Inkjet Recording Apparatus Switchback Path Drying
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Continuous recording operations on multiple media in inkjet systems lead to decreased throughput due to the need to stop and dry the recording media, as existing methods require sequential stopping and drying, which slows down the process.
Innovation Solution
A recording apparatus with a conveyance path that includes an upstream path, a downstream path, and a switchback path, where the controller determines when to stop and dry the media by reversing the conveyance direction, allowing multiple sheets to be stopped and dried simultaneously in different sections of the path, thereby reducing overall stopping and drying time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the recording medium is stopped and dried in sequence in the downstream path, then the liquid jetted recording medium can be properly dried, but the throughput decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyance path is divided into multiple sections: upstream path, downstream path, and switchback path. Multiple recording media are segmented into different sections for simultaneous drying, rather than drying them sequentially in a single location. This segmentation allows parallel processing of multiple media, improving throughput while maintaining drying quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a spatial dimension to the drying process by creating multiple drying zones along the conveyance path. Instead of stopping all media at one location, the system utilizes different positions (upstream, downstream, switchback paths) as separate drying dimensions, allowing simultaneous drying of multiple media without sequential bottlenecks.
2Productivity
If multiple recording media are processed continuously, then productivity increases, but the complexity of controlling conveyance and drying increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyance system employs dynamic control where the conveyance unit can reversibly change direction to transport media to the switchback path. This dynamic capability allows flexible routing of multiple media through different path configurations, enabling complex multi-media processing without requiring proportionally complex additional hardware for each media type.
Solution Approach 2:
The switchback path serves multiple functions: it acts as a drying zone, a reversal path, and a temporary storage area. This multi-functional design allows a single conveyance path structure to handle multiple recording media simultaneously in different states (conveying, drying, reversing), reducing the need for separate dedicated paths for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a recording apparatus including a liquid jetting unit, a container unit, a receiving unit, a conveyance unit and a controller. The controller is configured to carry out: determining whether or not it is necessary to stop and dry the liquid jetted recording medium in the conveyance path and controlling the conveyance unit to stop the recording medium in the conveyance path under a condition that the controller determines that it is necessary to dry the recording medium.