US 5,872,583 AGranted

Using fusible films having windows supplied with adhesive and gap material

AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation

InventorsYoshikatsu Yamamoto, Takaichi Wada, Nagamitsu Takashima, Motonori Okumura, Kazuhiko Hara, Yuji Tanaka, Takahiro Katakura, Kohji Watanabe

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Abstract

An ink supply port forming substrate 21, a common ink chamber forming substrate 25, and a nozzle plate 27 are bonded together, by inserting between them thermally fusible films 31and 32 respectively, in which are formed through holes 45 and 45 at two or more positions, and by also filling the film through holes with an adhesive that is mixed with a gap material G for adjusting the thicknesses of the thermally fusible films when they are fused, so as to form a flow path unit 30; and then the flow path unit 30 and the actuator units 1 are bonded together by inserting between them a thermally fusible film 33, in which are through holes 64 at two or more positions, and by also filling the through holes with an adhesive that is mixed with a gap material G for adjusting the thickness of the thermally fusible film when it is fused. In this structure, the extruded quantity of the thermally fusible films can be received by the through holes 45 and 64, and the gap materials G can prevent the thermally fusible films from being unnecessarily spread out.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A laminated ink-jet recording head, comprising:

an actuator unit, which includes a cover member and a spacer respectively formed of ceramics, said cover member and said spacer being integrally bonded to each other with said cover member having a plurality of piezoelectric vibration plates mounted on one surface thereof, and with one surface of said spacer being sealed by said cover member to at least partially define a plurality of pressure generation chambers;
and
a flow path unit bonded to said actuator unit, said flow path unit comprising:
an ink supply port forming substrate, to which said actuator unit is fixed, said ink supply port forming substrate having a plurality of first communication holes and a plurality of ink supply ports, said first communication holes and said ink supply ports being substantially aligned, respectively, with opposite ends of each one of said pressure generation chambers;
a common ink chamber forming substrate that includes at least one ink chamber, said at least one ink chamber communicating with said pressure generation chambers through said ink supply ports, said common ink chamber forming substrate also including a plurality of second communication holes that communicate with said pressure generation chambers through said first communication holes in said ink supply port forming substrate;
a nozzle plate including a plurality of nozzle openings that communicate with said pressure generation chambers through said first and second communication holes;
a first thermally fusible film inserted between said ink supply port forming substrate and said common ink chamber forming substrates
a second thermally fusible film inserted between said common ink chamber forming substrate and said nozzle plate;
windows formed at two or more positions in each of said first and second thermally fusible films;
an adhesive and a gap material provided in one or more of said windows for adjusting the thickness of said first and second thermally fusible films when said first and second thermally fusible films are fused;
a third thermally fusible film inserted between said flow path unit and said actuator unit;
additional windows formed at two or more positions in said third thermally fusible film;
and
another adhesive and another gap material provided in one or more of said additional windows for adjusting the thickness of said third thermally fusible film when said third thermally fusible film is fused.

11 more elements

An ink-jet recording apparatus, comprising:

a carriage;
and
a laminated ink-jet recording head mounted on said carriage, said laminated ink-jet recording head comprising:
an actuator unit, which includes a cover member and a spacer respectively formed of ceramics, said cover member and said spacer being integrally bonded to each other, with said cover member having a plurality of piezoelectric vibration plates mounted on one surface thereof, and with one surface of said spacer being sealed by said cover member to at least partially define a plurality of pressure generation chambers;
and
a flow path unit bonded to said actuator unit, said flow path unit comprising:
an ink supply port forming substrate, to which said actuator unit is fixed, said ink supply port forming substrate having a plurality of first communication holes and a plurality of ink supply ports, said first communication holes and said ink supply ports being substantially aligned, respectively, with opposite ends of each one of said pressure generation chambers;
a common ink chamber forming substrate that includes a plurality of ink chambers, which respectively communicate with said pressure generation chambers through said ink supply ports, said common ink chamber forming substrate also including a plurality of second communication holes that communicate with said pressure generation chambers through said first communication holes in said ink supply port forming substrate;
a nozzle plate including a plurality of nozzle openings that communicate with said pressure generation chambers through said first and second communication holes;
a first thermally fusible film inserted between said ink supply port forming substrate and said common ink chamber forming substrates;
a second thermally fusible film inserted between said common ink chamber forming substrate and said nozzle plate;
windows formed at two or more positions in each of said first and second thermally fusible films;
an adhesive and a gap material provided in one or more of said windows for adjusting the thickness of said first and second thermally fusible films when said first and second thermally fusible films are fused;
a third thermally fusible film inserted between said flow path unit and said actuator unit;
additional windows formed at two or more positions in said third thermally fusible film;
and
another adhesive and another gap material provided in one or more of said additional windows for adjusting the thickness of said third thermally fusible film when said third thermally fusible film is fused.

14 more elements

A laminated ink-jet recording head, comprising:

an actuator unit, which includes a plurality of chambers and pressure generating elements for generating a pressure change in said chambers;
and
a flow path unit bonded to said actuator unit, said flow path unit comprising:
an ink supply port forming substrate, to which said actuator unit is fixed, said ink supply port forming substrate having a plurality of first communication holes and a plurality of ink supply ports, said first communication holes and said ink supply ports being substantially aligned, respectively, with opposite ends of each one of said pressure generating chambers;
a common ink chamber forming substrate that includes at least one ink chamber, said at least one ink chamber communicating with said chambers of said actuator unit through said ink supply port, said common ink chamber forming substrate also including a plurality of second communication holes that communicate with said chambers of said actuator unit through said first communication holes in said ink supply port forming substrate;
a nozzle plate including a plurality of nozzle openings that communicate with said chambers of said actuator unit through said first and second communication holes;
a first thermally fusible film inserted between said ink supply port forming substrate and said common ink chamber forming substrate;
a second thermally fusible film inserted between said common ink chamber forming substrate and said nozzle plate;
windows formed at two or more positions in each of said first and second thermally fusible films;
an adhesive and a gap material provided in one or more of said windows for adjusting the thickness of said first and second thermally fusible films when said first and second thermally fusible films are fused;
a third thermally fusible film inserted between said flow path unit and said actuator unit;
additional windows formed at two or more positions in said third thermally fusible film;
and
another adhesive and another gap material provided in one or more of said additional windows for adjusting the thickness of said third thermally fusible film when said third thermally fusible film is fused.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/575,869Filed 20 Dec 1995
Priority: JP 6-33561921 Dec 1994
Granted: 16 Feb 1999
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

B41J 2/1623
Manufacturing processes: bonding and adhesion
B41J 2/14233
Structure of print heads with piezoelectric elements: of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm
B41J 2/161
Production of print heads with piezoelectric elements: of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm
B41J 2002/14241
Of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm: having a cover around the piezoelectric thin film element