Printing Apparatus Nozzle Cleaning Control via Fault Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses face inefficiencies in nozzle cleaning due to reliance on the number of printing passes, which can lead to unnecessary liquid consumption and ineffective cleaning of faulty nozzles caused by foreign materials or air bubbles.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus equipped with a detector for faulty-nozzle detection, a database for storing cause data, and a control unit that selects appropriate cleaning based on faulty nozzle information and cause data, ensuring targeted cleaning and reduced liquid consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cleaning is selected only depending on the number of printing passes, then the cleaning process is simple to control, but liquid is consumed more than necessary and cleaning effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses detector information about faulty nozzles as feedback to dynamically select the appropriate cleaning type. The control unit receives detection results indicating the cause of nozzle faults (ink drying, foreign material, air bubbles) and uses this feedback to choose the most suitable cleaning method, thereby avoiding unnecessary liquid consumption while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the cleaning parameters (cleaning type selection) based on the detected fault cause rather than using a fixed cleaning approach. By varying the cleaning intensity and method according to the specific fault condition detected, the system optimizes liquid usage while ensuring effective cleaning for each specific problem type.
2Device complexity
If cleaning is selected only depending on the number of printing passes, then the control process is straightforward, but cleaning effectiveness for specific fault causes is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit receives feedback from the detector about the specific cause of nozzle faults and uses this information to select the appropriate cleaning type. This feedback mechanism ensures that the cleaning process is tailored to the actual problem, significantly improving cleaning effectiveness while adding minimal complexity to the control process.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning process is segmented into different types based on the detected fault cause. Instead of using a single generic cleaning method, the system divides cleaning into multiple specialized types (e.g., for ink drying, foreign material, air bubbles), allowing each cleaning operation to be optimized for its specific purpose, thereby improving overall reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If a generic cleaning method is used for all nozzle faults, then the cleaning process is easy to implement, but it consumes excessive liquid and may not address the specific cause of the fault
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the cleaning parameters based on the detected fault cause. Instead of using a fixed cleaning approach for all situations, the control unit adjusts the cleaning type selection according to the specific problem identified by the detector, thereby reducing liquid consumption while maintaining ease of implementation through automated parameter adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically selecting the appropriate cleaning type based on detector feedback without requiring manual intervention. The control unit autonomously determines the optimal cleaning method based on the detected fault cause, reducing liquid consumption while keeping the system easy to implement and operate.
Data Source
AI summary
Included are: a printing head including a plurality of nozzles configured to discharge a liquid; a cleaning unit configured to perform cleaning of the printing head; a detector configured to perform a faulty-nozzle detecting process to each of the plurality of nozzles, the faulty-nozzle detecting process being a process of detecting a faulty nozzle that does not perform discharging properly; a database configured to store cause data used to determine a cause of a discharging fault of the nozzle; and a control unit, in which the control unit checks faulty nozzle information against the cause data to select cleaning to be performed by the cleaning unit, the faulty nozzle information including a position, in the printing head, of the faulty nozzle detected by the detector.