Liquid Ejecting Apparatus Humectant Water Absorption Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Ink viscosity increases unexpectedly in printers with liquid ejecting apparatuses, despite replenishing the ink to initial water levels, due to humectants absorbing water, leading to clogging and maintenance challenges.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting apparatus with a controller that calculates the available water amount by subtracting humectant-absorbed water from the total water and forcibly discharges liquid into a cap, using a predetermined coefficient to ensure sufficient water replenishment, thereby reducing viscosity and preventing clogging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the cap is replenished with ink to restore the initial water amount, then the water content in the cap is restored, but the viscosity of the ink in the nozzle increases beyond expected levels
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by calculating the water amount absorbed by the humectant before replenishing the cap. This allows the control unit to determine the precise amount of ink needed to restore the initial available water amount in the cap, preventing over-replenishment that would fail to address the viscosity increase in the nozzle.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the water amount in the ink and the amount absorbed by the humectant. The control unit uses this feedback information to dynamically adjust the replenishment amount, ensuring that both the cap's water content and the nozzle's ink viscosity are properly maintained.
2Quantity of substance
If the available water amount in the cap is monitored and replenished, then the water content is maintained, but the viscosity increase in the nozzle is not sufficiently addressed
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit acts as an intermediary that coordinates between the cap replenishment and nozzle viscosity control. It calculates the water amount absorbed by the humectant and uses this information to determine the precise replenishment amount needed to maintain both adequate water content in the cap and appropriate viscosity in the nozzle.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies parameter changes by adjusting the replenishment amount based on the calculated water absorption by the humectant. Instead of using a fixed replenishment amount, the system dynamically changes the replenishment parameter to account for variable humectant absorption, thereby maintaining reliable viscosity control in the nozzle.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the humectant absorbs water to suppress viscosity increase, then the liquid remains fluid, but the available water amount in the cap decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary calculation of the water amount absorbed by the humectant before replenishing the cap. This allows the system to anticipate the water consumption by the humectant and replenish the cap with the exact amount needed to restore the initial available water amount, maintaining both viscosity suppression and adequate water content.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from monitoring the water amount in the ink and the absorption by the humectant to adjust the replenishment amount. This feedback mechanism ensures that the cap is replenished with sufficient water to compensate for humectant absorption while maintaining the liquid's fluidity and appropriate viscosity.
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
The solution effectively reduces the viscosity of ink in the nozzle by supplying an adequate amount of water, preventing clogging and maintaining optimal printing conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the humectant absorbs the surrounding water when the water in the ink evaporates
Implementation Method 2
a discharge controller that forcibly discharges the liquid from the nozzle into the cap
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an ejecting head that ejects a liquid containing a humectant and water from a nozzle, a cap configured to form a closed space to which the nozzle opens, and a controller that controls the ejecting head, wherein the controller includes a calculation unit and a discharge controller, wherein the calculation unit calculates an available water amount of the liquid in the cap, and when the available water amount is smaller than a preset initial available water amount, the discharge controller discharges an amount of the liquid, where the amount includes, as the available water amount, an amount obtained by multiplying a difference between the available water amount and the initial available water amount by a predetermined coefficient larger than one.