JPS5979760A - Apparatus for pulverizing ink liquid of ink jet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to prevent the variation of a pulverization condition, by performing pulverization by the pulverization frequency of the electrostriction element of a drop generator corresponding to the pulsation of the ink liquid pressure from an ink liquid supply pump due to the displacement of the electrostriction element. CONSTITUTION:When a diaphragm 25 is reciprocally moved by applying voltage to an electrostriction element 26, the ink liquid in the pump chamber 14 provided with said diaphragm 25 is moved only toward a drop generator 6 through a fluid diode 21. The drop generator 6 permits the ink liquid to be injected while pulverizing the same by ultrasonic waves generated by the vibration of the diaphragm 27 integrated with an electrostriction element 28 but the variation in a pulverization condition is prevented by controlling the pulverization frequencies of the electrostriction element 28 and the diaphragm 27 corresponding to the pulsation of the ink liquid pressure. In addition, because a three-way valve is omitted, the opening and closing control frequency of the drop generator can be increased and the amount of ink to be recovered can be reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an ink liquid atomization device for an inkjet printer, and in particular, it is miniaturized by directly connecting an ink liquid supply pump and a drop generator, and the atomization value caused by M condensation is reduced in size. This invention relates to an ink liquid atomization device that prevents this by controlling the atomization frequency.

For example, there is a conventional inkjet printer as shown in FIG. 1. The printer 1 includes an ink tank 2 for storing ink liquid, a pump 3 for supplying ink liquid,
An accumulator 4 that suppresses pressure fluctuations of the ink liquid, an electromagnetic valve 5 that controls the supply of the ink liquid, a drop generator 6 that forms ink droplets by vibration of a piezoelectric element, a charge i1j electrode 8 that charges the ink droplets, and a charging i1j electrode 8 that charges the ink droplets. It has a deflection electrode 9 that directs ink droplets in a 1161 direction, a gutter 10 that collects the ink liquid that has advanced to Ll, and an ink recovery pump 11 that returns the recovered ink to the tank 2. The pump 3 includes a solenoid 12, a piston rod 15 which is reciprocated and driven via an armature 13a of a plunger 13 when the solenoid 120 is turned on and off, and a piston rod 15 which is attached to the tip of the piston rod 15 and which is attached to the tip of the piston rod 15 so as to reciprocate within the pump chamber 14. ! It has a piston 16 that moves ("υ) and a spring 17 for adjusting the stroke of the piston rod 15.

The drop generator 6 and the gutter 10 are mounted on a movable carriage, and the other components are connected to them by tubes.

In the above 41° I formation, when a voltage at the atomization frequency is applied to the piezoelectric element of the drop generator 6, ultrasonic vibrations are generated and ink droplets 18 are regularly formed. load/[
A charge is selectively applied to the W electrode 8 based on the print signal, and one ink droplet 18 is directed towards l1iri, iiJ,
It is deflected by the pole 9 and forms a print image on the recording paper 19 (those that are not charged go straight to the gutter 10
).

Amateur 1 by turning on and off solenoid 12
3a receives attraction and repulsion, and moves back and forth through plunger 13! +1
7, a pumping action is performed, and the ink liquid in the ink tank 2 is supplied to the drop generator 6 via the fluid diode 21.

However, in conventional inkjet printers, the pump 3 itself is complicated and large, and the accumulator 4 and solenoid valve 5 are interposed between the pump 3 and the generator 6. The distance between the four becomes longer.

As a result, it is difficult to mount all the components other than the drop generator 6 and the gutter 10 on the movable carriage, and the circulatory system itself becomes large in size (usually about 2000 tm3). This is an impediment to miniaturization of devices, which is important for type printers.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and in order to reduce the size of the ink liquid circulation device, fluctuations in the atomization conditions are suppressed by controlling the atomization frequency '+filJ according to the pulsation of the ink liquid pressure. An object of the present invention is to provide an ink liquid dropletization device for an inkjet printer in which an ink liquid supply pump and a drop generator are directly connected by preventing the above problems.

Hereinafter, the ink liquid particle forming apparatus of the present invention will be explained.

FIG. 2 is a configuration explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the ink liquid atomization device of the present invention, in which the atomization device 1t includes an ink tank 2, a filler 22, and a rotating body block 23. Element-1 possible 1j51) Carrying Two) ((not shown) mounted on the 11jl1 body block 2
For example, two hollow parts connected to each other are formed inside 3, one being a pump chamber 14 and the other being a generator chamber 6a. issue? 3C, hollow, J? Nfu 0 room 1
4 and the aj? 76 14--9 176.1. 'l
The diaphragm 25 is connected to the outside of the diaphragm 25, and the strain element 26 is connected to the outside of the diaphragm 25.
'L, I warn myself to reduce the volume of Bonn' chamber J4 by bending strain element 7-26 and generate pressure. The diaphragm 27, which is one of the partition walls of the generator chamber (i a), and the integrated electrostrictive element 28 connected to the other side of the diaphragm 27 from the south 1 to
．． The diaphragm 27 is vibrated by the bending of the 1 1 1 1 L 1 blade element 28, and the ink droplets 18 are ejected.

As usual, a charging electrode 8, a deflection electrode 9, and a gutter 1'O'f! are provided on the tip side of the injection port 6b. : Placement fee will be charged. Said filter 22 and the moon? Fluid diodes 21 are disposed in each of the ink flow paths 22 that connect the pump chamber 14 and the pump chamber 14 and the generator chamber 6a.

In the above configuration, when a voltage is applied to the element 26, the element 26 is bent and reciprocated from the diaphragm 25i to the position indicated by the dotted line, and moves into the pump chamber. By changing the pressure, the ink liquid is suctioned and extruded (1) to the generator G side.

Since the Ponso chamber 14 and the generator 6 are connected to each other by 1° i- with the fluid diode 21 in the same 111111 block, the ink liquid moves only in one direction.

The drop generator 6 uses ultrasonic waves generated by the vibration of a diaphragm 27 integrated with an electrostrictive element 28 to turn the ink liquid into particles and eject them. By omitting the accumulator 4, the pulsation from the bomb f3 is directly transmitted to the drop generator 6, and there is a risk that the uniformity of the particle formation conditions will be impaired, but the actual result is ink 7+W, pressure pulse b! Depending on b' medium strain element -1-28
And the luck of Particle Hojo 1+ by controlling the particleization frequency τ of Diamond 70m27! 1. This prevents I-no.

For example, the diaphragm plate 25 of Bonzo 14) 1. “
0.6 tra,! isE 1-a 30 mm, thickness of electrostrictive element 26 0.4 +: +o, 11] diameter 30 t
nmf 2 kHz When driving Q, the drop cinerator 6 has an average weight of 2.5 kg/c7 during printing operation.
rt, a pulse Hid) of ±0.3 kg/crl occurred. This and 2! , the average frequency of the diaphragm 27 of the generator 6 is set to k 86 kHz, and the frequency is changed to 86 kHz in synchronization with the increase in pressure of W'C supplied from the pump 3.
21(H!・ to 90 kllz '>periodic and Nr
It seems to change linearly:! ill , 1i11 then
From uniform 7, step ii: 4 is formed. Mae Shili
'L 7(,+]?J pivot frequency 2 kHz of the pump is the time it takes for the generator 6 to print one scanning line in the vertical direction of the ink 1f)1, and j '
l < set.

In addition, according to the present invention, the control of opening and closing of the generator for ejecting ink liquid, which was previously required in the conventional inkjet For example, if one scan island j in the vertical direction during printing in 1.1 is blank, if the drive of pump 0 is stopped to prevent ink from being ejected, the amount of ink that can be recovered can be increased. Ink:lli:
'ff: Can be significantly reduced. In order to drive the pump again, it is sufficient to move the carriage onto the scanning line that includes the dots to be printed.

Further, since the accumulator and the solenoid valve can be omitted, miniaturization and manufacturing cost can be achieved.

As described above, according to the ink liquid atomization device for an inkjet printer of the present invention, by controlling the atomization frequency according to the pulsation of the ink liquid, fluctuations in the atomization conditions are prevented, and thereby the ink Since the liquid supply pump and the drop generator are directly connected, it is possible to downsize the ink liquid circulation device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

ff1i'r1l is the if! of a conventional inkjet printer. four times. ,'152Figure 1. l (119 explanatory diagram of one embodiment of the ink liquid dropletization device of the present invention. Description of symbols 1... printer, 2... ink tank, 3.
...Pump, 4...Accumulator, 5...
, 6... Drop cinerator, 6a... Generator chamber, 6b... Injection port, 8... Load, d electrode,
9... Deflection electrode, 10... Gutter, 11.
...Recovery pump, 12...Solenoid, 13
...Plunge, 1., 13a・″°Amateur,
14...7j? 2iK, 15... Piston rod, 16... Piston, 17... Sufu 0 ring, 18... Ink drop, 19 Notation r: x'
it, 20... Ink liquid flow path, 21... Fluid diode, 22... Filter, 23... Block body, 25.27... Diamond 70m, 26.2
8... Electrostrictive element,

Claims (1)

[Claims] The ink liquid supplied from the ink tank is made into particles by a drop generator, and the made ink droplets are made into 114 particles.
An inkjet printer that prints by controlling the direction of the ink includes an ink supply pump that supplies ink by the displacement of an electrostrictive element, and a pulse i ( , iυ. An ink liquid droplet forming device for an inkjet printer is constituted by a drop generator equipped with an electrostrictive element, and the ink droplet forming device is configured with a drop generator equipped with an electrostrictive element.