Liquid Discharge Apparatus Viscosity-Based Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid discharge apparatuses face challenges in preventing nozzle clogging and ensuring optimal ink discharge, as the amount of ink discharged during flushing operations can exceed the required amount for maintaining print quality.
Innovation Solution
A maintenance method and apparatus that acquire viscosity information for each discharge section, cause each section to discharge a predetermined amount of liquid, and then adjust the discharge based on the difference in viscosity information, ensuring only necessary ink is discharged to prevent clogging and maintain print quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a predetermined amount of liquid is discharged in the flushing operation to prevent nozzle clogging, then the nozzle clogging is prevented, but the amount of ink discharged exceeds the discharge amount required to ensure print quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system measures the actual discharge amount of liquid from each discharge section and uses this feedback information to adjust the flushing operation. The control unit compares the measured discharge amount with the predetermined amount and modifies the flushing operation accordingly, thereby preventing both insufficient and excessive ink discharge while ensuring reliable nozzle performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the flushing operation parameters based on measured discharge amounts. When the actual discharge amount differs from the predetermined amount, the control unit adjusts the flushing operation parameters (such as discharge duration or intensity) to achieve the optimal flushing effect without wasting excess ink.
2Ease of operation
If the same flushing operation is applied to all discharge sections, then the maintenance process is simple, but discharge sections with different viscosity characteristics cannot receive appropriate maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different flushing operations to different discharge sections based on their individual characteristics. By measuring the actual discharge amount from each discharge section, the control unit identifies sections with different viscosity characteristics and tailors the flushing operation to each section's specific needs, thereby ensuring reliable performance while maintaining operational simplicity through automated differentiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance process is segmented into individual discharge section management. Instead of applying a uniform flushing operation to all sections, the system measures and evaluates each discharge section separately, then applies appropriate flushing operations to each segment based on its specific discharge characteristics and viscosity properties.
Data Source
AI summary
A maintenance method of a liquid discharge apparatus including a plurality of discharge sections: acquiring a first viscosity information on viscosity of the liquid filled in each of the plurality of discharge sections; causing each of the plurality of discharge sections to discharge a first amount of the liquid; acquiring a second viscosity information on viscosity of the liquid filled in each of the plurality of discharge sections; generating a difference information indicating a difference between the viscosity indicated by the first viscosity information and the viscosity indicated by the second viscosity information in each of the plurality of discharge sections; causing a discharge section in which the difference indicated by the difference information is equal to or greater than a predetermined value among the plurality of discharge sections, to discharge the first amount of the liquid again.