Inkjet Recording Head Flushing with Pause-Interspersed Cycles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Pigment ink in inkjet recording heads tends to dry quickly when not in use, leading to increased viscosity and resistance, requiring lengthy flushing operations to recover ink-ejection performance, especially in low-temperature environments, which wastes ink and can result in air bubbles and failed ejections.
Innovation Solution
A method involving continuous flushing actions with larger ink droplets than usual, interspersed with pause times, repeated multiple times to efficiently remove viscous ink and reduce pressure fluctuations, effectively dispersing pigment components and improving ejection reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a long flushing operation is carried out to remove viscous ink, then ink-ejection performance is recovered, but ink consumption increases and operation time extends
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the flushing operation by using larger droplet volumes and adjusting ejection frequencies. Specifically, the system ejects droplets with volumes larger than the minimum required, and controls the ejection frequency to be between 1/10 to 1/100 of the recording mode frequency. This parameter optimization allows effective flushing with reduced ink consumption and shorter operation time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic flushing actions interspersed with pause times. The flushing operation is repeated multiple times with pause periods between each flushing cycle. This periodic action allows the ink to settle and prevents continuous pressure buildup, enabling more efficient removal of viscous ink with less total ink consumption.
2Reliability
If continuous flushing actions are performed without pauses, then viscous ink is removed more effectively, but pressure fluctuations cause air bubbles and ejection failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces pause times between continuous flushing actions to prevent excessive pressure fluctuations. The flushing operations are repeated multiple times with deliberate pauses in between, allowing pressure to equalize and preventing air bubbles from forming. This periodic interruption eliminates ejection failures while maintaining effective ink removal.
3Reliability
If flushing operation duration is extended, then ink-ejection performance is recovered, but operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes flushing parameters by using larger droplet volumes and controlled ejection frequencies (1/10 to 1/100 of recording mode frequency). These parameter changes enable more efficient ink removal per unit time, significantly reducing the total flushing duration while maintaining effective recovery of ink-ejection performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous flushing actions during each flushing cycle without interruption, maximizing the effectiveness of each ejection. The continuous ejection of larger droplets ensures consistent pressure application to remove viscous ink, and the multiple repetition cycles ensure complete clearance within a reduced total time frame.
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 approach reduces the duration and ink consumption of flushing operations, efficiently recovering ink-ejection performance while preventing air bubbles and ensuring reliable ejection, especially for pigment inks.
Implementation Method 1
a flushing operation in which the nozzle attempts to eject a droplet of ink whose volume is larger than a smallest volume of the plurality of volumes
Implementation Method 2
interposing a pause time between each pair of consecutive times out of the first time and said at least one more time
Data Source
AI summary
A method of flushing a nozzle of an inkjet recording head so as to recover an ink-ejection performance of the nozzle. The nozzle ejects, in a recording mode of the inkjet recording head, a plurality of droplets of an ink to record dot images, such that each of the droplets has an arbitrary one of a plurality of volumes. The flushing method includes causing the inkjet recording head to perform, for a first time, a plurality of continuous flushing actions in each of which the nozzle attempts to eject a droplet of the ink whose volume is larger than a smallest volume of the plurality of volumes, and causing the inkjet recording head to repeat, at least one more time, the plurality of continuous flushing actions while interposing a pause time between each pair of consecutive times out of the first time and said at least one more time.