Droplet Ejecting Apparatus Multipass Maintenance Scheduling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet printers face image quality deterioration due to nozzle clogging and maintenance processes interrupting the printing process, causing color unevenness and dot formation discrepancies during multipass recording.
Innovation Solution
A droplet ejecting apparatus that distributes maintenance operations across (N−1) or more main scanning passes during multipass recording, minimizing the interruption time of printing and preventing color unevenness by executing maintenance processes like nozzle inspection, flushing, and wiping in a distributed manner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If maintenance processes are executed frequently during printing to prevent nozzle clogging, then reliability of printing is improved, but image quality deteriorates due to color unevenness caused by interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance process is divided into multiple segments distributed across different main scanning passes. Instead of performing all maintenance operations at once, the control unit schedules them at intervals of (N-1) passes or more, spreading the maintenance burden and minimizing continuous interruptions to printing, thus reducing color unevenness while maintaining nozzle reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit proactively schedules maintenance operations at optimal intervals before nozzle clogging occurs, rather than waiting for defects to manifest. By predicting maintenance needs and scheduling them during less critical passes, the system prevents reliability issues while minimizing impact on image quality
2Reliability
If maintenance processes are executed during printing, then reliability is improved, but productivity decreases due to printing interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
Maintenance operations are segmented and distributed across multiple main scanning passes rather than集中执行. This segmentation allows printing to continue at higher overall efficiency while maintenance is performed in smaller, less disruptive intervals, balancing reliability with productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit implements periodic maintenance scheduling at fixed intervals of (N-1) passes or more. This periodic approach creates predictable maintenance windows that minimize disruption to overall printing productivity while ensuring reliability through regular maintenance
3Reliability
If maintenance processes are executed at short intervals, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to color unevenness
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance schedule is segmented into intervals of (N-1) passes or more, preventing overly frequent maintenance that would cause color unevenness. This segmentation ensures maintenance occurs often enough to maintain reliability but spaced sufficiently to avoid degrading dot formation consistency
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit dynamically adjusts the maintenance interval parameter based on the multipass recording parameter N. By setting the interval to (N-1) passes or more, the system adapts maintenance frequency to the specific printing configuration, optimizing both reliability and image quality for each printing scenario
Data Source
AI summary
A droplet ejecting apparatus which includes a control unit which controls a recording operation in which dots are recorded on a medium by performing multipass recording in which recording of dots which are located in one main scanning line which goes along a main scanning direction is completed in a recording operation in the main scanning direction of N times (N is integer of 2 or greater), and a maintenance operation in which maintenance with respect to an ejecting unit is performed, in which the control unit performs a control so that at least recording operations in the main scanning direction of (N−1) times is performed between the previous maintenance operation and the subsequent maintenance operation when performing maintenance operations of a plurality of times.