Pivoting Spit Flap for Inkjet Printhead Decap Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printheads experience nozzle health degradation due to decap phenomenon during transitions from maintenance to printing mode, resulting in delays that can exceed decap time for certain inks, leading to potential nozzle inhibition or prevention of ink ejection.
Innovation Solution
A printing device with a pivotally movable spit flap in the lift path that receives ink from the printhead, allowing it to transition from maintenance to printing mode with minimal nozzle health loss, featuring a resilient spit flap, camming engagement, and an ink retention mechanism to maintain nozzle hydration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the printhead is repositioned from maintenance position to printing position after priming, then the printhead is ready for actual printing, but the delay between nozzle priming and printing causes nozzle decap and health degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The spit flap is positioned in advance in the lift path to receive spitted ink from the printhead during the transition from maintenance to printing mode. This preliminary action of spitting ink onto the flap prevents nozzle decap by maintaining ink flow continuity, eliminating the harmful delay between priming and printing while preserving nozzle health.
2Ease of operation
If a stationary spittoon is used below the media feed path, then spitted ink can be received, but the printhead cannot transition rapidly from maintenance to printing mode without delay
Solution Approach 1:
The spit flap is made pivotally movable rather than stationary, allowing it to swing away from the lift path when the printhead contacts it during lowering. This dynamic design enables the flap to be positioned in the lift path for receiving spitted ink during transition, then moved out of the way to allow continuous printhead operation, reducing transition time while maintaining ease of ink reception.
Solution Approach 2:
The spit flap acts as an intermediary element positioned in the lift path between the maintenance and printing positions. It temporarily receives spitted ink during the transition phase, enabling rapid mode switching without requiring the printhead to stop or wait, thus reducing loss of time while providing easy ink reception functionality.
3Quantity of substance
If the spit flap remains stationary in the lift path, then it can continuously receive spitted ink, but it obstructs the printhead movement during maintenance mode transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The spit flap is designed to be pivotally movable rather than fixed, allowing it to swing away from the lift path when the printhead lowers and contacts it. This dynamic movement clears the obstruction during maintenance mode transitions, improving ease of operation, while still enabling the flap to return to its ink-receiving position to maintain full ink reception capacity.
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
Enables rapid and effective transition from maintenance to printing mode with minimal nozzle health loss, reducing the time between nozzle priming and actual printing, thereby preventing decap and ensuring continuous ink flow.
Implementation Method 1
when the printhead contacts the spit flap during lowering of the printhead
Implementation Method 2
the spit flap is resiliently flexible
Data Source
AI summary
A printing device includes: an inkjet printhead; a lift mechanism for raising and lowering the printhead through a lift path; and a pivotally movable spit flap positioned in the lift path. The spit flap is configured to swing away from the lift path when the printhead contacts the spit flap during lowering of the printhead.