Ink Circulation System with Dual Feed Lines and Bubble Trap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inkjet printer systems face inefficiencies in ink circulation due to bubble recovery issues caused by filter resistance, leading to unsatisfactory ink amounts in the head assembly and degraded image quality.
Innovation Solution
The system introduces a dual-feed line ink circulation system with a pump generating negative and positive pressures, utilizing a valve unit and sub-filter to efficiently circulate ink and remove bubbles from both the head assembly and nozzles, ensuring smooth ink flow and priming of the head chip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a filter is housed inside the pressure adjusting unit to filter impurities or bubbles, then ink purity is improved, but bubble recovery efficiency deteriorates due to filter resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the head assembly into a first reservoir (upstream of filter) and second reservoir (downstream of filter), allowing independent bubble recovery from each zone. The dual feed line configuration enables separate circulation paths: one for ink supply and another for bubble recovery, eliminating the bottleneck caused by filter resistance in the single-path conventional system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a bubble trap as an intermediary component in the bubble recovery path. This dedicated bubble recovery path with trap allows bubbles to be collected and removed from the system without passing through the filter, thereby maintaining ink purity while improving bubble recovery efficiency.
2Device complexity
If a single feed line is used for ink circulation, then device complexity is reduced, but ink circulation efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the single feed line into two separate feed lines: a first feed line for supplying ink to the head assembly and a second feed line for recovering ink and bubbles from the head assembly. This segmentation enables simultaneous and efficient operation of both circulation functions without compromising the other, thereby improving overall ink circulation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump is designed to serve multiple functions by being able to operate in different modes (supply mode and recovery mode) and can selectively provide negative or positive pressure to either the first or second feed line. This multi-functionality allows a single pump to handle both ink supply and bubble recovery tasks, improving circulation efficiency without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Stress or pressure
If negative pressure is generated from the ink tank, then ink flow control is improved, but ink amount in head assembly deteriorates due to inefficient circulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the pump monitors and responds to pressure conditions in the circulation system. By detecting when negative pressure is generated and adjusting its operation accordingly, the system ensures efficient ink circulation and maintains optimal ink levels in the head assembly, preventing both ink depletion and bubble accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump is designed with dynamic pressure control capability, able to switch between generating negative pressure (for ink supply) and positive pressure (for bubble recovery and ink circulation). This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize ink flow control at different operational stages, thereby maintaining sufficient ink amount in the head assembly while preventing bubble issues.
4Reliability
If the filter resistance is increased to improve filtration, then ink purity is improved, but bubble recovery capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the circulation system into distinct paths: one path (first feed line) for ink supply through the filter, and another path (second feed line with bubble trap) for bubble recovery bypassing the filter. This segmentation allows the filter to maintain high resistance for effective filtration while the bubble recovery path remains unobstructed, preserving bubble recovery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The bubble trap acts as an intermediary component that facilitates bubble recovery without requiring the bubbles to pass through the filter. By providing a dedicated recovery path with a trap, the system enables effective bubble removal while maintaining the filter's high resistance characteristic for ink purification.
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 enhances ink circulation efficiency, effectively removes bubbles, and maintains optimal ink levels in the head assembly, improving image quality and printing performance.
Implementation Method 1
a pump which is provided at the ink inlet of the ink tank, and which provides the first and the second feed lines with a negative pressure to circulate the ink
Implementation Method 2
The pump may include a bi-directional rotational pump to selectively provide the second feed line with the negative pressure or a positive pressure according to the direction in which the pump is driven
Data Source
AI summary
An ink circulation system, an inkjet recording apparatus having the ink circulation system, and an ink circulating method thereof. The ink circulation system includes an ink tank including an ink outlet and an ink inlet, a head assembly including a head chip through which an ink is discharged, and a filter, a supply path which supplies the ink of the ink tank to the head assembly, a first feed line through which ink of the head assembly at the upstream of the filter is conveyed into the ink tank, a second feed line through which the ink of the head assembly at the downstream of the filter is conveyed to the ink tank, and a pump which is provided at the ink inlet of the ink tank to provide the first and the second feed lines with a negative pressure to circulate the ink.