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EP1013451B1 - Appareil pour contrôler la température d'encre muni d'un cable ombilical chauffé - Google Patents

Appareil pour contrôler la température d'encre muni d'un cable ombilical chauffé Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP1013451B1
EP1013451B1 EP19990309508 EP99309508A EP1013451B1 EP 1013451 B1 EP1013451 B1 EP 1013451B1 EP 19990309508 EP19990309508 EP 19990309508 EP 99309508 A EP99309508 A EP 99309508A EP 1013451 B1 EP1013451 B1 EP 1013451B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
ink
heating ink
umbilical
tube
fluid
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19990309508
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1013451A3 (fr
EP1013451A2 (fr
Inventor
Daniel E. Woolard
James D. Mccann
Richard T. Enz
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Eastman Kodak Co
Original Assignee
Eastman Kodak Co
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Eastman Kodak Co filed Critical Eastman Kodak Co
Publication of EP1013451A2 publication Critical patent/EP1013451A2/fr
Publication of EP1013451A3 publication Critical patent/EP1013451A3/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1013451B1 publication Critical patent/EP1013451B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/07—Ink jet characterised by jet control
    • B41J2/072—Ink jet characterised by jet control by thermal compensation
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/17—Ink jet characterised by ink handling
    • B41J2/175—Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to continuous ink jet printers and more particularly to reducing heater watt density in an ink jet printer without degrading the ink.
  • ink is supplied under pressure to a manifold that distributes the ink to a plurality of orifices, typically arranged in linear array(s).
  • the ink is expelled from the orifices in jets which break up due to surface tension in the ink into droplet streams.
  • Ink jet printing is accomplished with these droplet streams by selectively charging and deflecting some droplets from their normal trajectories. The deflected or undeflected droplets are caught and re-circulated and the others are allowed to impinge on a printing surface.
  • ink jet printing product line of Scitex Digital Printing, Inc. of Dayton, Ohio
  • This heater is a "cartridge" style, with approximately 13mm 2 (5 square inches) of area emitting 500 watts.
  • this watt-density 38W/mm 2 (100 watts per square inch)
  • the surface temperature of the heater can get high enough to cause the ink dye to come out of solution and form massive globs on the heating element. These globs can break off and clog filters or orifices. Furthermore this agglomerated ink will reduce the efficiency of the heater.
  • the ink is heated to a minimum temperature of 54°C (85°F) during operation of the printer, This is done to reduce the limit the range of the temperature dependent fluid properties.
  • the stimulation operating point can be stabilized over a wide range of ambient temperatures.
  • US 4337469-A discloses a heating pipe for a printer that allows the viscosity and surface tension of the ink to be maintained constant.
  • a control system controls the power supply to the heating pipe.
  • US 5 821 963-A discloses a means for heating ink in a printer comprising a heater surrounding a supplying tube.
  • the invention provides an improved means for heating ink in an ink jet printer according to claim 1.
  • Thermal insulation can enclose the fluid tubing and the heater, and a protective covering can enclose the thermal insulation.
  • An elastomeric layer can be situated between the fluid tubing and the heater, while maintaining close thermal contact between the fluid tubing and the heater.
  • the present invention describes a means of reducing heater watt density, by incorporating a heated umbilical, a temperature sensor, associated solid state controls for energizing the heater, and associated software.
  • reducing the heater watt density is achieved by replacing the small cartridge style heaters with ink heaters having much higher surface area.
  • One convenient means to do this is to apply heat to the entire length of fluid tubing by means of an extended heater element.
  • One particularly convenient means to do this is to heat the printhead ink supply tubing of the printhead umbilical.
  • the effective surface area of the heater is 7m 2 (282 in 2 ). This is an increase in surface area of a factor of 56 relative to the typical cartridge style heaters. In this way, the power density levels are kept low enough to avoid degrading the ink.
  • Fig. 1 shows an ink jet printer system incorporating the heated umbilical of the present invention
  • Fig. 2 illustrates a circuit diagram 30.
  • the circuit 30 comprises a temperature sensor or thermistor 32 at print head 34, a heated umbilical 36 comprised of heater unit 48 and umbilical 50, two solid state relays 38, and two thermostats 40.
  • a fluid system 35 supplies ink to the printhead 34 via at least one umbilical 50.
  • a signal from thermistors 32 is transmitted between the printhead 34 and the fluid system 35, as indicated by representative signal line 37 in Fig. 1.
  • the fluid fittings which couple to the printhead normally incorporate check valves. If the umbilical was to heat the ink, and flow of ink from the umbilical was blocked by the check valves, the umbilical could become a potential hazard. Due to the thermal expansion of the fluid in the sealed umbilical, pressures could rise to a few Mpa (a few thousand psi) in a 12m (40 foot) umbilical by heating the ink by 120°C. For this reason the heated umbilical must include several safeguards.
  • One of these safeguards is a metal braid 46 around the plastic core 42 of the umbilical.
  • TFE tubing having a wall thickness of 0.76mm (0.030 inch) reinforced by stainless steel braid
  • the tubing is rated for use up 232°C (450°F) and 20.7Mpa (3000 PSI).
  • the rated burst strength is 89.6Mpa (13,000 PSI).
  • the umbilical tubing is therefore capable of withstanding not only normal operating conditions with ink flowing, but also abnormal operation, where there may be no ink flow yet heat is still being applied.
  • thermostats 40 which open, preventing current flow to the heater element 48, when the umbilical gets too hot (120°C).
  • the thermostats 40 for each umbilical 50 are arranged so that one thermostat is on each leg of the input power.
  • the two solid state relays 38 are also arranged so as to have one on each leg of the input power. The thermostats 40 will open up the circuit in the event of an unsafe operating condition.
  • the heated umbilical is provided with pressure relief valve with a relief pressure of 0.5Mpa (75 psi). This prevents the pressure in the umbilical from rising higher than 0.5Mpa (75 psi).
  • the fluid vented through the pressure relief valve goes to a waste ink container.
  • umbilical 50 is illustrated in detail.
  • An inner core 42 of the umbilical 50 comprises plastic tubing 44 surrounded by a metal braid 46 to provide strength.
  • the tubing 44 is preferably capable of withstanding not only normal operating conditions with ink flowing, but also abnormal operation, where there may be no ink flow, yet heat is still being applied. Under abnormal conditions, steam can be created, with its inherently high temperatures and pressures.
  • the braided tubing structure of the heated umbilical of the present invention is constructed to be capable of withstanding the high pressures and temperatures that may occur.
  • heating element 48 can be placed around the tubing 44 in any of a variety of suitable configurations.
  • heat tape can be wrapped directly around the tubing 44.
  • an intermediate layer of flexible elastomer can be placed around the tubing 44, and then the heating element 48 can be wrapped around the intermediate layer.
  • Yet another configuration proposes a heating wire, protected by a flexible braid, wrapped around the tubing.
  • thermostats 40 of Fig. 2 are placed as close as possible to the tubing 44, with the heating element 48 wrapped around the tubing and the thermostat, as best illustrated in Fig. 3.
  • an insulation layer 52 in the form of a flexible tape, fiberglass felt, or other appropriate material.
  • there is enough insulation 52 so that the exterior surfaces are not hot to the touch.
  • a layer of protective covering 54 such as a flexible conduit or sleeve.
  • the conduit can be smooth or convoluted, of the appropriate size and material.
  • a protective sleeve is the preferred method, since the bend radius is minimized.
  • the temperature control is accomplished by reading the temperature of the ink in the printhead 34. This is compared to the desired temperature by a suitable temperature control system, which energizes the solid state relays 38 for the umbilical as required.
  • the print head startup process can begin. The entire “warm-up” and “startup” process takes less than 30 minutes from a “cold” condition. Once the system is warmed up, the startup process takes approximately 8 to 12 minutes.
  • the heater is energized to produce "condensation cleaning" of the charge plate.
  • the ink must be heated quickly, so that the catcher and charge plate are still “cold” in relation to the fluid.
  • the fluid temperature has to rise by approximately 7 degrees C in 75 seconds for the process to work well. With 800 ml/min of ink flow, this dictates the wattage requirements for the umbilical.
  • the input power varies from 180 volts to 253 volts.
  • the ambient can be cool, for example as low as 15 degrees C.
  • a heater resistance for a preferred embodiment gives enough wattage for the "low-volts, low-temp" condition, which is more than enough for other conditions. In the preferred embodiment, therefore, the resistance is 27 ohms.
  • the instantaneous heater power varies from 1200 to 2370 watts.
  • the temperature control simply changes the duty cycle of the supplied power appropriately to maintain the desired temperature.
  • umbilical connecting the fluid system and printhead. It must be recognized however that the number of umbilical is not limited to one. For example, a supply line to the printhead could be heated, while one or more additional umbilical might contain the ink return lines to the fluid system and the electrical connections.
  • the present invention is useful in the field of ink jet printing, and has the advantage of reducing heater watt density.
  • the reduction in heater watt density as proposed by the present invention, has the additional advantage of having power levels that are low enough to avoid degrading the ink.

Landscapes

  • Ink Jet (AREA)

Claims (10)

  1. Moyen destiné à chauffer de l'encre dans une imprimante à jet d'encre, l'imprimante à jet d'encre comportant une tête d'impression (34) et un système à fluide (35) destiné à fournir de l'encre à la tête d'impression (34) par l'intermédiaire d'au moins un cordon ombilical (50) comprenant un tube à fluide souple (44) au travers duquel l'encre circule vers la tête d'impression (34) et caractérisé par
       une couche de renfort (46) entourant une âme intérieure (42) du tube (44), et
       un élément de chauffage étendu (48) entourant la couche de renfort et en contact thermique étroit avec le tube (44) en vue de fournir de la chaleur à une longueur du tube (44).
  2. Moyen destiné à chauffer de l'encre selon la revendication 1, dans lequel la couche de renfort est une tresse métallique (46).
  3. Moyen destiné à chauffer de l'encre selon la revendication 1 ou 2 et comprenant en outre un moyen d'isolation thermique (52) destiné à enfermer le tube (44) et l'élément de chauffage (48).
  4. Moyen destiné à chauffer de l'encre selon la revendication 1, 2 ou 3 et comprenant en outre une couche élastomère entre le tube (44) de l'élément de chauffage (48).
  5. Moyen destiné à chauffer de l'encre selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes et comprenant en outre au moins un thermostat (40) destiné à arrêter la circulation du courant vers l'élément de chauffage (48).
  6. Moyen destiné à chauffer de l'encre selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes et comprenant en outre une soupape de décharge de pression destinée à décharger une pression excessive dans le tube à fluide.
  7. Moyen destiné à chauffer de l'encre selon la revendication 6 dans lequel la pression de décharge est approximativement 0,5 MPa (75 livres par pouce carré).
  8. Moyen destiné à chauffer de l'encre selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes et comprenant en outre un moyen de régulation de température (37) destiné à commander la puissance fournie au moyen destiné à chauffer de l'encre.
  9. Moyen destiné à chauffer de l'encre selon la revendication 8 dans lequel le moyen de régulation de température est associé au système à fluide (35).
  10. Moyen destiné à chauffer de l'encre selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes et comprenant en outre un montage pour fluide en vue du raccordement à une tête d'impression, les montages pour fluide incorporant des clapets de non-retour.
EP19990309508 1998-12-14 1999-11-29 Appareil pour contrôler la température d'encre muni d'un cable ombilical chauffé Expired - Lifetime EP1013451B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US21106698A 1998-12-14 1998-12-14
US211066 1998-12-14

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1013451A2 EP1013451A2 (fr) 2000-06-28
EP1013451A3 EP1013451A3 (fr) 2000-11-29
EP1013451B1 true EP1013451B1 (fr) 2004-09-15

Family

ID=22785469

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19990309508 Expired - Lifetime EP1013451B1 (fr) 1998-12-14 1999-11-29 Appareil pour contrôler la température d'encre muni d'un cable ombilical chauffé

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1013451B1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2000218820A (fr)
CA (1) CA2292231A1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69920151T2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2002264362A (ja) * 2001-03-08 2002-09-18 Seiko Instruments Inc インクジェット式記録装置
KR100422075B1 (ko) * 2001-05-04 2004-03-18 지창현 단열 히터 재킷 장치
JP5564859B2 (ja) * 2009-08-31 2014-08-06 セイコーエプソン株式会社 液体噴射装置
DE102013110799A1 (de) 2013-09-30 2015-04-02 Océ Printing Systems GmbH & Co. KG Anordnung zur Versorgung einer mindestens einen Druckkopf aufweisenden Druckkopfeinheit mit Tinte bei einem Tintendruckgerät
JP6247895B2 (ja) * 2013-10-28 2017-12-13 株式会社日立産機システム インクジェット記録装置
DE102015116139A1 (de) 2015-09-24 2017-03-30 Océ Printing Systems GmbH & Co. KG Anordnung zur Versorgung einer Druckkopfeinheit mit Tinte bei einem Tintendruckgerät
US12194750B2 (en) 2020-07-06 2025-01-14 Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. Ink heating device, ink supply device and image forming system
KR102558479B1 (ko) * 2023-03-20 2023-07-21 주식회사 이든넷 프린터의 무한잉크 공급장치

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5342619B2 (fr) * 1974-09-06 1978-11-13
JPS5783457A (en) * 1980-11-13 1982-05-25 Ricoh Co Ltd Ink jet printer
JPS57185156A (en) * 1981-04-20 1982-11-15 Ricoh Co Ltd Ink heater for ink jet recorder
US4814786A (en) * 1987-04-28 1989-03-21 Spectra, Inc. Hot melt ink supply system
US5451989A (en) * 1989-07-28 1995-09-19 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Ink jet recording apparatus with a heat pipe for temperature stabilization
JP3175214B2 (ja) * 1991-08-30 2001-06-11 ブラザー工業株式会社 インク供給装置
WO1996008373A1 (fr) * 1994-09-16 1996-03-21 Videojet Systems International, Inc. Systeme d'impression continue a jet d'encre utilisant des encres thermofusibles
JPH08258284A (ja) * 1995-03-22 1996-10-08 Brother Ind Ltd インクジェット式印刷記録装置
US5784279A (en) * 1995-09-29 1998-07-21 Bpm Technology, Inc. Apparatus for making three-dimensional articles including moving build material reservoir and associated method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1013451A3 (fr) 2000-11-29
JP2000218820A (ja) 2000-08-08
CA2292231A1 (fr) 2000-06-14
EP1013451A2 (fr) 2000-06-28
DE69920151T2 (de) 2005-09-22
DE69920151D1 (de) 2004-10-21

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