Dot Formation Positioning Device Nozzle Group Timing Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fluid ejection devices face challenges in improving positioning accuracy of dots formed on a recording medium due to limitations in adjusting ejection timing and nozzle group positioning, leading to variations in dot placement across different nozzle groups.

Innovation Solution

A dot formation positioning device that includes a nozzle group timing setting unit for adjusting ejection timing and an adjustment pixel setting unit for distributing adjustment pixels to compensate for position displacement, allowing for precise alignment of dots across multiple nozzle groups.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a plurality of nozzle groups are used to increase productivity, then the printing speed and coverage are improved, but the positioning accuracy of dots varies across different nozzle groups

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting speedVSAvoiddot positioning accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The head is divided into multiple nozzle groups (first nozzle group and second nozzle group) positioned at different locations in the main scanning direction. Each nozzle group can be independently controlled with separate ejection timing adjustments, allowing individual optimization of dot positioning for each group while maintaining high productivity through parallel operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different ejection timing settings are applied to different nozzle groups based on their specific positions and characteristics. The system allows local optimization of positioning accuracy for each nozzle group rather than using a uniform setting for all nozzles, thereby maintaining high precision across the entire printing width.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If ejection timing is adjusted for each nozzle group to improve positioning accuracy, then dot alignment is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedot positioning accuracyVSAvoidcontrol system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system adjusts the ejection timing parameter independently for each nozzle group to compensate for positional variations. By modifying this single critical parameter (ejection timing) rather than redesigning the entire control architecture, the system achieves improved positioning accuracy with minimal increase in complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS8783810B2Dot formation positioning device, recording method, setting method, and recording program

Publication Date: 2014.07.22 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

To improve positioning accuracy in a direction of relative movement of dots which are formed by a fluid ejection device in which a plurality of nozzle groups contained in the direction of the relative movement of the head section contain a plurality of nozzles in the direction of the relative movement, an ejection timing is set for adjusting in a direction of the relative movement the positions of dots formed by each of nozzle groups. A distribution of adjustment pixels is set for adjusting in the direction of the relative movement the positions of dots formed by each of nozzles. A fluid is ejected in accordance with raster data generated on the basis of a distribution of the adjustment pixels set by an adjustment pixel setting unit, on the basis of ejection timing set by a nozzle group timing setting unit.