Ink Jet Printer Distance Sensor Feedback Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet printers face drawing failures due to variations in conveyance line speed and target position on the line, leading to ink misalignment and readability issues with characters, barcodes, and two-dimensional codes.
Innovation Solution
The ink jet printer includes an ink tank, a nozzle for ejecting ink, a storage unit for drawing data specifying ejection timings at offset positions, a distance sensor to measure the distance to the drawing target, and a drawing control unit that adjusts ink ejection based on the drawing data and current relative position, ensuring accurate ink placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the ink jet printer operates without distance measurement, then the device complexity is lower, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates due to ink misalignment caused by conveyance variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical position detection systems with a distance sensor (optical or ultrasonic) that measures the distance between the nozzle and drawing target object. This substitution enables precise ink ejection timing control without complex mechanical positioning mechanisms, thereby improving ink placement precision while limiting the increase in device complexity to primarily a sensing component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback control system where the distance sensor continuously monitors the distance to the drawing target object, and the drawing control unit adjusts the ink ejection timing based on this real-time distance information. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that ink is ejected at the correct moment despite variations in conveyance speed or target position, significantly improving manufacturing precision.
2Reliability
If the ink jet printer does not adjust ejection timing based on distance, then the control system is simpler, but the reliability deteriorates due to drawing failures from distance variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a feedback control mechanism where the distance sensor provides real-time distance information to the drawing control unit, which then adjusts the ink ejection timing accordingly. This feedback loop ensures that even when distance variations occur due to conveyance line speed fluctuations or target positioning, the system automatically compensates to maintain reliable drawing results.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the ink ejection timing dynamic by adjusting it based on the measured distance to the drawing target object. Instead of using fixed timing, the system adapts the ejection moment to the actual distance conditions, ensuring reliable ink placement regardless of variations in conveyance speed or target position.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the ink jet printer uses fixed ejection timing, then the ease of operation is higher, but the adaptability deteriorates when conveyance speed or target position varies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the ink jet printer to self-adjust its operation by having the distance sensor automatically detect the distance to the drawing target object and the drawing control unit autonomously calculate and apply the appropriate ejection timing. This self-service capability allows the system to adapt to varying conveyance speeds and target positions without requiring manual intervention or complex user configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the fixed ejection timing into a dynamic parameter that automatically adapts to real-time distance conditions. The system continuously adjusts the ejection timing based on distance sensor feedback, enabling high adaptability to conveyance variations while maintaining ease of operation through automated control.
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 effectively suppresses drawing failures by ensuring precise ink placement, maintaining readability of characters and codes, and adapting to variations in conveyance speed and target position.
Implementation Method 1
a distance sensor that measures a distance to the drawing target object in an ejection direction of the nozzle
Data Source
AI summary
An ink jet printer includes: a nozzle configured to eject the ink toward a drawing target object; a storage unit that stores drawing data specifying an ejection timing of the nozzle at each of a plurality of offset positions in a conveyance direction, the ejection timing corresponding to drawing information; a distance sensor that measures a distance to the drawing target object in an ejection direction of the nozzle; and a drawing control unit that controls ink ejection from the nozzle based on the drawing data and a current relative position from the nozzle to each of a plurality of offset positions of the drawing data. The drawing control unit controls the ink ejection based on a determination result as to whether the distance to the drawing target object in the ejection direction of the nozzle measured by the distance sensor satisfies the predetermined criterion.