Differential Flushing Control for Liquid Discharge Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid discharge apparatuses face inefficiencies in maintaining and recovering the conditions of liquid discharge heads, particularly in managing flushing operations to discharge receptacles and printed sheets, leading to increased downtime and liquid consumption.
Innovation Solution
A novel liquid discharge apparatus with a flushing controller that adjusts the flushing amount and timing for each nozzle and discharge receptacle, allowing for differential flushing amounts to the discharge receptacle and the sheet, reducing unnecessary liquid discharge and extending the replacement span of the discharge receptacle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flushing is performed to both the discharge receptacle and the sheet with the same flushing amount, then the head conditions are maintained, but liquid consumption increases and the discharge receptacle needs frequent replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different flushing amounts to different targets: a first flushing amount is discharged to the discharge receptacle while a second flushing amount is discharged to the sheet. This local differentiation allows optimized liquid distribution where each target receives the appropriate amount needed for effective flushing, reducing overall liquid consumption while maintaining head conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The flushing operation is segmented into two distinct phases with different liquid amounts: first flushing to the discharge receptacle with a first flushing amount, then flushing to the sheet with a second flushing amount. This segmentation enables independent optimization of each flushing stage, preventing unnecessary liquid discharge to the receptacle while ensuring adequate sheet flushing.
2Reliability
If flushing is performed with large amounts to ensure head recovery, then liquid discharge stability is maintained, but the discharge receptacle replacement frequency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent discharges a first flushing amount to the discharge receptacle and a second flushing amount to the sheet, where the first flushing amount is controlled to be appropriate for receptacle flushing without excessive discharge. This localized quality control ensures liquid discharge stability is maintained while reducing the total volume accumulated in the receptacle, thereby extending replacement intervals and improving productivity.
3Device complexity
If uniform flushing amount is used for all nozzles, then the control system is simple, but flushing efficiency is reduced when decap time is long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic flushing control where the circuitry is configured to cause the liquid discharger to perform flushing with different flushing amounts based on operational conditions. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt flushing quantities to actual needs, improving flushing efficiency during long decap times while maintaining reasonable control system complexity through automated differential control.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharger, a discharge receptacle, and circuitry. The liquid discharger includes a nozzle configured to discharge liquid. The discharge receptacle is configured to receive the liquid discharged from the liquid discharger. The circuitry is configured to control a flushing operation of the liquid discharger. The circuitry is configured to cause the liquid discharger to perform flushing to the discharge receptacle and a sheet to which the liquid is applied, with a first flushing amount and a second flushing amount different from the first flushing amount, respectively.