Deflectable Chute Carrier for Inkjet Printhead Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
In franking machines and other mail processing devices, existing technologies face challenges in reducing ink contamination and optimizing inkjet printhead maintenance, particularly in compact systems with small to medium mail throughput, where inkjet printheads are prone to contamination during the spraying process.
Innovation Solution
A device featuring a deflectable chute carrier with free-spray chutes arranged opposite the inkjet printheads, utilizing a resilient shaft support and actuating element to position the chutes close to the printheads during idle periods, allowing for spraying without moving the printheads, and automatically adjusting to clear the path for mail items, eliminating the need for a separate motor and ensuring continuous printing without inkjet printhead movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the inkjet printhead is moved to a cleaning position for spraying free, then the printhead can be maintained, but printing productivity is reduced due to movement time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the printing position and the spraying-free position into a single location. The chute carrier with free-spray chutes is positioned directly below the inkjet printhead, allowing maintenance to be performed without moving the printhead from its printing position. This merging of positions eliminates the time loss associated with moving the printhead between cleaning and printing locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The chute carrier is designed to be deflectable between a retracted position (during printing) and a positioned state (during spraying free). This dynamic positioning allows the system to adapt its configuration based on the operational mode, enabling maintenance activities at the printing position without compromising printing productivity when in the retracted position.
2Reliability
If a separate motor-driven mechanism is used to position protective caps or chutes, then maintenance functions are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The chute carrier is designed to be automatically positioned by the incoming mail item itself. As a mail item enters the printing device, it naturally deflects the chute carrier into the positioned state, eliminating the need for a separate motor-driven actuating mechanism. The system uses the operational flow (mail item insertion) to automatically configure itself for the appropriate function.
Solution Approach 2:
The incoming mail item acts as an intermediary that triggers the positioning of the chute carrier. Instead of using a complex motorized system, the mail item itself serves as the actuating force that deflects the chute carrier into the correct position, simplifying the overall mechanism while maintaining functional reliability.
3Productivity
If the chute carrier remains in the transport path during printing, then mail items can be transported, but ink contamination occurs during spraying free
Solution Approach 1:
The chute carrier dynamically changes position based on operational needs. During printing, it is deflected out of the transport path to allow mail item passage. During spraying free operations, it is positioned below the printhead to contain ink. This dynamic repositioning resolves the contradiction between maintaining transport functionality and preventing ink contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The device separates the transport function and the spraying-free function into distinct spatial and temporal segments. The chute carrier serves different functions at different times: mail transport guidance during printing, and ink containment during spraying free. This segmentation allows each function to operate optimally without interfering with the other.
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
This solution reduces ink contamination by allowing instant jetting in the print position without printhead movement, eliminates the need for a separate drive, and maintains the printheads in a stationary, ready-to-print state, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing ink consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient shaft support which is coupled to at least one actuating element and is arranged in the transport path below the at least one inkjet print head
Implementation Method 2
the nozzles that are little or not used during printing are sprayed free as long as there is no letter in front of the print head
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
AI summary
The apparatus has a feed table (13) comprising a slot carrier (14) to be deflected counter to spring force. The slot carrier comprises a pair of free-spraying slots (141, 142) placed opposite at a pair of inkjet printheads (11.2, 12.2). The slot carrier deflects the free-spraying slots out of a transport path corresponding to an entry of an item of mail being fed in the transport path. The printhead is placed above the feed table in a printing position, and a free-spraying position is identical with the printing position.