EP0976563A1 - Nettoyage par ultrasons sans contact pour cartouches de tête d'impression à jet d'encre - Google Patents

Nettoyage par ultrasons sans contact pour cartouches de tête d'impression à jet d'encre Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0976563A1
EP0976563A1 EP99202364A EP99202364A EP0976563A1 EP 0976563 A1 EP0976563 A1 EP 0976563A1 EP 99202364 A EP99202364 A EP 99202364A EP 99202364 A EP99202364 A EP 99202364A EP 0976563 A1 EP0976563 A1 EP 0976563A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
ink jet
ink
orifice structure
debris
ultrasonic transducer
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP99202364A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Syamal K. Ghosh
Dilip K. Chatterjee
Edward P. Furlani
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Eastman Kodak Co
Original Assignee
Eastman Kodak Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Eastman Kodak Co filed Critical Eastman Kodak Co
Publication of EP0976563A1 publication Critical patent/EP0976563A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/165—Prevention or detection of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles
    • B41J2/16517—Cleaning of print head nozzles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/165—Prevention or detection of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles
    • B41J2/16517—Cleaning of print head nozzles
    • B41J2002/16567—Cleaning of print head nozzles using ultrasonic or vibrating means

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a non-contact cleaning of ink jet printhead cartridges using ultrasonic transducers.
  • an ink jet printer has at least one printing cartridge from which droplets of ink are directed towards a receiver.
  • the ink may be contained in a plurality of channels and energy pulses are used to cause the droplets of ink to be ejected on demand or continuously, from nozzles in a plate in an orifice structure.
  • the energy pulses are generally provided by a set of electrical resistors, each located in a respective one of the channels, each one of them is individually addressable by current pulses to instantaneously heat and form a droplet or bubble in the channels which contact the resistors. Operation of thermal ink jet printer is described in details in US-A-4,849,774; US-A-4,500,895; and US-A-4,794,409.
  • a piezoelectric ink jet printing system includes a body of piezoelectric material defining a plurality of parallel open topped channels separated by walls.
  • the walls have metal electrodes on opposite sides thereof to form shear mode actuators for causing droplets to expel from the channels.
  • An orifice plate defining the holes through which the ink droplets are ejected is bonded to the open end of the channels.
  • the electrical energy pulses are applied to the parallel electrodes causing the channels to shear actuating the expulsion of droplets from the orifice plate. Operation of piezoelectric ink jet print heads is described in details in US-A-5,598,196; US-A-5,311,218; and US-A-5,248,998.
  • Ink jet printing cartridges whether it is of thermal or piezoelectric kind, use a variety of functional components, all of which must cooperate in a precise manner to achieve maximum efficiency.
  • One of the most important components is an orifice plate having a plurality of openings or nozzles therein.
  • the nozzles are usually circular in cross section and the diameter of the nozzles may vary from 10 to 100 ⁇ m as required by the specification of the printer. Higher the resolution of the printed output, smaller is the ink droplet thereby requiring smaller diameter nozzles or orifices. Ink is ejected through these openings during printing operation. To obtain defect-free printing output, the orifice plates and nozzles must be kept clean and free of debris and any kind of obstructions to ink flow at all times.
  • the foregoing problems are overcome, as described in US-A-5,300,958 by providing "maintenance or service stations" within the main printer unit.
  • the maintenance stations are designed such that when the printhead ink cartridge is not operating and is in a "parked” position, the cartridge is situated in the maintenance station outside the printing zone.
  • the maintenance stations have many components which are designed to serve many functions. These functions include: (a) priming the printhead cartridge, (b) capping the orifice plate and nozzles (openings) therein when the printhead is not in operation, (c) wiping contaminants from the orifice plate, (d) preventing ink from drying out in the openings of the orifice plate, and (e) providing a receptacle for discarding the cleaned debris.
  • the US-A-5,103,244 discloses a structure in which a multi-blade wiper is used.
  • the desired cleaning is performed by dragging a printhead (cartridge) across the selected wiper blade.
  • the wiper mechanism also includes a plurality of resilient blades each having an octagonal shape and rotatable about an axis.
  • FIG. 1 Another cleaning structure disclosed in US-A-5,300,958, includes a printhead wiper unit consisting of a single or dual members positioned against each other to form a capillary pathway therebetween.
  • the cartridge includes a compartment having an opening therethrough and an absorbent member impregnated with cleaning solution.
  • Still another cleaning structure is disclosed in US-A-5,287,126 which includes a vacuum cleaner to help clean the orifice plate.
  • the vacuum cleaner is comprised of a top cover plate, having a plurality of air passages, that is located over a channel surface by spacers.
  • a vacuum means draws the pressure in the defined volume between the top cover plate, the channel surface, and the spacers below the external pressure, whereby air is drawn into the defined volume through the air passage.
  • the resulting air flow removes ink, dust and debris from the vicinity thereby keeping the cartridge clean.
  • an in ink jet printing apparatus for receiving an ink cartridge defining an orifice structure having at least one plate with a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink droplets onto a receiver to form an image, means for cleaning the orifice structure of debris, comprising:
  • Ink jet printer 100 is of the type in which the printing is done in a substantially horizontal plane, includes a printer housing 10, a printhead carriage 20, a carriage rod 32 (see FIG. 2), drive roller assembly 34, paper supply 38, and maintenance station 40.
  • a wiper platform 30 containing plurality of wipers is provided in close proximity to the maintenance station 40.
  • Drive roller assembly 34 feeds paper, or other print media of choice supplied to it from the paper supply 38 to a printing zone disposed between printhead carriage 20 and the platen (not shown) in a manner well known to artisans.
  • Printhead carriage 20 travels back and forth on carriage rod 32 (see FIG. 2) through the printing zone.
  • Printhead carriage 20 is moved bi-directionally typically by means of a drive belt 50 connected to a carriage motor 60.
  • Printhead carriage 20 includes ink cartridges 64 and 66 (only two cartridges are shown here) which are connected by a flexible electrical interconnect strip 31 to a microprocessor 24 which also controls carriage motor 60.
  • a control panel 70 is electrically associated with microprocessor 24 for selection of various options relating to printing operation. Such control operation and the printing mechanism of an ink jet printer is well known in the prior art and hereby form no part of this invention.
  • the present invention provides an apparatus for cleaning an ink jet printhead cartridge which uses a high frequency non-contact actuable ultrasonic transducer in conjunction with a plurality of conventional wipers for effectively cleaning the printhead cartridge.
  • the non-contact actuable ultrasonic transducers can be kept in close proximity of the cartridges intended for cleaning without having any physical contact and transmitting the sound energy through air.
  • Non-contact ultrasonic transducers marketed by Ultran Laboratories in Boalsburg, Pa. can be adapted to this cleaning operation.
  • Components of a typical ultrasonic cleaner include a generator or power supply that converts conventional 50 Hz alternating current at 110 or 220 volts to greater than 10 MHz electrical energy at approximately 1,000 volts. This high frequency electrical energy is fed to a converter where it is transformed to mechanical vibration.
  • the ultrasonic transducer has ceramic piezoelectric materials, for example, two or more PZT (lead zirconate titanate) bodies of any convenient shape which, when subjected to an alternating current, expand and contract. The piezoelectric bodies vibrate in the longitudinal direction and this motion is transmitted to the transducer head.
  • the ultrasonic transducer is formed of materials having a high mechanical Q, thus minimizing the attenuation experienced by the ultrasonic energy as it is transmitted through this transducer.
  • aluminum, titanium or an aluminum or titanium alloy having a mechanical Q greater than 50,000 is used.
  • suitable aluminum alloys include duralumin, aluminum alloy 7075, aluminum alloy 2024, and aluminum alloy 6061.
  • An example of a titanium alloy which transmits ultrasonic energy efficiently is Ti-6Al-4V.
  • the wavelength, ⁇ , of the incident acoustic wave be of the same orders of magnitude or smaller than the nozzle diameter so that the sound energy will penetrate the nozzle thereby dislodging debris therein.
  • the ultrasonic frequency must range between 5 and 30 MHz. See Fundamentals of Physics, Revised Edition by David Halliday and Robert Resnick, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York (1974).
  • the maintenance station 40 incorporates one or more high frequency non-contact actuable ultrasonic transducers 81, 82, 83, and 84 which transmit acoustic energy through air or gaseous medium. These ultrasonic transducers are mounted on a transducer platform 80.
  • Four ink jet printhead cartridges 72,74,76 and 78 which are mounted on the printhead carriage 20 are shown here to describe fully the embodiment of the present invention.
  • the printhead carriage 20 is moved bi-directionally on the carriage rod 32 through the printing zone.
  • cartridge 72 utilizes black ink while cartridges 74, 76, and 78 could use only cyan, yellow, and magenta ink, respectively.
  • the cartridges 72, 74, 76 and 78 are each provided with orifice structure that can define ink channels but will necessarily include orifice plates 72a, 74a, 76a, and 78a respectively, through which ink droplets are ejected to a receiver.
  • any number of different colored ink cartridges could be used, as warranted by the application of the printer.
  • ink jet cartridges 72, 74, 76, 78 are thermal ink jet printheads, but other kinds of cartridges, as for example, piezoelectric cartridges may also be acceptable and useful in this invention.
  • Each cartridge orifice structure is provided with inlets 72b, 74b, 76b, and 78b for black, cyan, yellow, and magenta inks respectively, being delivered from reservoirs (not shown) located somewhere else.
  • the maintenance station 40 is also equipped with resilient wipers 91, 92,93,94 which are mounted on a movable wiper platform 90 for wiping off debris from the orifice structure after ultrasonic cleaning operation of the orifice structure. The details of the operation of the wiper is described later.
  • At least four wipers 91, 92, 93 and 94 are provided on the movable wiper platform 90 which is located in close proximity to the maintenance station 40.
  • An actuator 90a provides the bi-directional translation motion of the wiper platform 90.
  • Wipers 91, 92, 93, 94 are equipped with actuators 91a, 92a, 93a, 94a for motion in the vertical direction.
  • the wiper platform 90 moves slidably on two sliding rods 22 as the actuator 90a is prompted by the microprocessor 24.
  • the wiper platform 90 can also be moved bi-directionally by a motor directly connected to the platform 90a or through a belt.
  • Each wiper is dedicated to orifice structure of a specific cartridge.
  • the microprocessor 24 controls the motion of the wipers 91, 92, 93 and 94 through the actuators 91a, 92a, 93a, 94a in such a manner that a specific wiper engages in wiping action of a cartridge immediately after a non-contact actuable ultrasonic transducer 81, 82, 83 and 84 concludes the cleaning action of a cartridge.
  • cartridge 72 may move across non-contact actuable ultrasonic transducer 81 for necessary cleaning action after which is moved to wiper 91 for wiping and can be capped immediately after wiping.
  • the wipers 91, 92, 93 and 94 and non-contact actuable ultrasonic transducers 81, 82, 83 and 84 each are dedicated to corresponding cartridges 72, 74, 76, 78, respectively, for the purpose of eliminating any cross contamination of debris.
  • the non-contact actuable ultrasonic transducers 81, 82, 83 and 84 and the actuators 90a, 91a, 92a, 93a and 94a are controlled electronically by the microprocessor 24 through a feedback circuit (not shown).
  • the maintenance station 40 along with the wiper platform 90 of FIG. 2 will be understood by those skilled in the art to be located in a region outside the printing zone at one end of the bi-directional movement of carriage 20. Cleaning is accomplished when the cartridges 72, 74, 76, 78 as they are moved by the carriage rod 32 until they enter the maintenance station 40 where they engage the non-contact actuable transducers 81, 82, 83 and 84.
  • a printhead ink cartridge 72 which includes an inlet for ink 72b and orifice plate 72a is shown in close proximity to but space from a non-contact actuable ultrasonic transducer head 81 to provide a small air gap between the non-contact actuable transducer head 81 and the orifice plate 72a.
  • a non-contact actuable ultrasonic transducer head 81 For sake of convenience only a single printhead ink cartridge is shown.
  • an electrical connector 86 which can be used for quickly connecting the non-contact actuable ultrasonic transducer 85 to a power supply 84a.
  • the wiper platform 90 includes the actuator 90a for horizontal bi-directional motion of a wiper base 48 and an actuator 91a for vertical motion of the wiper 91, is given.
  • the wiper 91 shown in FIG. 4 has a razor like edge 43a for effective wiping action, but other shapes can also be applicable in this invention.
  • the wiper 91 is mounted on a base 44 which is fastened to the actuator shaft 45.
  • the wiper base 48 is moved bi-directionally by the actuator 90a and the motion is controlled by the microprocessor 24 (see FIG. 1).
  • Other alternative means may be used to move the platform such as a motor directly connected to the wiper base 48 or through a belt or a lead screw (not shown).

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  • Ink Jet (AREA)
  • Details Or Accessories Of Spraying Plant Or Apparatus (AREA)
EP99202364A 1998-07-31 1999-07-19 Nettoyage par ultrasons sans contact pour cartouches de tête d'impression à jet d'encre Withdrawn EP0976563A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US12754698A 1998-07-31 1998-07-31
US127546 1998-07-31

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EP0976563A1 true EP0976563A1 (fr) 2000-02-02

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EP (1) EP0976563A1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2000052565A (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1944166A1 (fr) * 2007-01-10 2008-07-16 Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Appareil de formation d'images
US11167325B2 (en) 2014-02-24 2021-11-09 The Boeing Company Method for surface cleaning

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP5262365B2 (ja) * 2008-07-07 2013-08-14 ブラザー工業株式会社 液体吐出記録装置及びインクジェット記録装置

Citations (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4500895A (en) 1983-05-02 1985-02-19 Hewlett-Packard Company Disposable ink jet head
US4794409A (en) 1987-12-03 1988-12-27 Hewlett-Packard Company Ink jet pen having improved ink storage and distribution capabilities
US4849769A (en) * 1987-06-02 1989-07-18 Burlington Industries, Inc. System for ultrasonic cleaning of ink jet orifices
US4849774A (en) 1977-10-03 1989-07-18 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Bubble jet recording apparatus which projects droplets of liquid through generation of bubbles in a liquid flow path by using heating means responsive to recording signals
US5103244A (en) 1990-07-05 1992-04-07 Hewlett-Packard Company Method and apparatus for cleaning ink-jet printheads
US5248998A (en) 1991-03-19 1993-09-28 Tokyo Electric Co., Ltd. Ink jet print head
US5287126A (en) 1992-06-04 1994-02-15 Xerox Corporation Vacuum cleaner for acoustic ink printing
US5300958A (en) 1992-02-28 1994-04-05 Hewlett-Packard Company Method and apparatus for automatically cleaning the printhead of a thermal inkjet cartridge
US5311218A (en) 1991-03-19 1994-05-10 Tokyo Electric Co., Ltd. Ink jet print head and method of fabricating the same
JPH0725028A (ja) * 1993-07-13 1995-01-27 Nec Corp インクジェットプリンタ
JPH07329310A (ja) * 1994-06-03 1995-12-19 Ishizaka Shoji Kk インクジェットノズルの洗浄装置
US5574485A (en) * 1994-10-13 1996-11-12 Xerox Corporation Ultrasonic liquid wiper for ink jet printhead maintenance
US5598196A (en) 1992-04-21 1997-01-28 Eastman Kodak Company Piezoelectric ink jet print head and method of making
US5757396A (en) * 1994-06-30 1998-05-26 Compaq Computer Corporation Ink jet printhead having an ultrasonic maintenance system incorporated therein and an associated method of maintaining an ink jet printhead by purging foreign matter therefrom

Patent Citations (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4849774A (en) 1977-10-03 1989-07-18 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Bubble jet recording apparatus which projects droplets of liquid through generation of bubbles in a liquid flow path by using heating means responsive to recording signals
US4500895A (en) 1983-05-02 1985-02-19 Hewlett-Packard Company Disposable ink jet head
US4849769A (en) * 1987-06-02 1989-07-18 Burlington Industries, Inc. System for ultrasonic cleaning of ink jet orifices
US4794409A (en) 1987-12-03 1988-12-27 Hewlett-Packard Company Ink jet pen having improved ink storage and distribution capabilities
US5103244A (en) 1990-07-05 1992-04-07 Hewlett-Packard Company Method and apparatus for cleaning ink-jet printheads
US5248998A (en) 1991-03-19 1993-09-28 Tokyo Electric Co., Ltd. Ink jet print head
US5311218A (en) 1991-03-19 1994-05-10 Tokyo Electric Co., Ltd. Ink jet print head and method of fabricating the same
US5300958A (en) 1992-02-28 1994-04-05 Hewlett-Packard Company Method and apparatus for automatically cleaning the printhead of a thermal inkjet cartridge
US5598196A (en) 1992-04-21 1997-01-28 Eastman Kodak Company Piezoelectric ink jet print head and method of making
US5287126A (en) 1992-06-04 1994-02-15 Xerox Corporation Vacuum cleaner for acoustic ink printing
JPH0725028A (ja) * 1993-07-13 1995-01-27 Nec Corp インクジェットプリンタ
JPH07329310A (ja) * 1994-06-03 1995-12-19 Ishizaka Shoji Kk インクジェットノズルの洗浄装置
US5757396A (en) * 1994-06-30 1998-05-26 Compaq Computer Corporation Ink jet printhead having an ultrasonic maintenance system incorporated therein and an associated method of maintaining an ink jet printhead by purging foreign matter therefrom
US5574485A (en) * 1994-10-13 1996-11-12 Xerox Corporation Ultrasonic liquid wiper for ink jet printhead maintenance

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 1995, no. 04 31 May 1995 (1995-05-31) *
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 1996, no. 04 30 April 1996 (1996-04-30) *

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1944166A1 (fr) * 2007-01-10 2008-07-16 Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Appareil de formation d'images
US7775623B2 (en) 2007-01-10 2010-08-17 Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Image forming apparatus
CN101219602B (zh) * 2007-01-10 2011-03-23 兄弟工业株式会社 成像设备
US11167325B2 (en) 2014-02-24 2021-11-09 The Boeing Company Method for surface cleaning

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP2000052565A (ja) 2000-02-22

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