Curable Ink Recording Device for Selective UV Irradiation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inkjet printers irradiate the entire recording medium with uniform light intensity for both temporary and full curing of UV ink, leading to unnecessary exposure of non-ink-landed areas to ultraviolet rays.
Innovation Solution
A recording device with a recording head, drive unit, irradiation parts, reception unit, and control unit that controls the ON and OFF of irradiation parts based on input irradiation range data to selectively irradiate the recording medium with light, allowing for variable light intensity and range to match the ink pattern.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entire recording medium is irradiated with uniform light intensity, then the UV ink can be cured, but non-ink-landed areas are unnecessarily exposed to ultraviolet rays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the light irradiation non-uniform across the recording medium. The control unit adjusts the light intensity or irradiation range for different regions based on whether ink has been discharged in those regions. This ensures that UV light is concentrated on ink-landed areas for effective curing while minimizing or eliminating exposure of non-ink areas, thus resolving the contradiction between complete curing and energy waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the light irradiation parameters variable rather than fixed. The control unit dynamically adjusts the irradiation range and/or light intensity based on real-time detection of ink discharge positions. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize UV exposure for each specific printing pattern, preventing unnecessary exposure while ensuring complete curing where needed.
2Ease of manufacture
If uniform light intensity is used for curing, then the curing process is simple, but the precision of light irradiation to match ink pattern is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the light irradiation parameters (intensity, range, duration) based on the ink discharge pattern. The control unit changes these parameters dynamically to match the actual printing requirements. This allows the system to maintain relatively simple hardware while achieving high precision in light irradiation by intelligently adjusting operational parameters rather than physical structure.
3Reliability
If the irradiation range is increased to ensure complete curing, then curing reliability improves, but unnecessary exposure areas increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the UV light irradiation precisely on the areas where ink has been discharged. The control unit determines the actual irradiation range based on ink discharge detection, expanding the irradiation area only where needed for curing while keeping it minimal in other areas. This localized approach ensures curing reliability is maintained where required while minimizing the overall irradiation area to reduce waste.
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 approach enhances the freedom and precision of light irradiation for curing ink droplets, reducing unnecessary exposure and improving the efficiency of UV ink curing.
Implementation Method 1
a recording head including a nozzle row configured to discharge ink droplets that are to be cured when irradiated with light
Data Source
AI summary
A recording device includes a recording head including a nozzle row configured to discharge ink droplets that are to be cured when irradiated with light onto a recording medium, a drive unit configured to cause the recording head and the recording medium to move relative to each other, a plurality of irradiation parts configured to irradiate the recording medium with the light, a reception unit configured to receive an input of irradiation range data indicating an irradiation range of the light, and a control unit configured to control turning ON and OFF of the plurality of irradiation parts, to irradiate the recording medium with the light in accordance with the irradiation range, based on the irradiation range data.