Inkjet Head Timing Control for High Density Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet recording apparatuses face challenges in increasing main-scanning recording density while maintaining low costs, as improving encoder accuracy leads to increased processing costs.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus that includes a head with nozzle orifices, a main-scanning controller, a main-scanning encoder, a timing generating unit, and a signal output unit, which generates phase-shifted timing signals to enhance recording density without requiring costly encoder upgrades.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the accuracy of the linear encoder is improved to increase recording density in the main-scanning direction, then the recording density is improved, but the processing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the timing parameter by introducing a phase shift between the encoder signal and the ink discharge timing. Instead of improving encoder accuracy, the system achieves higher recording density by discharging ink at optimally shifted timing intervals, effectively utilizing the existing encoder resolution more efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the need for higher precision mechanical encoding with a signal processing approach. By using phase-shifted timing control based on the existing encoder output, the system achieves improved recording density without any mechanical modifications to the encoder itself.
2Manufacturing precision
If the accuracy of the linear encoder is improved to enhance image quality, then the image quality is improved, but the overall apparatus cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention improves image quality by changing the timing parameter through phase shifting. The control unit adjusts the discharge timing based on the phase-shifted signal, achieving finer dot placement precision and better image quality without any hardware upgrades.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a timing copy with phase shift from the original encoder signal. Instead of using a more accurate encoder, the system generates a derived timing signal that is phase-shifted from the original, achieving the same effect as a higher precision encoder at zero additional cost.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium by discharging ink droplets onto the recording medium. The image forming apparatus includes a head having a nozzle orifice that discharges ink droplets onto the recording medium, a main-scanning controller that controls the movement of the head in a main-scanning direction, a main-scanning encoder that generates a position signal indicating the position of the head in the main-scanning direction at a certain interval, a timing generating unit that generates a timing signal with a phase shifted from the position signal, a signal output unit that outputs a recording signal of a waveform pattern corresponding to image data at a timing of the timing signal, and a head drive unit that discharges ink droplets from the nozzle orifice in accordance with the recording signal.