Ink Reservoir Flow Path Layout for Waste Reduction and Blur Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejection apparatuses face a trade-off between reducing waste ink amount during filling and suppressing print blurring during recording, as the pressure loss in the supply path affects ink supply efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a reservoir design with a first and second liquid chamber and a second communication flow path where the pressure loss in the second communication flow path increases with flow rate, allowing efficient ink supply to the ejection head while minimizing waste ink.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If the pressure loss in the lower supply path is designed to be large to prevent ink from flowing into the first storage chamber during filling, then waste ink amount is reduced, but ink supply to the ejection head becomes insufficient during recording, causing ejection failure and printed image blurring
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir is divided into two storage chambers (first and second) with separate supply paths (upper and lower) connecting them. This segmentation allows independent control of ink flow paths, enabling the lower supply path to have high pressure loss during filling (preventing waste) while the upper supply path provides reliable ink supply during recording.
Solution Approach 2:
Different pressure loss characteristics are designed for different supply paths based on their functional requirements. The lower supply path is designed with high pressure loss characteristics suitable for filling operation, while the upper supply path is designed with lower pressure loss characteristics suitable for recording operation. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between waste reduction and supply reliability.
2Reliability
If the pressure loss in the lower supply path is designed to be small to ensure sufficient ink supply during recording, then ejection failure and blurring are suppressed, but a large amount of ink flows into the first storage chamber during filling, increasing waste ink amount
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir is divided into two storage chambers (first and second) with separate supply paths (upper and lower) connecting them. This segmentation allows independent control of ink flow paths, enabling the lower supply path to have high pressure loss during filling (preventing waste) while the upper supply path provides reliable ink supply during recording.
Solution Approach 2:
Different pressure loss characteristics are designed for different supply paths based on their functional requirements. The lower supply path is designed with high pressure loss characteristics suitable for filling operation, while the upper supply path is designed with lower pressure loss characteristics suitable for recording operation. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between waste reduction and supply reliability.
3Device complexity
If a single supply path is used in the reservoir, then the structure is simple, but it is impossible to achieve both waste ink reduction during filling and blurring suppression during recording simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir is divided into two storage chambers (first and second) with separate supply paths (upper and lower) connecting them. This segmentation allows independent control of ink flow paths, enabling the lower supply path to have high pressure loss during filling (preventing waste) while the upper supply path provides reliable ink supply during recording.
Solution Approach 2:
Different pressure loss characteristics are designed for different supply paths based on their functional requirements. The lower supply path is designed with high pressure loss characteristics suitable for filling operation, while the upper supply path is designed with lower pressure loss characteristics suitable for recording operation. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between waste reduction and supply reliability.
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 design achieves reduced waste ink during filling and suppressed blurring during recording by optimizing pressure loss dynamics in the reservoir's flow paths.
Implementation Method 1
the second communication flow path is configured so that a rate of a pressure loss increases as a flow rate of the liquid flowing inside the second communication flow path increases
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejection apparatus includes an ejection head that ejects a liquid, a container that stores the liquid, and a reservoir that supplies the liquid to the ejection head and stores the liquid supplied from the container. The reservoir includes a first chamber that stores the liquid, a second chamber that is arranged downstream of the first chamber and stores the liquid, and a first flow path and a second flow path that communicate the first and second chambers with each other. A communication port between the first chamber and the second flow path is located lower than a communication port between the first chamber and the first flow path in a usage posture of the liquid ejection apparatus. The second flow path is configured so that a rate of a pressure loss increases as a flow rate of the liquid flowing inside the second flow path increases.