Inkjet Heat Roller with Segmented Heaters for Variable Media Widths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printing devices face challenges in efficiently heating print media of varying widths, as existing heaters struggle to adapt their heating regions accordingly, leading to inconsistent drying and reduced printing speed.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a dual-heater system, where a first heater and a second heater are strategically positioned on a heat roller to heat the paper and non-paper regions respectively, with a sensor and control circuitry to assess temperature differences and adjust the second heater's intensity for supplementary heating as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a heater is disposed downstream to dry the print medium, then printing speed is improved, but heating efficiency becomes inconsistent when print media of various widths are transported
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is divided into multiple independent heating regions (first heating region, second heating region, third heating region) along the transporting direction. Each region can be independently controlled to provide targeted supplementary heating, allowing the system to adapt to different print medium widths while maintaining high printing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
Different heating regions are positioned to correspond with specific areas of the print medium (paper region and non-paper region). The control unit selectively activates specific heating regions based on the detected print medium width, providing localized heating where needed to ensure consistent drying efficiency across various widths.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a heater capable of changing heating region is used to accommodate various print medium widths, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is segmented into multiple independent heating regions that can be independently controlled. This segmentation allows the system to adapt to different print medium widths by activating only the necessary heating regions, reducing the complexity of controlling a single large heater while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
A detection unit detects the width of the transported print medium and provides feedback to the control unit. The control unit uses this feedback to automatically determine which heating regions to activate, eliminating the need for manual adjustment or complex mechanical reconfiguration, thereby simplifying the overall device complexity while maintaining high adaptability.
3Manufacturing precision
If supplementary heating is applied to ensure consistent drying, then drying quality is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is divided into multiple independent heating regions, allowing supplementary heating to be applied only to specific areas (paper region or non-paper region) based on the detected print medium width. This selective activation ensures consistent drying quality while minimizing energy consumption by avoiding unnecessary heating in areas that do not require it.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit activates specific heating regions based on the local requirements of different print medium widths. By providing supplementary heating only where needed (in the paper region or non-paper region), the system achieves consistent drying quality across various widths while optimizing energy usage and avoiding waste.
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 allows for precise and efficient heating of the print medium, ensuring consistent drying across different widths, thereby enhancing printing speed and quality by dynamically adjusting heating based on the print medium's requirements.
Implementation Method 1
a first heater that is provided in correspondence to the paper region and heats the peripheral surface, a second heater that is provided in correspondence to the non-paper region and heats the peripheral surface
Data Source
AI summary
An inkjet printing device including a transporter that transports a print medium, a printer that discharges ink droplets onto the print medium and a heat roller that includes a peripheral surface with which the print medium comes into contact after printing is provided. The peripheral surface of the heat roller includes a paper contact region and a non-paper region. The device further includes a first heater for the paper region, a second heater for the non-paper region, a target temperature setter that provides a target temperature at the paper region side, and a sensor that measures the temperature at the paper region side. The target temperature and a sensor output are referenced when heating by the first heater is performed, to judge whether supplementary heating of the paper region by the second heater is necessary. If supplementary heating is necessary, the second heater is driven by a drive signal having an intensity that corresponds to a deficient heat amount equivalent value in the paper region.