Inkjet Printer Ink Dot Overlap Control for Feathering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers face challenges in achieving quick drying of ink on a recording medium, especially when high-density printing is required, leading to issues like ink feathering due to insufficient drying of ink droplets.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an inkjet printer system with multiple ink heads and a controller that allows for the controlled overlapping of ink dots, adjusting the amount of ink ejected at each pass to ensure proper drying conditions, enabling high-density printing while minimizing ink feathering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the amount of ink to be landed on the recording medium is increased to achieve higher print density, then the print density is improved, but the drying of ink becomes insufficient leading to ink feathering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the ink ejection process into multiple separate passes (first ink ejection, second ink ejection, etc.) rather than ejecting all ink at once. Each pass ejects a portion of the total ink amount, allowing the recording medium to dry between passes. This segmentation of the ink ejection process enables high print density while maintaining proper drying conditions, preventing ink feathering.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple ink dots are formed at the same spot in a multilayered manner to achieve high-density printing, then the print density is improved, but the drying time requirement increases causing ink feathering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ink ejection into multiple temporal passes where each pass forms a layer of ink dots. By separating the ejection events in time rather than forming all layers simultaneously, the system achieves high print density while providing sufficient drying time between passes to prevent feathering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary drying action between ink ejection passes. After each ink ejection pass, the system allows the ink to dry before initiating the next pass. This preliminary drying step ensures that the recording medium is ready for the next layer without causing ink feathering, even when multiple layers are formed at the same location.
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 allows for the production of high-quality images in high-density printing by ensuring appropriate drying conditions, reducing ink feathering and enhancing print quality.
Implementation Method 1
an inkjet printer equipped with a heating means for drying the ink ejected onto a recording medium
Data Source
AI summary
An inkjet printer includes an m number of data setters ranging from a first data setter to an m-th data setter, and an m number of print controllers ranging from a first print controller to an m-th print controller, where m is a natural number greater than or equal to 2. Upon receiving data for ink dots, an n-th data setter sets an n-th dot group including some or all of the ink dots, where n is a natural number in a range of from 2 to m. An n-th print controller causes the n-th dot group to be formed over an (n−1) dot group. The first to the m-th data setters set the first to the m-th dot groups so that at least some of ink dots belonging to the first to the m-th dot groups overlap each other.