Printer Cap Nozzle Soak Control for Viscosity Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet print devices face discharge failures due to increased viscosity of ink in nozzles caused by the cap member drying out when covering a hot print head, leading to potential nozzle clogging and printing issues.
Innovation Solution
A print device with a cap system that includes a temperature detector and processor to determine if the print head is above a reference temperature, and if so, supplies a cleaning liquid to the cap to prevent drying, ensuring the nozzle remains soaked and reducing viscosity-related discharge failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cap member covers the nozzle of the print head when the temperature is high, then the nozzle is protected from drying, but the interior of the cap member dries out and ink viscosity increases causing discharge failure
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary temperature detection before cap covering, and if high temperature is detected, supplies cleaning liquid to the cap interior in advance to prevent drying. This preliminary action ensures the cap interior remains moist before the nozzle is covered, preventing the harmful effect of ink viscosity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
Cleaning liquid is introduced as an intermediary substance between the cap member and the nozzle environment. The cleaning liquid absorbs excess heat and prevents the cap interior from drying out, thereby maintaining proper ink viscosity and preventing discharge failure.
2Reliability
If cleaning liquid is continuously supplied to the cap to prevent drying, then discharge failure is prevented, but liquid waste increases and cleaning liquid is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning liquid supply system is made dynamic by controlling it based on temperature detection. The supply is activated only when high temperature is detected and deactivated when temperature is normal, creating an on-demand system that prevents both discharge failure and unnecessary liquid consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameter of cleaning liquid supply based on temperature conditions. When temperature exceeds a threshold, cleaning liquid supply is activated; when temperature is within normal range, supply is deactivated. This parameter-based control optimizes both reliability and resource efficiency.
3Reliability
If temperature detection and conditional cleaning liquid supply is implemented, then discharge failure is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The print head system performs self-service by detecting its own temperature and automatically controlling cleaning liquid supply to the cap. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for external monitoring and manual intervention, reducing operational complexity while maintaining high reliability.
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 system effectively reduces the likelihood of discharge failures by maintaining the nozzle in a soaked state, preventing ink viscosity increases and ensuring reliable printing operations.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature detector configured to detect the temperature of the head
Implementation Method 2
supplies the cleaning liquid from the supply flow path to the cap, thus putting the nozzle face into a soak state in which the nozzle face is soaked by the cleaning liquid
Data Source
AI summary
As first determination processing, a CPU of a printer determines whether a temperature T, which is based on an input value from a temperature detector, is higher than a reference temperature Tw. In a case where the CPU has not determined, in the first determination processing, that the temperature T is higher than the reference temperature Tw, the CPU, after cover processing and without performing soak processing, performs first cap processing, which puts a nozzle face into a state in which it is not soaked by a cleaning liquid. In a case where the CPU has determined, in the first determination processing, that the temperature T is higher than the reference temperature Tw, the CPU, after the cover processing, performs the soak processing, which supplies the cleaning liquid to a cap, thus putting the nozzle face into a state in which it is soaked by the cleaning liquid. The possibility that a discharge failure will occur in a nozzle of the printer is therefore reduced.