Ink Delivery System with Local Pressure Control for Printheads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inkjet printer systems face challenges in maintaining consistent ink pressure across multiple printheads, particularly as the number of printheads increases, leading to variations in pressure that affect print quality, especially during full bleed or when different printheads have varying ink demands.
Innovation Solution
The system employs local pressure control for each printhead, interconnecting printheads between positive and negative pressure lines, using a low-tolerance valve at the high-pressure side, and dynamic modulation by an ink pressure sensor to maintain consistent pressure, ensuring each printhead receives a sufficient head of pressure without being affected by pressure drops across other printheads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a common accumulator tank with pressure control system feeds ink to multiple printheads via a single ink supply line, then the system can supply ink to multiple printheads, but printheads furthest from the accumulator tank experience pressure drops and receive different ink pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the ink delivery system into multiple independent modules, each with its own pressure control valve. Instead of a single common tank feeding all printheads, each printhead has a dedicated supply line with individual pressure regulation, eliminating the pressure drop issue caused by shared supply lines.
Solution Approach 2:
Each printhead receives customized local pressure control through its own pressure control valve, allowing independent adjustment of ink pressure for each printhead based on its specific requirements, rather than applying uniform pressure control from a distant accumulator tank.
2Device complexity
If printheads are connected to a common ink tank through shared ink supply lines, then the system structure is simplified, but pressure drops across printheads closer to the tank affect printheads further away
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the ink delivery architecture into independent modular units, where each printhead module has its own dedicated supply line and pressure control valve connected to the common tank, preventing pressure drops from affecting other printheads.
Solution Approach 2:
Pressure control valves are introduced as intermediary devices between the common accumulator tank and each printhead, acting as local pressure regulators that compensate for pressure drops and ensure stable ink pressure delivery to each printhead independently.
3Productivity
If different printheads have varying ink demands or print at full bleed, then print quality can be optimized for each printhead, but pressure variations occur that affect overall system consistency
Solution Approach 1:
Each printhead is equipped with its own pressure control valve that can be independently adjusted to match the specific ink demands of that printhead, whether printing at full bleed or with lower ink consumption, while maintaining uniform pressure control across the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure control valves are designed to dynamically adjust ink pressure in real-time based on the specific printing requirements of each printhead, allowing the system to adapt to varying ink demands while maintaining overall pressure uniformity through coordinated control.
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 solution ensures each printhead operates at a consistent backpressure, maintaining high print quality regardless of the number of printheads, and allows for scalability to accommodate varying numbers of print modules, ensuring reliable ink delivery across the system.
Implementation Method 1
all valve adjustments are dynamically modulated by feedback from the ink pressure sensor
Implementation Method 2
the use of a positive pressure line provides a sufficient head of pressure for multiple printheads
Data Source
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AI summary
An ink delivery system for an inkjet printer includes: a positive ink line having a controlled positive ink pressure; a negative ink line having a controlled negative ink pressure; one or more print modules interconnected between the positive ink line and the negative ink line via respective inlet and outlet lines. Each print module includes: a printhead; a control valve positioned at an inlet port of the print module for controlling an ink pressure in the printhead; an ink pressure sensor for sensing an ink pressure in the print module; and a controller for receiving feedback from the pressure sensor and controlling the control valve. During printing, the ink pressure sensor, the controller and the control valve cooperate to control a backpressure in the printhead within a predetermined backpressure range.