Continuous Ink Jet Printer Electrostatic Splash Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Ink splash from ink jet printers often adheres to electrodes and surrounding environments, causing printing errors, contamination, and increased cleaning frequency, especially in high-speed production lines.

Innovation Solution

Charging the printing object and surrounding atmosphere with a polarity opposite to the ink particles reduces ink splash generation and attraction to electrodes, effectively neutralizing or reducing the charge of ink splash, thereby suppressing adherence to electrodes and environments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If ink jet printing is performed using charged ink particles, then printing speed and productivity are improved, but ink splash adheres to electrodes and surrounding environments causing printing errors and contamination

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprinting speedVSAvoidink splash adherence
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies preliminary anti-action by charging the printing object with polarity opposite to that of the ink particles before the ink particles reach it. This pre-established opposite charge creates an electrostatic attraction that directs ink particles toward the intended printing location and prevents ink splash from adhering to electrodes and surrounding environments, thereby resolving the contradiction between high-speed printing and ink splash control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

2Manufacturing precision

If ink particles are electrically charged for precise deflection and positioning, then printing precision is improved, but ink splash becomes charged and is attracted to electrodes causing printing errors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveink particle positioningVSAvoidcharged ink splash
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention converts the harmful effect of charged ink splash into a beneficial one by utilizing the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ink particles and the printing object. The charged ink splash that would normally adhere to electrodes is instead attracted to the printing object, converting a harmful factor (charged splash) into a beneficial one (enhanced adhesion to target), thus resolving the contradiction between positioning precision and splash control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Productivity

If continuous ink jet printing is used for high-speed production, then productivity increases, but cleaning frequency increases due to ink splash accumulation on electrodes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction speedVSAvoidcleaning time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By pre-charging the printing object with polarity opposite to the ink particles, the invention creates an electrostatic field that continuously directs ink particles to their intended target and prevents splash accumulation on electrodes throughout the high-speed printing process. This eliminates the need for frequent cleaning interruptions, resolving the contradiction between maintaining high productivity and minimizing time loss to cleaning operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentEP3677430B1Printing system, printing device, and method for producing printed matter
Publication Date: 2023.09.27 SUNTORY HLDG LTD
  • EP3677430B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3

AI summary

In order to suppress adherence of ink splash to an electrode and ink contamination of surrounding environment, in a printing system, there is provided a continuous type ink jet printer having a nozzle (21) for jetting ink in the form of particles, a charging electrode (22) for electrically charging the jetted ink particles (25), and a deflection electrode (23) for deflecting the charged ink particles (25). The system includes a printing section (2) for printing an object to be printed (7) with the ink particles (25) jetted from the nozzle (21) and a charging section configured to charge at least one of the printing object (7) prior to its printing by the printing section (2) and surrounding atmosphere (8) in which the printing on the printing object (7) is to be effected by the printing section (2) with a polarity opposite to a polarity of the charge provided to the ink particles (25) by the charging electrode (22).