Image Recording Apparatus Double-Sided Ink Drying Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image recording apparatuses face issues with paper jams and image blurring when recording on both sides of a sheet, due to curl and crinkles caused by ink drying, leading to deformation and fragility of the recording sheet.
Innovation Solution
An image recording apparatus with a conveying path, recording unit, roller pairs, and a control unit that decelerates the conveying velocity after the first side is recorded, allowing the second end to pass the spur roller before inverting and recording on the reverse side, ensuring the ink is dried and the sheet is handled to prevent deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the recording sheet is conveyed quickly through the inversion path, then productivity is improved, but the ink droplets do not have time to dry, causing curl and crinkles that lead to paper jams
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary drying action by stopping the conveyance rollers after recording the front side and before inversion. This allows the ink droplets to dry in advance, preventing curl and crinkles that would cause paper jams during subsequent conveyance at normal speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyance system operates in periodic cycles: convey at normal speed for productivity, stop for drying to prevent defects, then convey again for inversion and rear-side recording. This periodic stop-start operation balances productivity with reliability.
2Manufacturing precision
If the recording sheet is stopped for drying, then image quality is improved by preventing crinkles, but productivity decreases due to extended processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial drying action by stopping only long enough for the ink to reach sufficient dryness to prevent crinkles, rather than excessive drying time. This partial stop duration is optimized to achieve the minimum necessary drying for image quality while minimizing productivity loss.
3Manufacturing precision
If a spur-shaped roller is used to prevent image deterioration, then image quality is improved, but the fragile wet recording sheet is impressed by the spur, creating imprints that become deformed knots during drying
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary drying of the ink droplets before the recording sheet contacts the spur-shaped roller during inversion. This preliminary action ensures the sheet has sufficient stiffness to resist deformation from the spur, preventing imprints and deformed knots while still allowing the spur to prevent image deterioration.
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
Prevents paper jams and ensures clear double-sided printing by managing the sheet's conveyance and drying process, reducing crinkles and curl, thereby maintaining image quality.
Implementation Method 1
a recording unit disposed in the conveying path and configured to perform an image recording operation to record an image on the recording medium by ejecting ink droplets
Implementation Method 2
a first roller pair disposed downstream of the recording unit with respect to the conveying direction and configured to send the recording medium downstream in the conveying direction while nipping the recording medium
Data Source
AI summary
An image recording apparatus according to an aspect of the invention comprises a first roller pair disposed downstream of a recording unit; a second roller pair disposed downstream of the first roller pair; an inversion guide portion that connects a downstream portion of a conveying path positioned downstream of the recording unit to an upstream portion of the conveying path positioned upstream of the recording unit; a path changeover unit configured to send the recording medium conveyed from the recording unit with a first end as a leading end to the inversion guide portion with the second end as a leading end. In a stop operation, rotation of the first roller pair and the second roller pair stops in a state where the first roller pair nips a vicinity of the second end of the recording medium and the second roller pair also nips the recording medium.