Liquid-jet head and liquid-jet apparatus

• US 6,796,640 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2002
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Miyata, Yoshinao
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Judy
• Application Number:
  US10/319,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20030117464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 347/68, 347/70, 347/71, 298/901, 310/328
• US Class Current: 347/71
• 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 2/1629 wet etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1631 photolithography
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1646 thin film formation by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14241 having a cover around the piezoelectric thin film element
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14419 Manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 Electrical connection

Abstract

Disclosed are a liquid-jet head that is capable of arraying pressure generating chambers in high density and achieving miniaturization thereof and a liquid-jet apparatus. In the liquid-jet head, a joining plate 30 joined onto piezoelectric elements 300 side of a passage-forming substrate 10 are provided, on which a drive circuit 110 for driving the piezoelectric elements 300 is mounted, a penetrated hole 33 penetrating the joining plate 30 in a thickness direction is provided in a portion corresponding to a space between rows of pressure generating chambers 12 of the joining plate 30, extracted wirings 90 extracted from individual piezoelectric elements 300 are extended to a portion corresponding to the penetrated hole 33, and the extracted wirings 90 and a drive circuit 110 are electrically connected to each other with conductive wires 120 extended through the penetrated hole 33. Thus, the area of the penetrated hole 33 is suppressed to be small.

Claims

1. A liquid-jet head comprising:

a passage-forming substrate including at least two rows of pressure generating chambers communicating with nozzle orifices and being defined by a plurality of compartment walls; and

piezoelectric elements each composed of a lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer and an upper electrode, the piezoelectric element being provided on one surface side of the passage-forming substrate with a vibration plate interposed therebetween,

wherein a joining plate joined onto the piezoelectric element side of the passage-forming substrate is provided, on which a drive circuit for driving the piezoelectric elements is mounted,

a penetrated hole penetrating the joining plate in a thickness direction is provided in a portion corresponding to a space between the rows of the pressure generating chambers,

extracted wirings each extracted from a corresponding piezoelectric elements is extended to the portion corresponding to the penetrated hole, and

the extracted wirings and the drive circuit are electrically connected to each other with conductive wires extended through the penetrated hole.

2. The liquid-jet head according to claim 1,

wherein plurality of drive circuits for driving the piezoelectric elements individually for the rows of the pressure generating chambers are provided, and the drive circuits are mounted on both sides of the penetrated hole.

3. The liquid-jet head according to claim 1,

wherein the joining plate includes a piezoelectric element holding portion for hermetically sealing a space secured in a region facing towards the piezoelectric elements.

4. The liquid-jet head according to claim 1,

wherein the joining plate includes a reservoir portion constituting at least a part of a liquid chamber common to the pressure generating chambers of one row of said at least two rows.

5. The liquid-jet head according to claim 1,

wherein the drive circuit is a semiconductor integrated circuit.

6. The liquid-jet head according to claim 1,

wherein the pressure generating chambers are formed by anisotropic etching for a single crystal silicon substrate, and each layer of the piezoelectric elements is formed by deposition and lithography methods.

7. A liquid-jet apparatus comprising the liquid-jet head according to any one of claims 1 to 6.