Method of manufacturing liquid ejection head, and image forming apparatus

• US 20070052764A1
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Oku, Seiichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/68
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/161 of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1623 bonding and adhesion
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14241 having a cover around the piezoelectric thin film element
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14459 Matrix arrangement of the pressure chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/20 Modules
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

The method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head comprises the steps of: forming a plurality of piezoelectric elements on a diaphragm; stacking an intermediate plate which includes recess sections for covering the piezoelectric elements and drive wires connected to the piezoelectric elements, on a surface of the diaphragm on which the piezoelectric elements are formed, in such a manner that peripheral spaces are formed around the piezoelectric elements by means of the recess sections and electrical connections are created between the drive wires and the piezoelectric elements; connecting an integrated circuit to end sections of the drive wires which are opposite to connection sections between the drive wires and the piezoelectric elements; forming an actuator function unit by electrically and mechanically bonding the diaphragm, the piezoelectric elements, the drive wires, the intermediate plate and the integrated circuit after the formation of the piezoelectric elements on the diaphragm, the stack of the intermediate plate on the diaphragm, and the connection of the integrated circuit and the drive wires, in such a manner that the piezoelectric elements are electrically driven via the integrated circuit; measuring displacement of the diaphragm by operating the integrated circuit in the actuator function unit; and bonding a flow path forming member to the actuator function unit after the measurement of the displacement of the diaphragm, the flow path forming member being provided for forming a plurality of pressure chambers connected to a plurality of nozzles and forming a common liquid chamber for storing liquid supplied to the pressure chambers.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a plurality of piezoelectric elements on a diaphragm;

stacking an intermediate plate which includes recess sections for covering the piezoelectric elements and drive wires connected to the piezoelectric elements, on a surface of the diaphragm on which the piezoelectric elements are formed, in such a manner that peripheral spaces are formed around the piezoelectric elements by means of the recess sections and electrical connections are created between the drive wires and the piezoelectric elements;

connecting an integrated circuit to end sections of the drive wires which are opposite to connection sections between the drive wires and the piezoelectric elements;

forming an actuator function unit by electrically and mechanically bonding the diaphragm, the piezoelectric elements, the drive wires, the intermediate plate and the integrated circuit after the formation of the piezoelectric elements on the diaphragm, the stack of the intermediate plate on the diaphragm, and the connection of the integrated circuit and the drive wires, in such a manner that the piezoelectric elements are electrically driven via the integrated circuit;

measuring displacement of the diaphragm by operating the integrated circuit in the actuator function unit; and

bonding a flow path forming member to the actuator function unit after the measurement of the displacement of the diaphragm, the flow path forming member being provided for forming a plurality of pressure chambers connected to a plurality of nozzles and forming a common liquid chamber for storing liquid supplied to the pressure chambers.

2. The method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head as defined in claim 1, wherein,

the flow path forming member includes a pressure chamber forming member for forming the pressure chambers and a common liquid chamber forming member for forming the common liquid chamber;

and

the flow path forming member is bonded to the actuator function unit in such a manner that the pressure chamber forming member is bonded to a diaphragm side of the actuator function unit and the common liquid chamber forming member is bonded to an intermediate plate side of the actuator function unit.

3. The method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head as defined in claim 2, wherein the actuator function unit includes liquid flow paths penetrating through the intermediate plate and the diaphragm in such a manner that the pressure chambers are connected to the common liquid chamber via the liquid flow paths.

4. The method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head as defined in claim 2, the method further comprising the step of performing evaluation of a liquid sealing property of the actuator function unit by bringing the actuator function unit into contact with a conductive liquid, before the flow path forming member is bonded to the actuator function unit.

5. The method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising the step of correcting at least one of a diameter of each of liquid droplet ejection ports and a diameter of each of liquid supply paths connected to the pressure chambers according to the measured displacement of the diaphragm.

6. The method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising the step of correcting resistance values of the drive wires according to the measured displacement of the diaphragm.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising a liquid ejection head manufactured by the method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head as defined in claim 1.