Liquid Discharge Head Module with Asymmetric Nozzle Spacing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of increasing the speed of relative movement of the head module in the main scanning direction in liquid discharge apparatuses, such as inkjet printers, leads to increased dot spacing, compromising print quality.
Innovation Solution
A head module design with specific nozzle row configurations, where distances between nozzle rows are defined as P1:P2=E1:O1, P1:P2=M×α:M×β+1, or P1:PT[m]=M×α:M×βT[m]+γT[m], ensuring controlled dot placement and reduced dot spacing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the speed of relative movement of the head module with respect to the medium in the main scanning direction is increased, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The head module is divided into multiple nozzle rows (first, second, third nozzle rows) arranged in the main scanning direction. Each nozzle row discharges liquid to form dots, and by segmenting the dot formation across multiple rows with specifically designed spacing, the patent achieves continuous dot coverage even at high scanning speeds, preventing dot spacing gaps while maintaining high productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric spacing between nozzle rows where the distance P1 between the first and second nozzle rows and the distance P2 between the first and third nozzle rows follow specific mathematical relationships (P1:P2=E1:O1 where E1 is even and O1 is odd, or P1:P2=M×α:M×β+1). This asymmetric configuration ensures that dots from different nozzle rows overlap or connect properly at high scanning speeds, eliminating gaps while maintaining manufacturing precision
2Productivity
If the speed of relative movement of the head module with respect to the medium in the main scanning direction is increased, then productivity is improved, but dot density deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the dot formation function across multiple nozzle rows with specific spacing relationships, the patent ensures that as the head module moves at high speed, dots from successive nozzle rows fill in the spaces between dots from previous rows, maintaining consistent dot density and quantity across the entire printed area
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends the dot formation process from a single-row sequential approach to a multi-row spatial arrangement in the main scanning direction. By carefully controlling the distances P1 and P2 between nozzle rows, the invention creates a two-dimensional dot pattern that maintains density even when the scanning speed increases, as dots from different rows overlap or connect to fill gaps
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a head module in which a first direction is a main scanning direction, including: a first nozzle row including a first nozzle; a second nozzle row including a second nozzle; and a third nozzle row including a third nozzle, in which a distance P1 between the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row in the first direction and a distance P2 between the first nozzle row and the third nozzle row in the first direction are expressed as P1:P2=E1:O1 where a value E1 is a positive even number and a value O1 is a positive odd number satisfying O1>E1.