Liquid-Jet Head Filter Segmentation for Bubble Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink-jet recording devices face issues with air bubbles and foreign particles entering the pressurized liquid chamber, causing nozzle clogging and ink discharge malfunctions, especially when filters become clogged, preventing effective removal of contaminants during maintenance operations.
Innovation Solution
The liquid-jet head design incorporates communicating paths with larger openings to facilitate the passage of foreign particles and air bubbles during maintenance, allowing them to be discharged externally, while smaller openings serve as filters to prevent intrusion into the pressurized liquid chamber, ensuring continuous ink supply and preventing filter clogging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a filter with small openings is provided in the ink flow path to block air bubbles and foreign particles, then nozzle clogging is prevented, but the filter becomes clogged with foreign particles accumulated in the common liquid chamber, causing insufficient ink supply and excessive negative pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The communicating path is divided into two distinct types: first communicating paths with small openings that serve as filters to block particles, and second communicating paths with large openings that enable discharge of accumulated particles. This segmentation allows the system to simultaneously maintain filtration function and particle discharge capability without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
The second communicating path with large openings acts as an intermediary discharge route that allows foreign particles and air bubbles to be expelled from the common liquid chamber through the maintenance nozzle, preventing accumulation that would otherwise clog the filter openings in the first communicating paths.
2Reliability
If a filter is provided to block air bubbles and foreign particles from entering the pressurized liquid chamber, then ink discharge malfunction is prevented, but foreign particles remain in the common liquid chamber and clog the filter openings during maintenance operations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the particle discharge function from the filtration function by providing separate second communicating paths with large openings that lead to the maintenance nozzle. This allows foreign particles to be actively removed from the common liquid chamber during maintenance operations, preventing filter clogging while maintaining reliable ink discharge during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
During maintenance operations, the system discards accumulated foreign particles and air bubbles from the common liquid chamber through the second communicating paths and maintenance nozzle. This discarding process restores the filtration system's efficiency and prevents future clogging, enabling the filter to continue its protective function.
3Productivity
If the common liquid chamber is used to supply ink to multiple pressurized liquid chambers, then ink flow is maintained, but foreign particles generated upstream accumulate in the common liquid chamber and clog the filter
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful accumulation of foreign particles in the common liquid chamber into a manageable situation by providing dedicated discharge paths. The large-opening second communicating paths allow particles to be easily removed during maintenance, transforming the potential harm of particle accumulation into a routine maintenance task that restores system performance.
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
This design effectively removes air bubbles and foreign particles, maintaining stable ink flow and preventing nozzle clogging, thereby ensuring reliable ink discharge and extending the lifespan of the liquid-jet head by preventing filter clogging and ensuring efficient maintenance operations.
Implementation Method 1
pressure in the pressurized liquid chamber is increased by driving the actuator unit to discharge the ink drops from the nozzles
Implementation Method 2
The filter includes plural openings configured to block the air bubbles or foreign particles while maintaining the communication between the common liquid chamber and the corresponding pressurized liquid chamber
Implementation Method 3
an actuator unit to generate energy to increase pressure in the pressurized liquid chamber
Data Source
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AI summary
A liquid-jet head includes nozzles, pressurized chambers to communicate with the nozzles, a common liquid chamber to communicate with each of the pressurized chambers, each of the common liquid chamber and the pressurized liquid chambers having a negative pressure of a predetermined value, first communicating paths to communicate between the common liquid chamber and the pressurized liquid chamber to serve as a filter to prevent air bubbles from intruding into the pressurized liquid chamber, the filter having openings, each opening having an opening area smaller than an opening area of each of the nozzles, and an air bubble discharge chamber including a second communicating path to communicate with the common liquid chamber having an air bubble remaining part in a region downstream in a liquid flow direction, and an opening part from which the air bubbles having entered via the second communicating path are discharged during a maintenance-restoration operation.