Image Recording Maintenance Control for Wiper and Flushing Tanks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image recording apparatuses consume a significant amount of cleaning liquid in both wipe and flushing processes due to independent supply to wiper and flushing tanks, leading to inefficiencies and potential ink drying in the flushing foam.
Innovation Solution
A controller manages the supply of cleaning liquid to either the wiper tank or flushing tank based on elapsed time since the last cleaning, optimizing the amount supplied to reduce evaporation and consumption by alternating between tanks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cleaning liquid is supplied independently to both wiper tank and flushing tank, then both wipe processing and flushing processing can be performed, but the amount of cleaning liquid consumed becomes great
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cleaning liquid supply system by introducing a common supply pump that supplies cleaning liquid to both the wiper tank and flushing tank through a unified control mechanism. The controller manages the supply timing and amount to both tanks, coordinating their operation to reduce overall cleaning liquid consumption while maintaining both wipe and flushing processing capabilities.
2Reliability
If cleaning liquid is supplied to prevent ink drying in flushing foam, then ink fixation is prevented, but cleaning liquid consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller monitors the supply timing and amount of cleaning liquid to the flushing tank, using feedback control to determine when and how much cleaning liquid to supply. By tracking the elapsed time since last supply and comparing it against threshold values, the system optimizes cleaning liquid supply to prevent ink fixation while minimizing consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the supply parameters (timing and amount) of cleaning liquid to the flushing tank based on the elapsed time since last supply. When the elapsed time exceeds a first threshold value, the controller supplies cleaning liquid to prevent ink fixation. The supply amount is adjusted based on whether the elapsed time exceeds a second threshold value, optimizing both ink protection and liquid conservation.
3Quantity of substance
If cleaning liquid is supplied to wiper tank frequently to prevent evaporation, then cleaning liquid is maintained, but overall consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller implements periodic supply of cleaning liquid to the wiper tank based on elapsed time thresholds. Rather than continuous supply, the system supplies cleaning liquid to the wiper tank at specific intervals when the elapsed time since last supply exceeds predetermined threshold values, maintaining adequate liquid levels while reducing overall consumption through coordinated timing with the flushing tank supply schedule.
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 approach reduces the overall consumption of cleaning liquid by synchronizing the supply to minimize evaporation and ink fixation, thereby optimizing maintenance efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a flushing foam configured to absorb the liquid ejected from the nozzle
Implementation Method 2
The flushing foam is made, for example, of a porous material and absorbs the ink ejected from the nozzles of the head during the flushing processing
Implementation Method 3
an amount of the cleaning liquid consumed in the wipe processing and an amount of the cleaning liquid consumed in the flushing processing become to be great
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an image recording apparatus including: a head; a maintenance unit; and a controller. The maintenance unit includes a wiper tank and a flushing tank. A first tank is one of the wiper and flushing tanks and a second tank is remaining one of the wiper and flushing tanks. The controller is configured to perform a first processing of cleaning the first tank, under a condition that an elapsed time is less than a threshold value, the elapsed time being a time elapsed since cleaning of the second tank or since a predetermined processing performed first after the cleaning of the second tank, and is configured to perform a second processing of cleaning the second tank by adding the cleaning liquid to the first tank, under a condition that the elapsed time is not less than the threshold value.