Inkjet Cap Ink Estimation for Selective Open Suction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printing apparatuses face issues with ink thickening in nozzles during non-printing periods, leading to defective discharge, which requires an open suction action to prevent ink spillover, increasing downtime.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet printing apparatus that estimates the post-printing ink amount in the cap and performs a discharge operation if the amount exceeds a threshold, optimizing the need for an open suction action before printing, thereby reducing downtime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If preliminary discharge is performed to prevent ink thickening in nozzles, then ink discharge reliability is improved, but ink may spill over in the cap requiring additional discharge operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary discharge of ink from nozzles toward the cap before printing to prevent ink thickening and ensure reliable ink discharge. This preliminary action maintains nozzle functionality while the control unit subsequently manages cap ink levels to prevent spillover.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit calculates the post-printing ink amount in the cap based on printing conditions and compares it against threshold values. This feedback mechanism determines whether an open suction action is necessary before printing, optimizing the balance between preventing ink spillover and minimizing downtime.
2Reliability
If open suction action is performed before printing to discharge ink in cap, then ink spillover is prevented, but printing time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The open suction action is performed as a preliminary step before printing to discharge accumulated ink from the cap and prevent spillover. By calculating the necessary discharge based on post-printing ink amount, the system performs this action only when needed, minimizing its impact on printing productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of performing a fixed open suction action for all printing operations, the system calculates the post-printing ink amount and compares it against threshold values. This allows partial action (performing open suction only when the calculated ink amount exceeds the threshold), reducing unnecessary downtime while still preventing ink spillover.
3Loss of time
If open suction action is determined based on print medium size, then some unnecessary operations are eliminated, but accurate ink amount prediction is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from determining open suction necessity based solely on print medium size to calculating post-printing ink amount using multiple parameters including print command data, printing conditions, and cap ink accumulation characteristics. This parameter change enables more accurate prediction of ink amounts.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit calculates the post-printing ink amount by considering the relationship between printing conditions and ink accumulation in the cap. This feedback-based calculation provides more accurate ink amount prediction compared to simple size-based determination, enabling precise control of when open suction actions are needed.
Data Source
AI summary
The amount of ink in a cap at the time of end of printing initiated by a print command is estimated, and it is determined whether an open suction action is to be performed based on the estimated post-printing ink amount to prevent spillover of the ink and reduce downtime due to the open suction action.