Inkjet Apparatus Dual Heater Drying Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet image forming apparatuses struggle to achieve improved image quality due to issues like cockling, where the ink image part and non-image part of the paper expand or contract differently, leading to unwanted phenomena such as offset and blocking, which are not adequately addressed by existing drying methods.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs a combination of a dielectric heater and a uniform heater, controlled by a processor, to selectively heat the ink image and uniformly dry the paper, ensuring optimal drying conditions that minimize cockling by setting the dielectric heater's output to prevent excessive contraction and using the uniform heater to remove solvents completely, thereby maintaining a moisture content difference of zero between the ink image and non-image parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single heater is used to dry the recording medium, then drying speed is improved, but cockling occurs due to uneven moisture removal between ink image and non-image parts
Solution Approach 1:
The drying function is segmented into two independent heaters: a first heater that selectively heats only the ink image portions, and a second heater that uniformly heats the entire recording medium. This segmentation allows each heater to perform its specific function without causing cockling, while achieving complete drying through their combined action.
Solution Approach 2:
The first heater provides localized heating specifically to the ink image areas where moisture needs to be removed, while the second heater provides uniform heating across the entire recording medium. This local quality approach ensures that moisture is removed from the ink image without creating temperature differentials that would cause the recording medium to warp.
2Productivity
If high heat is applied to quickly dry the ink image, then drying efficiency is improved, but cockling and offset occur due to excessive contraction
Solution Approach 1:
The first heater performs preliminary selective heating of the ink image to evaporate excess moisture and solvents. This preliminary action prepares the ink image for the subsequent uniform heating by the second heater, preventing cockling and offset by removing the moisture that would otherwise cause contraction during uniform drying.
Solution Approach 2:
The two heaters operate in sequence to provide continuous drying action: the first heater initially heats the ink image, then the second heater uniformly heats the entire recording medium. This continuous action ensures complete drying without interruption, maintaining high efficiency while preventing quality degradation through the coordinated heating sequence.
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 solution effectively suppresses cockling, ensures complete drying, and improves image quality by maintaining the moisture content difference at zero, preventing unwanted phenomena like offset and blocking, while also being energy-efficient.
Implementation Method 1
a dielectric heater and a uniform heater, controlled by a processor, to selectively heat the ink image
Implementation Method 2
the uniform heater to remove solvents completely
Implementation Method 3
ensures complete drying
Data Source
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AI summary
An inkjet image forming apparatus(100; 200) is provided. The inkjet image forming apparatus (100; 200) includes a recording unit (10), a selection heater (12a), a heater (12b), and a processor (20). The recording unit (10) forms an ink image on a recording medium being conveyed. The selection heater (12a) is disposed downstream from the recording unit (10) relative to a direction of conveyance of the recording medium, and selectively heats the ink image formed on the recording medium. The heater (12b) is disposed downstream from the selection heater (12a) relative to the direction of conveyance of the recording medium, and heats the recording medium on which the ink image has been selectively heated. The processor (20) controls the recording unit (10), the selection heater (12a), and the heater (12b), and sets an output of the selection heater (12a) in view of an occurrence of cockling on the recording medium.