Inkjet Printer Functional Ink Alignment via Test Pattern Overlap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers face challenges in determining the positional relationship between inkjet heads configured to eject colorless-transparent functional ink and other inkjet heads, leading to potential misalignment and reduced effectiveness of the functional ink due to the colorless nature of the ink, which makes it difficult to detect and correct for in existing alignment procedures.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet printer system that includes a color ink ejection head and a functional ink ejection head, with a controller that prints test images using various test patterns to determine the overlapping degree of color ink and functional ink dots, allowing for selective control of the functional ink ejection to compensate for misalignment and maintain effective ink overlap.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If existing alignment procedures are used to determine positional relationship between inkjet heads, then alignment of color inkjet heads can be achieved, but the functional inkjet head positioned with colorless-transparent ink cannot be detected and aligned
Solution Approach 1:
A marker pattern is introduced as an intermediary reference object that can be detected by the scanner. The marker pattern includes a marker dot positioned at a known reference location, which serves as a mediator to establish the positional relationship between the functional inkjet head and color inkjet heads without requiring direct detection of the colorless functional ink dots
Solution Approach 2:
The functional ink is changed from colorless-transparent to a detectable color in the marker pattern. The marker dot is formed with a specific color that can be detected by the scanner, allowing the positional information of the functional inkjet head to be obtained through color detection
2Manufacturing precision
If the functional ink is ejected to overlap color inks, then color density and gloss can be improved, but misalignment reduces the effectiveness of the functional ink
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs feedback by scanning the printed marker pattern, calculating the actual positions of marker dots and color ink dots, determining the positional relationship between inkjet heads, and using this information to correct the ejection timing of the functional inkjet head to achieve proper overlap
Solution Approach 2:
The marker pattern is printed and scanned before the actual printing process to preliminarily determine the positional relationship between inkjet heads. This preliminary measurement allows the system to pre-calculate correction amounts for functional ink ejection timing, ensuring proper overlap from the start of actual printing
Data Source
AI summary
The controller is configured to: drive a color ink ejection head and a functional ink ejection head to print test images on a sheet in a plurality of types of test patterns between which a positional relationship of a dot of a color ink and a dot of a functional ink to be formed on the sheet is varied; determine an overlapping degree of the dot of the color ink and the dot of the functional ink in the respective printed test images on a basis of a color attribute of the respective printed test images; and control the functional ink ejection head in printing on a basis of a control content corresponding to at least one test pattern selected of the plurality of types of the test patterns on a basis of the determined overlapping degrees.