Ink Jet Printer Branch Damper Pressure Equalization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet printers with multiple recording heads face issues with ink pressure fluctuations, leading to uneven ink jetting and color inconsistencies, and existing solutions like air removing devices increase printer size and cost, while damps may not effectively equalize back pressure across heads.
Innovation Solution
A branch-type damper system that supplies ink from a single inlet port to multiple recording heads, ensuring equal pressure and preventing color unevenness by branching the ink supply through dedicated ink supply pipes, allowing for efficient ink distribution and air removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an air removing device including exhaust pipe and exhaust valve is provided for each recording head, then air collected in damper can be removed, but the size of ink jet printer becomes larger and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the air removal function for multiple recording heads into a single shared exhaust pipe and exhaust valve system, rather than providing separate air removal devices for each recording head. This consolidation reduces the overall size and manufacturing cost while maintaining effective air removal capability from the common damper.
Solution Approach 2:
The single exhaust pipe and exhaust valve serve multiple recording heads simultaneously, performing the air removal function universally for all heads connected to the common damper. This multi-functional approach eliminates redundant components and simplifies the overall system architecture.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a damper is provided between recording head and ink tank, then pressure fluctuation can be absorbed, but air collected in damper is not easily removed without additional air removing device
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a strategically positioned exhaust pipe that serves as an intermediary component, enabling air to be removed from the damper without requiring complex additional air removing devices. The exhaust pipe is positioned to facilitate natural air evacuation while maintaining the damper's pressure stabilization function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the air removal function from the damper itself by providing a separate exhaust pathway through the exhaust pipe and exhaust valve. This allows air to be selectively removed from the damper without interfering with the damper's primary function of absorbing pressure fluctuations.
3Reliability
If multiple air removing devices are provided for multiple recording heads, then air can be removed from each damper, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple air removal functions into a single shared exhaust pipe and exhaust valve system that serves all recording heads. This merging approach significantly reduces the number of components that need to be manufactured and assembled, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining effective air removal from all dampers.
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 solution ensures consistent ink pressure across multiple recording heads, preventing color unevenness and reducing printer size and manufacturing costs by using a single damper for multiple heads, while also facilitating easy air removal from the damper.
Implementation Method 1
a damper sheet 22 made of an elastic material is attached to the ink chamber 21 so as to face toward the inside of the ink chamber 21... the damper sheet 22... can absorb pressure fluctuation when the inside pressure of a recording head increases or decreases
Implementation Method 2
inner wall surfaces 21A to 21D are provided respectively so as to incline toward respective opening sections 30a and 30b... ink flows so as to proceed upward from the opening section 28 provided in the lower end part toward the opening sections 30a and 30b formed in the upper end portion
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(A)~3(B)
AI summary
An inkjet printer, comprises a plurality of recording heads to jet ink onto a recording medium; an ink distributing device to distribute ink to the plurality of recording heads and having a damping action to the ink, the ink distributing device including, an ink chamber to store ink therein, an inlet section having an ink inlet port through which ink is fed from an outside into the ink chamber, and an outlet section having a plurality of ink outlet ports through which ink is discharged from the ink chamber; and a plurality of supplying pipes to distribute ink from the plurality of outlet ports to the plurality of recording heads.