INK-JET HEAD AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

Abstract

An ink-jet head includes a flexible print cable (FPC) supplying a driving signal to an actuator unit. The actuator unit has a piezoelectric member, an inner electrode, individual electrodes formed on a surface of the piezoelectric member, a first surface terminal and second surface terminals. A partial area of the FPC confronts the surface of the piezoelectric member and an adjacent area continuous to the partial area extends in a direction away from the surface of the piezoelectric member. A distance between an end of the surface of the piezoelectric member closest to the adjacent area and the first surface terminal is equal to or greater than a distance between the end surface of the piezoelectric member and the second surface terminal disposed closest thereto. The FPC is adhered proximate the end of the piezoelectric member via a thermosetting adhesive.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ink-jet head according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along a line II-II shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a head main body included in an ink-jet head;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of an area surrounded by a dotted dashed line shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along a line V-V shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of an area surrounded by a dotted dashed line shown in FIG. 53;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an actuator unit;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along a line VIII-VIII shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9A is a sectional view illustrating connections between lands adhered to individual electrodes of an actuator unit and connection terminals for individual electrodes of a flexible print cable;

FIG. 9B is a sectional view illustrating connections between lands adhered to common electrodes of an actuator unit and connection terminals for common electrodes of a flexible print cable;

FIG. 10A is a partial view illustrating a state that a flexible print cable fixed to an actuator unit is drawn-out into an outside from a space formed between a lower surface of a reservoir unit and a head main body; and

FIG. 10B is an enlarged view of an area surrounded by a dashed dotted line shown in FIG. 10A.

Claims

1. An ink-jet head comprising: a passage unit having a plurality of pressure chambers communicating with nozzles;an actuator unit that changes the volumes of the plurality of the pressure chambers; anda flexible print cable that supplies a driving signal to the actuator unit,wherein the actuator unit includes,a piezoelectric member fixed to the passage unit so that it extends across the plurality of the pressure chambers;an inner electrode formed so that it extends across the plurality of the pressure chambers in the piezoelectric member,a plurality of individual electrodes formed at positions corresponding to the plurality of the pressure chambers on a surface facing a direction opposite to a facing direction of a fixing face of the piezoelectric member to the passage unit;a first surface terminal that is formed on the surface of the piezoelectric member and is also electrically connected to the inner electrode; anda plurality of second surface terminals that are formed on the surface of the piezoelectric member and are also electrically connected to the plurality of the individual electrodes,wherein a partial area of the flexible print cable confronts the surface of the piezoelectric member and an adjacent area continuous to the partial area extends in a direction away from the surface of the piezoelectric member,wherein the flexible print cable has, in the partial area, a first connection terminal electrically connected to the first surface terminal and a plurality of second connection terminals electrically connected to the plurality of the second surface terminals,wherein a distance between an end present at the most downstream position on the surface of the piezoelectric member with respect to a first direction toward the adjacent area on the partial area and the first surface terminal is equal to or greater than a distance between the second surface terminal disposed closest to the end and the end, andwherein the flexible print cable is adhered to the piezoelectric member at a more downstream position than the first and second surface terminals with respect to the first direction, via a thermosetting adhesive.

2. The ink-jet head according to claim 1, wherein two or more of the second surface terminals are disposed at an equal interval while forming a row along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein the first surface terminal is present at the same position as the second surface terminals included in the row, with respect to the first direction, and is disposed at a position that is spaced apart from the second surface terminal present at the outermost, with respect to the second direction, among the second surface terminals include in the row, in the second direction by a substantially same distance as the distance between the second surface terminals included in the row.

3. The ink-jet head according to claim 1, wherein height of the each second surface terminal from the surface is greater than a height of the corresponding individual electrode from the surface and is same as a height of the first surface terminal from the surface.

4. The ink-jet head according to claim 1, wherein shapes of the first surface terminal and the plurality of the second surface terminals are substantially same each other.

5. The ink-jet head according to claim 1, wherein the second surface terminal disposed closest to the end is present at more downstream position than the corresponding individual electrode, with respect to the first direction.

6. The ink-jet head according to claim 1, wherein the passage unit has wall that defines the plurality of the pressure chambers, wherein the first surface terminal and the plurality of the second surface terminals are disposed at positions corresponding to the wall.

7. The ink-jet head according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of the individual electrodes and the plurality of the second surface terminals are disposed in a matrix on the surface of the piezoelectric member, respectively.

8. The ink-jet head according to claim 1, wherein the flexible print cable is adhered to a side of the piezoelectric member which is continuous to the surface at the end, via the thermosetting adhesive.

9. The ink-jet head according to claim 8, wherein the flexible print cable is adhered to the surface and the side of the piezoelectric member through the thermosetting adhesive.

10. A method of manufacturing an ink-jet head comprising processes of: preparing a passage unit having a plurality of pressure chambers communicating with nozzles;preparing an actuator unit that changes the volumes of the plurality of the pressure chambers and includes a piezoelectric member having an inner electrode formed therein;fixing the actuator unit to the passage unit; andfixing a flexible print cable to the actuator unit, the flexible print cable supplying a driving signal to the actuator unit and having a partial area in which a first connection terminal and a plurality of second connection terminals are formed and an adjacent area continuous to the partial area,wherein the process of preparing the actuator unit comprises,an electrode forming process of forming a plurality of individual electrodes on a surface of the piezoelectric member, anda terminal forming process of forming a first surface terminal electrically connected to the inner electrode and a plurality of second surface terminals adhered to the plurality of the individual electrodes on the surface of the piezoelectric member,wherein in the process of fixing the actuator unit, a fixing face of the piezoelectric member, which faces a direction opposite to a facing direction of the surface, is fixed to the passage unit so that the plurality of the individual electrodes are disposed at positions corresponding to the pressure chambers while the piezoelectric member and the inner electrode extend across the plurality of the pressure chambers,wherein in the terminal forming process, the first surface terminal is formed so that a distance between an end present at the most downstream position on the surface of the piezoelectric member with respect to a first direction toward the adjacent area on the partial area along the surface and the first surface terminal is equal to or greater than a distance between the second surface terminal disposed closest to the end and the end, andwherein in the process of fixing the flexible print cable, the first connection terminal is electrically connected to the first surface terminal and the plurality of the second connection terminals are electrically connected to the plurality of the second surface terminals by heating so that the partial area confronts the surface of the piezoelectric member, and the flexible print cable is adhered to the piezoelectric member at a more downstream position than the first and second surface terminals with respect to the first direction, via a thermosetting adhesive, andfurther comprising a process of bending the flexible print cable so that the adjacent area of the flexible print cable extends in a direction away from the surface of the piezoelectric member.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein in the terminal forming process, two or more of the second surface terminals are formed so that they are spaced at an equal interval while forming a row along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, andthe first surface terminal is present at the same position as the second surface terminals included in the row, with respect to the first direction, and is disposed at a position that is spaced apart from the second surface terminal located at the outermost, with respect to the second direction, among the second surface terminals include in the row, in the second direction by a substantially same distance as the distance between the second surface terminals included in the row.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein in the terminal forming process, the plurality of the second surface terminals are formed so that a height of each second surface terminal from the surface is greater than a height of the corresponding individual electrode from the surface, andthe first surface terminal is formed so that a height of the first surface terminal from the surface is same as the heights of the second surface terminals from the surface.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein in the terminal forming process, the first surface terminal and the plurality of the second surface terminals are shaped so that shapes of the first surface terminal and the plurality of the second surface terminals are substantially same each other.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein in the terminal forming process, the second surface terminal disposed closest to the end is formed at more downstream position than the corresponding individual electrode, with respect to the first direction.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein in the process of preparing the passage unit, wall that defines the plurality of the pressure chambers is formed in the passage unit, and wherein in the terminal forming process, the first surface terminal and the plurality of the second surface terminals are disposed at positions corresponding to the wall.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein in the electrode forming process, the plurality of the individual electrodes are disposed in a matrix on the surface of the piezoelectric member, and wherein in the terminal forming process, the plurality of the second surface terminals are disposed in a matrix on the surface of the piezoelectric member.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein in the process of fixing the flexible print cable, the flexible print cable is adhered to a side of the piezoelectric member which is continuous to the surface at the end, via the thermosetting adhesive.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein in the process of fixing the flexible print cable, the flexible print cable is adhered to the surface and the side of the piezoelectric member via the thermosetting adhesive.