Carriage Timing in Intermittent-Media Printers for Reduced Idle Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses face challenges in improving productivity due to the synchronization of medium transport and printing processes, particularly when the transport unit stops during liquid discharge by the head.
Innovation Solution
A control unit coordinates the movement of the carriage and transport unit such that the carriage starts moving before the medium transport is completed and liquid discharge is finished, ensuring the carriage and head do not overlap, thereby allowing simultaneous movement and transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the carriage moves only after the medium transport is completed, then the printing quality is maintained, but the productivity is reduced due to idle time
Solution Approach 1:
The carriage starts moving in advance before the medium transport is completed, preparing the printing head for the next printing position ahead of time. This preliminary action eliminates idle time and allows the carriage to be ready immediately when the medium stops, thereby improving productivity without compromising printing quality
Solution Approach 2:
The carriage movement and medium transport are overlapped in time so that the carriage is continuously useful - either transporting or positioning for printing. By starting the carriage movement before medium transport completes, the system eliminates periods where the carriage is idle, maintaining continuous productive action throughout the printing cycle
2Productivity
If the carriage starts moving before medium transport is completed, then productivity is improved, but the risk of contact between head and printed medium increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit monitors the position of the medium and the carriage in real-time, and adjusts the carriage speed and timing based on this feedback. This ensures that even though the carriage starts moving before medium transport completes, the system can dynamically prevent any potential contact between the head and printed medium, maintaining reliability while improving productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The carriage movement is made dynamic and adaptable rather than fixed. By using a control unit that can adjust the carriage speed and position based on medium transport status, the system allows the carriage to move early for productivity while dynamically preventing harmful contact, resolving the contradiction between speed and safety
Data Source
AI summary
A printing apparatus includes a transport unit that intermittently transports a medium, a support portion that supports the medium, a head that performs printing by discharging a liquid onto the medium supported by the support portion during a period in which the transport of the medium by the transport unit is stopped, a carriage at which the head is mounted and that moves relative to the medium, and a control unit. The control unit starts the movement of the carriage before the transport of the medium by the transport unit is completed, and starts the discharge of the liquid by the head after the transport of the medium by the transport unit is completed.