Flow Adjusting Member for Droplet Ejecting Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet recording devices face issues with air bubbles entering the ink supply channel, leading to poor ink ejection as strong suction forces are required to discharge air bubbles, resulting in excessive ink being discharged along with the bubble.
Innovation Solution
A droplet ejecting device with a liquid supplying channel, a suction section, and flow adjusting members that include low-resistance and high-resistance channels to facilitate the discharge of air bubbles while minimizing ink discharge, using a combination of low-resistance and high-resistance channels to manage ink and air bubble flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a strong suction force is applied to discharge air bubbles from the ink supply channel, then air bubbles are effectively removed, but excessive ink is discharged together with the air bubbles
Solution Approach 1:
The ink supply channel is segmented into multiple resistance zones using flow adjusting members with different resistance values. The channel is divided into a first region with higher resistance and a second region with lower resistance, allowing differential control of ink flow in different sections during suction operations
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the ink supply channel are given different flow resistance characteristics. The flow adjusting members create local variations in resistance, with the first region having higher resistance to limit ink discharge and the second region having lower resistance to facilitate air bubble movement toward the nozzles
2Stability of the object's composition
If the ink supply channel has uniform flow resistance, then ink flow is stable during normal operation, but air bubbles cannot be discharged efficiently through the nozzles
Solution Approach 1:
The ink supply channel is divided into multiple sections with different resistance characteristics using flow adjusting members. This segmentation allows the channel to exhibit different flow properties in different regions, enabling both stable operation and effective air bubble discharge
Solution Approach 2:
The flow resistance distribution in the ink supply channel is made dynamic rather than uniform. During normal operation, the resistance distribution maintains stable ink flow, while during suction operations, the differential resistance allows air bubbles to be pushed toward the nozzles efficiently
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 effectively reduces the amount of ink discharged with air bubbles, maintaining efficient inkjet performance by ensuring air bubbles are cleared without excessive ink loss, thus improving ejection reliability.
Implementation Method 1
The suction pump sucks liquid and an air bubble in the liquid supplying channel through the nozzles
Implementation Method 2
The flow adjusting member is provided in the liquid supplying channel and is formed with a low-resistance channel and a high-resistance channel. The high-resistance channel is formed integrally with the low-resistance channel and has a higher flow resistance than the low-resistance channel
Data Source
AI summary
A droplet ejecting device includes a droplet ejecting head, a channel member, a suction section, and a flow adjusting member. The droplet ejecting head has nozzles that eject droplets. The channel member is formed with a liquid supplying channel that supplies the droplet ejecting head with liquid. The suction section sucks liquid and an air bubble in the liquid supplying channel through the nozzles. The flow adjusting member is provided in the liquid supplying channel and is formed with a low-resistance channel and a high-resistance channel. The high-resistance channel is formed integrally with the low-resistance channel and has a higher flow resistance than the low-resistance channel.