Inkjet Maintenance Control for Jammed Paper Aggregate Removal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet recording apparatuses face issues with removing aggregates or precipitates from the ink ejection surface during paper jams, leading to defective ink ejection and increased wasteful ink consumption, even after purge and wiping operations.
Innovation Solution
An image recording apparatus with a sheet conveying unit, ink ejection head, pretreatment liquid ejection head, purge unit, wiping unit, paper jam detection unit, and maintenance control unit performs a first maintenance operation with reduced ink discharge and slower wiping speed to effectively remove aggregates or precipitates while minimizing ink consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the purge unit forcibly discharges ink from the nozzle and the wiping unit wipes the ink ejection surface with normal parameters, then the meniscus of the nozzle is recovered and ink attached to the ink ejection surface is removed, but the aggregate or precipitate caused by reaction liquid cannot be sufficiently removed and may spread over the ink ejection surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the wiping operation by reducing the wiping speed to a specific range (0.1 to 10 mm/s) and controlling the contact pressure of the wiper. This parameter adjustment allows the wiper to effectively remove aggregates and precipitates without spreading them, resolving the contradiction between recovering ink ejection function and maintaining ink ejection surface cleanliness.
2Manufacturing precision
If the same wiping operation is performed regardless of paper jam position, then the ink ejection surface is cleaned, but ink is wasted and the aggregate or precipitate may spread
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs a preliminary detection of paper jam position and determines whether the reaction liquid ejection head is upstream of the jam location. Based on this preliminary assessment, it selectively executes the first wiping operation only when necessary, avoiding unnecessary ink discharge and wiping operations, thus reducing ink waste while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces different wiping parameters for different situations: the first wiping operation uses reduced speed (0.1 to 10 mm/s) for aggregate removal, while the second wiping operation uses normal speed for routine cleaning. This parameter differentiation optimizes ink consumption by applying intensive cleaning only when aggregates are present.
3Productivity
If the wiper blade wipes the ink ejection surface at normal speed, then the ink ejection surface is cleaned quickly, but the aggregate or precipitate spreads over the ink ejection surface causing defective ink ejection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the wiping speed parameter to a controlled low range (0.1 to 10 mm/s) during the first wiping operation when aggregates are present. This slow wiping prevents the spread of aggregates across the ink ejection surface while still achieving effective cleaning, thereby maintaining ink ejection quality. The system can then perform a second faster wiping operation to restore normal productivity.
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 reliably removes aggregates or precipitates from the ink ejection surface, reducing wasteful ink consumption and ensuring proper ink ejection, even when paper jams occur.
Implementation Method 1
the wiping unit having a wiper wiping the ink ejection surface
Implementation Method 2
a purge unit for forcibly discharging ink from the nozzle
Data Source
AI summary
An image recording apparatus includes: a sheet conveying unit; an ink ejection head having a nozzle and an ink ejection surface; a pretreatment liquid ejection head; a purge unit; a wiping unit having a wiper; a paper jam detection unit detecting a position when the recording sheet is jammed; and a maintenance control unit, wherein, when the paper jam detection unit detects a paper jam on the downstream side from the pretreatment liquid ejection head, the maintenance control unit performs a first maintenance operation, in which the purge unit discharges ink from the ink ejection head, and the wiping unit wipes the ink ejection surface with the wiper, and in the first maintenance operation, the maintenance control unit performs control such that a discharge amount of ink to be discharged from the ink ejection head decreases or the wiping speed when the ink ejection surface is wiped decreases.