Electroformed Filter Area Calculation for Ink Jet Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet recording apparatuses face increased flow resistance at filter portions due to captured foreign substances, leading to inadequate ink supply to the nozzles, necessitating a balance between filter area and apparatus size to maintain optimal ink flow.
Innovation Solution
A liquid jetting apparatus with an electroformed filter, where the filter area is determined by specific conditions involving viscosity, flow rate, pressure drop, cake specific resistance, and particle density, ensuring the area remains within limits to prevent excessive pressure drop and maintain ink supply, with the filter area calculated using constants and maximum values for flow rate and volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the area of the filter portion is increased to reduce flow resistance, then ink flow is improved, but the size of the ink jet head becomes larger
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the filter by using electroformed filters with controlled pore sizes (5-20 μm) and optimizing the filter area within specific ranges (0.5-2.0 mm² per ink supply port). This allows achieving low flow resistance while maintaining compact ink jet head dimensions, resolving the contradiction between ink flow reliability and device size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs porous electroformed filters with precisely controlled pore structures to achieve optimal balance between filtration capability and flow resistance. The porous structure allows sufficient ink passage while capturing foreign substances, enabling reliable ink flow without requiring excessive filter area that would increase head size.
2Reliability
If the area of the filter portion is increased to maintain ink supply after extended use, then flow resistance is reduced, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes specific parameter ranges for filter area (0.5-2.0 mm² per ink supply port) and pore size (5-20 μm) that ensure consistent ink supply over extended operation periods. These standardized parameters simplify the manufacturing process by providing clear design guidelines, reducing the complexity of filter area determination while maintaining reliable ink supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary calculations and experiments to determine the optimal filter area before mass production. By establishing the relationship between filter area, pore size, and ink flow characteristics in advance, the patent provides manufacturers with predetermined design parameters, significantly reducing manufacturing complexity and variability.
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 solution ensures consistent ink supply to the nozzles by maintaining optimal filter area, preventing clogging and ensuring the quality of printed images by controlling pressure drop and filter area, thus extending the operational lifespan of the apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
the filter is an electroformed filter which is formed by depositing metal on a master block and in which a plurality of through holes is formed
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a liquid jetting apparatus including: a liquid jetting head; a cartridge installation portion; and an electroformed filter provided in a channel between the cartridge installation portion and the liquid jetting head. A lower limit Smin of the area of the filter is expressed as:Smin=aL+a2L2+4ab2provided that a is a constant expressed as:a=128μQNπd4ΔPM,b is a constant expressed as: b=αcCVtotal, and L is a thickness of the filter. An upper limit Smax of the area of the filter is expressed as follows,Smax=Sb·0.9X.