Ink Deaeration Control Using Circulation Under Reduced Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing degassing devices for inkjet recording apparatuses face inefficiencies in degassing large volumes of ink, as the stirrer is located at the bottom of the tank, leading to insufficient or excessive degassing due to varying dissolved air amounts, and similar issues arise when used with liquids other than ink.
Innovation Solution
A degassing device that includes a liquid tank, pressure reducing device, circulation flow path, and control device, which adjusts circulation time based on dissolved air levels to ensure efficient degassing without excess or deficiency, using a circulation system to replace ink near the liquid surface with ink near the bottom surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the stirrer is located at the bottom of the ink tank, then the device structure is simple, but the degassing efficiency decreases when ink capacity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a bottom-mounted stirrer to mix ink upward, the invention inverts the approach by using a top-mounted stirrer that mixes ink downward from the liquid surface, enabling effective degassing even in large-volume tanks where bottom stirring becomes inefficient
2Device complexity
If the degassing time is fixed, then the control system is simple, but the degassing becomes insufficient or excessive when dissolved air amount varies
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a feedback control mechanism where a sensor detects the amount of dissolved air in the ink and provides this information to the control device, which then adjusts the degassing time dynamically to achieve optimal and consistent degassing results regardless of initial air content variations
3Ease of operation
If the stirrer rotates continuously at fixed speed, then the operation is simple, but the degassing performance cannot adapt to varying dissolved air amounts
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transforms the static, fixed-speed stirrer operation into a dynamic system where the stirrer speed is continuously adjustable based on real-time feedback from the dissolved air sensor, allowing the system to adapt its mixing intensity to match the actual degassing requirements
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 device effectively removes air dissolved in the ink by circulating it through a reduced-pressure atmosphere, improving degassing efficiency and preventing nozzle clogging, while adjusting circulation time based on air content variations.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure reducing device which reduces pressure in the liquid tank
Implementation Method 2
a circulation device which circulates the liquid through the circulation flow path
Data Source
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AI summary
A degassing device (40) removes air dissolved in a liquid under a reduced pressure atmosphere. The degassing device (40) includes a liquid tank (32) in which the liquid is stored; a pressure reducing device (62) which reduces pressure in the liquid tank (32); a circulation flow path (47) which connects different positions of the liquid tank (32); a circulation device (67) which circulates the liquid through the circulation flow path (47); and a control device (38) which controls a circulation operation by the circulation device (67). The control device (38) adjusts a circulation time of the liquid based on an amount of dissolved air in the liquid.