Alignment jig, manufacturing method thereof, and method of manufacturing liquid-jet head unit

• US 20060265851A1
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Owaki, Hiroshige, Igarashi, Yoshihiro, Inaoka, Yasuo, Yanagisawa, Isao
• Granted Patent: US 7,832,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/434
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14233 of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14241 having a cover around the piezoelectric thin film element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4984 Retaining clearance for motion between assembled parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49895 Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53261 Means to align and advance work part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53265 with work-holder for assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53435 including assembly pallet

Abstract

An alignment jig including: a base jig which is used when aligning and bonding a nozzle plate which is provided with nozzle orifices ejecting liquid of a liquid-jet head with/to a fixing member holding a nozzle plate side of the plurality of liquid-jet heads, and which is provided with an optical system on a bottom plane thereof; a mask having transparency, one plane of which is bonded to a plane of the base jig opposite to the optical system, and the other plane of which is provided with a reference mark for being aligned with an alignment mark provided for the nozzle plate; and a spacer jig which is bonded to a plane of the mask where the reference mark of the mask is provided, and which holds the fixing member.

Claims

1. An alignment jig comprising:

a base jig which is used when aligning and bonding a nozzle plate which is provided with nozzle orifices ejecting liquid of a liquid-jet head with/to a fixing member holding a nozzle plate side of the plurality of liquid-jet heads, and which is provided with an optical system on a bottom plane thereof;

a mask having transparency, one plane of which is bonded to a plane of the base jig opposite to the optical system, and the other plane of which is provided with a reference mark for being aligned with an alignment mark provided for the nozzle plate; and

a spacer jig which is bonded to a plane of the mask where the reference mark of the mask is provided, and which holds the fixing member.

2. The alignment jig according to claim 1, wherein the base jig is bonded to the mask with a wax interposed therebetween, as well as the mask is bonded to the spacer jig with a wax interposed therebetween.

3. The alignment jig according to claim 2, wherein the wax is photo-setting and thermosoftening.

4. The alignment jig according to claim 1, wherein a bonding region of the mask and the base jig is a peripheral portion along a periphery of the mask.

5. The alignment jig according to claim 4, wherein a groove portion is provided in the bonding region of the base jig.

6. The alignment jig according to claim 1, wherein a suction unit which suctions and holds the fixing member is connected to the spacer jig.

7. The alignment jig according to claim 1, wherein the spacer jig has an area smaller than that of the mask.

8. The alignment jig according to claim 1, wherein a pressing unit for pressing the liquid-jet head against the fixing member side is provided.

9. The alignment jig according to claim 8, wherein the pressing unit includes:

a pressing pin;

an energizing unit which energizes the pressing pin toward the liquid-jet head side; and

a pressing top which presses the liquid-jet head while uniformly propagating a pressing force of the pressing pin over the liquid-jet head.

10. The alignment jig according to claim 1, wherein the optical system, which checks relative positions of the reference mark and the alignment mark, is provided on a side of the base jig opposite to the mask.

11. A method of manufacturing a liquid-jet head unit, wherein the plurality of the liquid-jet heads are fixed to the fixing member by use of the alignment jig according to claim 1.

12. A method of manufacturing an alignment jig which includes:

a base jig which is used when aligning and bonding a nozzle plate which is provided with nozzle orifices ejecting liquid of a liquid-jet head with/to a fixing member holding the nozzle plate side of the plurality of the liquid-jet heads, and which is provided on a bottom plane with an optical system for checking an alignment mark provided for the nozzle plate of the liquid-jet head;

a mask having transparency, one plane of which is bonded to a plane opposite to the optical system of the base jig, and the other plane of which is provided with a reference mark for being aligned with the alignment mark provided for the nozzle plate; and

a spacer jig which is bonded to the plane where the reference mark of the mask is provided, and which holds the fixing member, the method comprising the processes of

arranging the base jig in a predetermined position relative to the optical system,

aligning the reference mark of the mask with a center of the optical system, and

bonding the mask to the base jig.

13. The method of manufacturing the alignment jig according to claim 12, wherein a reference position of the optical system for arranging the base jig is decided based on a master jig which is assembled by performing relative alignment of the base jig, the mask and the spacer jig.

14. The method of manufacturing the alignment jig according to claim 12, wherein after the mask and the spacer are bonded by irradiating a wax with light from the mask side and by setting the wax in a state where the spacer is applied with the photo-setting and thermosoftening wax and where the mask is caused to come into contact with the spacer,

the mask is caused to be aligned and come into contact with the base jig,

the photo-setting and thermosoftening wax is injected between the mask and the base jig, and

the mask is bonded to the base jig by irradiating the wax with light from the mask side and by setting the wax.