Printer

• US 6,206,507 B1
• Filed: 11/09/1998
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Hino, Motohito
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGHIEM, MICHAEL P
• Application Number:
  US09/188,168
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 347/50, 439/67, 439/77, 439/498
• US Class Current: 347/50
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/14 Structural association of two or more printed circuits providing electric connection to or between printed circuits H05K1/11, H01R12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1311 Foil encapsulation, e.g. of mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/284 for encapsulating mounted components H05K1/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/363 by soldering

Abstract

A recording head of a printer and its driving circuit are electrically connected via a flexible printed circuit that is provided with electrodes in pitch corresponding to the nozzles of the recording head and a general purpose flexible printed circuit. Thus, the manufacturing cost is reduced. In addition, the connection of both flexible printed circuits is prevented from being dirtied, and the handling during manufacturing is facilitated.

Claims

1. A printer for recording an image on a recording medium, comprising:

an actuator having at least one recording element;

a printed circuit board that drives the actuator, the printed circuit board having a connector;

a first flexible printed circuit having electrodes at one end and at another end, the electrodes at the one end having a pitch corresponding to the connector of the printed circuit board;

a second flexible printed circuit having electrodes at one end and at another end, the electrodes at the one end having a pitch corresponding to the at least one recording element of the actuator, the electrodes at the other end having a pitch approximately equal to a pitch of the electrodes at the other end of the first flexible printed circuit; and

a connection that connects the electrodes at each of the other ends of the first flexible printed circuit and the second flexible printed circuit.

2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein said first flexible printed circuit and said second flexible printed circuit are connected by overlapping the other ends of the first flexible printed circuit and the second flexible printed circuit, and soldering the electrodes.

3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the insulating member includes laminated films that are each provided with an adhesive layer on opposite inner sides.

4. The printer according to claim 3, wherein said laminated films are formed by applying a polyethylene adhesive to polyester resin, which functions as a base.

5. The printer according to claim 1, wherein said actuator includes multiple recording element rows, and said second flexible printed circuit is connected to each recording element row of the multiple recording element rows.

6. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the at least one recording element of said actuator includes multiple nozzles arranged in rows that jet ink, said actuator is provided with an electrode corresponding to each nozzle on a side of the recording element that is parallel to a nozzle row of the nozzle to which the electrode corresponds, and the pitch of electrodes at the one end of said second flexible printed circuit is approximately equal to the pitch of the electrodes on the side of the recording element.

7. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the pitch of the electrodes at the one end of the second flexible printed circuit is different than the pitch of the electrodes at the other end of the second flexible printed circuit.

8. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the pitch of the electrodes at the one end of the first flexible printed circuit is the same as the pitch of the electrodes at the other end of the first flexible printed circuit.

9. The printer according to claim 1, further including an insulating member that coats the outer surface of the connection.

10. A printer for recording an image on a recording medium, comprising:

an actuator having at least one recording element;

a printed circuit board that drives the actuator, the printed circuit board having a connector;

a first flexible printed circuit having electrodes at one end and at another end, the electrodes at the one end having a pitch corresponding to the connector of the printed circuit board;

a second flexible printed circuit having electrodes at one end and at another end, the electrodes at the one end having a pitch corresponding to the at least one recording element of the actuator, the electrodes at the other end having a pitch approximately equal to a pitch of the electrodes at the other end of the first flexible printed circuit; and

means for connecting the electrodes at each of the other ends of the first flexible printed circuit and the second flexible circuit.

11. The printer according to claim 10, wherein said first flexible printed circuit and said second flexible printed circuit are connected by overlapping the other ends of the first flexible printed circuit and the second flexible printed circuit, and soldering the electrodes.

12. The printer according to claim 10, wherein the means for insulating includes laminated films that are each provided with an adhesive layer on opposite inner sides.

13. The printer according to claim 12, wherein said laminated films are formed by applying a polyethylene adhesive to polyester resin, which functions as a base.

14. The printer according to claim 10, wherein said actuator includes multiple recording element rows, and said second flexible printed circuit is connected to each recording element row of the multiple recording element rows.

15. The printer according to claim 10, wherein the at least one recording element of said actuator includes multiple nozzles arranged in rows that jet ink, said actuator is provided with an electrode corresponding to each nozzle on a side of the recording element that is parallel to a nozzle row of the nozzle to which the electrode corresponds, and the pitch of electrodes at the one end of said second flexible printed circuit is approximately equal to the pitch of the electrodes on the side of the recording element.

16. The printer according to claim 10, wherein the pitch of the electrodes at the one end of the second flexible printed circuit is different than the pitch of the electrodes at the other end of the second flexible printed circuit.

17. The printer according to claim 16, wherein the pitch of the electrodes at the one end of the first flexible printed circuit is the same as the pitch of the electrodes at the other end of the first flexible printed circuit.

18. The printer according to claim 10, further including means for insulating the outer surface of the connection.

19. An ink jet print head assembly for use with a printer to record an image on a recording medium, comprising:

an actuator having at least one recording element;

a printed circuit board that drives the actuator, the printed circuit board having a connector;

a first flexible printed circuit having electrodes at one end and at another end, the electrodes at the one end having a pitch corresponding to the connector of the printed circuit board;

a second flexible printed circuit having electrodes at one end and at another end, the electrodes at the one end having a pitch corresponding to the at least one recording element of the actuator, the electrodes at the other end having a pitch approximately equal to a pitch of the electrodes at the other end of the first flexible printed circuit; and

a connection that connects the electrodes at each of the other ends of the first flexible printed circuit and the second flexible printed circuit.

20. The ink jet print head assembly according to claim 19, wherein said first flexible printed circuit and said second flexible printed circuit are connected by overlapping the other ends of the first flexible printed circuit and the second flexible printed circuit, and soldering the electrodes.

21. The ink jet print head assembly according to claim 19, wherein the insulating member includes laminated films that are each provided with an adhesive layer on opposite inner sides.

22. The ink jet print head assembly according to claim 21, wherein said laminated films are formed by applying a polyethylene adhesive to polyester resin, which functions as a base.

23. The ink jet print head assembly according to claim 19, wherein said actuator includes multiple recording element rows, and said second flexible printed circuit is connected to each recording element row of the multiple recording element rows.

24. The ink jet print head assembly according to claim 19, wherein the at least one recording element of said actuator includes multiple nozzles arranged in rows that jet ink, said actuator is provided with an electrode corresponding to each nozzle on a side of the recording element that is parallel to a nozzle row of the nozzle to which the electrode corresponds, and the pitch of electrodes at the one end of said second flexible printed circuit is approximately equal to the pitch of the electrodes on the side of the recording element.

25. An ink jet print assembly for use with a printer to record an image on a recording medium, comprising:

an actuator having at least one recording element;

a printed circuit board that drives the actuator, the printed circuit board having a connector;

a first flexible printed circuit having electrodes at one end and at another end, the electrodes at the one end having a pitch corresponding to the connector of the printed circuit board;

a second flexible printed circuit having electrodes at one end and at another end, the electrodes at the one end having a pitch corresponding to the at least one recording element of the actuator, the electrodes at the other end having a pitch approximately equal to a pitch of the electrodes at the other end of the first flexible printed circuit; and

a connection that connects the electrodes at each of the other ends of the first flexible printed circuit and the second flexible printed circuit,

wherein the pitch of the electrodes at the one end of the second flexible printed circuit is different than the pitch of the electrodes at the other end of the second flexible printed circuit.

26. The ink jet print head assembly according to claim 25, wherein the pitch of the electrodes at the one end of the first flexible printed circuit is the same as the pitch of the electrodes at the other end of the first flexible printed circuit.

27. An ink jet print assembly for use with a printer to record an image on a recording medium, comprising:

an actuator having at least one recording element;

a printed circuit board that drives the actuator, the printed circuit board having a connector;

a first flexible printed circuit having electrodes at one end and at another end, the electrodes at the one end having a pitch corresponding to the connector of the printed circuit board;

a second flexible printed circuit having electrodes at one end and at another end, the electrodes at the one end having a pitch corresponding to the at least one recording element of the actuator, the electrodes at the other end having a pitch approximately equal to a pitch of the electrodes at the other end of the first flexible printed circuit; and

a connection that connects the electrodes at each of the other ends of the first flexible printed circuit and the second flexible printed circuit,

further including an insulating member that coats the outer surface of the connection.