Print Head Cleaning Unit for Controlled Nozzle Wiping
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of effectively cleaning nozzles in a drop-on-demand inkjet print apparatus without causing nozzle failure due to the difficulty in adjusting the force during wiping, given the small size and numerous nozzles on the print head's narrow front end surface.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning unit with a wiping member that is positioned relative to the nozzle group on the print head, ensuring appropriate force application during cleaning by attaching to the print head's end face, thereby maintaining a predetermined positional relationship.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual wiping with cloth is performed to clean nozzles, then adhering matter can be removed, but the force cannot be appropriately adjusted leading to nozzle failure
Solution Approach 1:
A cleaning unit is introduced as an intermediary device between the user and the nozzle group. This cleaning unit includes a wiping member that contacts the nozzles, and a pressing force adjustment mechanism that allows precise control of the wiping force. The cleaning unit mediates the cleaning process by providing a structured interface with controllable pressing force, preventing both insufficient cleaning and excessive force that could damage nozzles.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing force applied during wiping is made adjustable through a dedicated adjustment mechanism. This allows the operator to change the force parameter to match the specific cleaning needs and nozzle sensitivity, transforming a fixed-force manual operation into a variable-force controlled process that protects nozzle integrity while ensuring effective cleaning.
2Productivity
If a large number of nozzles are arranged on a narrow front end surface, then printing capability is improved, but cleaning becomes more difficult due to limited space
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning unit is designed as a segmented, detachable device that can be attached to and removed from the print head. The wiping member is configured to contact multiple nozzles simultaneously, dividing the cleaning task into manageable sections. This segmentation allows effective cleaning of densely packed nozzles without requiring excessive space or complex manual manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning unit serves as an intermediary tool that bridges the gap between the operator and the densely arranged nozzles. By providing a structured wiping member with controlled pressing force, it enables effective cleaning of multiple nozzles in a compact arrangement without requiring direct manual handling of each individual nozzle.
3Reliability
If wiping force is too strong, then adhering matter can be removed, but nozzle failure may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing force during wiping is transformed from a fixed, difficult-to-control parameter into an adjustable, controllable parameter through a dedicated adjustment mechanism. This allows the operator to precisely set the force level to achieve effective cleaning while maintaining safety margins that prevent nozzle damage, resolving the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and nozzle protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning unit provides tactile feedback to the operator during the wiping process, allowing real-time adjustment of pressing force. The structured design of the wiping member and adjustment mechanism enables the operator to sense and respond to the cleaning progress, ensuring adequate force is applied to remove adhering matter while stopping before excessive force could damage the nozzles.
Data Source
AI summary
Intended cleaning of a nozzle is enabled without inducing a failure of the nozzle. A drawing machine includes: a print head that ejects ink supplied from an ink tank toward an object to be drawn that is being conveyed; a nozzle group including a plurality of nozzles arranged side by side on one end face of the print head; a purge control section that executes a purge process of causing ink remaining in a flow path from the ink tank to the nozzle group to leak to an outside through the nozzle group; and a cleaning unit that includes a wiping member that wipes off an adhering matter adhered to the nozzle group by the purge process and positions the wiping member with respect to the nozzle group in a state of abutting on the one end face of the print head.