Ink Jet Head Maintenance Liquid for Nozzle Clogging Prevention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ink jet recording methods fail to effectively prevent ejection failures in ink jet heads due to the precipitation of aggregating agents with low water solubility on the nozzle surface, leading to clogging and ink bleeding issues when recording on low-ink absorbing or non-ink absorbing media.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a maintenance liquid with a water-soluble organic solvent having a boiling point of 280°C or less and water is applied to the nozzle surface to clean and moisturize the ink jet head, preventing the precipitation and drying of aggregating agents, which includes alkanediol or alkylene glycol ether as effective solvents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an aqueous resin ink composition containing a resin emulsion is used for recording on low-ink absorbing or non-ink absorbing media, then environmental safety and print quality are improved, but the aggregating agent may precipitate in the nozzle hole due to drying, causing ejection failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the maintenance liquid by specifying a pH range of 2-7 and controlling the water content to be 70-95% by mass. These parameter adjustments optimize the liquid's ability to dissolve aggregating agents while preventing nozzle clogging during storage and maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a maintenance liquid as an intermediary substance that mediates between the ink composition and the nozzle surface. This liquid contains components that react with or dissolve the aggregating agent, preventing it from precipitating and clogging the nozzle while maintaining system reliability.
2Reliability
If a polyvalent metal salt is used as an aggregating agent in the reaction solution, then ink bleeding is suppressed, but the aggregating agent may precipitate on the nozzle surface due to low water solubility, leading to ejection failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful precipitation of aggregating agents into a beneficial cleaning opportunity by designing a maintenance liquid specifically formulated to dissolve these precipitates. The liquid's composition (pH 2-7, high water content) is optimized to react with and remove the aggregating agent deposits, turning a reliability problem into a maintainable condition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adjusts the pH parameter of the maintenance liquid to fall within the range of 2-7, which optimizes the liquid's effectiveness in dissolving polyvalent metal salt aggregating agents. This parameter control prevents the aggregating agent from maintaining its precipitated state on the nozzle surface.
3Reliability
If the head is covered with a moisturizing cap, then nozzle drying is prevented, but the reaction solution may dry inside the nozzle when the aggregating agent has low water solubility, causing ejection failures
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance liquid serves as an intermediary that can be applied to the nozzle surface and inside the nozzle channels. It penetrates the moisturizing cap environment and directly interacts with the reaction solution, dissolving aggregating agents that have begun to precipitate despite the moisturizing conditions, thereby maintaining composition stability.
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 effectively eliminates ejection failures by dissolving and removing solidified aggregating agents, ensuring continuous ink flow and improved image quality during recording on various media types.
Implementation Method 1
a maintenance liquid including a water-soluble organic solvent having a boiling point of 280° C. or less and water
Implementation Method 2
a water-soluble organic solvent having a boiling point of 280° C. or less
Data Source
AI summary
A method for maintaining an ink jet head according to the invention includes at least one of a maintenance step of attaching a maintenance liquid to a nozzle surface of an ink jet head, which ejects a reaction solution including an aggregating agent for aggregating or thickening components of an ink composition, to clean the nozzle surface, and a maintenance step of covering and moisturizing the nozzle surface with a head moisturizing cap supplied with the maintenance liquid, in which the maintenance liquid includes a water-soluble organic solvent having a boiling point of 280° C. or less and water.