Double-Sided Inkjet Printing Tower Asymmetry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printing methods face challenges in drying liquid color separations on both sides of a recording medium simultaneously, leading to inefficiencies and increased energy consumption due to the need for separate and independent drying processes for each side.
Innovation Solution
A method and device where the first side is pre-dried to a transport-robust state, allowing for sequential printing on both sides, with joint drying achieving the final robust state, optimizing energy use and reducing installation space by synchronizing the drying processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If two separate printing towers with identical design are used to print and dry both sides independently, then each side can be dried individually, but the device complexity and installation space increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by designing the first and second printing towers with different drying station configurations. The first printing tower has a first drying station with first drying parameters, while the second printing tower has a second drying station with second drying parameters that differ from the first. This asymmetric design allows each tower to be optimized for its specific drying task rather than requiring identical duplicate towers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements multi-functionality by enabling the second printing tower to serve dual purposes: drying the color separation on the second side of the recording medium and simultaneously completing the drying of the color separation on the first side. This allows one drying station to perform multiple drying functions, reducing the need for two fully independent drying systems.
2Reliability
If two identical printing towers with independent drying stations are used, then both sides can be processed independently, but energy consumption increases due to redundant drying processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the drying functions by coordinating the drying processes in both printing towers. The second drying station is configured to not only dry the color separation applied to the second side but also to complete the drying of the color separation on the first side. This combining of drying tasks into a single operational phase reduces redundant energy consumption that would occur with two completely independent drying processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The first drying station performs a preliminary drying action that achieves a predetermined drying state sufficient for transport but not complete drying. This preliminary action prepares the color separation for subsequent handling and printing on the reverse side, while the final drying is completed later by the second drying station, optimizing energy use by avoiding premature complete drying.
3Reliability
If complete drying is achieved after printing the first side, then the color separation is fully robust, but thermal stress on the recording medium increases and printing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The first drying station performs a preliminary drying action that achieves a predetermined drying state sufficient for transport and handling but deliberately stops before complete drying. This preliminary drying provides adequate robustness for the recording medium to be turned and printed on the reverse side without requiring the full thermal energy input that would be needed for complete drying, thus reducing thermal stress and maintaining printing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by intentionally not completing the full drying process in the first printing tower. The first drying station provides just enough drying (partial action) to make the color separation transport-robust, leaving the remaining drying to be completed by the second drying station after the reverse side is printed, optimizing the balance between robustness and efficiency.
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 reduces energy consumption, minimizes thermal stress on the medium, and enhances printing efficiency by using the energy for the second side's drying to complete the first side's drying, resulting in a more robust and high-quality print while maintaining lower installation requirements.
Implementation Method 1
a first drying station (7) for pre-drying of the first color separation; and a second drying station (10) for joint drying of the first color separation and of the second color separation
Data Source
AI summary
In an method for double-sided printing to a recording medium, a first side of the recording medium is printed to with a liquid first color separation, the liquid first color separation is pre-dried such that a predetermined final drying state remains unachieved, where the pre-dried state is a transportable intermediate state that is between a wet print image directly after printing and the predetermined final drying state, a second side of the recording medium is printed to with a liquid second color separation, and the pre-dried first color separation and the second liquid color separation are jointly dried to entirely achieve the predetermined final drying state for both the first and second color separations.