Ink Cartridge Hollow Needle Reverse-Flow Cleaning for Clog Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink clogging at the hollow needle and its vicinity in ink jet printers, particularly with pigment ink, leads to printer failures, necessitating inconvenient and costly replacements.
Innovation Solution
A continuous ink jet printer design with suction and blowing controls to manage ink flow, using solvent or ink to clear obstructions without manual intervention, and including on-off valves and pumps for controlled flow direction to prevent clogging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If pigment ink is used in the ink jet printer, then printing quality is improved, but ink clogging occurs in the hollow needle and internal spaces due to incomplete dissolution of coloring components
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary shaking of the ink cartridge before ink extraction to break down lumps of coloring components. The control unit detects the ink cartridge installation and automatically executes a shaking operation that agitates the ink reservoir, ensuring complete dissolution of pigment particles before they can clog the hollow needle or internal spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The ink cartridge is designed with a built-in shaking mechanism that automatically agitates the ink when the cartridge is installed. The cartridge itself performs the necessary action to prevent clogging without requiring external intervention or manual user operation, making the system self-service for preventing ink flow problems.
2Reliability
If manual shaking of the ink cartridge is required to prevent clogging, then ink flow reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to forgotten or insufficient shaking
Solution Approach 1:
The ink cartridge automatically performs shaking through its built-in mechanism when installed in the printer. The control unit detects cartridge installation and triggers the shaking operation automatically, eliminating the need for manual user action. The system serves itself by preventing clogging without requiring user awareness or intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit monitors the installation state of the ink cartridge and provides feedback control by automatically executing the shaking operation when the cartridge is detected. This closed-loop approach ensures the preventive action is taken at the correct moment without requiring user input, improving both reliability and ease of operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If the hollow needle internal space is made narrow to improve printing precision, then manufacturing precision is improved, but susceptibility to clogging increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system executes a shaking operation before ink extraction to break down pigment lumps and ensure complete dissolution. This preliminary action prepares the ink flow in advance, preventing formation of clogs that could block the narrow internal spaces of the hollow needle, thus allowing the needle to maintain its precise narrow dimensions without increased clogging risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaking mechanism, which could be seen as an additional operational step, is converted into a beneficial automatic function that eliminates the harmful effect of clogging. The control unit's detection and automatic shaking operation transforms what would be a user burden into a system advantage, allowing narrow precision needle design without compromising reliability.
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
Prevents printer failures by effectively clearing obstructions, reducing the need for manual intervention and lowering maintenance costs, while maintaining ink concentration and ensuring reliable printing.
Implementation Method 1
a suction pump that is arranged in the middle of the ink flowing tube and configured to perform suction so as to generate a flow from the hollow needle toward the ink flowing tube
Implementation Method 2
a blowing pump that is arranged in the middle of the ink flowing tube and configured to perform blowing so as to generate a flow from the ink flowing tube toward the hollow needle
Data Source
AI summary
To prevent a failure of an ink jet printer due to ink clogging in a hollow needle and the vicinity thereof. A continuous ink jet printer includes: an ink tank that stores ink and a solvent as a printing ink; a printing head that performs printing with the printing ink; an ink hollow needle that accesses the ink in an ink cartridge when an ink reservoir receives the ink cartridge; a first ink tube that causes the ink to flow from the ink hollow needle to the ink tank; and a supply control section that executes suction control to generate a flow from the ink hollow needle toward the first ink tube when the ink is taken out from the ink cartridge received in the ink reservoir, and executes blowing control to generate a flow from the first ink tube toward the ink hollow needle when reverse-flow cleaning is performed.