Inkjet printer and manufacturing method for same

Abstract

An inkjet printer is provided with: a recording head having an actuator for generating energy in order to jet ink and a wiring member which allows a drive signal to be inputted; and a head holder having a bottom wall for supporting the recording head. The recording head is placed so that the wiring member faces a lower surface of the bottom wall, and after that, a blocking member for preventing an adhesive from making contact with the wiring member is moved so as to make contact with end portions on both sides of the recording head. In this state, a space between the end portions on both sides of the recording head and the lower surface of the bottom wall is filled in with an adhesive, and thus, the recording head and the head holder are bonded together.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram showing positional relationships between parts of an inkjet printer head according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a bottom diagram showing a head holder provided in an inkjet printer head;

FIG. 3A is a perspective diagram showing a blocking member;

FIG. 3B is a cross sectional diagram showing a recording head provided in an inkjet printer head;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional diagram along the line in the depth direction of an inkjet printer head;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional diagram showing a step (state where respective parts are fixed to a jig) in accordance with a manufacturing method for an inkjet printer;

FIG. 6A is a cross sectional diagram showing a step (state where the bottom wall of the head holder and the recording head are in close proximity) in accordance with a manufacturing method for an inkjet printer;

FIG. 6B is a cross sectional diagram showing a step (state where the blocking member is moved toward another jig) in accordance with a manufacturing method for an inkjet printer; and

FIG. 6C is a cross sectional diagram showing a step (state where the respective parts are bonded together by supplying an ultraviolet ray curing adhesive) in accordance with a manufacturing method for an inkjet printer.

Claims

1. An inkjet printer, comprising: a recording head with an actuator for generating energy in order to jet ink, where a wiring member for allowing a drive signal to be inputted to said actuator is connected to an upper surface of said actuator;a head holder having a bottom wall for supporting said recording head;an adhesive for bonding said recording head and said head holder together, with which a space between end portions on both sides of said recording head which are perpendicular to the direction in which said wiring member and a lower surface of said bottom wall face each other and the lower surface of said bottom wall is filled in; anda blocking member for preventing said adhesive from making contact with said wiring member which is inserted between said end portions on both sides of said recording head and said wiring member on the upper surface of said actuator as a member different from said recording head and said head holder.

2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein said recording head includes a cavity portion for containing ink and said actuator which is secured to the top of said cavity portion and of which the width in the direction of said end portions on both sides is smaller than that of said cavity portion, andsaid blocking member includes a pair of side wall portions which make contact with the top of said end portions on both sides of said cavity portion and a ceiling wall portion which covers the top of said actuator and said wiring member and connects said pair of side wall portions.

3. The inkjet printer according to claim 2, wherein said blocking member includes a protruding guide portion on an upper surface of said ceiling wall portion, and said guide portion is engaged in a guide hole formed in said bottom wall of said head holder.

4. The inkjet printer according to claim 3, wherein there is a frictional force for holding said blocking member on said bottom wall between the outer surface of said guide portion and the inner surface of said guide hole.

5. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of openings for supplying said adhesive to said blocking member on the side opposite to said wiring member are provided at intervals along said end portions on both sides of said recording head in locations on said bottom wall of said head holder facing said end portions on both sides of said recording head.

6. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein said adhesive is an ultraviolet ray curing adhesive.

7. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein said recording head has a nozzle as an opening for jetting ink on the side opposite to the side where said actuator is located, and a cover plate having a hole for exposing said nozzle is placed on the side of the surface with the opening so as to protrude to the outside from said end portions on both sides of said recording head and bonded to said recording head and said head holder with said adhesive.

8. A manufacturing method for an inkjet printer, according to which a recording head having an actuator for generating energy in order to jet ink and a wiring member for allowing a drive signal to be inputted to said actuator which is connected to an upper surface of said actuator and a head holder having a bottom wall for supporting said recording head are bonded together and secured to each other by filling a space between end portions on both sides of said recording head which are perpendicular to the direction in which said recording head and a lower surface of said bottom wall face each other and the lower surface of said bottom wall with an adhesive, comprising: holding a blocking member having a pair of side wall portions corresponding to regions between said end portions on both sides of said recording head and said wiring member against said bottom wall of said head holder in such a manner that the blocking member can be moved in the direction in which said recording head and the lower surface of said bottom wall face each other;arranging said head holder holding said blocking member and said recording head in such a state that the wiring member of said recording head faces the lower surface of said bottom wall;moving said blocking member in the direction in which said pair of side wall portions make contact with said recording head in such a state that said head holder and said recording head face each other; andfilling a space in said pair of side wall portions on the side opposite to said wiring member and between said end portions on both sides of said recording head and the lower surface of said bottom wall with said adhesive in such a state that said pair of side wall portions and said recording head make contact with each other, so that said head holder and said recording head are bonded together and secured to each other.

9. The manufacturing method for an inkjet printer according to claim 8, wherein the state where said blocking member is pressed against said recording head is maintained until said adhesive is cured after said adhesive is applied.

10. The manufacturing method for an inkjet printer according to claim 8, wherein said recording head comprises a cavity portion for containing ink and said actuator which is secured to the top of said cavity portion and of which the width in the direction of said end portions on both sides is smaller than that of said cavity portion,said blocking member comprises said pair of side wall portions and a ceiling wall portion for connecting said pair of side wall portions, andsaid ceiling wall portion covers the top of said actuator and said wiring member when said pair of side wall portions of said blocking member make contact in said end portions on both sides of said cavity portion.

11. The manufacturing method for an inkjet printer according to claim 10, wherein said blocking member comprises a protruding guide portion on an upper surface of said ceiling wall portion and said bottom wall of said head holder has a guide hole in which said guide portion is to be engaged, andsaid blocking member is held against said bottom wall of said head holder so as to be moveable by engaging said guide portion into said guide hole.

12. The manufacturing method for an inkjet printer according to claim 11, wherein said blocking member is held against said bottom wall of said head holder so as to be moveable as a result of frictional force between an outer surface of said guide portion and an inner surface of said guide hole.

13. The manufacturing method for an inkjet printer according to claim 8, wherein a plurarity of openings connected to a space in said blocking member on a side opposite to said wiring member are provided at intervals along said end portions on both sides of said recording head in locations on said bottom wall of said head holder facing said end portions on both sides of said recording head, anda space between said end portions on both sides of said recording head and the lower surface of said bottom wall is filled in with said adhesive through said openings.

14. The manufacturing method for an inkjet printer according to claim 13, wherein an ultraviolet ray curing adhesive is used as said adhesive, and said adhesive is irradiated with ultraviolet rays through said openings and thereby, said adhesive is cured.

15. The manufacturing method for an inkjet printer according to claim 8, wherein a nozzle for jetting ink is provided as an opening on a surface of said recording head on a side opposite to the side where said actuator is located, anda cover plate having a hole for exposing said nozzle is arranged on the side of the surface with the opening so as to protrude to the outside from said end portions on both sides of said recording head and bonded to said recording head and said head holder with said adhesive.