The present application is based on, and claims priority from JP Application Serial Number 2023-205934, filed Dec. 6, 2023, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a liquid ejecting head and a liquid ejecting apparatus.
A known liquid ejecting head in related art includes: a plurality of head chips each having a nozzle plate in which a plurality of nozzles are formed; a fixing plate to which the plurality of head chips are fixed by an adhesive; and a holder that holds the plurality of head chips between itself and the fixing plate (JP-A-2021-53882). In related art, in the fixing plate, a liquid repellent film is formed on the surface thereof, and a plurality of exposure openings for exposing the nozzle plates to the outside are formed.
In related art, a water repellent film is formed on the surface of the fixing plate and the surface of the nozzle plate, and an adhesive as a mold is filled between the nozzle plate and the inner peripheral surface of the exposure opening of the fixing plate, and between the outer peripheral surface of the fixing plate and the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall of the holder. Hereinafter, when both the inner peripheral surface of the exposure opening of the fixing plate and the outer peripheral surface of the fixing plate are not distinguished, the peripheral surfaces may be referred to as the lateral surface of the fixing plate. Due to the water repellent film formed on the surfaces of the fixing plate and the nozzle plate, the adhesive is unlikely to adhere to these surfaces. Because the fixing plate is relatively thin, the bond strength between the lateral surface of the fixing plate and the adhesive as a mold is not high. Thus, liquid which has adhered to the mold may enter the inside of the liquid ejecting head through the bond interface between the mold and the inner peripheral surface of the exposure opening of the fixing plate or the outer peripheral surface of the fixing plate.
According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a liquid ejecting head is provided. The liquid ejecting head includes: a head chip configured to eject liquid in an ejection direction; a fixing plate having a first surface facing in the ejection direction, a second surface to which the head chip is fixed, and which is on an opposite side of the first surface, and a lateral surface that connects the first surface and the second surface; and a holder configured to hold the head chip between itself and the fixing plate. In a plan view as seen toward the first surface, the first surface includes a water repellent region having water repellency, and a hydrophilic region that is disposed between the water repellent region and the lateral surface, and has lower water repellency than the water repellent region, and part of mold is bonded to the hydrophilic region of the first surface, the mold being disposed between the lateral surface and at least one of the head chip or the holder.
According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a liquid ejecting apparatus is provided. The liquid ejecting apparatus includes the liquid ejecting head in the first aspect, and a liquid reservoir configured to store liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head.
In the following description, X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis perpendicular to each other are assumed. As exemplified in
As exemplified in
The liquid ejecting apparatus 100 is provided with a sub-tank 13 that temporarily stores ink. The ink supplied from the liquid container 12 is stored in the sub-tank 13. The sub-tank 13 includes a first sub-tank 13a in which the first ink is stored, and a second sub-tank 13b in which the second ink is stored. The first sub-tank 13a is connected to the first liquid container 12a, and the second sub-tank 13b is connected to the second liquid container 12b. The sub-tank 13 is connected to a head module 25 to supply ink thereto, and collect ink therefrom.
The liquid ejecting apparatus 100 includes a control unit 21, a transport mechanism 23, a moving mechanism 24, and a head module 25. The control unit 21 is a controller that controls each element of the liquid ejecting apparatus 100. The control unit 21 includes e.g., one or more processing circuits such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and one or more storage circuits such as a semiconductor memory.
The transport mechanism 23 transports the medium 11 along the Y-axis under the control of the control unit 21. The moving mechanism 24 reciprocates the head module 25 along the X-axis under the control of the control unit 21. The moving mechanism 24 in the present embodiment includes a substantially box-shaped transport body 241 that houses the head module 25, and an endless belt 242 to which the transport body 241 is fixed. Note that a configuration may be adopted in which the liquid container 12 and the sub-tank 13 are mounted on the transport body 241 along with the head module 25.
The head module 25 ejects the ink supplied from the sub-tank 13 to the medium 11 through each of a plurality of nozzles N under the control of the control unit 21. Concurrently with transport of the medium 11 and repeated reciprocation of the transport body 241 by the transport mechanism 23, the head module 25 ejects ink to the medium 11, thereby forming an image on the surface of the medium 11. The ink not ejected through the plurality of nozzles is output to the sub-tank 13.
In the present embodiment, the sub-tank 13 constitutes part of an external flow path (not illustrated) installed outside the head module 25. The external flow path includes a flow path to connect the head module 25 and the sub-tank 13, and a circulation pump for delivering ink from the head module 25 to the sub-tank 13.
The flow path member 31 is a member in which a liquid flow path for flowing ink is formed. The flow path member 31 includes a base body 311, a first supply projection 312a, a second supply projection 312b, a first discharge projection 313a, and a second discharge projection 313b.
The base body 311 is formed by stacking a substrate Su1, a substrate Su2, a substrate Su3, a substrate Su4, and a substrate Su5. The substrate Su1 is located in the uppermost layer in a vertical direction, and the substrate Su5 is located in the lowermost layer in a vertical direction. The plurality of substrates Su1, Su2, Su3, Su4 and Su5 are formed, for example, by injection molding of a resin material. Hereinafter, when the substrates Su1, Su2, Su3, Su4 and Su5 are not distinguished, they are denoted as the substrate Su. The substrates Su1, Su2, Su3, Su4, Su5 adjacent to each other are bonded by an adhesive. As the adhesive, the same material as the later-described first adhesive may be used.
Inside the base body 311, a first supply flow path Sa, a second supply flow path Sb, a first discharge flow path Da, and a second discharge flow path Db are provided as liquid flow paths. The first supply flow path Sa is for supplying the first ink stored in the first sub-tank 13a illustrated in
As exemplified in
The holder 33 is a member that houses a plurality of head chips H1, H2, H3 and H4, and holds the head chips between itself and the fixing plate 36. Hereinafter, when the head chips H1, H2, H3 and H4 are not distinguished, they are denoted as the head chip Hn. The holder 33 is made of e.g., a metal material such as a stainless steel. The holder 33 may be made of a material such as a carbon steel, aluminum, and a thermosetting resin. In addition, a plating process may be applied to the surface of the holder 33 with nickel or the like. The holder 33 is provided with a plurality of recessed portions 331, a plurality of ink holes 332, and a plurality of wiring holes 333. The head chip Hn is disposed in each recessed portion 331. Each ink hole 332 is a flow path for flowing ink between the flow path member 31 and the head chip Hn. Each wiring hole 333 is a hole for passing a wire (not illustrated) that connects the head chip Hn and the wiring substrate 32. In addition, the holder 33 has a flange 334 to fix the holder 33 to the support 251 exemplified in
Each head chip Hn ejects the ink supplied from the flow path member 31 in an ejection direction. The ejection direction is a downward direction along the vertical direction, that is, the Z2 direction. Although illustration is omitted in
The wiring substrate 32 is a mounting component for electrically connecting the liquid ejecting head 252 to the control unit 21 exemplified in
As illustrated in
The cover 38 is a box-shaped member that houses the base body 311 of the flow path member 31 and the wiring substrate 32. The cover 38 is made of e.g., a resin material. The cover 38 is provided with four projection holes 381 and an opening 382. The first supply projection 312a, the second supply projection 312b, the first discharge projection 313a, or the second discharge projection 313b is inserted into a corresponding one the projection holes 381. The connector 35 is inserted into the opening 382. Note that a through-hole may be provided in the lateral surface of the cover 38. At the time of ink ejection, a gas containing ink components may enter the cover 38. Due to the through-hole provided, even when a gas containing ink components enters the cover 38, the gas containing ink components can be released to the outside via the through-hole. The through-hole may be linked to a tubular member and a pump. In this situation, driving the pump can forcibly release the gas containing ink components in the cover 38 to the outside through the tubular member.
The head chip Hn includes a first liquid ejector Qa and a second liquid ejector Qb. The first liquid ejector Qa ejects the first ink supplied from the first sub-tank 13a through corresponding plurality of nozzles N. The second liquid ejector Qb ejects the second ink supplied from the second sub-tank 13b through other corresponding plurality of nozzles N. The first liquid ejector Qa has a first liquid storage chamber Ra that is a liquid chamber continuously common between the plurality of nozzles N corresponding to the first ink. The second liquid ejector Qb has a second liquid storage chamber Rb that is a liquid chamber continuously common between the plurality of nozzles N corresponding to the second ink. The first liquid ejector Qa and the second liquid ejector Qb each include a plurality of pressure chambers C and a plurality of driving elements E. A pressure chamber C and a driving elements E are formed for each nozzle N. Each head chip Hn is provided with supply holes Ra_in, Rb_in (not illustrated) to which ink is supplied, and discharge holes Ra_out, Rb_out (not illustrated) through which ink is discharged. The supply hole Ra_in and the discharge hole Ra_out communicate with the first liquid storage chamber Ra. The supply hole Rb_in and the discharge hole Rb_out communicate with the second liquid storage chamber Rb.
The nozzle plate 41, the communication plate 42, the pressure chamber substrate 43, the vibration plate 44, the housing section 47, and the compliance substrate 45 are each a long plate-shaped member along the Y-axis. The pressure chamber substrate 43 and the housing section 47 are installed in the communication plate 42 in the Z1 direction. In contrast, the nozzle plate 41 and the compliance substrate 45 are installed in the communication plate 42 in the Z2 direction. The elements included in the first liquid ejector Qa and the elements included in the second liquid ejector Qb have a structure disposed in substantially plane symmetry. Thus, in the following description, the elements corresponding to the first liquid ejector Qa will be focused and described, and a description of the elements corresponding to the second liquid ejector Qb will be omitted as needed.
The nozzle plate 41 is a plate-shaped member having a plurality of nozzles N. Each nozzle N is a through-hole for ejecting ink. The nozzle plate 41 is manufactured by processing a single-crystal silicon substrate by utilizing e.g., a semiconductor manufacturing technique such as photolithography and etching. However, for manufacture of the nozzle plate 41, publicly known materials and manufacturing methods may be arbitrarily adopted. Ink is supplied to the nozzle N from the liquid flow path of the flow path member 31 through the first liquid storage chamber Ra. In the present embodiment, a water repellent film is formed on at least the surface of the nozzle plate 41, facing in the ejection direction, thus the surface of the nozzle plate 41 has water repellency.
The communication plate 42 is provided with a communication flow path R1 and a supply flow path R2. The communication flow path R1 is provided for each nozzle N, and communicates with the nozzle N. The supply flow path R2 communicates with the nozzle N and the first liquid storage chamber Ra, and supplies ink from the first liquid storage chamber Ra to the nozzle N. The pressure chamber substrate 43 is provided with a plurality of pressure chambers C. Each pressure chamber C is a space that communicates with the nozzle N through the communication flow path R1. The pressure chamber C communicates with the first liquid storage chamber Ra through the supply flow path R2. The communication plate 42 and the pressure chamber substrate 43 are manufactured by processing a single-crystal silicon substrate by utilizing e.g., a semiconductor manufacturing technique. Note that for manufacture of the communication plate 42 and the pressure chamber substrate 43, publicly known materials and manufacturing methods may be arbitrarily adopted.
The vibration plate 44 which is elastically deformable is disposed at an upper portion of the pressure chamber C. The vibration plate 44 is stacked on the pressure chamber substrate 43, and is in contact with the surface of the pressure chamber substrate 43, the surface being opposite to the communication plate 42. Part or all of the vibration plate 44 may be a separate member from or may be integrated with the pressure chamber substrate 43. For each pressure chamber C, a driving element E is formed on a surface of the vibration plate 44, the surface being on the opposite side of the pressure chamber C. The driving element E causes the pressure of the ink in the pressure chamber C to vary. The driving element E is a piezoelectric element that changes the volume of the pressure chamber C, for example, by deforming the wall surface thereof. The driving element E may be a heating element that creates air bubbles in the pressure chamber C by heating the ink in the pressure chamber C. The driving element E causes the pressure of the ink in the pressure chamber C to vary, thereby ejecting the ink in the pressure chamber C through the nozzle N.
The protection section 46 is disposed on the vibration plate 44. The protection section 46 protects the plurality of drive elements E as well as reinforces the mechanical strength of the pressure chamber substrate 43 and the vibration plate 44. The protection section 46 is manufactured by processing a single-crystal silicon substrate by utilizing e.g., a semiconductor manufacturing technique. A wiring substrate (not illustrated) is joined to the surface of the vibration plate 44. On the wiring substrate, a plurality of wires for electrically connecting the control unit 21 and the liquid ejecting head 252 are formed.
The housing section 47 is a case for reserving the ink to be supplied to the plurality of pressure chambers C, and is formed, for example, by injection molding of a resin material. In the housing section 47, the first liquid storage chamber Ra and the second liquid storage chamber Rb are formed. The first liquid storage chamber Ra and the second liquid storage chamber Rb each communicate with the liquid flow path of the flow path member 31 through the ink holes 332 of the holder 33.
The compliance substrate 45 constitutes part of the wall surface of the supply flow path R2. The compliance substrate 45 has a sealing film 451 and a support plate 452. The sealing film 451 is a film having flexibility, and is in contact with the communication plate 42. The sealing film 451 is made of e.g., a resin material such as polyphenylene sulfide or aromatic polyamide. The support plate 452 is provided on a surface of the sealing film 451, the surface being opposite to the communication plate 42. The support plate 452 is made of e.g., metal such as a stainless steel. The support plate 452 has an opening through in the thickness direction. Thus, the portion, not provided with the support plate 452, of the compliance substrate 45 is formed of only the sealing film 451. The portion has a buffering function of absorbing pressure fluctuation of the ink in the first liquid storage chamber Ra and the second liquid storage chamber Rb. In other words, the portion functions as a buffering section.
The holder 33 and the fixing plate 36 are bonded by a first adhesive 62a. The compliance substrate 45 of the head chip Hn and the fixing plate 36 are bonded by a second adhesive 62b. The first adhesive 62a and the second adhesive 62b are made of the same material, thus when used without being distinguished, the term, adhesive 62 is used. The adhesive 62 is made of an organic adhesive. In the present embodiment, the adhesive 62 is a silicone-based adhesive that is cured at room temperature. The silicone-based adhesive is advantageous in that it is easily handled and has superior heat resistance. The silicone-based adhesive may be moisture-curable. Since the adhesive 62 is moisture-curable, its handling is particularly easy, thus efficient bonding between the nozzle plate 41 and the holder 33 as well as between the nozzle plate 41 and the compliance substrate 45 can be achieved. However, an epoxy-based adhesive may be used as the adhesive 62. As the adhesive 62, e.g., an adhesive containing a bisphenol type A epoxy resin may be used. Alternatively, as the adhesive 62, an adhesive containing calcium carbonate or polyoxyalkylene glycidyl ether as the main component may be used.
A mold 51 is disposed between the holder 33 and the fixing plate 36, and between the nozzle plate 41 and the fixing plate 36. The mold 51 is made of a thermosetting resin or a light curing resin. The mold 51 may be made of, for example, an epoxy resin. The mold 51 with excellent filling property is likely to be formed using an epoxy-based adhesive. The mold 51 includes a first mold 51a disposed between the outer peripheral surface 36s1 of the fixing plate 36 and the holder 33, and a second mold 51b disposed between the inner peripheral surface 36s2 and the nozzle plate 41 of the head chip Hn. Specifically, in a direction perpendicular to the Z direction along the ejection direction, for example, in the X direction or the Y direction, at least part of the first mold 51a is located between the outer peripheral surface 36s1 and the holder 33. Also, in a direction perpendicular to the Z direction along the ejection direction, at least part of the second mold 51b is disposed between the inner peripheral surface 36s2 and the nozzle plate 41.
Liquid resistance A1 of the mold 51 including the first mold 51a and the second mold 51b is higher than liquid resistance B1 of the adhesive 62. Reactivity between liquid ink, and the adhesive 62 or the mold 51 allows the solubility parameter between the ink and the adhesive 62 to be numerically compared with the solubility parameter between the ink and the mold 51. Specifically, the liquid resistance A1 is higher than the liquid resistance B1, which indicates that the following relationship holds: |SPb−SPz| >|SPa−SPz|, where SPa is the solubility parameter of the adhesive 62, SPb is the solubility parameter of the mold 51, and SPz is the solubility parameter of the ink. The relationship of |SPb−SPz|>|SPa−SPz| holds, which indicates that the reactivity between the ink and the mold 51 is less than the reactivity between the ink and the adhesive 62, in other words, the mold 51 has higher liquid resistance than the adhesive 62.
In general, in the liquid ejecting head 252, when the bond strength between two members is not high, in other words, when the adhesiveness between two members is low, a gap may occur in the bond interface, and the possibility of intrusion of ink as liquid to the inside from the outside through the gap increases. For example, when the adhesiveness between the mold 51 and the nozzle plate 41 is low, ink may enter through the bond interface between the mold 51 and the nozzle plate 41. When ink enters the inside, the ink may reach the first adhesive 62a or the second adhesive 62b. In the present embodiment, the first adhesive 62a and the second adhesive 62b are room temperature-curable silicone-based adhesive having low liquid resistance. Thus, the possibility of breakage of the layer of the first adhesive 62a or the second adhesive 62b due to the ink reached is increased.
In a process forming a water repellent film on a surface including the first surface 36fa or the second surface 36fb of the fixing plate 36, a water repellent film may be formed on the outer peripheral surface 36s1 or the inner peripheral surface 36s2. In such a case, due to reduction in the bond strength between the first mold 51a and the outer peripheral surface 36s1 and the bond strength between the second mold 51b and the inner peripheral surface 36s2, the bond strength between the mold 51 and the nozzle plate 41 is further reduced, thus the above-mentioned problem of entering of ink from the outside to the inside is likely to occur often.
In addition, when a mechanical stress is applied to the fixing plate 36, the mold 51 may be peeled off from the lateral surface 36s at the bond interface between the lateral surface 36s of the fixing plate 36 and the mold 51. When the mold 51 is peeled off from the lateral surface 36s, ink may enter the inside of the liquid ejecting head 252 through a portion where the mold 51 is peeled off. In addition, it is difficult to stably bond the mold 51 to the entire lateral surface 36s of the fixing plate 36, thus the mold 51 may be bonded to only part of the lateral surface 36s. When the mold 51 is bonded to only part of the lateral surface 36s, the bond strength between the mold 51 and the fixing plate 36 is likely to reduce.
As illustrated in
The hydrophilic region Rh includes a first region Rh1 disposed along the outer peripheral surface 36s1 of the fixing plate 36, and a second region Rh2 disposed along the inner peripheral surface 36s2 of the fixing plate 36. The first region Rh1 is disposed on the entire outer peripheral edge of the first surface 36fa. The second region Rh2 is disposed on the entire peripheral edge of the exposure openings 361.
The hydrophilic region Rh is formed by removing part of a water repellent film in a region to become the hydrophilic region Rh by irradiating the region with a laser, the water repellent film being formed on the entire surface of the first surface 36fa by dip coating. Note that the second surface 36fb of the fixing plate 36 illustrated in
In the present embodiment, “having water repellency” indicates that the static contact angle with respect to pure water is greater than or equal to 90 degrees. In the hydrophilic region Rh, the static contact angle with respect to pure water may be less than 90 degrees, less than 45 degrees, or less than 30 degrees.
As illustrated in
The first region Rh1 of the first surface 36fa is bonded to part of the first mold 51a disposed between the outer peripheral surface 36s1 of the lateral surface 36s and the holder 33. Specifically, the first mold 51a is filled in the groove 337 so as to cover the first region Rh1. Thus, the first mold 51a covers the first adhesive 62a disposed to protrude into the groove 337. As described above, part of the first mold 51a is disposed inside the groove 337. Since part of the first mold 51a is disposed inside the groove 337, the contact area between the holder 33 and the first mold 51a can be increased, therefore, the bond strength between the holder 33 and the first mold 51a can be improved.
As mentioned above, the water repellent region Rt is a region where a water repellent film Ly is formed. Although illustration is omitted, the lateral surface 36s also has water repellency by forming a water repellent film on the lateral surface 36s. In the present embodiment, the first region Rh1 of the first surface 36fa is formed between the water repellent region Rt and the outer peripheral surface 36s1 so as to be adjacent to the outer peripheral surface 36s1 as the lateral surface 36s. Specifically, the first region Rh1 extends to the end of the water repellent region Rt from a first edge 36p1 where the outer peripheral surface 36s1 and the first surface 36fa intersect. Similarly, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In a plan view of the liquid ejecting head 252 as seen toward the first surface 36fa, dimension Lh1 of the first region Rh1 is greater than thickness Lt of the fixing plate 36 in the arrangement direction (corresponding to the X direction in
In a plan view of the liquid ejecting head 252 as seen toward the first surface 36fa, the dimension Lh1 of the first region Rh1 has a relationship that the dimension Lh1 is smaller than dimension Lp of the portion of the first mold 51a, disposed between the outer peripheral surface 36s1 and the holder 33 in the arrangement direction (corresponding to the X direction in
The first region Rh1 may be formed in region Rp1 that is between the first edge 36p1 of the fixing plate 36, and the position located inwardly from the first edge 36p1 by the dimension Lp. Thus, the amount of the first mold 51a can be further reduced, therefore, the possibility of peeling off of part of the first mold 51a from the first region Rh1 can be further reduced. Consequently, it is possible to even sufficiently ensure the sealing area where the capping member for covering the nozzle N comes into contact with the first surface 36fa.
As described above, the fixing plate 36 and the holder 33 are fixed by the first adhesive 62 which is disposed between the second surface 36fb of the fixing plate 36 and the inner bottom surface 339a of the holder 33. Part of the first mold 51a is bonded to the second surface 36fb. Specifically, part of the first mold 51a is bonded to a portion of the second surface 36fb, the portion from the edge 36t to the location of the first adhesive 62a. In the present embodiment, the first mold 51a is disposed from the first surface 36fa to the second surface 36fb of the fixing plate 36, thus the bond strength between the fixing plate 36 and the first mold 51a can be further improved. In addition, the liquid resistance A1 of the first mold 51a is higher than the liquid resistance B1 of the adhesive 62, thus, it is possible to inhibit intrusion of liquid from the outside into the liquid ejecting head 252, and the adhesive 62 having a low liquid resistance can be protected.
In a plan view of the liquid ejecting head 252 as seen toward the first surface 36fa, dimension Lh2 of the second region Rh2 is greater than the thickness Lt of the fixing plate 36 illustrated in
In a plan view of the liquid ejecting head 252 as seen toward the first surface 36fa, the dimension Lh2 of the second region Rh2 has a relationship that the dimension Lh2 is smaller than dimension Lr of the portion of the second mold 51b, disposed between the inner peripheral surface 36s2 and the nozzle plate 41 in the arrangement direction (corresponding to the X direction in
The second region Rh2 may be formed in region Rp2 that is between the second edge 36p2 of the fixing plate 36, and the position away from the second edge 36p2 of the inner peripheral surface 36s2 by the dimension Lr. Thus, the amount of the second mold 51b can be further reduced, therefore, the possibility of peeling off of part of the mold 51 from the second region Rh2 can be further reduced.
According to the above embodiment, as illustrated in
According to the above embodiment, as illustrated in
According to the above embodiment, the lateral surface 36s of the fixing plate 36 has water repellency. When a water repellent process is performed on the fixing plate 36 by dip coating, the water repellent film Ly is also formed on the lateral surface 36s. It tends to be difficult to remove a water repellent film on the lateral surface 36s having a small dimension in the Z direction, but even when the lateral surface 36s has water repellency, it is possible to inhibit intrusion of ink from the outside to the bond interface between the lateral surface 36s and the mold 51 by bonding part of the mold 51 to the hydrophilic region Rh of the first surface 36fa. In other words, it is possible to inhibit intrusion of ink from the outside to the bond interface between the lateral surface 36s and the mold 51 without removing the water repellent film on the lateral surface 36s.
In the above embodiment, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
According to the above embodiment, as illustrated in
According to the above embodiment, as illustrated in
According to the above embodiment, the holder 33 is integrally formed, but may be formed by bonding two or more members with an adhesive.
The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be implemented in various forms in a range not departing from the gist of the present disclosure. For example, the present disclosure can be implemented in the following forms. The technical features of the above embodiments corresponding to the technical features in the aspects described below can be replaced, or combined as needed to cope with part or all of the problems of the present disclosure or to achieve part or all of the effects of the present disclosure. In addition, when technical features are not described as essential ones in the present specification, those technical features can be deleted as needed.
(1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a liquid ejecting head is provided. The liquid ejecting head includes: a head chip configured to eject liquid in an ejection direction; a fixing plate having a first surface facing in the ejection direction, a second surface to which the head chip is fixed, and which is on an opposite side of the first surface, and a lateral surface that connects the first surface and the second surface; and a holder configured to hold the head chip between itself and the fixing plate. In a plan view as seen toward the first surface, the first surface includes a water repellent region having water repellency, and a hydrophilic region that is disposed between the water repellent region and the lateral surface, and has lower water repellency than the water repellent region, and part of mold is bonded to the hydrophilic region of the first surface, the mold being disposed between the lateral surface and at least one of the head chip or the holder. According to this aspect, part of the mold is bonded to the hydrophilic region of the first surface, thus, it is possible to inhibit intrusion of ink from the outside into the bond interface between the lateral surface and the mold.
(2) In the above aspect, the hydrophilic region of the first surface may be disposed between the water repellent region and the lateral surface so as to be adjacent to the lateral surface. When the water repellent region, the hydrophilic region, and the water repellent region are disposed in that order from the edge adjacent to the lateral surface of the first surface, the distance from the lateral surface to the hydrophilic region is long, thus the amount of the mold used increases, and the height of the mold tends to increase. Meanwhile, according to the aspect, the hydrophilic region of the first surface is adjacent to the lateral surface, thus the distance from the lateral surface to the hydrophilic region can be shortened. Thus, the amount of the mold used can be decreased, and the height of the mold can be controlled. Since the amount of the mold used can be decreased, it is possible to reduce the stress along the first surface caused by curing contraction of the portion of the mold, disposed between the lateral surface and at least one of the head chip or the holder. Thus, the possibility of peeling off of the mold from the first surface can be further reduced.
(3) In the above aspect, the lateral surface may have water repellency. According to the aspect, also when the lateral surface has water repellency, it is possible to inhibit intrusion of ink from the outside to the bond interface between the lateral surface and the mold by bonding part of the mold to the hydrophilic region of the first surface.
(4) In the above aspect, part of the mold may be bonded to the second surface. According to this aspect, the mold is present across both the first surface and the second surface, thus the bond strength between the fixing plate and the mold can be further improved.
(5) In the above aspect, the lateral surface may include an outer peripheral surface of the fixing plate, the mold may include a first mold disposed between the outer peripheral surface of the fixing plate and the holder, the hydrophilic region of the first surface may include a first region disposed along the outer peripheral surface of the fixing plate, and part of the first mold may be bonded to the first region. According to this aspect, the bond strength between the fixing plate and the mold can be improved by bonding part of the first mold to the first region which is a hydrophilic region.
(6) In the above aspect, the dimension of the first region in an arrangement direction of the lateral surface and the first region which are adjacent in the plan view may be greater than the thickness of the fixing plate. According to this aspect, the area of the first region to be bonded by the first mold can be increased, thus the bond strength between the first mold and the first region can be improved. Thus, it is possible to further inhibit intrusion of ink from the outside to the inside of the liquid ejecting head.
(7) In the above aspect, in an arrangement direction of the lateral surface and the first region which are adjacent in the plan view, the dimension of the first region may be less than the dimension of part of the first mold, the part being disposed between the lateral surface and the holder. When the portion of the mold, bonded to the fixing plate is wide, the possibility of peeling off of part of the mold from the first region may occur by a stress due to contraction of the mold at the time of curing thereof. Meanwhile, due to the above-mentioned relationship, the portion of the mold, bonded to the first region can be less affected by a stress due to contraction at the time of curing, thus the possibility of peeling off of part of the mold from the first region can be reduced. In addition, due to the above-mentioned relationship, the area of the first mold bonded to the first surface can be reduced, thus, to prevent drying of the ink in the nozzle, it is possible to sufficiently ensure the sealing area where the capping member covering the nozzle comes into contact with the first surface.
(8) In the above aspect, the second surface and the holder may be fixed by an adhesive disposed between the second surface and the holder, part of the first mold may be bonded to the second surface, and a liquid resistance of the first mold may be higher than a liquid resistance of the adhesive. According to this aspect, the first mold is disposed from the first surface to the second surface of the fixing plate, thus the bond strength between the fixing plate and the first mold can be further improved. In addition, the liquid resistance of the first mold is higher than the liquid resistance of the adhesive, thus, it is possible to inhibit intrusion of liquid from the outside into the liquid ejecting head, and the adhesive having a low liquid resistance can be protected.
(9) In the above aspect, the second surface and the holder may be fixed by an adhesive disposed between the second surface and the holder, part of the first mold may not be bonded to the second surface, and a liquid resistance of the first mold may be higher than a liquid resistance of the adhesive. According to this aspect, the liquid resistance of the first mold is higher than the liquid resistance of the adhesive, thus, it is possible to inhibit intrusion of liquid from the outside into the liquid ejecting head, and the adhesive having a low liquid resistance can be protected.
(10) In the above aspect, the holder may have an outer peripheral wall on a bottom surface facing in the ejection direction, the outer peripheral wall being fixed to the second surface by an adhesive, in the bottom surface of the outer peripheral wall, a groove may be formed at a position overlapping with the outer peripheral surface of the fixing plate in the plan view, and part of the first mold may be disposed inside the groove. According to this aspect, part of the first mold is disposed inside the groove, thus the contact area between the holder and the first mold can be increased, and therefore, the bond strength between the holder and the first mold can be improved.
(11) In the above aspect, the head chip may include a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles to eject liquid, the fixing plate may have an exposure opening for exposing the nozzle plate to an outside, the lateral surface may include an inner peripheral surface that defines the exposure opening of the fixing plate, the mold may include a second mold disposed between the inner peripheral surface and the nozzle plate, the hydrophilic region of the first surface may include a second region disposed along the inner peripheral surface, and part of the second mold may be bonded to the second region. According to this aspect, the bond strength between the fixing plate and the mold can be improved by bonding part of the second mold to the second region which is a hydrophilic region.
(12) In the above aspect, in an arrangement direction of the lateral surface and the second region which are adjacent in the plan view, the dimension of the second region may be greater than the thickness of the fixing plate. According to this aspect, the area of the second region to which the second mold is bonded can be increased, therefore, the bond strength between the second mold and the second region can be improved. Thus, it is possible to further inhibit intrusion of ink from the outside to the inside of the liquid ejecting head.
(13) In the above aspect, in an arrangement direction of the lateral surface and the second region which are adjacent in the plan view, the dimension of the second region may be less than the dimension of part of the second mold, the part being disposed between the lateral surface and the nozzle plate. When the portion of the mold, bonded to the fixing plate is wide, the possibility of peeling off of part of the mold from the second region may occur by a stress due to contraction of the mold at the time of curing thereof. Meanwhile, according to this aspect, the portion of the mold, bonded to the second region can be less affected by a stress due to contraction of the mold at the time of curing, thus the possibility of peeling off of part of the mold from the second region can be reduced.
(14) According to the above aspect, in the plan view, a surface of the nozzle plate may include a nozzle formation region having water repellency, in which a plurality of nozzles are formed, and a hydrophilic region having lower water repellency than the nozzle formation region, the hydrophilic region being disposed between an outer peripheral surface of the nozzle plate and the nozzle formation region, and part of the second mold may be disposed in the hydrophilic region of the nozzle plate. According to this aspect, the adhesiveness between the second mold and the nozzle plate can be improved.
(15) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a liquid ejecting apparatus is provided. The liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a liquid ejecting head in the above aspect; and a liquid reservoir configured to store liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head. According to this aspect, part of the mold is bonded to the hydrophilic region of the first surface, thus, it is possible to inhibit intrusion of ink from the outside into the bond interface between the lateral surface and the mold.
The present disclosure can be implemented in various aspects other than those mentioned above. For example, the present disclosure can be implemented in the aspect of a liquid ejecting head or a method of manufacturing a liquid ejecting apparatus.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2023-205934 | Dec 2023 | JP | national |