Carriage Movement Mode Selection for Inkjet Nozzle Clogging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In liquid ejecting apparatuses, such as inkjet printers, the carriage's stop position is often determined based on next-time recording data, leading to potential nozzle clogging due to powdery material like paper dust adhering from paper sides, which affects discharge quality and throughput.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a dual carriage movement mode selection based on the type of liquid-ejected medium, where the first mode avoids nozzle-side end alignment to reduce adhesion and the second mode optimizes throughput by considering recording data and medium characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the carriage stop position is determined by considering the recording data in the next movement, then the loss of moving distance and moving time is minimized and throughput is shortened, but the carriage may stop at a position where nozzles face the side end of the paper, causing powdery material to adhere to the nozzles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the carriage stop position adaptable rather than fixed. The control section dynamically adjusts the stop position based on the detected amount of powdery material and the specific recording data, allowing the system to optimize between throughput and nozzle cleanliness in real-time according to actual conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using a detection section to monitor powdery material amounts at different stop positions. This detection information feeds back to the control section, which then adjusts the carriage stop position strategy to prevent nozzle clogging while maintaining efficient throughput
2Productivity
If the carriage stops at a position where nozzles face the side end of the paper, then throughput is optimized, but powdery material adheres to the nozzles causing poor discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by proactively adjusting the carriage stop position before powdery material can adhere to the nozzles. The control section uses detection data to predict problematic stop positions and modifies the carriage movement pattern in advance to avoid these positions, preventing nozzle clogging before it occurs
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by treating different stop positions as having different properties. Rather than using a uniform stop position strategy, the system identifies specific stop positions that generate excessive powdery material and adjusts the carriage behavior locally at those positions while maintaining efficient operation at other positions
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a first carriage movement mode, in which a stop position of a carriage in movement of this time is determined to be at a given position in a width direction on the basis of a size in the width direction of a liquid-ejected medium, and a second carriage movement mode, in which the stop position of the carriage in the movement of this time is determined on the basis of at least one of the liquid ejection data in the movement of this time or the liquid ejection data in the movement of the next time, and liquid ejection is carried out with one of the first carriage movement mode and the second carriage movement mode selected in accordance with the type of liquid-ejected medium.