INKJET HEAD AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME

Abstract

A disclosed inkjet head includes an ink channel unit formed by stacking a channel plate having a nozzle hole formed therein, a channel plate having a pressure chamber formed therein, and a channel plate having a restrictor formed therein and by bonding the channel plates together by diffusion bonding, which channel plates have substantially the same thickness; a pressure generating source attached to a surface of the ink channel unit and configured to generate pressure to jet ink; and a housing formed by stacking housing plates and by bonding the housing plates together by diffusion bonding and configured to hold the ink channel unit, which housing plates have substantially the same thickness as that of the channel plates.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cut-away side view of an exemplary inkjet head according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cut-away side view of the exemplary inkjet head shown in FIG. 1 seen from a different angle;

FIGS. 3A through 3G are plan views of exemplary channel plates and exemplary housing plates before being bonded;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a housing unit 10 according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the housing unit 10 according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating multiple sets of channel plates and housing plates before being bonded by diffusion bonding;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are drawings used to describe an exemplary process of producing multiple housing units 10 by stacking multiple sets of channel plates and housing plates that are supported by ribs 51a and 51b and thereby attached to base plates 50;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the housing unit 10 where head mounting shoulders 44 are formed by machining;

FIGS. 9A through 9E are plan views of exemplary channel plates and an exemplary support plate, which are to be bonded together, of an exemplary inkjet head according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a drawing used to describe a process of producing an ink channel unit 30 according to the second embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the ink channel unit 30 onto which ink supply tubes 86 are welded;

FIG. 12 is a drawing used to describe a process of mounting the housing 40 onto the ink channel unit 30;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the ink channel unit 30 bonded to the housing 40;

FIG. 14 is a drawing used to describe an exemplary grinding process according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 15A and 15B are plan views of a nozzle plate 31 and a chamber plate 32 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 16A and 16B are drawings illustrating the nozzle plate 31 and the chamber plate 32 that are bonded together; and

FIGS. 17A and 17B are drawings illustrating the nozzle plate 31 and the chamber plate 32 bonded together in which nozzle plate 31 nozzle holes 61 are formed.

Claims

1. An inkjet head, comprising: an ink channel unit formed by stacking a channel plate having a nozzle hole formed therein, a channel plate having a pressure chamber formed therein, and a channel plate having a restrictor formed therein and by bonding the channel plates together by diffusion bonding, wherein the channel plates have substantially the same thickness;a pressure generating source attached to a surface of the ink channel unit and configured to generate pressure to jet ink; anda housing formed by stacking housing plates and by bonding the housing plates together by diffusion bonding and configured to hold the ink channel unit, wherein the housing plates have substantially the same thickness as that of the channel plates.

2. The inkjet head as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the channel plates and the housing plates have a positioning hole formed therein and the positioning hole formed in the channel plate having the nozzle hole has a smallest diameter.

3. The inkjet head as claimed in clam 2, wherein a head mounting shoulder is formed by machining at each end of the housing.

4. The inkjet head as claimed in claim 1, wherein a through hole is formed in each of the housing plates and a size of the through hole in any one of the housing plates is larger or smaller than the size of the through hole in an adjacent one of the housing plates.

5. The inkjet head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channel plates and the housing plates are stainless steel plates in each of which an ink channel where ink flows is formed by etching.

6. An inkjet head, comprising: an ink channel unit formed by stacking channel plates each having one or more of a nozzle hole, a pressure chamber, and a restrictor formed therein and by bonding together the channel plates by diffusion bonding;a pressure generating source attached to a surface of the ink channel unit and configured to generate pressure to jet ink; anda housing configured to hold the ink channel unit; whereinan ink supply tube configured to supply ink is welded to the ink channel unit; anda through hole configured to house the ink supply tube is formed in the housing.

7. The inkjet head as claimed in claim 6, wherein the housing is made of metal and produced by machining or molding.

8. The inkjet head as claimed in claim 1, wherein an unbonded area, which is a weakly bonded area between the ink channel unit and the housing that are bonded together by diffusion bonding, is sealed by welding.

9. The inkjet head as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the channel plates is formed by pressing a stainless steel plate and by grinding surfaces of the pressed stainless steel plate until burrs and distortion generated by the pressing are eliminated.

10. A method of producing inkjet heads, comprising the steps of: forming multiple ink channel units by bonding together each one of multiple sets of stacked channel plates by diffusion bonding;forming multiple housings by bonding together each one of multiple sets of stacked housing plates by diffusion bonding; andforming multiple housing units by stacking and bonding together each one of pairs of the ink channel units and the housings by diffusion bonding.

11. A method of producing an inkjet head, comprising the steps of: forming a nozzle unit by stacking a nozzle plate and a channel plate that are made of metal and by bonding together the stacked nozzle plate and the channel plate by diffusion bonding;forming a nozzle hole in the nozzle plate of the formed nozzle unit by pressing or laser processing; andstacking and bonding together the nozzle unit, other channel plates, and housing plates.