Inkjet Print Device Nozzle Maintenance via Cap Soaking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet recording devices face issues with nozzle clogging due to dried ink, leading to discharge failures and inefficiencies in ink discharge processing, especially with white ink which is prone to sedimentation and clogging.
Innovation Solution
A print device configuration that includes a cap, supply and waste liquid flow paths, a pump, and a processor to manage cleaning liquid for nozzle maintenance, ensuring the nozzle face is covered, cleaned, and prepared for printing by soaking and holding cleaning liquid, and then discharging it when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ink is not discharged from the nozzle for a long time, then the ink will dry out and clog the nozzle, but performing discharge processing takes a long time and discharges a large amount of ink
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is supplied with cleaning liquid before the nozzle is needed for printing, so that when discharge processing is required, the cleaning liquid is already ready to immediately flush out any dried ink, eliminating the need for lengthy discharge processing while maintaining nozzle reliability
2Reliability
If the cap is continuously supplied with cleaning liquid, then the nozzle face is continuously cleaned, but cleaning liquid is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The supply valve opens and closes periodically based on detection signals, allowing the cap to be supplied with cleaning liquid only at specific intervals when needed, rather than continuously. This periodic supply maintains nozzle cleaning effectiveness while significantly reducing cleaning liquid consumption
3Reliability
If the pump operates continuously to discharge cleaning liquid, then the nozzle face is continuously cleaned, but energy is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The pump operates periodically rather than continuously, being activated only when the supply valve opens to discharge cleaning liquid from the cap. This periodic operation maintains reliable nozzle cleaning while dramatically reducing pump energy consumption
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 reduces the likelihood of nozzle clogging and discharge failures by maintaining the nozzle face with cleaning liquid, ensuring efficient ink discharge and reducing the risk of ink drying, thereby improving printing quality and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
The pump is connected to the waste liquid flow path
Implementation Method 2
hold processing holding, after the supply processing and in a state in which the cleaning liquid has soaked the nozzle face, the cleaning liquid in the cap
Data Source
AI summary
A print device includes a processor, and a memory. The processor performs processes. The processes include a covering control processing controlling the cap into a covering state in which the cap covers the nozzle. The processes include supply processing supplying, after the covering control processing, the cleaning liquid to the cap from the supply flow path. The processes include hold processing holding, after the supply processing and in a state in which the cleaning liquid has soaked the nozzle face, the cleaning liquid in the cap. The processes include first determination processing determining, after the hold processing, whether a print request has been received. The processes include discharge processing discharging, in a case where a power on signal has been detected or in a case where the first determination processing has determined that the print request has been received, the cleaning liquid that has been held in the cap.