1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet print head, and in particular, to an ink jet print head in which a print element configured to generate thermal energy required to eject ink and a driving circuit configured to drive the print element s are formed on the same board.
The present invention is applicable not only to general print apparatuses but also apparatuses such as copiers, facsimile machines, and word processors as well as industrial print apparatuses combined with various processing apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ink jet print apparatus is configured to print information on a print medium in response to a print signal by allowing a print head to eject ink through a plurality of fine nozzles. The ink jet print apparatus advantageously enables high-speed printing and offers high resolution and high image quality, while allowing a reduction in noise. The ink jet print apparatus is thus commonly used.
Some print heads used in ink jet print apparatuses are of an ink jet type configured to utilize thermal energy for printing. Such a print head allows print elements to be energized to heat ink to generate bubbles. Thus, pressure resulting from the generation of the bubbles is utilized to eject the ink through ejection ports for printing. Furthermore, the ink ejected through the ejection ports flies perpendicularly to the principal surface of a print element board. The ink thus impacts a print medium at a desired position. As a result, high-quality and high-grade printing is achieved.
However, if the ejection ports are inclined to the principal surface of the print element board or ink channels are shaped asymmetrically with respect to a corresponding pressure chamber, energy applied to the ink by the pressure resulting from the generation of bubbles is also asymmetric with respect to the pressure chamber. The asymmetry may cause the ejection direction of the ink to be inclined to the direction perpendicular to the principal surface of the print element board. Thus, the ink may impact the print medium at a position different from the desired one, thus lowering the print grade.
Thus, for the proper print grade, the ejection direction of the ink needs to be perpendicular to the principal surface of the print element board. In this case, the inclination of the ejection ports and the shape of the ink channels are important. Various methods have been proposed which are intended to reduce the inclination of the ejection direction of the ink to the direction perpendicular to the principal surface of the print element board.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-341309 describes that a print element in a recess portion is shaped rotationally symmetrically with respect to the center line of each ejection port, thus preventing ejected ink from flying in an inclined direction.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-162270 discloses a print head in which two channels are formed symmetrically with respect to each ejection port.
However, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2001-341309 and 2008-162270 fail to refer to a phenomenon in which a step that may be formed on the bottom surface of the ink channel may disrupt the symmetry, causing the ejected ink to fly in an inclined direction. The present inventors have newly found that not only the symmetry of the channels but also a step of height several μm resulting from wires formed at the channel may affect the ejection direction.
A print element is provided in the pressure chamber and requires wires for energization. The wires connected to the print element normally include an individual wire and a common wire. Furthermore, to allow a reduction in wire installation area, the individual and common wires may be provided separately in the same layer, in a stack board, as that of the print element and in an underlying layer. When such a wiring layer is provided under the ink channel, a step structure is created on the inner bottom surface of the ink channel, that is, the surface of the board. If the step structure is present only in one of the ink channels arranged on the respective opposite sides of the pressure chamber, then the bottom surfaces of the ink channels are asymmetric with respect to the pressure chamber. The asymmetric structure of the ink channels may result in a difference in flow resistance between the ink channels. In this case, during ejection, pressure is generated in a biased manner. As a result, the ejected ink is inclined to the direction perpendicular to the principal surface of the print element board. Consequently, the ink may impact the print medium at an incorrect position or images may be unevenly formed.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet print head configured to reduce the inclination of an ink ejection direction to make improper print conditions such as stripes and density unevenness unnoticeable.
In a first aspect of the present invention, an ink jet print head comprising a pressure chamber including a print element configured to heat ink to generate bubbles, two ink channels formed symmetrically with respect to the pressure chamber so that the ink is allowed to flow into the pressure chamber, and a plurality of wires arranged under a bottom portion of each of the ink channels, wherein the same flow resistance is set for the two ink channels.
In a second aspect of the present invention, a liquid ejection head comprising:
a pressure chamber having energy generation device that generates energy used to eject liquid;
two channels provided opposite each other across the pressure chamber so that the liquid is allowed to flow into the pressure chamber;
a wire provided under the bottom surface of one of the two channels, the wire for connecting electrically the energy generation device; and
a dummy wire arranged under the bottom surface of the other channel of the two channels.
The ink jet print head according to the present invention allows substantially the same flow resistance to be set for the two ink channels connected to the pressure chamber. Thus, the ink jet print head provided by the present invention enables a reduction in the inclination of the ink ejection direction to make improper print conditions such as stripes and density unevenness unnoticeable.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to the attached drawings).
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
The print section comprises a carriage 16 supported so as to be movable along a carriage shaft 15 for scanning, and a head cartridge 18 mounted in the carriage 16 so as to be removable via a head set lever 17.
The carriage 16 in which the head cartridge 18 is mounted includes a carriage cover 20 configured to position an ink jet print head (hereinafter also simply referred to as a print head) 19 at a predetermined installation position on the carriage 16. The carriage 16 further includes the head set lever 17 configured to engage with a tank holder 21 in the print head 19 to press and place the print head 19 at the predetermined installation position. The head set lever 17, serving as removal means according to the present invention, is pivotally movable with respect to a head set lever shaft (not shown in the drawings) located at the top of the carriage 16. Furthermore, a spring-loaded head set plate (not shown in the drawings) is provided in a portion of the carriage 16 configured to engage with the print head 19. The spring force of the head set plate allows the print head 19 to be pressed and installed in the carriage 16.
One end of a contact flexible print cable (hereinafter also referred to as a contact FPC) 22 is coupled to another portion of the carriage 16 configured to engage with the print head 19. A contact portion (not shown in the drawings) formed at this end of the contact FPC 22 electrically contacts a contact portion 23 provided in the print head 19 and serving as an external-signal input signal. This allows the transmission of various pieces of information for printing, the supply of power to the print head 19, and the like.
An elastic member such as rubber (not shown in the drawings) is provided between the contact portion of the contact FPC 22 and the carriage 16. The elastic force of the elastic member and the pressing force of the head set plate enable the contact portion of the contact FPC 22 to reliably contact the contact portion 23 of the print head 19. The other end of the contact FPC 22 is connected to a carriage board (not shown in the drawings) mounted on the rear surface of the carriage 16.
The head cartridge 18 according to the resent embodiment includes an ink tank 24 in which ink is stored, and the above-described print head 19 configured to eject ink fed from the ink tank 24, through ejection ports in accordance with print information. The print head 19 according to the present embodiment is of what is called a cartridge type in which the print head 19 is removably mounted in the carriage 16.
Furthermore, the present embodiment allows six independent ink tanks 24 for the respective ink colors, that is, black (Bk), pale cyan (c), pale magenta (m), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) to be used for the apparatus in order to enable photographic high-quality color printing. Each of the ink tanks 24 includes an elastically deformable removal lever 26 that can be locked on the head cartridge 18. Operation of the removal lever 25 enables the ink tank 24 to be removed from the print head 19 as shown in
The print element board 48 in the ink jet print head according to the present embodiment is a stack board comprising an oxide film provided on a silicon substrate, a lower wiring layer, an insulating layer, print elements 45, an upper wiring layer, and an insulating layer provided on the oxide film in this order. A nozzle material 47 is used to form nozzles on the insulating layer. Ink is fed from the back surface of the silicon substrate through the ink supply ports 41 formed as holes penetrating the silicon substrate. Electric energy is applied to the print elements 45 to heat and bubble the ink. The ink is thus ejected through the ejection ports 42 for printing.
In the present embodiment, two ink channels 44, through which ink supplied through the ink supply port 41 can flow into the pressure chamber 40, are formed symmetrically with respect to the pressure chamber 40. That is, the ink channels 44 are provided opposite each other across the pressure chamber 40. The thus symmetrically formed ink channels 44 prevent the pressure resulting from heat generated by the print head 45 from acting in a biased manner inside the pressure chamber 40. The ink can thus be ejected perpendicularly to the print head (the principal surface of the print element board).
The common wire 78 shown in
As described above, the shape of the surface of the print element board 48 differs between the odd-number-th pressure chamber 40 and the even-number-th pressure chamber 40 from the end of the print element array. In the configuration in the comparative example, during printing, the step may cause a difference in impact position between the odd-number-th pressure chamber 40 and the even-number-th pressure chamber 40 from the end of the print element array.
Thus, in the present embodiment, as shown in
The adverse effect of a wiring pattern on a Y deviation will be described below which is observed when 2.8 pl of droplets are ejected at 15 kHz from a print head including 256 nozzles per row and having a nozzle interval of 600 dpi. Here, the Y deviation refers to the amount of deviation between the ideal ink impact position and the actual impact position measured in the form of a value in the nozzle row direction. The distance between the print head and a print medium is 1. 25 mm. The speed of the print head in the scanning direction is 25 inch/sec.
In connection with the Y deviation, in the print head shown in the comparative example, the difference in impact position between the odd-number-th print element 45 and the even-number-th print element 45 is about 10 μm. In contrast, the actual ejection condition in the print head according to the present embodiment indicates that the magnitude of the Y deviation is equivalent between the odd-number-th print element 45 and the even-number-th print element 45. This in turn indicates that the symmetric wiring pattern in the ink channel serves to reduce the inclination of the ink ejection direction to the direction perpendicular to the element board.
In the present embodiment, the ink supply ports are not provided symmetrically with respect to the pressure chamber. However, this does not substantially affect the deviation in the ejection direction. Thus, the present invention is not limited to this aspect. The ink supply ports have only to be able to supply ink to the pressure chamber and may be provided symmetrically with respect to the pressure chamber.
As described above, the individual wire is extended so as to lie under the common wire. Thus, the wires under the ink channels arranged on the respective opposite sides of the pressure chamber 40 are made symmetric. Consequently, the equivalent step structure is provided at the bottoms of the ink channels arranged on the respective opposite sides of the pressure chamber. The present embodiment thus makes the ink channels symmetric with respect to the pressure chamber. As a result, the inclination of the ink ejection direction can be reduced, thus making improper printing conditions such as stripes and density unevenness unnoticeable.
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The basic configuration of the present embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment. Thus, only the characteristic arrangements of the present embodiment will be described below.
The actual ejection condition of the print head according to the present embodiment indicates that the Y deviation is reduced compared to that in the comparative example shown in
As described above, the present embodiment avoids extending the individual wire but provides the dummy wire not connected to any other wire, under the common wire. Thus, the wires under the ink channels arranged on the respective opposite sides of the pressure channels are made symmetric. Consequently, the equivalent step structure is provided at the bottoms of the ink channels arranged on the respective opposite sides of the pressure chamber. The present embodiment thus makes the ink channels symmetric with respect to the pressure chamber 40. As a result, the inclination of the ink ejection direction can be reduced, thus making improper printing conditions such as stripes and unevenness unnoticeable. In the present embodiment, the dummy wires 153 are formed on the respective opposite sides of the odd-number-th pressure chamber 40. However, since no individual wire is provided under the two channels connected to the odd-number-th pressure chamber, the dummy wires 153 may be omitted.
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The basic configuration of the present embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment. Thus, only the characteristic arrangements of the present embodiment will be described below.
The actual ejection condition of the print head according to the present embodiment indicates that the Y deviation is reduced compared to that in the comparative example shown in
As described above, the member 180 formed of the same material as that of the nozzle material 47 is stuck to the surface of the print element board 48. Thus, the wires under the ink channels arranged on the respective opposite sides of the pressure channels are made symmetric. Consequently, the equivalent step structure is provided at the bottoms of the ink channels arranged on the respective opposite sides of the pressure chamber. The present embodiment thus makes the ink channels symmetric with respect to the pressure chamber. As a result, the inclination of the ink ejection direction can be reduced, thus making improper printing conditions such as stripes and unevenness unnoticeable.
A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The basic configuration of the present embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment. Thus, only the characteristic arrangements of the present embodiment will be described below.
In the third embodiment, the member 180 is formed of the nozzle material. However, in the present embodiment, the member 180 is formed of a material (for example, a polyetheramide-containing resin HIMAL manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.) allowing the nozzles and the print element board 48 to be tightly contacted.
The actual ejection condition of the print head according to the present embodiment indicates that the Y deviation is reduced compared to that in the comparative example shown in
As described above, the member 180 formed of the material allowing the nozzles and the print element board 48 to be tightly contacted is stuck to the surface of the print element board 48. Thus, the wires under the ink channels arranged on the respective opposite sides of the pressure channels 40 are made symmetric. Consequently, the equivalent step structure is provided at the bottoms of the ink channels arranged on the respective opposite sides of the pressure chamber. The present embodiment thus makes the ink channels symmetric with respect to the pressure chamber. As a result, the inclination of the ink ejection direction can be reduced, thus making improper printing conditions such as stripes and unevenness unnoticeable.
In the above-described embodiments, the height of the wiring layer is substantially equivalent to that of the step formed by the tight contact layer. However, the present invention is not limited to this aspect. That is, if the wiring layer and the tight contact layer have different film thicknesses and the corresponding films form different heights, the effects of the present invention can be exerted by utilizing the widths of the layers to make the flow resistance substantially symmetric. For example, if the height of the wire is smaller than the thickness of the tight contact layer, the effects of the present invention can be exerted by setting the width of the wire smaller than the arrangement width of the tight contact layer to ensure the symmetry of the flow resistance.
The embodiments have been individually described. However, any of the embodiments may be combined together. For example, a combination of the nozzle member and the tight contact layer enables substantially equal flow resistance to be adjustably set for the two channels.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-026168, filed Feb. 6, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2009-026168 | Feb 2009 | JP | national |
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/684,415, filed Jan. 8, 2010.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12684415 | Jan 2010 | US |
Child | 14255019 | US |