Heated Air Blower Rotation Control for Ink Drying Wrinkles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing recording devices face challenges in consistently drying ink on recording media due to temperature variations in heated air blowers, which can result in insufficient drying or moisture evaporation causing wrinkles.
Innovation Solution
A recording device with a drying mechanism that includes a heated air blower, a number of rotations detecting unit, and a control unit that adjusts the blowing unit's rotations based on detected output to maintain a constant power to the heat source, ensuring accurate temperature control of the wind for effective drying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the heated air blower is controlled by voltage to increase wind temperature, then the drying capability is improved, but moisture in the recording medium evaporates causing wrinkles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the control parameter from voltage to rotation number. By detecting the actual rotation number of the blowing unit and controlling it to match a target value, the system maintains precise control over wind characteristics without the harmful effects of voltage-based temperature control, thereby preventing wrinkles while achieving effective drying.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control by detecting the actual rotation number of the blowing unit with a rotation number detecting unit and comparing it to a target rotation number. The control unit adjusts the blowing unit's operation based on this feedback to maintain the desired wind conditions for effective drying without causing wrinkles.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the heated air blower voltage is reduced to prevent wrinkles, then the recording medium is protected from damage, but the drying capability becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback control system continuously monitors the blowing unit's rotation number and adjusts it to maintain the target value. This ensures optimal drying capability is achieved while preventing wrinkles, resolving the contradiction between productivity and harm prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces voltage-based electrical control with rotation number-based mechanical control. This substitution allows for more precise and stable control of air flow characteristics, enabling effective drying without the harmful effects of improper temperature control.
3Device complexity
If voltage control is used for the heated air blower, then the control system is simple, but temperature variation occurs due to individual differences among blowers
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback control system detects the actual rotation number and compares it to the target value, automatically compensating for individual differences among blowing units. This maintains temperature consistency without requiring complex manual calibration or adjustment of each blower.
Solution Approach 2:
Each blowing unit autonomously adjusts its operation based on feedback from its rotation number detecting unit. The system self-regulates to achieve the target rotation number, eliminating the need for external intervention or complex centralized control while ensuring consistent performance across multiple blowers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for precise adjustment of wind temperature and speed, reliably drying the recording medium while minimizing wrinkles and ensuring consistent results across varying conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a heated air blower 35 having a heat source 38 and a blowing unit 39
Implementation Method 2
a heated air blower 35 having a heat source 38 and a blowing unit 39
Implementation Method 3
The dryer blows hot air to dry the ink adhering to the printing sheet
Data Source
AI summary
A recording device includes: a recording unit configured to perform recording by liquid to a recording medium; a support unit configured to support the recording medium subjected to printing and transported in a transport direction; a drying mechanism including a heated air blower including a heat source and a blowing unit; a number of rotations detecting unit configured to detect a number of rotations of the blowing unit; and a control unit configured to control the drying mechanism. The support unit and the heated air blower are disposed sandwiching a transport path of the recording medium at a position downstream of the recording unit in the transport direction. The control unit controls the number of rotations of the blowing unit based on an output of the number of rotations detecting unit in a state in which a constant power is applied to the heat source.