Inkjet Recording Surface Potential Control for Ejection Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet recording devices face ejection failures due to satellite dots and ink mist adhering to the ejecting unit, particularly when using resin-based recording media, as the surface charging and corona discharge lead to adhesive issues, causing ink to drip or not adhere correctly to the recording medium.
Innovation Solution
A recording device with a corona irradiation unit, an ejecting unit, and a surface potential adjustment unit that applies corona discharge and adjusts the surface potential of the recording medium to a positive range, attracting ink mist and reducing adherence to the ejecting unit, thereby preventing ejection failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If corona discharge is applied to the surface of the recording medium to modify the surface, then the surface is activated for better ink adhesion, but the surface becomes charged with negative potential that repels satellite dots and causes them to adhere to the ejecting unit
Solution Approach 1:
The ionizer applies negative ions to the recording medium surface before ink ejection to preemptively neutralize the positive surface charge generated by corona discharge, preventing satellite dot adhesion to the ejecting unit while preserving the surface activation benefits
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the surface potential is neutralized using an ionizer, then satellite dot adhesion to the ejecting unit is reduced, but ink mist adheres to the vicinity of the nozzle causing ejection failures
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the surface potential parameter from neutral (0V) to positive potential (+100V to +500V) by adjusting ionizer operation, which reverses the electrostatic attraction direction to attract negatively charged ink mist toward the recording medium while preventing ink mist adhesion to the ejecting unit
3Reliability
If the surface potential is set to positive potential to attract ink mist, then ink mist adhesion to the ejecting unit is prevented, but satellite dots may still adhere to non-nozzle areas and accumulate
Solution Approach 1:
The system optimizes the positive surface potential parameter within a specific range (+100V to +500V) that simultaneously achieves ink mist attraction to the recording medium and prevents excessive satellite dot adhesion, balancing ejection reliability with recording speed
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 solution effectively suppresses ink ejection failures by ensuring the ink mist is attracted to the recording medium, reducing the likelihood of ink mist adhering to the ejecting unit and maintaining recording quality.
Implementation Method 1
a corona irradiation unit disposed in a transport path of the target recording medium, and applying corona discharge to a surface of the target recording medium to modify the surface
Implementation Method 2
a surface potential adjustment unit disposed between the corona irradiation unit and the ejecting unit in the transport path, and adjusting a surface potential being a potential of the surface
Implementation Method 3
an ejecting unit disposed downstream of the corona irradiation unit in the transport path, and ejecting an ultraviolet curable ink onto the surface
Implementation Method 4
an ultraviolet irradiation unit disposed downstream of the ejecting unit in the transport path, and irradiating the ultraviolet curable ink with ultraviolet rays
Data Source
AI summary
A recording device, when recording is performed on a predetermined type target recording medium stored in a storage unit, drives a surface potential adjustment unit so that a surface potential is a positive potential within a predetermined range. By configuring such a recording device, it is possible to suppress adhesion of ink to an ejecting unit, and occurrence of an ink ejection failure can be suppressed.