Inkjet Head Height Adjustment via Pattern Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers face challenges in maintaining image quality due to varying distances between the recording medium and the recording head, especially when the thickness and material of the medium are unknown, leading to issues like ink landing position shifts and satellite droplets.
Innovation Solution
A liquid discharge apparatus equipped with a recording head, height changing mechanism, and image sensor that forms adjustment patterns at different height positions, allowing the control circuitry to determine the optimal height position based on imaging data, ensuring an appropriate gap between the recording head and the medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the recording head discharges liquid at a fixed height position, then the device complexity is reduced, but the image quality deteriorates when medium thickness varies
Solution Approach 1:
The recording head height is made dynamically adjustable through a height changing mechanism that can modify the vertical position of the recording head. This allows the system to adapt to varying medium thicknesses and maintain optimal discharge conditions, resolving the contradiction between device simplicity and image quality consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the height parameter of the recording head to optimize liquid discharge. By adjusting the vertical position parameter, the system compensates for variations in medium thickness and maintains consistent image quality across different recording conditions.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual height adjustment is used, then the manufacturing precision can be maintained, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic height adjustment without requiring manual intervention. The control circuitry autonomously controls the height changing mechanism to position the recording head at the optimal height, eliminating the need for user operation while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses imaging data from the image sensor as feedback to automatically adjust the recording head height. The control circuitry analyzes the imaging data and autonomously modifies the height position, combining precision with ease of operation through automated feedback control.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple adjustment patterns are formed at different height positions, then the image quality consistency is improved, but the productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs height adjustment and pattern formation in a predetermined sequence. The recording head first moves to a reference height position and forms a reference pattern, then systematically adjusts to other height positions and forms additional patterns. This preliminary structured approach enables efficient automated adjustment without significantly reducing productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid discharge apparatus includes a recording head, a height changing mechanism, an image sensor, and control circuitry. The head discharges liquid onto a recording medium from above the medium to form an image on the medium. The height changing mechanism changes a height position of the head. The image sensor captures the image on the medium. The control circuitry is configured to: cause the height changing mechanism to change the height position of the head; cause the head to discharge the liquid at different height positions to form adjustment patterns on the medium; cause the image sensor to image the adjustment patterns; select at least one adjustment pattern from the adjustment patterns based on information on an abnormal image obtained from imaging data of the adjustment patterns; and determine, as the height position of the head, a height position corresponding to the at least one adjustment pattern selected.