Method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head

Abstract

In the method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head, a mold 100 , including a convexity portion having convexities which have the substantially same shape as a liquid chamber including pressure chambers 21 and nozzle sections 21 b , is prepared. A slurry SL is filled into the mold 100 , and the mold 100 is placed on a porous plate 120 . A solvent included in the slurry permeates into fine pores of the porous plate. Accordingly, the slurry is dried, so that a compact-after-dried 110 is formed. Thereafter, a vibration plate, and the like are joined to the compact, and the compact is fired. Further, piezoelectric elements, and the like are formed on the pressure chambers.

1 . A method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head including a droplet discharge head body having a pressure chamber for storing liquid, a nozzle section communicating with said pressure chamber, including:
 slurry preparing step for preparing a slurry including ceramic powders, a solvent for said ceramic powders, and an organic material;   mold preparing step for preparing a mold including a base portion having at least one flat surface, and a convexity portion having a convexity which stands from said flat surface of said base portion and has the substantially same shape as a liquid chamber including said pressure chamber and said nozzle section, wherein a portion of said flat surface of said base portion at which said convexity portion does not exist and a surface of said convexity portion constitute a molding surface;   porous plate preparing step for preparing a porous plate, which has at least one flat surface, and through which gases can pass;   head-body-before-fired forming step for forming a droplet discharge head body-before-fired by placing said porous plate and said mold in such a manner that said porous plate and said mold oppose to each other while said slurry is maintained between said flat surface of said porous plate and said molding surface of the mold, and drying said slurry through having said solvent included in said slurry permeate into fine pores of said porous plate; and   firing step for firing said droplet discharge head body-before-fired.   
     
     
         2 . The method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to  claim 1 , wherein,
 said head-body-before-fired forming step includes:   polishing-before-demolding step for polishing, in a state in which a compact-after-dried formed of said slurry which was dried in said mold is maintained in said mold, an exposed surface of said compact-after-dried to thereby remove a remnant membrane of said compact-after-dried to complete a portion corresponding to said nozzle section; and   demolding step for releasing said mold from said compact-after-dried from which said remnant membrane was removed.   
     
     
         3 . The method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to  claim 2 , wherein,
 said polishing-before-demolding step is a step for polishing said exposed surface of said compact-after-dried by holding said mold, which maintains said compact-after-dried, at an side opposite to said molding surface by a polishing retainer, and pressing said exposed surface of said compact-after-dried against a polishing plate while said polishing retainer is reciprocated in a direction parallel to said flat surface of said base portion.   
     
     
         4 . The method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to  claim 1 , further including:
 special blast processing using elastic body step, performed after the firing step, for projecting polishing agents, each including a plurality of abrasive grains being smaller than and fixed to an elastic base material, to said droplet discharge head body-after-fired to thereby remove a remnant membrane of said droplet discharge head body-after-fired to complete a portion corresponding to said nozzle section.