Ink Jet Printing Apparatus Concurrent Multi-Ink Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet printing apparatuses face challenges in achieving high printing speed and excellent abrasion resistance, particularly when printing white images followed by color images, as the current methods require multiple passes of the printing medium and can result in insufficient abrasion resistance in areas with only white or clear images.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs a control unit that manages multiple modes for ejecting white-based, color, and resin ink compositions from nozzle holes, allowing concurrent or sequential printing to improve printing speed and abrasion resistance by optimizing the distribution and combination of inks on the printing medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a white-based ink composition is printed first followed by a color ink composition and resin ink composition in separate passes, then the printing medium must pass at least three times which reduces printing speed, but this sequential approach ensures proper layering and abrasion resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple ink compositions (white-based ink, color ink, and resin ink) into a single concurrent ejection process. The head simultaneously ejects all three ink compositions onto the printing medium in one pass, eliminating the need for separate sequential passes while maintaining proper layering and abrasion resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The white-based ink composition is ejected first as a preliminary layer before the color ink and resin ink are ejected in the same pass. This preliminary action ensures that the base layer is properly formed before subsequent layers are applied, maintaining image quality while reducing total passes required.
2Reliability
If resin ink composition is coated on color images in subsequent passes to improve abrasion resistance, then printing speed decreases, but abrasion resistance improves
Solution Approach 1:
The resin ink composition is combined with the color ink composition and white-based ink composition in a single concurrent ejection process. The resin ink is ejected simultaneously with the color ink onto the white-based ink layer, providing abrasion resistance in one pass rather than requiring subsequent separate passes.
3Productivity
If multiple ink compositions are ejected concurrently from the head, then printing speed increases and number of passes is reduced, but the head complexity and control requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The head is segmented into multiple independent nozzle groups, with each group dedicated to ejecting a specific ink composition (white-based ink, color ink, or resin ink). This segmentation allows concurrent ejection of multiple ink compositions while maintaining manageable control over each nozzle group independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The head structure is designed with multi-functionality to handle multiple ink compositions simultaneously. The same head unit performs multiple functions by ejecting different ink compositions through different nozzle groups, eliminating the need for separate printing heads or multiple passes.
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 enables high-speed printing with enhanced abrasion resistance by reducing the number of passes required and ensuring robust image durability across different ink combinations.
Implementation Method 1
ejecting a white-based ink composition from the nozzle holes to adhere the white-based ink composition to a first area of a printing medium
Data Source
AI summary
An ink jet printing apparatus includes a head that is provided with nozzle holes for ejecting ink, and a control unit that performs a plurality modes, and the plurality of modes includes a first image printing mode of ejecting white-based ink from the nozzle holes to adhere the white-based ink to a first area of a printing medium and a second area different from the first area to print an image, and a second image printing mode of substantially concurrently ejecting color ink and resin ink from the nozzle holes to contact and adhere the color ink and the resin ink onto the white-based ink of the first area to print an image, and ejecting resin ink from the nozzle holes to adhere the resin ink onto the white-based ink composition of the second area to print an image.