Inkjet Recirculation Container Anti-Sloshing Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printing equipment faces issues with ink recirculation due to sloshing, which introduces air and degrades ink quality, and existing systems lack effective solutions to prevent stagnation at the bottom of containers, leading to inconsistent flow and potential machine downtime.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an anti-sloshing element within the recirculation containers, combined with a funnel-shaped bottom design and Additive Manufacturing for creating one-piece containers with integrated anti-sloshing elements, such as bulkheads and fins, to prevent ink movement-induced sloshing and ensure continuous flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the recirculation container is moved back and forth along the printing head's movement path, then the printing width is increased, but the ink sloshes and causes air inclusion and quality deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The container is segmented into multiple compartments by internal partitions or bulkheads, which divide the ink volume into smaller sections. This segmentation reduces the sloshing amplitude in each compartment while maintaining the overall container size needed for adequate printing width coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
Anti-sloshing elements such as baffles, fins, or ribs are added in the vertical dimension inside the container. These elements extend perpendicular to the movement direction and create turbulence that dissipates sloshing energy, preventing air inclusion while allowing horizontal movement for wide printing.
2Ease of manufacture
If the container bottom is flat, then manufacturing is simple, but ink stagnation occurs at the bottom areas
Solution Approach 1:
The container bottom is designed with a curved or domed shape instead of a flat surface. This curvature promotes continuous ink circulation by preventing dead zones where stagnation could occur, while the curvature can be achieved through standard molding processes maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The container bottom features an asymmetric design with a central discharge outlet positioned at the lowest point of a bowl-shaped or well-shaped extension. This asymmetric geometry creates a natural flow path that directs ink toward the outlet, eliminating stagnation areas while maintaining ease of manufacture through single-piece additive manufacturing.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If anti-sloshing elements are added to the container, then ink sloshing is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-sloshing elements are merged with the container structure itself, forming an integrated one-piece component. The baffles, fins, or ribs are built directly into the container walls or bottom during additive manufacturing, eliminating separate assembly steps and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining effective sloshing prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The container structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it holds the ink, provides structural support, and incorporates anti-sloshing elements as integral features. The same additive manufacturing process that creates the container also forms the anti-sloshing geometry, making the structure multi-functional without increasing complexity.
4Ease of manufacture
If traditional manufacturing methods are used for containers, then manufacturing processes are well-established, but stagnation areas and inconsistent flow occur
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing approach transitions from traditional subtractive or assembly-based methods to additive manufacturing. This parameter change in the manufacturing process enables complex internal geometries including bowl-shaped bottoms and integrated anti-sloshing features that prevent stagnation, while maintaining cost-effectiveness through direct digital fabrication.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is manufactured as a monolithic structure using additive manufacturing technologies such as stereolithography or selective laser sintering. This composite approach combines structural integrity with complex internal geometries that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional manufacturing, eliminating stagnation areas while ensuring consistent ink flow.
Data Source
AI summary
A recirculation system for ink or other material, fed to a printing head, in particular of the inkjet type, includes a recirculation container associated with a printing head and translatable along a predefined printing stroke together with the printing head. The recirculation container has, in its interior, anti-sloshing devices of the ink or other material.