Inkjet Head Wiping Mechanism for Jam-Induced Pre-Process Liquid Plugging
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image recording apparatuses, pre-process liquids applied to prevent dot spreading can remain on the head's side surface and migrate to ejection openings, causing plugging issues when sheets jam, especially in multi-color printers.
Innovation Solution
An image recording apparatus with a conveyor, application unit, liquid ejection head, force-discharger, wiping mechanism, detection sensor, and controller that performs forced discharging and wiping operations after jam removal, with increased wiping frequency and reduced ink discharge when jam counts match specific thresholds to prevent pre-process liquid accumulation and ensure ejection opening integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the pre-process liquid is applied to the recording medium to prevent dot spreading, then the image quality is improved, but the pre-process liquid may remain on the head's side surface and migrate to ejection openings causing plugging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing forced discharging and wiping operations after jam removal to prevent pre-process liquid from migrating to ejection openings. The controller executes these cleaning operations proactively after detecting sheet removal, before plugging can occur, thereby maintaining ejection opening integrity while preserving image quality benefits from pre-process liquid application.
2Reliability
If the wiping mechanism is activated frequently to prevent plugging, then the ejection opening integrity is improved, but the device complexity and operation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using a jam detector to monitor sheet presence and a jam counter to track jam occurrences. The controller receives feedback from these sensors and automatically adjusts wiping frequency based on actual jam conditions. This feedback mechanism enables reliable ejection opening maintenance without requiring complex manual control or continuous wiping operations.
3Reliability
If the forced discharging and wiping are executed after every jam removal, then the ejection opening integrity is improved, but the loss of time and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the wiping operation frequency adaptive rather than fixed. The controller dynamically adjusts wiping frequency based on jam counter thresholds - executing forced discharging and wiping after every jam removal when thresholds are exceeded, but reducing these operations during normal operation. This dynamic approach maintains ejection opening integrity while minimizing impact on printing productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
When a jam detector detects jamming, forced discharging from a head and wiping of an ejection surface are performed after a recording medium jammed is removed from a conveyor. When the count on a jam counter matches with any of one or more thresholds, at least the number of times the wiping is executed after the jammed recording medium is removed from the conveyor is greater than that executed when the count on the jam counter does not match with any of one or more thresholds.