Liquid Ejection Head Recovery via Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid ejection apparatuses, such as inkjet printers, face challenges in recovering ejection performance after abnormal termination due to ink thickening and solidification, as existing maintenance processes based on cap open time are inefficient and vary with liquid temperature, leading to excessive or insufficient ink consumption.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejection apparatus with a temperature obtaining unit and a control unit that adjusts the recovery process based on the temperature of the liquid ejection head after power restoration, performing specific suction and wiping operations to recover ejection performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a maintenance process is performed solely based on cap open time, then the control method is simple, but the ejection performance recovery is inconsistent and ink consumption is excessive or insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing liquid temperature as an additional parameter to the maintenance process control. Instead of relying solely on cap open time, the system now considers both cap open time and liquid temperature to determine the appropriate maintenance process. This resolves the contradiction by making the control method slightly more complex (adding temperature measurement) while significantly improving the reliability and consistency of ejection performance recovery, as temperature is a critical factor affecting ink thickening and solidification.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the liquid ejection head is left uncapped for a long time, then the cap open time is long, but the ink thickening and solidification increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by measuring the liquid temperature in the liquid ejection head and using this information to adjust the maintenance process. The temperature sensor provides real-time feedback about the ink state, allowing the system to determine the appropriate suction and wiping operations needed. This resolves the contradiction by enabling the system to handle long cap open times effectively - when temperature indicates significant thickening, more aggressive maintenance is applied, while milder conditions receive lighter maintenance, thus preventing excessive ink loss regardless of cap open duration.
3Reliability
If a stronger maintenance process is performed to ensure ejection performance recovery, then the ejection performance is reliably recovered, but ink waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by using liquid temperature as a determining factor for maintenance intensity. Instead of always performing strong maintenance processes, the system adjusts the suction time, wiping operations, and preliminary ejection based on the measured temperature. This resolves the contradiction by enabling differentiated maintenance - when temperature is low and ink thickening is minimal, lighter maintenance is sufficient, reducing ink waste. When temperature is high and significant thickening has occurred, stronger maintenance is applied to ensure reliable recovery. This parameter-based approach optimizes the balance between recovery reliability and ink conservation.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejection apparatus includes: a liquid ejection head that ejects a liquid from an ejection port; and a cap movable to a closed position at which the cap covers the ejection port and an open position which is separated from the closed position and at which the ejection port is open. The liquid ejection apparatus further includes: a recovery unit configured to perform a recovery process of recovering liquid ejection performance of the liquid ejection head; and a determination unit configured to determine whether abnormal termination occurred with the cap at the open position when the liquid ejection apparatus resumes operating. In a case where the determination unit determines that the abnormal termination occurred, the recovery process is controlled based on a temperature obtained by a temperature obtaining unit.