Inkjet Printhead Priming System with Peristaltic Pumping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inkjet printheads face issues with idle time defects due to evaporation and pigment settlement, leading to print quality deterioration, and current priming systems are cost-ineffective and wasteful.
Innovation Solution
A priming system that includes single color inkjet chips, ink supply units, and a pumping member with peristaltic pumping heads to circulate and filter ink, minimizing waste and improving print quality by preventing pigment settlement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If frequent priming/purging is performed to remove trapped air bubbles and contaminants, then print quality is improved, but ink wastage increases and maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system recovers ink that would otherwise be wasted during priming and purging operations. The pumping member circulates ink from the printhead back to the ink supply unit, allowing the ink to be reused rather than discarded, thus reducing ink wastage while maintaining print quality through regular maintenance cycles
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the pumping member continuously circulates ink from the printhead back to the supply unit based on the operational state. This closed-loop feedback allows the system to maintain optimal ink flow and composition without requiring excessive priming operations, thereby reducing ink consumption while preserving print quality
2Reliability
If frequent maintenance is performed to address idle time defects, then print quality is improved, but device complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pumping member enables continuous circulation of ink from the printhead back to the supply unit during and between printing operations. This continuous action prevents idle time defects by maintaining constant ink flow and preventing pigment settlement, reducing the frequency and duration of maintenance operations required to restore print quality
3Reliability
If pigmented ink is used for printing, then print quality is improved, but pigment settlement occurs during idle time causing maintenance issues
Solution Approach 1:
The pumping member maintains continuous circulation of pigmented ink from the printhead back to the supply unit, preventing pigment settlement that occurs during idle time. This continuous motion keeps the ink composition stable by ensuring uniform distribution of pigments throughout the ink supply, thereby maintaining print quality without frequent maintenance interventions
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 system effectively removes air bubbles and contaminants, reduces ink wastage, and maintains print quality by circulating ink, thus addressing the inefficiencies of prior art priming systems.
Implementation Method 1
The pumping member includes at least one pumping head. A pumping head is fluidly coupled to the corresponding single color inkjet chip to receive the ink from the corresponding single color inkjet chip. The pumping head is further fluidly coupled to a corresponding ink supply unit to pump the ink back into the corresponding ink supply unit.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a priming system for inkjet printheads that includes at least one inkjet printhead. Each inkjet printhead includes one or more single color inkjet chips. Further, the priming system includes at least one ink supply unit. Each ink supply unit is fluidly coupled to a corresponding single color inkjet chip for supplying ink to the corresponding single color inkjet chip. Furthermore, the priming system includes a pumping member that includes at least one pumping head. A pumping head is fluidly coupled to the corresponding single color inkjet chip to receive the ink from the corresponding single color inkjet chip, and to a corresponding ink supply unit to pump the ink back into the corresponding ink supply unit.