Inkjet Nozzle Wiping Sequence for Color Mixing Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers face the issue of mixed colors occurring during the wiping process, leading to decreased printing quality due to different colored inks entering nozzle openings, especially when a darker ink mixes with a brighter ink, causing noticeable hue differences in the printed dots.
Innovation Solution
The printing device is designed with nozzle rows arranged in a specific sequence, where brighter chromatic inks are wiped first to prevent mixing with darker inks, and achromatic black ink nozzle rows are placed between chromatic ink rows to inhibit mixed colors, ensuring the correct hue of dots is maintained.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the wiping operation is performed with a blade or roller on the nozzle opening surface, then ink adhered near the nozzle openings is removed, but different colored inks mix inside the nozzle openings causing decreased printing quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing the wiping operation in a specific sequence: first wiping the nozzle row for brighter chromatic ink (yellow) before wiping the nozzle row for darker chromatic ink (magenta). This preliminary ordering prevents darker ink from mixing into brighter ink during the wiping process, thereby maintaining printing quality while still removing adhered ink effectively
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the conventional wiping approach by wiping brighter chromatic ink nozzles first and darker chromatic ink nozzles second, rather than the opposite sequence or simultaneous wiping. This inverted sequence prevents the harmful effect of darker ink contaminating brighter ink during the wiping operation
2Manufacturing precision
If darker chromatic ink (e.g., magenta) mixes into brighter chromatic ink (e.g., yellow) in the nozzle, then the hue of printed dots differs significantly from the planned hue, but wiping operation is necessary to remove adhered ink
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the wiping of brighter chromatic ink nozzles (yellow) as a preliminary action before wiping darker chromatic ink nozzles (magenta). This ensures that when the wiper member contacts the brighter ink nozzles first, no darker ink is present on the wiper to contaminate the brighter ink, thereby maintaining hue accuracy while still addressing ink adhesion
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of wiping sequence from arbitrary or simultaneous to a specific ordered sequence based on ink brightness. By changing the temporal parameter of when each nozzle row is wiped, the patent prevents color mixing while maintaining the necessary ink removal function
Data Source
AI summary
With a printing device that discharges a plurality of chromatic inks, to inhibit a decrease in printing quality due to mixed colors of ink that comes with the wiping operation, a printing device is equipped with a line head having a first nozzle row including a plurality of nozzles that discharge a first chromatic ink, and a second nozzle row including a plurality of nozzles that discharge a second chromatic ink that is brighter than the first chromatic ink, a wiper member for performing in sequence the wiping operation with the second nozzle row as the subject and the wiping operation with the first nozzle row as the subject, and a wiper member sweeping tool that sweeps the wiper member after the wiping operation with the first nozzle row as the subject.