Inkjet Head Dummy Discharge to Prevent Nozzle Clogging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers face issues with nozzle clogging due to dried and thickened ink after the heating unit is turned off, leading to increased ink consumption when restarting the printing process, as the dried ink diffuses and thickens, affecting discharge quality.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a dummy discharge operation after a predetermined time in the standby state to remove dried thickened ink from the nozzles before turning off the heater, reducing the area and amount of ink needed for removal during the next printing sequence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the heater is turned off after the discharge operation to save energy, then energy consumption is reduced, but the liquid in the liquid discharge head dries and thickens causing nozzle clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs a dummy discharge operation before turning off the heater to remove dried and thickened liquid from the nozzles in advance. This preliminary action prevents nozzle clogging when the heater is subsequently turned off, resolving the contradiction between energy savings and preventing nozzle clogging.
2Reliability
If the heater continues to heat the liquid during standby to maintain temperature, then discharge quality is maintained, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs a dummy discharge operation before turning off the heater to remove dried liquid that would form during the subsequent standby period. This allows the heater to be turned off during standby without immediately compromising discharge quality, as the nozzles are cleared of dried liquid beforehand.
3Reliability
If the dummy discharge operation is performed to remove dried thickened ink, then nozzle clogging is prevented, but ink consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dummy discharge operation is performed at a specific timing - after the discharge operation but before the heater is turned off - to remove dried and thickened liquid from the nozzles. This timing optimization ensures that the dummy discharge removes only the necessary dried liquid without excessive ink consumption, while still preventing nozzle clogging.
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 minimizes ink consumption and prevents nozzle clogging by removing dried thickened ink through a controlled dummy discharge, ensuring efficient startup with reduced ink usage and maintaining discharge quality.
Implementation Method 1
a heater configured to heat the liquid in the liquid discharge head
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge head configured to discharge a liquid to a medium, a heater configured to heat the liquid in the liquid discharge head, and circuitry configured to cause the heater to heat the liquid in the liquid discharge head, cause the liquid discharge head to discharge the liquid heated by the heater to the medium as a discharge operation, cause the liquid discharge head to discharge the liquid heated by the heater to a portion other than the medium as a dummy discharge operation after the discharge operation, and cause the heater to stop heating the liquid in the liquid discharge head after the dummy discharge operation.