Inkjet Head Nozzle Positioning for Leakage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet recording devices face challenges in maintaining stable ink circulation, leading to ink leakage and difficulty in restarting the circulation process when the ink flow is stopped, as the ink may flow downstream and leak from the inkjet head.
Innovation Solution
A liquid dispensing recording device configuration that includes a liquid dispensing head, a liquid supply tank, a pump, a first tank, and a second tank, where the pump regulates the liquid flow by setting the amount of liquid supplied to be greater than the sum of the liquid passing through and dispensed from the head, with the nozzle surface of the dispensing head positioned at or above the midpoint of the liquid surface difference between the tanks, maintaining negative pressure when stopped.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the ink circulation is stopped, then the device can be paused or stopped for any reason, but the ink may not be held, may flow downstream, and may leak from the inkjet head
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by positioning the nozzle surface at or above the midpoint of the liquid surface difference before stoppage occurs. This pre-positioning ensures that when the pump stops, the negative pressure is already established to prevent ink leakage, eliminating the need for additional control actions during stoppage.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes hydraulic principles by creating a liquid surface difference between the first and second tanks to generate negative pressure in the nozzle. The pump regulates flow by setting the amount of liquid supplied larger than the sum of liquid passing through and dispensed from the head, creating a pressure differential that holds ink in the nozzle when stopped.
2Reliability
If the pump regulates flow by setting supplied liquid amount larger than passed and dispensed liquid, then ink leakage is prevented, but the device complexity increases with additional tanks and pump control
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the liquid storage into two separate tanks (first tank downstream of the pump, second tank upstream of the pump) with different liquid surface positions. This segmentation allows independent control of liquid levels to create the necessary pressure differential for preventing ink leakage while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes physical parameters by positioning the nozzle surface at or above the midpoint of the liquid surface difference (h) between the two tanks. This parameter change creates the necessary negative pressure condition to prevent ink leakage. The pump control parameter is set to supply liquid amount greater than the sum of passed and dispensed liquid amounts.
3Reliability
If the nozzle surface is positioned at or above the midpoint of liquid surface difference, then negative pressure is maintained during stoppage, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates equipotentiality by positioning the nozzle surface at or above the midpoint of the liquid surface difference. This positioning ensures that the negative pressure generated by the liquid surface difference is sufficient to maintain ink holding capability. The first tank has liquid surface at a position lower than the nozzle surface, while the second tank has liquid surface at a position higher than the nozzle surface.
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 configuration prevents ink leakage and maintains negative pressure on the nozzle surface during device stoppage, allowing for easy restart of ink circulation with stable dispensing and improved printing accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
maintaining negative pressure when stopped
Implementation Method 2
If a liquid surface difference between the liquid surface of the first tank and the liquid surface of the second tank is defined as h
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a liquid dispensing recording device includes a liquid dispensing head, a liquid supply tank, a pump, a first tank, and a second tank. The liquid dispensing head dispenses a liquid. The liquid supply tank stores the liquid. The pump can regulate a flow of the liquid when the pump is stopped by setting an amount of the liquid to be supplied larger than a sum of an amount of the liquids passing through and dispensed from the liquid dispensing head. The first tank is connected downstream of the liquid supply tank and upstream of the pump, and has a liquid surface at a position lower than a nozzle surface of the liquid dispensing head. The second tank is connected downstream of the pump and upstream of the liquid dispensing head, and has a liquid surface at a position higher than the nozzle surface of the liquid dispensing head. If a liquid surface difference between the liquid surfaces of the first tank and the second tank is defined as h, the nozzle surface of the liquid dispensing head is located at or above a midpoint of the liquid surface difference h while the device is stopped.