Liquid Ejection Head Circulation Detection by Ejection Speed Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejection apparatuses struggle to accurately detect abnormal circulation states, leading to ink adherence and clogging, which affects ejection quality and requires frequent head replacements.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejection apparatus and method that measures ejection speed differences before and after a predetermined period to detect degradation in circulation capability, using ejection speed measurement units and temperature sensors to determine circulation state accurately.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If circulation mechanism operates continuously, then liquid circulation is maintained, but detection of abnormal circulation state is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary ejection operations before normal ejection to refresh liquid in pressure chambers. By measuring ejection speeds during these preliminary operations and comparing them to reference values, the system detects circulation abnormalities before they affect normal printing, enabling early intervention while the circulation mechanism is still operating.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors ejection speeds during preliminary operations and compares them against reference ejection speeds. This feedback mechanism allows real-time detection of circulation degradation, triggering alerts or corrective actions before the abnormal state progresses to complete failure.
2Measurement precision
If ejection speed measurement is performed continuously, then circulation state is detected accurately, but measurement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous monitoring, the system performs ejection speed measurements periodically during preliminary ejection operations. This periodic measurement approach maintains detection accuracy while significantly reducing system complexity and computational burden compared to continuous monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses preliminary ejection operations as a preparation step before normal printing. During these preliminary operations, ejection speeds are measured to assess circulation state. This approach obtains necessary measurement data without requiring separate dedicated measurement operations, simplifying the overall system.
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
Prevents issues caused by faulty circulation by timely detection, maintaining ejection quality and extending the life of the ejection head.
Implementation Method 1
a circulation pump 500 that circulates the liquid
Implementation Method 2
a light emission element 202 that emits light
Implementation Method 3
a light reception unit 203 that receives the light
Data Source
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AI summary
A liquid ejection apparatus (50) and a circulation state determination method capable of helping prevent problems caused by a malfunction. An ejection state detected after a lapse of a first period of time and an ejection state detected after a lapse of a second period of time longer than the first period of time are compared with each other to detect whether an ink circulation operation is performed faultily.