Inkjet Nozzle Cleaning Control to Reduce Unnecessary Ink Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses increase ink consumption due to methods that forcibly discharge ink from nozzles, leading to ink thickening and ejection failures.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus with a switching mechanism to alternate between liquid contacting and un-contacting states, a control device to detect ejection failures, and a cleaning portion to execute necessary cleaning only when needed, reducing unnecessary ink discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the suction pump is driven to forcibly discharge ink from the nozzle, then the ejection function is maintained, but the ink consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle surface is brought into contact with cleaning liquid before the suction pump operation to prevent ink thickening in advance. This preliminary cleaning action prevents the need for excessive suction pump operation later, thereby reducing ink consumption while maintaining ejection function.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device monitors the ejection state of nozzles and determines whether the first cleaning is necessary based on detection results. This feedback mechanism allows the system to perform cleaning only when needed, avoiding unnecessary ink discharge and optimizing ink consumption.
2Reliability
If the nozzle surface is brought into contact with cleaning liquid, then ink thickening is suppressed, but the ink discharge amount increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs partial cleaning action by bringing the nozzle surface into contact with cleaning liquid only when necessary, rather than continuously. The control device determines the necessity of cleaning based on ejection failure detection, applying cleaning only when needed to suppress thickening without causing excessive ink discharge.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device uses detection results of ejection failures to feedback control the cleaning process. This ensures that the nozzle surface is brought into contact with cleaning liquid only when ejection failures are detected, optimizing the balance between suppressing thickening and minimizing ink discharge.
3Reliability
If the first cleaning is executed regardless of ejection failure detection, then the ejection function is maintained, but the ink consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device determines whether to execute the first cleaning based on detection results of ejection failures. This feedback control ensures that cleaning is performed only when necessary, maintaining ejection function while avoiding unnecessary ink discharge that would occur with continuous cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial cleaning action by executing the first cleaning only when ejection failures are detected, rather than performing it continuously. This selective approach maintains ejection function when needed while minimizing ink consumption by avoiding unnecessary cleaning operations.
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
Reduces ink consumption by selectively performing cleaning based on ejection failure detection, thereby minimizing ink discharge and preventing thickening, especially with high-thickening inks like white ink.
Implementation Method 1
the suction pump is driven to generate a negative pressure in the cap, thereby forcibly discharging an ink in the nozzle into the cap
Implementation Method 2
processing of reducing thickening of the ink in the nozzle by bringing the nozzle surface into contact with cleaning liquid
Data Source
AI summary
A printing apparatus includes: a switching mechanism; a first cleaning portion configured to execute first cleaning; and a control device. The control device switches a liquid contacting state to a liquid un-contacting state by the switching mechanism, detects an ejection failure of at least one of nozzles in a nozzle surface after the switching to the liquid un-contacting state, determines whether the first cleaning is necessary based on a detection result, causes the first cleaning portion to execute the first cleaning when it is determined that the first cleaning is necessary, and does not cause the first cleaning portion to execute the first cleaning when it is determined that the first cleaning is unnecessary.