Inkjet Printing Layered Ink Regions with Light Reflective Interlayers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inkjet printers require a longer time to form raised shapes on a medium by superimposing multiple ink layers, and using multiple inkjet heads to shorten this time increases costs and can result in print quality issues due to color interference and edge deviations.
Innovation Solution
A printing device with multiple color inkjet heads and a light reflective inkjet head that forms layered ink regions by superimposing colored regions with light reflective ink layers, allowing for faster printing while minimizing color interference and edge deviations by interposing light reflective regions between colored regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple inkjet heads are used to form layered ink regions, then the printing time is reduced, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes existing color inkjet heads perform multiple functions by using them to form both colored regions and light reflective regions. The same inkjet heads that normally eject color inks are controlled to eject light reflective ink at specific positions, eliminating the need for dedicated inkjet heads for forming raised shapes while maintaining high printing speed
2Productivity
If color ink is used to form raised shapes, then the printing time is reduced, but color interference affects image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming the light reflective ink layer before drawing the final image with color ink. This sequence ensures that the light reflective layer is already in place to prevent color interference from the raised regions, allowing subsequent color printing to proceed without quality degradation
3Manufacturing precision
If light reflective ink layer is formed on colored region, then color interference is prevented, but edge deviation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the light reflective ink layer extend beyond the boundaries of the colored regions. This creates an overlap zone where the light reflective ink locally covers the edges of colored regions, ensuring complete concealment of raised shape colors while maintaining proper image quality in the overlapping areas
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 configuration significantly reduces the time required to form layered ink regions, prevents color interference, and improves print quality by effectively concealing colored regions with light reflective ink, thus preventing the deterioration of print quality due to edge deviations.
Implementation Method 1
An inkjet printer ejects ink onto a medium by using an inkjet head that ejects a small amount of ink (ink droplets) according to an inkjet head method
Data Source
AI summary
A raised shape is appropriately formed on a medium. A printing device 10 includes inkjet heads 102y to 102k that are a plurality of color ink heads, an inkjet head 102w that is a light reflective ink head, and a controller 30. The controller 30 causes the inkjet heads 102y to 102k and the inkjet head 102w to form a layered ink region and an image region on the medium 50. The layered ink region is a region including a plurality of colored regions (four-color regions) that are colored regions formed by causing at least two inkjet heads among the plurality of inkjet heads 102y to 102k to eject ink, and a plurality of white layers that are light reflecting regions formed on the colored region. The colored regions in the layered ink region are superimposed with at least the white layer interposed therebetween.