Ink Supplier Bypass Valve for Pressure Regulation Abnormality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink-jet printing apparatuses face issues with ink agglomeration and leakage due to abnormalities in the pressure regulation mechanism, leading to difficulties in maintaining negative pressure and ink flow.
Innovation Solution
The ink supplier system includes a supply reservoir, a recovery reservoir, inter-reservoir ink flow paths, pressure regulators, valves, and a controller that manages the system to maintain ink flow and prevent leakage by adjusting pressures and valve operations in response to detected abnormalities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If both pressure regulation mechanisms are cut off from reservoirs upon abnormality detection, then the abnormal pressure regulators are protected from further damage, but negative pressure cannot be maintained in the head causing ink leakage and agglomeration
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass valve acts as an intermediary component that provides an alternative pathway for maintaining negative pressure in the head when one of the pressure regulation mechanisms fails. By opening the bypass valve, the system can still maintain proper pressure conditions without requiring both pressure regulators to be functional, thus preventing ink leakage and agglomeration while protecting the abnormal pressure regulator.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters by switching from a dual-pressure-regulator configuration to a single-pressure-regulator configuration with bypass activation. When abnormality is detected, the system modifies the pressure control strategy by opening the bypass valve and adjusting the operational status of the remaining pressure regulator to maintain adequate negative pressure in the head.
2Ease of repair
If both pressure regulation mechanisms are cut off during maintenance, then the abnormal pressure regulators can be serviced, but ink flow cannot be maintained causing potential agglomeration in the head
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass valve is pre-configured in the system but remains inactive during normal operation. When maintenance is needed and abnormality is detected, the bypass valve is activated in advance or during the maintenance process to ensure that negative pressure and ink flow can be maintained despite the pressure regulator being offline, thus preventing agglomeration during the maintenance period.
Solution Approach 2:
The bypass valve serves as a mediator that enables the system to continue operating with reduced functionality during maintenance. By opening the bypass valve, the system can maintain ink flow and negative pressure without requiring both pressure regulators to be operational, facilitating easier maintenance while preserving reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If the system waits for maintenance completion before restoring normal operation, then the abnormal pressure regulator can be replaced, but ink circulation is interrupted causing agglomeration risk
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass valve is activated in advance during the maintenance process or immediately when abnormality is detected, ensuring that ink circulation can be maintained while the pressure regulator is being replaced. This preliminary action prevents interruptions in ink flow and eliminates the risk of agglomeration during the replacement process.
Solution Approach 2:
The bypass valve enables continuous ink circulation even when one pressure regulator is under maintenance. By providing an alternative pressure control pathway, the system maintains continuous useful action (ink circulation) without interruption, ensuring productivity is maintained throughout the replacement process.
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 solution effectively reduces ink leakage and agglomeration by maintaining a stable ink flow and pressure within the printing heads, even during abnormal conditions, thereby ensuring continuous operation and preventing maintenance delays.
Implementation Method 1
a first pressure regulator that supplies a negative pressure to the supply reservoir; a second pressure regulator that supplies a negative pressure to the recovery reservoir
Implementation Method 2
By causing the pressure regulation mechanism (98) to apply a stronger negative pressure to the return reservoir (91r) than that applied to the feed reservoir (91f), a pressure difference is generated to generate a flow of the ink from the feed reservoir (91f) toward the return reservoir (91r) via the head (H)
Implementation Method 3
a first valve interposed in the first communication pipe; a second valve interposed in the second communication pipe; a bypass valve interposed in the bypass pipe
Implementation Method 4
a detector that detects abnormality at the first pressure regulator and the second pressure regulator
Implementation Method 5
the controller causes the first pressure regulator to supply a first negative pressure to the supply reservoir, the controller causes the second pressure regulator to supply a second negative pressure stronger than the first negative pressure to the recovery reservoir
Implementation Method 6
an inter-reservoir ink flow path for feeding the ink from the recovery reservoir to the supply reservoir
Data Source
AI summary
An ink supplier includes a supply reservoir and a recovery reservoir that are connected to a plurality of heads. If abnormality is detected at one of a first and a second pressure regulator that supply negative pressures to the supply reservoir and the recovery reservoir respectively, a controller performs a) cutting off the pressure regulator on the abnormal side and the reservoir from each other; b) opening a bypass valve interposed in a bypass pipe forming communication between an air layer in the supply reservoir and an air layer in the recovery reservoir; c) regulating a negative pressure supplied from the pressure regulator on the normal side to a third negative pressure between a first negative pressure supplied from the first pressure regulator in ordinary time and a second negative pressure supplied from the second pressure regulator in the ordinary time; and d) maintaining the third negative pressure.