Inkjet Drying Control Based on Stack Height
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed printing in ink-jet recording apparatuses often results in image-recorded recording media rubbing against stacked media, leading to surface contamination when a large number of sheets are placed on the discharge tray.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejection apparatus with a drying device and controller that adjusts the drying treatment amount based on the stack height of recorded media, ensuring the media is fully dried before discharge, and optionally increases discharge speed when the stack height exceeds a threshold to prevent surface contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the recording medium is discharged at high speed, then productivity is improved, but the recording medium may rub against stacked media and cause image contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The drying device performs drying treatment on the recording medium before discharge to reduce surface moisture. This preliminary action ensures that even when the medium is discharged at high speed and contacts stacked media, the image surface is less likely to be contaminated due to reduced adhesion from moisture
Solution Approach 2:
The controller adjusts the drying treatment amount based on the stack height of recorded media. When the stack height exceeds a threshold, the drying treatment is intensified, changing the physical parameter of surface moisture content to prevent contamination during high-speed discharge
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the drying treatment amount is increased, then image contamination is prevented, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drying treatment amount is made dynamic rather than fixed. The controller continuously monitors the stack height of recorded media and adjusts the drying treatment amount in real-time, increasing drying when stacks are tall and reducing it when stacks are short, thereby optimizing energy usage
Solution Approach 2:
The obtaining device measures the stack height of recorded media and feeds this information back to the controller, which then adjusts the drying treatment amount accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures drying energy is consumed only when necessary to prevent contamination
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 image contamination by ensuring the recorded media are fully dried and discharged without rubbing against other sheets, maintaining print quality even with high-speed operation and tall stacks.
Implementation Method 1
a drying device configured to dry the recording medium on which the image has been recorded
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ejection apparatus includes: a liquid ejection head that ejects a liquid onto a recording medium; a drying device that dries the recording medium; a sheet discharged tray including a sheet placed face; a sheet discharging device that discharges the recording medium to a space over the sheet placed face; a stopper that causes the recording medium discharged by the sheet discharging device to collide with the stopper; an obtaining device that obtains a height of the plurality of recording media stacked on the sheet placed face; and a controller that controls the drying device so that a degree of drying of the recording medium becomes larger in a case in which the height obtained by the obtaining device is equal to or more than a set specific value, than in a case in which the height is less than the set specific value.