Nozzle Array Cleaning Control to Prevent Ink Contamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejecting apparatuses face challenges in managing separate inventory for devices that use all nozzle arrays and those that use only some nozzle arrays, as ink can unexpectedly enter unused nozzle arrays, leading to contamination of the medium.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting apparatus with a control section that switches between modes, allowing it to use either all or some nozzle arrays, and includes a maintenance mechanism for cleaning unused nozzle arrays by discharging ink from them.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If only some nozzle arrays are used for printing, then manufacturing cost is suppressed by reusing existing heads, but ink may enter unused nozzle arrays and contaminate the medium
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful factor (ink) from the unused nozzle arrays by introducing a drying agent that removes ink from these nozzles. The drying agent is supplied through a separate flow path that does not communicate with the unused nozzles, thereby extracting the contamination risk without affecting the printing function of used nozzles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a drying agent as an intermediary substance that mediates between the ink in unused nozzles and the external environment. This drying agent absorbs or evaporates the ink from unused nozzles, preventing it from reaching and contaminating the medium, while not interfering with the normal printing operation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If unused nozzle arrays are closed to prevent ink entry, then medium contamination is prevented, but separate inventory management is required for different head configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the liquid ejecting head universal by enabling it to function in multiple configurations. The same head can be used whether 1, 2, 3, or 4 nozzle arrays are actively printing, with the drying agent system automatically adapting to prevent contamination in unused nozzles. This eliminates the need for separate inventory management for different head types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a dynamic system where the drying agent supply is controlled based on the actual printing configuration. The control section dynamically adjusts which nozzle arrays receive the drying agent based on which nozzles are currently in use, allowing the system to adapt flexibly to different printing scenarios without physical modification to the head.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a drying agent is supplied to unused nozzle arrays, then ink is removed and contamination is prevented, but additional liquid supply infrastructure is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the liquid supply system into separate flow paths: one for ink supply to used nozzle arrays and another for drying agent supply to unused nozzle arrays. This segmentation allows independent control of each function, enabling the drying agent to be supplied only where needed without interfering with the ink supply system.
Solution Approach 2:
The drying agent acts as an intermediary substance that is supplied through a dedicated flow path not communicating with the unused nozzles. This separate intermediary supply path allows the drying agent to reach unused nozzles without requiring modification to the existing ink supply infrastructure, as the drying agent travels through its own independent channel.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a liquid ejecting apparatus including: a liquid ejecting head having an ejection surface provided with nozzle arrays and configured to execute a printing operation; a liquid storage section; and a control section configured to execute the printing operation, in which the nozzle arrays include a first nozzle array and a second nozzle array, when the liquid storage section is not coupled to the first nozzle array and is coupled to the second nozzle array, the control section is configured to execute a first mode in which the second nozzle array is used without using the first nozzle array for the printing operation, and when the first mode is executable, the control section executes a sequence including cleaning in which a liquid entering the first nozzle array is discharged from the first nozzle array.