Ink Jet Recording Head Heating to Reduce Adhesion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet recording methods struggle to achieve both high ejection accuracy and highlighter resistance when using aqueous ink containing resin, as the ink tends to adhere to the water-repellent face of the recording apparatus, leading to degradation in ejection accuracy and image quality.
Innovation Solution
An ink jet recording method that includes a heating step to heat the water-repellent face before and after wiping, ensuring continuous heating until after the wiping process to reduce adhesion energy and viscosity, thereby enhancing ejection accuracy and maintaining highlighter resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a resin is added to aqueous ink to enhance highlighter resistance, then image fastness is improved, but ejection accuracy deteriorates due to ink accumulation on the water-repellent face
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameter of temperature by heating the water-repellent face to a specific temperature range (20°C to 80°C) before ink ejection. This temperature control modifies the surface properties of the water-repellent face, reducing ink adhesion and preventing accumulation, thereby maintaining ejection accuracy while allowing the use of resin-containing ink for image fastness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary heating to the water-repellent face before the ink ejection process. By pre-heating the surface, the ink's adhesion to the face is reduced in advance, preventing accumulation and ensuring accurate ejection. This preliminary action resolves the contradiction by preparing the surface in advance to accommodate resin-containing ink
2Manufacturing precision
If the water-repellent face is heated before wiping, then adhesion energy is reduced and ejection accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies heating only to the specific water-repellent face area where ink accumulation occurs, rather than heating the entire ink jet system. This partial heating approach minimizes energy consumption while still achieving the necessary reduction in adhesion energy to improve ejection accuracy
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 method effectively improves ejection accuracy and maintains highlighter resistance by reducing adhesion energy and viscosity of the ink on the water-repellent face, ensuring consistent and high-quality image recording.
Implementation Method 1
a heating unit configured to heat the water-repellent face; a heating step of heating the water-repellent face with the heating unit
Implementation Method 2
heating the water-repellent face before and after wiping, ensuring continuous heating until after the wiping process to reduce adhesion energy and viscosity
Data Source
AI summary
An ink jet recording method for recording an image onto a recording medium by ejecting an aqueous ink containing a resin from an ejection orifice through use of an ink jet recording apparatus including a recording head having a water-repellent face subjected to water-repellent treatment as an ejection orifice face provided with an ejection orifice; a wiping unit configured to wipe the water-repellent face; and a heating unit configured to heat the water-repellent face, the ink jet recording method including a heating step of wiping the water-repellent face with the wiping unit after heating the water-repellent face with the heating unit and continuously heating the water-repellent face until after the wiping of the water-repellent face.