Circuit board for ink jet head, ink jet head having the same, method for cleaning the head and ink jet printing apparatus using the head
In an ink jet head using a thermal energy for ejecting ink, this invention aims to reliably and uniformly remove kogations deposited on a heat application portion in contact with the ink. To realize this objective, the upper protective layer is arranged in an area including the heat application portion so that it can be electrically connected to serve as an electrode which causes an electrochemical reaction with the ink. The upper protective layer is formed of a material containing a metal which is dissolved by the electrochemical reaction and which does not form, on heating, an oxide film which hinders the dissolution. With this arrangement, a reliable electrochemical reaction can be produced to dissolve a surface layer of the upper protective layer, thereby removing kogations on the heat application portion reliably and uniformly.
1. An ink jet head cleaning method for removing kogation deposited on an upper protective layer in an ink jet head, wherein the ink jet head has:
an electrothermal transducer portion arranged in an ink path communicating with an ink ejection orifice,
an insulating protective layer to prevent contact between the electrothermal transducer portion and an ink in the ink path, and
an upper protective layer having a heat application portion, the heat application portion covering at least a portion heated by the electrothermal transducer portion of the protective layer,
wherein the upper protective layer is formed of a material containing a metal which is dissolved by an electrochemical reaction with the ink and which does not form, on heating, an oxide film which will hinder the dissolution;
the cleaning method comprising the step of:
using the upper protective layer as one electrode to cause the electrochemical reaction and thereby dissolve the upper protective layer in the ink,
wherein a voltage application to the upper protective layer to cause the electrochemical reaction is performed in connection with an ink discharging operation that discharges the ink from the ink ejection orifice.
2. The ink jet head cleaning method according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage application to the upper protective layer to cause the electrochemical reaction is performed during the ink discharging recovery operation.
3. The ink jet head cleaning method according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage application to the upper protective layer to cause the electrochemical reaction is performed after the ink discharging operation has been started.
4. The ink jet head cleaning method according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage application to the upper protective layer to cause the electrochemical reaction is performed with the ink discharging operation.
5. The ink jet head cleaning method according to claim 1 , wherein the ink discharging recovery operation is an ink suction operation that sucks out the ink in the ink jet head from the ink ejection orifices.