Multi-Blade Printhead Wiper for Nozzle Face Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pagewidth inkjet printers face challenges with nozzle clogging due to dust and ink contamination, which affects print quality and requires effective maintenance to prevent color mixing between closely spaced nozzles.
Innovation Solution
A printhead maintenance facility with a wiper member having multiple parallel blades that move across the nozzle face in the media feed direction, effectively cleaning the nozzle face during printing and prior to print jobs, utilizing a maintenance drive and a tubular chassis with maintenance stations for efficient cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single blade wiper is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the cleaning effectiveness and speed are insufficient for high-resolution printheads
Solution Approach 1:
The wiper member is segmented into multiple parallel blades (typically 3-7 blades) arranged side-by-side. Each blade independently contacts the nozzle face, allowing simultaneous cleaning of multiple nozzle rows. This segmentation increases cleaning effectiveness and speed without requiring a completely new wiper architecture, as each blade functions as an independent cleaning element that can be简单地 manufactured and replaced.
2Productivity
If multiple parallel blades are used, then the cleaning speed and effectiveness improve, but the wiper member size and potential interference with media feed increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wiper member is designed with flexible mounting and blade positioning that allows it to adapt to the printhead surface. The blades can deflect and conform to the actual nozzle face geometry, ensuring effective contact across all blades simultaneously. This dynamic adaptation enables multiple blades to clean effectively without requiring excessive wiper volume or creating interference with the media feed path.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the nozzle aperture length is kept short, then the ejection energy is reduced and self-cooling is improved, but the nozzles are more susceptible to clogging from dust and dried ink
Solution Approach 1:
The wiper member performs preliminary cleaning action on the nozzle face before printing operations begin and continuously during operation. By removing dust particles and dried ink deposits from the exterior nozzle surfaces, the wiper prevents these contaminants from entering the nozzle apertures. This preliminary and continuous cleaning action protects the vulnerable short-nozzle design from clogging, maintaining reliable operation without requiring longer apertures that would increase ejection energy requirements.
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 enables quick and effective cleaning of the printhead between pages, reducing clogging and color mixing, thereby maintaining high print quality and extending the operational life of the printer.
Implementation Method 1
a wiper member for wiping the nozzle face
Implementation Method 2
each of the plurality of blades being dimensioned to wipe all the nozzles in a single traverse across the nozzle face
Data Source
AI summary
A printhead maintenance facility for an inkjet printer that has a printhead with the nozzle face defining an array of nozzles. The printhead maintenance facility has a wiper member for wiping the nozzle face, and a maintenance drive for moving the wiper member across the array of nozzles in the nozzle face. The wiper member has a plurality of parallel blades, each of the plurality of blades being dimensioned to wipe all the nozzles in a single traverse across the nozzle face.