Liquid Ejection Nozzle Control for Edge Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
In liquid ejection devices, a significant amount of liquid is unnecessarily discharged during maintenance due to uneven liquid ejection from nozzles, particularly at the edges of recording media, leading to increased maintenance costs and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
A control device determines the dimensions of the recording medium and adjusts the liquid discharge from ejection nozzles, increasing the discharge from nozzles corresponding to the edges and reducing it from those in the inward areas, optimizing the liquid ejection process to minimize waste and maintenance costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If liquid discharge amount is increased for all nozzles during maintenance, then foreign matter removal effectiveness is improved, but liquid consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating liquid discharge amounts based on nozzle location. Edge nozzles (first nozzles) discharge a larger amount of liquid during maintenance compared to inner nozzles (second nozzles), matching the localized need for foreign matter removal at edges where recording media are loaded and unloaded, thereby reducing overall liquid consumption while maintaining effectiveness.
2Reliability
If liquid discharge amount is increased for all nozzles during maintenance, then nozzle cleaning effectiveness is improved, but maintenance cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device implements local quality by adjusting liquid discharge amounts according to nozzle positions. Edge nozzles receive higher liquid discharge during maintenance to address accumulated foreign matter from recording media handling, while inner nozzles receive reduced discharge, thereby lowering overall maintenance costs without compromising cleaning effectiveness where it is most needed.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform liquid discharge is applied to all nozzles, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the liquid discharge amount adjustable and variable based on operational context. The control device dynamically modifies discharge amounts for different nozzle groups (edge vs. inner nozzles) during maintenance operations, transitioning from a static uniform discharge system to a dynamic differentiated system that improves maintenance efficiency while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through software control.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejection device may include a liquid ejection head, a conveyor mechanism, a liquid discharging device, and a control device. The control device may be configured to determine a dimension of a recording medium, and determine one or more first ejection nozzles of the liquid discharging device, which correspond to an edge of the recording medium, based on the dimension. The control device may be further configured to control the liquid discharging device to perform a liquid discharging process after the liquid ejection head records an image onto the recording medium, wherein in the liquid discharging process, an amount of liquid discharged from each of the one or more first ejection nozzles is larger than an amount of liquid discharged from each of one or more second ejection nozzles, which correspond to a more inward area of the recording medium than an area corresponding to the one or more first ejection nozzles.