Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Ejector mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-14
2001-04-24
Barlow, John (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Ejector mechanism
C347S045000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220688
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid jet recording head that discharges recording liquid from the discharge openings as flying droplets to cause them to adhere to a recording medium for printing. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such liquid jet recording heads.
2. Related Background Art
The conventional liquid jet recording head is structured in such a manner that as shown in
FIGS. 8A and 8B
, a first substrate
100
, having discharge energy generating devices formed on the silicon substrate, is joined to a second substrate
101
, having the recessed portions that form ink flow paths
102
; a discharge opening plate
104
provided with discharge openings
103
conductively connected with the ink flow paths
102
to discharge ink; and a recessed portion that constitutes a common liquid chamber
105
that temporarily retains ink to be supplied to each of the ink flow paths
102
, and that the joint between the first substrate
100
and the second substrate
101
is sealed by the application of a sealing compound (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-132253).
Further, a liquid jet recording head for use of color recording is structured in such a manner that as shown in
FIG. 10
, a first substrate having discharge energy generating devices formed on it is joined to a ceiling plate (a second substrate)
111
having ink discharge nozzles, which is provided with a plurality of liquid chambers
115
each partitioned to receive the supply of ink of different colors, respectively, and that grooves
119
are formed on the second substrate
111
to separate each of the liquid chambers for its reliable partition and division. The partition grooves
118
are filled with a sealing compound.
However, the conventional liquid jet recording head such as shown in
FIGS. 8A and 8B
tends to allow the sealing compound to flow from the slight gap between the first substrate
100
and the second substrate
101
into the ink flow paths
102
, as well as into the discharge opening unit
103
, when the joint between the first substrate
100
and the second substrate
101
is sealed by the application of the sealing compound. The recording heads having the ink flow paths
102
or discharge opening unit
103
, which are affected by the flow-in of the sealing compound, may cause defective discharges of ink. Therefore, the recording heads showing such defect are regarded as defective products. As a countermeasure to prevent the sealing compound from flowing into the ink flow paths and/or discharging openings, there is a structure disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-187351 whereby to provide sealing receptacles
108
on both s the ink flow paths as shown in
FIG. 9
for receiving sealing compound. Nevertheless, even with the provision of such receptacles necessary to rigidly control the viscosity of the sealing compound, its tack-free characteristics, the amount of its application, and the like for use.
Further, the grooves
118
for filling the sealing compound used for partitioning each of the liquid chambers, which are arranged between each of the common liquid chambers formed on the second substrate of the conventional color liquid jet recording head (herein-after referred to simply as common liquid chamber partition grooves), are arranged continuously up to the nozzle unit for discharging ink from each of the liquid chambers. When the sealing compound is filled in the common liquid chamber partition grooves
118
for separating colors, there is a need for enabling the flow of the sealing compound to be suspended in the common liquid chamber partition grooves or dummy nozzles so that the sealing compound is not allowed to flow into the nozzles used for discharging ink. However, since the sealing compound flows in the common liquid chamber partition grooves
118
and the dummy nozzles by means of capillary phenomenon, it is extremely difficult to control the filling amount thereof in good precision. In other words, if the filling amount of the sealing compound is too large, it overflows from the dummy nozzles to seal even the ink flow paths eventually. When the filling amount of the sealing compound is too small, the flow thereof is caused to be suspended in the mid way of the common liquid chamber separation grooves. As a result, it becomes impossible to separate the liquid chambers completely, leading to the occurrence of mixed colors. In either case, the production yield is lowered in the sealing step of the manufacture of heads inevitably.
As a countermeasure thereof, there is disclosed a devise regarding the configuration of the common liquid chamber separation walls in the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-11306 (the application No. 6-146244). However, with the adoption of such means as disclosed in this application, it is still difficult to execute the sealing reliably.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In consideration of the problems yet to be solved for the conventional techniques as described above, the present invention is designed and aimed at providing a liquid jet recording head capable of being easily and reliably sealed so as to eliminate the reduction of the production yield at the sealing step in manufacturing it. The present invention is also aimed at providing a method for manufacturing such liquid jet recording heads.
In order to achieve the objectives described above, the liquid jet recording head of the present invention comprises a first substrate having a plurality of discharge energy generating devices formed thereon; and a second substrate having a discharge opening plate provided with a plurality of discharge openings for discharging ink, and recessed portions becoming ink flow paths conductively connected with the discharge openings, and a common liquid chamber for retaining ink to be supplied to each of the discharge openings, respectively. The ink flow paths and common liquid chamber are formed by joining the first substrate and second substrate with the discharge energy generating devices of the first substrate facing the recessed portions becoming ink flow paths of the second substrate, at the same time, the joint between the first substrate and second substrate being sealed by sealing compound, and fine grains inclusively reside on the joint between the first substrate and second substrate.
Then, the method for manufacturing liquid jet recording heads in accordance with the present invention comprises the steps of preparing a first substrate having a plurality of discharge energy generating devices formed thereon; preparing a second substrate having a discharge opening plate provided with a plurality of discharge openings for discharging ink, and recessed portions becoming ink flow paths conductively connected with the discharge openings, and a common liquid chamber for retaining ink to be supplied to each of the discharge openings, respectively; causing fine grains to adhere to the joint between the second substrate and first substrate; positioning the first substrate and second substrate so as to enable the discharge energy generating devices of the first substrate to face the recessed portions of the second substrate becoming ink flow paths, and forming the ink flow paths and common liquid chamber by joining the first substrate and second substrate; and sealing the joint between the first substrate and second substrate by sealing compound.
Further, in order to achieve the objectives described above, the liquid jet recording head of the present invention comprises a first substrate having a plurality of discharge energy generating devices formed thereon; and a second substrate having a discharge opening plate provided with a plurality of discharge openings for discharging ink, and recessed portions becoming ink flow paths conductively connected with the discharge openings, and a plurality of common liquid chambers for retaining ink to be supplied to each of the discharge openings, respectively. The ink flow paths
Goto Akira
Hasegawa Toshinori
Ikegame Ken
Ishimatsu Shin
Koshikawa Hiroshi
Barlow John
Brooke Michael S
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
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