Liquid Ejection Device Purge Control Using Temperature History
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid ejection devices cannot accurately determine the necessity of a forcible discharge operation to remove air from the fluid passage when power is cut, leading to potential ejection failures due to the inability to store temperature history information.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejection device with a controller that stores temperature data and estimates temperature data in a non-energized state using stored history information, setting purge conditions for the next operation based on elapsed time and temperature history to ensure accurate execution of purge operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the controller stores temperature history information using power from the power supply, then the accuracy of determining purge operation necessity is improved, but the system fails when power is cut
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary actions by storing temperature history information in the storage device before power is cut. This allows the controller to retrieve previously stored temperature data and estimate current temperature even without continuous power supply, enabling accurate purge operation determination during power outages
Solution Approach 2:
The storage device acts as an intermediary between the temperature sensor and the controller's decision-making process. It preserves temperature history information independently of power supply status, allowing the controller to access historical temperature data and estimate current conditions without real-time power
2Manufacturing precision
If the controller continuously monitors and stores temperature data, then the purge operation timing accuracy is improved, but the loss of time information occurs when power is cut
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary actions by continuously storing temperature history information and corresponding timestamps in the storage device before power interruption occurs. This preserved historical data enables accurate estimation of current temperature and determination of optimal purge timing even after power is restored following a outage
Data Source
AI summary
The controller obtains temperature data based on a temperature sensor when the controller is in an energized state and stores temperature history information of the obtained temperature data in a storage. The controller determines whether there occurs a non-energized state after a previous purge operation, estimates the temperature data in the non-energized state based on the temperature history information when the non-energized state exists after previous execution of the purge operation, and sets a purge condition of a next purge operation based on an elapsed time from previous execution of the purge operation and the temperature history information stored in the storage, sets the purge condition based on the estimated temperature data in the non-energized state in addition to the elapsed time and the temperature history information when there exists the non-energized state after the previous execution of the purge operation.