Ink-jet recording head and method of manufacturing the same

An ink-jet recording head comprising:

• a pressure generating device for changing a pressure in
• a pressure chamber containing an ink;
• a plate-shaped member having a front surface, a back surface, the plate-shaped member having a partition wall formed on the front surface, the partition wall defining the pressure chamber, an ink supply passage and a common ink storage chamber, the plate-shaped member having a land formed on the back surface so as to correspond to the pressure chamber and be in contact with an extremity of the pressure generating device, the plate-shaped member having an elastic and deformable portion surrounding the land and being capable of being elastically deformed by a deformation of the pressure generating device, the plate-shaped member including a first layer having the front surface, a second layer having the back surface, and an intermediate layer sandwiched between the first and the second layers, and not having any adhesive layer or the like between the first and the intermediate layers nor between the second and the intermediate layers;
• and
• a nozzle plate provided with a nozzle hole through which an ink droplet is ejected when the pressure in the pressure chamber is changed by a deformation of the pressure generating device, the nozzle plate being disposed on a side of the front surface of the plate-shaped member.

An ink-jet recording head manufacturing method of manufacturing an ink-jet recording head comprising a pressure generating device for changing a pressure in a pressure chamber containing an ink;

• a plate-shaped member having a front surface and a back surface, the plate-shaped member having a partition wall formed on the front surface defining the pressure chamber, an ink supply passage and a common ink storage chamber, the plate-shaped member having a land formed on the back surface so as to correspond to the pressure chamber and be in contact with an extremity of the pressure generating device, the plate-shaped member having an elastic and deformable portion surrounding the land and being capable of being elastically deformed by a deformation of the pressure generating device;
• and a nozzle plate provided with a nozzle hole through which an ink droplet is ejected when the pressure in the pressure chambers is changed by the deformation of the pressure producing device, the nozzle plate being disposed on a side of the front surface of the plate-shaped member;
• the ink-jet recording head manufacturing method comprising:
• a first etching step for etching the plate-shaped member to form the partition wall on the front surface of the plate-shaped member;
• a second etching step for etching the plate-shaped member to form the land on the back surface of the plate-shaped member;
• and
• a nozzle plate attaching step for attaching the nozzle plate directly to or via another member to the front surface of the plate-shaped member.

An ink-jet recording head comprising:

• a passage unit formed by superposing a nozzle plate having a nozzle hole, a passage plate provided with a passage including a pressure chamber communicated with the nozzle hole, and a vibrating plate covering an open end of the pressure chamber;
• and
• a pressure generating device for deforming the vibrating plate to change a pressure in the pressure chamber;
• wherein the passage plate has a front surface and a back surface, a connecting hole is formed in the front surface of the passage plate by a first etching process so as to be communicated with the nozzle hole, and the passage is formed in the back surface of the passage plate by a second etching process.

The ink-jet recording head manufacturing method of manufacturing an ink-jet recording head comprising:

• a passage unit formed by superposing a nozzle plate having a nozzle hole, a passage plate provided with a passage including a pressure chamber communicated with the nozzle hole, and a vibrating plate covering an open end of the pressure chamber, and a pressure generating device for deforming the vibrating plate to change a pressure in the pressure chamber, the ink-jet recording head manufacturing method comprising:
• a first etching step for etching a plate-shaped member having a front surface and a back surface to form a connecting hole in the front surface so as to be communicated with the nozzle hole;
• a second etching step for etching the plate-shaped member to form the passage including the pressure chamber in the back surface of the plate-shaped member;
• and
• an assembling step for assembling the passage unit by laminating the nozzle plate and the vibrating plate to the front and the back surfaces, respectively, of the passage plate which is the plate-shaped member processed by the first and the second etching processes.

An ink-jet recording head comprising:

• a passage unit including a nozzle plate having a nozzle hole, a passage plate provided with a pressure chamber communicated with the nozzle hole and an ink storage chamber for storing an ink to be supplied into the pressure chamber, and a vibrating plate covering an open end of the pressure chamber;
• and
• a piezoelectric vibrator of a longitudinal vibration mode for deforming the vibrating plate to change a pressure in the pressure chamber;
• wherein the passage plate includes a first base plate provided with the pressure chamber, a second base plate provided with a connecting hole connecting the pressure chamber to the nozzle hole and the ink storage chamber, and an ink supply passage plate provided with an ink supply passage connecting the pressure chamber to the ink storage chamber and sandwiched between the first and the second base plates, the ink storage chamber at least partly overlapping the pressure chamber;
• and
• the first base plate includes a first etching plate provided with the pressure chamber, a fist etch terminating layer serving as the vibrating plate, and a second etching plate forming a land to be in contact with the piezoelectric vibrator on a surface of the vibrating plate;
• the pressure chamber being formed by etching a desired portion of the first etching plate to the first etch terminating layer, and the land is formed by etching a desired portion of the second etching plate to the second etch terminating layer.

An ink-jet recording head comprising:

• a passage unit including a nozzle plate having a nozzle hole, a passage plate provided with a pressure chamber communicated with the nozzle hole, an ink storage chamber for storing an ink to be supplied into the pressure chamber, and a vibrating plate covering an open end of the pressure chamber;
• and
• a pressure producing device for deforming the vibrating plate to change a pressure in the pressure chamber;
• wherein the passage plate includes a laminated structure formed by sandwiching an etch terminating layer between a pair of etching plates, at least either the pressure chamber or the ink storage chamber is formed by etching a desired portion of the etching plate to the etch terminating layer, and the etch terminating layer serves as at least either a flexible plate defining a part of the ink storage chamber or the vibrating plate.

An ink-jet recording head manufacturing method of manufacturing an ink-jet recording head comprising a passage unit including a nozzle plate having a nozzle hole, a passage plate provided with a pressure chamber communicated with the nozzle hole, an ink storage chamber for storing an ink to be supplied into the pressure chamber and a vibrating plate covering an open end of the pressure chamber, and a pressure producing device with a longitudinal vibrating mode for deforming the vibrating plate to change a pressure in the pressure chamber;

• the ink-jet recording head manufacturing method comprising the steps of:
• forming a laminated structure by sandwiching a first etch terminating layer between a first etching plate and a second etching plate;
• forming the pressure chamber by etching a desired portion of the first etching plate to the first etch terminating layer;
• forming a land by etching a desired portion of the second etching plate to the first etch terminating layer;
• and
• bonding a second base plate provided with a connecting hole for connecting the pressure chamber to the nozzle hole and the ink storage chamber to a first base plate having the laminated structure provided with the pressure chamber and the land so that the ink storage chamber at least partly overlap the pressure chamber.