Inkjet Printer Heating Chamber Sub-chamber Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers that use heating chambers to reduce deformation in printed sheets often cause nozzle clogging due to high-temperature air leaking from the chamber and drying the ink in the nozzles.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet printer design with a heating chamber sectioned into multiple sub-chambers along the transfer route, including a low-temperature sub-chamber located nearest the printing unit to prevent nozzle clogging, and flippers to control air flow and reduce moisture leakage, maintaining a controlled temperature environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a heating chamber is used to heat the printed sheet, then the deformation of the printed sheet is reduced, but the nozzles of the inkjet heads are clogged due to high-temperature air leaking from the heating chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The heating chamber is divided into multiple sub-chambers (first sub-chamber, second sub-chamber, third sub-chamber) along the sheet transfer route. Each sub-chamber has different temperature characteristics, with the first sub-chamber being the hottest and the second sub-chamber being the coolest. This segmentation allows the system to provide heating where needed while preventing high-temperature air from reaching the inkjet heads, thus resolving the contradiction between reducing sheet deformation and preventing nozzle clogging.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the heating chamber are assigned different temperature levels. The first sub-chamber near the inkjet heads maintains a lower temperature to prevent nozzle clogging, while the second and third sub-chambers further along the transfer route maintain higher temperatures to effectively reduce sheet deformation. This local differentiation of temperature conditions allows simultaneous achievement of both objectives.
2Stability of the object's composition
If high-temperature air is used in the heating chamber, then the deformation of the printed sheet is reduced, but the ink in the nozzles dries out due to high-temperature air contact
Solution Approach 1:
The heating chamber is segmented into multiple sub-chambers with progressively lower temperatures from the third sub-chamber to the first sub-chamber. The first sub-chamber, being closest to the inkjet heads, maintains the lowest temperature to prevent ink drying, while subsequent sub-chambers provide progressively warmer conditions to reduce sheet deformation. This gradient temperature distribution resolves the contradiction between preventing ink drying and reducing deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate sub-chambers act as buffer zones between the inkjet heads and the high-temperature heating regions. These intermediate regions gradually transition the temperature, preventing sudden high-temperature exposure to the nozzles while still providing sufficient heating to reduce sheet deformation downstream, thus mediating between the conflicting requirements.
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
Prevents nozzle clogging while reducing deformation in printed sheets by maintaining a controlled temperature environment and minimizing air leakage, effectively addressing the issue of ink drying and humidity changes.
Implementation Method 1
a heater configured to heat inside the heating chamber
Implementation Method 2
a fan configured to introduce outer air into the second sub-chamber
Data Source
AI summary
An inkjet printer includes a printing unit, a transfer route, a heating chamber, and a heater. The printing unit ejects ink onto a sheet through nozzles of the inkjet heads. The transfer route transfers the sheet as printed at the printing unit. The heating chamber accommodates at least part of the transfer route to heat the sheet as transferred in the transfer route. The heater heats inside the heating chamber. The heating chamber is sectioned into sub-chambers along the transfer route, including a first sub-chamber to be heated by the heater and a second sub-chamber to be lower in temperature than the first sub-chamber and located between the printing unit and the first sub-chamber.