Glycol Ether Cleaning Solution for Inkjet Nozzle Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning solutions for inkjet printers with resin-based inks are insufficient in cleaning power, leading to adhesion issues with ink discharge heads, particularly on low ink-absorbable media, and fail to ensure reliable ink discharge.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning solution containing a glycol ether compound, such as diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, which swells the ink film to a wipeable level without excessive swelling, ensuring effective removal of ink residues from nozzle surfaces, combined with a surfactant for enhanced cleaning power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing cleaning solutions are used for resin-based inks, then the cleaning solution can be applied to the inkjet printer, but the cleaning power is insufficient and ink residues firmly adhere to the ink discharge head
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the cleaning solution by incorporating specific solvents (glycol ethers, glycol esters, carboxylic acid esters) and surfactants in optimized concentrations. This chemical parameter modification enables the solution to effectively dissolve and remove resin-based ink residues that existing cleaning solutions cannot handle, thereby preventing ink adhesion to the discharge head and ensuring reliable ink discharge.
2Reliability
If cleaning power is increased to remove ink residues, then ink discharge reliability improves, but the risk of damaging the inkjet printer components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces surfactants as intermediary substances that mediate between the cleaning solution and the ink residues. The surfactants lower the surface tension and enable gentle yet effective removal of ink particles without requiring harsh chemicals or excessive mechanical force, thus preventing damage to the inkjet printer components while maintaining high cleaning power.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent carefully controls the concentration parameters of active ingredients (solvents and surfactants) to optimize the balance between cleaning power and component safety. By adjusting these chemical parameters, the solution achieves sufficient cleaning effectiveness to remove ink residues while maintaining a safe profile that does not corrode or damage the delicate inkjet printer components.
3Manufacturing precision
If resin content in ink is increased to improve fixability on low ink-absorbable media, then printing quality on coated paper improves, but cleaning becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses the increased cleaning difficulty from high resin content by modifying the cleaning solution's chemical composition parameters. The solution incorporates specific solvents and surfactants in optimized concentrations that are capable of effectively dissolving and removing high levels of resin-based ink residues, thereby enabling the use of high-resin inks for improved printing quality on coated paper without compromising cleanability.
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 provides sufficient cleaning power to maintain ink discharge reliability by effectively removing ink residues from inkjet printer nozzles, preventing adhesion and ensuring consistent printing performance on low ink-absorbable media.
Implementation Method 1
An ink film obtained by drying the ink has a swelling ratio of 20 percent or higher but 150 percent or lower, where the swelling ratio is calculated according to mathematical formula 1 below based on masses of the ink film before and after the ink film is immersed in the cleaning solution
Implementation Method 2
The cleaning solution contains water and a solvent. The solvent contains a glycol ether compound represented by general formula 1 below
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is cleaning solution used for cleaning ink containing water and resin, cleaning solution containing water and solvent. Solvent contains glycol ether compound represented by general formula 1. Ink film obtained by drying the ink has swelling ratio of 20 percent or higher but 150 percent or lower, where swelling ratio is calculated by mathematical formula 1 based on masses of ink film before/after immersed in cleaning solution at 25 degrees C. for 24 hours,R1(OR2)XOR3 General formula 1In general formula 1, R1 and R3 represent hydrogen atom or alkyl group including from 1 through 4 carbon atoms, R2 represents alkyl group including from 2 through 3 carbon atoms, and X represents integer of from 1 through 4,Swelling ratio(%)=100×[(B−A)/A] Mathematical formula 1In mathematical formula 1, A represents mass of ink film before immersed, and B represents mass of ink film after immersed.