Fluid Ejecting Apparatus Nozzle Array Drying Control

The patent applies preliminary action by introducing a drying nozzle that performs a drying period between the background image and color image printing. This preliminary drying action ensures the background image is fully dried before color image is printed, preventing ink smearing while maintaining consistent drying time across the entire medium to achieve uniform image density.

The patent uses an intermediary approach by inserting a drying nozzle as a separate functional element between the background image forming nozzle and color image forming nozzle. This intermediary drying nozzle provides a dedicated drying period that mediates between the two printing processes, ensuring proper drying without affecting the printing timing of either stage.

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the nozzle system into multiple independent nozzle arrays (background image forming nozzle array, color image forming nozzle array, and drying nozzle array) arranged orthogonally. Each array can be independently controlled and positioned, enabling precise positional control while the modular segmented structure manages the complexity through systematic organization.

The patent implements multi-functionality by having the drying nozzle array serve multiple purposes: it provides drying function between images, can be positioned at different locations, and integrates with both background and color image forming processes. This universal approach reduces overall system complexity by combining functions rather than adding separate independent systems.