WO2024021067A1

WO2024021067A1 - Print head maintenance system, ink-jet printer, maintenance method, and printing method

Info

Publication number: WO2024021067A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/109110
Authority: WO
Inventors: 廖述章; 江华; 曾磊乐; 林炜
Original assignee: 深圳诚拓数码设备有限公司
Priority date: 2022-07-29
Filing date: 2022-07-29
Publication date: 2024-02-01
Also published as: CN115416403B; CN115416403A

Abstract

A print head maintenance system (200), an ink-jet printer, a maintenance method, and a printing method. The maintenance system (200) comprises a controller (204) and an ink circulation loop. The ink circulation loop comprises a main container (201), a first adjustment device (202) and a print head (203) which are sequentially arranged in the conveying direction of ink. The first adjustment device (202) comprises a first accommodating cavity used for storing a first gas and ink flowing from the main container (201), the first adjustment device (202) being used for adjusting the first gas pressure of the first gas. The controller (204) is used for, when the ink in the ink circulation loop is in the state of flowing circularly, controlling the first gas pressure to vary within a first negative pressure range by means of the first adjustment device (202) , so as to vibrate ink in an ink chamber of the print head (203), thereby achieving maintenance of the print head (203).

Description

Nozzle maintenance system, inkjet printer, maintenance methods and printing methods

Technical field

Embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of inkjet printers, and in particular, to a maintenance system for a nozzle, an inkjet printer, a maintenance method, and a printing method.

Background technique

Inkjet printer is a technology that sprays ink onto the printing medium through the nozzle holes of the nozzle to print images or text. In the field of inkjet printing, as the printing time increases, the ink may condense and adhere inside the nozzle of the inkjet printer, dry and solidify into slag, causing the nozzle holes to be blocked or partially blocked, making the nozzle of the inkjet printer unable to work properly. Affects print quality.

In order to keep the nozzles of the inkjet printer clear, the nozzle of the inkjet printer needs to be cleaned and maintained regularly. The existing cleaning method usually pumps the cleaning liquid directly into the nozzle of the inkjet printer through a liquid supply pump, allowing the cleaning liquid flowing inside the nozzle to dissolve the ink that has condensed, adhered, and solidified sediment and takes it away. However, the pumped cleaning fluid will have a greater impact on the nozzle, which can easily damage the delicate nozzle.

Contents of the invention

Embodiments of the present application provide a nozzle maintenance system, an inkjet printer, a maintenance method and a printing method, which can clear the nozzle through the vibrating ink in the ink chamber, and the impact of the ink on the nozzle is small.

In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiments of this application provide the following technical solutions:

In a first aspect of this application, a maintenance system for a nozzle is provided, which system includes a controller and an ink circulation circuit. The ink circulation loop includes a main container, a first adjusting device and a nozzle arranged in sequence along the direction of ink delivery; wherein the first adjusting device is connected to the main container and the nozzle by pipelines respectively, the nozzle is connected to the main container, and the first adjusting device is connected to the controller connect. The main container is used to store ink; the first adjusting device includes a first receiving chamber, and the first receiving chamber is used to store the first gas and the ink flowing in from the main container; the first adjusting device is used to adjust the first pressure of the first gas ; The nozzle includes an ink chamber and several nozzle holes. The ink chamber is connected to the external environment through the nozzle holes. The ink chamber pipeline connects the first receiving chamber and the main container. The controller is used to: when the ink in the ink circulation circuit is in a circulating flow state, control the first air pressure to change within the first negative pressure range through the first adjustment device so that the ink in the ink chamber oscillates, wherein the oscillation of the ink The direction includes the length direction of the nozzle hole. In this system, the ink chamber of the nozzle is connected to the external environment through the nozzle hole, and the ink chamber pipeline of the nozzle is connected to the first receiving chamber of the first adjusting device; when the ink in the ink circulation circuit is in a circulating flow state, the ink The ink chamber flows from the first receiving chamber into the ink chamber of the nozzle; since the first receiving chamber and the ink chamber of the nozzle are in a connected state; the first air pressure changes within the first negative pressure range, so that the ink chamber in the first receiving chamber and the ink chamber of the nozzle can be The ink vibrates at the same time; the constantly vibrating ink in the ink chamber can cause the dried ink in the ink chamber to be shaken off and scattered. Moreover, the fallen ink residue can be discharged with the ink flowing out from the outlet of the nozzle. in the main container to achieve maintenance of the nozzle holes. On the one hand, the constantly vibrating ink in the ink chamber will not have a large impact on the nozzle, nor does it need to be forced through the nozzle, thereby reducing the impact of the unblocked nozzle on the nozzle; on the other hand, this system can use the ink to To clear the nozzle, there is no need to use additional cleaning fluid to clean the nozzle, and there is no need to disassemble the nozzle from the inkjet printer for cleaning, which effectively simplifies the cleaning process of the nozzle and improves the efficiency of unblocking the nozzle.

In some embodiments, the first negative pressure range includes the first maximum value and the first minimum value of the first air pressure; the controller is specifically configured to: control the first air pressure between the first maximum value and the first minimum value through the first adjusting device. changes between the first minimum values, so that the position of the ink in the ink chamber and the liquid level formed by the nozzle holes changes between the first position and the second position accordingly; wherein the second position is farther away from the first position Ink tone. In this embodiment, the ink is oscillated in the nozzle hole to complete the cleaning of the nozzle hole. The ink will not forcefully pass through the nozzle hole, which can reduce the damage caused by cleaning the nozzle hole. At the same time, since the liquid level formed by the ink and the nozzle hole oscillates between the first position and the second position, the ink will not flow out from the nozzle hole, thereby reducing ink waste.

In some embodiments, the controller is specifically configured to: control the first air pressure to periodically change within the first negative pressure range according to a preset cycle through the first adjustment device, so that the ink in the ink chamber oscillates periodically.

In some embodiments, the ink circulation circuit also includes a second adjustment device, the second adjustment device is connected to the nozzle and the main container through pipelines respectively; the second adjustment device includes a second receiving chamber, and the second receiving chamber is used to store the second gas and the main container. For ink flowing from the nozzle, the second adjusting device is used to adjust the second air pressure of the second gas; the controller is also used to: control the second air pressure to change within the second negative pressure range through the second adjusting device, so that the second container The negative pressure in the cavity is greater than the negative pressure in the first receiving cavity; wherein the first air pressure and the second air pressure change in the same preset period. In this embodiment, since the negative pressure in the first container is lower than the negative pressure in the second container, the pressure difference between the first container and the second container provides the ink in the system with sequential flow from the first container to the ink chamber and the third container. The guiding force of the two containers enables the ink to flow more smoothly from the first receiving chamber to the ink chamber and the second receiving chamber of the nozzle.

In some embodiments, when the first air pressure and the second air pressure change with the same preset period, the difference between the first air pressure and the second air pressure is within the preset difference range, so that the flow rate of the ink in the ink chamber is maintained. smooth.

In some embodiments, the second negative pressure range includes the second maximum value and the second minimum value of the second air pressure; the controller is also specifically configured to: control the second air pressure at the second maximum value through the second adjustment device and the second minimum value, so that the position of the ink in the ink chamber and the liquid level formed by the nozzle hole correspondingly changes between the first position and the second position; wherein, the second position is relative to the first position Stay away from the ink chamber.

In some embodiments, the first adjustment device includes a first container, a first air pressure adjustment device and a first detection device, wherein the first container includes a first receiving chamber; the first air pressure adjustment device is connected to the pipeline of the first container. The air port, the first air pressure adjusting device is used to adjust the first air pressure; the first detection device is used to detect the first air pressure. The controller is communicatively connected to the first air pressure adjustment device and the first detection device. The controller is used to obtain detection data of the first air pressure through the first detection device, and control the first air pressure adjustment device to adjust the first air pressure according to the detection data of the first air pressure. to adjust the size.

In some embodiments, the second adjustment device includes a second container, a second air pressure adjustment device and a second detection device; wherein the second container includes a second receiving chamber; the second air pressure adjustment device is connected to the second container by a pipeline The air delivery port, the second air pressure adjustment device is used to adjust the second air pressure; the second detection device is used to detect the second air pressure; the controller is communicatively connected with the second air pressure adjustment device and the second detection device, and the controller is used to pass The second detection device obtains the detection data of the second air pressure, and controls the second air pressure adjustment device to adjust the magnitude of the second air pressure according to the detection data of the second air pressure.

In some embodiments, in order to provide power for the ink to flow from the main container into the first container, the ink circulation circuit further includes a first ink delivery device, and the first ink delivery device is connected to the main container and the first container through pipelines respectively. The ink delivery device is used to deliver the ink contained in the main container to the first container.

In some embodiments, in order to provide power for the ink to flow back from the second container to the first container, the ink circulation circuit further includes a second ink delivery device. The second ink delivery device is connected to the second container and the main container by pipelines respectively. The ink transport device is used to transport the ink contained in the second container to the main container.

In some embodiments, the ink circulation circuit further includes a first ink processing device. The first ink processing device is connected to the first container and the first ink delivery device by pipelines respectively; the first ink processing device is used to output the first ink delivery device. The ink is purified.

In some embodiments, the ink circulation circuit further includes a second ink processing device. The second ink processing device is connected to the first container and the nozzle by pipelines respectively; the second ink processing device is used to purify the ink output from the first container. deal with.

In a second aspect of the present application, an inkjet printer is provided, which includes the system described in the first aspect.

In the third aspect of the present application, a maintenance method for a nozzle is provided, which is applied to an inkjet printer. The method is used to maintain the nozzle of the inkjet printer. The nozzle includes a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, an ink chamber and Several nozzle holes, one end of the ink chamber is connected to the liquid inlet, the other end of the ink chamber is connected to the liquid outlet, and the ink chamber is connected to the external environment through the nozzle holes; the air pressure at the liquid inlet end of the nozzle head is the first air pressure . In this method, when the ink flows through the liquid inlet, the ink chamber and the liquid outlet sequentially along the ink transport direction, the first air pressure is controlled to change within the first negative pressure range so that the ink in the ink chamber oscillates, where , the oscillation direction of the ink includes the length direction of the nozzle hole. The first air pressure that changes within the first negative pressure range will cause the ink in the ink chamber to oscillate; the ink that keeps vibrating in the ink chamber can cause the dry and slag-dried ink in the ink chamber to be vibrated off and scattered, and the ink will fall off. The ink residue can be discharged from the ink chamber along with the ink flowing out from the outlet of the nozzle, thereby achieving maintenance of the nozzle holes. On the one hand, the constantly vibrating ink in the ink chamber will not have a large impact on the nozzle, nor does it need to be forced through the nozzle, thereby reducing the impact of the unblocked nozzle on the nozzle; on the other hand, this method can use the ink to To clear the nozzle, there is no need to use additional cleaning fluid to clean the nozzle, and there is no need to disassemble the nozzle from the inkjet printer for cleaning, which effectively simplifies the cleaning process of the nozzle and improves the efficiency of unblocking the nozzle.

In some embodiments, the first negative pressure range includes a first maximum value and a first minimum value of the first air pressure; the first air pressure is controlled to change within the first negative pressure range so that the ink in the ink chamber oscillates. The specific steps are: controlling the first air pressure to change between the first maximum value and the first minimum value, so that the position of the ink in the ink chamber and the liquid level formed by the nozzle holes are at the first position and the second position accordingly. changes between; wherein, the second position is far away from the ink chamber relative to the first position.

In some embodiments, the step of controlling the first air pressure to change within the first negative pressure range to cause the ink in the ink chamber to oscillate specifically includes: controlling the first air pressure to periodically change within the first negative pressure range according to a preset period. , so that the ink in the ink chamber oscillates periodically.

In some embodiments, the air pressure at the liquid outlet end of the nozzle is the second air pressure; the above method also includes: controlling the second air pressure to change within the second negative pressure range, so that the second negative pressure is greater than the first negative pressure; wherein, the second negative pressure is greater than the first negative pressure. The first air pressure and the second air pressure vary with the same preset period.

In some embodiments, when the first air pressure and the second air pressure change with the same preset period, the difference between the first air pressure and the second air pressure is within the preset difference range.

In some embodiments, the second negative pressure range includes a second maximum value and a second minimum value of the second air pressure; the step of controlling the change of the second air pressure within the second negative pressure range includes: controlling the second air pressure Change between the second maximum value and the second minimum value, so that the position of the ink in the ink chamber and the liquid level formed by the nozzle hole changes between the first position and the second position accordingly; wherein, the second The position is far away from the ink chamber relative to the first position.

In the fourth aspect of the present application, a printing method is provided, which is applied to an inkjet printer. In this method, the inkjet printer obtains the work order data of the image to be printed, and controls the nozzle to print on the printer medium according to the work order data. , and perform maintenance on the nozzle according to the method described in the second aspect during the printing idle time. After completing the nozzle maintenance, obtain new work order data and control the nozzle to print on the printing medium.

In a fifth aspect of the present application, a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, and when the computer-executable instructions are executed by an inkjet printer, The inkjet printer is caused to perform the method described in the third aspect or the fourth aspect.

In a sixth aspect of the present application, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product includes a computer program stored on a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. The computer program includes program instructions. When the program When the instruction is executed by the inkjet printer, the inkjet printer is caused to execute the method described in the third or fourth aspect.

It should be understood that nothing described in this summary is intended to identify key or important features of the disclosure, nor to limit the scope of the disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description.

Description of drawings

One or more embodiments are exemplified by the pictures in the corresponding drawings. These illustrative illustrations do not constitute limitations to the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are represented as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not intended to be limited to scale.

Figure 1(a) and Figure 1(b) are schematic structural diagrams of a nozzle of an inkjet printer provided by an embodiment of the present application from different viewing angles;

Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a nozzle maintenance system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a nozzle maintenance system provided by another embodiment of the present application;

Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of an inkjet printer provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 5 is a schematic flow chart of a method for cleaning a nozzle provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 6 is a schematic flow chart of a cleaning method for a nozzle provided by another embodiment of the present application;

Figure 7(a) and Figure 7(b) are schematic diagrams of different states of ink in the ink chamber during the oscillation process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 8(a) and Figure 8(b) are respectively change curves of the first air pressure and the second air pressure that change synchronously with time according to an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 8(c) and Figure 8(d) are respectively the change curves of the first air pressure and the second air pressure over time provided by another embodiment of the present application;

Figure 9 is a schematic flowchart of a printing method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a nozzle cleaning device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a nozzle cleaning device provided by another embodiment of the present application;

Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a controller provided by an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed ways

The principles and spirit of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to several exemplary embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these specific embodiments are described only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

As used herein, the term "includes" and similar expressions shall be understood to be open-ended, ie, "including, but not limited to." The term "based on" should be understood to mean "based at least in part on." The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood to mean "at least one embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc. may refer to different or the same objects and are used only to distinguish the objects referred to and do not imply a specific spatial order, temporal order, importance of the objects referred to. Sexual order, etc.

An inkjet printer includes a printer main body and at least one nozzle head provided on the printer main body. The nozzle is used to print target graphics and text on the printing medium. For example, in some embodiments, at least one nozzle includes a first nozzle, a second nozzle, a third nozzle, and a fourth nozzle; wherein the first nozzle is used to print cyan ink (Cyan, C), and the second nozzle is used to print cyan ink (Cyan, C). Print magenta ink (Magenta, M), the third nozzle is used to print yellow ink (Yellow, Y), and the fourth nozzle is used to print black ink (BlacK, K). C, M, Y and K are the four basic colors. Inkjet printers produce the required colors by controlling each nozzle in the nozzle group to print different amounts of ink. Wherein, the first nozzle, the second nozzle, the third nozzle and the fourth nozzle may be a single nozzle unit or formed by splicing multiple nozzle units. In some embodiments, the inkjet printer also includes an Nth nozzle for printing inks of other colors (N is a positive integer greater than 4). For example, the nozzle group 120 may also include an Nth nozzle for printing white ink, gold ink, and sapphire ink. Or a silver ink nozzle.

Exemplarily, Figure 1(a) and Figure 1(b) show schematic structural diagrams of nozzles from different viewing angles; Figure 1(a) is a front view, and Figure 1(b) is a cross-sectional view. As shown in Figure 1 (a) and Figure 1 (b), the nozzle 100 includes a liquid inlet 101, a liquid outlet 102, an ink chamber 103 and several nozzle holes 104. The ink chamber 103 communicates with the external environment through the nozzle holes 104. The ink chamber 103 is connected to the ink chamber 103 for containing ink for printing target graphics and text. When the inkjet printer performs a printing operation, ink flows into the ink chamber 103 from the liquid inlet 101. Part of the ink in the ink chamber 103 flows out from the liquid outlet 102, and the other part is ejected through the nozzle hole 104; wherein, the ink is ejected from the nozzle hole 104. The outgoing ink forms target graphics and text on the printing medium, and the ink flowing out from the liquid outlet 102 can flow into the ink chamber 103 again through the ink circulation pipeline of the inkjet printer. In some other embodiments, the nozzle may also include components such as a filter layer and a guide channel (not shown). The ink flowing from the inlet of the nozzle passes through the ink chamber, filter layer and guide channel in sequence and is ejected from the nozzle hole. out.

When an inkjet printer is used or not used for a long time, the ink in the nozzle of the inkjet printer can easily dry, condense or even dry up inside the nozzle to form ink residue, causing clogging of the nozzle holes. In the past, in order to unclog the nozzle, it was usually necessary to use cleaning fluid to clean the inside of the nozzle. For example, the cleaning liquid may specifically include components such as water and organic solvents. When cleaning the nozzle, you can point the nozzle of the nozzle downward to clear the liquid inlet of the nozzle and block the liquid outlet of the nozzle, and then inject the cleaning fluid from the liquid inlet of the nozzle into the inside of the nozzle through the liquid supply pump. , and the cleaning fluid is finally sprayed out from the nozzle hole, thereby completing the cleaning and maintenance of the nozzle. When the nozzle also includes a filter layer and a guide channel, the cleaning liquid injected by the liquid supply pump from the inlet of the nozzle passes through the ink chamber, filter layer and guide channel of the nozzle in sequence and is finally ejected from the nozzle hole, thereby completing the cleaning of the nozzle . However, if the liquid supply pump directly pumps the cleaning fluid into the nozzle, the impact force generated by the cleaning fluid will damage the precise structure inside the nozzle, causing damage to the nozzle. For example, if the filtration accuracy of the filter layer is high, the ink residue will easily adhere to the filter layer and block the filter layer under the influence of the cleaning fluid, or the ink residue will force through the filter layer under the pressure of the cleaning fluid, thereby damaging the filter layer. The filtering effect of the filter layer on the ink during subsequent printing cannot be guaranteed, which will affect the printing quality.

In view of this, embodiments of the present application provide a maintenance system for the nozzle, which can clear the nozzle through the oscillating ink in the ink chamber of the nozzle, and the impact force of the ink on the nozzle is small. In order to facilitate readers' understanding of this application, specific embodiments are described below.

Exemplarily, Figure 2 shows a nozzle maintenance system, which is used to clear the nozzle of an inkjet printer. The system includes a controller and an ink circulation circuit. As shown in Figure 2, the ink circulation circuit of the system 200 includes: The main container 201, the first adjusting device 202 and the nozzle 203 are arranged in sequence along the conveying direction of the ink (that is, the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 2). The first adjusting device 202 is connected to the main container 201 and the nozzle 203 by pipelines respectively. And the nozzle 203 pipeline is connected to the main container 201. Specifically, the liquid outlet pipeline of the main container 201 is connected to the liquid inlet of the first regulating device 202, the liquid outlet pipeline of the main container 201 is connected to the liquid inlet of the nozzle 203, and the liquid inlet pipeline of the nozzle 203 is connected to the liquid inlet of the first regulating device 202. A liquid outlet of the regulating device 202. The main container 201 is used to store ink and can provide an ink source for the system 200 .

The system 200 also includes a controller 204. The controller 204 is connected to the first adjustment device 202 through communication, such as wired connection or using wireless fidelity technology (Wireless Fidelity, Wi-Fi) or Bluetooth (Bluetooth, BT) technology. , frequency modulation (FM), near field communication (NFC), infrared technology (infrared, IR), or, such as the third generation (3G), the fourth generation (4th Generation, Wireless connections realized by mobile communication technologies such as 4G) or fifth generation (5th Generation, 5G).

The first adjusting device 202 includes a first receiving chamber, which is used to store the first gas and the ink flowing in from the main container 201. The first adjusting device 202 is used to adjust the pressure of the first gas, that is, the first gas pressure. ; The nozzle 203 may be the nozzle shown in Figure 1 (a) and Figure 1 (b), and the ink chamber pipeline of the nozzle 203 is connected to the first receiving chamber and the main container 201. When the ink in the ink circulation circuit is in a circulating flow state, the ink flowing out from the main container 201 flows through the first adjusting device 202 and the nozzle 203 successively, and then flows back to the main container 201 .

The controller 204 is used to control the first air pressure to change within the first negative pressure range through the first adjustment device 202 when the ink in the ink circulation circuit is in a circulating flow state, so that the ink in the ink chamber oscillates, wherein the ink The oscillation direction includes the length direction of the nozzle hole. For example, in some embodiments of the present application, the direction in which the ink circulates in the ink chamber may be the horizontal direction, and the length direction of the nozzle holes may be the vertical direction, wherein both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction may be relative to the ground. Word.

In this system, the first air pressure that changes within the first negative pressure range will cause the ink in the ink chamber to oscillate; the ink that keeps oscillating in the ink chamber can cause the ink that condenses, adheres, and dries to form slag in the ink chamber and nozzle holes. The ink residue is broken off and dispersed by vibration, and the ink residue becomes smaller and can be discharged from the ink chamber with the ink flowing out from the outlet of the nozzle and reused after subsequent filtration, thereby achieving maintenance of the nozzle holes. On the one hand, the constantly vibrating ink in the ink chamber will not have a large impact on the nozzle, nor does it need to be forced through the nozzle, thereby reducing the impact of the unblocked nozzle on the nozzle; on the other hand, this method can use the ink to To clear the nozzle, there is no need to use additional cleaning fluid to clean the nozzle, and there is no need to disassemble the nozzle from the inkjet printer for cleaning, which effectively simplifies the cleaning process of the nozzle and improves the efficiency of unblocking the nozzle.

Please refer to Figure 3. In some embodiments, the first adjustment device 202 includes a first container 2021, a first air pressure adjustment device 2022 and a first detection device 2023; wherein the first air pressure adjustment device 2022 and the first detection device 2023 are respectively Communicatively connected with controller 204. The first container 2021 is provided with a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a gas delivery port. The liquid inlet pipeline of the first container 2021 is connected to the liquid outlet of the main container 201 , and the liquid outlet pipeline of the first container 2021 is connected to the liquid inlet of the nozzle 203 . The pipeline of the first air pressure regulating device 2022 is connected to the air delivery port of the first container 2021.

The first container 2021 is used to contain the first gas and ink, and the first container includes a first receiving chamber. In some possible implementations, the lower space of the first container 2021 is used to hold ink, and the upper space of the first container 2021 is used to hold the first gas. The liquid inlet and outlet of the first container 2021 can be opened below the liquid level of the ink in the first container 2021 , and the air supply port of the first container 2021 can be opened above the liquid level of the ink in the first container 2021 .

The first air pressure adjusting device 2022 is used to adjust the pressure of the first gas in the first container 2021, that is, the first air pressure. The first detection device 2023 is disposed in the space where the first container 2021 contains gas, or the first detection device 2021 is disposed in the pipe connecting the first container 2021 and the first air pressure regulating device 2022 . The first detection device 2023 is used to measure the first air pressure. The controller 204 can communicate with the first detection device and obtain the detection data of the first air pressure through the first detection device 2023 . The controller 204 can control the first air pressure to change within the first negative pressure range through the first air pressure regulating device 2022 according to the detection data of the first air pressure.

As shown in Figure 3, in some embodiments, the ink circulation circuit also includes a second adjustment device 205. The second adjustment device 205 is connected to the nozzle and the main container 201 by pipelines respectively; that is, the inlet of the second adjustment device 205 is The liquid outlet pipeline is connected to the liquid outlet of the nozzle 203, and the liquid outlet pipeline of the second regulating device 205 is connected to the liquid inlet of the main container 201. The second adjusting device 205 includes a second receiving chamber, which is used to store the second gas and the ink flowing from the nozzle 203. The second adjusting device 205 is used to adjust the pressure of the second gas, that is, the second air pressure. The first gas and the second gas may be any suitable gas, such as air. The controller 204 controls the second air pressure to change within the second negative pressure range through the second adjustment device 205, so that the negative pressure in the second accommodation chamber is greater than the negative pressure in the first accommodation chamber; where the first air pressure and The second air pressure changes with the same preset period. When the first air pressure and the second air pressure change with the same preset period, the difference between the first air pressure and the second air pressure is within the preset difference range.

Please refer to Figure 3. In some embodiments, the second adjustment device 205 includes a second container 2051, a second air pressure adjustment device 2052 and a second detection device 2053; wherein the second air pressure adjustment device 2052 and the second detection device 2053 are respectively Communicatively connected with controller 204. The second container 2051 is provided with a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a gas delivery port. The liquid inlet pipeline of the second container 2051 is connected to the liquid outlet of the nozzle 203 , and the liquid outlet pipeline of the second container 2051 is connected to the liquid inlet of the main container 201 . The pipeline of the second air pressure regulating device 2052 is connected to the air delivery port of the second container 2051.

The second container 2051 is used to contain the second gas and ink, and the second container 2051 includes a second receiving chamber. In some possible implementations, the lower space of the second container 2051 is used to hold ink, and the upper space of the second container 2051 is used to hold the second gas. The liquid inlet and outlet of the second container 2051 can be opened below the liquid level of the ink in the second container 2051 , and the air supply port of the second container 2051 can be opened above the liquid level of the ink in the second container 2051 .

The second air pressure adjusting device 2052 is used to adjust the pressure of the gas in the second container 2051, that is, the second air pressure. The second detection device 2053 is disposed in the space where the second container 2051 contains gas, or the second detection device 2053 is disposed in the pipe connecting the second container 2051 and the second air pressure regulating device 2052 . The second detection device 2052 is used to measure the second air pressure. The controller 204 can communicate with the second detection device 2053 and obtain the detection data of the second air pressure obtained by the second detection device 2053 measuring the second air pressure. The controller 204 is configured to control the second air pressure to change within the second negative pressure range through the second air pressure regulating device 2052 according to the detection data of the second air pressure.

Specifically, the first detection device 2023 and the second detection device 2053 are air pressure detection devices; the first air pressure adjustment device 2022 and the second adjustment device 2052 are used to remove air from the container (such as the first container 2021 or the second container 2051). Or add air to reduce or increase the air pressure inside the container. Usually, the storage capacity of ink in the main container is greater than the storage capacity of ink in the first container. At the same time, the storage capacity of ink in the main container is also greater than the storage capacity of ink in the second container. For example, the main container is an ink bucket and the first container is a secondary container. cartridge, the second container is the return box.

In some embodiments, the controller 204 controls the second air pressure to change within the second negative pressure range through the second adjustment device 205, so that the negative pressure in the second accommodation chamber is greater than the negative pressure in the first accommodation chamber; Wherein, the first air pressure and the second air pressure change in the same preset period. When the first air pressure and the second air pressure change with the same preset period, the difference between the first air pressure and the second air pressure is within the preset difference range. The first air pressure and the second air pressure change in a preset period of 1-4 seconds, which can be set according to actual conditions, such as 1 second, 1.5 seconds, 2 seconds, 2.5 seconds, and 3 seconds.

Please refer to Figure 3. In some embodiments, the ink circulation circuit of the system 200 also includes a first ink delivery device 206. The first ink delivery device 206 is connected to the main container 201 and the first container 2021 by pipelines respectively to provide power for the ink flow. . Specifically, the liquid inlet pipeline of the first ink delivery device 206 is connected to the liquid outlet of the main container 201 , and the liquid outlet of the first ink delivery device 206 is connected to the liquid inlet of the first container 2021 . The first ink delivery device 206 is used to deliver the ink in the main container 201 to the first container 2021 . The first ink delivery device 206 may be an infusion pump, such as a peristaltic pump. The direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 3 is the circulation conveying direction of the ink.

Please refer to Figure 3. In some embodiments, the ink circulation loop of the system 200 also includes a second ink delivery device 207. The liquid inlet of the second ink delivery device 207 is connected to the liquid outlet of the second container 2051. The second ink delivery device 207 The liquid outlet of the device 207 is connected to the liquid inlet of the main container 201 , and the second ink transport device 207 is used to transport the ink in the second container 2051 to the main container 201 . The second ink delivery device 207 may specifically be an infusion pump, such as a peristaltic pump.

Please refer to Figure 3. In some embodiments, the ink circulation loop of the system 200 also includes a first ink processing device 208. The liquid outlet pipeline of the first ink processing device 208 is connected to the liquid inlet of the first container 2021. The liquid inlet pipeline of the ink processing device 208 is connected to the liquid inlet of the first ink delivery device 206 . The first ink processing device 208 is used to purify the ink and then deliver it to the first container 2021 . The first ink processing device 208 may include a first filter for removing air bubbles and impurities in the ink flowing into the first container 2021 .

Please refer to Figure 3. In some embodiments, the ink circulation loop of the system 200 also includes a second ink processing device 209. The liquid inlet pipeline of the second ink processing device 209 is connected to the liquid outlet of the first container 2021. The liquid outlet pipeline of the ink processing device 209 is connected to the liquid inlet of the nozzle 203 . The second ink processing device 209 is used to purify the inflowing ink and deliver the processed ink to the nozzle 203 . The purification process includes a filtration process. For example, the second ink processing device 209 may include a degassing device and/or a second filter.

It can be understood that the components shown in Figures 2 and 3 do not constitute a specific limitation on the system 200. The system 200 may also include more or fewer components than shown in the figures, or combine some components, or split some components. components, or different component arrangements. In addition, the combination/connection relationship between the components in Figures 2 and 3 can also be adjusted and modified.

When the ink in the ink circulation circuit is in a circulating flow state, the controller 204 controls the first air pressure to change within the first negative pressure range through the first adjustment device 202 to cause the ink in the ink chamber to oscillate, where the oscillation of the ink The direction includes the length direction of the nozzle hole 203 . In some embodiments, the length direction of the nozzle hole 203 is the axis direction of the nozzle hole 203 . When the ink in the ink circulation circuit is in a circulating flow state, the ink flows from the first receiving chamber into the ink chamber of the nozzle; since the first receiving chamber and the ink chamber of the nozzle are in a connected state; the first air pressure is within the first negative pressure range The change can cause the ink in the first receiving chamber and the ink chamber of the nozzle to vibrate at the same time; the constantly vibrating ink in the ink chamber can cause the ink that has condensed, adhered, dried and formed slag in the ink chamber and nozzle holes to be shaken off and dispersed , Moreover, the ink residue that falls off and becomes smaller can be discharged into the main container with the ink flowing out from the outlet of the nozzle, and then be reused after subsequent filtration processing, thereby realizing the dredging and maintenance of the nozzle holes. On the one hand, the constantly vibrating ink in the ink chamber will not have a large impact on the nozzle, nor does it need to be forced through the nozzle, thereby reducing the impact of the unblocked nozzle on the nozzle; on the other hand, this system can use the ink to To clear the nozzle, there is no need to use additional cleaning fluid to clean the nozzle, and there is no need to disassemble the nozzle from the inkjet printer for cleaning, which effectively simplifies the cleaning process of the nozzle and improves the efficiency of unblocking the nozzle.

In some embodiments, the first negative pressure range includes a first maximum value and a first minimum value of the first air pressure. The controller 204 controls the first air pressure to change between the first maximum value and the first minimum value through the first adjustment device 202, so that the position of the ink in the ink chamber and the liquid level formed by the nozzle holes are at the first position corresponding to the first maximum value and the first minimum value. position and a second position; wherein the second position is farther away from the ink chamber than the first position. Specifically, the first air pressure can periodically change within the first negative pressure range according to a preset period, so that the ink in the ink chamber oscillates periodically. The oscillation period of the periodic oscillation of the ink is the same as the change period of the first air pressure and the second air pressure, and can be set according to actual conditions, such as 1 second, 1.5 seconds, 2 seconds, 2.5 seconds, 3 seconds, etc. The duration of the periodic oscillation of the ink can be set as needed, such as 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 60 seconds, 100 seconds, etc.

An embodiment of the present application also provides an inkjet printer, which includes the nozzle maintenance system provided in the above embodiments. As shown in FIG. 4, the inkjet printer 400 may include the system 200 of FIG. 2 or FIG. 3. This inkjet printer can maintain the nozzle by itself without the need to disassemble the nozzle and use other cleaning devices to clean the nozzle, thereby effectively simplifying the process of unblocking the nozzle and improving the efficiency of unblocking the nozzle.

Embodiments of the present application also provide a maintenance method for nozzles. This method can be applied to the maintenance system of nozzles provided in the above embodiments, and can also be applied to inkjet printers; wherein, in some embodiments of the present application, inkjet printers The printer may be the inkjet printer in Figure 4. This method is used to maintain the nozzle of the inkjet printer. For example, the nozzle can be the nozzle in Figure 1 (a) and Figure 1 (b). Figure 5 schematically shows the flow 50 of the nozzle maintenance method, as shown in Figure 5 As shown in 5, the process 50 of the method includes the following steps:

Step 51: When the ink flows through the liquid inlet, the ink chamber and the liquid outlet sequentially along the ink transport direction, apply a first air pressure to the ink in the ink chamber at the liquid inlet end of the nozzle. , and the first air pressure changes within the first negative pressure range to cause the ink in the ink chamber to oscillate, where the oscillation direction of the ink includes the length direction of the nozzle hole.

In this embodiment, the inkjet printer can control the ink to flow through the liquid inlet, the ink chamber, and the liquid outlet sequentially along the ink transportation direction. During the ink transportation process, the air pressure of the inkjet printer at the liquid inlet end of the nozzle is the first. Air pressure, the inkjet printer controls the first air pressure to change within a first negative pressure range to cause the ink in the ink chamber to oscillate, where the oscillation direction of the ink includes the length direction of the nozzle hole. For example, the ink liquid level at the liquid inlet end of the nozzle is in contact with the first gas, and the pressure of the first gas is the first air pressure.

Specifically, the first negative pressure range includes the first maximum value and the first minimum value of the first air pressure. For example, assuming that the first negative pressure range is 0.3-9.0kpa, the maximum value and minimum value of the first air pressure are 0.3kpa and 9.0kpa respectively. When the first air pressure is the first maximum value, the position of the liquid level formed by the ink in the ink chamber and the nozzle hole is at the first position; when the first air pressure is the first minimum value, the ink in the ink chamber and the liquid level formed by the nozzle hole are at the first position. The position of the liquid level formed by the hole is at a second position; wherein the second position is farther away from the ink chamber than the first position. The first air pressure changes periodically within the first negative pressure range according to a preset period, so that the ink in the ink chamber oscillates periodically.

Please refer to Figure 6. In some embodiments, the above method further includes the following steps:

Step 52: The air pressure at the liquid outlet end of the nozzle is the second air pressure. The inkjet printer controls the second air pressure to change within the second negative pressure range so that the negative pressure at the liquid outlet end is greater than the negative pressure at the liquid inlet end. ; Wherein, the first air pressure and the second air pressure change with the same preset period.

In this embodiment, the ink liquid level at the liquid outlet end of the nozzle is in contact with the second gas, and the pressure of the second gas is the second air pressure. In some embodiments, the second air pressure at the liquid outlet end may remain unchanged. In other embodiments, in order to make the ink flow through the nozzle more smoothly, the inkjet printer can control the second air pressure to change within the second negative pressure range, so that the negative pressure at the liquid outlet end is greater than the negative pressure at the liquid inlet end. . In the embodiment of the present application, the air pressure in the first negative pressure range and the second negative pressure range is both negative pressure, and the negative pressure is a gas pressure state lower than normal pressure (that is, often referred to as one atmospheric pressure). That is, both the first air pressure in the first negative pressure range and the air pressure in the second negative pressure range are less than 1 atm. For example, the first negative pressure range may be 0.3-9.0kpa, and the second negative pressure range may be 0.6-9.3kpa. The first negative pressure range and the second negative pressure range can also be any other suitable negative pressure ranges.

When the first air pressure and the second air pressure change with the same preset period, the air pressure difference between the first air pressure and the second air pressure is within the preset difference range, so that the flow rate of the ink in the ink chamber can become stable. The second negative pressure range includes the second maximum value and the second minimum value of the second air pressure; when the second air pressure is the second maximum value, the liquid level formed by the ink in the ink chamber and the nozzle holes is located at the second One position; when the second air pressure is the second minimum value, the liquid level formed by the ink in the ink chamber and the nozzle hole is at the second position; wherein the second position is farther away from the ink chamber than the first position.

The second negative pressure range includes the maximum value and the minimum value of the second air pressure. In some embodiments of the present application, the first air pressure and the second air pressure change synchronously with the same change period. When the first air pressure is a maximum value, the second air pressure is also a maximum value; when the first air pressure is a minimum value, the second air pressure is also a minimum value. For example, when the first negative pressure is 0.3kpa, the second negative pressure is 0.6kpa; when the first negative pressure is 9.0kpa, the second negative pressure is 9.3kpa. The changing periods of the first air pressure and the second air pressure are the same. In some embodiments, when the first air pressure and the second air pressure change synchronously with the same change period, the pressure difference between the first air pressure and the second air pressure is within the preset pressure difference range. For example, the preset pressure difference range can be 0.25-0.35kpa, or about 0.3kpa.

On the one hand, since the negative pressure at the liquid outlet is greater than the negative pressure at the liquid inlet, the pressure difference between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet provides a guiding force for the ink to flow from the nozzle inlet to the ink chamber and the nozzle outlet in sequence; On the other hand, since the first air pressure and the second air pressure change synchronously and repeatedly within their respective negative pressure ranges with the same change cycle, the ink in the ink chamber can continuously oscillate in the ink chamber. The constantly vibrating ink can cause the ink that has condensed, adhered, and dried into slag in the ink chamber and nozzle holes to be shaken off and dispersed, and discharged from the liquid outlet, thereby cleaning the nozzle holes. The constantly vibrating ink will not have a large impact on the nozzle, nor does it need to be forced through the nozzle, thereby reducing the impact of the cleaning nozzle on the nozzle.

The inkjet printer can simultaneously adjust the first air pressure and the second air pressure to a maximum value so that the liquid level formed by the ink in the ink chamber and the nozzle holes is at the first position. The inkjet printer can also adjust the first air pressure and the second air pressure to a minimum value at the same time, so that the liquid level formed by the ink in the ink chamber and the nozzle holes is at the second position; wherein the second position is relative to the first position. Stay away from the ink chamber. The maintenance of the nozzle holes is completed by the ink oscillating in the nozzle holes, and the ink will not be forced through the nozzle holes, which can reduce the damage caused by cleaning the nozzle holes. At the same time, since the ink in the nozzle hole oscillates between the first position and the second position, the ink will not flow out of the nozzle hole, thereby reducing ink waste.

7(a) and 7(b) exemplarily illustrate different states of the oscillating ink in the ink chamber, in which the direction indicated by arrow a is the first direction, which is the direction of the ink circulation flow in the ink chamber. In Figure 7(a), the position of the liquid level formed by the nozzle hole and the ink is located at the second position 50a. As shown in Figure 7(a), part of the ink 50 in the ink chamber forms droplets on the side of the nozzle hole away from the ink chamber. , the droplets hang outside the nozzle hole and are in a state that will not drip. In Figure 7(b), the position of the liquid level formed by the nozzle hole and the ink is located at the first position 50b. The first position and the second position are respectively located on both sides of the nozzle hole. And the liquid level at the second position is a convex liquid level, and the liquid level at the first position is a concave liquid level. Since the ink in the ink chamber can change between the first position and the second position, the ink can oscillate back and forth through the nozzle holes without being forced through the nozzle holes, thereby effectively reducing the impact of the ink on the nozzle.

For example, in some embodiments, Figure 7(a) shows the state of the ink in the ink chamber when the first air pressure and the second air pressure are at a minimum value at the same time; at this time, the liquid level formed by the ink 50 in the ink chamber and the nozzle holes In second position 50a. Figure 7(b) shows the state of the ink 50 in the ink chamber when the first air pressure and the second air pressure are both at maximum values; at this time, the liquid level formed by the ink 50 and the nozzle holes in the ink chamber is at the first position 50b. As shown in Figure 7(b), when the first air pressure and the second air pressure are at the maximum value at the same time, the position of the liquid level in the nozzle hole is the first position 50b, and the ink in the ink chamber and the nozzle hole form a concave liquid surface, the concave liquid surface is located in the ink chamber.

For example, FIG. 8(a) and FIG. 8(b) respectively show the change curves of the first air pressure and the second air pressure changing synchronously with time. Among them, the first air pressure fluctuates between 0.5-8.1kpa, and the change period is 2.5s; the second air pressure fluctuates between 0.8-8.4kpa, and the change period of the second air pressure is the same as the change period of the first air pressure. When the negative pressure values of the first air pressure and the second air pressure are at maximum values at the same time, for example, points M and N in Figure 8, the inkjet printer can fill the first receiving chamber and the second receiving chamber with gas. Reduce the negative pressure values of the first air pressure and the second air pressure. When the negative pressure values of the first air pressure and the second air pressure are at a minimum value at the same time, for example, points P and Q in Figure 8, the inkjet printer can discharge the gas in the first receiving chamber and the second receiving chamber. The negative pressure values of the first air pressure and the second air pressure increase.

In other embodiments of the present application, the first air pressure and the second air pressure may also change asynchronously. Please refer to Figure 8(c) and Figure 8(d), where 8(c) is the change curve of the first air pressure, and Figure 8(d) is the change curve of the second air pressure. In the same change period, the first air pressure reaches the maximum value earlier than the second air pressure, that is, the first air pressure changes earlier than the second air pressure. For example, at time t, the second air pressure reaches the maximum value, but the first air pressure does not reach the maximum value. Assume that the difference obtained by subtracting the first air pressure from the second air pressure at time t is H. In Figure 8(a) and Figure 8(b), at time T, the first air pressure and the second air pressure reach the maximum value at the same time. Let the difference obtained by subtracting the first air pressure from the second air pressure at time T be L, then H>L. When the second air pressure is at a maximum value, the greater the difference between the second air pressure and the first air pressure, the more violent the instantaneous oscillation of the ink in the ink chamber will be, so that the effect of clearing the nozzle will be better. In some embodiments of the present application, when the first air pressure lags behind the change of the second air pressure, the dredging effect of the ink on the nozzle can also meet the usage requirements. The change time difference between the first air pressure and the second air pressure can be set as needed, such as 0.1 second, 0.2 second, etc. Among them, the X-axis in Figure 8(a), Figure 8(b), Figure 8(c) and Figure 8(d) is the time axis in seconds, and the Y-axis is the negative pressure axis in kpa.

An embodiment of the present application also provides a printing method, which is applied to an inkjet printer. Please refer to Figure 9. The method includes the following steps:

Step 81: Obtain the work order data of the image to be printed;

Step 82: Control the nozzle to print on the printing medium according to the work order data;

Step 83: During the idle time of printing, perform maintenance on the nozzle according to the nozzle maintenance method provided in the above embodiment;

Step 84: After completing the nozzle maintenance, obtain new work order data and control the nozzle to print on the printing medium.

In this embodiment, the inkjet printer can not only print target graphics and text with ink, but also use ink to clear and maintain the nozzle. Inkjet printers do not require the use of additional cleaning fluid to unclog bump heads. The working modes of the inkjet printer may specifically include a printing mode and a maintenance mode. In the printing mode, the inlet of the nozzle inputs ink into the ink chamber. Among the ink flowing through the ink chamber, part of the ink is ejected from the nozzle holes to form ink droplets and form a printing pattern on the printing medium; the other part of the ink It flows out from the outlet of the nozzle and eventually flows back to the main container. In the maintenance mode, the controller adjusts the first air pressure at the input end of the nozzle so that the ink in the ink chamber flows out from the outlet of the nozzle in the first direction and oscillates in the second direction. The first direction is the circulation flow direction of the ink in the ink chamber, and the second direction includes the length direction of the nozzle holes.

The inkjet printer can specifically obtain the work order data of the image to be printed, and control the nozzle to print on the printing medium according to the work order data. During the idle time of printing, the inkjet printer maintains the nozzle according to the nozzle maintenance method provided in the above embodiment. Among them, the printing idle time includes the interval between printing different work order data. Printing idle time can also include the time after the inkjet printer stops a print job. After the nozzle maintenance is completed, new work order data is obtained and the nozzle is controlled to print on the printing medium.

An embodiment of the present application also provides a maintenance device for a nozzle, which can be used in an inkjet printer. The nozzle includes a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, an ink chamber and several nozzles, wherein one end of the ink chamber is connected to the The liquid inlet is connected, the other end of the ink chamber is connected with the liquid outlet, the ink chamber is connected with the external environment through the nozzle hole, and the surface of the ink at the liquid inlet end of the nozzle is in contact with the first gas, The pressure of the first gas is the first gas pressure. Referring to Figure 10, the device 900 includes a first control module 901, and the first control module 901 is used to when the ink flows through the liquid inlet, the ink chamber and the liquid outlet sequentially along the ink conveying direction. , controlling the first air pressure to change within the first negative pressure range to cause the ink in the ink chamber to oscillate, where the oscillation direction of the ink includes the length direction of the nozzle hole.

In some embodiments, the first negative pressure range includes the first maximum value and the first minimum value of the first air pressure; the first control module 901 is specifically used to: control the first air pressure at the first maximum value. and the first minimum value, so that the position of the ink in the ink chamber and the liquid level formed by the nozzle hole correspondingly changes between the first position and the second position; wherein the second position is relatively away from the ink chamber at the first position.

In some embodiments, the first control module 901 is specifically configured to: control the first air pressure to periodically change within the first negative pressure range according to a preset period, so that the ink in the ink chamber oscillates periodically. .

Please refer to Figure 11. In some embodiments, the liquid level of the ink at the liquid outlet end of the nozzle is in contact with the second gas, and the pressure of the second gas is the second air pressure;

The device 900 includes a second control module 902, which is used to: control the second air pressure to change within a second negative pressure range, so that the second negative pressure is greater than the first negative pressure; wherein , the first air pressure and the second air pressure change synchronously in the same preset period.

In some embodiments, when the first air pressure and the second air pressure change synchronously with the same preset period, the difference between the first air pressure and the second air pressure is within a preset difference range.

In some embodiments, the second negative pressure range includes a second maximum value and a second minimum value of the second air pressure; the second control module 902 is specifically used to: control the second air pressure within the second Change between the maximum value and the second minimum value, so that the position of the ink in the ink chamber and the liquid level formed by the nozzle holes changes between the first position and the second position accordingly;

Wherein, the second position is farther from the ink chamber relative to the first position.

Figure 12 schematically shows the hardware structure diagram of the controller. As shown in Figure 12, the controller 700 includes:

One or more processors 710 and memory 720. In Figure 7, one processor 710 is taken as an example.

The processor 710 and the memory 720 may be connected through a bus or other means. In FIG. 7 , the connection through a bus is taken as an example.

As a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, the memory 720 can be used to store non-volatile software programs, non-volatile computer executable programs and modules, such as program instructions/modules corresponding to the methods in the embodiments of the present application. (For example, the first control module 901 shown in Figure 10). The processor 710 executes various functional applications and data processing of the inkjet printer by running non-volatile software programs, instructions and modules stored in the memory 720, that is, implementing the maintenance method and printing method of the above method embodiment.

The memory 720 may include a storage program area and a storage data area, where the storage program area may store an operating system and an application program required for at least one function; the storage data area may store data created according to the use of the cleaning device of the nozzle, etc. In addition, memory 720 may include high-speed random access memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one magnetic disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state storage device. In some embodiments, the memory 720 optionally includes memories remotely located relative to the processor 710 , and these remote memories can be connected to the cleaning device of the nozzle through a network. Examples of the above-mentioned networks include but are not limited to the Internet, intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks and combinations thereof.

The one or more modules are stored in the memory 720, and when executed by the one or more processors 710, execute the maintenance device of the nozzle in any of the above method embodiments, for example, execute the above-described FIG. 5 The method step 51 in Figure 6, the method steps 51-52 in Figure 6, and the method steps 81-84 in Figure 9 realize the functions of the functional module 901 in Figure 10 and the functional modules 901-902 in Figure 11.

The above-mentioned products can execute the methods provided by the embodiments of this application, and have corresponding functional modules and beneficial effects for executing the methods. For technical details that are not described in detail in this embodiment, please refer to the methods provided in the embodiments of this application.

Embodiments of the present application provide a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions. The computer-executable instructions are executed by one or more processors. For example, in Figure 7 A processor 710 can enable the above-mentioned one or more processors to execute the cleaning device of the nozzle in any of the above method embodiments, for example, execute the above-described method step 51 in Figure 5, method step 51 in Figure 6 -52, method steps 81-84 in Figure 9 realize the functions of the functional module 901 in Figure 10 and the functional modules 901-902 in Figure 11.

The device embodiments described above are only illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in One location, or it can be distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

It should be noted that the preferred embodiments of the present application are given in the description and drawings of this application. However, the present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described in this specification. These embodiments are not used as additional limitations on the content of the present application, and are provided for the purpose of making the disclosure of the present application more thorough and comprehensive. Moreover, the above technical features can be continuously combined with each other to form various embodiments not listed above, which are all deemed to be within the scope of the description of this application; further, for those of ordinary skill in the art, they can be improved or transformed according to the above description. , and all these improvements and transformations should fall within the protection scope of the claims appended to this application.

Claims

A maintenance system for nozzles, characterized in that the system includes:

controller;

Ink circulation circuit, the ink circulation circuit includes a main container, a first adjustment device and a nozzle arranged in sequence along the transport direction of the ink. The first adjustment device is connected to the main container and the nozzle by pipelines respectively. The nozzle Connected to the main container, the first adjusting device is connected to the controller;

Wherein, the main container is used to store ink;

The first adjusting device includes a first receiving chamber, the first receiving chamber is used to store the first gas and the ink flowing from the main container, and the first adjusting device is used to adjust the first gas. One air pressure;

The nozzle head includes an ink chamber and a plurality of nozzle holes. The ink chamber is connected to the external environment through the nozzle holes. The ink chamber pipeline connects the first receiving chamber and the main container;

The controller is used for:

When the ink in the ink circulation circuit is in a circulating flow state, the first air pressure is controlled to change within a first negative pressure range through the first adjustment device, so that the ink in the ink chamber oscillates, wherein , the oscillation direction of the ink includes the length direction of the nozzle hole.
The system according to claim 1, wherein the first negative pressure range includes a first maximum value and a first minimum value of the first air pressure;

The controller is specifically used for:

The first air pressure is controlled to change between a first maximum value and a first minimum value through the first adjusting device, so that the position of the ink in the ink chamber and the liquid level formed by the nozzle holes are correspondingly at Change between first and second position;

Wherein, the second position is farther from the ink chamber relative to the first position.
The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the controller is specifically used for:

The first air pressure is controlled to change periodically within a first negative pressure range according to a preset cycle through the first adjusting device, so that the ink in the ink chamber oscillates periodically.
The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the ink circulation circuit further includes a second adjustment device, and the second adjustment device is connected to the nozzle and the main container by pipelines respectively;

The second adjusting device includes a second receiving chamber, the second receiving chamber is used to store the second gas and the ink flowing from the nozzle, and the second adjusting device is used to adjust the second gas flow rate of the second gas. air pressure;

The controller is also used to:

The second air pressure is controlled to change within a second negative pressure range by the second adjusting device, so that the negative pressure in the second accommodation cavity is greater than the negative pressure in the first accommodation cavity;

Wherein, the first air pressure and the second air pressure change in the same preset period.
The system according to claim 4, characterized in that when the first air pressure and the second air pressure change with the same preset period, the difference between the first air pressure and the second air pressure is within the preset period. Set within the difference range.
The system according to claim 4, wherein the second negative pressure range includes a second maximum value and a second minimum value of the second air pressure;

The controller is specifically used for:

The second air pressure is controlled to change between the second maximum value and the second minimum value through the second adjustment device, so that the ink in the ink chamber is in contact with the liquid level formed by the nozzle holes. The position accordingly changes between a first position and a second position;

Wherein, the second position is farther from the ink chamber relative to the first position.
The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the first adjustment device includes:

a first container, the first container including the first receiving cavity;

A first air pressure regulating device is communicatively connected with the controller. The first air pressure regulating device has a pipeline connected to the air delivery port of the first container. The first air pressure regulating device is used to regulate the first air pressure;

A first detection device, communicatively connected with the controller, for detecting the first air pressure;

The controller is specifically used for:

The detection data of the first air pressure is obtained through the first detection device, and the first air pressure is controlled to change within a first negative pressure range through the first air pressure regulating device according to the detection data of the first air pressure.
The system of claim 4, wherein the second adjustment device includes:

a second container, the second container including the second receiving cavity;

A second air pressure regulating device is communicatively connected to the controller, the second air pressure regulating device is connected to the air delivery port of the second container through a pipeline, and the second air pressure regulating device is used to regulate the second air pressure;

a second detection device, communicatively connected with the controller, and used to detect the second air pressure;

The controller is used for:

The detection data of the second air pressure is obtained through the second detection device, and the second air pressure is controlled within the second negative pressure range through the second air pressure adjustment device according to the detection data of the second air pressure. Variety.
The system according to claim 7, wherein the ink circulation circuit further includes a first ink delivery device, the first ink delivery device is connected to the main container and the first container by pipelines respectively, and the The first ink delivery device is used to deliver the ink contained in the main container to the first container.
The system according to claim 8, wherein the ink circulation circuit further includes a second ink delivery device, the second ink delivery device is connected to the second container and the main container by pipelines respectively, and the The second ink delivery device is used to deliver the ink contained in the second container to the main container.
The system according to claim 7, wherein the ink circulation circuit further includes a first ink processing device, and the first ink processing device is connected to the first container and the first ink delivery device by pipelines respectively. ;

The first ink processing device is used to purify the ink output by the first ink delivery device.
The system according to claim 7, wherein the ink circulation circuit further includes a second ink processing device, and the second ink processing device is connected to the first container and the nozzle by pipelines respectively.

The second ink processing device is used to purify the ink output from the first container.
An inkjet printer, characterized in that the inkjet printer includes the system according to any one of claims 1-13.
A maintenance method for a nozzle, applied to an inkjet printer, characterized in that the nozzle includes a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, an ink chamber and several nozzles, wherein one end of the ink chamber is connected to the liquid inlet The other end of the ink chamber is connected to the liquid outlet, the ink chamber is connected to the external environment through the nozzle hole, and the air pressure at the liquid inlet end of the nozzle is the first air pressure;

The methods include:

When the ink flows through the liquid inlet, the ink chamber and the liquid outlet sequentially along the ink conveying direction, the first air pressure is controlled to change within a first negative pressure range, so that the ink chamber The ink oscillates, wherein the oscillation direction of the ink includes the length direction of the nozzle hole.
The method according to claim 14, wherein the first negative pressure range includes a first maximum value and a first minimum value of the first air pressure;

The controlling the first air pressure to change within a first negative pressure range to cause the ink in the ink chamber to oscillate includes:

The first air pressure is controlled to change between a first maximum value and a first minimum value, so that the ink in the ink chamber is at the first position and the second position corresponding to the position of the liquid level formed by the nozzle hole. changes between;

Wherein, the second position is farther from the ink chamber relative to the first position.
The method according to claim 14, wherein the controlling the first air pressure to change within a first negative pressure range to cause the ink in the ink chamber to oscillate includes:

The first air pressure is controlled to change periodically within the first negative pressure range according to a preset period, so that the ink in the ink chamber oscillates periodically.
The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that the air pressure at the liquid outlet end of the nozzle is the second air pressure;

The method also includes:

Control the second air pressure to change within a second negative pressure range so that the second negative pressure is greater than the first negative pressure;

Wherein, the first air pressure and the second air pressure change in the same preset period.
The method according to claim 17, characterized in that when the first air pressure and the second air pressure change with the same preset period, the difference between the first air pressure and the second air pressure is within the preset period. Set within the difference range.
The method of claim 17, wherein the second negative pressure range includes a second maximum value and a second minimum value of the second air pressure;

The controlling the second air pressure to change within the second negative pressure range includes:

The second air pressure is controlled to change between the second maximum value and the second minimum value, so that the ink in the ink chamber is at the first position corresponding to the position of the liquid level formed by the nozzle holes. and changes between the second position;

Wherein, the second position is farther from the ink chamber relative to the first position.
A printing method applied to an inkjet printer, characterized in that the inkjet printer includes a nozzle, and the method includes:

Get the work order data of the image to be printed;

Control the nozzle to print on the printing medium according to the work order data;

During the idle time of printing, perform maintenance on the nozzle according to the method described in any one of claims 15-19;

After the nozzle maintenance is completed, new work order data is obtained and the nozzle is controlled to print on the printing medium.