Liquid Ejection Apparatus Controller for Receiving Member Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing liquid ejection apparatuses face complexity in removing discharged liquid from the receiving member, which affects the efficiency and throughput of the printing process.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejection apparatus comprising a head with ejection openings, a discharger, a receiving member, and a controller that controls the discharger to discharge liquid onto the receiving member and determines when the remaining amount is below a predetermined threshold, triggering the remover to clean the receiving member only when necessary, thereby optimizing the printing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the remover removes the discharged liquid every time the liquid discharges, then the receiving member is kept clean, but the procedure becomes complex and throughput decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the discharged liquid itself to clean the receiving member. When liquid is discharged onto the receiving member, it automatically removes previously accumulated liquid through the flow of new liquid, eliminating the need for a separate active removal mechanism in many cases.
Solution Approach 2:
The remover is activated periodically based on detection signals rather than continuously. The controller determines when removal is necessary by detecting liquid accumulation levels, and only activates the remover when the detected amount exceeds a threshold, reducing operational complexity while maintaining cleanliness.
2Reliability
If the remover removes the discharged liquid every time the liquid discharges, then the receiving member is kept clean, but the throughput of printing process decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates a detector that monitors the amount of liquid on the receiving member and provides feedback to the controller. The controller uses this feedback to intelligently control the remover, activating it only when the detected liquid amount exceeds a predetermined threshold, thereby optimizing the balance between cleanliness and throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous or frequent removal operations, the system performs removal periodically based on actual liquid accumulation levels. This reduces the frequency of remover activation, minimizing interruptions to the printing process while maintaining adequate cleanliness of the receiving member.
3Productivity
If liquid accumulates on the receiving member, then the removal frequency decreases, but ink spattering or overflow occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The detector continuously monitors liquid accumulation on the receiving member and provides real-time feedback to the controller. When the liquid amount reaches a critical threshold that could cause spattering or overflow, the controller activates the remover to prevent harmful effects, thus allowing reduced removal frequency under normal conditions while maintaining safety margins.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a safety threshold for liquid accumulation that prevents reaching dangerous levels. By detecting and responding to liquid accumulation before it causes spattering or overflow, the system creates a buffer zone that allows infrequent removal operations while preventing harmful effects.
Data Source
AI summary
A controller is configured to: (a) control a head according to a recording command received to eject liquid through ejection openings toward a recording medium; (b) control a discharger to discharge the liquid toward a receiving member through at least one of the ejection openings; (c) determine whether a remaining amount representing an amount of the liquid on the receiving member and based at least on an amount of the liquid discharged onto the receiving member in the step (b) is equal to or greater than a first predetermined amount; and (d) control the remover to remove the liquid on the receiving member. The controller is configured to perform the step (a) before the step (d) when it is determined in the step (c) that the remaining amount is less than the first predetermined amount.