Liquid ejection device and method of controlling liquid ejection device
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The water repellency of nozzle surfaces in liquid ejection devices, such as printers, degrades over time, leading to ink residue and reduced printing quality, especially when using inks with inorganic pigments.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejection device with a first nozzle group for ejecting aqueous ink and a second nozzle group for ejecting a liquid containing a softening agent, which performs a softening treatment on the cloth and a water repellent treatment to adhere the softening liquid to the nozzle surfaces, enhancing water repellency and preventing residue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the nozzle surface is treated with water repellent treatment, then ink adhesion is improved, but the water repellency degrades over time due to wiping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies water repellent treatment to the nozzle surface in advance before ink ejection operations. This preliminary treatment ensures that the nozzle surface is pre-coated with water-repellent properties, preventing ink adhesion issues from the outset and extending the effective duration of water repellency despite subsequent wiping operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically performs water repellent treatment on the nozzle surface using the liquid ejection unit itself, without requiring external manual intervention. This self-service approach maintains water repellency continuously through automated reapplication, overcoming the degradation caused by wiping operations.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If wiping is performed on the nozzle surface, then ink residue is removed, but water repellency degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous water repellent treatment through the liquid ejection unit, maintaining uninterrupted application of water-repellent liquid to the nozzle surface. This continuous action compensates for the degradation caused by wiping, ensuring water repellency is constantly restored without interruption to printing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a liquid including a softening agent as an intermediary substance. This liquid is ejected onto the cloth first to soften it, then the nozzle surface is wiped, and finally water repellent treatment is applied. The softening agent mediates between the wiping action and water repellency maintenance, reducing the harshness of wiping on the nozzle surface.
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 prevents nozzle surface water repellency deterioration, allows for easier wiping, and enhances printing quality by ensuring the ink adheres properly, reducing residue and uneven water repellency.
Implementation Method 1
a second nozzle group configured to eject a second liquid to the cloth... executing, by the second nozzle group, a softening treatment of ejecting the second liquid to the cloth
Implementation Method 2
a water repellent treatment of making the second liquid adhere to the nozzle surface
Implementation Method 3
a wiping unit configured to wipe a nozzle surface on which is aqueous ink
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejection device includes a liquid ejection unit having a first nozzle group configured to eject a first liquid to a cloth conveyed, and a second nozzle group configured to eject a second liquid to the cloth, and a wiping unit configured to wipe a nozzle surface on which the first nozzle group is disposed, wherein the first liquid is aqueous ink and the second liquid is a liquid including a softening agent, and the second nozzle group executes a softening treatment of ejecting the second liquid to the cloth, and a water repellent treatment of making the second liquid adhere to the nozzle surface.