Print Head Standpipe Bubble Stopper for Gas Clogging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal ink-jet print heads face clogging issues due to external atmospheric gases like Nitrogen and Oxygen entering the print head and dissolving into the ink, forming gas bubbles that can block ink flow.
Innovation Solution
A print head design that includes a filter between the ink reservoir and standpipe to remove unwanted substances, and an object within the standpipe with a mesh structure or porous material to impede gas bubble growth and prevent clogging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a filter is added between the ink reservoir and standpipe, then gas bubble formation is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A porous object (mesh structure or porous material) is placed inside the standpipe to physically block and trap gas bubbles while allowing ink to pass through. The porous structure acts as a bubble stopper that prevents gas bubble growth and movement toward the nozzle, thereby maintaining print head functionality without requiring complex external systems.
2Productivity
If the standpipe is made permeable to allow ink flow, then ink can reach the nozzle, but atmospheric gases can enter and dissolve into the ink
Solution Approach 1:
The porous object serves as an intermediary element within the standpipe that mediates between the need for ink flow and the need to prevent gas bubble formation. It allows ink to pass through while trapping gas bubbles, effectively decoupling the harmful effect of gas dissolution from the necessary function of ink delivery.
3Ease of operation
If gas bubbles are allowed to move freely in the standpipe, then ink flow is maintained, but gas bubbles can grow and clog the print head
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful gas bubbles are extracted from the ink flow path by being trapped and held within the porous structure of the object inside the standpipe. This prevents gas bubbles from growing and clogging the print head while maintaining continuous ink flow through the porous medium.
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 solution effectively reduces the likelihood of early clogging in the print head by trapping and preventing the growth of gas bubbles within the standpipe, ensuring continuous ink flow throughout the natural life of the print head.
Implementation Method 1
a filter disposed between an ink reservoir and a standpipe, the filter being configured to filter out an unwanted substance before ink from the ink reservoir enters the standpipe
Implementation Method 2
gas bubble growth may refer to the growth of a gas bubble itself by incorporation of more gas extracted by means of rectified diffusion
Data Source
AI summary
The present technology relates to the field of ink-jet printing. The present technology provides a print head including a filter disposed between an ink reservoir and a standpipe, the filter being configured to filter out unwanted substances before ink from the ink reservoir enters the standpipe; and the standpipe configured to receive ink from the ink reservoir through the filter; the standpipe comprises an object disposed therein configured to impede gas bubble growth by directing a flow of the received ink incident on the object through one or more passages in the object.