Inkjet Printer Residual Ink Recovery Controller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers face inefficiencies when changing ink types, leading to excessive ink discarding and reduced usage due to intensive cleaning operations, which results in wasted ink.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet printer system that includes a controller to determine whether to use residual ink remaining in the ink flow path after a type change, allowing for its utilization in printing or discarding it when not suitable, thereby optimizing ink usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If intensive cleaning operation is performed when ink type is changed, then different types of ink are prevented from being mixed, but ink usage efficiency deteriorates due to increased discarding amount
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers residual ink remaining in the ink flow path after type change by determining its usability and reusing it for printing. Instead of completely discarding the residual ink through intensive cleaning, the system recovers and utilizes it when suitable, thereby reducing ink waste while maintaining print quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach from fixed intensive cleaning to variable residual ink utilization based on determined conditions. The controller determines whether residual ink can be used and adjusts the cleaning process accordingly, transforming a static cleaning protocol into a dynamic parameter-based system that optimizes ink usage.
2Reliability
If intensive cleaning operation is performed when ink type is changed, then ink mixing is prevented, but productivity deteriorates due to reduced effective ink usage
Solution Approach 1:
The system recovers residual ink that would otherwise be wasted during cleaning operations and reuses it for printing tasks. This recovery process increases effective ink usage and improves productivity while still preventing harmful ink mixing through controlled determination processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The residual ink in the flow path serves the dual purpose of both preventing ink mixing (when discarded) and providing useful printing material (when recovered and utilized). The system allows the residual ink to serve its original function if suitable, eliminating the need for complete discarding and maximizing productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
An inkjet printer includes: a print execution unit that executes printing; and a controller that controls the print execution unit. The controller is configured to: determine whether a type of ink supplied by the ink supply unit is changed; determine whether to use a residual ink which is ink before change remaining in the ink flow path in response to be determined that the type of the ink is changed; control the print execution unit to execute new printing using the residual ink in response to be determined to use the residual ink for the printing; and execute a discarding process for discarding the residual ink before the new printing is performed in response to be determined to not use the residual ink for the printing.