Liquid Ejection Apparatus Capacitance Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejection apparatuses face challenges in accurately determining the remaining liquid amount due to changes in environmental temperature, which affect the dielectric constant of the ink container and reference container, leading to lower determination accuracy.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a liquid ejector, a resin-made liquid container, a resin-made reference container, and two electrode pairs. The first electrode pair is used for the liquid container, while the second electrode pair is used for the reference container, allowing for accurate determination of the liquid remaining amount by measuring capacitance differences between the two pairs, which are less affected by temperature changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single electrode pair is used to measure capacitance in the liquid container, then the device structure is simple, but temperature changes cause inaccurate remaining liquid amount determination
Solution Approach 1:
The single electrode pair is divided into two separate electrode pairs: a first electrode pair for measuring capacitance in the liquid container and a second electrode pair for measuring capacitance in the reference container. This segmentation allows independent measurement of liquid level changes and temperature-induced capacitance changes, enabling accurate determination of remaining liquid amount by comparing the two measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
A reference container with a second electrode pair serves as an intermediary reference system. The reference container experiences the same temperature changes as the liquid container but does not contain liquid. By measuring capacitance changes in the reference container and subtracting these from the liquid container measurements, the system isolates and eliminates temperature-induced errors from the remaining liquid amount determination.
2Ease of operation
If capacitance measurement is used to determine remaining liquid amount, then the measurement method is simple, but environmental temperature changes affect dielectric constant and reduce determination accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors capacitance changes in both the liquid container and reference container, using the reference container measurement as feedback to compensate for temperature effects. The controller compares the capacitance change in the liquid container against the capacitance change in the reference container, automatically adjusting the measurement interpretation to account for environmental temperature variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The reference container acts as an intermediary that captures and quantifies temperature-induced dielectric constant changes. By measuring capacitance in the reference container under the same environmental conditions, the system obtains a reference value that represents pure temperature effects, which can then be subtracted from the liquid container measurement to isolate the liquid level component.
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 solution improves the accuracy of determining the remaining liquid amount by minimizing the impact of environmental temperature changes on capacitance measurements, ensuring precise detection of the liquid level in the ink container.
Implementation Method 1
a change in the ink remaining amount causes a change in the capacitance between the electrode pair and ink remaining amount is determined by acquiring the capacitance between the electrode pair
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid ejector, a resin-made liquid container, a resin-made reference container, a first electrode pair, and a second electrode pair. The liquid ejector is configured to eject liquid. The liquid container defines a space storing liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejector. The liquid container is configured such that a remaining amount of liquid therein changes due to an ejection operation of liquid by the liquid ejector. The reference container defines a space in which no liquid flows to the liquid ejector or from the liquid ejector. The first electrode pair is provided to correspond to the liquid container. The second electrode pair is provided to correspond to the reference container.