Inkjet Printer Light Application Timing for Photo-Curable Ink
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers using photo-curable ink often result in non-glossy prints due to semi-cured ink dots that spread and wrinkle before full curing, leading to compatibility issues between flattening and smoothening, which can cause matte finishes and graininess.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet printer design with a carriage and light applicator configuration that controls the timing of light application to photo-curable ink, ensuring it spreads and flattens moderately before full curing, using upstream and downstream light sources to apply light after a certain time from discharge, preventing premature curing and wrinkles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If photo-curable ink is semi-cured immediately after landing on recording medium, then ink dots are cured at surface, but inner portions remain uncured causing wrinkles and preventing smoothening
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by allowing ink to flatten and spread on the recording medium before applying light for curing. The controller is configured to control the light applicator to apply light to the ink after a predetermined period from discharge, not immediately. This preliminary flattening action ensures that when curing occurs, the ink surface is already smooth, preventing wrinkles while ensuring complete curing of both surface and inner portions.
2Manufacturing precision
If ink dots are allowed to spread and flatten, then surface smoothness is improved, but ink dots may wrinkle and curing completeness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes preliminary action by establishing a predetermined time interval between ink discharge and light application. During this interval, the ink is allowed to flatten and spread on the recording medium, achieving surface smoothness. The controller then activates the light applicator to cure the ink after this period has elapsed, ensuring that the flattening process is complete before curing begins, thus achieving both smoothness and curing completeness.
3Manufacturing precision
If light application timing is delayed to allow flattening, then surface smoothness is improved, but productivity decreases due to extended processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by using a predetermined, optimized time interval for ink flattening before light application. This periodic timing is carefully calibrated to be the minimum necessary duration for adequate flattening while minimizing the overall processing time. The controller automatically enforces this periodic cycle, ensuring consistent surface smoothness without excessive delay that would harm productivity.
4Quantity of substance
If stacking layers of ink in semi-cured state, then color depth is improved, but inner portions of underlying ink layers become difficult to cure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by ensuring that each ink layer is fully cured before the next layer is applied. The controller controls the light applicator to complete the curing process of the current layer by applying light after the predetermined period from discharge, before subsequent ink layers are deposited. This prevents the problem of uncured inner portions in stacked layers, as each layer achieves complete curing independently.
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 printer achieves suitable flattening and smoothening of ink dots, preventing matte finishes and ensuring a glossy output by controlling light application timing, resulting in reliable curing of ink dots with reduced graininess.
Implementation Method 1
a first light applicator provided on the carriage; The first light applicator includes first light sources each to produce light that cures the first ink
Data Source
AI summary
An inkjet printer includes a first light applicator disposed in a second scanning direction relative to a recording head. The first light applicator includes a first upstream light source group at a location corresponding to a location of the recording head in a movement direction of a recording medium, and a first downstream light source group on a downstream side in the movement direction of the recording medium relative to the recording head. The inkjet printer turns off the first upstream light source group and turns on the first downstream light source group during movement of a carriage in a first scanning direction and discharge of first ink from the recording head, and turns on the first upstream light source group and the first downstream light source group during movement of the carriage in the second scanning direction after discharge of the first ink.