Print Head Maintenance Cartridge Tension Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Printing devices face challenges in maintaining consistent tension in wiping materials used for cleaning print heads, leading to inconsistent cleaning effectiveness due to variations in brake forces over time, which can affect the quality of cleaning and prevent partial or complete clogging of print head nozzles.
Innovation Solution
A wiping subsystem with a combination of a brake and a friction element that generates and adjusts brake forces to maintain a constant total brake force, using the Capstan equation to control friction and compensate for changes in the brake force, ensuring consistent tension and cleaning efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a brake force is applied to the wiping material to maintain tension, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the brake force varies over time causing inconsistent tension
Solution Approach 1:
The brake force application point is made movable relative to the wiping material, allowing dynamic adjustment of the friction element's position along the wiping material's length. This enables the system to adapt to changing tension requirements as the wiping material is consumed, maintaining consistent cleaning effectiveness throughout the wiping material's service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the position parameter of the brake force application point along the wiping material. By moving the friction element to different locations on the wiping material as it is consumed, the system compensates for tension variations and maintains optimal cleaning performance throughout the wiping material's usage cycle.
2Productivity
If the wiping material is unrolled from the clean material roll to clean the print head, then the cleaning process continues, but the tension in the wiping material changes
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback by monitoring the position of the friction element relative to the wiping material and adjusting the brake force application accordingly. As the wiping material is unrolled and tension changes, the controller moves the friction element to maintain optimal brake force, ensuring consistent cleaning performance throughout the process.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable friction element allows the system to dynamically respond to tension changes caused by unwrapping the wiping material. By continuously adjusting the brake force application point, the system maintains stable tension despite the changing physical state of the wiping material during the cleaning process.
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 ensures that the wiping material maintains a consistent tension and wiper force, effectively preventing clogging and maintaining image quality by stabilizing the cleaning process, with minimal variation in cleaning efficacy even as the wiping material is unrolled.
Implementation Method 1
a friction element 108 to generate a second brake force F2 along the wiping material 102
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a print head maintenance cartridge, a printing device and a method of controlling a wiping subsystem of a print head maintenance cartridge. The print head maintenance cartridge comprises a wiping subsystem with a wiping material to wipe a print head; a clean material roll, wherein a clean part of the wiping material is rolled up on the clean material roll at least in part; a brake to generate a first brake force applied to the wiping material; and a friction element to generate a second brake force applied to the wiping material, wherein the friction element compensates at least in part a change in the first brake force to control a total brake force, wherein the total brake force is the sum of the first and second brake forces.