1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to inkjet printing systems and more particularly to an apparatus and method for wiping a nozzle plate of an inkjet cartridge used in such printing systems.
2. Description of the Background of the Disclosure
High-speed printing systems typically include one or more imaging units. Each imaging unit has one or more inkjet cartridges and a controller controls each inkjet cartridge to eject a fluid (such as ink or other composition) onto a receiving surface. Each inkjet cartridge includes a nozzle plate that includes a plurality of orifices (nozzles) through which ink from inside the inkjet cartridge may be controllably ejected.
An inkjet cartridge typically includes a fluid chamber and one or more nozzles. Pressure inside of the fluid chamber is increased relative to ambient air pressure to force a drop of fluid through the nozzle(s). One type of inkjet cartridge uses a piezoelectric element that deforms a wall of the fluid chamber to reduce the volume thereof and thereby increase the pressure within the fluid chamber. Alternately, a heating element may be used to vaporize some of the fluid (or a constituent of the fluid such as a fluid carrier or a solvent) in the fluid chamber to form a bubble therein, which increases the pressure inside the fluid chamber. A controller controls the current that is passed through the piezoelectric element to control the deformation thereof or to control the current through the heating element in turn to control the temperature thereof so that drops are formed when needed. Other types of inkjet technologies known in the art may be used in the printing systems described herein.
In a printing system, an inkjet cartridge is secured to a carrier and disposed such that the nozzles of the inkjet cartridge are directed toward the receiving surface. The carrier may be manufactured from steel or other alloys that can be milled to a high precision. More than one inkjet cartridge may be secured to a carrier in this fashion in a one or two-dimensional array.
Dried ink, dust, paper fibers, and other debris can collect on a nozzle plate or in a nozzle of an inkjet cartridge and prevent proper ejection of ink from the nozzles thereof. The controller of a printing system can undertake periodic cleaning cycles during which ink is purged from the nozzle to release any debris in or near such nozzle. The purged ink and/or debris must be removed from the nozzle plate in the vicinity of the nozzles so that such purged ink and/or debris does not collect thereon and dry to create further debris that will later interfere with ejection of ink from nozzles of the cartridge.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus to clean a nozzle plate of an inkjet head includes a wiper blade, a setscrew coupled to the wiper blade, a mounting body, a spring, a moveable member disposed in the body, a cavity, a fluid port, and a controller. The mounting body has a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion being closer to the wiper blade than the bottom portion. The spring is disposed between the wiper blade and the bottom portion of the mounting body, and a portion of the spring is coupled to the wiper blade. The moveable member includes a threaded interior wall for receiving the setscrew and threading the setscrew to the threaded interior wall adjusts a compression load of the spring. Compression of the spring varies, thereby varying a distance between the wiper blade and the bottom portion of the mounting body, as the wiper blade is transported across a face of the nozzle plate to clean the nozzle plate. The fluid port is coupled to the cavity and fluid supplied through the fluid port urges the moveable member and the wiper blade toward the nozzle plate.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for using a wiper to clean a nozzle plate of an inkjet head includes the step of transporting the wiper blade across the face of a nozzle plate for wiping portions of the nozzle plate. A spring is disposed between the wiper blade and a mounting body, and a setscrew is coupled to the wiper blade, wherein a top portion of the mounting body is closer to the wiper blade than a bottom portion of the mounting body. The method includes the further steps of threading a portion of the setscrew to a threaded interior wall of moveable member disposed in the body to adjust a compression load of the spring, and supplying a fluid into a cavity of the mounting body to urge the moveable member and the wiper blade towards the nozzle plate. In addition, the method includes the step of varying a distance between the wiper blade and the bottom portion of the mounting body in accordance with variations in distances between the portions of the nozzle plate and the bottom portion of the mounting body.
Provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/685,002, filed Mar. 9, 2012, discloses a printing system that includes a printing unit and a cleaning unit, the entire contents of such application are incorporated herein by reference. The printing unit includes a carrier onto which a plurality of inkjet cartridges is disposed. Referring to
The wiper unit 302 includes a plurality of wipers 304 for wiping a nozzle plate of an inkjet cartridge. Some or all of the wipers 304 disclosed in the above-identified Provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/685,002 may be replaced by the wiper disclosed herein. Referring to
Referring to
A bolt 560 couples the top bar 550 and the bottom bar 554 of the leaf spring 552. The bolt 560 is adjusted to pre-compress the leaf spring to limit travel thereof. Such pre-compression of the leaf spring prevents the wiper blade 506, the leaf spring 552, or any other component of the wiper unit 302 from contacting the nozzle plate 110 of the inkjet cartridge as the wiping unit 302 is when in a non-wiping positions.
Referring once again to
During operation, securing the wiper blade 506 of the wiper 304 to the leaf spring 552 allows the wiper blade 506 to adjust for variation in the distance between the bottom of nozzle plate 110 being wiped and the mounting plate 512. Such variation may occur, for example, if the nozzle plate 110 is not perfectly planar or if the plane of the nozzle plate 110 is not parallel to the plane of the mounting plate 512. The wiper blade 506 can also adjust for differences in the distances between the mounting plate 512 and the nozzle plates 110 of different inkjet cartridges wiped by the wiper blade 506. Other sources for such variation will be apparent to those having skill in the art.
Further, attaching the wiper blade 506 of the wiper 304 to the leaf spring 552 allows control over the force exerted by a nozzle plate 110 being wiped on the face 562 of the wiper blade 506 and how much the wiper blade 506 flexes in response to such force. Similarly, the use of the leaf spring 552 in this manner allows control over the wiping force exerted by the wiper blade 506 on the nozzle plate 110 and the amount and viscosity of fluid on the nozzle plate 110 that may be removed by the wiper blade 506. It should be apparent to those of skill in the art that such control can improve the effectiveness of wiping by the wiper blade 506, prevent damage to the wiper blade 506, and prevent damage to the nozzle plate 110 (e.g., because of excessive force applied thereto by the wiper blade 506).
Referring to
The port 510 is coupled to an output port 516 that opens into the cavity 520. During operation of the wiper 304, pressurized fluid is supplied through the port 510 and exhausted via the port 516 into the cavity 520 of the mounting body 556. The pressurized fluid in the cavity 520 increases pressure within such cavity 520 and urges the cylinder 600 and the bolt 604, which act as a piston, to move upward in the direction C-C. Such movement of the cylinder 600 and the bolt 604 causes the leaf spring 552 and the wiper 304 secured thereto to rise. The upward movement of the cylinder 600 and the bolt 604 also compresses a spring 606 disposed in the interior of the wiper 304. A fluid controller (not shown) actuates a source of pressurized gas (not shown) to supply the pressurized fluid to the port 510 to lift the leaf spring 552 and the wiper blade 506 until the wiper blade 506 is at a predetermined distance from the mounting plate 512. The predetermined height is selected so that the wiper blade 506 at such distance contacts the nozzle plate 110 of an inkjet cartridge with a predetermined force. In one embodiment, such predetermined force is between approximately 28.35 grams and approximately 70.9 grams (1.0 ounce and 2.5 ounces). A motion controller (not shown) thereafter moves the wiper unit 302 and, therefore, the wiper blade 506 across the nozzle plate 110 of the inkjet cartridge to wipe ink and debris therefrom.
After the wiper 304 has wiped the nozzle plate 110, the controller causes the pressurized fluid to be released from the cavity 520 through the ports 516 and 510. It should be apparent to those having skill in the art that the controller may operate one or more valves and/or pumps to release the pressurized fluid from the cavity 520. Typically, the released fluid is exhausted to the environment or returned to the source of the gas. Releasing the fluid causes the spring 606 to decompress and thereby urge the cylinder 600 and the bolt 604 to move downward.
In some embodiments, a compression spring disposed inside the mounting body 556 of the wiper 304 may be used instead of the leaf spring 552 to allow the wiper blade 506 to compensate for variations in distance between nozzle plate 110 and the mounting plate 512. Referring to
Referring to
Other types external and/or internal springs may be used to support a wiper blade 506 such that the wiper blade 506 may accommodate variations in the orientation of nozzle plates 110 wiped thereby.
Numerous modifications to the present embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is presented for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to make and use the embodiments and to teach the best mode of carrying out same.
The present application claims the benefit of Cyman, Jr. et al., U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/762,713, filed on Feb. 8, 2013, and entitled “Apparatus and Method for Wiping an Inkjet Cartridge Nozzle Plate.” The entire contents of such application are incorporated herein by reference.
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