Inkjet Printing Head Mist Control via Dynamic Preliminary Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printing apparatuses face issues with ejection failures and color mixing due to ink mist adhering to the ejection openings, leading to wasteful ink consumption during preliminary ejections, especially with increased nozzle density and color usage.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet printing apparatus with a wiper mechanism and a regulation unit that controls the amount of ink ejected during preliminary ejections based on the amount of printing since the last wiping action, minimizing ink wastage and preventing color mixing by adjusting the number of preliminary ejections according to the degree of ink mist adhesion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a wiping member is used to remove adhered ink from the ejection face, then ink mist adhesion is reduced, but inks of different colors may be mixed together on the ejection face
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs a preliminary ejection of ink from the ejection openings immediately after the wiping action. This preliminary ejection clears any residual ink or color mixture that may have occurred during wiping, ensuring that the ejection openings are clean before actual printing begins. This preliminary action prevents color mixing issues while maintaining the effectiveness of the wiping process.
2Reliability
If a preliminary ejection is performed after wiping to prevent ejection failure and color mixture, then ejection reliability is improved, but the amount of ink wastefully discharged increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the number of preliminary ejections based on the printing history. Specifically, it counts the number of sheets printed since the last wiping action and sets the preliminary ejection count accordingly. When more sheets have been printed, more preliminary ejections are performed to ensure cleanliness. This dynamic adjustment optimizes ink consumption while maintaining ejection reliability across different operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of preliminary ejection count based on the wiping frequency and printing volume. By regulating the number of preliminary ejections according to how many sheets have been printed since the last wipe, the system adapts ink consumption to actual needs, preventing both waste and ejection failures.
3Manufacturing precision
If the number of ejection openings and ink colors are increased to achieve higher resolution and more colors, then printing quality is improved, but the amount of ink consumed in preliminary ejection increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic control system that adjusts the number of preliminary ejections based on the actual printing volume since the last wiping action. By counting sheets printed and regulating preliminary ejections accordingly, the system optimizes ink usage for high-resolution, multi-color printing heads, reducing waste while maintaining the cleanliness required for high-quality output.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention prevents inconveniences from being caused by ejection failure and unintended mixing of different colors. To this end, the invention performs preliminary ejection of ink after a wiping action to sweep mist adhering to a face of a printing head, in which an ejection opening is formed. Moreover, the amount of ink to be wastefully consumed by the preliminary ejection after the wiping is reduced. To this end, the number of preliminary ejections is regulated. The degree of adherence of mist to the ejection-opening-formed face depends on the amount of printing (the number of printed sheets, the number of ink ejections for printing, or the like). So, at the time of the preliminary ejection after the wiping, the number of ink ejections in the preliminary ejection is regulated in accordance with the amount of printing that has been done since the last wiping action.