Inkjet Printer Cap Position Adjustment for Suction Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printer caps made of rubber undergo aging deterioration, leading to improper attachment and suction failure due to changes in material properties, resulting in incomplete ink suction from nozzles.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet printer system with a cap, damper, pressure sensor, suction pump, and controller that monitors damper pressure changes to determine proper suction and adjusts cap position for optimal contact with the ink head, ensuring effective ink suction by moving the cap upward when pressure changes are minimal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a rubber cap is used to cover the nozzles, then the cap can be easily attached and detached, but the cap undergoes aging deterioration causing improper attachment and suction failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the cap position adjustable rather than fixed. The cap can be moved upward or downward relative to the ink head, allowing the system to adapt to aging changes in the rubber cap material. This dynamic adjustment ensures reliable suction by compensating for material deterioration over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the positional parameter of the cap relative to the ink head. By adjusting the cap position (moving it upward or downward), the system compensates for aging changes in the rubber cap, maintaining proper contact and suction reliability despite material deterioration.
2Reliability
If the cap is moved upward toward the ink head, then contact between cap and ink head is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The moving mechanism serves multiple functions: it positions the cap for proper contact with the ink head, enables adjustment to compensate for aging, and maintains reliable suction. This multi-functionality justifies the added structural complexity by providing several benefits from a single mechanism.
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
Ensures proper suction process by maintaining sufficient negative pressure in the cap, even with rubber caps that may exhibit aging changes, thereby preventing ink loss and maintaining printing quality.
Implementation Method 1
The suction pump is connected with the cap. The controller is configured or programmed to include a suction controller, a pressure acquisition controller, a determination controller, and an upward/downward movement controller. The suction controller is configured or programmed to execute a suction process to drive the suction pump in a state where the cap is attached to the ink head.
Implementation Method 2
The damper is connected with the ink head. The pressure sensor is configured or programmed to detect a damper pressure in the damper.
Implementation Method 3
The cap is formed of, for example, rubber, and may be expanded or contacted by an aging deterioration. Such a cap formed of rubber may cause an aging change, for example, may be inflated, expanded or contracted, hardened, or softened by a contact thereof with the ink.
Data Source
AI summary
A printer includes an ink head including a nozzle, a damper connected with the ink head, a pressure sensor to detect a damper pressure in the damper, a cap attachable to the ink head so as to cover the nozzle, an upward/downward moving mechanism to move the cap upward and downward with respect to the ink head, a suction pump connected with the cap, and a controller. The controller is configured or programmed to include a suction controller to execute a suction process to drive the suction pump in a state where the cap is attached to the ink head, a pressure acquisition controller to acquire the damper pressure from the pressure sensor during the suction process, and an upward/downward movement controller to control the cap to move upward toward the ink head when a change amount of the damper pressure is no larger than a reference change amount.