Inkjet Printer Air Blowing Section for Temperature Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inkjet printers experience non-uniform print quality due to temperature variations along the main scanning direction in the printing portion supporting region, which affects the spread and drying of ink droplets on the print medium, especially with solvent-based inks.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet printer configuration that includes an air blowing section extending in the main scanning direction to uniformly cool the print medium, with a blower outlet divided into partitions to minimize air disturbance and direct air flow, ensuring consistent temperature and preventing ink mist from adhering to unintended areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the printing portion supporting region is heated by a heater, then the ink droplet adheres to the print medium and starts to dry, but the temperature becomes non-uniform along the main scanning direction causing non-uniform print quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cooling mechanism that blows air onto the print medium in the printing portion supporting region. This changes the thermal parameter by actively cooling specific areas to counterbalance the heating effect, thereby achieving more uniform temperature distribution across the printing region and improving print quality consistency.
2Temperature
If air is blown toward the print medium surface to cool high-temperature portions, then temperature uniformity improves, but ink mist may adhere to unintended areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the blower outlet into multiple partitions, each directing air flow to specific local areas of the print medium. This localized cooling approach allows precise control over where air is blown, cooling only the necessary high-temperature regions while avoiding areas where ink mist adhesion would be problematic.
Solution Approach 2:
The blower outlet is segmented into multiple partitions, creating separate controlled air flow channels. This segmentation enables independent control of air flow to different regions, allowing the system to cool specific high-temperature areas without causing ink mist adhesion in unintended 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
The solution achieves uniform print quality by maintaining consistent ink spread and preventing ink adherence on non-printed areas, thereby enhancing the overall printing quality compared to conventional techniques.
Implementation Method 1
a heater section configured to heat the print medium via the printing portion supporting region
Implementation Method 2
an air blowing section extending in the particular direction, and configured to blow air out from a blower outlet for blowing the air toward a surface of the portion of the print medium supported by the printing portion supporting region
Implementation Method 3
ink discharged from the inkjet head is solvent ink in which pigments are diffused in a volatile solvent and which solidifies on the print medium by the solvent evaporation
Data Source
AI summary
An inkjet printer includes an inkjet head configured to perform printing using ink along a main scanning direction onto a print medium by moving in the main scanning direction; a platen configured to support, from an opposite side of the inkjet head, a portion of the print medium being printed by the inkjet head by a printing portion supporting region extending in the main scanning direction; a print heater configured to heat the print medium via the printing portion supporting region; and a fan device extending in the main scanning direction, and configured to blow air out from a blower outlet for blowing the air toward a surface of the portion of the print medium supported by the printing portion supporting region.