Inkjet Coating Roller Dual Container Viscosity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid treatment agent coating devices for inkjet printers face issues with increased viscosity of the liquid treatment agent over time, leading to excessive coating amounts, which can cause conveyance failures and poor image quality due to bleeding and insufficient drying.
Innovation Solution
A liquid treatment agent coating device with a dual container system, where a more airtight second container stores excess liquid treatment agent, and a removal channel transfers it back to a less airtight first container, along with sensors and valves to manage the liquid supply and prevent evaporation, ensuring consistent coating amounts and quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If the liquid treatment agent is stored in the container for a long time, then the coating device can maintain continuous operation, but the viscosity of the liquid treatment agent increases due to evaporation
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is divided into two separate containers: a first container with lower airtightness for general storage and a second container with higher airtightness for long-term storage. This segmentation allows each container to serve its specific purpose optimally, preventing viscosity increase in the second container while maintaining accessibility in the first container.
Solution Approach 2:
The second container is designed with higher airtightness to create a more inert environment that minimizes evaporation and prevents viscosity increase. This protective environment preserves the liquid treatment agent's properties during extended storage periods.
2Strength
If the viscosity of the liquid treatment agent increases, then the coating roller can maintain better adhesion, but the coating amount increases excessively causing conveyance failures
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically manages viscosity by providing two storage containers with different airtightness levels. The first container allows controlled evaporation to maintain流动性 for proper coating amount, while the second container prevents evaporation to maintain adhesion. This dynamic management prevents both excessive coating and poor adhesion.
3Device complexity
If the liquid treatment agent is stored in a less airtight container, then the coating device is simpler and easier to access, but the liquid treatment agent evaporates and viscosity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is segmented into two containers with different airtightness characteristics. The first container provides simple access with lower airtightness, while the second container prevents evaporation with higher airtightness. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing both simple access and evaporation protection in the overall system.
Solution Approach 2:
The first container acts as an intermediary between the user and the liquid treatment agent, providing easy access while allowing controlled evaporation. The second container serves as a protective intermediary for long-term storage, preventing evaporation. Together they mediate between simplicity and preservation.
4Reliability
If the coating amount of liquid treatment agent is increased, then the blur inhibition effect is enhanced, but the liquid treatment agent may bleed on the recording medium causing conveyance failures
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the physical parameters of the liquid treatment agent by storing it in containers with different airtightness levels, which affects evaporation rate and viscosity. This parameter control ensures the liquid treatment agent maintains appropriate coating characteristics - enough to provide blur inhibition but not so much that it causes bleeding.
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
Regulates the coating amount effectively, preventing conveyance failures and ensuring high-quality images by maintaining the viscosity of the liquid treatment agent and ensuring it is not left to evaporate, thus enhancing the robustness and quality of the image forming process.
Implementation Method 1
viscosity of the liquid treatment agent increases due to evaporation of water or an organic solvent in the liquid treatment agent
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a liquid treatment agent coating device including a coating roller that coats a recording medium with a liquid treatment agent; a pressing roller that cooperates with the coating roller to nip and convey the recording medium; a first container that holds the coating roller and the liquid treatment agent, wherein the first container has an opening portion in the vicinity of a nip portion between the coating roller and the pressing roller; a second container that accommodates an amount of the liquid treatment agent held in the first container, wherein the second container has second airtightness that is greater than first airtightness of the first container; a removal channel extending from the first container to the second container; a first on-off valve disposed in the removal channel; and a return channel extending from the second container to the first container.