Ejection Head Group Control for Ink Circulation During Pauses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid ejection apparatuses face issues with ink thickening at ejection orifices due to evaporation of volatile components, leading to increased viscosity and flow resistance, which can cause ejection defects, particularly during prolonged pauses in operation.
Innovation Solution
A group selection circuit is introduced to independently control ejector and circulator driver elements by selecting ejector and circulator groups, allowing for independent operation of these elements based on the operation mode, thereby preventing simultaneous activation and addressing ink thickening issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If circulator driver elements are used to circulate inks in circulation channels, then ink circulation is achieved, but ink thickening at ejection orifices occurs due to evaporation during prolonged pauses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the driver elements into separate ejector driver elements and circulator driver elements, allowing independent control of ejection and circulation functions. This segmentation enables the circulation system to operate independently without being constrained by ejection operations, maintaining ink flow during pauses to prevent thickening at ejection orifices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic control where the circulator driver elements can be activated independently based on operational needs. During prolonged pauses when ejector driver elements are inactive, circulator driver elements dynamically adjust to maintain ink circulation, adapting the system's behavior to prevent ink thickening while preserving ejection capability when needed.
2Reliability
If ejector and circulator driver elements are controlled independently, then ejection defects are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines ejector and circulator driver elements into a unified structure where both types of elements are integrated within the same ejection head assembly. This merging allows shared infrastructure and coordinated control, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining the benefits of independent operation for each function.
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 enables independent control of ink circulation and ejection, reducing ejection defects by maintaining ink flow and ensuring accurate ink landing, even during prolonged pauses.
Implementation Method 1
an ejector heater RhA and a circulator heater RhB
Implementation Method 2
an ejector heater RhA and a circulator heater RhB
Implementation Method 3
ink thickening at ejection orifices due to evaporation of volatile components
Data Source
AI summary
An ejection head includes multiple ejector modules each including an ejector driver element and an ejector heater capable of connecting with the ejector driver element; multiple circulator modules each arranged in a pair with the ejector module, and including a circulator driver element and a circulator heater capable of connecting with the circulator driver element; a group selection circuit configured to select at least one ejector group from among ejector groups into which the multiple ejector modules are divided by a predetermined number, and select at least one circulator group from among circulator groups into which the multiple circulator modules are divided by the predetermined number; and a control unit configured to determine whether or not to enable each of the selections by the group selection circuit based on an operation mode.