Ink-Jet Head

Abstract

A passage unit formed with ink ejection ports, an actuator mounted on the passage unit, and a cover member are provided. Further provided is a side plate member that is in contact with a mounting face of the passage unit on which the actuator is mounted. The side plate member has a side plate and an opposing plate that is connected to the side plate. The side plate extends in the longitudinal direction of the passage unit and along a contour line of the passage unit. The side plate is in crosswise contact with the mounting face. The opposing plate is opposed to the mounting face. The cover member is placed at such a position that the actuator and the side plate member are sandwiched between the cover member and the passage unit. The cover member presses the opposing plate toward the passage unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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

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

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal construction of the ink-jet head 1 shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a cross section as taken along line III-III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a head covering shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a heat sink shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal cross section of an ink reservoir shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a passage unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan view of a region enclosed with an alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 shows a longitudinal cross section as taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a region enclosed with an alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 9.

Claims

1. An ink-jet head comprising: a passage unit having an ink ejection face on which a plurality of ink ejection ports that eject ink droplets are formed;an actuator that is mounted on a mounting face of the passage unit which is opposite to the ink ejection face, and generates ejection energy for ejecting ink droplet from the ink ejection port;at least one side plate member having a side plate and an opposing plate, the side plate extending in a longitudinal direction of the passage unit along a contour line of the passage unit and being in contact with the mounting face in such a manner as to perpendicularly cross the mounting face, the opposing plate being connected to the side plate and opposed to the mounting face; anda cover member placed at such a position that the actuator and the side plate member are sandwiched between the cover member and the passage unit,wherein the cover member is disposed so as to press the opposing plate of the side plate member toward the passage unit.

2. The ink-jet head according to claim 1, wherein the side plate member is elastically deformed in its region between the cover member and the passage unit.

3. The ink-jet head according to claim 1, further comprising a driver IC that drives the actuator, wherein:the side plate member is made of a metal material; andthe driver IC and the side plate member are thermally coupled to each other.

4. The ink-jet head according to claim 1, wherein a boundary region between the mounting face and the side plate of the side plate member is sealed with a potting material.

5. The ink-jet head according to claim 1, wherein: a rib protruding toward the mounting face is formed on a face of the cover member opposed to the mounting face; anda distal end of the rib abuts on the opposing plate.

6. The ink-jet head according to claim 5, wherein the distal end of the rib has, in its cross section including an axis in a protruding direction of the rib, a curved contour.

7. The ink-jet head according to claim 5, wherein the distal end of the rib abuts on a distal end portion of the opposing plate which is away from the side plate.

8. The ink-jet head according to claim 5, wherein the side plate member is formed in such a manner that a region of the opposing plate on which the distal end of the rib abuts is opposed to the actuator.

9. The ink-jet head according to claim 1, wherein: the cover member has a cover side plate that extends toward one widthwise end portion of the passage unit; andthe cover side plate is in contact with a face of the side plate opposite to a face thereof to which the opposing plate is connected.

10. The ink-jet head according to claim 1, wherein: the passage unit has at least two grooves that extend from the mounting face halfway through a thickness of the passage unit;the side plate has a contact face that is contactable with the mounting face and projections that project from the contact face, the number of the projections being equal to the number of the grooves; andthe projections are fitted in the respective grooves.

11. The ink-jet head according to claim 1, wherein the side plate has a protrusion that protrudes in a widthwise outward direction of the passage unit and extends along the longitudinal direction of the passage unit, and the side plate is in perpendicular contact with the mounting face.

12. The ink-jet head according to claim 1, wherein: two side plate members are provided; andthe two side plate members are disposed at one widthwise end portion and the other widthwise end portion of the passage unit, respectively.

13. The ink-jet head according to claim 1, wherein: an ink reservoir that supplies ink to the passage unit is placed between the passage unit and the cover member;the cover member and the ink reservoir respectively have opposing regions that are opposed to each other with respect to at least either one of widthwise and longitudinal directions of the passage unit;a plurality of recesses are formed in the opposing region of the ink reservoir; anda plurality of projections fitted in the recesses are formed in the opposing region of the cover member.