Ink-jet Recording Apparatus Irregularity Detection and Flushing Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink-jet recording apparatuses face challenges in reducing ink nozzle clogging due to ink drying during non-image-recording periods, and existing flushing methods may not effectively adapt to irregularities in the recording medium, leading to wasted ink and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
An ink-jet recording apparatus equipped with an irregularity detecting unit, a recording medium conveyance unit, and a control unit that cancels the flushing operation and diverts irregular recording media to prevent ink wastage by adjusting the recording medium's path, ensuring ink is only ejected when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flushing operation is performed during non-image-recording periods, then nozzle clogging is reduced or prevented, but ink is wasted when recording medium irregularities are present
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit receives feedback from the irregularity detecting unit about the recording medium state. Based on this feedback, the control unit intelligently decides whether to perform flushing operation or cancel it, thereby avoiding unnecessary ink wastage while maintaining nozzle functionality when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The flushing operation is made dynamic and adaptable rather than fixed. The control unit adjusts the flushing operation based on real-time detection of recording medium irregularities, canceling flushing when irregularities are detected and enabling it when the medium is normal, thus optimizing ink usage.
2Reliability
If flushing operation is continuously performed, then nozzle clogging is prevented, but printing efficiency is reduced due to unnecessary ink ejection
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from the irregularity detecting unit to dynamically control flushing operations. By receiving real-time information about recording medium irregularities, the control unit can cancel unnecessary flushing operations, thereby improving printing efficiency while maintaining nozzle reliability when actually needed.
3Loss of substance
If irregular recording media are diverted to a separate path, then ink wastage is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The recording medium conveyance system is segmented into two paths: a normal path for regular media and a diversion path for irregular media. The recording medium diversion unit creates this separate pathway, allowing irregular media to be routed away from the recording head, thereby preventing ink wastage on unsuitable media.
4Measurement precision
If the irregularity detecting unit is positioned after the recording head, then detection is possible, but flushing operations cannot be adjusted in time
Solution Approach 1:
The irregularity detecting unit is positioned upstream of the recording head to perform preliminary detection of recording medium irregularities before the media reaches the recording head. This allows the control unit to cancel flushing operations in advance, preventing unnecessary ink ejection and responding timely to irregularities.
Data Source
AI summary
An ink-jet recording apparatus includes a recording head, an irregularity detecting unit, a recording medium conveyance unit, and a control unit. The irregularity detecting unit detects an irregularity with the recording medium conveyed toward the recording head. The recording medium conveyance unit has a recording medium diversion unit into which the recording medium with which an irregularity has been detected by the irregularity detecting unit is conveyed. The control unit can perform flushing operation and, when the irregularity detecting unit detects an irregularity with the recording medium, the control unit cancels the flushing operation set immediately before the recording medium with which the irregularity has been detected and conveys, by controlling the recording medium conveyance unit, the recording medium to the recording medium diversion unit.