Liquid Discharging Apparatus Head Unit Merging for Dot Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid discharging apparatuses with multiple head units, particularly those with two heads positioned differently in both directions, suffer from quality deterioration due to mounting errors, leading to positional shifting and subsequent ink dot misalignment, which affects image quality.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a configuration with first and second head units, each comprising multiple nozzles for different colors, where the head units are positioned differently in both directions to minimize positional shifting, and the cyan and magenta inks are discharged from a common head unit to prevent shifting along the X-axis, thereby maintaining image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple head units with heads positioned differently in both directions are used, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to mounting errors causing positional shifting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines cyan and magenta nozzles into the same head unit, creating a coupled discharge system. This merging ensures that both colors are discharged from a unified structure, eliminating relative positional shifts between different head units and maintaining precise dot alignment despite mounting variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a control device as an intermediary that coordinates the discharge timing and positioning of coupled nozzles. This mediator ensures that even with positional variations in head unit mounting, the ink dots from different nozzles align correctly on the medium.
2Adaptability or versatility
If heads are positioned at different locations in both directions, then adaptability is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to ink dot misalignment from mounting errors
Solution Approach 1:
By merging cyan and magenta nozzles into a single head unit with coupled discharge positions, the system maintains reliable ink dot alignment. The coupled nozzles move together as one unit, preventing relative positional shifts that would occur with separate head units, thus ensuring consistent multi-color dot placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the discharge function by color within the same head unit, with cyan and magenta nozzles positioned at different locations but coupled together. This segmentation allows different colors to be discharged from optimized positions while maintaining overall alignment through their coupled relationship.
3Device complexity
If cyan and magenta inks are discharged from separate head units, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to positional shifting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges cyan and magenta discharge functions into a single head unit with coupled nozzles. This reduces the number of independent head units from two to one, simplifying the overall device structure while simultaneously improving manufacturing precision by eliminating relative positional shifts between separate units.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid discharging apparatus includes a first head, a second head, a third head, and a fourth head. The first head has a first part and a second part. The second part is coupled to the first part in a first direction. The second part has a width in a first direction that is shorter than a width of the first part in a second direction. A third part coupled to the first part has a width shorter than the width of the first part in the second direction and is at a position different from the second part in the second direction. The second head includes fourth, fifth, and sixth parts that are arranged similarly to the first, second, and third parts. Parts of the first, second, third, and fourth heads are positioned, respectfully, in the second part, the third part, the fifth part, and the sixth part.