Pressure Adjustment Apparatus for Droplet Ejection Downsizing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing droplet ejection apparatuses face challenges in downsizing while maintaining precise pressure control, particularly in simultaneously performing maintenance tasks such as circulation and ejection.
Innovation Solution
A pressure adjustment apparatus that includes a gas channel with a pneumatic pump and atmospheric relief valves, allowing for precise control of pressures by forming an enclosed space and adjusting pressures in the suction-side and discharge-side gas channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a high-output air supply pump with large flow rate is used to simultaneously perform maintenance of multiple large-sized tanks, then productivity is improved, but the apparatus cannot be downsized
Solution Approach 1:
The gas supply system is segmented into multiple independent gas channels, each with its own atmospheric relief valve. This allows a smaller pump to service multiple tanks by controlling pressure in each channel independently, rather than requiring one large pump for all tanks simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The atmospheric relief valves dynamically switch between open and closed states to control pressure in different gas channels. This dynamic control enables a single small pump to achieve the maintenance performance previously requiring a large pump by sequentially or selectively pressurizing different channels.
2Reliability
If an air supply pump with large air capacity is used to perform both circulation maintenance and ejection maintenance, then reliability is improved, but the apparatus cannot be downsized
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the gas supply into separate channels for circulation maintenance and ejection maintenance, each with dedicated atmospheric relief valves. This segmentation allows a smaller pump to maintain precise pressure control in each channel independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The atmospheric relief valves change the pressure parameter in different gas channels by switching between open and closed states. This parameter control allows a compact pump design to achieve the same reliability and precision as a larger pump would provide.
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 the downsizing of the apparatus while achieving precise pressure control, allowing for efficient maintenance processes such as ejection and circulation maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a pneumatic pump provided to the gas channel and configured to send gas from the suction side to the discharge side
Implementation Method 2
atmospheric relief valves including at least one suction-side atmospheric relief valve and at least one discharge-side atmospheric relief valve, the suction-side atmospheric relief valve being provided to the suction-side gas channel and configured to open and close the suction-side gas channel to atmosphere
Data Source
AI summary
A pressure adjustment apparatus includes: a gas channel configured to form an enclosed space and including a suction-side gas channel at a suction side of a pneumatic pump and a discharge-side gas channel at a discharge side of the pneumatic pump; the pneumatic pump configured to send gas from the suction side to the discharge side; atmospheric relief valves including a suction-side atmospheric relief valve provided to the suction-side gas channel and a discharge-side atmospheric relief valve provided to the discharge-side gas channel; and a hardware processor. In driving the pneumatic pump, the hardware processor controls opening and closing of the atmospheric relief valves to firstly adjust a pressure in the enclosed space formed in one of the suction-side gas channel and the discharge-side gas channel and secondly adjust a pressure in another of the suction-side gas channel and the discharge-side gas channel.