Gap Adjusters for Inkjet Head Flatness Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet image forming apparatuses face issues with ink stain accumulation due to air currents sweeping ink mists away from their intended position, leading to image quality degradation, and increased collision risks between sheets and the head unit as the gap between the platen and head unit is adjusted to minimize ink stain, which is costly to manufacture accurately.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a conveyer belt and a gap adjustment unit that attaches to both the head holding units and the conveyer-belt support unit, allowing for precise adjustment of the gap between the head units and the conveyer-belt support unit to maintain a consistent distance, reducing ink stain and sheet collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If the gap between the platen and head unit is reduced to minimize ink mist accumulation, then ink stain is reduced, but the risk of sheet collision with the head unit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing individual gap adjustment capability for each head unit (CMYK heads) rather than a uniform gap adjustment for all heads. This allows each head unit to have its gap independently optimized to maintain appropriate distance from the platen, preventing both ink mist accumulation and sheet collision simultaneously.
2Manufacturing precision
If the platen flatness accuracy is improved to maintain consistent gap across all positions, then manufacturing precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the approach from improving platen manufacturing precision to adjusting the gap parameter dynamically through mechanical adjustment mechanisms. Instead of requiring high-precision platen manufacturing, the system allows gap adjustment to compensate for platen flatness variations, thereby maintaining consistent gaps without increasing manufacturing costs.
3Device complexity
If the gap between platen and head unit is uniformly adjusted at all positions, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to compensate for platen flatness errors is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the gap adjustment function by providing separate gap adjustment mechanisms for each head unit (CMYK heads) rather than a single uniform adjustment mechanism. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of each head unit's gap to compensate for local variations in platen flatness, improving gap consistency across all positions.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a conveyer belt that transports sheets, a platen plate that supports the conveyer belt to be slidable, a head holding unit that holds inkjet heads ejecting ink to sheets transported on the conveyer belt and being arrayed in a direction orthogonal to a transport direction of the conveyer belt, and a pair of gap adjustment units that have ends on one side being respectively attached to both ends of a lower surface of the head holding unit and ends on the other side being attached to an upper surface of the platen plate to adjust a gap between the lower surface of the head holding unit and the upper surface of the platen plate.