Continuous inkjet printer cleaning and solvent addition method

Abstract

The present application relates to a continuous inkjet printer cleaning and solvent adding pipeline system and method thereof, which includes a cleaning metering pump, in which a power diaphragm is provided, and the power diaphragm separates the cleaning metering pump into two independent closed chambers: a solvent storage chamber and a power chamber; a liquid level switch is provided on the upper part of the solvent storage chamber, and the top of the solvent storage chamber is connected to the solvent bottle through a valve V1; the solvent storage chamber is connected to the nozzle cleaning pipeline through a valve V2, and the bottom of the solvent storage chamber is also connected to the top of the ink mixing cylinder through a valve V5; the power chamber is connected to the positive pressure part of the pipeline through a valve V3, and the bottom of the power chamber is connected to the negative pressure part of the pipeline through a valve V4. The present application reduces the use of pumps and valves, simplifies the pipeline structure, integrates the functions of pipeline cleaning, consumables addition and precise control of metering, and judging whether the consumable bottle is exhausted, shortens the assembly time, and improves production efficiency and stable quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of continuous inkjet printers, and in particular to a continuous inkjet printer cleaning and solvent adding pipeline system and method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Due to its own functional needs, continuous inkjet printers integrate many functional sub-pipe systems with different purposes, such as consumables adding circuits, metering circuits, printing circuits, recycling circuits and shutdown cleaning circuits. In order to achieve its own established functions, each sub-circuit often requires an independent power element "pump" and a fluid on-off control element "valve".

[0003] Reference Figure 1 The metering chamber equipped with a liquid level float and the diaphragm pump adopt a completely independent structural design. The top of the metering chamber is connected to the negative pressure end of the Venturi through valve V4, so that the negative pressure in the metering chamber can be controlled. The solvent box is connected to the bottom of the metering chamber through valve V1, so as to achieve controllable extraction and metering of the solvent. Then, another three-way valve V7 is used to selectively connect one end of the diaphragm pump power chamber to the ink outlet (regarded as the positive pressure end) or the ink inlet (regarded as the negative pressure end) of the main pump, so as to push or pull the diaphragm inside the diaphragm pump. The end of the diaphragm pump close to the one-way valve, the inlet end of the one-way valve is connected to the bottom of the metering chamber to extract the solvent that has been sucked in by the negative pressure of the Venturi in advance, and the outlet end of the one-way valve is connected to the nozzle that needs to be cleaned, so as to achieve the cleaning of the nozzle. The addition of solvent is achieved by directly extracting from the bottom of the metering chamber through the negative pressure of the Venturi or an independent addition pump, and an independent valve V5 is required to control the specific amount of solvent added. A total of 4 two-way valves, 1 three-way valve, 2 check valves and 1 diaphragm pump are required.

[0004] In this way, the entire ink system has many pumps and valves for different purposes, which directly increases the difficulty of component layout and production and assembly, pushes up product costs and reduces the overall reliability of the product. Therefore, it is not conducive to large-scale, mass production and popularization of products. A highly refined piping system with a small number of components, high production efficiency and reliability is urgently needed. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a continuous inkjet printer cleaning and solvent adding pipeline system and method.

[0006] On the one hand, the continuous inkjet printer cleaning and solvent adding pipeline system provided by the present application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A continuous inkjet printer cleaning and solvent adding pipeline system includes a cleaning metering pump, wherein a power diaphragm is arranged inside the cleaning metering pump, and the power diaphragm separates the cleaning metering pump into two independent closed chambers: a solvent storage chamber and a power chamber; a liquid level switch is arranged on the upper part of the solvent storage chamber; the top of the solvent storage chamber is connected to the solvent bottle through a valve V1; the solvent storage chamber is connected to the nozzle cleaning pipeline through a valve V2, and the solvent storage chamber is also connected to the top of the ink mixing cylinder through a valve V5; the bottom of the power chamber is connected to the positive pressure part of the pipeline through a valve V3, and the bottom of the power chamber is connected to the negative pressure part of the pipeline through a valve V4.

[0008] By adopting the above technical scheme, the power diaphragm in the power chamber is connected to the positive pressure part and the negative pressure part of the pipeline through different valves to realize the movement of the power diaphragm; and then combined with the valve V1 connected to the solvent bottle, the liquid in the solvent bottle is pumped in; combined with the valve V2 connected to the nozzle cleaning pipeline, the pipeline is cleaned; and combined with the valve V5 connected to the top of the ink mixing cylinder, the operation of pumping the solvent into the ink mixing cylinder is realized, and the liquid level switch is used to detect the liquid level in the cleaning metering pump, thereby realizing the cleaning of the continuous ink jet printer and the addition of solvent; the device reduces the number of valves and pumps, simplifies the structure, simplifies the equipment and improves the stability and reliability of the system.

[0009] Preferably, a mold petal dome which is concave toward itself is provided in the solvent storage chamber for limiting the deformation range of the power diaphragm, and a slit is provided on the mold petal dome for the solvent to pass through.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, the mold dome is used to limit the maximum deformation volume of the power diaphragm when it is subjected to positive pressure, which is beneficial to protecting the power diaphragm and limiting the volume of liquid pumped out each time; the gap facilitates the discharge of liquid in the mold dome.

[0011] Preferably, a mold flap base that is concave toward itself is provided in the power chamber, and the mold flap base is connected to the outside of the cleaning metering pump through a pipeline and is connected to the valve V3 and the valve V4.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, the mold base is used to limit the maximum deformation volume of the power diaphragm when it is subjected to negative pressure, which is beneficial to protecting the power diaphragm.

[0013] Preferably, the mold half dome and the mold half base are symmetrically arranged relative to the power diaphragm.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, the symmetrical arrangement can make the deformation of the dynamic diaphragm consistent after receiving positive pressure and negative pressure, which is beneficial to make the volume of liquid pumped in or out by the cleaning metering pump the same each time.

[0015] Preferably, the mold half dome is configured as a smooth and symmetrical spherical structure.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the mold petal dome with a smooth, symmetrical and spherical structure is beneficial to protecting the power diaphragm, thereby extending its service life.

[0017] Preferably, the mold base is configured as a smooth and symmetrical spherical structure.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the mold base with a smooth, symmetrical and spherical structure is beneficial to protecting the power diaphragm, thereby extending the service life.

[0019] On the other hand, the continuous inkjet printer cleaning and solvent adding method provided in the present application uses the above-mentioned continuous inkjet printer cleaning and solvent adding pipeline system, and adopts the following technical solution:

[0020] Continuous inkjet printer cleaning and solvent adding method: including solvent adding steps and nozzle cleaning steps:

[0021] The steps for adding solvent are as follows:

[0022] The first step is to fill the solvent storage chamber; the process is as follows: open the valve V1, close the valve V5 and the valve V2; close the valve V3, open the valve V4 for a certain time Δt1 until the power diaphragm is pressed against the mold flap base under the action of negative pressure, a certain negative pressure is formed inside the solvent storage chamber, and a certain volume of solvent in the solvent bottle enters the solvent storage chamber; close the valve V4, open the valve V3 for a certain time Δt2 until the power diaphragm is pressed against the mold flap dome under the action of positive pressure; repeat the opening and closing actions of valves V3 and V4 until the liquid level switch detects the liquid level signal, and close the valve V3 for the last time, open the valve V4 for a certain time Δt3 until the power diaphragm is pressed against the mold flap base under the action of negative pressure, and close the valve V1 and the valve V4;

[0023] The second step is to push the solvent in the solvent storage chamber to the ink mixing cylinder. The process is as follows: after completing the first step, close the valve V1, the valve V2 and the valve V4; open the valve V5 and the valve V3 for a certain time Δt4 until the solvent in the solvent storage chamber enters the ink mixing cylinder under the push of the power diaphragm, and the power diaphragm is pressed against the mold petal dome under the action of positive pressure. The amount of solvent added this time is equal to the sum of the capacities of the solvent storage chamber and the power chamber, and a solvent addition is completed and accurately measured.

[0024] Repeat the first and second steps above to achieve the required solvent addition and accurate metering;

[0025] The steps for cleaning the nozzle are as follows:

[0026] The first step is to fill the solvent storage chamber, which is the same as the first step in the step of adding solvent;

[0027] The second step is to push the solvent in the solvent storage chamber to the nozzle. The process is as follows:

[0028] After the first step of filling the solvent storage chamber, the valve V1, the valve V4 and the valve V5 are closed; the valve V2 and the valve V3 are opened for a certain time Δt6 so that a certain amount of solvent enters the nozzle cleaning pipeline under the push of the power diaphragm, and a nozzle cleaning is completed;

[0029] The first and second steps are performed reciprocally to achieve continuous flushing and cleaning of the nozzle.

[0030] By adopting the above technical solution, the solvent is first pumped into the cleaning metering pump, and then the solvent is pumped into the ink mixing tank. Finally, by using the switch of the valve, the solvent enters the nozzle cleaning pipeline under the push of the power diaphragm to complete the nozzle cleaning; a certain amount of solvent is added each time according to the actual situation of the program and the pipeline, and repeated execution can achieve controlled addition; the use of complex pumps and valves is reduced, the operation is simple, the production efficiency and quality stability are improved, and it is suitable for industrial production and application.

[0031] Preferably, in the step of filling the solvent storage chamber, if the opening and closing of the valve V3 and the valve V4 are repeated X times and the liquid level switch still does not detect a liquid level signal, it is determined that the solvent bottle is empty; and the valve V3 is closed for the last time, and the valve V4 is opened for a certain time Δt8 until the power diaphragm is pressed against the mold base under the action of negative pressure, and the valve V1 and the valve V4 are closed.

[0032] By adopting the above technical solution, during the process of pumping the solvent into the storage chamber, the method can detect whether there is still solvent in the solvent bottle.

[0033] In summary, the present application includes beneficial technical effects: reducing the use of pumps and valves, simplifying the pipeline structure, shortening assembly time, and improving production efficiency and quality stability; integrating functions such as pipeline cleaning, consumables addition and precise control of metering, and determining whether the consumable bottles are exhausted. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 It is a device diagram of a piping system for inkjet printer nozzle cleaning and solvent addition metering in the related art;

[0035] Figure 2 It is a device diagram of the continuous inkjet printer cleaning and solvent adding pipeline system of the present application.

[0036] Figure markings: 1. Cleaning metering pump; 1-1. Solvent injection interface; 1-2. Solvent cleaning interface; 1-3. Solvent adding interface; 1-4. Power diaphragm; 1-5. Solvent storage chamber; 1-6. Power chamber; 1-7. Mold flap dome; 1-8. Mold flap base; 1-9. Gap; 2. Liquid level switch; 3-1. Pipeline positive pressure interface; 3-2. Pipeline negative pressure interface; 4. Solvent bottle; 5. Ink mixing tank; 6. Nozzle cleaning pipeline interface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The following is combined with Figure 2 This application is described in further detail.

[0038] The present application embodiment discloses a continuous inkjet printer cleaning and solvent adding pipeline system. Figure 2 The continuous inkjet printer cleaning and solvent adding pipeline system includes a cleaning metering pump 1. A power diaphragm 1-4 is provided in the cleaning metering pump 1, and the power diaphragm 1-4 divides the cleaning metering pump 1 into two independent closed chambers: a solvent storage chamber 1-5 located at the top and a power chamber 1-6 located at the bottom. A liquid level switch 2 for measuring and detecting liquid level changes is integrated in the upper part of the solvent storage chamber 1-5. A solvent injection interface 1-1 is provided at the top of the solvent storage chamber 1-5, and the solvent injection interface 1-1 is connected to the solvent bottle 4 through a valve V1. A solvent cleaning interface 1-2 is provided on one side of the bottom of the solvent storage chamber 1-5, and the solvent cleaning interface 1-2 is connected to a nozzle cleaning pipeline interface 6 through a valve V2, and the nozzle cleaning pipeline interface 6 is used to connect to the nozzle cleaning pipeline; a solvent adding interface 1-3 is provided on the other side, and the solvent adding interface 1-3 is connected to the top of the ink mixing cylinder 5 through a valve V5. The bottom of the power chamber 1-6 is connected to a pipeline positive pressure interface 3-1 through a valve V3, and the pipeline positive pressure interface 3-1 is connected to the pipeline positive pressure part; the bottom of the power chamber 1-6 is connected to a pipeline negative pressure interface 3-2 through a valve V4, and the pipeline negative pressure interface 3-2 is connected to the pipeline negative pressure part.

[0039] The valve V3 and the valve V4 may be independent control valves, or the valve V3 and the valve V4 may be a two-position three-way valve.

[0040] In addition, regarding the interface between the solvent storage chamber 1-5 and the valve V1, in addition to being installed at the bottom of the solvent storage chamber 1-5, it can also be a tube at a set position above the bottom and the interface leading to the top of the solvent storage chamber 1-5 connected to the solvent bottle 4.

[0041] Likewise, the valve V2 may be installed at a set position at or below the top of the solvent storage chamber 1-5, and the pipe at the interface leading to the bottom of the solvent storage chamber 1-5 is connected to the nozzle cleaning pipeline interface 6;

[0042] Likewise, the valve V5 may be installed at a set position at or below the top of the solvent storage chamber 1-5, and the pipe at the interface leading to the bottom of the solvent storage chamber 1-5 is connected to the top of the ink mixing tank 5;

[0043] Among them, in order to limit the extreme position of the deformation of the power diaphragm 1-4, the lower part of the solvent storage chamber 1-5 is convexed toward the direction away from the power chamber 1-6 to form a mold petal dome 1-7; at the same time, the mold petal dome 1-7 is provided with unequally spaced gaps 1-9 to allow the solvent to pass normally. Similarly, the top of the power chamber 1-6 is convex toward the direction away from the solvent storage chamber 1-5 to form a mold petal bottom support 1-8, and the mold petal bottom support 1-8 is connected to the bottom of the power chamber 1-6 through a pipeline, and is connected to valve V3 and valve V4. The mold petal dome 1-7 and the mold petal bottom support 1-8 are symmetrically arranged relative to the flat power diaphragm 1-4, so that the deformation amplitude of the power diaphragm 1-4 is the same under positive pressure and negative pressure. The mold petal dome 1-7 and the mold petal bottom support 1-8 are set as smooth and symmetrical spherical structures. The smooth, symmetrical and spherical structure is conducive to protecting the power diaphragm 1-4, thereby extending the service life. In this embodiment, the liquid level switch 2 is configured as a liquid level float.

[0044] The working principle of the continuous inkjet printer cleaning and solvent adding pipeline system: the movement of the power diaphragm 1-4 in the power chamber 1-6 is realized by controlling valves V3 and V4; the liquid in the solvent bottle 4 is pumped in by controlling valve V1; the pipeline is cleaned by valve V2; the operation of pumping the solvent into the ink mixing cylinder 5 is realized by valve V5; in this process, the liquid level switch 2 is used to detect the liquid level in the cleaning metering pump 1, thereby realizing the cleaning and solvent adding of the continuous inkjet printer; the device reduces the number of valves and pumps, simplifies the structure, simplifies the equipment and improves the stability and reliability of the system. The embodiment of the present application discloses a method for cleaning and adding solvent to a continuous inkjet printer, and the method includes a solvent adding step and a nozzle cleaning step:

[0045] 1) The steps for adding solvent are as follows:

[0046] The first step is to fill the solvent storage chamber 1-5; the process is as follows: open valve V1, close valve V5 and valve V2. Close valve V3, open valve V4 for a certain time Δt1, the dynamic diaphragm 1-4 is pressed against the mold flap bottom support 1-8 under the action of negative pressure, a certain negative pressure is formed inside the solvent storage chamber 1-5, and a certain amount of solvent in the solvent bottle 4 enters the solvent storage chamber 1-5; close valve V4, open valve V3 for a certain time Δt2, and the dynamic diaphragm 1-4 is pressed against the mold flap dome 1-7 of the solvent storage chamber 1-5 under the action of positive pressure. Repeat the opening and closing actions of valves V3 and V4 until the float switch detects the liquid level signal, evacuates the air that may exist in the solvent chamber 1-5, and ensures that the chamber is filled; and close valve V3 for the last time, open valve V4 for a certain time Δt3, so that the dynamic diaphragm 1-4 is pressed against the mold flap bottom support 1-8 under the action of negative pressure, and close valves V1 and V4. If the opening and closing of valves V3 and V4 are repeated X times, where X is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and the float switch still does not detect a liquid level signal, it can be determined that the solvent bottle 4 is empty, and valve V3 is closed for the last time, and valve V4 is opened for a certain time Δt8, so that the power diaphragm 1-4 is pressed against the mold base 1-8 under the action of negative pressure, and valves V1 and V4 are closed.

[0047] The second step is to push the solvent in the solvent storage chamber 1-5 to the ink mixing tank 5; the process is as follows:

[0048] After completing the first step, close valves V1, V2 and V4; open valves V5 and V3 for a certain period of time Δt4 until the solvent in the solvent storage chamber 1-5 enters the ink mixing cylinder 5 under the push of the power diaphragm 1-4. The power diaphragm 1-4 is pressed against the mold dome 1-7 under the action of positive pressure. The amount of solvent added this time is equal to the sum of the capacities of the solvent storage chamber 1-5 and the power chamber 1-6. The solvent is added once and accurately measured. The measurement can be based on the actual situation of the program and pipeline. Each time the solvent is added, N solvent push movements need to be performed.

[0049] Repeat the first and second steps to achieve the required solvent addition and accurate metering.

[0050] 2) The nozzle cleaning steps are as follows:

[0051] In the first step, the solvent storage chambers 1-5 are filled, and the steps are the same as the first step in the step of 1) adding solvent.

[0052] The second step is to push the solvent in the solvent storage chamber 1-5 to the nozzle, and the process is as follows:

[0053] After the first step of filling the solvent storage chamber 1-5 is completed, valves V1, V4 and V5 are closed; valves V2 and V3 are opened for a certain time Δt6 so that a certain amount of solvent enters the nozzle cleaning pipeline under the push of the power diaphragm 1-4, completing a nozzle cleaning action. According to the actual situation of the program and pipeline, each nozzle cleaning needs to perform M cleaning actions, and after the execution is completed, the solvent storage chamber 1-5 is filled again. If the liquid level switch 2 cannot detect the liquid level signal during this process, it can be determined that the solvent bottle 4 is empty.

[0054] The first and second steps are performed reciprocally to achieve continuous flushing and cleaning of the nozzle.

[0055] The working principle of the embodiment of the present application is: first, the solvent is pumped into the cleaning metering pump 1, and then the solvent is pumped into the ink mixing tank 5, and finally, by switching the valve, the solvent enters the nozzle cleaning pipeline under the push of the power diaphragm 1-4 to complete the nozzle cleaning.

[0056] The advantages of the embodiments of the present application are: reducing the use of complex pumps and valves, simple operation, precise quantitative control, improving production efficiency and quality stability, and being suitable for industrial production and application.

[0057] The above are all preferred embodiments of the present application, and the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Therefore, any equivalent changes made according to the structure, shape, and principle of the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning and adding solvent to a continuous inkjet printer, using a continuous inkjet printer cleaning and adding solvent pipeline system, comprising a cleaning metering pump (1), wherein a power diaphragm (1-4) is provided inside the cleaning metering pump (1), wherein the power diaphragm (1-4) separates the cleaning metering pump (1) into two independent closed chambers: a solvent storage chamber (1-5) and a power chamber (1-6); a liquid level switch (2) is provided at the top of the solvent storage chamber (1-5); the top of the solvent storage chamber (1-5) is connected to a solvent bottle (4) through a valve V1; the solvent storage chamber (1-5) is connected to a nozzle cleaning pipeline through a valve V2, and the solvent storage chamber (1-5) is also connected to the top of an ink mixing cylinder (5) through a valve V5; the power chamber (1-6) is connected to a positive pressure portion of the pipeline through a valve V3, and the power chamber (1-6) is connected to a negative pressure portion of the pipeline through a valve V4; Features: The solvent storage chamber (1-5) is provided with a mold flap dome (1-7) that is concave toward itself and is used to limit the deformation range of the power diaphragm (1-4), and a slit (1-9) is provided on the mold flap dome (1-7) for the solvent to pass through; the power chamber (1-6) is provided with a mold flap base (1-8) that is concave toward itself, and the mold flap base (1-8) is connected to the outside of the cleaning metering pump (1) through a pipeline, and is connected to the valve V3 and the valve V4; Including solvent adding step and nozzle cleaning step: The steps for adding solvent are as follows: The first step is to fill the solvent storage chamber (1-5); the process is as follows: open the valve V1, close the valve V5 and the valve V2; close the valve V3, open the valve V4 for a certain time Δt1 until the power diaphragm (1-4) is pressed against the mold base (1-8) under the action of negative pressure, a certain negative pressure is formed inside the solvent storage chamber (1-5), and a certain volume of solvent in the solvent bottle (4) enters the solvent storage chamber (1-5); close the valve V4, open the valve V3 for a certain time Δt2 until the power diaphragm (1-4) is pressed against the mold base (1-7) under the action of positive pressure; repeat the opening and closing actions of valves V3 and V4 until the liquid level switch (2) detects the liquid level signal, and close the valve V3 for the last time, open the valve V4 for a certain time Δt3 until the power diaphragm (1-4) is pressed against the mold base (1-8) under the action of negative pressure, and close the valves V1 and V4; The second step is to push the solvent in the solvent storage chamber (1-5) to the ink mixing tank (5); the process is as follows: After completing the first step, the valves V1, V2 and V4 are closed; the valves V5 and V3 are opened for a certain period of time Δt4 until the solvent in the solvent storage chamber (1-5) enters the ink mixing cylinder (5) under the push of the power diaphragm (1-4); the power diaphragm (1-4) is pressed against the mold dome (1-7) under the action of positive pressure; the amount of solvent added this time is equal to the sum of the capacities of the solvent storage chamber (1-5) and the power chamber (1-6), completing one solvent addition and accurate metering; Repeat the first and second steps above to achieve the required solvent addition and accurate metering; The steps for cleaning the nozzle are as follows: The first step is to fill the solvent storage chamber (1-5), which is the same as the first step in the step of adding solvent; The second step is to push the solvent in the solvent storage chamber (1-5) to the nozzle, the process is as follows: After the first step of filling the solvent storage chamber (1-5) is completed, the valve V1, the valve V4 and the valve V5 are closed; the valve V2 and the valve V3 are opened for a certain time Δt6 so that a certain amount of solvent enters the nozzle cleaning pipeline under the push of the power diaphragm (1-4), thereby completing one nozzle cleaning; The first and second steps are performed reciprocally to achieve continuous flushing and cleaning of the nozzle.

2. The method for cleaning and adding solvent to a continuous inkjet printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the step of filling the solvent storage chamber (1-5), if the opening and closing of the valve V3 and the valve V4 are repeated X times, X is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and the liquid level switch (2) still does not detect a liquid level signal, it is determined that the solvent bottle (4) is empty; and the valve V3 is closed for the last time, and the valve V4 is opened for a certain time Δt8 until the power diaphragm (1-4) is pressed against the mold base (1-8) under the action of negative pressure, and the valve V1 and the valve V4 are closed.

3. The method for cleaning and adding solvent to a continuous inkjet printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mold flap dome (1-7) and the mold flap base (1-8) are symmetrically arranged relative to the power diaphragm (1-4).

4. The method for cleaning and adding solvent to a continuous inkjet printer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The mold dome (1-7) is configured as a smooth and symmetrical spherical structure.

5. The method for cleaning and adding solvent to a continuous inkjet printer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The mold base (1-8) is configured as a smooth and symmetrical spherical structure.

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