Inkjet Maintenance Cap With Offset Through-Holes to Prevent Condensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink evaporation in inkjet nozzles leads to increased viscosity, causing ejection failure and clogging, and existing humidified air supply methods result in uneven ejection performance and image density deviations due to condensation and reduced humidifying effect.
Innovation Solution
A maintenance device with a cap, air supply port, and suppression member, featuring gaps and through-holes, is used to control the flow of humidified air, preventing direct exposure to the nozzle surface and ensuring uniform humidification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If humidified air is directly supplied from the air supply port to the nozzle surface, then the humidifying effect is strong, but condensation occurs on the nozzle surface and ink is pulled away from the nozzle
Solution Approach 1:
A suppression member is introduced as an intermediary component between the air supply port and the nozzle surface. This member modifies the airflow pattern, preventing direct impact of humidified air on the nozzle surface while still achieving humidification. The suppression member acts as a mediator that transforms the direct flow into a more controlled distribution pattern.
Solution Approach 2:
The suppression member includes through-holes that are offset from the air supply port position, causing the humidified air to flow through a different spatial path. By changing the dimensional arrangement of the airflow path, the system achieves uniform distribution without direct exposure of the nozzle surface to concentrated humidified air flow.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If humidified air is supplied from a position far from the nozzle surface, then condensation is reduced, but the humidifying effect decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The suppression member is divided into multiple through-holes distributed across its surface. This segmentation allows the humidified air to be delivered through multiple pathways, extending the effective reach while maintaining humidification strength. The distributed through-holes create multiple flow channels that prevent concentration of humidity at a single point.
Solution Approach 2:
The suppression member creates different flow conditions in different local areas. The through-holes are positioned to provide localized humidification zones that collectively cover the nozzle surface uniformly. Each through-hole creates a localized flow pattern that contributes to overall uniform distribution without requiring the air supply port to be close to the nozzle.
3Reliability
If humidified air flow rate is increased to suppress ink evaporation, then ejection failure is reduced, but uneven distribution causes image density deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The suppression member segments the humidified air flow into multiple streams through distributed through-holes. This segmentation ensures that the total humidification volume is maintained for reliable ejection performance while the distributed nature of the segments creates uniform coverage across the nozzle surface, preventing image density deviations.
Solution Approach 2:
The through-holes are arranged in a two-dimensional pattern offset from the air supply port, creating a spatial distribution network. This dimensional arrangement transforms a point-source flow into a distributed field, ensuring uniform humidification coverage while maintaining sufficient total flow rate for reliable ink ejection.
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
The solution effectively suppresses ink viscosity increase, prevents condensation, and ensures consistent ink ejection performance by stabilizing humidified air distribution across the nozzle surface.
Implementation Method 1
The through-holes are provided in a position not facing the air supply port of the suppression member, and penetrate from a side of the air supply port to a side of the nozzle surface
Implementation Method 2
The recess is provided on an upper surface of the suppression member and recessed deeper than an edge portion of the through-hole
Data Source
AI summary
A maintenance device includes a cap, an air supply port, and a suppression member. The cap is attached to a nozzle surface of an inkjet head. The air supply port is provided in the cap. The suppression member is provided between the air supply port and the nozzle surface, and has a first gap from the air supply port and a second gap from the nozzle surface. The suppression member has one or more through-holes, and a recess. The through-holes are provided in a position not facing the air supply port of the suppression member, and penetrate from a side of the air supply port to a side of the nozzle surface. The recess is provided on an upper surface of the suppression member and recessed deeper than an edge portion of the through-hole.