JP2017202675A - Channel structure, liquid ejecting unit, and liquid ejecting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A flow path structure, a liquid ejecting unit, and a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of pressing and functioning a pressure receiving plate with a small force and maintaining the posture of a pressing portion are provided.
A storage chamber R2 for storing liquid, a pressure receiving portion 71 for receiving a first pressure in the storage chamber R2 and a second pressure outside the storage chamber R2, and opening according to the movement of the pressure receiving portion 71 The pressure B includes a valve B [1] for changing the first pressure, and a pressing portion 73 for pressing the pressure receiving portion 71 according to the supply pressure of the fluid from the fluid supply source. 73, the area of the front end surface 73b that pushes the pressure receiving portion 71 is smaller than the area of the rear end surface 73c that receives the supply pressure.
[Selection] Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a flow path structure including a liquid storage chamber for storing a liquid and a valve that opens according to pressure, a liquid ejecting unit including the flow path structure, and a liquid ejecting apparatus.

  A liquid ejecting unit, which is an example of a flow path structure, ejects liquid such as ink supplied from a liquid storage unit such as an ink tank as droplets from a plurality of nozzles according to a pressure change of the pressure generating unit. Further, pressure adjustment is performed so that the downstream flow path becomes negative pressure in the middle of the flow path so that the liquid such as ink supplied from the liquid storage means is supplied to the liquid ejecting unit at a predetermined pressure. The structure provided with the valve is proposed (for example, refer patent document 1).

  Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration provided with a pressing mechanism that opens a valve by pressing the valve from the outside regardless of the pressure in the downstream flow path.

  Moreover, the structure which pressurizes and opens a pressure regulation valve by pressurizing and supplying fluids, such as air, is disclosed (for example, refer patent document 2).

JP 2012-1111044 A JP2015-189201A

  However, when pressing the entire surface of the pressure receiving portion when the valve is pressed from the outside, the reaction force received from the pressure receiving portion increases, so it is necessary to increase the pressure for pressing the pressure receiving portion. For this reason, as a pumping means such as a pump for pressurizing the liquid that presses the pressure receiving portion, a high pressurizing capability or a large one is required, which increases the size and costs.

  Further, when the internal pressure of the ink that presses and opens the valve to push the pressure receiving portion becomes high, the posture of the expansion / contraction mechanism may not be maintained.

  Such a problem is not limited to the flow path structure including the ink jet recording head, and similarly exists in the flow path structures used for other devices.

  In view of such circumstances, the present invention provides a flow channel structure, a liquid ejecting unit, and a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of pressing and functioning a pressure receiving plate with a small force and maintaining the posture of the pressing portion. For the purpose.

  An aspect of the present invention that solves the above problems includes a storage chamber that stores liquid, a pressure receiving portion that receives a first pressure in the storage chamber and a second pressure outside the storage chamber, and opens according to the movement of the pressure receiving portion. A valve for changing the first pressure, and a pressing part for pressing the pressure receiving part in accordance with a supply pressure of the fluid from the fluid supply source, and the pressure receiving part among the pressing parts. The area of the tip that pushes is smaller than the area of the rear end that receives the supply pressure.

  In such an aspect, by providing a pressing portion that presses the pressure receiving portion, the area of the tip that presses the pressure receiving portion of the pressing portion is smaller than the area of the rear end that receives the supply pressure, so that the supply pressure is received at the wide rear end, The reaction force from the pressure receiving portion can be reduced by making the pressure easy to receive and making the tip end a narrow area. Therefore, a high pressure is not required as the supply pressure, the fluid can be supplied from the fluid supply source in a short time, and the load on the fluid supply source can be reduced. Further, since the reaction force from the pressure receiving portion can be reduced, the posture of the pressing portion can be easily maintained, and the state where the on-off valve is stably opened can be maintained.

  Here, it is preferable to provide a pressure receiving plate provided on the pressure receiving portion. According to this, by providing the pressure receiving plate, it is possible to suppress deformation and breakage of the pressure receiving portion when the pressing portion presses the pressure receiving portion.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said pressure receiving plate is larger than the said front-end | tip. According to this, even if it is a case where the position of a pressure receiving plate and the front-end | tip of a press part has shifted | deviated, a pressure-receiving board can be reliably pushed with the front-end | tip of a press part.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said pressure receiving plate has the return | turnback which leaves | separates from the said pressure receiving part. According to this, by providing a return to the pressure receiving plate, the strength of the pressure receiving plate is increased, and deformation of the pressure receiving plate can be suppressed. Moreover, by providing the return in the direction away from the pressure receiving portion, it is possible to suppress the pressure receiving portion from being damaged by the edge of the pressure receiving plate.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said return exists in the said storage chamber, the said pressure receiving part is pressed by the said press part, and it contacts the said storage chamber. According to this, excessive deformation of the pressure receiving portion can be suppressed, and damage due to excessive deformation of the pressure receiving portion and the pressing portion can be suppressed.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said pressure receiving part has a fulcrum, the pressed position pressed by the said press part, and the contact position which contact | abuts the said valve between the said fulcrum and the said pressed position. According to this, it is possible to reduce the variation of the contact position that contacts the valve body with respect to the variation of the pressed position, and it is possible to improve the position accuracy of the valve body and improve the opening / closing accuracy of the valve body. it can.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the thickness of the part which is not the front-end | tip among the thickness of the said press part is thinner than the thickness of the part of the said front-end | tip. According to this, by reducing the thickness of the portion other than the tip, it is possible to easily deform the portion other than the tip, move the tip, and easily maintain the posture of the tip.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said press part has a bent part. According to this, it is possible to increase the area of the rear end face that receives the supply pressure and to operate with a low supply pressure. Moreover, since it can deform | transform so that the bending angle of a bending part may be expanded, a big displacement amount can be obtained with a comparatively low pressure.

  In addition, a wall provided on the opposite side of the pressure receiving portion with respect to the pressing portion, the wall includes a plurality of convex portions in contact with the pressing portion, and concave portions between the plurality of convex portions, It is preferable to have. According to this, when a press part contacts a convex part, the contact area of a press part and a wall can be reduced, and it can suppress that a press part sticks to a wall by dew condensation.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said recessed part is provided with two or more and the said fluid is supplied from each said recessed part. According to this, even if one recess is clogged, fluid can be supplied from another recess, so that the pressing portion can be operated reliably.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said pressure receiving part has a some convex part and the recessed part between the said some convex part in the position pressed by the said press part. According to this, since the pressing portion abuts on the plurality of convex portions of the pressure receiving portion, it is possible to reduce the contact area of the pressing portion with the pressure receiving portion and suppress the pressing portion from sticking to the pressure receiving portion due to condensation or the like. it can.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said press part pushes the said pressure receiving part in the 1st state which pushes the said pressure receiving part to such an extent that the said valve opens, and the 2nd state which pushes the said pressure receiving part to such an extent that the said valve does not open. . According to this, a press part can be operated in multiple steps and it is easy to push a pressure receiving part in multiple steps.

  The pressing portion includes a first portion that is deformed by a strong supply pressure and a second portion that is deformed by a weak supply pressure, and the first state is formed by deformation of the first portion, The second state is preferably formed by deformation of the second portion. According to this, it is possible to easily realize the first state in which the valve is opened by deformation of the first portion and the second state in which the valve is not opened by deformation of the second portion.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid ejecting unit comprising: the flow path structure according to the above aspect; and a liquid ejecting unit that changes the first pressure by discharging the liquid in the storage chamber. It is in.

  In this aspect, even when the liquid in the storage chamber is consumed by the liquid ejecting unit ejecting the liquid in the storage chamber, the pressure receiving unit operates based on the pressure in the storage chamber to open the valve and enter the storage chamber. Liquid can be supplied. Therefore, the liquid can be supplied to the liquid ejecting unit at a constant pressure.

  Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention is the flow path structure according to the above aspect, a liquid ejecting unit that changes the first pressure by discharging the liquid in the storage chamber from a nozzle, and the pressure receiving unit in the second state. And a control unit that controls to swing the meniscus of the nozzle of the liquid ejecting unit by pressing.

  In this aspect, it is possible to suppress drying of the liquid in the vicinity of the nozzle by swinging the meniscus of the nozzle of the liquid ejecting unit by the flow path structure. Further, the oscillation of the meniscus of the liquid in the nozzle using the flow path structure can be greatly oscillated as compared with the oscillation using the piezoelectric element or the like.

1 is a configuration diagram of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a liquid ejecting head. It is sectional drawing of a liquid injection part. It is explanatory drawing of the internal flow path of a liquid injection unit. It is a block diagram of the on-off valve of a valve mechanism unit. It is explanatory drawing of a deaeration space and a non-return valve. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a state of the liquid ejecting head at the time of initial filling. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a state of the liquid ejecting head during normal use. It is explanatory drawing of the state of the liquid ejecting head at the time of defoaming operation. It is a block diagram of the on-off valve of the valve mechanism unit which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a block diagram of the valve mechanism of the valve mechanism unit which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of operation | movement of the on-off valve of a valve mechanism unit. It is a block diagram of the on-off valve of the valve mechanism unit which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of operation | movement of the on-off valve of a valve mechanism unit. It is explanatory drawing of operation | movement of the on-off valve of a valve mechanism unit. It is a block diagram which shows the function implementation part of a control unit. It is a top view of the movable film which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a block diagram of the valve mechanism of the valve mechanism unit which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of operation | movement of the on-off valve of a valve mechanism unit.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a liquid ejecting apparatus 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the invention. The liquid ejecting apparatus 100 according to this embodiment is an ink jet printing apparatus that ejects ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto the medium 12. The medium 12 is typically printing paper, but any print target such as a resin film and a fabric can be used as the medium 12. A liquid container 14 that stores ink is fixed to the liquid ejecting apparatus 100. For example, a cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the liquid ejecting apparatus 100, a bag-shaped ink pack formed of a flexible film, or an ink tank that can be refilled with ink is used as the liquid container 14. A plurality of types of inks having different colors are stored in the liquid container 14.

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the liquid ejecting apparatus 100 includes a control unit 20 that is a control unit, a transport mechanism 22, and a liquid ejecting head 24. The control unit 20 includes, for example, a control device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and a recording device such as a semiconductor memory (not shown), and stores a program stored in the storage device. When executed by the control device, each element of the liquid ejecting apparatus 100 is comprehensively controlled. The transport mechanism 22 transports the medium 12 in the Y direction under the control of the control unit 20.

  The liquid ejecting apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment includes a moving mechanism 26. The moving mechanism 26 is a mechanism that reciprocates the liquid jet head 24 in the X direction under the control of the control unit 20. The X direction in which the liquid ejecting head 24 reciprocates is a direction that intersects (typically orthogonal) the Y direction in which the medium 12 is conveyed. The moving mechanism 26 of the first embodiment includes a transport body 262 and a transport belt 264. The transport body 262 is a substantially box-shaped structure (carriage) that supports the liquid ejecting head 24, and is fixed to the transport belt 264. The conveyor belt 264 is an endless belt constructed along the X direction. The liquid ejecting head 24 reciprocates along the X direction together with the transport body 262 by rotating the transport belt 264 under the control of the control unit 20. The liquid container 14 can be mounted on the transport body 262 together with the liquid jet head 24.

  The liquid ejecting head 24 ejects ink supplied from the liquid container 14 onto the medium 12 under the control of the control unit 20. The liquid ejecting head 24 ejects ink onto the medium 12 within a period in which the transport of the medium 12 by the transport mechanism 22 and the transport of the liquid ejecting head 24 by the moving mechanism 26 are executed, so that a desired image is displayed on the medium 12. It is formed. In the following description, a direction perpendicular to the XY plane is expressed as a Z direction. The ink ejected from the liquid ejecting head 24 advances to the positive side in the Z direction and lands on the surface of the medium 12.

  FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the liquid ejecting head 24. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the liquid ejecting head 24 of this embodiment includes a first support 242 and a plurality of assemblies 244. The first support 242 is a plate-like member (liquid ejecting head support) that supports the plurality of assemblies 244. The plurality of assemblies 244 are fixed to the first support 242 while being arranged in the X direction. As representatively shown for one assembly 244, each of the plurality of assemblies 244 includes a connection unit 32, a second support 34, a distribution flow path 36, and a plurality (six in this embodiment) of liquid jets. Module 38. Note that the total number of assemblies 244 constituting the liquid ejecting head 24 and the total number of liquid ejecting modules 38 constituting the assembly 244 are not limited to the illustrated example.

  A plurality of liquid ejecting modules 38 are arranged in two rows on the second support 34 positioned directly below the connection unit 32, and the distribution flow path 36 is arranged on the side of the plurality of liquid ejecting modules 38. The distribution flow path 36 is a structure in which a flow path for distributing the ink supplied from the liquid container 14 to each of the plurality of liquid ejection modules 38 is formed inside, and extends in the Y direction so as to extend over the plurality of liquid ejection modules 38. It is configured to be long.

  The liquid ejecting module 38 includes a liquid ejecting unit 40 and a connecting unit 50. The liquid ejecting unit 40 ejects ink supplied from the liquid container 14 via the distribution channel 36 onto the medium 12. The liquid ejecting unit 40 of the present embodiment includes a valve mechanism unit 41, a flow path unit 42, and a liquid ejecting unit 44, which are the flow path structures of the present embodiment. The valve mechanism unit 41 includes a valve mechanism that controls the opening and closing of the flow path of the ink supplied from the distribution flow path 36. In addition, illustration of the valve mechanism unit 41 is abbreviate | omitted for convenience in FIG. The flow path in the distribution flow path 36 and the flow path in the valve mechanism unit 41 communicate with each other.

  The liquid ejecting unit 44 of the liquid ejecting unit 40 ejects ink from a plurality of nozzles. The flow path unit 42 is a structure in which a flow path for supplying ink that has passed through the valve mechanism unit 41 to the liquid ejecting unit 44 is formed inside.

  Here, an example of the liquid ejecting unit 44 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion corresponding to one arbitrary nozzle N in the liquid ejecting head.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the liquid ejecting unit 44 of this embodiment, the pressure chamber substrate 482, the vibration plate 483, the piezoelectric element 484, the housing unit 485, and the sealing body 486 are arranged on one side of the flow path substrate 481. In addition, the nozzle plate 487 and the buffer plate 488 are arranged on the other side. The flow path substrate 481, the pressure chamber substrate 482, and the nozzle plate 487 are formed of, for example, a silicon flat plate material, and the housing portion 485 is formed of, for example, injection molding of a resin material. The plurality of nozzles N are formed on the nozzle plate 487. The surface of the nozzle plate 487 opposite to the flow path substrate 481 corresponds to the ejection surface J.

  In the flow path substrate 481, an opening 481A, a branch flow path (throttle flow path) 481B, and a communication flow path 481C are formed. The branch flow path 481B and the communication flow path 481C are through holes formed for each nozzle N, and the opening 481A is an opening continuous over a plurality of nozzles N. The buffer plate 488 is a flat plate material (compliance substrate) that is installed on the surface of the flow path substrate 481 opposite to the pressure chamber substrate 482 and closes the opening 481A. The pressure fluctuation in the opening 481A is absorbed by the buffer plate 488.

  In the housing 485, a common liquid chamber (reservoir) SR communicating with the opening 481A of the flow path substrate 481 is formed. The common liquid chamber SR is a space for storing ink supplied to the plurality of nozzles N constituting one of the first row G1 and the second row G2, and is continuous over the plurality of nozzles N. An inflow port Rin into which ink supplied from the upstream side flows is formed in the common liquid chamber SR.

  An opening 482 A is formed for each nozzle N in the pressure chamber substrate 482. The vibration plate 483 is an elastically deformable flat plate that is installed on the surface of the pressure chamber substrate 482 opposite to the flow path substrate 481. A space sandwiched between the diaphragm 483 and the flow path substrate 481 inside each opening 482A of the pressure chamber substrate 482 is a pressure chamber filled with ink supplied from the common liquid chamber SR via the branch flow path 481B. (Cavity) Functions as SC. Each pressure chamber SC communicates with the nozzle N via the communication channel 481C of the channel substrate 481.

  A piezoelectric element 484 is formed for each nozzle N on the surface of the diaphragm 483 opposite to the pressure chamber substrate 482. Each piezoelectric element 484 is a driving element in which a piezoelectric body is interposed between electrodes facing each other. When the diaphragm 483 is vibrated by the piezoelectric element 484 being deformed by the supply of the drive signal, the pressure in the pressure chamber SC varies and the ink in the pressure chamber SC is ejected from the nozzle N. The sealing body 486 protects the plurality of piezoelectric elements 484.

  Here, the valve mechanism unit 41 of the liquid ejecting unit 40 will be further described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the valve mechanism unit in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a space R 1, a space R 2, a control chamber RC and a space R 3 are formed inside the valve mechanism unit 41.

  The space R1 is connected to the liquid pumping mechanism 16. The liquid pumping mechanism 16 is a mechanism that supplies ink stored in the liquid container 14 to the liquid ejecting unit 40 in a pressurized state, that is, pumps the ink. An on-off valve B [1] is installed between the space R1 and the space R2, and a movable film 71 as a pressure receiving part is interposed between the space R2 and the control chamber RC. In the present embodiment, the space R2 is a storage chamber in which ink is stored, and the control chamber RC is outside the storage chamber. The movable film 71 constitutes a part of the wall surface of the space R2 that is a storage chamber. Further, a pressing portion 73 is interposed between the control room RC and the space R3. The space R3 is connected to a defoaming path 75 connected to the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 that is a fluid supply source. In the present embodiment, the defoaming path 75 is connected by an opening 75a that opens to the wall 41a that faces the pressing portion 73 in the Z direction of the space R3.

  As illustrated in FIG. 5, the on-off valve B [1] includes a valve seat 721, a valve body 722, a pressure receiving plate 723, and a spring 724. The valve seat 721 is a flat plate-like portion that partitions the space R1 and the space R2. The valve seat 721 is formed with a communication hole HA that allows the space R1 and the space R2 to communicate with each other. The pressure receiving plate 723 is a substantially circular flat plate material installed on the surface of the movable film 71 facing the valve seat 721. That is, the pressure receiving plate 723 is provided on the movable film 71. By providing the pressure receiving plate 723 on the movable film 71 in this way, it is possible to suppress the breakage and deformation of the movable film 71 as compared with the case where the valve body 722 directly contacts the movable film 71. The pressure receiving plate 723 may be bonded to the movable film 71 or may not be bonded. That is, that the pressure receiving plate 723 is provided on the movable film 71 includes a state where the pressure receiving plate 723 is bonded to the movable film 71 and a state where the pressure receiving plate 723 is disposed so as to be contacted without being bonded. When the pressure receiving plate 723 is joined to the movable film 71, the pressure received from the ink through the movable film 71 by the distal end of the pressing portion 73 described in detail depends on the area of the pressure receiving plate 723. Further, when the pressure receiving plate 723 is not joined to the movable film 71, the pressure that the tip of the pressing portion 73 receives from the ink via the movable film 71 is the area of the tip of the pressing portion 73. In the present embodiment, the pressure receiving plate 723 is not joined to the movable film 71.

  The valve body 722 includes a base portion 725, a valve shaft 726, and a sealing portion (seal) 727. A valve shaft 726 projects vertically from the surface of the base 725, and an annular sealing portion 727 that surrounds the valve shaft 726 in a plan view is installed on the surface of the base 725. The valve body 722 is disposed in the space R 1 with the valve shaft 726 inserted into the communication hole HA, and is biased toward the valve seat 721 by the spring 724. A gap is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft 726 and the inner peripheral surface of the communication hole HA.

  As illustrated in FIG. 5, a pressing portion 73 is interposed between the control room RC and the space R3. That is, the pressing portion 73 is provided so as to separate the control room RC and the space R3. The pressing part 73 is made of a plate-like member made of an elastic material such as rubber. In the present embodiment, the pressing portion 73 is located inside the control chamber RC when the space R3 is pressurized through the defoaming path 75 by the pressurizing operation of the pressure adjusting mechanism 18, that is, on the movable film 71 side. It is elastically deformed so as to protrude in a convex shape. Further, the pressing portion 73 has a flat plate shape when no pressing operation is performed.

  Furthermore, the area of the tip that pushes the movable film 71 of the pressing portion 73 is smaller than the area of the rear end that receives the supply pressure. In the present embodiment, a protrusion 73 a protruding toward the movable film 71 is provided on the surface of the pressing portion 73 that faces the movable film 71, and the area of the tip surface 73 b of the protrusion 73 a is from the pressure adjustment mechanism 18. The area of the rear end face 73c forming a part of the wall of the space R3 receiving the supply pressure is made smaller. When the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 pressurizes the space R3 via the defoaming path 75 and the pressing portion 73 is deformed in a convex shape toward the movable film 71, the tip surface 73b of the protrusion 73a is movable film. Press against 71. That is, the pressing portion 73 is configured such that a region other than the distal end surface 73b does not contact the movable film 71 due to deformation during the pressurizing operation.

  In such a pressing portion 73, the thickness in the Z direction other than the portion where the protrusion 73a is provided is thinner than the thickness of the portion where the protrusion 73a is provided in the Z direction. That is, the protrusion 73a is formed by increasing the thickness of the plate member in the Z direction. As described above, the thickness of the pressing portion 73 other than the protruding portion 73a is deformed by reducing the thickness of the pressing portion 73 other than the portion where the protruding portion 73a is provided as compared with the thickness of the region where the protruding portion 73a is provided. Can be made easier. By the way, when the thickness of the portion other than the protrusion 73a of the pressing portion 73 is the same as that of the protrusion 73a, the portion other than the protrusion 73a of the pressing portion 73 is difficult to deform and the portion provided with the protrusion 73a There is a possibility that the movable film 71 cannot be pressed with high accuracy due to deformation. In the present embodiment, by reducing the thickness of the portion other than the protrusion 73a to facilitate deformation, the shape of the protrusion 73a can be stabilized and the movable film 71 can be pressed with high accuracy.

  In addition, the area of the front end surface 73b of the protrusion 73a is smaller than the area of the region facing the movable film portion of the movable film 71 of the pressing part 73. That is, the entire region of the pressing portion 73 that faces the flexible portion of the movable film 71 is not the protruding portion 73a, but only a portion of the protruding portion 73a protrudes. For this reason, the contact area between the protrusion 73a and the movable film 71 is smaller than the area of the movable film 71 corresponding to the movable film.

  Further, the movable film 71 pressed by the pressing portion 73 is provided with the pressure receiving plate 723 as described above, so that when the pressing portion 73 presses the movable film 71, the movable film 71 is extended or broken. It is possible to suppress deformation and breakage.

  Further, the pressure receiving plate 723 provided on the movable film 71 has an area larger than the area of the distal end surface 73 b of the protrusion 73 a of the pressing portion 73. The pressure receiving plate 723 having an area larger than the area of the front end surface 73b means that the pressure receiving plate 723 has a width wider than that of the front end surface 73b in both the X direction and the Y direction. Thus, even if it is a case where the position of the pressure receiving plate 723 and the front end surface 73b of the press part 73 has shifted | deviated by making the pressure receiving plate 723 into an area larger than the area of the front end surface 73b of the projection part 73a, it is pressing The pressure receiving plate 723 can be reliably pressed by the tip surface 73 b of the portion 73.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the defoaming path 75 is connected to the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 that is a fluid supply source via a flow path in the distribution flow path 36. The pressure adjustment mechanism 18 performs a pressurization operation for supplying air as a fluid to a flow path connected to the pressure adjustment mechanism 18 and a decompression operation for sucking the air as a fluid from the flow path from the control unit 20. Can be selectively executed according to the instruction. When air is supplied from the pressure adjustment mechanism 18 to the internal space (that is, pressurization), the pressing portion 73 is deformed so as to protrude toward the movable film 71, and is pressed by air suction (ie, pressure reduction) by the pressure adjustment mechanism 18. The deformation of the portion 73 is released.

  In the state where the deformation of the pressing portion 73 is released, as shown in FIG. 5, when the pressure in the space R2 is maintained within a predetermined range, the spring 724 biases the valve body 722. The sealing portion 727 comes into close contact with the surface of the valve seat 721. Therefore, the space R1 and the space R2 are blocked. On the other hand, when the pressure in the space R2 decreases to a value lower than a predetermined threshold value due to ink ejection by the liquid ejecting unit 44 or suction from the outside, the movable film 71 is displaced to the valve seat 721 side, thereby causing the pressure receiving plate. 723 presses the valve shaft 726, and the valve body 722 moves against the biasing force of the spring 724, so that the sealing portion 727 is separated from the valve seat 721. Therefore, the space R1 and the space R2 communicate with each other through the communication hole HA. That is, the movable film 71 moves according to the difference between the first pressure in the space R2 that is the storage chamber and the second pressure in the control chamber RC that is outside the storage chamber. Note that the control room RC may be open to the atmosphere. Thereby, the movable film | membrane 71 can be moved according to the difference of atmospheric pressure and the pressure in space R2.

  Further, when the pressing portion 73 is deformed by the pressurization by the pressure adjusting mechanism 18, the movable film 71 is displaced toward the valve seat 721 by the pressing by the pressing portion 73. Therefore, the valve body 722 is moved by the pressure applied by the pressure receiving plate 723 and the on-off valve B [1] is opened. That is, it is possible to forcibly open the on-off valve B [1] by pressurization by the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 regardless of the pressure level in the space R2. That is, the movable film 71 moves according to the difference between the first pressure in the space R2 that is the storage chamber and the second pressure in the control chamber RC that is outside the storage chamber, and moves by being pressed by the pressing portion 73.

  In the present embodiment, since the pressing portion 73 is deformed by pressurization by the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 and the movable film 71 is deformed by the pressing portion 73, the pressing portion 73 is easily subjected to the pressure of the pressure adjusting mechanism 18, and The repulsion due to the pressure of the ink in the space R2 that presses the movable film 71 can be reduced.

By the way, when the movable film 71 is pressed directly by pressurizing the air in the control chamber RC without providing the pressing portion 73, it is movable unless the pressure in the control chamber RC is greater than the pressure of the ink in the space R2. The valve body 722 cannot be pressed by the film 71. Further, when the pressure of the ink in the space R2 changes, the required pressure change of the pressure adjustment mechanism 18 also changes greatly, and the design of the pressure adjustment mechanism 18 becomes difficult. Here, the air pressure Pa (Pa), the ink pressure Pi (Pa), the spring force Fs (N), the reaction force F (N) of the movable film 71, and the pressure receiving area A (m) of the movable film 71 by the pressure adjusting mechanism 18. ² ), the condition necessary to open the on-off valve B [1] is represented by Pa · A> Pi × A + Fs + F, that is, Pa> Pi + (Fs + F) / A. As represented by this equation, in order to deform the movable film 71 directly by the pressure of the pressure adjusting mechanism 18, the pressure Pa of the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 needs to be larger than the pressure Pi of the ink.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, the pressure from the pressure adjustment mechanism 18 is compared by providing the pressing portion 73 and increasing the area of the rear end surface 73c on the defoaming path 75 side that receives the supply pressure of the pressing portion 73. By reducing the area of the front end surface 73b that contacts the movable film 71 of the pressing portion 73, the repulsion due to the pressure of the ink in the space R2 that presses the movable film 71 is reduced. can do. For example, when the area of the front end surface 73b of the protrusion 73a that contacts the movable film 71 of the pressing portion 73 and the area of the rear end surface 73c are 1: 5, the air pressure Pa (Pa) by the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 and ink Pressure Pi (Pa), spring force Fs (N), reaction force F (N) of the movable film 71, pressure receiving area A (m ² ) of the rear end surface 73c of the pressing portion 73, movable film of the front end surface 73b of the pressing portion 73 Assuming that the pressure receiving area Af (m ² ) (= 1/5 · A) received from 71 and the rubber reaction force Fg (N) of the pressing portion 73, the condition necessary to open the on-off valve B [1] is Pa · A −Fg> Pi (1/5 · A) + Fs + F, and Pa> (1/5) Pi + (Fs + F + Fg) / A. As represented by this equation, the pressure Pa of the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 required to open the on-off valve B [1] when the pressing portion 73 of the present embodiment is provided is a space partitioned by the movable film 71. The influence of the ink pressure Pi in R2 can be reduced to 1/5. Therefore, since the force repelling the pressing part 73 by the movable film 71 becomes weak, the deformation of the pressing part 73 can be maintained even if the pressure of the defoaming path 75 by the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 is small. For this reason, it is not necessary for the pressure adjustment mechanism 18 to supply a large pressure to the defoaming path 75, and it is not necessary for the pressure adjustment mechanism 18 to make the defoaming path 75 a high pressure. The time can be shortened and the durability of the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 can be improved. In addition, a device capable of outputting a large pressure is not required as the pressure adjustment mechanism 18, and the pressure adjustment mechanism 18 can be reduced in size and cost can be reduced. Further, since the pressure of the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 necessary for opening the on-off valve B [1] has little influence on the pressure change of the ink in the space R2, the design of the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 can be simplified. In order to reduce the influence of the ink pressure Pi in the space R 2, the area of the tip surface 73 b of the protrusion 73 a where the pressing portion 73 presses the movable film 71 can be reduced by the movable film 71 of the pressing portion 73. This can be realized by making the area smaller than the area of the region facing the flexible portion. That is, the pressure received by the movable film 71 from the ink in the space R2 is absorbed by the movement of the portion other than the area in contact with the pressing portion 73 toward the control chamber RC. Incidentally, when the movable film 71 and the pressure receiving plate 723 are joined, the pressure receiving area Af may be the area of the pressure receiving plate 723. Even in this case, since the movable film 71 is bent and deformed, the pressure receiving plate 723 is provided with a smaller area than the movable film portion of the movable film 71. Therefore, the influence of the ink pressure Pi in the space R2 delimited by the movable film 71, that is, the reaction force can be reduced.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the flow path unit 42 is a structure in which a flow path for supplying ink that has passed through the valve mechanism unit 41 to the liquid ejecting unit 44 is formed inside.

  Specifically, the flow path unit 42 of the present embodiment includes a defoaming space Q, a filter F [1], a vertical space RV, and a check valve 74. The defoaming space Q is a space in which bubbles extracted from ink temporarily stay.

  The filter F [1] is installed so as to cross the internal flow path for supplying ink to the liquid ejecting unit 44, and collects bubbles and foreign matters mixed in the ink. Specifically, the filter F [1] is installed so as to partition the space RF1 and the space RF2. The upstream space RF1 communicates with the space R2 of the valve mechanism unit 41, and the downstream space RF2 communicates with the vertical space RV.

  A gas permeable membrane MC (illustrated as a second gas permeable membrane) is interposed between the space RF1 and the defoaming space Q. Specifically, the ceiling surface of the space RF1 is composed of the gas permeable membrane MC. The gas permeable membrane MC is a gas permeable membrane body (gas-liquid separation membrane) that allows gas (air) to permeate but does not allow liquid such as ink to permeate, and is formed of, for example, a known polymer material. Bubbles collected by the filter F [1] reach the ceiling surface of the space RF1 due to the rise by buoyancy, and are discharged into the defoaming space Q by permeating the gas permeable membrane MC. That is, the bubbles mixed in the ink are separated.

  The vertical space RV is a space for temporarily storing ink. In the vertical space RV of the first embodiment, an inflow port Vin through which ink that has passed through the filter F [1] flows in from the space RF2 and an outflow port Vout through which ink flows out to the nozzle N side are formed. That is, the ink in the space RF2 flows into the vertical space RV through the inflow port Vin, and the ink in the vertical space RV flows into the liquid ejecting unit 44 (common liquid chamber SR) through the outflow port Vout. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the inflow port Vin is positioned above the vertical direction (the negative side in the Z direction) as compared to the outflow port Vout.

  A gas permeable membrane MA (illustrated as a first gas permeable membrane) is interposed between the vertical space RV and the defoaming space Q. Specifically, the ceiling surface of the vertical space RV is constituted by the gas permeable membrane MA. The gas permeable membrane MA is a gas permeable membrane body like the gas permeable membrane MC described above. Therefore, the air bubbles that have passed through the filter F [1] and entered the vertical space RV rise by buoyancy, pass through the gas permeable membrane MA on the ceiling surface of the vertical space RV, and are discharged into the defoaming space Q. As described above, since the inflow port Vin is positioned above the outflow port Vout in the vertical direction, the bubbles can effectively reach the gas permeable membrane MA on the ceiling surface by using the buoyancy in the vertical space RV. It is possible.

  As described above, the common liquid chamber SR of the liquid ejecting unit 44 is formed with an inlet Rin into which ink supplied from the outlet Vout of the vertical space RV flows. That is, the ink flowing out from the outlet Vout of the vertical space RV flows into the common liquid chamber SR via the inlet Rin and is supplied to each pressure chamber SC via the opening 481A. Further, a discharge port Rout is formed in the common liquid chamber SR of the first embodiment. The discharge port Rout is a flow path formed in the ceiling surface 49 of the common liquid chamber SR. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the ceiling surface 49 of the common liquid chamber SR is an inclined surface (a flat surface or a curved surface) that increases from the inlet Rin side to the outlet Rout side. Accordingly, the bubbles that have entered from the inflow port Rin are guided to the discharge port Rout side along the ceiling surface 49 by the action of buoyancy.

  Between the common liquid chamber SR and the defoaming space Q, a gas permeable membrane MB (illustrated as a first gas permeable membrane) is interposed. The gas permeable membrane MB is a gas permeable membrane body, similar to the gas permeable membrane MA and the gas permeable membrane MC. Accordingly, the bubbles that have entered the discharge port Rout from the common liquid chamber SR rise due to buoyancy, pass through the gas permeable membrane MB, and are discharged into the defoaming space Q. As described above, since the bubbles in the common liquid chamber SR are guided to the discharge port Rout along the ceiling surface 49, for example, the inside of the common liquid chamber SR is compared with a configuration in which the ceiling surface 49 of the common liquid chamber SR is a horizontal plane. It is possible to effectively discharge the bubbles. It is also possible to form the gas permeable membrane MA, the gas permeable membrane MB, and the gas permeable membrane MC with a single film body.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the gas permeable membrane MA is interposed between the vertical space RV and the defoaming space Q, and the gas permeable membrane MB is interposed between the common liquid chamber SR and the defoaming space Q. The gas permeable membrane MC is interposed between the space RF1 and the defoaming space Q. That is, the bubbles that have passed through each of the gas permeable membrane MA, the gas permeable membrane MB, and the gas permeable membrane MC reach the common defoaming space Q. Therefore, there is an advantage that the structure for discharging the bubbles is simplified as compared with the configuration in which the bubbles extracted in each part of the liquid ejecting unit 40 are supplied to separate spaces.

  As illustrated in FIG. 4, the defoaming space Q communicates with the defoaming path 75. The defoaming path 75 is a path for discharging the air staying in the defoaming space Q to the outside of the apparatus. A check valve 74 is interposed between the defoaming space Q and the defoaming path 75. The check valve 74 is a valve mechanism that permits the flow of air from the defoaming space Q toward the defoaming path 75 while inhibiting the flow of air from the defoaming path 75 to the defoaming space Q.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram focusing on the vicinity of the check valve 74 in the flow path unit 42. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the check valve 74 of the first embodiment includes a valve seat 741, a valve body 742, and a spring 743. The valve seat 741 is a flat part that partitions the defoaming space Q and the defoaming path 75. The valve seat 741 is formed with a communication hole HB that allows the defoaming space Q and the defoaming path 75 to communicate with each other. The valve body 742 faces the valve seat 741 and is urged toward the valve seat 741 by the spring 743. In a state where the pressure in the defoaming path 75 is maintained to be equal to or higher than the pressure in the defoaming space Q (a state in which the defoaming path 75 is opened to the atmosphere or pressurized), the valve body 742 is moved by the bias from the spring 743. By closely contacting the valve seat 741, the communication hole HB is closed. Therefore, the defoaming space Q and the defoaming path 75 are blocked. On the other hand, in a state where the pressure in the defoaming path 75 is lower than the pressure in the defoaming space Q (a state in which the inside of the defoaming path 75 is depressurized), the valve body 742 resists the bias by the spring 743 and the valve seat 741. Separate from. Therefore, the defoaming space Q and the defoaming path 75 communicate with each other through the communication hole HB.

  The defoaming path 75 of this embodiment is connected to a path connecting the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 and the control chamber RC of the valve mechanism unit 41. That is, the path connected to the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 branches into two systems, one is connected to the control chamber RC and the other is connected to the defoaming path 75.

  As illustrated in FIG. 4, a discharge path 76 extending from the liquid ejecting unit 40 to the inside of the distribution flow path 36 via the valve mechanism unit 41 is formed. The discharge path 76 is a path that communicates with an internal flow path (specifically, a flow path for supplying ink to the liquid ejecting unit 44) of the liquid ejecting unit 40. Specifically, the discharge path 76 communicates with the discharge port Rout of the common liquid chamber SR of each liquid ejecting unit 44 and the vertical space RV.

  An end of the discharge path 76 opposite to the liquid ejecting unit 40 is connected to the closing valve 78. Although the position where the blocking valve 78 is installed is arbitrary, the configuration in which the blocking valve 78 is installed in the distribution flow path 36 is illustrated in FIG. The shut-off valve 78 is a valve mechanism capable of closing the discharge path 76 in a normal state (normally closed) and temporarily opening the discharge path 76 to the atmosphere.

  The operation of the liquid ejecting unit 40 focusing on the discharge of bubbles from the internal flow path will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 7, in the stage where the liquid ejecting unit 40 is initially filled with ink (hereinafter referred to as “initial filling”), the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 performs a pressurizing operation. That is, the inside of the defoaming path 75 of the pressing portion 73 is pressurized by supplying air. Accordingly, the pressing portion 73 in the control chamber RC is elastically deformed toward the movable film 71 to displace the movable film 71 and the pressure receiving plate 723, and the valve body 722 is moved by the pressure from the pressure receiving plate 723 to move the space R1 and the space R2. And communicate. In the state where the defoaming path 75 is pressurized, the check valve 74 blocks the defoaming space Q and the defoaming path 75, so that the air in the defoaming path 75 does not flow into the defoaming space Q. On the other hand, the closing valve 78 is opened at the initial filling stage.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, the pressing portion 73 has an area of the distal end surface 73b that presses the movable film 71, that is, an area of the distal end surface 73b of the protruding portion 73a as shown in FIG. It is smaller than the area of the rear end face 73c that receives the supply pressure. Therefore, the reaction force that the pressing portion 73 receives from the movable film 71, that is, the pressure that the movable film 71 receives from the ink in the space R2 can be reduced, and the pressure of the defoaming path 75 that the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 pressurizes is reduced. Can be small.

  In the above state, the liquid pumping mechanism 16 pumps the ink stored in the liquid container 14 to the internal flow path of the liquid ejecting unit 40. Specifically, the ink pumped from the liquid pumping mechanism 16 is supplied to the vertical space RV through the open / close valve B [1], and from the vertical space RV to the common liquid chamber SR and each pressure chamber SC. Supplied. Since the blocking valve 78 is open as described above, the air that was present in the internal flow path before the initial filling is performed is filled with ink in the internal flow path and the discharge path 76 together with the discharge path 76 and the blocking valve 78. It passes through and is discharged outside the device. Accordingly, the entire internal flow path including the common liquid chamber SR and each pressure chamber SC of the liquid ejecting unit 40 is filled with ink, and the ink can be ejected from the nozzle N by the operation of the piezoelectric element 484. As illustrated above, in the first embodiment, since the closing valve 78 is opened when ink is pumped from the liquid pumping mechanism 16 to the liquid ejecting unit 40, the ink is efficiently supplied to the internal flow path of the liquid ejecting unit 40. Filling is possible. When the initial filling described above is completed, the pressurizing operation by the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 is stopped and the closing valve 78 is closed.

  As illustrated in FIG. 8, when the initial filling is completed and the liquid ejecting apparatus 100 can be used, the bubbles present in the internal flow path of the liquid ejecting unit 40 are constantly discharged into the defoaming space Q. Specifically, the bubbles in the space RF1 are discharged to the defoaming space Q through the gas permeable membrane MC, and the bubbles in the vertical space RV are discharged to the defoaming space Q through the gas permeable membrane MA. Bubbles in the chamber SR are discharged to the defoaming space Q through the gas permeable membrane MB. On the other hand, the on-off valve B [1] is closed when the pressure in the space R2 is maintained within a predetermined range, and is opened when the pressure in the space R2 falls below a predetermined threshold. When the on-off valve B [1] is opened, the ink supplied from the liquid pumping mechanism 16 flows from the space R1 into the space R2, and as a result, the pressure in the space R2 rises, so that the on-off valve B [1] Blocked.

  The air staying in the defoaming space Q in the operation state illustrated in FIG. 8 is discharged outside the apparatus by the defoaming operation. The defoaming operation can be executed at any time, for example, immediately after the liquid ejecting apparatus 100 is turned on or during the printing operation. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the defoaming operation. As illustrated in FIG. 9, when the defoaming operation is started, the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 performs a pressure reducing operation. That is, the space R3 and the defoaming path 75 are depressurized by air suction.

  When the defoaming path 75 is depressurized, the valve body 742 of the check valve 74 separates from the valve seat 741 against the biasing force of the spring 743, and the defoaming space Q and the defoaming path 75 open the communication hole HB. To communicate with each other. Therefore, the air in the defoaming space Q is discharged to the outside of the apparatus through the defoaming path 75. On the other hand, the pressing portion 73 is deformed to the opposite side of the movable film 71 due to the decompression of the internal space. However, since the pressure in the control chamber RC (and hence the movable film 71) is not affected, the on-off valve B [1] is closed. Maintained in a state.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the space R <b> 3 has a wall 41 a that faces the rear end surface 73 c of the pressing portion 73, and the wall 41 a has a protrusion that protrudes toward the pressing portion 73. A portion 41b is provided. Thus, by providing the convex part 41b on the wall 41a opposite to the rear end face 73c, the contact area between the pressing part 73 and the wall 41a is reduced, and the pressing part 73 is prevented from sticking to the wall 41a due to condensation or the like. be able to. Further, by providing the convex portion 41b on the wall 41a, it is possible to restrict the pressing portion 73 from being deformed to the side opposite to the movable film 71 when the defoaming path 75 is decompressed. Damage due to various deformations can be suppressed. In addition, the convex part 41b may be provided in the shape of a beam.

  As illustrated above, in the first embodiment, since the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 is shared for opening / closing the on-off valve B [1] and opening / closing the check valve 74, the on-off valve B [1] and the check valve 74 are shared. Is advantageous in that the configuration for controlling the on-off valve B [1] and the check valve 74 is simplified.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a pressing portion 73 that presses the movable film 71 is provided, and the area of the front end surface 73b that presses the movable film 71 that is the pressure receiving portion of the pressing portion 73 is smaller than the area of the rear end surface 73c that receives the supply pressure. Thus, the reaction pressure from the movable film 71 can be reduced by receiving the supply pressure on the wide rear end surface 73c, making the pressure easy to receive, and making the front end surface 73b a small area. Therefore, a high pressure is not required as the supply pressure. Further, since the pressure of the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 that supplies the supply pressure necessary to open the on-off valve B [1] has little influence on the pressure change of the ink in the space R2, the design of the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 is simplified. can do. Furthermore, since the influence of the reaction force of the ink through the movable film 71 can be reduced, the posture of the pressing portion 73 can be easily maintained. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the state where the on-off valve B [1] is stably opened.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the movable film 71 is provided with the pressure receiving plate 723. For this reason, when the pressing part 73 presses the movable film | membrane 71, deformation | transformation of the movable film | membrane 71 extending or being torn can be suppressed. Further, by providing the pressure receiving plate 723 on the valve body 722 side, it is possible to suppress the valve body 722 from directly contacting the movable film 71 and to suppress deformation and breakage of the movable film 71 caused by contacting the valve body 722. be able to.

  In the present embodiment, the pressure receiving plate 723 has a larger area than the tip end surface 73 b of the pressing portion 73, so that the positions of the pressure receiving plate 723 and the tip end surface 73 b of the pressing portion 73 are shifted. The pressure receiving plate 723 can be reliably pressed by the distal end surface 73 b of the pressing portion 73.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the thickness of the portion other than the tip of the thickness of the pressing portion 73, that is, the thickness of the portion other than the projection 73a provided with the tip surface 73b is the thickness of the portion provided with the projection 73a. It was made thinner than the thickness. For this reason, a portion other than the tip of the pressing portion 73, that is, a portion other than the projection 73a can be easily deformed, and the projection 73a having the tip surface 73b can be easily moved toward the movable film 71.

  In the present embodiment, the wall 41 a is provided on the opposite side of the pressing portion 73 from the movable film 71, and the wall 41 a is provided with a convex portion 41 b that is a convex portion in contact with the pressing portion 73. For this reason, by providing the convex portion 41b on the wall 41a opposite to the rear end surface 73c in this way, the contact area between the pressing portion 73 and the wall 41a is reduced, and the pressing portion 73 sticks to the wall 41a due to condensation or the like. Can be suppressed. Further, by providing the convex portion 41b on the wall 41a, it is possible to restrict the pressing portion 73 from being deformed to the side opposite to the movable film 71 when the defoaming path 75 is decompressed. Damage due to various deformations can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, the liquid ejecting unit 40 of the present embodiment includes a valve mechanism unit 41 that is a flow path structure, and a liquid ejecting unit 44 that changes the first pressure by ejecting ink in the space R2 that is a storage chamber. . When the liquid ejecting section 44 ejects ink in the space R2, even if the ink in the space R2 is consumed, the movable film 71 operates based on the pressure in the space R2 to open the on-off valve B [1]. The ink can be supplied from the space R1 into the space R2. Accordingly, ink can be supplied to the liquid ejecting unit 44 at a constant pressure.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the valve mechanism unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. In addition, the member equivalent to embodiment mentioned above attaches | subjects the same code | symbol, and abbreviate | omits the description which overlaps.

  As shown in the drawing, a pressure receiving plate 723 is provided on the surface of the movable film 71 facing the valve seat 721. The pressure receiving plate 723 has a barb 723 a that is separated from the movable film 71. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the barbs 723 a are provided by bending both ends in the X direction of the pressure receiving plate 723 toward the Z direction. The barb 723a may be formed by, for example, molding without bending the pressure receiving plate 723. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, a barb may not be provided at the end portion of the pressure receiving plate 723 in the Y direction. Of course, a return 723a may be provided at the end of the pressure receiving plate 723 that is the free end in the Y direction.

  By providing the return plate 723a on the pressure receiving plate 723 in this manner, the strength of the pressure receiving plate 723 can be increased, and therefore, the pressure receiving plate 723 is prevented from being deformed when pressed by the pressing portion 73 or the movable film 71. Can do. Further, since the direction of the return 723a of the pressure receiving plate 723 is a direction away from the movable film 71, the movable film 71 can be suppressed from being damaged by the edge of the pressure receiving plate 723.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, when the return 723a is provided in the space R3 and the movable film 71 is pressed by the pressing portion 73, the return 723a is the wall surface of the space R3, that is, the valve seat 721. To abut. Incidentally, the height at which the return 723a abuts against the wall surface of the space R3 is the state in which the on-off valve B [1] is opened. Thus, since the return 723a abuts against the wall surface of the space R3, excessive deformation of the movable film 71 can be suppressed, so that damage due to excessive deformation of the movable film 71 and the pressing portion 73 can be suppressed. it can.

  In this embodiment, the pressure receiving plate 723 is provided on the surface of the movable film 71 facing the valve seat 721. However, the pressure receiving plate 723 is not particularly limited thereto, and is opposite to the surface of the movable film 71 facing the valve seat 721. A pressure receiving plate 723 may be provided on the side surface. In this case, the barb 723a may be provided in a direction away from the movable film 71.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the pressure receiving plate 723 has a valve element between a fulcrum 723b supported at one end by the valve mechanism unit 41, a pressed position 723c pressed by the pressing part 73, and the fulcrum 723b. A contact position 723d that contacts the 722. That is, when viewed in a plan view from the Z direction, the pressed position 723 c pressed by the pressing portion 73 of the pressure receiving plate 723 and the contact position 723 d that contacts the valve body 722 do not overlap. In this manner, the contact position 723d of the pressure receiving plate 723 that contacts the valve body 722 is disposed between the fulcrum 723b and the pressed position 723c, so that the pressing portion 73 presses the movable film 71 against the pressing amount. The amount of movement of the valve body 722 is reduced. Therefore, variation in the position of the valve body 722 can be reduced, and the opening / closing accuracy of the valve body 722 can be improved. In other words, the amount of movement of the contact position 723d is smaller than the amount of pressing the pressing portion 73 pressing the movable film 71. Therefore, even if the amount of pressing the pressing portion 73 presses the movable film 71 varies, the contact position 723d is moved to. The effect of is less. Thereby, the opening / closing accuracy of the valve body 722 can be improved.

  In addition, a pressing portion 73 similar to that of the first embodiment described above is provided between the control room RC and the space R3. The pressing portion 73 is a plate-like member made of an elastic material such as rubber, and the pressing portion 73 is provided by closing the opening of the control chamber RC. Further, in the present embodiment, the pressing portion 73 is elastically deformed in a convex shape toward the movable film 71 when the defoaming path 75 is pressurized by the pressurizing operation of the pressure adjusting mechanism 18. When not performed, it has a plate shape.

  Further, the pressing portion 73 is provided with a protruding portion 73a that protrudes toward the movable film 71, and the area of the front end surface 73b of the protruding portion 73a is smaller than the area of the rear end surface 73c that receives supply pressure. Yes. In such a pressing portion 73, the thickness in the Z direction other than the portion where the protrusion 73a is provided is thinner than the thickness of the portion where the protrusion 73a is provided in the Z direction. That is, the protrusion 73a is formed by increasing the thickness of the plate member in the Z direction. As described above, the thickness of the pressing portion 73 other than the protruding portion 73a is deformed by reducing the thickness of the pressing portion 73 other than the portion where the protruding portion 73a is provided as compared with the thickness of the region where the protruding portion 73a is provided. Can be made easier. By the way, when the thickness of the portion other than the protrusion 73a of the pressing portion 73 is the same as that of the protrusion 73a, the portion other than the protrusion 73a of the pressing portion 73 is difficult to deform and the portion provided with the protrusion 73a There is a possibility that the movable film 71 cannot be pressed with high accuracy due to deformation. In the present embodiment, by reducing the thickness of the portion other than the protrusion 73a to facilitate deformation, the shape of the protrusion 73a can be stabilized and the movable film 71 can be pressed with high accuracy.

  Note that the pressing portion 73 is disposed away from the movable film 71 in a state where the pressing operation is not performed by the pressure adjusting mechanism 18. Thus, by disposing the pressing portion 73 away from the movable film 71, it is possible to prevent the valve from opening when the pressing portion 73 bends at an unexpected timing. Incidentally, if the pressing portion 73 is in contact with the movable film 71, there is a possibility that the valve body 722 may be pressed and opened when unexpected bending such as vibration or aging of the pressing portion 73 occurs. is there. Of course, by pressing the movable film 71 with such a pressing portion 73, the pressure received by the movable film 71 from the ink can be received only by the front end surface 73 b of the pressing portion 73, and the pressing portion 73 is caused by the pressure of the ink. The effect of being pushed can be reduced.

  Further, the control chamber RC is provided with a wall 41a facing the rear end surface 73c of the pressing portion 73. The wall 41a has a plurality of convex portions 41b that can come into contact with the pressing portion 73 and a concave portion 41c provided between the plurality of convex portions 41b.

  In the present embodiment, a plurality of continuously protruding convex portions 41b extending in the X direction are arranged at intervals in the Y direction.

  In addition, an opening 75a that penetrates in the Z direction and communicates with the defoaming path 75 is provided in the bottom surface of each recess 41c between the plurality of protrusions 41b. That is, the air from the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 is supplied to the space R3 from the recess 41c. In the present embodiment, the opening 75a in which the defoaming path 75 opens in a part of the bottom surface of the recess 41d is used. However, the present invention is not particularly limited thereto, and the entire bottom surface of the recess 41d may be the opening 75a. Good. Further, in the present embodiment, the defoaming path 75 and the space R3 communicate with each other in the Z direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and at the end in the X direction of the recess 41d without penetrating in the Z direction. You may communicate with the defoaming path | route 75 in a X direction or a Y direction.

  By providing the plurality of convex portions 41b on the wall 41a in this way, the rear end surface 73c of the pressing portion 73 comes into contact with the plurality of convex portions 41b when the defoaming path 75 and the space R3 are decompressed. Therefore, the contact area between the rear end surface 73c of the pressing portion 73 and the wall 41a can be reduced, and the pressing portion 73 can be prevented from sticking to the wall 41a due to condensation or the like.

  Further, when the defoaming path 75 and the space R3 are depressurized, the rear end surface 73c of the pressing portion 73 comes into contact with the plurality of convex portions 41b, so that the pressing portion 73 is deformed to the side opposite to the movable film 71. Be regulated. Therefore, excessive deformation of the pressing portion 73 can be suppressed, and damage to the pressing portion 73 can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the air of the pressure adjustment mechanism 18 is supplied from the plurality of recesses 41c, the pressing portion 73 can be operated even if one of the recesses 41c is clogged. That is, when only one concave portion 41 c communicates with the defoaming path 75, the concave portion 41 c becomes clogged and the pressing portion 73 cannot be operated, but the plurality of concave portions 41 c communicate with the defoaming path 75. By doing so, it becomes possible to operate the pressing portion 73 even if one concave portion 41c is clogged, and the reliability can be improved.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the pressure receiving plate 723 is provided, and the pressure receiving plate 723 is provided with the return 723a that is separated from the movable film 71, whereby the strength of the pressure receiving plate 723 can be increased. It can suppress that it deform | transforms when it is pressed by 73 and the movable film | membrane 71. FIG. Moreover, since the direction of the return 723a of the pressure receiving plate 723 is a direction away from the movable film 71, the movable film 71 can be prevented from being damaged by the edge of the pressure receiving plate 723.

  Further, the return 723a is in the space R2, and the movable film 71 is pressed by the pressing portion 73 so that the return 723a contacts the wall surface of the space R2. For this reason, since the excessive deformation | transformation of the movable film | membrane 71 can be suppressed, the damage by the excessive deformation | transformation of the movable film | membrane 71 and the press part 73 can be suppressed.

  Further, the pressure receiving plate 723 has a fulcrum 723b, a pressed position 723c pressed by the pressing portion 73, and a contact position 723d that contacts the valve body 722 between the fulcrum 723b and the pressed position 723c. did. For this reason, the variation of the contact position 723d contacting the valve body 722 with respect to the variation of the pressed position 723c can be reduced, the positional accuracy of the valve body 722 is improved, and the opening / closing accuracy of the valve body 722 is improved. Can do.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the thickness of the part which is not the front-end | tip of the thickness of the press part 73, ie, the thickness of parts other than the projection part 73a in which the front end surface 73b was provided, is the part in which the projection part 73a was provided. It was made thinner than the thickness. For this reason, a portion other than the tip of the pressing portion 73, that is, a portion other than the projection 73a can be easily deformed, and the projection 73a having the tip surface 73b can be easily moved toward the movable film 71.

  Furthermore, a wall 41a provided on the opposite side of the movable portion 71 with respect to the pressing portion 73 is provided. The wall 41a includes a plurality of convex portions 41b in contact with the pressing portion 73 and concave portions between the plurality of convex portions 41b. 41c. By providing the plurality of convex portions 41b on the wall 41a in this way, the rear end surface 73c of the pressing portion 73 comes into contact with the plurality of convex portions 41b when the defoaming path 75 and the space R3 are decompressed. Accordingly, the contact area between the rear end surface 73c of the pressing portion 73 and the wall 41a can be reduced, and the pressing portion 73 can be prevented from sticking to the wall 41a due to condensation or the like, and is opposite to the movable film 71 of the pressing portion 73. The deformation to the side is restricted, and the excessive deformation of the pressing portion 73 can be suppressed to prevent the pressing portion 73 from being damaged.

  Also, a plurality of recesses 41c are provided, and by supplying air from each recess 41c, it becomes possible to operate the pressing portion 73 even if one recess 41c is clogged, and to improve reliability. Can do.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of main parts of a valve mechanism unit according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member similar to embodiment mentioned above, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the pressing portion 73 of the present embodiment includes a protruding portion 73 a and a first portion 73 d and a second portion 73 e that are bent portions.

  The first portion 73d is provided so as to surround the periphery of the protrusion 73a provided in the center portion, and is provided so as to be bent back in the Z direction. The first portion is deformed by a strong supply pressure from the pressure adjusting mechanism 18. Incidentally, the deformation of the first portion 73d means that the bent portion extends so that the bent angle changes.

  The second portion 73e is provided outside the first portion 73d so as to surround the first portion 73d, and is bent at about 90 degrees. The second portion 73 e is deformed by a weak supply pressure from the pressure adjustment mechanism 18. Incidentally, the deformation of the second portion 73e means that the bent portion extends so that the bent angle changes.

  Thus, by providing the pressing portion 73 with the first portion 73d and the second portion 73e which are bent portions, the area of the rear end surface 73c receiving the supply pressure from the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 of the pressing portion 73 is increased, and more It can be deformed with a small supply pressure.

  Further, by providing the pressing portion 73 with the first portion 73d and the second portion 73e, which are bent portions, the displacement amount of the pressing portion 73, particularly the amount of movement in the Z direction of the portion provided with the protrusion 73a is increased. be able to. That is, the pressing portion 73 is deformed so as to widen the bent angle of the first portion 73d and the second portion 73e, which are bent portions, so that the portion provided with the protrusion 73a that presses the movable film 71 is formed in the Z direction. Can be moved greatly. The pressure necessary to deform the bent portions of the first portion 73d and the second portion 73e so as to widen the bending angle causes the flat pressing portion 73 of the first and second embodiments described above to be deformed. Small compared to pressure. Therefore, the pressing portion 73 of the present embodiment can increase the deformation amount with a small supply pressure.

  In the present embodiment, the pressing portion 73 is provided with a first portion 73d that deforms with a strong supply pressure as a bent portion and a second portion 73e that deforms with a weak supply pressure. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, the second portion 73e is deformed with a weak supply pressure and the movable film 71 is pushed to such an extent that the on-off valve B [1] does not open, and as shown in FIG. It is possible to easily perform the first state in which the first portion 73d and the second portion 73e are deformed by the supply pressure and the movable film 71 is pushed to such an extent that the on-off valve B [1] is opened.

  Such a first state and a second state can be switched by controlling the supply pressure of the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 by the control unit 20. Here, the control unit 20 will be further described with reference to FIG. FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a function realization unit of the control unit.

  The control unit 20 has a function as a pressure adjustment unit 21 that controls the pressure adjustment mechanism 18. The pressure adjusting unit 21 controls the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 to pressurize the air that is supplied to the flow path connected to the pressure adjusting mechanism 18, that is, the defoaming path 75, and the air from the flow path. The pressure adjusting mechanism 18 is caused to perform a decompression operation for suction.

  Such a pressure adjusting unit 21 controls the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 to pressurize the flow path connected to the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 shown in FIG. The depressurization operation for depressurizing the road is repeated. As a result, ink pressure fluctuations in the space R2 occur, and the ink meniscus of the nozzle N communicating with the space R2 can be swung. In this way, by causing the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 to swing the meniscus of the nozzle N, drying of the ink can be suppressed. Further, the oscillation of the meniscus of the ink of the nozzle N using the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 can be largely oscillated compared to the oscillation using the piezoelectric element 484. Further, ink may be ejected from the nozzle N by rocking. In this way, by swinging the meniscus of the nozzle N using the pressure adjusting mechanism 18, it is not necessary to use the piezoelectric element 484, and the life of the piezoelectric element 484 can be suppressed from being shortened. Of course, the oscillation of the meniscus of the nozzle N by the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 and the oscillation of the meniscus of the nozzle N by driving the piezoelectric element 484 may be used in combination. Also by this, the meniscus of the nozzle N can be swung further.

  Further, the pressure adjusting unit 21 controls the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 to pressurize the flow path connected to the pressure adjusting mechanism 18 to the first state as shown in FIG. 1] can be opened to perform initial filling or the like.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the pressing portion 73 has the first portion 73d and the second portion 73e as bent portions. For this reason, the area of the rear end surface 73c which receives supply pressure can be enlarged. Further, the first portion 73d and the second portion 73e, which are the bent portions, are deformed so as to be widened, so that they can be largely deformed with a small supply pressure.

  In addition, the pressing portion 73 is in a first state in which the movable film 71 is pushed to such an extent that the on-off valve B [1] is opened, and a second state in which the on-off valve B [1] is pushed to the extent that the on-off valve B [1] is not opened. The movable film 71 was pushed. For this reason, the pressing part 73 can be operated in multiple stages, and the movable film 71 can be easily pressed in multiple stages.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 20 is provided as a control unit for controlling the meniscus of the nozzle N of the liquid ejecting unit 44 by pushing the movable film 71 in the second state. In this way, by causing the meniscus of the nozzle N to oscillate in the second state, it is possible to suppress ink drying. Further, the oscillation of the meniscus of the ink of the nozzle N using the valve mechanism unit 41 can be largely oscillated compared to the oscillation using the piezoelectric element 484. Further, ink may be ejected from the nozzle N by rocking. Furthermore, by swinging the meniscus of the nozzle N using the valve mechanism unit 41, it is not necessary to use the piezoelectric element 484, and the life of the piezoelectric element 484 can be suppressed from being shortened.

  In the present embodiment, the pressing portion 73 includes a first portion 73d that is deformed by a strong supply pressure and a second portion 73e that is deformed by a weak supply pressure, thereby deforming the first portion 73d. Thus, it is possible to easily realize the first state in which the on-off valve B [1] is opened and the second state in which the on-off valve B [1] is not opened by deformation of the second portion 73e.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 17 is a plan view of the movable film according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the pressure adjustment mechanism. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member similar to embodiment mentioned above, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in the drawing, in the portion pressed by the pressing portion 73 of the movable film 71, a convex portion 71a provided independently in a plurality of island shapes, and a concave portion 71b provided between the plurality of convex portions 71a, It comprises. In the present embodiment, a plurality of island-shaped convex portions 71a are bonded to the surface of the movable film 71 on the pressing portion 73 side, whereby the plurality of convex portions 71a and the concave portions 71b are formed between the convex portions 71a. In addition, the plurality of convex portions 71a of this embodiment are provided with three rows of convex portions 71a arranged in parallel in the Y direction in the X direction, and the rows of convex portions 71a adjacent in the X direction constitute each row. It arrange | positions so that the half pitch of the pitch of the convex part 71a to perform may shift | deviate.

  Thus, by providing the convex part 71a and the recessed part 71b in the part pressed by the press part 73 of the movable film | membrane 71, as shown in FIG. 19, when the pressure adjustment mechanism 18 performs pressurization operation | movement, as shown in FIG. The front end surface 73b of the pressing portion 73 contacts only the front end surfaces of the plurality of convex portions 71a. Therefore, the contact area between the pressing portion 73 and the movable film 71 can be reduced, and the pressing portion 73 and the movable film 71 can be prevented from sticking due to condensation.

  In the present embodiment, the plurality of convex portions 71a are bonded to the movable film 71. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, unevenness may be formed on the surface of the plate member, and the plate member may be bonded to the movable film 71. Further, the surface of the movable film 71 may be roughened to provide unevenness. Incidentally, the roughening of the surface of the movable film 71 means, for example, that the surface roughness of the movable film 71 is roughened by dry etching, blasting, wet etching, or the like. A rough film is formed. In this way, by roughening the portion where the pressing portion 73 and the movable film 71 are in contact with each other, it is possible to suppress the pressing portion 73 and the movable film 71 from sticking due to condensation or the like.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the pressure receiving plate 723 is provided on the valve body 722 side of the movable film 71, but the present invention is not particularly limited thereto, and the pressure receiving plate 723 may be provided on the pressing portion 73 side of the movable film 71. . In that case, a plurality of convex portions and concave portions may be provided in a portion pressed by the pressing portion 73 of the pressure receiving plate 723.

  In the present embodiment, the plurality of convex portions 71a and the concave portions 71b are provided in the portion pressed by the pressing portion 73 of the movable film 71. However, the present invention is not particularly limited thereto. A plurality of convex portions and concave portions may be provided on 73b. Of course, you may make it provide a some convex part and a recessed part in both the movable film | membrane 71 and the press part 73. FIG.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the plurality of independent protrusions 71a are provided in an island shape, but the present invention is not particularly limited thereto, and is not limited to the plurality of protrusions 71a, and one protrusion 71a is provided. You may do it. When only one convex portion 71a is provided, the convex portion 71a may be provided at the center in the X direction and the Y direction. Further, a continuous bar-like convex portion extending in the Y direction may be provided in the center of the movable film 71 in the X direction. Of course, two or more island-shaped or cross-shaped convex portions may be provided.

(Other embodiments)
As mentioned above, although each embodiment of this invention was described, the basic composition of this invention is not limited to what was mentioned above.

  For example, the on-off valve B [1] of each embodiment described above is closed by energizing the valve body 722 by the energizing force of the spring 724, but is not particularly limited thereto. The valve may be closed by the dead weight of 722.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the configuration in which the flow path provided with the on-off valve B [1] communicates with the space R2 that is the storage chamber is illustrated, but the present invention is not particularly limited thereto, and the on-off valve B [1 ] Is not connected to the storage chamber space R2, but instead is connected to a power source for pumping liquid to the storage chamber, that is, to the liquid pumping mechanism 16, and the on-off valve B By opening [1], the liquid pumping mechanism 16 may be operated to pump ink into the space R2 that is the storage chamber, and as a result, the first pressure on one side of the movable film 71 may be increased. That is, the flow path that the on-off valve B [1] opens and closes may be a flow path for fluids other than ink, and ink may flow as a result of the on-off valve B [1] opening and closing.

  Moreover, the movable film | membrane 71 which is a pressure receiving part should just move according to the balance of 1st pressure and 2nd pressure, and a material may be a film | membrane, a film, a metal etc., for example. Moreover, the shape of the movable film 71 may be flat, may be a so-called bellows shape in which bending is repeated, or may be a bag-like body.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the movable film 71 that is the pressure receiving portion separates the space R2 that is the storage chamber and the control chamber RC, but the invention is not particularly limited thereto, and the movable film 71 is the storage chamber. May be provided in the form of a bag.

  Moreover, although the press part 73 was made into elastic members, such as rubber | gum, it is not limited to this in particular, Resin etc. which have flexibility may be sufficient.

  Furthermore, the front-end | tip which presses the movable film | membrane 71 of the press part 73 may be provided with two or more. Further, when the pressing portion 73 is provided with a plurality of tips, for example, as in the above-described third embodiment, a first state in which the movable film 71 is pushed to such an extent that the valves are opened at all the tips with a strong supply pressure; It may be possible to switch between the second state in which the movable film 71 is pushed to such an extent that the valve is not opened with only a part of the tip at a weak supply pressure. That is, when a plurality of tips are provided in the pressing portion 73, a portion of the tips may be the second portion that is in the second state, and all the tips may be the first portion that is the first state.

  Furthermore, in each embodiment mentioned above, it was made to remove the bubble in the defoaming space Q by depressurizing the defoaming space Q, but the use to depressurize is not specifically limited to this. For example, a space to be decompressed may be communicated with a flow path through which ink passes through a one-way valve, and the one-way valve may be opened when the space is decompressed to collect ink in the flow path together with bubbles. . That is, the space to be decompressed can be used for the purpose of collecting bubbles contained in the ink. Of course, the space to be decompressed can be used for purposes other than the purpose of collecting bubbles contained in the ink. As another application, for example, the volume of the damper chamber for absorbing the pressure fluctuation in the flow path may be changed by reducing the pressure of the space to change the characteristics of the damper chamber. Further, the dust adhering to the vicinity of the nozzle N may be removed by suction by opening the space so as to face the nozzle N and decompressing the space.

  In addition, when reduced pressure is used to remove bubbles in the defoaming space Q, the reduced pressure space is a gas-permeable sheet-like member (for example, a thin film such as polyacetal, polypropylene, or polyphenylene ether), A rigid wall having a thickness sufficient for gas permeability (for example, the material of the flow path unit 42 including the permeable partition wall is a plastic such as POM (polyacetal), m-PPE (modified polyphenylene ether), or PP (polypropylene)) It is desirable that at least a part of these alloys is formed by using these alloys and the thickness of the rigid wall is generally about 0.5 mm. Alternatively, when the room formed by these sheet-like members or rigid walls and the room communicating through the valve correspond to a space to be decompressed, the space to be decompressed may be formed of a thermosetting resin or metal. Good. In addition, when the space is used for sucking and removing dust adhering to the vicinity of the nozzle N due to the decompression to the space, the space is preferably formed of a thermosetting resin or metal.

  Moreover, in each embodiment mentioned above, although air was illustrated as a fluid from the pressure adjustment mechanism 18 which is a fluid supply source, it is not limited to this in particular, As a fluid, an inert gas, the liquid used for ink, ink Other liquids may be used.

  Further, in each of the embodiments described above, the piezoelectric element 484 has been described as the pressure generating means for causing the pressure change in the pressure chamber SC. However, as the piezoelectric element 484, for example, an electrode and a piezoelectric material are formed and lithographically formed. Thin film type laminated by the method, thick film type formed by pasting green sheets, etc., and longitudinal vibration type piezoelectric elements that are alternately laminated with piezoelectric materials and electrode forming materials to expand and contract in the axial direction are used. be able to. Moreover, as a pressure generating means, a heating element is arranged in the pressure chamber SC, and a bubble is generated from the nozzle by the heat generated by the heating element, or static electricity is generated between the diaphragm and the electrode. Thus, a so-called one in which the diaphragm is deformed by electrostatic force and droplets are ejected from the nozzle can be used.

  In the above-described embodiment, the liquid ejecting unit 40 includes the valve mechanism unit 41 that is a flow path structure. However, the liquid ejecting unit 40 is not particularly limited thereto, and the liquid ejecting unit 40 includes the flow path structure. The valve mechanism unit 41 as described above may not be provided. That is, the valve mechanism unit 41 may be provided at a location different from the liquid ejecting unit 44.

  In addition, the present invention is intended for a wide range of liquid ejecting apparatuses in general, for example, for manufacturing recording heads such as various ink jet recording heads used in image recording apparatuses such as printers, and color filters such as liquid crystal displays. It can also be used for liquid ejecting apparatuses using a coloring material ejecting head, an organic EL display, an electrode material ejecting head used for electrode formation such as an FED (field emission display), and a bio-organic matter ejecting head used for biochip production. Is possible.

  In addition, the present invention is intended for a wide variety of flow channel structures and can be used for devices other than liquid ejecting apparatuses and liquid ejecting units.

  Moreover, this invention may be implement | achieved by combining two or more embodiment arbitrarily selected among Embodiment 1-4 mentioned above and other embodiment, Arbitrary of these embodiment is arbitrary. You may implement | achieve by combining a structure.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Liquid injection apparatus, 12 ... Medium, 14 ... Liquid container, 16 ... Liquid pressure feeding mechanism, 18 ... Pressure adjustment mechanism (fluid supply source), 20 ... Control unit, 21 ... Pressure adjustment part, 22 ... Conveyance mechanism, 24 ... Liquid ejecting head, 26 ... moving mechanism, 32 ... connecting unit, 34 ... second support, 36 ... distribution channel, 38 ... liquid ejecting module, 40 ... liquid ejecting unit, 41 ... valve mechanism unit, 41a ... wall, 41b ... convex part, 41c ... concave part, 41d ... concave part, 42 ... flow path unit, 44 ... liquid ejecting part, 49 ... ceiling surface, 50 ... coupling unit, 71 ... movable film (pressure receiving part), 71a ... convex part, 71b ... Recessed part 73 ... Pressing part 73a ... Protruding part 73b ... Front end face 73c ... Rear end face 73d ... First part 73e ... Second part 74 ... Check valve 75 ... Defoaming path 75a ... Opening 76 ... Discharge route, 78 ... Block valve, 242 ... first support, 244 ... assembly, 262 ... conveyor, 264 ... conveyor belt, 481 ... channel substrate, 481A ... opening, 481B ... branch channel, 481C ... communication channel, 482 ... Pressure chamber substrate, 482A ... opening, 483 ... diaphragm, 484 ... piezoelectric element, 485 ... casing, 486 ... sealing body, 487 ... nozzle plate, 488 ... buffer plate, 721 ... valve seat, 722 ... valve body 723 ... Pressure receiving plate, 723b ... Support point, 723c ... Pressed position, 723d ... Contact position, 724 ... Spring, 725 ... Base, 726 ... Valve shaft, 727 ... Sealing part, 741 ... Valve seat, 742 ... Valve body 743 ... Spring, B [1] ... Open / close valve, F [1] ... Filter, HA ... Communication hole, J ... Injection surface, MA, MB, MC ... Gas permeable membrane, N ... Nozzle, Q ... Defoaming space, R1 ... space, R2 ... space (storage chamber), R3 ... space, Rin ... inlet, RC ... control Chamber, RV ... vertical space, Rout ... outlet, SR ... common liquid chamber, SC ... pressure chamber, Vin ... inlet, Vout ... outlet

Claims (15)

A storage chamber for storing liquid;
A pressure receiving portion that receives a first pressure inside the storage chamber and a second pressure outside the storage chamber;
A valve that opens according to the movement of the pressure-receiving portion and changes the first pressure;
In accordance with the supply pressure of the fluid from the fluid supply source, a pressing unit for pressing the pressure receiving unit,
With
The area of the front-end | tip which presses the said pressure receiving part among the said press parts is smaller than the area of the rear end which receives the said supply pressure. The flow-path structure characterized by the above-mentioned.   The flow path structure according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure receiving plate provided on the pressure receiving portion.   The flow path structure according to claim 2, wherein the pressure receiving plate is larger than the tip.   The flow path structure according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the pressure receiving plate has a turn away from the pressure receiving portion.   The flow path structure according to claim 4, wherein the return is in the storage chamber, and the pressure receiving portion is pressed by the pressing portion and hits the storage chamber.   The pressure receiving portion includes a fulcrum, a pressed position pressed by the pressing portion, and a contact position that contacts the valve between the fulcrum and the pressed position. The flow path structure according to any one of?   The flow path structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a thickness of the pressing portion that is not the tip is thinner than a thickness of the tip portion.   The flow path structure according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion includes a bent portion that is bent. A wall provided on the opposite side of the pressure receiving portion with respect to the pressing portion
The flow path structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the wall includes a plurality of convex portions in contact with the pressing portion and concave portions between the plurality of convex portions. body. A plurality of the recesses are provided,
The flow path structure according to claim 9, wherein the fluid is supplied from each of the recesses.   The said pressure receiving part has a some convex part and the recessed part between the said some convex part in the position pressed by the said press part, The Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Flow channel structure.   The pressing portion pushes the pressure receiving portion in a first state in which the pressure receiving portion is pushed to such an extent that the valve is opened and a second state in which the pressure receiving portion is pushed to an extent that the valve is not opened. The channel structure according to any one of claims 1 to 11. The pressing portion includes a first portion that is deformed by a strong supply pressure, and a second portion that is deformed by a weak supply pressure,
The flow path structure according to claim 12, wherein the first state is formed by deformation of the first portion, and the second state is formed by deformation of the second portion. The flow path structure according to any one of claims 1 to 13,
A liquid ejecting section that changes the first pressure by discharging the liquid in the storage chamber;
A liquid ejecting unit comprising: The channel structure according to any one of claims 1 to 13,
A liquid ejecting section that changes the first pressure by discharging the liquid in the storage chamber from a nozzle;
A control unit that controls to push the pressure receiving unit in the second state to swing the meniscus of the nozzle of the liquid ejecting unit;
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:

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