Printing nozzle cleaning device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a printing nozzle cleaning device, and belongs to the technical field of printing equipment. Comprising a liquid supply container for storing cleaning liquid and a cleaning tank; the liquid supply container is communicated with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet of the printing nozzle through a liquid supply pipeline; a valve, a circulating pump and a buffer bottle are mounted on the liquid supply pipeline; a sealing plate is arranged at an opening of the cleaning tank, and the sealing plate, the printing nozzle and the cleaning tank define a sealing bin for preventing cleaning liquid from volatilizing; a liquid level control opening is formed in the side wall of the sealing bin, and the distance between the liquid level control opening and the bottom of the cleaning tank is larger than the distance between the liquid spraying face of the printing spray head and the bottom of the cleaning tank. And a waste liquid outlet is formed in the bottom of the sealing bin. The automatic cleaning device has the advantages that the automatic cleaning process of the whole spray head can be achieved, the blocked spray holes are cleaned, the cleaning efficiency is improved, and the purpose of saving cleaning liquid is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of printing equipment, and in particular relates to a printing nozzle cleaning device. Background Art

[0002] As we all know, the printer nozzle is one of the core components of the printer. During printing or long-term storage, the printer nozzle often has nozzle blockage due to various reasons. Once the nozzle is blocked, the printing quality will be reduced. Therefore, preventing the print nozzle from being blocked is one of the core tasks to ensure the normal operation of the printing equipment.

[0003] At present, in order to solve the technical problem of print head clogging, engineers have designed a large number of cleaning devices for different printing equipment. These traditional cleaning devices have achieved the function of print head cleaning to a certain extent, but traditional cleaning devices still have the following defects:

[0004] 1. The traditional cleaning tank only has the function of holding the cleaning liquid. During use, engineers need to judge the amount of cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank based on experience. If it is not handled in time, it will overflow. If it is handled frequently, it will consume a lot of manpower and also lead to waste of cleaning liquid;

[0005] 2. The poor sealing of the traditional cleaning tank leads to the volatilization of the cleaning liquid, which further leads to the waste of cleaning liquid;

[0006] 3. Practice has found that in most nozzle blockage failures, only a small number of nozzle holes are blocked, while a large number of nozzle holes are not blocked. When using traditional cleaning equipment to clean the nozzle, most of the cleaning liquid flows out from the normal nozzle holes, while the small number of blocked nozzle holes rarely have cleaning liquid passing through them. At the same time, in order to achieve the cleaning effect, it is necessary to increase the amount of cleaning liquid used and extend the cleaning time. The negative effects are: on the one hand, a large amount of cleaning liquid is wasted, reducing the cleaning efficiency; on the other hand, when a large amount of cleaning liquid passes through the normal nozzle holes, the normal nozzle holes are in a flushing and corrosive environment for a long time, which causes a certain degree of damage to the normal nozzle holes.

[0007] Therefore, based on the above problems, it is necessary to propose a printing nozzle cleaning device to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0008] The purpose of the utility model is to meet actual needs and provide a printing nozzle cleaning device, which can save the usage of cleaning liquid to the greatest extent under the premise of meeting the requirements of efficient cleaning of the printing nozzle.

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose of the utility model, the purpose of the utility model is to provide a printing nozzle cleaning device, including a liquid supply container for storing cleaning liquid and a cleaning tank; the liquid supply container is connected with the liquid inlet and outlet of the printing nozzle through a liquid supply pipeline; a valve, a circulation pump and a buffer bottle are installed on the liquid supply pipeline; a sealing plate is arranged at the opening of the cleaning tank, and the sealing plate, the printing nozzle and the cleaning tank are combined to form a sealed chamber to prevent the volatilization of the cleaning liquid; a liquid level control port is opened on the side wall of the sealed chamber, and the distance between the liquid level control port and the bottom of the cleaning tank is greater than the distance between the spray surface of the printing nozzle and the bottom of the cleaning tank; a waste liquid discharge port is opened at the bottom of the sealed chamber.

[0010] In the above-mentioned scheme of the printing nozzle cleaning device, it also includes a No. 1 container for storing deionized water, and the No. 1 container is connected to the liquid supply pipeline.

[0011] In the above-mentioned scheme of the printing nozzle cleaning device, a heating system for heating the cleaning liquid to 30° C. to 80° C. is provided in the liquid supply container.

[0012] In the above-mentioned scheme of the printing nozzle cleaning device, the liquid level control port is connected to the liquid supply container through a recovery pipeline.

[0013] In the above-mentioned scheme of the printing nozzle cleaning device, a liquid level sensor is provided in the cleaning tank, and the liquid level sensor is connected to the controller and the alarm respectively.

[0014] In the above-mentioned scheme of the printing nozzle cleaning device, a valve, a circulation pump and a filter are installed on the recovery pipeline.

[0015] In the above-mentioned scheme of the printing nozzle cleaning device, a filter is installed on the liquid supply pipeline.

[0016] In the above scheme of the printing nozzle cleaning device, the liquid supply container is connected with the first liquid inlet and outlet and the second liquid inlet and outlet of the printing nozzle through a liquid supply pipeline.

[0017] In the above-mentioned scheme of the printing nozzle cleaning device, a hydraulic pressure sensor is installed on the buffer bottle, and the controller is connected to the hydraulic pressure sensor.

[0018] In the scheme of the above-mentioned printing nozzle cleaning device, a nozzle selection part is provided at the liquid outlet of the printing nozzle; the nozzle selection part includes: a blocking unit for blocking a type of nozzle holes, the type of nozzle holes are normal nozzle holes that do not need to be cleaned; and an opening unit for cleaning a type of nozzle holes, the type of nozzle holes are blocked nozzle holes that need to be cleaned.

[0019] In the above-mentioned scheme of the printing nozzle cleaning device, the blocking unit is made of corrosion-resistant material, and the opening unit is a through hole opened on the blocking unit.

[0020] In the above-mentioned scheme of the printing nozzle cleaning device, there are multiple blocking units, and each blocking unit is provided with through holes of different sizes.

[0021] In the above-mentioned scheme of the printing nozzle cleaning device, a flushing mechanism for flushing the second type of nozzle holes is arranged at the open unit; the flushing mechanism includes a spraying part for spraying liquid to the liquid outlet surface of the second type of nozzle holes, and a plurality of nozzle holes are arranged on the surface of the spraying part.

[0022] In the above-mentioned scheme of the printing nozzle cleaning device, the nozzle selection part also includes a driving mechanism for driving the blocking unit to move and a lifting mechanism for driving the driving mechanism to move up and down; the driving mechanism includes an active roller and a driven roller; the blocking unit is sleeved on the active roller and the driven roller, and the active roller is connected to a motor.

[0023] In the above-mentioned scheme of the printing nozzle cleaning device, the liquid inlet and outlet are also connected to a collection pipeline for recovering the cleaning liquid in the printing nozzle, and the collection pipeline is provided with a valve and a circulation pump.

[0024] In the above-mentioned scheme of the printing nozzle cleaning device, the valve and the circulation pump are connected to the controller.

[0025] The advantages and positive effects of this application are:

[0026] (1) The utility model designs a cleaning tank structure, and adds a sealing plate to the cleaning tank to form a sealed chamber, which reduces the contact between the cleaning liquid and the air and prevents the volatilization of the cleaning liquid, so that the cleaning liquid can be recycled during the cleaning process without being reduced due to volatilization, thereby saving the cleaning liquid cost;

[0027] (2) The amount of cleaning liquid in the sealed chamber is adjusted through the liquid level control port provided on the side wall of the cleaning tank. A liquid level alarm is also provided. When the liquid level of the cleaning liquid is lower than the height of the liquid spraying surface of the print head, the alarm will automatically sound an alarm to remind the personnel to add cleaning liquid. The liquid level height is controlled through the liquid level control port to prevent the liquid spraying surface of the print head from leaving the cleaning liquid surface for a long time and contacting the air, which makes the blockage more serious, and also prevents excessive cleaning liquid from causing waste;

[0028] (3) The utility model can realize automatic operation through a closed pipeline, and automatically clean the nozzle when it is unattended for a long time, thereby saving cleaning fluid;

[0029] (4) The utility model can selectively clean the nozzle holes through the nozzle hole selection part, that is, during the cleaning process, only the target nozzle holes (generally the nozzle holes that are blocked) are cleaned, and the other nozzle holes are not cleaned; this cleaning method has the following advantages:

[0030] 1. It can realize efficient cleaning of blocked spray holes; the utility model uses the spray hole selection part to block the normal spray holes, so that the cleaning liquid can only pass through the blocked spray holes, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency;

[0031] Second, it can reduce the corrosion damage of the cleaning liquid to the normal spray hole; since the cleaning liquid is corrosive to a certain extent, if a large amount of cleaning liquid is used to clean and flush the normal spray hole, it will cause a certain degree of damage to the spray hole. In this application, the cleaning liquid can only pass through the blocked spray hole, which reduces the corrosion flushing time of the cleaning liquid on the normal spray hole;

[0032] 3. When cleaning the gap of the second-class spray hole, the liquid outlet of the second-class spray hole can be flushed through the flushing mechanism to improve the cleaning efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0034] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the printing head cleaning device provided by the first, second and third embodiments of the utility model;

[0035] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the fourth embodiment of the present utility model in working state;

[0036] Figure 3 A top view of a nozzle selection portion provided in a fourth embodiment of the utility model;

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fifth embodiment of the present utility model in working state.

[0038] In the figure: 1. Print head; 201. Liquid inlet and outlet No. 1; 202. Liquid inlet and outlet No. 2; 3. Cleaning tank; 301. Sealing plate; 302. Sealing chamber; 303. Liquid level control port; 304. Waste liquid outlet; 305. Liquid level sensor; 4. Flushing mechanism; 5. Lifting mechanism; 501. Active roller; 502. Driven roller; 503. Ring structure; 504. Rectangular hole; 505. Nozzle area; 6. Recovery pipeline; 601. Pump No. 1; 602. Filter No. 1; 603. Filter No. 5 Three-way solenoid valve; 701, container No. 1; 702, liquid supply container; 703, filter No. 2; 704, filter No. 3; 705, pump No. 2; 706, pump No. 3; 707, buffer bottle; 708, hydraulic sensor; 709, three-way solenoid valve No. 1; 710, three-way solenoid valve No. 2; 8, collection pipeline; 801, three-way solenoid valve No. 3; 802, pump No. 4; 803, pump No. 5; 804, filter No. 4; 805, filter No. 5; 9, waste liquid barrel; 901, solenoid valve No. 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the utility model to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the utility model, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0040] For ease of explanation, spatial relative terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and the like are used in the embodiments to illustrate the relationship of one element or feature shown in the figure relative to another element or feature. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientation shown in the figure, the spatial terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation. For example, if the device in the figure is inverted, the element described as being "under" other elements or features will be positioned "on" other elements or features. Therefore, the exemplary term "under" can include both upper and lower orientations. The device can be positioned in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used here can be interpreted accordingly.

[0041] Furthermore, relational terms such as “first” and “second” and the like are merely used to distinguish one component from another having the same name, but do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these components.

[0042] In the description of the present invention, it is also necessary to explain that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "set", "install", "connect", and "connect" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0043] See also Figures 1 to 4 ;

[0044] First embodiment

[0045] The utility model provides a printing nozzle cleaning device, such as Figure 1 As shown, it includes a liquid supply container 702 for storing cleaning liquid and a cleaning tank 3. The liquid supply container 702 is connected to the liquid inlet and outlet of the printing nozzle 1 through a liquid supply pipeline. A valve, a circulation pump, a filter and a buffer bottle 707 are installed on the liquid supply pipeline.

[0046] The liquid supply container 702 is provided with a heating system, and the heating system is controlled by a controller to heat the cleaning liquid so that the temperature of the cleaning liquid is maintained at 30°C to 80°C. Similarly, a constant or gradual temperature can be set according to actual conditions to improve the cleaning efficiency. The liquid supply container is connected to the No. 1 liquid inlet and outlet 201 and the No. 2 liquid inlet and outlet 202 of the printing nozzle 1 through a liquid supply pipeline. For example, the cleaning liquid enters the No. 1 liquid inlet and outlet 201 through the No. 1 three-way solenoid valve 709, the No. 2 filter 703, the No. 2 pump 705, the buffer bottle 707, and the No. 2 three-way solenoid valve 710 in sequence, or the cleaning liquid enters the No. 1 liquid inlet and outlet 201 through the No. 1 three-way solenoid valve 709, the No. 2 filter 703, the No. 2 pump 705, the buffer bottle 707, and the No. 3 three-way solenoid valve 801 enters the second liquid inlet and outlet 202, wherein the filter can reduce impurities and improve cleaning efficiency; a hydraulic sensor 708 is installed on the buffer bottle 707 to test the pressure in the buffer bottle 707 to avoid excessive pressure in the pipeline, and the controller is connected to the hydraulic sensor 708 to facilitate automatic control; when the liquid supply container 702 is used, the valve and the circulation pump are opened to inject the cleaning liquid into the print head, wherein the filter and the pump can be connected in parallel with a set of the same for standby, such as Figure 1 Filter No. 3 704 and pump No. 3 706;

[0047] The present application also includes container No. 1 701, which is used to store deionized water. Container No. 1 701 is also connected to the liquid supply pipeline; the deionized water set in container No. 1 701 is injected into the liquid supply pipeline, which can be used to clean more obvious attachments, or injected to wash away the cleaning liquid after cleaning.

[0048] A sealing plate 301 is provided at the opening of the cleaning tank 3, and the sealing plate 301, the print head 1 and the cleaning tank 3 together form a sealed chamber 302 for preventing the volatilization of the cleaning liquid; the liquid spraying surface of the print head 1 is located in the sealed chamber 302, wherein the liquid spraying surface refers to the lower surface of the nozzle, that is, the surface where the lowest point of the nozzle hole is located; the setting of the sealed chamber 302 makes the cleaning environment in a closed state, reduces the contact between the cleaning liquid and the air, reduces the volatilization of the cleaning liquid, and allows the cleaning liquid to be recycled throughout the process.

[0049] A liquid level control port 303 is provided on the side wall of the sealed chamber 302. The distance between the liquid level control port 303 and the bottom of the cleaning tank 3 is greater than the distance between the spray surface of the print head 1 and the bottom of the cleaning tank 3. The setting of the liquid level control port 303 facilitates the control of the height of the cleaning liquid level, thereby ensuring that the spray surface of the print head 1 is always in contact with the cleaning liquid level, which plays a role in moisturizing the nozzle holes of the nozzle; the liquid level control port 303 is connected to the liquid supply container 702 through the recovery pipeline 6, and a valve, a circulation pump and a filter are installed on the recovery pipeline 6. Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the No. 1 pump 601, the No. 1 filter 602 and the No. 5 three-way solenoid valve 603, the filter can filter impurities in the cleaning liquid so as to recycle the cleaning liquid.

[0050] A liquid level sensor 305 is provided in the cleaning tank 3, and the liquid level sensor 305 is connected to the controller and the alarm respectively. When the liquid level in the cleaning tank is lower than the height of the liquid spraying surface of the print nozzle, the alarm device will automatically alarm to prevent the print nozzle from leaving the cleaning liquid surface for a long time and contacting the air, making the blockage more serious; the setting of the liquid level sensor 305 can accurately control the amount of cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank: when the cleaning liquid is lower than the height of the liquid level sensor 305, the electrical signal of the liquid level sensor 305 can be transmitted to the controller along the wire, and when the cleaning liquid level is higher than the liquid level sensor 305, the cleaning liquid above the liquid level directly flows out from the liquid level control port 303, so that the amount of cleaning liquid is less and the purpose of saving cleaning liquid is achieved.

[0051] A waste liquid outlet 304 is provided at the bottom of the sealed chamber 302 , and the used waste liquid is discharged into the waste liquid barrel 9 through the control of the fourth solenoid valve 901 , and the recovery pipeline 6 can also be connected to the waste liquid barrel 9 for direct discharge.

[0052] The two liquid inlets and outlets can be connected to a collection pipeline 8 for recovering the cleaning liquid in the print head, and a No. 3 three-way solenoid valve 801, a No. 4 pump 802 circulation pump and a No. 4 filter 804 are also installed to recover the cleaning liquid in the print head; wherein the valves and pumps can be connected in parallel with a set of the same for backup, such as Figure 1 Pump No. 5 803 and filter No. 5 805.

[0053] Exemplarily, the liquid level control port 303 is a horizontal circular port or a horizontal square port. The shape of the liquid level control port 303 is exemplified here as a preferred case. In practice, it can be set according to needs, and this application does not impose any specific restrictions on this.

[0054] The pumps, valves, alarms, etc. mentioned above all need to be connected to the controller so that automatic control can be achieved through the controller settings to reduce labor costs.

[0055] It should be noted that the pumps, valves, alarms, controllers, etc. in this application are not limited to specific types or models, and are subject to the technical effects achieved in this application.

[0056] Second embodiment

[0057] Based on the contents of the above embodiments, the working principle of the printing nozzle cleaning device is as follows:

[0058] S1. Preparation: inject cleaning liquid into the liquid supply container 702; open the valve and pump that control the on-off of the liquid level control port 303, i.e., the No. 5 three-way solenoid valve 603 and the No. 1 pump 601, and close the valve that controls the on-off of the waste liquid discharge port 304, i.e., the No. 4 solenoid valve 901;

[0059] S2. Select a cleaning mode, which includes a circulation mode, a positive pressure mode, a combination mode, and a pipeline cleaning mode; wherein:

[0060] The circulation mode is: in a preset time period, the first working mode and the second working mode are executed alternately, the first working mode is: the cleaning liquid enters the print head 1 from the No. 1 liquid inlet and outlet 201, flows out from the No. 2 liquid inlet and outlet 202 and the bottom of the print head 1, and the cleaning liquid flowing out from the No. 2 liquid inlet and outlet 202 flows back to the liquid supply container 702 through the collecting pipe 8; the second working mode is: the cleaning liquid enters the print head 1 from the No. 2 liquid inlet and outlet 202, flows out from the No. 1 liquid inlet and outlet 201 and the bottom of the print head 1, and the cleaning liquid flowing out from the No. 1 liquid inlet and outlet 201 flows back to the liquid supply container 702 through the collecting pipe 8;

[0061] The positive pressure mode is: the cleaning liquid enters the print head 1 from the first liquid inlet and outlet 201 and the second liquid inlet and outlet 202 at the same time, and the cleaning liquid flows out from the bottom of the print head 1 and enters the sealing chamber 302;

[0062] The combination mode is: the circulation mode and the positive pressure mode are executed cyclically according to the set duration and number of times;

[0063] The pipeline cleaning mode is: open the waste liquid outlet 304, deionized water enters the print head 1 from the No. 1 liquid inlet and outlet 201 and / or the No. 2 liquid inlet and outlet 202, and the deionized water flows out from the bottom of the print head 1 into the sealing chamber 302; finally, it is discharged from the waste liquid outlet 304.

[0064] The valve and the circulation pump on the recovery pipeline 6 are opened at regular intervals so that the cleaning liquid in the sealed chamber 302 can flow back to the liquid supply container 702 .

[0065] Specifically, Figure 1 As shown:

[0066] 1. Loop mode

[0067] The first working mode: pumps No. 2 to No. 5 run at a preset speed, pump No. 1 is turned on at a fixed time, and the cleaning liquid flows into the No. 1 liquid inlet and outlet 201 and flows out from the No. 2 liquid inlet and outlet 202 by controlling the switch states of the No. 1 three-way solenoid valve 709, the No. 2 three-way solenoid valve 710, and the No. 3 three-way solenoid valve 801; in this working mode, the switch states of the above three three-way solenoid valves are specifically as follows: the port of the No. 1 three-way solenoid valve 709 connected to the No. 1 container 701 is closed, the other two ports of the No. 1 three-way solenoid valve 709 are opened, the port of the No. 2 three-way solenoid valve 710 connected to the collection pipeline 8 is closed, the other two ports of the No. 2 three-way solenoid valve 710 are opened, the port of the No. 3 three-way solenoid valve 801 connected to the liquid supply pipeline is closed, and the other two ports of the No. 3 three-way solenoid valve 801 are opened;

[0068] The second working mode: pumps No. 2 to No. 5 run at a preset speed, pump No. 1 is turned on at a fixed time, and the cleaning liquid flows into the No. 2 liquid inlet and outlet 202 and flows out from the No. 1 liquid inlet and outlet 201 by controlling the switch states of the No. 1 three-way solenoid valve 709, the No. 2 three-way solenoid valve 710, and the No. 3 three-way solenoid valve 801; in this working mode, the switch states of the above three three-way solenoid valves are specifically as follows: the port of the No. 1 three-way solenoid valve 709 connected to the No. 1 container 701 is closed, the other two ports of the No. 1 three-way solenoid valve 709 are opened, the port of the No. 2 three-way solenoid valve 710 connected to the liquid supply pipeline is closed, the other two ports of the No. 2 three-way solenoid valve 710 are opened, the port of the No. 3 three-way solenoid valve 801 connected to the collection pipeline 8 is closed, and the other two ports of the No. 3 three-way solenoid valve 801 are opened;

[0069] In the cleaning mode, the first working mode and the second working mode are performed alternately, and the alternating time is set according to needs, such as 30s, 20s, 40s, 60s, which is not limited in the present application.

[0070] 2. Positive pressure mode

[0071] The No. 2 pump 705 and the No. 3 pump 706 adjust the rotation speed in real time according to the feedback value of the hydraulic sensor 708, so that the pressure value of the buffer bottle is stable, and the No. 4 pump 802 and the No. 5 pump 803 are closed; the No. 1 pump 601 automatically adjusts the rotation speed according to the speed of the No. 2 pump 705 and the No. 3 pump 706, so that the liquid level of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is stable within a preset range; the port of the No. 1 three-way solenoid valve 709 connected to the No. 1 container 701 is closed, and the other two ports of the No. 1 three-way solenoid valve 709 are opened, the ports of the No. 2 three-way solenoid valve 710 connected to the collection pipeline 8 are both closed, the port of the No. 3 three-way solenoid valve 801 connected to the collection pipeline 8 is closed, and the other two ports of the No. 2 three-way solenoid valve 710 and the No. 3 three-way solenoid valve 801 are both opened. At this time, the cleaning liquid flows in from the No. 1 inlet and outlet 201 and the No. 2 inlet and outlet 202 at the same time.

[0072] 3. Combination mode

[0073] The combination mode is to execute the circulation mode and the positive pressure mode cyclically according to the duration and number of times preset by the user.

[0074] 4. Pipeline flushing

[0075] Pump No. 1 to pump No. 5 operate at a preset speed, the port of No. 1 three-way solenoid valve 709 connected to the liquid supply container 702 is closed, the other two ports of No. 1 three-way solenoid valve 709 are opened, No. 4 solenoid valve 901 and No. 5 three-way solenoid valve 603 are opened, and all other three-way solenoid valves are closed, deionized water enters from No. 1 liquid inlet and outlet 201 and flows out from No. 2 liquid inlet and outlet 202; at this time, excess liquid in the deionized water flows out from the two ports and enters the waste liquid barrel 9.

[0076] Third embodiment

[0077] Based on the content of the above embodiment, for the design of the print nozzle with M rows and N columns of nozzles, further optimization is set to achieve the positioning and cleaning of the blockage at the target position, wherein M and N are both natural numbers greater than 0; specifically, a nozzle selection unit is set at the liquid outlet of the print nozzle; during cleaning, the liquid outlet of the print nozzle is vertically downward, and the nozzle selection unit includes:

[0078] A plugging unit for plugging a type of spray holes, wherein the type of spray holes are normal spray holes that do not need to be cleaned;

[0079] An open unit for cleaning the second type of nozzle holes, which are blocked nozzle holes that need to be cleaned.

[0080] Among them, the plugging unit is made of corrosion-resistant material, which can avoid the corrosion of the cleaning liquid to the plugging unit, such as EPDM or PTFE; at the same time, these two materials are also flexible materials, which are convenient for matching the structure of the nozzle for plugging, and the plugging unit is made into a ring structure 503 of corrosion-resistant flexible material. The open unit is a through hole opened on the plugging unit, which can be a rectangular hole 504 or other required shapes. In order to meet the blocking conditions in different situations, there can be multiple plugging units, each of which is provided with through holes of different sizes and shapes. When in use, through holes of different sizes and shapes can be determined according to the position, number, size, etc. of the blocked nozzle, and then the plugging unit corresponding to the through hole is selected.

[0081] Directly below the nozzle holes in the M rows and N columns is the nozzle hole area 505 ; during the cleaning operation, the rectangular hole 504 is located directly below the nozzle hole area 505 .

[0082] A flushing mechanism 4 for flushing the second type of spray holes is provided at the open unit, thereby realizing an automated plugging process; the flushing mechanism 4 includes a spraying part for spraying liquid toward the liquid outlet surface of the second type of spray holes, and a plurality of spray holes are provided on the surface of the spraying part.

[0083] The nozzle selection unit also includes a driving mechanism for driving the blocking unit to move and a lifting mechanism 5 for driving the driving mechanism to move up and down;

[0084] The driving mechanism includes an active roller 501 and a driven roller 502; the blocking unit is sleeved on the active roller 501 and the driven roller 502, the active roller 501 is connected to a motor, and the motor can be a closed-loop motor.

[0085] Therefore, S2 may also include the following contents:

[0086] S21, determining the location of the blocked nozzle hole; there are many ways to determine the blocked nozzle hole, in this embodiment, the following method can be used to determine: before cleaning the nozzle, print a nozzle status test strip, through which the blocked area of ​​the nozzle can be seen; the user can manually select the cleaning area according to the test strip, and then the nozzle hole selection part is automatically positioned to the area to be cleaned according to the user's selection;

[0087] S22. According to the position of the blocked nozzle hole, adjust the position of the nozzle hole selection part so that the first type of nozzle hole is in a blocked state and the second type of nozzle hole is in an open state; first ensure that the height of the blocking unit is smaller than the height of the nozzle hole, and drive the active roller 501 to rotate through the motor, thereby driving the blocking unit to move, and when the through hole reaches the bottom of the blocked nozzle hole, turn off the motor; then drive the lifting mechanism 5 to drive the blocking unit to fit the surface of the nozzle hole.

[0088] S23, opening the valve and the circulation pump on the liquid supply pipeline, so that the cleaning liquid enters the printing nozzle through the liquid inlet and outlet, and cleans the second type of nozzle holes in the nozzle.

[0089] A through hole with a width of 5 mm is set on the upper surface of the rotating belt (annular structure 503 made of corrosion-resistant flexible material), and the width direction is the movement direction of the rotating belt. When working, the through hole can be positioned below the blocked spray hole by a high-precision closed-loop motor, and then the rotating belt and the nozzle are fitted by the lifting mechanism 5. By accurately controlling the position of the flexible material, the blocked spray hole can be accurately cleaned, avoiding the erosion and corrosion of the normal spray hole by the cleaning liquid.

[0090] In summary, by providing the nozzle selection part, the flushing mechanism 4, etc., the purpose of accurately and effectively cleaning the blocked nozzle holes of the printing nozzle is achieved, while saving the cleaning liquid.

[0091] Fourth embodiment

[0092] Based on the above embodiment, preferably, the ejection part is a rectangular cavity, and the side facing the bottom of the print head is a flushing liquid outlet surface; when cleaning the print head, the liquid outlet surface is 15 mm away from the print head surface, and a large number of holes with a diameter of 0.1 mm are densely distributed on an area of ​​5 mm wide (equal to the width of the through hole) within the liquid outlet surface. When sufficient pressure and volume of liquid are continuously injected into the flushing mechanism 4, the liquid will be ejected from the small holes on the liquid outlet surface and form a liquid column, which plays the role of flushing the print head.

[0093] During operation, when cleaning the gap of the second type of spray holes, the liquid outlet of the second type of spray holes can be flushed by the flushing mechanism 4 to improve the cleaning efficiency.

[0094] In summary, under the premise of ensuring efficient cleaning of the print nozzle, the amount of cleaning fluid used is saved to the greatest extent.

[0095] In order to realize automatic control, the valve selected in the above embodiment is a solenoid valve, but in specific scenarios, a manual valve can also be selected as needed.

[0096] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A printing nozzle cleaning device, comprising a liquid supply container (702) for storing cleaning liquid and a cleaning tank (3); the liquid supply container (702) is connected to the liquid inlet and outlet of the printing nozzle (1) through a liquid supply pipeline; a valve, a circulation pump and a buffer bottle (707) are installed on the liquid supply pipeline; the characteristics are: A sealing plate (301) is provided at the opening of the cleaning tank (3), and the sealing plate (301), the print head (1) and the cleaning tank (3) together form a sealed chamber (302) for preventing the cleaning liquid from volatilizing; A liquid level control port (303) is provided on the side wall of the sealed chamber (302), and the distance between the liquid level control port (303) and the bottom of the cleaning tank (3) is greater than the distance between the liquid spraying surface of the print head (1) and the bottom of the cleaning tank (3); A waste liquid discharge outlet (304) is provided at the bottom of the sealed chamber (302).

2. The printing head cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a No. 1 container (701) for storing deionized water, and the No. 1 container (701) is connected to a liquid supply pipeline.

3. The printing head cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The liquid supply container (702) is provided with a heating system for heating the cleaning liquid to 30°C to 80°C.

4. The printing head cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The liquid level control port (303) is connected to the liquid supply container (702) via a recovery pipeline (6).

5. The printing head cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A liquid level sensor (305) is provided in the cleaning tank (3), and the liquid level sensor (305) is connected to a controller and an alarm respectively.

6. The printing head cleaning device according to claim 4, characterized in that: A valve, a circulation pump and a filter are installed on the recovery pipeline (6).

7. The printing head cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A filter is installed on the liquid supply pipeline.

8. The printing head cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid supply container is connected to the first liquid inlet and outlet (201) and the second liquid inlet and outlet (202) of the printing nozzle (1) through a liquid supply pipeline.

9. The printing head cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A hydraulic pressure sensor (708) is installed on the buffer bottle (707), and the controller is connected to the hydraulic pressure sensor (708).

10. The printing head cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid outlet of the printing nozzle (1) is provided with a nozzle selection unit; the nozzle selection unit comprises: A plugging unit for plugging a type of spray holes, wherein the type of spray holes are normal spray holes that do not need to be cleaned; An open unit for cleaning the second type of nozzle holes, wherein the second type of nozzle holes are blocked nozzle holes that need to be cleaned.

11. The printing head cleaning device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The blocking unit is made of corrosion-resistant material, and the opening unit is a through hole opened on the blocking unit.

12. The printing head cleaning device according to claim 11, characterized in that: There are multiple blocking units, and each blocking unit is provided with through holes of different sizes.

13. The printing head cleaning device according to claim 10, characterized in that: A flushing mechanism (4) for flushing the second type of spray holes is provided at the open unit; The flushing mechanism (4) comprises a spraying part for spraying liquid toward the liquid outlet surface of the second type of spray holes, and a plurality of spray holes are arranged on the surface of the spraying part.

14. The printing head cleaning device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The nozzle selection unit further comprises a driving mechanism for driving the blocking unit to move and a lifting mechanism (5) for driving the driving mechanism to move up and down; The driving mechanism comprises an active roller (501) and a driven roller (502); the blocking unit is sleeved on the active roller (501) and the driven roller (502); and the active roller (501) is connected to a motor.

15. The printing head cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid inlet and outlet are also connected to a collection pipeline (8) for recovering the cleaning liquid in the printing nozzle (1), and a valve and a circulation pump are provided on the collection pipeline (8).

16. The printing head cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that: The valve and the circulation pump are connected to a controller.

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