TWI548532B - Ink circulatory system - Google Patents

Description

Ink circulation system

This invention relates to an ink circulation system, and more particularly to an ink circulation system for a large ink jet plotter.

Currently, posters or large advertising wallpapers on the market are drawn by a large inkjet plotter. Because of the large amount of inkjet plotter drawing, the inkjet of the inkjet plotter requires a large amount of space for storing ink. For example, when inorganic pigment is used as the ink, the weight of the inorganic pigment is higher than that of water or other solvents. Heavy, so the inorganic pigment will precipitate down in the ink bottle, which will cause delamination, resulting in inkjet not smooth and the inkjet head is blocked. When the inkjet head has a blockage condition, if you want to use the inkjet plotter again, you must first clean the inkjet head. The inkjet head cleaning can be divided into manual cleaning and machine cleaning. When the machine itself is cleaned, the inkjet head will A large amount of ink is ejected onto the inkjet holder. When the clogging condition of the inkjet head is more serious, more ink is used for cleaning. The ink used for cleaning the ink head is regarded as waste ink removal, which incurs waste of ink. Increase the cost of drawing. In addition, the ink located in the pipeline may also precipitate, resulting in blockage of the pipeline, resulting in poor ink supply and poor print quality. In the industry's experience with inkjet plotters, white and metallic (gold, silver) inks are the most susceptible to precipitation.

Therefore, how to reduce the ink precipitation and clean the ink of the inkjet head Recycling is worth considering for those with ordinary knowledge in the field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A primary object of the present invention is to provide an ink circulation system which can reduce the generation of ink deposits and reuse the residual ink.

According to the above object, the present invention provides an ink circulation system disposed outside a casing of an inkjet plotter, the inkjet plotter comprising a plurality of inkjet heads and a plurality of inkjet holders, the inkjet heads and the inkjet holders Each includes a first inkjet head and a first inkjet holder, and the first inkjet head corresponds to the first inkjet holder. In addition, the ink circulation system includes a holder, an ink bottle, a set of ink circulation lines and a pump, the ink bottle is fixed on the holder and filled with ink, and a set of ink circulation lines includes at least one ink supply line and At least one recovery line, the ink supply line is connected between the ink bottle and the first inkjet head, and the recovery pipeline is connected between the ink bottle and the first inkjet holder, and a pump is also disposed on the bracket. The pump is connected to the ink circulation line. Through the operation of the pump, the ink in the ink bottle is transmitted to the first inkjet head through the ink supply line, and the ink in the first inkjet holder is transmitted through the recovery pipeline. Recycled into the ink bottle.

In the above ink circulation system, the ink is white ink.

In the above ink circulation system, a stirring device is included, and the stirring device includes a stirring rod, and the stirring rod protrudes into the ink.

In the above ink circulation system, a controller is included, and the controller is electrically connected to the pump and the stirring device.

In the above ink circulation system, a filter is disposed, and the filter is disposed on the recovery line and located between the first inkjet holder and the pump.

In the above ink circulation system, a controller is included, and the controller is electrically connected to the pump.

In the above ink circulation system, the controller is electrically connected to a printed circuit board in the inkjet plotter, whereby the controller can determine whether the inkjet plotter is in operation.

As described above, the ink circulation system of the present invention can reduce the generation of ink precipitation by means of a pump, an ink circulation line, a filter, a stirring device, etc., and reuse the ink for cleaning the ink jet head.

The above described objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description. It is to be noted that the various elements in the drawings are merely schematic and are not illustrated in the actual proportions of the elements.

20‧‧‧Inkjet plotter

20A‧‧‧First inkjet head

20B‧‧‧First inkjet holder

21, 31‧‧ ‧ ink circulation system

23‧‧‧Inkjet head

23A‧‧‧First inkjet head

24‧‧‧ inkjet holder

24A‧‧‧first inkjet holder

202‧‧‧ Drawing exports

210‧‧‧Ink bottles

210a‧‧‧Ink supply line

211‧‧‧White ink

212‧‧‧ bracket

213‧‧‧Ink 匣

220‧‧‧ Controller

230‧‧‧

230a‧‧‧Recycling pipeline

230b‧‧‧Recycling pipeline

240‧‧‧Agitator

250‧‧‧Filter

1 is a diagram showing the overall appearance of an ink jet plotter using an ink circulation system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

2A illustrates an ink circulation system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

2B is a diagram showing the internal structure of an ink jet plotter using an ink circulation system of an embodiment of the present invention.

2C is a diagram showing the internal structure of an ink jet plotter using an ink circulation system of an embodiment of the present invention.

2D is a block diagram of an ink cycle of an ink circulation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2E is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of an ink circulation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3A illustrates an ink circulation system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

3B is a diagram showing the internal structure of an ink jet plotter using an ink circulation system of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3C is a block diagram showing the ink circulation of the ink circulation system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3D is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of an ink circulation system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, FIG. 1 illustrates an inkjet plotter 20 using an embodiment of the present invention. The inkjet plotter 20 is, for example, a piezoelectric inkjet plotter. There is a drawing exit 202, and a drawing entry (not shown) is provided at the rear of the ink jet plotter 20. The inkjet plotter 20 includes a plurality of inkjet heads 23 and a plurality of inkjet holders 24, wherein each of the inkjet heads 23 corresponds to one of the inkjet holders 24, and these inkjet heads 23 include two first inkjets The head 23A, and these ink jet holders 24 include two first ink jet holders 24A, and the first ink jet head 23A corresponds to the first ink jet holder 24A. When the inkjet plotter 20 is to start performing the drawing operation, the inkjet head 23 moves to the left drawing area, and the inkjet head 23 is separated from the inkjet holder 24 (as shown in FIG. 2B), the ink in FIG. 2A. The crucible 213 supplies ink other than white to the ink jet head other than the first ink jet head 23A, and the ink bottle 210 supplies the white ink 211 to the first ink jet head 20A via the ink supply line 210a. By operation of the ink jet head 23, the ink jet plotter 20 can draw graphics on the drawing. In the above, the number of the first inkjet head 23A and the first inkjet holder 24A is 2 However, it should be inferred by those of ordinary skill in the art that the number of first inkjet heads 23A and first inkjet holders 24A can be increased or decreased to accommodate different rendering requirements.

Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C, FIG. 2A illustrates an ink circulation system 21 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ink circulation system 21 of the present invention is viewed from FIGS. 1 and 2B. The position is on the side of the casing of the inkjet plotter 20, and FIG. 2C shows the state in which the inkjet head 23 is returned to the inkjet holder 24 after the drawing is completed.

After the inkjet head 23 is returned to the inkjet holder 24 for a period of time, if the inkjet plotter 20 does not start up again for a period of time, the white ink 211 in the ink bottle 210 and the ink supply line 210 and The white ink 211 of the recovery lines 230a, 230b is liable to cause precipitation, resulting in a situation in which the ink jet plotter 20 does not eject ink smoothly or the ink jet head is clogged. Therefore, when the ink jet plotter 20 has not been operated for a while, the ink circulation system 21 starts the cycle, and the manner in which the ink circulation system 21 starts the cycle will be described below.

Referring to FIG. 2A and FIG. 2E, the ink circulation system 21 of the present invention can be electrically connected to the circuit board 201 of the inkjet plotter 20 and the pump 230 via the installation controller 220. The controller 220 can be Whether the inkjet plotter 20 is operating is learned by grabbing the signal from the printed circuit board 201. If the controller 220 knows that the inkjet plotter 20 has not been in operation for a while, the controller 220 activates the pump 230. After the pump 230 is activated, the white ink 211 in the ink bottle 210 on the holder 212 is pumped to the first inkjet head 20A of the inkjet plotter 20, and then flows into the first inkjet via the first inkjet head 20A. The seat 20B is then transferred back into the ink bottle 210 via the recovery line 230b and the recovery line 230a, thereby completing the entire cycle. Moreover, the above cycle can be repeated several times in succession. In this way, the white ink 211 stored in the ink bottle 210 on the holder 212 and the white ink 211 remaining in the ink supply line 210 and the recovery lines 230a, 230b are not allowed. It is easy to precipitate due to long-term stagnation.

In addition, please refer to FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B and FIG. 3C for an ink circulation block diagram, and FIG. 3A is an ink circulation system 31 according to still another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described again. Compared with the ink circulation system 21 shown in FIG. 2A, the ink circulation system 31 of the present embodiment is provided with a stirring device 240 on the bracket 212. The stirring device 240 includes a stirring rod 241 which extends into the white ink. 211. When the stirring device 240 is activated, the stirring bar 241 agitates the white ink 211, so that the white ink 211 continues to flow in the bottle, making the white ink 211 less likely to precipitate in the ink bottle 210.

Further, a filter 250 is further connected in series to the recovery line 230b, and the filter 250 filters out dust and other minute impurities in the white ink 211. The reason why the white ink 211 contains dust and other minute impurities is that when the inkjet plotter 20 is drawing, since the inkjet head 23 and the inkjet holder 24 are in a separated state, the inkjet head 23 or the inkjet head The ink holder 24 is easily contaminated with external dust or other minute impurities, so if the filter 250 is not provided, the dust or minute impurities are circulated back into the ink bottle 210 via the recovery line, thereby causing white ink in the ink bottle 210. 211 is contaminated, thus affecting the quality of the drawing. Therefore, when the ink circulation system 31 recovers the white ink 211 for cleaning, the white ink 211 in the ink bottle 210 can maintain its purity by the provision of the filter 250, thereby providing good drawing quality.

Similarly, referring to the circuit configuration block diagram of FIG. 3D, the ink circulation system 31 of the present invention can be electrically connected to the printed circuit board 201 of the inkjet plotter 20 via the add-on controller 320, and the controller 320 and the pump are provided. 230 and the stirring device 240 are electrically connected. The controller 320 can know whether the inkjet plotter 20 is running by the printed circuit board 201. If the controller 320 knows that the inkjet plotter 20 has not been operated for a period of time, the controller 320 Will The pump 230 and the stirring device 240 are activated, so that the white ink 211 in the ink supply line 210, the recovery line 230a, the recovery line 230b, and the ink bottle 210 is less likely to precipitate, which improves the quality of drawing and saves white ink 211. use.

In the above ink circulation system, white ink is taken as a main example, mainly the experience of using an inkjet plotter in the industry, since white ink is most likely to cause precipitation, but those having ordinary knowledge in the art should be able to infer that ink 匣The inks of other colors (such as gold and silver) in 213 can be individually changed into bottles and the ink circulation system of the present invention is added, so that the ink of all colors can avoid the precipitation and recycle the cleaning ink. In addition to reducing waste in ink usage, it maintains good ink quality.

The present invention has been described above by way of examples, and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims. The scope of patent protection is subject to the scope of the patent application and its equivalent fields. Modifications or modifications made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, are equivalent to the equivalents or modifications made in the spirit of the invention and should be included in the following claims. Inside.

20‧‧‧Inkjet plotter

21‧‧‧Ink circulation system

210‧‧‧Ink bottles

210a‧‧‧Ink supply line

211‧‧‧White ink

212‧‧‧ bracket

213‧‧‧Ink 匣

220‧‧‧ Controller

230‧‧‧

230a‧‧‧Recycling pipeline

230b‧‧‧Recycling pipeline

Claims (5)

An ink circulation system disposed outside a casing of an inkjet plotter, the inkjet plotter comprising a plurality of inkjet heads and a plurality of inkjet holders, the inkjet heads and the inkjet holders respectively comprise a first inkjet The head and a first inkjet holder, the first inkjet head corresponding to the first inkjet holder, the ink circulation system comprises: a bracket; an ink bottle fixed to the bracket, the ink bottle is filled with Ink; a set of ink circulation lines including at least one ink supply line and at least one recovery line, the ink supply line being connected between the ink bottle and the first inkjet head, and the recovery pipeline is connected to Between the ink bottle and the first inkjet holder; and a pump disposed on the bracket, the pump is connected to the ink circulation pipeline; a controller, the controller is electrically connected to the pump Wherein, the ink in the ink bottle is transmitted to the first inkjet head through the ink supply pipe by the pump, and the ink in the first inkjet holder is recovered through the recovery pipeline In the ink bottle, and the controller is electrically connected to a printed circuit board in the inkjet plotter, thereby The controller can determine whether the ink jet plotter in working order, if the controller that the inkjet plotters did not work for some time, the controller will start the pump. The ink circulation system of claim 1, wherein the ink is white ink. For example, the ink circulation system described in the first or second aspect of the patent application includes A stirring device comprising a stirring rod, the stirring rod extending into the ink. The ink circulation system of claim 3, wherein the controller is electrically connected to the stirring device. The ink circulation system of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a filter disposed on the recovery line and located between the first inkjet holder and the pump.