Inkjet Printer Transport Speed Control for Head Temperature Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers face challenges in determining a proper print speed due to temperature increases in the print head, which can lead to decreased image quality and productivity, as existing methods fail to account for both spontaneous and surrounding block temperature influences.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet printer system that calculates a load factor for each block based on print data and adjusts the transport speed to ensure it remains within a safe range, considering both spontaneous and surrounding block temperature effects, by using a computation part to determine the upper limit of transport speed and control the print process accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the print speed is increased to improve productivity, then the output per unit time increases, but the head temperature increases excessively causing image quality degradation and potential damage to driving circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates the load factor for each block in advance based on the print data before actual printing occurs. This preliminary calculation allows the determination of an appropriate transport speed that prevents excessive temperature rise, enabling high-speed printing only when the load factor is low and automatically reducing speed when the load factor is high, thus avoiding the need for extremely low constant speeds while preventing temperature-related problems
Solution Approach 2:
The transport speed is made dynamic rather than constant. The system determines the transport speed based on the calculated load factor, allowing the speed to vary during the printing process. This dynamic adjustment enables the system to print at high speeds when conditions permit (low load factor) and reduce speed when necessary (high load factor), optimizing both productivity and temperature control
2Temperature
If the print speed is reduced to maintain constant temperature, then the head temperature remains stable, but the productivity decreases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The load factor is calculated in advance based on the print data, allowing the system to identify high-load regions before printing. This enables proactive speed adjustment in those regions while maintaining high speed in low-load regions, rather than using a uniformly low speed that would unnecessarily reduce productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different transport speeds to different regions of the print data based on the local load factor of each block. High-speed printing is applied to regions with low load factors, while low-speed printing is applied only to regions with high load factors. This localized speed adjustment maintains temperature stability where needed while preserving productivity in other regions
3Temperature
If the print speed is changed dynamically during printing to control temperature, then the temperature can be better managed, but the control complexity increases and printing precision and image quality uniformity become difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The load factor calculation and transport speed determination are performed in advance based on the print data, before the actual printing begins. This preliminary determination simplifies the control process during printing, as the transport speed is already optimized for each region and only needs to be executed, rather than requiring complex real-time adjustments that would increase control complexity and potentially affect printing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex mechanical or real-time control mechanisms with a computational approach. By calculating the load factor and determining the transport speed based on print data analysis, the system uses information processing rather than complex real-time mechanical control, thereby reducing control complexity while maintaining temperature management effectiveness
4Temperature
If a constant low transport speed is used to prevent temperature increase during continuous printing, then the head temperature remains within permissible limits, but the productivity is significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates the load factor for the entire print data in advance, identifying which specific regions have high load factors that would cause temperature increase. This allows the determination of a transport speed profile that uses low speed only in those specific high-load regions while maintaining high speed in other regions, rather than using a uniformly low speed that would unnecessarily reduce productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The transport speed is optimized locally for each region based on its load factor. Regions with low load factors allow high-speed printing, while only regions with high load factors require reduced speed to prevent temperature increase. This localized approach ensures temperature control where necessary while maximizing productivity in other regions
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 the print head blocks to operate within a permissible temperature range, maintaining image quality and productivity by dynamically adjusting the transport speed based on load factors and print data, effectively addressing the temperature-related issues.
Implementation Method 1
An inkjet printer includes pressure generating elements such as piezoelectric elements and electrothermal converters for the purpose of ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles provided in a head
Implementation Method 2
An inkjet printer includes pressure generating elements such as piezoelectric elements and electrothermal converters for the purpose of ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles provided in a head
Data Source
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AI summary
A inkjet printer (1) calculates a print percentage (P) indicative of a load on a pressurizing mechanism (51) for each block (60), based on print data (D), and then factors in the print percentage for each block to determine the upper limit of a transport speed so that the upper limit becomes slower as the print percentage increases and becomes slower as a printing distance in a transport direction corresponding to the print data increases. This provides the upper limit of the transport speed in consideration for not only a spontaneous temperature increase in each block but also a temperature increase due to the influence of its surrounding blocks. This allows the blocks (60) in a head (21-24) to operate at temperatures within a permissible range.