IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,246,538
Granted Patent B2
US 12,246,538 · App. 18/336,018 · Granted Mar 11, 2025

Head maintenance system, printing system, and head maintenance method

Inventor: Kazumasa Hattori (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
B41J2/16544B41J2/16552B41J2/16502B41J2002/16558B41J2002/1657B41J2002/16576
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,246,538
App. No.
18/336,018
Granted
Mar 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided are a head maintenance system, a printing system, and a head maintenance method with which preferable washing of a nozzle surface can be realized and a damage to the nozzle surface can be suppressed. The head maintenance system includes: a wiping device ( 3 ) including a wiping sheet ( 10 ) for wiping a nozzle surface ( 52 ) of an ink jet head ( 50 ); a relative movement device ( 2, 3 ) that relatively moves the ink jet head and the wiping sheet; and a pressing device ( 18, 56 ) that presses the wiping sheet against the nozzle surface, in which the wiping device includes the wiping sheet having a value of linearity of compression in a range of 0.3 or more and less than 0.6, the linearity of compression being measured using a compression tester.

Claims (35)

1. A head maintenance system comprising:

a wiping device including a wiping sheet for wiping a nozzle surface of an ink jet head;

a relative movement device that relatively moves the ink jet head and the wiping sheet; and

a pressing device that presses the wiping sheet against the nozzle surface,

wherein the wiping device includes the wiping sheet having a value of linearity of compression in a range of 0.3 or more and less than 0.6, the linearity of compression being measured using a compression tester.

2. The head maintenance system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the wiping device includes the wiping sheet satisfying dT/T0≤−1.1×LC+0.7 in a case in which an uncompressed thickness in a case in which specified pressure is not applied is denoted by T0, a compressed thickness in a case in which the specified pressure is applied is denoted by dT, and the linearity of compression is denoted by LC.

3. The head maintenance system according to claim 2 ,

wherein the wiping device includes the wiping sheet in which the uncompressed thickness T0, the compressed thickness dT, and the linearity of compression LC satisfy 0.4≤dT/T0≤−1.1×LC+0.7.

4. The head maintenance system according to claim 2 ,

wherein the wiping device includes the wiping sheet in which the uncompressed thickness T0, the compressed thickness dT, and the linearity of compression LC satisfy −1.2×LC+0.7≤dT/T0 ≤−1.1×LC+0.7.

5. The head maintenance system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a washing solution applying device that applies a washing solution to at least any of the nozzle surface or the wiping sheet.

6. The head maintenance system according to claim 5 , further comprising:

one or more processors,

wherein the processor executes a control of the washing solution applying device such that an application amount of the washing solution applied from the washing solution applying device is in a range of 0.41×WC+0.01 milliliters per square centimeter or more and 0.76×WC+0.02 milliliters per square centimeter or less, in a case in which a compression workload of the wiping sheet measured using the compression tester is denoted by WC, and the compression workload WC is 0.03 gram-force per centimeter or more and 0.59 gram-force per centimeter or less.

7. The head maintenance system according to claim 5 , further comprising:

a washing solution wiping device that wipes off the washing solution adhering to the nozzle surface by using a wiping sheet in a dry state.

8. The head maintenance system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the pressing device applies pressure of 5 kilopascals or more and 20 kilopascals or less to the nozzle surface.

9. A printing system comprising:

an ink jet head; and

a maintenance device of the ink jet head,

wherein the maintenance device includes

a wiping sheet for wiping a nozzle surface of the ink jet head,

a relative movement device that relatively moves the ink jet head and the wiping sheet, and

a pressing device that presses the wiping sheet against the nozzle surface, and

the wiping sheet has a value of linearity of compression in a range of 0.3 or more and less than 0.6, the linearity of compression being measured using a compression tester.

10. The printing system according to claim 9 ,

wherein, in the ink jet head, a water-repellent film having water repellency against ink jetted from the ink jet head is formed on the nozzle surface.

11. A head maintenance method comprising:

pressing a wiping sheet for wiping a nozzle surface of an ink jet head against the nozzle surface;

relatively moving the ink jet head and the wiping sheet; and

wiping the nozzle surface by using the wiping sheet,

wherein the wiping sheet having a value of linearity of compression in a range of 0.3 or more and less than 0.6 is applied, the linearity of compression being measured using a compression tester.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2023
From: HATTORI, KAZUMASA
To: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063979/0976 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-214873 · Dec 24, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2021045789 · Dec 13, 2021
Related Publication 20230330994A1 · Oct 19, 2023
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