Inkjet Nozzle Pre-Ejection Pulse Control for Print Speed
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printing devices face reduced print quality and errors due to nozzle impairment and ink drying issues, particularly when not in use for extended periods, as a result of varying ink characteristics and ambient conditions.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determine print speed-dependent and image content-dependent print data to control nozzles, incorporating pre-ejection pulses to maintain ink viscosity and prevent drying, by replacing white dot data sets with pre-ejection pulses and adjusting pulse repetitions based on actual print speed and image content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the printing device operates at varying print speeds, then productivity is improved, but print quality deteriorates due to nozzle impairment and ink drying
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by inserting pre-ejection pulses before actual ejection pulses to prepare the ink in the nozzle for ejection. This preliminary action maintains ink流动性 and prevents drying during intervals between lines, ensuring consistent print quality across varying print speeds without requiring physical nozzle cleaning or heating components.
2Reliability
If pre-ejection pulses are inserted to maintain ink viscosity, then print quality is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing nozzle and ink delivery mechanism to serve dual purposes: both printing and self-maintenance. The pre-ejection pulses utilize the same ejection infrastructure to perform cleaning and viscosity maintenance functions, eliminating the need for separate physical cleaning components, heating elements, or complex external maintenance systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The ejection mechanism is made universal by enabling it to perform both primary printing function and secondary maintenance function through different pulse sequences. The same nozzle that ejects ink for printing also performs self-cleaning and viscosity maintenance through pre-ejection pulses, consolidating multiple functions into a single mechanism.
3Reliability
If white dot data sets are replaced with pre-ejection pulses, then ink drying is prevented, but loss of information increases due to modified print data
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-ejection pulse acts as an intermediary element inserted into the print data stream. It serves as a mediator between the white dot data (which would leave the nozzle idle) and the actual ejection pulse, providing the necessary ink preparation action without permanently altering the final print output. The intermediary pulse is strategically placed and subsequently removed or neutralized in the final print rendering.
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 approach ensures consistent and high-quality printing across varying print speeds by maintaining nozzle activation frequency and preventing ink drying, thereby enhancing print quality and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
incorporating pre-ejection pulses to maintain ink viscosity and prevent drying
Data Source
AI summary
In the print data for a nozzle of a printer, white dots are replaced by pre-ejection pulses. One or more repetitions of the pre-ejection pulses may be inserted into the print data, depending on the actual print speed of the printer, to determine print speed-dependent print data with which the nozzle is activated to print a print image with high print quality.