Droplet Ejecting Head Vibration Mechanism for Ink Drying Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inkjet recording devices face issues with ink drying in nozzles due to prolonged idle times, leading to clogging and instability in ejection performance, and existing solutions either waste ink through flushing or increase power consumption and heat generation.
Innovation Solution
A droplet ejecting device with a vibration generating mechanism that includes protruding sections on guide members to vibrate the recording head, preventing ink drying without the need for flushing or continuous actuator operation, thereby maintaining ejection performance and reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If preliminary ejection (flushing ejection) is performed to prevent ink drying, then ejection performance is recovered, but ink is consumed wastefully and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibration to the meniscus in the nozzle to prevent ink drying. A vibration generating section vibrates the droplet ejecting head in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle axis, causing the meniscus to oscillate and mix with the ink, preventing drying without ejecting droplets. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining ejection performance while avoiding wasteful ink consumption associated with flushing operations.
2Reliability
If the inkjet head is driven frequently for preliminary ejection, then ejection performance is maintained, but power consumption increases and heat generation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a dedicated vibration generating section that operates independently of the inkjet head actuator. By vibrating the head body in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle axis, the meniscus is agitated to prevent drying without requiring frequent activation of the inkjet head itself, thereby reducing power consumption and heat generation while maintaining ejection performance.
3Reliability
If the inkjet head is driven frequently for flushing, then ejection performance is recovered, but heat generation increases causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The vibration generating section mechanically vibrates the droplet ejecting head body in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle axis, causing the meniscus to oscillate and mix with the ink. This prevents ink drying and maintains ejection performance without requiring frequent operation of the inkjet head actuator, thereby significantly reducing heat generation and preventing the temperature-related instability that occurs with frequent flushing operations.
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 vibration mechanism effectively prevents ink drying in nozzles, stabilizes ejection characteristics, and reduces power consumption and heat generation, enhancing the overall performance and efficiency of the inkjet recording device.
Implementation Method 1
The vibration generating section vibrates the droplet ejecting head in such a manner that vibration of liquid held in the at least one nozzle includes a component in the nozzle axis direction
Data Source
AI summary
A droplet ejecting head is formed with at least one nozzle and is configured to eject a liquid droplet through the at least one nozzle in a nozzle axis direction. A carriage supports the droplet ejecting head. A guide member extends in a predetermined direction and is configured to guide the carriage so that the carriage is movable in the predetermined direction. A moving section moves the carriage along the guide member. The droplet ejecting head is configured to eject a liquid droplet through the at least one nozzle onto an ejection object while the moving section moves the carriage. A vibration generating section vibrates the droplet ejecting head in such a manner that vibration of liquid held in the at least one nozzle includes a component in the nozzle axis direction.