Printhead Wiping with Preliminary Cross-Wiper for Ink Puddle Removal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Certain combinations of latex ink and printhead architecture lead to ink puddling on the exposed face of printheads, causing nozzle blockages and unwanted streaks in printed images, as periodic wiping can sometimes worsen clogging.
Innovation Solution
A new printhead service system incorporating a preliminary wiper, such as a stationary cross wiper or helical wiper, to pre-wipe the printhead face before web wiping, reducing the risk of streaking by effectively removing ink puddles and improving the subsequent web wiping process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If periodic web wiping is performed to remove ink puddles from printhead face, then ink puddle removal is improved, but nozzle clogging increases due to dragging stale ink over nozzles
Solution Approach 1:
A preliminary wiper is introduced to perform cross-wiping of the printhead face before the main web wiper operates. This preliminary action removes loose ink and prepares the surface, so that when the web wiper subsequently wipes along the nozzles, there is less stale ink to be dragged over the nozzles, thereby reducing clogging while maintaining effective puddle removal
Solution Approach 2:
The wiping function is divided into two separate stages: a preliminary cross-wiping stage and a main web-wiping stage. The preliminary wiper handles initial ink removal in a cross-direction, while the web wiper performs the primary wiping along the nozzle direction. This segmentation allows each wiper to perform its specific function optimally without the negative interaction that occurs when a single wiper performs both functions
2Object-affected harmful factors
If web wiper is used to clean printhead, then ink puddles are removed, but printing quality deteriorates due to streaking
Solution Approach 1:
The preliminary wiper performs cross-wiping before the web wiper operates, removing loose ink and preparing the printhead surface. This preliminary cleaning action reduces the amount of ink that would otherwise be dragged by the web wiper across the nozzles during printing, thereby preventing streaking and maintaining high printing quality while still achieving effective ink puddle removal
Data Source
AI summary
In one example, a wiper for wiping the face of a movable printhead includes a stationary blade oriented perpendicular to the direction of travel of the printhead and spanning the path of the printhead.