Inkjet Print Head Mist Collection Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printing devices face contamination issues due to ink mists not being sufficiently collected by airflow around the print head, leading to contamination of the head and its vicinity, especially in regions with low air inflow velocity.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet printing device with a mist collection mechanism featuring a suction port, an exhaust port, and an airflow path divided into regions with a communicating port of smaller opening area than the suction port, ensuring a uniform suction flow rate across the duct opening plane.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional mist collection mechanism with a single airflow path is used, then the structure is simple, but the air inflow velocity becomes non-uniform across the duct opening plane, leading to insufficient collection in some regions
Solution Approach 1:
The airflow path is divided into multiple independent flow paths (first airflow path and second airflow path) that respectively correspond to different regions (first region and second region) of the duct opening plane. Each flow path has its own suction unit, enabling independent control of air inflow velocity in each region, thereby achieving uniform velocity distribution across the entire opening plane.
2Reliability
If the airflow path is divided into multiple regions with separate suction units, then uniform suction flow rate is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the duct opening plane are equipped with dedicated suction units tailored to their specific requirements. The first suction unit serves the first region and the second suction unit serves the second region, allowing each region to be optimized for its local mist collection needs, thereby improving overall collection effectiveness and reliability.
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 effectively suppresses ink mist leakage and contamination by maintaining a uniform air flow rate, ensuring reliable collection of ink mists and preventing head contamination.
Implementation Method 1
a suction unit configured to draw the air in the spatial region from the suction port to the exhaust port through the airflow path
Data Source
AI summary
A printing device includes: a head that ejects an ink on a medium to perform printing; and a mist collection mechanism having: a suction port facing the medium and sucking air near the head; an exhaust port discharging the sucked air; and an airflow path between the suction port and the exhaust port, wherein the airflow path includes a first spatial region located on a side of the suction port, and a second spatial region located on a side of the exhaust port and adjacent to the first spatial region through a communicating port having an opening area smaller than that of the suction port.