Air Capturing Portion for Bubble Exhaust in Liquid Circulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid discharging apparatuses face challenges in efficiently removing bubbles from the circulation system, particularly when circulation is stopped, as bubbles tend to gather in the head unit, requiring multiple pumps for bubble exhaustion.
Innovation Solution
A liquid circulating device with a supply flow path, collection flow path, and a liquid flowing portion that includes an air capturing portion disposed above the liquid ejecting head, utilizing a turnaround portion composed of rising and falling flow paths to capture bubbles, allowing for bubble exhaustion without multiple pumps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If circulation is stopped in the middle, then bubbles gather together in the head unit, but using multiple pumps to exhaust bubbles increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The air capturing portion is positioned at a higher vertical dimension than the liquid ejecting head, creating a height difference that enables bubbles to be captured and exhausted without requiring multiple pumps. This spatial dimensionality change resolves the contradiction by using gravitational potential energy instead of additional mechanical pumping components.
Solution Approach 2:
The air capturing portion acts as an intermediary component between the liquid ejecting head and the exhaust path. It captures bubbles that rise to the higher position and directs them to the exhaust flow path, eliminating the need for multiple pumps while maintaining effective bubble removal.
2Reliability
If air capturing portion is disposed at higher position, then bubbles are effectively captured, but device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The air capturing portion is merged with the existing circulation flow path structure. The rising flow path and falling flow path are integrated into the circulation system, allowing bubble capture functionality to be added without creating completely separate structural components. This merging reduces the overall structural complexity while maintaining effective bubble capture.
Solution Approach 2:
The turnaround portion utilizes the natural buoyancy of bubbles and the existing liquid flow to accomplish bubble capture and exhaust. The rising flow path allows bubbles to naturally rise and be captured, while the falling flow path returns liquid without requiring additional energy input or complex control mechanisms.
3Device complexity
If turnaround portion is used with rising and falling flow paths, then bubble exhaustion is achieved without multiple pumps, but liquid flow path length increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid flow through the turnaround portion operates periodically - flowing up the rising flow path during the exhaust phase and flowing down the falling flow path during the refill phase. This periodic action allows the same liquid to be reused multiple times through the circulation loop, effectively managing bubble exhaustion without requiring proportionally longer flow paths for each exhaust cycle.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively suppresses bubble accumulation in the liquid ejecting head, enabling efficient bubble removal during circulation pauses, reducing the need for multiple pumps and enhancing operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
An air capturing portion that captures bubbles is provided in at least one of the supply flow path and the collection flow path. The air capturing portion is composed of a turnaround portion disposed at a position higher than the position of the liquid ejecting head
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid circulating device has: a supply flow path through which a liquid is supplied from a liquid supply source that stores the liquid to a liquid ejecting head that ejects the liquid; a collection flow path through which the liquid collected from the liquid ejecting head is returned to the supply flow path; and a liquid flowing portion that causes the liquid to flow in a circulation flow path including the supply flow path, the liquid ejecting head, and the collection flow path. An air capturing portion can capture bubbles and is provided in at least one of the supply flow path and collection flow path. The air capturing portion is disposed at a position higher than the position of the liquid ejecting head.