Printhead Maintenance Facility With Independent Wiper Actuators
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed pagewidth inkjet printers require complex ink distribution and maintenance, with conventional maintenance regimes being wasteful and inefficient, especially when only partial cleaning is needed.
Innovation Solution
A printhead maintenance facility with independently operable actuators for a wiper member, allowing for selective movement and rotation to focus on specific cleaning tasks, including a wiper member with resilient blades and an absorbent pad for cleaning, and a doctor blade for contaminant removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the conventional maintenance regime is used with predetermined steps, then the cleaning process is systematic, but the time required increases and ink is wasted when only partial cleaning is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance system transitions from a static predetermined sequence to a dynamic selectable sequence. The controller can now adapt the maintenance steps based on detected conditions, allowing the wiper member to perform cleaning operations only when needed and in the optimal sequence, thereby reducing unnecessary time consumption and ink waste while maintaining reliable cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of maintenance sequence from fixed to variable. By detecting the actual state of the printhead nozzles and adjusting the maintenance steps accordingly, the system optimizes both time and resource consumption while ensuring reliable cleaning outcomes
2Adaptability or versatility
If the wiper member is moved and rotated using a single integrated drive, then the structure is simple, but the ability to perform targeted cleaning operations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The single integrated drive is segmented into multiple independent drives: a first drive for moving the wiper member along the media feed direction and a second drive for rotating the wiper member. This segmentation allows each drive to be optimized for its specific function, providing versatile cleaning options while keeping each individual drive mechanism relatively simple
3Reliability
If the wiper member is rotated multiple times to clean the absorbent pad, then the cleaning is thorough, but the time required and ink consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The controller receives feedback about the cleaning state of the absorbent pad and the wiper member, and adjusts the number of rotation cycles accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that the wiper member is rotated only enough times to achieve thorough cleaning, preventing unnecessary ink consumption while maintaining reliable cleaning effectiveness
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
This solution enables targeted and efficient cleaning of the printhead, reducing unnecessary ink usage and extending maintenance cycles, while allowing for versatile cleaning options tailored to current maintenance needs.
Implementation Method 1
an absorbent pad to clean the wiping surface
Data Source
AI summary
A printhead maintenance facility for an inkjet printer having a pagewidth printhead and a media path for feeding sheets of media substrate in a media feed direction wherein the pagewidth printhead has a nozzle face defining an elongate array of nozzles extending the printing width of the media substrate. The printhead maintenance facility has a wiper member extending the length of the nozzle array, a chassis for supporting the wiper member and a maintenance drive. The maintenance drive has a first actuator for moving the wiper member towards or away from the nozzle face, and a second actuator for rotating wiper member about an axis extending transverse to the media feed direction, wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are independently operable.