Linearly-Contact Member for Substrate Thermal Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid discharge apparatuses face challenges in efficiently drying ink on non-permeable substrates during high-speed printing, leading to issues like ink drying in nozzles, poor ejection, and image quality defects due to air intrusion between the substrate and temperature control members.
Innovation Solution
A device incorporating a temperature control member and a linearly-contact member, where the linearly-contact member blocks air flow and enhances adhesion between the substrate and temperature control drum, combined with a warm-air drying unit to control temperature and prevent ink drying in nozzles, ensuring uniform heat transfer and improved substrate handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a substrate is heated while being conveyed at high speed, then drying efficiency is improved, but air intrudes between the substrate and temperature control member causing poor contact and uneven heating
Solution Approach 1:
A linearly-contacting member is introduced as an intermediary element between the substrate and the temperature control member. This member linearly contacts both the substrate and the temperature control member at a position upstream from where the substrate contacts the temperature control member, preventing air intrusion and ensuring reliable thermal contact during high-speed conveyance.
2Productivity
If the substrate is heated to dry ink quickly, then productivity increases, but ink may dry in the nozzles causing ejection failures
Solution Approach 1:
The linearly-contacting member performs preliminary action by preventing air intrusion and ensuring stable thermal contact before the substrate reaches the main heating zone. This preliminary stabilization of the substrate-temperature control member contact prevents erratic heating that could cause ink to dry in the nozzles, while still enabling efficient drying of the applied ink on the substrate.
3Productivity
If high temperature is applied to dry ink on non-permeable substrate, then drying efficiency improves, but substrate deformation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The linearly-contacting member acts as a mediator that ensures uniform thermal contact between the substrate and temperature control member. This uniform contact distributes heat evenly across the substrate surface, preventing localized overheating that would cause deformation, while maintaining overall high drying efficiency for the ink on the non-permeable substrate.
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 configuration enhances drying efficiency, reduces substrate deformation, and maintains high image quality by preventing air intrusion and ensuring consistent heat transfer, thereby improving the overall printing process.
Implementation Method 1
The temperature control member has an outer peripheral surface to contact a conveyed substrate to which liquid is applied, and heats or cools the substrate
Implementation Method 2
The linearly-contact member contacts the substrate and the temperature control member on an upstream side from a contact position between the substrate and the temperature control member in a conveyance direction of the substrate
Implementation Method 3
combined with a warm-air drying unit to control temperature and prevent ink drying in nozzles
Data Source
AI summary
A device includes a temperature control member and a linearly-contact member. The temperature control member has an outer peripheral surface to contact a conveyed substrate to which liquid is applied, and heats or cools the substrate. The linearly-contact member contacts the substrate and the temperature control member on an upstream side from a contact position between the substrate and the temperature control member in a conveyance direction of the substrate.