Inkjet Printer Cooler Prevents Media Blocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inkjet printing apparatuses with after-heaters face challenges in preventing blocking between layers of the recording medium due to inadequate cooling methods, which can lead to thermal issues with the take-up gear, especially during high-speed printing.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet printing apparatus and method that includes a platen for initial drying of ink, an after-heater for further drying, a take-up gear for collection, and a cooler to lower the temperature of the recording medium and take-up gear to below the glass-transition temperatures of the resin, using a transport path or heat radiation member to prevent blocking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an after-heater is used to further dry the ink on the recording medium, then the drying efficiency is improved, but the temperature of the recording medium and take-up gear increases, causing blocking between layers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing a cooling device that cools the recording medium before it reaches the take-up gear. This pre-cooling prevents the recording medium from accumulating excessive heat from the after-heater, thereby avoiding blocking between layers while maintaining effective drying.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling device acts as an intermediary between the after-heater and the take-up gear. It introduces a cooling mechanism that mediates the temperature of the recording medium, allowing the after-heater to perform its drying function while preventing the harmful thermal effects that would cause blocking.
2Device complexity
If the take-up gear is located close to the after-heater for compact design, then the device complexity is reduced, but the take-up gear is thermally affected and elevated to higher temperatures, resulting in blocking
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling device serves as an intermediary component positioned between the after-heater and the take-up gear. It protects the take-up gear from thermal elevation by cooling the recording medium before it contacts the take-up gear, thereby preventing blocking while allowing compact spatial arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing targeted cooling at the specific location where the recording medium transitions from the after-heater to the take-up gear. This localized cooling approach addresses the thermal issue at the critical interface without requiring overall system redesign.
3Device complexity
If conventional cooling methods are used in apparatuses with after-heaters, then the structure remains simple, but blocking prevention is ineffective due to inadequate cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling device is positioned to cool the recording medium in advance before it reaches the take-up gear. This preliminary cooling action ensures that even with a relatively simple cooling structure, the recording medium temperature is reduced to prevent blocking, thereby improving reliability without significantly increasing complexity.
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
Effectively suppresses the occurrence of blocking by ensuring the recording medium and take-up gear are cooled to prevent thermal issues, maintaining the resin in a stable state and preventing the take-up gear from reaching high temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
the ink discharged on the recording medium is heated by a platen to vaporize the solvent in the ink
Implementation Method 2
the after-heater heats the ink on the recording medium to vaporize any residual solvent left unvaporized in the ink heated by the platen
Implementation Method 3
a cooler that cools at least one of the recording medium and the take-up gear. At least one of the take-up gear and the recording medium after the ink thereon is dried by the after-heater is cooled by the cooler so as to reach a predetermined temperature lower than both the glass-transition temperature Tg1 and the glass-transition temperature Tg2
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure is directed to more effectively prevent blocking. An inkjet printing apparatus 100 has a platen 3, an after-heater 4, a take-up gear 5, and a cooler. The platen 3 heats a medium 20 to a temperature lower than or equal to a glass-transition temperature Tg1 of a resin included in the medium 20. The after-heater 4 heats the medium 20 to a temperature higher than or equal to a glass-transition temperature Tg2 of a resin contained in the ink. The take-up gear 5 collects the printed medium 20. The medium 20 or the take-up gear 5 is cooled by the cooler so as to reach a temperature lower than both the temperature Tg1 and the temperature Tg2.