EP1095776B1 - Système de nettoyage à ultrason amélioré dans un système d'impression à jet d'encre - Google Patents

Système de nettoyage à ultrason amélioré dans un système d'impression à jet d'encre

Info

Publication number
EP1095776B1
EP1095776B1 EP20000309006 EP00309006A EP1095776B1 EP 1095776 B1 EP1095776 B1 EP 1095776B1 EP 20000309006 EP20000309006 EP 20000309006 EP 00309006 A EP00309006 A EP 00309006A EP 1095776 B1 EP1095776 B1 EP 1095776B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
drop generator
frequency
drive frequency
stimulation
cleaning
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP20000309006
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1095776A1 (fr
Inventor
Robert J. Simon
Dan C. Lyman
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 EP1095776A1 publication Critical patent/EP1095776A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1095776B1 publication Critical patent/EP1095776B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime 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—Preventing or detecting of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles
    • B41J2/16517—Cleaning of print head nozzles
    • B41J2/16552—Cleaning of print head nozzles using cleaning fluids
    • 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
    • B41J2/17—Ink jet characterised by ink handling
    • B41J2/1714—Conditioning of the outside of ink supply systems, e.g. inkjet collector cleaning, ink mist removal
    • 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
    • B41J2/17—Ink jet characterised by ink handling
    • B41J2/18—Ink recirculation systems
    • B41J2/185—Ink-collectors; Ink-catchers
    • 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—Preventing or detecting 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

  • the present invention relates to continuous ink-jet printing and, more particularly, to the cleaning of printheads in continuous ink jet printing systems.
  • Continuous ink jet printheads utilize a series of orifices separated from charging leads by a small gap. Fluid is forced through the orifice while the printhead is in operation. Upon shutdown, the ink floods the leads and the area around the orifices. This fluid then dries, leaving behind non-volatile components in the form of solids or gels. Depending on the ink chemistry, this ink may polymerize as it dries, rendering it insoluble. Upon subsequent startups, the failure to remove or redissolve all of this material in the orifice and gap creates disturbances in the shape or direction of the emerging jet. Heavy deposits and pieces of debris may block the orifice altogether.
  • U.S. Patent No. 4,600,928 improved the effectiveness of the superstim cleaning process by modulating the ink pressure in conjunction with the high amplitude vibration. Modulating the ink pressure causes ink to flow through the orifices in both an outward and an inward direction. The inward flow of fluid through the orifice can help remove particles from the orifices in combination with the vibration.
  • the surface of the fluid cavity should be vibrated at large amplitudes.
  • This purpose is suggested by the '928 patent where the frequency is shifted to a fixed desired cleaning frequency and the amplitude of the drive signal is increased.
  • the frequency of the oscillator can be shifted across resonance in the cleaning mode until a feedback signal from a detector indicates a resonant condition for the system coupled to the transducer vibrations.
  • Typical resonant vibration modes have one or more node regions at the surface of the fluid cavity with little or no vibration. Independent of the drive amplitude used, the cleaning efficiency in these areas will be low. This problem can be overcome by employing more than one resonant mode.
  • the '688 and the '928 patents attempted to meet this need for driving multiple resonances by driving the drop generator with a square wave.
  • the square wave consists of a number of harmonic signals at higher frequencies in addition to the base frequency component.
  • This cleaning drive signal therefore, has at least some components which are higher in frequency than the substantially sinusoidal drive signal.
  • the present invention proposes superstim cleaning at multiple frequencies. Improved flexibility in the stimulation drive circuitry has allowed for the system of the present invention whereby the superstim frequency can be varied. By varying the drive frequency, more than one resonance can be used to ensure that all surfaces on the interior of the fluid cavity are vibrated with sufficient vibration amplitude for effective cleaning.
  • the efficiency of ultrasonic cleaning of the printhead is improved by sweeping the stimulation frequency.
  • the cleaning frequency is swept at a constant drive amplitude.
  • the drive amplitude, lower frequency limit, and upper frequency limit are stored in the printhead memory.
  • the print station varies the frequency at a fixed rate (currently 3 Khz/sec) using an Analog Devices Corp. Direct Digital Synthesizer (DDS) AD9850.
  • the drive amplitude is kept constant during the ultrasonic cleaning state.
  • a cleaning system is employed to cross flush drop generator 10 at a high flow rate, as illustrated in Fig. 1.
  • the drop generator is ultrasonically driven by means of its stimulation drive transducers 12 fixed to resonator body 18.
  • the stimulation drive transducers 12 fixed to resonator body 18.
  • the fluid in the drop generator produces sufficient damping that it can be difficult to determine the resonant frequency from the drive or feedback signal. Continuous sweeping of the frequency range known to include the resonance is also advantageous in this case as well.
  • the present invention improves ultrasonic cleaning of the printhead by sweeping the stimulation frequency.
  • Cross-flush is achieved by flushing the cleaning fluid from one fitting 16 to the opposite fitting 16.
  • the cleaning frequency is continuously swept at a constant drive amplitude.
  • the print station when the printhead is in an ultrasonic cleaning state, as determined by the state table, the print station varies the frequency at a fixed rate (currently 3 Khz/sec).
  • the frequency sweep is provided by means of an Analog Devices Corp. Direct Digital Synthesizer (DDS) AD9850.
  • a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides means to store the desired drive amplitude, lower frequency limit, and upper frequency limit in memory within the printhead. These values can then be determined and written into the printhead memory during production.
  • Other uses for the printhead memory and the means for incorporating the data stored in the printhead memory are described in US patent application Serial No. 08/810,653.
  • FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a drop generator such as is described in patent application Serial No. 09/211,059.
  • the drop generator 27 includes a fluid cavity 23 through which ink is supplied to the orifices fabricated into the orifice plate 25.
  • Piezoelectric actuators 21 attached to the drop generator are driven by an electronic circuit, not shown, to cause the drop generator to vibrate. When driven at the operating frequency, that provides the proper drop formation, the drop generator assembly vibrates as shown by the deformed shape 27'.
  • the deformed shape corresponds to a peak amplitude of vibration, with every portion of the drop generator vibrating back and forth across the undeformed shape.
  • 21', 23', and 25' refer to the vibrated amplitudes of the piezoelectric actuators, the fluid cavity and the orifice plate, respectively.
  • the top of the fluid cavity 31 and sections of the lower portion of the fluid cavity 32 undergo little vibration. With little or no vibration amplitude in these regions, the ultrasonic vibration is largely ineffective in cleaning these portions of the drop generator.
  • Fig. 3 shows resonant shape for an alternate resonance which can be used for cleaning the drop generator 27.
  • This resonance has significant vibrational amplitude at the top of the cavity 31, indicated as 31', where the normal operating resonance had little amplitude in Fig. 2.
  • This resonance also provides vibration to the regions 32 that had no vibration with the previous resonance, and now have vibration difference indicated by 32'.
  • This resonance however, has regions 37 on the sides of the fluid cavity with low vibration amplitude. As such, this resonance is more effective than the previous resonance at cleaning the top of the fluid cavity, but is less effective at cleaning the sides of the fluid cavity.
  • any drop generator design will have two or more complementary resonances which can be used to provide vibrational cleaning to the entire inside surface of the fluid cavity. While the resonant shapes for these two resonance are symmetric across the fluid cavity, one could also utilize asymmetric resonances for cleaning as well. For such asymmetric resonances, it may be necessary to drive only some of the piezoelectric elements or to drive some elements out of phase from the others.
  • the present invention provides means to utilize such complementary resonances. In a preferred embodiment, this is accomplished by stepping the frequency from resonance to resonance. While a frequency sweep between resonances could be used, a sweep would waste a considerable amount of time between the useful resonances where minimal cleaning is obtained.
  • means are provided to sweep the drive frequency continuously across an effective resonance. After a period of time, the drive frequency can be stepped to the frequency of a complementary resonance. The drive frequency would then be continuously sweep across this resonance. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the frequency sweep ranges and amplitudes would be stored in the printhead memory.
  • the present invention is useful in the cleaning of printheads in an ink jet printing system.
  • the system of the present invention which may clean the printhead by sweeping the stimulation frequency, has the particular advantage of improving the efficiency of the cleaning operation.

Claims (6)

  1. Système de nettoyage de la tête d'impression d'un système d'impression à jet d'encre continu ayant un générateur de gouttes (27), le générateur de gouttes ayant une pluralité de résonances et ayant en outre une plaque d'orifice associée (25) et des éléments piézoélectriques (21) pour stimuler le générateur de gouttes, le système comprenant :
    un moyen d'application d'une fréquence de commande de stimulation aux éléments piézoélectriques ;
    un moyen de rincer du fluide à travers le générateur de gouttes ; et
    un moyen permettant de faire varier la fréquence de commande de stimulation,
    caractérisé en ce que ledit moyen permettant de faire varier la fréquence de commande de stimulation est conçu pour employer plus d'une de la pluralité de résonances du générateur de gouttes pour le nettoyage du générateur de gouttes aux ultrasons, de sorte que les régions de faible amplitude du générateur de gouttes produites par la commande d'une résonance peuvent être nettoyées par des amplitudes de vibration élevées dans ces mêmes régions en commandant au moins une autre résonance complémentaire.
  2. Système selon la revendication 1, dans lequel le moyen permettant de faire varier la fréquence de commande de stimulation comprend :
    un moyen de balayage de la fréquence de commande de stimulation sur une gamme de fréquences ; et
    un moyen permettant de faire varier par paliers la fréquence de commande de stimulation pour balayer au moins une autre gamme.
  3. Système selon la revendication 1 comprenant en outre une mémoire de tête d'impression permettant de stocker les gammes de balayage de fréquence et les amplitudes.
  4. Système selon la revendication 1, dans lequel le système d'impression à jet d'encre comprend une cavité de fluide, le système comprenant en outre :
    un moyen d'identification des résonances complémentaires dans le générateur de gouttes ; et
    un moyen permettant de faire varier la fréquence de commande de stimulation aux fréquences de résonance des résonances complémentaires pour nettoyer, par vibrations, une surface interne entière de la cavité de fluide.
  5. Système selon les revendications 1 et 4, dans lequel le moyen permettant de faire varier la fréquence de commande de stimulation comprend un moyen permettant de balayer en continu la fréquence de commande de stimulation sur une gamme de fréquences.
  6. Système selon les revendications 1 et 4, dans lequel le moyen permettant de faire varier la fréquence de commande de stimulation comprend des moyens permettant de faire varier par paliers la fréquence de commande de stimulation d'une fréquence à l'autre.
EP20000309006 1999-10-29 2000-10-13 Système de nettoyage à ultrason amélioré dans un système d'impression à jet d'encre Expired - Lifetime EP1095776B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US43072199A 1999-10-29 1999-10-29
US430721 1999-10-29

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1095776A1 EP1095776A1 (fr) 2001-05-02
EP1095776B1 true EP1095776B1 (fr) 2006-10-04

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP20000309006 Expired - Lifetime EP1095776B1 (fr) 1999-10-29 2000-10-13 Système de nettoyage à ultrason amélioré dans un système d'impression à jet d'encre

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1095776B1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2001158109A (fr)
CA (1) CA2323820A1 (fr)
DE (1) DE60031065T2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE10304964A1 (de) * 2003-02-06 2004-08-26 Artech Gmbh Design + Production In Plastic Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Reinigung eines Tintenstrahl-Druckkopfes
WO2007097154A1 (fr) * 2006-02-23 2007-08-30 Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. Appareil d'application de liquide et son procede d'entretien
US8523327B2 (en) 2010-02-25 2013-09-03 Eastman Kodak Company Printhead including port after filter
US8277035B2 (en) 2010-04-27 2012-10-02 Eastman Kodak Company Printhead including sectioned stimulator/filter device
US8562120B2 (en) 2010-04-27 2013-10-22 Eastman Kodak Company Continuous printhead including polymeric filter
US8267504B2 (en) 2010-04-27 2012-09-18 Eastman Kodak Company Printhead including integrated stimulator/filter device
US8919930B2 (en) 2010-04-27 2014-12-30 Eastman Kodak Company Stimulator/filter device that spans printhead liquid chamber
US8287101B2 (en) 2010-04-27 2012-10-16 Eastman Kodak Company Printhead stimulator/filter device printing method
US8534818B2 (en) 2010-04-27 2013-09-17 Eastman Kodak Company Printhead including particulate tolerant filter
US8806751B2 (en) 2010-04-27 2014-08-19 Eastman Kodak Company Method of manufacturing printhead including polymeric filter
EP2783837B1 (fr) * 2013-03-28 2016-10-12 Ivoclar Vivadent AG Procédé et dispositif destinés au montage en couches d'un corps de formage
DE102021106328B4 (de) * 2021-03-16 2024-01-18 Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft Verfahren zum Reinigen eines Druckkopfes für den Tintendruck

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4563688A (en) 1983-05-16 1986-01-07 Eastman Kodak Company Fluid jet printer and method of ultrasonic cleaning
US4600928A (en) 1985-04-12 1986-07-15 Eastman Kodak Company Ink jet printing apparatus having ultrasonic print head cleaning system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE60031065D1 (de) 2006-11-16
CA2323820A1 (fr) 2001-04-29
JP2001158109A (ja) 2001-06-12
EP1095776A1 (fr) 2001-05-02
DE60031065T2 (de) 2007-05-16

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