Inkjet Printer Sub Tank Suction Control for Leakage and Fill Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ink jet printing apparatuses with sub tanks face inefficiencies in ink filling and consumption during secondary transport, as they do not optimize the time necessary for filling and ink usage after ink is pulled out, leading to potential ink leakage and wasteful consumption.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus with a suction unit and supply control system that determines the number of suction times based on acquired information about ink discharge, optimizing ink filling by adjusting suction frequency according to elapsed time since ink pulling out and whether an ink discharge sequence was performed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ink is pulled out in advance during secondary transport to prevent ink leakage, then ink leakage is prevented, but the time necessary for filling increases and ink consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing ink discharge operations before secondary transport to remove excess ink from the ink supply path. This preliminary removal of ink prevents leakage during transport while reducing the amount of ink that needs to be refilled afterward, thereby solving both the leakage prevention requirement and the filling time optimization goal
2Reliability
If ink is pulled out in advance during secondary transport to prevent ink leakage, then ink leakage is prevented, but ink consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by detecting whether air has entered the ink supply tube during ink discharge operations. Based on this detection result, the system intelligently determines the subsequent ink filling sequence - if air entry is detected, a filling sequence that prevents air pockets is executed; if no air entry is detected, a more efficient filling sequence is used. This feedback mechanism optimizes ink consumption while ensuring reliable ink supply
3Manufacturing precision
If the number of suction times is increased to ensure complete ink filling, then ink filling completeness is improved, but ink consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the ink filling process adaptive rather than fixed. The system dynamically adjusts the ink filling sequence based on real-time detection of air entry into the ink supply tube. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to use the minimum necessary number of suction operations to achieve complete filling, avoiding unnecessary ink consumption while ensuring filling completeness
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 approach reduces ink consumption and optimizes the time required for refilling after secondary transport by adjusting suction frequency, minimizing ink wastage and ensuring efficient ink distribution.
Implementation Method 1
a suction unit configured to perform suction at the ejection port
Implementation Method 2
a method of keeping the pressure within the print head negative, that is, a so-called water head difference method, by providing an atmosphere communication opening in an ink storage unit, such as a sub tank, and designing so that the ink liquid surface within the ink storage unit is lower than the ink ejection port in the gravitational direction
Data Source
AI summary
The object of the present disclosure is to optimize the time necessary for filling and the ink consumption. One embodiment of the present disclosure is a printing apparatus having: a storage unit; a print head having an ejection port from which ink supplied from the storage unit is ejected; an ink supply path that connects the storage unit and the print head; a suction unit configured to perform suction at the ejection port; and a supply control unit configured to supply ink stored in the storage unit to the ink supply path and the print head by performing suction at the ejection port by the suction unit, and the printing apparatus has an acquisition unit configured to acquire information relating to ink discharge from the ink supply path and the supply control unit determines the number of times of suction by the suction unit based on the information.