Liquid Jetting Apparatus Purge Amount Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid jetting apparatuses face issues where the purge operation reduces the remaining ink amount from a third range to a first range, leading to inadequate time for users to replace or replenish the tank, resulting in wasteful discarding of ink and increased user burden.
Innovation Solution
A liquid jetting apparatus with a controller that determines a second purge amount to reduce the remaining ink amount from a third range to a second range, allowing users sufficient time for replacement or replenishment, while preventing unnecessary ink discarding and user burden.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the purge operation is executed with the first purge amount to ensure adequate cleaning, then the jetting unit is properly cleaned, but the remaining ink amount decreases from the third range to the first range, causing users to replace or replenish the tank too frequently and waste ink
Solution Approach 1:
The controller dynamically adjusts the purge amount parameter based on the detected remaining ink amount. When the remaining amount is in the third range, the controller selects a second purge amount that is smaller than the first purge amount, thereby changing the purge parameter to prevent excessive ink consumption while still maintaining adequate cleaning effectiveness.
2Reliability
If the purge operation is executed with the first purge amount to ensure adequate cleaning, then the jetting unit is properly cleaned, but the remaining ink amount decreases to the first range, providing insufficient time for users to prepare tank replacement or replenishment
Solution Approach 1:
The controller adjusts the purge amount parameter based on the remaining ink amount range. When the remaining amount is in the third range, the controller reduces the purge amount to the second purge amount, which allows the remaining amount to stay in the second range after purging, thereby providing users with sufficient notification time to prepare for tank replacement or replenishment.
Solution Approach 2:
The notifying unit provides feedback to users about the remaining ink amount range (first, second, or third range). This feedback mechanism allows users to plan tank replacement or replenishment in advance, particularly when notified that the remaining amount is in the second range, thus reducing the loss of preparation time.
3Device complexity
If a fixed purge amount is used to simplify the control process, then the control system is simple, but the system cannot adapt to different remaining ink amounts, resulting in either excessive ink waste or insufficient cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically adjusts the purge amount based on the detected remaining ink amount. The controller selects between a first purge amount and a second purge amount according to which range the remaining amount falls into, making the purge operation adaptable to different ink levels rather than using a fixed purge amount throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller changes the purge amount parameter based on the remaining ink amount range. When the remaining amount is in the third range, the controller selects the second purge amount; otherwise, it selects the first purge amount. This parameter change approach enables the system to adapt to different conditions without requiring complex control logic.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid jetting apparatus includes: a jetting unit connected to a tank storing liquid, and having jetting ports for jetting the liquid supplied from the tank; a purge unit which performs a purge operation for discharging the liquid from the jetting unit; a notifying unit which notifies a user selectively that a remaining amount of the liquid in the tank is included in a first range, and that the remaining amount is included in a second range greater than the first range; and a controller configured to: determine a first purge amount; detect the remaining amount; and in a case that the detected remaining amount is included in a third range greater than the second range and that the remaining amount is included in the first range if the purge operation is executed with the first purge amount, determine a second purge amount obtainable by reducing the first purge amount.