ULTRASONIC SELF-CLEANING INK JET PRINTER AND MANUFACTURE THEREOF

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a self-cleaning printer in which the surface of a print head can be cleaned without being affected by the print speed and a manufacturing method thereof. SOLUTION: The self-cleaning ink jet printer comprises a cleaning assembly 170 for directing the flow of a fluid in order to clean contamination off from the surface 85, and an ultrasonic transducer 205 generating a plurality of pressure waves 207 propagating through the fluid and communicating with the fluid such that the surface 85 is cleaned when the pressure waves 207 are acting on the surface 85 wherein the assembly 170 includes a barrier wall disposed oppositely to the surface 85 in order to define a gap of specified size for passing the flow of the fluid. The barrier wall accelerates the flow of the fluid to induce a hydrodynamic shearing force in the flow of the fluid. The shearing force acts on contamination when it is induced in the flow of the fluid, thus cleaning contamination off from the surface 85.