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EP1177897A1 - Appareil de dépot de gouttelettes avec plaque à buses pouvant se fixer de manière amovible - Google Patents

Appareil de dépot de gouttelettes avec plaque à buses pouvant se fixer de manière amovible Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP1177897A1
EP1177897A1 EP00202739A EP00202739A EP1177897A1 EP 1177897 A1 EP1177897 A1 EP 1177897A1 EP 00202739 A EP00202739 A EP 00202739A EP 00202739 A EP00202739 A EP 00202739A EP 1177897 A1 EP1177897 A1 EP 1177897A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
nozzle plate
deposition apparatus
droplet deposition
frame
releasably attached
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP00202739A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
designation of the inventor has not yet been filed The
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Agfa Gevaert NV
Original Assignee
Agfa Gevaert NV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Agfa Gevaert NV filed Critical Agfa Gevaert NV
Priority to EP00202739A priority Critical patent/EP1177897A1/fr
Priority to PCT/EP2001/008890 priority patent/WO2002009943A1/fr
Priority to US10/333,969 priority patent/US6817698B2/en
Priority to DE60108640T priority patent/DE60108640T2/de
Priority to JP2002516096A priority patent/JP2004504963A/ja
Priority to EP01958042A priority patent/EP1307343B1/fr
Publication of EP1177897A1 publication Critical patent/EP1177897A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/14—Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
    • B41J2/1433—Structure of nozzle plates
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/14—Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
    • B41J2002/14362—Assembling elements of heads

Definitions

  • This invention relates to droplet deposition apparatus and especially to ink jet printheads. In particular it relates to methods for attaching the nozzle plate to the printhead body.
  • the printing defects mentioned above can be caused by clogged nozzles, e.g., by drying of the ink in the nozzle or by impurities in the ink, by damaged nozzles, e.g., by the presence of hard pigments in the ink.
  • printhead In SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) printers when problems arise the printhead is discarded in its entirety and replace. In larger ink jet printers larger printheads, even page wide printheads are used. A typical example of such printhead has been disclosed in, e.g., US-A-5 855 713.
  • printhead is disclosed with a body with a plurality of parallel channels therein, the channels terminating in a common channel termination plane and a nozzle plate mounted on the body at the channel termination plane.
  • the nozzle plate makes less than 20 % of the cost price of the printhead.
  • the body and the nozzle plate are firmly bound together so that when printing problems arise due to defects in the nozzles, the whole printhead has to be discarded, or that the rework, removing the nozzle plate and replacing it with a new, is a very cumbersome task, so that the user is almost forced to discard an expensive printhead of the printer because a fairly inexpensive part of it got a defect.
  • It is a further object of the invention provide a multichannel droplet deposition apparatus wherein the body of the apparatus comprises registration mark for easy registering of an interchangeable nozzle plate.
  • a multichannel droplet deposition apparatus comprising a body with a plurality of channels terminating in a common channel termination surface and a nozzle plate with through holes placed on said body at said termination surface for providing droplet ejection nozzles for said channels, characterised in that said nozzle plate is releasably attached to said body.
  • nozzle plate is releasably attached by a force selected from the group consisting of adhesive force, magnetic force and mechanical force.
  • Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a first embodiment of a releasably attached nozzle plate.
  • Figure 2 shows an exploded view of a second embodiment of a releasably attached nozzle plate.
  • Figure 3 shows an exploded view of a second embodiment of a releasably attached nozzle plate.
  • Figure 3a shows a detail of figure 3
  • the nozzle plate is attached to a frame and that frame is releasably attached to the body in such a way that the nozzle plate is in contact with the channel termination surface.
  • a frame (101) with a thickness, d, and inner dimensions X and Y is provided with a nozzle plate (102) with nozzles (102a).
  • the body (103) is, on the side of the surface (104) where the channels (104a) for providing ink terminate (this surface is further on designated by "channel termination surface”), machined so that the channel termination surface has lowered edges (105) and that the remainder of said surface is elevated above those edges to a thickness d' chosen so that d' ⁇ d.
  • d' d so that the nozzle plate attached to the frame rests in contact on the remainder of the channel termination surface.
  • This remainder of the channel termination surface has dimensions X' and Y' chosen so that X' ⁇ X and Y' ⁇ Y.
  • X' and Y' are equal to the inner the inner dimensions X and Y, of the frame so that the frame fits snugly over the remainder of the channel termination surface.
  • registration marks on the channel termination surface can be useful to help the registration of the nozzle plate, these marks are not strictly necessary, since due to the fit of the frame over the elevated part of the channel termination surface, the nozzles are registered with the exits of the ink channels in the channel termination surface.
  • the nozzle plate is, as in the first embodiment of this invention, attached to a frame and that frame is releasably attached to the body in such a way that the nozzle plate is in contact with the channel termination surface.
  • this embodiment is schematically shown.
  • the channel termination surface (104) is not machined and is simply kept flat.
  • a frame (101) carrying a nozzle plate (102) is placed on that flat channel termination surface (104) with the nozzle plate (102) positioned between the frame and the channel termination surface and then the frame is fixed to the body (103) of the droplet deposition apparatus.
  • the body carries at the channel termination surface at least one registration mark, so that the nozzles in the nozzle plate can easily be brought in register with the openings of the channels in the channel termination plate.
  • the frame carrying the nozzle plate can be made from any material known in the art, it can be made of stainless steel or of an other metal, e.g., copper, aluminium, nickel, etc), it can be made of rigid plastic (e.g. polyvinylchloride, polyurethane, polycarbonate, etc.).
  • the frame carrying the nozzle plate can releasably be fastened to the body by any means known in the art. It can be fastened with screws, with clamps, with a kind of press-studs, with coils springs, etc.
  • the frame is releasably attached to the channel termination surface by magnetic forces, e.g., by using a magnetic material to form the frame, or by incorporating permanent magnets either in the frame or in the body or in both.
  • the nozzle plate (102) is preferably made of a material that is a chemically resistant ablatable polymer in sheet form, preferably such as polyester, polyether ether ketone or polyimide.
  • the nozzle plate is made of polyimide.
  • Polyimide has the advantage that it has a relatively low thermal expansion coefficient and that it is obtainable in sheet form in a particularly flat condition approximating to a optically flat or mirror surface, appropriate for the nozzle exit face.
  • the nozzle plate can also be coated with a low energy surface coating as disclosed in US-A-5 010 356.
  • the nozzles (102a) can be made in the polyimide with any technique known in the art.
  • a possible way to make the nozzles, when these are around 300 ⁇ m is rigorous mechanical drilling.
  • laser burning is a fabrication process that is well known to those skilled in the art.
  • plasma etching is a method of choice, since by plasma etching nozzles with very smooth walls can be produced. This smoothness of the walls helps to avoid clogging of the nozzles and misdirection of the ink.
  • a very good method for making the nozzles is the combination laser/plasma etching wherein a method is used of proper focusing and positioning the laser beam whereby an aperture with smaller diameter (than the one finally needed in the nozzle) is burned through the nozzle plate material. After this initial laser burning a plasma etching step follows to enlarge the diameter of the laser burned aperture to the final diameter of the nozzle.
  • the nozzle plate is micro injection molded.
  • the technique of micro injection molding is well known and makes it possible to manufacture parts with dimensions on micrometer scale with excellent control of tolerances and reproducibility.
  • This technique makes it also possible to use virtually any polymer known in the art to manufacture the nozzle plate, e.g., thermoplastics, fibre reinforced thermoplastics, thermosetting plastics and elastomers can be used for producing a nozzle plate for use in a multichannel droplet deposition apparatus according to this invention.
  • thermoplastics, fibre reinforced thermoplastics, thermosetting plastics and elastomers can be used for producing a nozzle plate for use in a multichannel droplet deposition apparatus according to this invention.
  • micro injection molding it is possible to produce "mini nozzle plates” that can be combined together for making one large nozzle plate. The advantage of this system is that when a nozzle is defect, only the "mini nozzle plate” carrying that nozzle has to be replaced.
  • FIG 3 such an apparatus is schematically shown. It shows two “mini nozzle plates” (102) each with 4 nozzles (102a). These "mini nozzle plates” are formed so as to fit tightly in a frame (101) that is attached on the body (103) of the droplet ejection apparatus at the surface (104) of the body the ink channels (104a) terminate.
  • the "mini nozzle plates” can beneficially be made as shown in figure 3a, showing a cross-section along the line A-A' of figure 3.
  • the "mini nozzle plates” over their length a notch (102b) and the frame has springs (101a) that fit in the notch when the "mini nozzle plates” are pressed in the frame, so has to keep the "mini nozzle plates” secured in the frame.
  • the “mini nozzle plates” can also beneficially be equipped with a grip for easy removal when necessary.
  • the number of nozzles in a "mini nozzle plate” depends on diameter of the nozzles and the pitch and on the dimension that are desired for easy handling of the "mini nozzle plates”. So can, e.g., when a nozzle plates with nozzles having a diameter of 100 ⁇ m and a pitch of 100 ⁇ m is to be made up with "mini nozzle plates", then it can be beneficial to have produce, with micro injection molding, "mini nozzle plates” having something like 25 nozzles in a row, which gives a length of about 0.5 cm for every "mini nozzle plate”.
  • the frame wherein the "mini nozzle plates" are placed can releasably attached to the body (103) by the same means as disclosed when describing the first and second embodiment of this invention or it can be an integral part of the body.
  • the channel termination surface is machined so as to have raised edges that then act as the frame for accepting the "mini nozzle plates".
  • the former case, wherein the frame is releasably attached to the body is the preferred implementation of this third embodiment of the invention. When the frame can be removed it is easier to replace a "mini nozzle plate" than when the frame is an integral part of the body.
  • a fourth embodiment of the invention there is no need of a special frame to carry the nozzle plate.
  • the nozzle plate that is preferably made of a polymeric sheet with through holes, is releasably attached to the flat channel termination surface by an adhesive layer, said adhesive layer being adapted so that, upon detaching said nozzle plate from said body, there is an adhesive break between said adhesive layer and said channel termination surface and no cohesive break within said adhesive layer.
  • the adhesive is preferably a thermo adhesive although pressure sensitive adhesives can be used as well.
  • the adhesive is formulated so that when a force is exerted perpendicular to the bounded nozzle plate, there is no movement or displacement of the nozzle plate, but that upon peeling by a shear force the nozzle plate is removed from the body together with the adhesive layer.
  • Typical chemical formulations for water-based thermo-adhesives are, e.g.: UCECRYL BM - trade name of UCB, Belgium for a PolyvinylAcetate-copolymer, NEOCRYL BT24, trade name of Zenica Resins for an acrylate polymer, VINNAPAS dispersion, trade name of Wacker Chemie for[Co(VinylAcetate-Vinyllaurate)], ACRONAL DS3095 trade name of BASF for a copolymer containing acrylate and Vinylacetate moieties, MOWILITH CT5, trade name of Hoechst for [Co(VinylAcetate-crotonic acid)], ACRYSOL WS68, trade name of Rohm & Haas for [Co(R-methylacrylaat)], VINAC XX-210 of 465DEV trade name of Air Products for a copolymer containing vinylacetate moieties, VINNAPAS
  • Removable adhesives that can provide an adhesive layer, wherein upon detaching said nozzle plate from said body, there is an adhesive break between said adhesive layer and said body and no cohesive break within said adhesive layer are disclosed in e.g. WO-A-94 20586 and US-A-5 756 625.
  • Commercially available removable adhesives that can very beneficially used in this fourth embodiment of this invention are, e.g., PRIMAL EP-6120 en PS-61D trade name of Rohm & Haas) and NEOCRYL A-290 trade name of Zeneca Resins.
  • the nozzle plate in this fourth embodiment of the invention is bound to the body by an adhesive layer, wherein upon detaching said nozzle plate from said body, there is an adhesive break between said adhesive layer and said body and no cohesive break within said adhesive layer, it is preferred to give the nozzle plate corrugations as disclosed in US-A-5 855 713.
  • Micro-cavities and bonding surface lands are formed together in the form of corrugations.
  • the corrugations are typically 2-4 ⁇ m deep and of spacing or wavelength 10-20 ⁇ m.
  • the lands left between the microcavities have preferably a width in contact with the channel termination surface of between 0.05 times and 0.25 times the width of the micro cavities.
  • the bonding strength of the nozzle plate can be adjusted so as to have a strong adhesion when the fore is perpendicular to the plane of the nozzle plate (this force is exerted mainly by the ink pressure in the channels reaching the nozzle plate) and a sufficiently weak adhesion when a peeling force is exerted to separate the nozzle plate from the body.
  • ink jet printers wherein ink channels - with walls that can exert piezo pressure on the ink in the channels - terminate in a common channel termination surface, it is very beneficial to have a nozzle plate that is releasably attached to the channel termination surface. This is however not to say that in ink jet printheads wherein in k ejection proceeds by, e.g., acoustic waves, bubble generation, thermal expansions, etc.

Landscapes

  • Particle Formation And Scattering Control In Inkjet Printers (AREA)
EP00202739A 2000-08-01 2000-08-01 Appareil de dépot de gouttelettes avec plaque à buses pouvant se fixer de manière amovible Withdrawn EP1177897A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP00202739A EP1177897A1 (fr) 2000-08-01 2000-08-01 Appareil de dépot de gouttelettes avec plaque à buses pouvant se fixer de manière amovible
PCT/EP2001/008890 WO2002009943A1 (fr) 2000-08-01 2001-07-31 Appareil de depot de gouttelettes a barre a buses fixee liberable
US10/333,969 US6817698B2 (en) 2000-08-01 2001-07-31 Droplet deposition apparatus with releasably attached nozzle plate
DE60108640T DE60108640T2 (de) 2000-08-01 2001-07-31 Tröpfchenaufzeichnungsgerät mit lösbarer düsenplatte
JP2002516096A JP2004504963A (ja) 2000-08-01 2001-07-31 着脱自在に取り付けられたノズル板を有する小滴堆積装置
EP01958042A EP1307343B1 (fr) 2000-08-01 2001-07-31 Appareil de depot de gouttelettes a barre a buses fixee liberable

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP00202739A EP1177897A1 (fr) 2000-08-01 2000-08-01 Appareil de dépot de gouttelettes avec plaque à buses pouvant se fixer de manière amovible

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1177897A1 true EP1177897A1 (fr) 2002-02-06

Family

ID=8171877

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP00202739A Withdrawn EP1177897A1 (fr) 2000-08-01 2000-08-01 Appareil de dépot de gouttelettes avec plaque à buses pouvant se fixer de manière amovible
EP01958042A Expired - Lifetime EP1307343B1 (fr) 2000-08-01 2001-07-31 Appareil de depot de gouttelettes a barre a buses fixee liberable

Family Applications After (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP01958042A Expired - Lifetime EP1307343B1 (fr) 2000-08-01 2001-07-31 Appareil de depot de gouttelettes a barre a buses fixee liberable

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (2) EP1177897A1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2004504963A (fr)
DE (1) DE60108640T2 (fr)
WO (1) WO2002009943A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7188925B2 (en) * 2004-01-30 2007-03-13 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Fluid ejection head assembly

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP4556562B2 (ja) * 2004-09-01 2010-10-06 セイコーエプソン株式会社 液体噴射ヘッド

Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS55121081A (en) * 1979-03-14 1980-09-17 Canon Inc Recording head
JPS6364755A (ja) * 1986-09-08 1988-03-23 Hitachi Ltd 記録ヘツド
WO1994020586A1 (fr) 1993-03-01 1994-09-15 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Auto-adhesif comprenant des microspheres adhesives et un liant contenant un acrylamide
EP0703082A2 (fr) * 1994-09-23 1996-03-27 Compaq Computer Corporation Plaque à orifice amovible pour tête d'impression à jet d'encre et appareil de fixation
WO1996033246A1 (fr) 1995-04-20 1996-10-24 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Adhesifs acryliques rendus collants
WO1998017477A1 (fr) * 1996-10-24 1998-04-30 Xaar Technology Limited Passivation de tetes d'impression a jet d'encre
US5756625A (en) 1996-10-11 1998-05-26 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Stabilized adhesive microspheres
EP0865923A2 (fr) * 1997-03-17 1998-09-23 Lexmark International, Inc. Système à repères d'alignement et méthode d'inspection de l'alignement
US5855713A (en) 1993-10-22 1999-01-05 Xaar Technology Limited Method of making a multi-channel droplet deposition apparatus
JPH11198378A (ja) * 1998-01-16 1999-07-27 Canon Inc インクジェットヘッドおよびその製造方法

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5278271A (en) * 1989-05-02 1994-01-11 Saiden Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Pressure sensitive adhesive composition and a pressure sensitive adhesive sheet, a label and a laminate utilizing it

Patent Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS55121081A (en) * 1979-03-14 1980-09-17 Canon Inc Recording head
JPS6364755A (ja) * 1986-09-08 1988-03-23 Hitachi Ltd 記録ヘツド
WO1994020586A1 (fr) 1993-03-01 1994-09-15 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Auto-adhesif comprenant des microspheres adhesives et un liant contenant un acrylamide
US5855713A (en) 1993-10-22 1999-01-05 Xaar Technology Limited Method of making a multi-channel droplet deposition apparatus
EP0703082A2 (fr) * 1994-09-23 1996-03-27 Compaq Computer Corporation Plaque à orifice amovible pour tête d'impression à jet d'encre et appareil de fixation
WO1996033246A1 (fr) 1995-04-20 1996-10-24 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Adhesifs acryliques rendus collants
US5756625A (en) 1996-10-11 1998-05-26 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Stabilized adhesive microspheres
WO1998017477A1 (fr) * 1996-10-24 1998-04-30 Xaar Technology Limited Passivation de tetes d'impression a jet d'encre
EP0865923A2 (fr) * 1997-03-17 1998-09-23 Lexmark International, Inc. Système à repères d'alignement et méthode d'inspection de l'alignement
JPH11198378A (ja) * 1998-01-16 1999-07-27 Canon Inc インクジェットヘッドおよびその製造方法

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7188925B2 (en) * 2004-01-30 2007-03-13 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Fluid ejection head assembly

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP2004504963A (ja) 2004-02-19
DE60108640T2 (de) 2006-03-30
EP1307343B1 (fr) 2005-01-26
WO2002009943A1 (fr) 2002-02-07
EP1307343A1 (fr) 2003-05-07
DE60108640D1 (de) 2005-03-03

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