predetermined angle is such that a direction in which the card edge contact is inserted into a card edge connector to which the card edge contact is electrically connected is substantially perpendicular or substantially parallel to a direction in which the liquid is ejected from the recording element substrate. The method for manufacturing a liquid discharge recording head according to claim 11, wherein the angle is:   The liquid discharge recording according to any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising a step of providing a convex portion for stopping the liquid attached to the surface of the liquid discharge recording head from flowing toward the card edge contact. Head manufacturing method.   A concave groove is formed on the other surface of the main body to which at least a part of the electric flexible cable is joined, for capturing the flow of the liquid adhering to the surface of the liquid discharge recording head toward the card edge contact. The method of manufacturing a liquid discharge recording head according to claim 11, further comprising:   The method according to claim 11, wherein the main body has an ink tank holder that holds an ink tank that stores the liquid. A head holding member for detachably holding the liquid discharge recording head according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
A plurality of electrical contact terminals respectively connected to a plurality of electrical contacts provided on a card edge contact of the liquid ejection recording head,
A card edge connector attached to the head holding member,
A recording device having:

Images