JPH08244222A - Ink jet recording head - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To prevent the extension of an adhesive to an orifice side by coating the grooves so engraved on a second board that the sectional areas of two rows are different in the longitudinal direction with the adhesive, and supporting fixedly with the adhesive a first board provided with an energy generator for recording. CONSTITUTION: The base plate 1 of a second board has a groove 2 of the connecting side of a flexible board 6 and a groove 3 of a top late 5 side. Adhesive is cast in the grooves 2, 3 of the two rows, and the heater board 4 of a first board formed with an electro-thermal exchanger and electrode wirings is fixed with the adhesive to an Si board. At this time, the groove 2 of the connecting side of the board 6 has smaller sectional area than that of the groove 3 of the plate 5 side, and even if the adhesives of the same amount are cast, the adhesive amounts stacked up from the grooves 2, 3 can be altered. Thus, when it is adhered to the board 4, the extension of the adhesive to the orifice can be prevented, and the connecting side of the board 6 can be effectively adhered.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a joining means for joining a substrate forming an energy generating element of an ink jet recording head in an ink jet recording apparatus and a supporting plate therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an ink jet recording apparatus, various types of ink jet recording heads for ejecting recording liquid (ink) droplets from ejection ports have been known. For example, a method of generating a pressure change in a liquid flow path by a deformation of a piezoelectric element to eject a recording liquid drop, or a method of providing a pair of electrodes and deflecting the recording liquid drop by this, or an ink flow path Various methods have been known in which recording liquid droplets are ejected from an ejection port by utilizing thermal energy such as generating bubbles by rapidly heating the disposed heating element.

Among these, the ink jet recording head relating to the method of ejecting recording droplets by utilizing thermal energy ejects liquid droplets such as orifices for ejecting recording droplets to form flying droplets. Since the outlets can be arranged at a high density, it is possible to perform recording with high resolution, it is easy to make the recording head compact as a whole, and, in addition, it is possible to realize the technology in the recent semiconductor field. Due to the fact that the advantages of IC technology and microfabrication technology, whose progress and reliability have been remarkably improved, can be fully utilized, and that they can be easily elongated and planarized (two-dimensional), they have a multi-nozzle structure. In addition, it has attracted particular attention because it facilitates high-density mounting, has high productivity in mass production, and can be manufactured at low cost.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are a perspective view and a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional ink jet recording head of this type, respectively.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, reference numeral 4 is a first substrate made of Si or the like (hereinafter referred to as a "heater board"), and an electrothermal converter (as a discharge energy generating element) is provided on the upper surface thereof. A discharge heater) and electrode wiring (both not shown) for supplying electric power thereto are provided.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a top plate made of glass, metal or the like, and an ink inlet for introducing a recording liquid (hereinafter referred to as "ink") such as ink by cutting or etching, and the like. A recess 5a for the common liquid chamber is formed in the top plate 5 for storing the collected ink and communicating with each ink flow path.

Here, each ink flow path is formed in a solid layer corresponding to the discharge energy generating element of the heater board 4. A top plate 5 is bonded onto this solid layer, and a heater board 4 has a second substrate (hereinafter referred to as "base plate") 1 and 2 having two rows of grooves 2 and 3 having the same cross-sectional area.
The adhesive is fixed by pouring an adhesive into each groove 2, 3 of the row.

The electrical connection pad of the heater board 4 and the flexible substrate 6 are fixed by a pressing rubber 8 pressed by a pressing member 7 and screwed to the base plate 1. As a result, the heater board 4 and the flexible substrate 6 are mechanically connected.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the base plate 1 in FIGS. 6 and 7, and shows the groove 2 on the connecting side of the flexible substrate 6.
And the grooves 3 on the side of the top plate 5 have the respective two rows of grooves having the same cross-sectional area.

[0010]

However, in the case of the conventional ink jet recording head as described above, the heater board 4 and the base plate 1 are provided with the grooves 2 in two rows.
The adhesive is fixed by pouring the adhesive into 3. Here, when the same amount of the adhesive is poured into the grooves 2 and 3 of the two rows, if the amount of the adhesive is small, a gap is created between the heater board 4 and the base plate 1, and the ink passes therethrough. However, there is a possibility that the connection part between the flexible substrate 6 and the heater board 4 may enter and cause a short circuit.
On the contrary, if the amount of the adhesive is large, the adhesive in the groove 3 on the top plate 5 side may reach the orifice and clog the orifice. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately control the amount of the adhesive that is poured into each groove.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide an ink jet recording head and an ink jet recording apparatus which are highly reliable and inexpensive.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, in the present invention, a first substrate provided with an energy generating element for recording and two in the longitudinal direction are provided.
An ink jet recording head having a second substrate in which rows of grooves are engraved, an adhesive is applied in each of the grooves of the two rows, and the first substrate is adhesively fixed and supported. It is characterized in that the grooves are formed so as to have different sectional areas.

Further, among the sectional areas of the two rows of grooves, the sectional area of the groove on the side of the energy generating element is formed larger than that on the other side.

[0014]

With the structure of the present invention as described above, the adhesive fixing can be performed at low cost and with high reliability without the need to excessively manage the amount of the adhesive poured into the grooves.

[0015]

EXAMPLES The present invention will now be described based on a plurality of examples: (Example 1) FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a first example of an ink jet recording head according to the present invention (the above-mentioned drawings). 7 equivalent figure) is shown. FIG. 2 is a perspective view (corresponding to FIG. 8) of the base plate (second substrate) 1. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the same (corresponding) constituent elements as those in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 of the conventional example are represented by the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 4 denotes an electrothermal converter (discharge heater) formed on a Si substrate and electrode wiring (not shown) of Al or the like for supplying electric power to the discharge heater by a film forming technique. It is the heated heater board (first substrate). Reference numeral 5 denotes a top plate having a common liquid chamber recess 5a for supplying ink to each ink flow path.

The electric connection pad of the heater board 4 and the flexible substrate 6 for taking in electric power and signals from the outside for ejecting recording liquid droplets are fixed by a pressing rubber 8 pressed by a pressing member 7, and a base plate. It is screwed to 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the base plate 1 is
The flexible substrate 6 has a groove 2 on the connection side and a groove 3 on the top plate 5 side. An adhesive is poured into the grooves 2 and 3 of the two rows to fix the heater board 4 to the base plate 1 by adhesion. The two rows of grooves 2 and 3 have the same depth but different widths. For example, the depth is 0.3mm and the width is a =
1.3 mm and b = 1.5 mm. The optimum value of this dimension is empirically determined depending on the viscosity of the adhesive used.

At this time, the groove 2 on the connecting side of the flexible substrate 6
Has a smaller cross-sectional area than the groove 3 on the top plate 5 side, and even if the same amount of the adhesive 9 is poured, an adhesive that rises from the groove 3 on the top plate 5 side as shown in the enlarged cross section of each groove part as shown in FIG. 9 amount,
It is possible to change the amount of the adhesive 9 rising from the groove 2 on the connecting side of the flexible substrate 6. As a result, when the adhesive board 9 is attached to the heater board 4, the adhesive 9 can be prevented from protruding to the orifice and the flexible substrate 6 connection side can be surely adhered to prevent ink from entering this portion. it can.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view (corresponding to FIG. 1) of an ink jet recording head according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this figure,
The same (corresponding) constituent elements as those of Nos. 2 and 3 are designated by the same reference numerals, and a duplicate description will be omitted.

The present embodiment is characterized in that the two rows of grooves 2 and 3 of the base plate 1 have the same width but different depths. For example, width 1.3 mm, depth C = 0.
3 mm and d = 0.5 mm. In addition, this size is the adhesive 9
The optimum value is empirically determined by the viscosity of. Also in this case, the groove 2 on the flexible plate 6 connecting side is the groove 3 on the top plate 5 side.
The cross-sectional area is smaller than that of the first embodiment, and the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view (corresponding to FIG. 1) of an ink jet recording head according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Also in this figure, the same (corresponding) components as those in FIGS.

This embodiment is characterized in that the two rows of grooves 2 and 3 of the base plate 1 have different shapes. The groove 2 on the flexible substrate 6 bonding side is trapezoidal, and the groove 3 on the top plate 5 side is rectangular with a cross-sectional area larger than the groove 2. Also in this case, the flexible substrate 6
The cross-sectional area of the groove 2 on the connection side is smaller than that of the groove 3 on the top plate 5 side, and the same action and effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

In this embodiment, the grooves 2 in two rows 2
The sectional shape of 3 is not limited to the example shown in the figure, and it is needless to say that the same action and effect can be obtained even when each has a cylindrical shape, a triangular shape, or the like.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By changing the cross-sectional area of the two rows of grooves of the base plate, which is the second substrate, the amount of adhesive that rises from each groove of the two rows can be changed even if an approximately same amount of adhesive is poured, so that the orifice side Since the adhesive can be prevented from squeezing out and the heater board, which is the first substrate on the flexible substrate side, and the base plate can be surely brought into close contact with each other, it is possible to prevent the infiltration of ink as the recording liquid.

Further, since it is not necessary to strictly control the amount of the adhesive poured into each groove, the working efficiency is improved, and therefore a highly reliable and inexpensive ink jet recording head can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an inkjet recording head of Example 1.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the base plate of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of each groove.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an inkjet recording head of Example 2.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an inkjet recording head of Example 3.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an example of a conventional inkjet recording head.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of an example of a conventional inkjet recording head.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a conventional base plate.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Second board (base plate) 2 Flexible board connection side groove 3 Top board side groove 4 First board (heater board) 5 Top board 6 Flexible board 7 Holding member 8 Holding rubber 9 Adhesive

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A first substrate provided with an energy generating element for recording, and a second substrate having two rows of grooves engraved in the longitudinal direction, each of the two rows of grooves being provided. An ink jet recording head in which an adhesive is applied and the first substrate is adhered and fixed to the inkjet recording head, wherein the cross-sectional areas of the two rows of grooves are different from each other. 2. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein among the sectional areas of the two rows of grooves, the sectional area of the groove on the side of the energy generating element is larger than that on the other side. 3. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional shapes of the two rows of grooves are different from each other.