Inkjet Carriage Head Layout for Compact Textile Pre/Post Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet recording devices face challenges in efficiently applying preprocessing and postprocessing solutions to wide and long recording media, such as fabrics, while maintaining compactness and reducing carriage width.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet recording device with an integrated carriage that mounts an ink head, preprocessing head, and postprocessing head, allowing for staggered and overlapping arrangements of these components to facilitate efficient application of solutions and reduce carriage width, while enabling both forward and backward scanning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple heads (ink head, preprocessing head, postprocessing head) are mounted on the carriage to apply both solutions and ink, then the functionality and productivity are improved, but the carriage width increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent arranges the ink head, preprocessing head, and postprocessing head not only in the main scanning direction but also in the sub-scanning direction, utilizing two-dimensional space on the carriage. This allows multiple heads to be positioned at different locations along the conveyance direction, reducing the required carriage width while maintaining all necessary functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The carriage is divided into multiple independent head mounting positions, with each head (ink head, preprocessing head, postprocessing head) positioned separately. This segmentation allows flexible arrangement of heads in both main scanning and sub-scanning directions, optimizing space utilization and reducing overall carriage width.
2Length of moving object
If the carriage width is reduced to maintain compactness, then the device size is reduced, but the ability to mount all necessary heads is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
By utilizing the sub-scanning direction as an additional dimension for head arrangement, the patent successfully reduces carriage width while accommodating all necessary heads. The ink head, preprocessing head, and postprocessing head are positioned at different locations along the conveyance direction, effectively using vertical space to reduce horizontal footprint.
3Manufacturing precision
If the recording medium is fed intermittently in sub-scanning direction while carriage reciprocates in main scanning direction, then the manufacturing precision of image formation is improved, but the productivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The preprocessing head applies the preprocessing solution to the recording medium before the ink head ejects ink. This preliminary action prepares the medium surface in advance, improving ink fixability and image quality while maintaining continuous carriage movement, thus reducing the impact on productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous carriage reciprocation in the main scanning direction without requiring intermittent stopping for each printing pass. The intermittent feeding in sub-scanning direction is coordinated with continuous main scanning, allowing overlapping of processing operations and maintaining higher overall productivity.
Data Source
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AI summary
An inkjet recording device includes a conveyance unit, a carriage, ink heads, and a plurality of processing heads. The conveyance unit conveys a recording medium in a predetermined conveyance direction. The carriage reciprocates in a main scanning direction intersecting the conveyance direction. The ink heads are mounted on the carriage so as to be aligned in the main scanning direction, and eject ink for image formation. The processing heads are mounted on the carriage and eject a non-coloring processing solution. The plurality of processing heads are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction at positions different from the ink head in the conveyance direction.