Inkjet Printer Intermediate Container Radial Flow Degassing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers face challenges in maintaining high print quality during continuous or long print jobs due to inadequate degassing of ink, leading to cavitation and inconsistent droplet formation, especially in high-capacity printers.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a degassing device that continuously pumps ink through a degassing circuit, where the ink is supplied radially inward and at an angle to the container floor, creating a current that stirs and effectively degasses the entire volume of ink in the intermediate container, ensuring minimal gas content before reaching the print head.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If ink is supplied continuously to the print head during long print jobs, then productivity is improved, but gas bubbles accumulate in the ink causing cavitation and deteriorating print quality
Solution Approach 1:
The ink is degassed in advance before being supplied to the print head. The degassing device removes gas bubbles from the ink in the intermediate container before the ink reaches the print head, preventing cavitation during continuous printing operations and maintaining consistent print quality throughout long print jobs.
Solution Approach 2:
The degassing device operates continuously during print jobs to maintain ink quality. By continuously removing gas bubbles from the ink in the intermediate container, the system ensures that degassed ink is always available to the print head, enabling uninterrupted high-quality printing without periodic interruptions for degassing.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a stirrer is used to mix the ink during print pauses, then ink homogeneity is improved, but printing cannot proceed continuously and productivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The degassing device enables continuous operation by performing both degassing and mixing functions during active printing. The pump circulates ink through the degassing device continuously, maintaining ink homogeneity and removing gas bubbles without requiring print pauses, thus eliminating the trade-off between mixing effectiveness and printing continuity.
3Device complexity
If ink is drawn from an intermediate container without continuous degassing, then device complexity is reduced, but gas bubbles form causing cavitation and droplet formation inconsistency
Solution Approach 1:
The degassing device serves multiple functions: it removes gas bubbles from the ink, circulates and mixes the ink to prevent stratification, and maintains continuous operation during printing. This multi-functional approach achieves consistent droplet formation and prevents cavitation without requiring multiple separate devices, keeping the overall system complexity manageable.
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 ensures consistent and thorough degassing of ink, preventing cavitation and maintaining high print quality even during extended print jobs by continuously stirring and homogenizing the ink, thereby ensuring optimal ink conditions for high-capacity printers.
Implementation Method 1
A pumping device pumps ink which is then supplied into the intermediate ink container
Implementation Method 2
ink flowing out of the ink inlet from the pumping device flows in a radial direction at an angle of inclination and is deflected by the floor or a container wall of the ink container such that an ink current is generated via which a stirring of the ink occurs
Implementation Method 3
The ink should therefore be largely degassed before being supplied to the print head
Data Source
AI summary
In an inkjet printer at least one print head is provided via which ink droplets are ejected onto a recording material. An intermediate ink container supplies ink for the print head. A pumping device pumps ink which is then supplied into the intermediate ink container at an ink inlet from the pumping device. At least one current director is arranged at a distance from a floor within a region of the intermediate ink container and is angled such that ink flowing out of the ink inlet from the pumping device flows in a radial direction at an angle of inclination and is deflected by the floor or a container wall of the ink container such that an ink current is generated via which a stirring of the ink occurs.