Liquid Discharge Apparatus Light Emission Control for Uniform Luster
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing active energy ray-curing type inkjet printers face challenges in forming a uniform overcoat layer with consistent luster without reducing productivity, as the current techniques require additional processing steps and data inversion, leading to increased time and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A liquid discharge apparatus with a light emitting module that adjusts the light emission timing and intensity to form a uniform overcoat layer by differentiating the clear ink discharge patterns between matte and gloss areas, allowing for simultaneous formation of matte and gloss layers in a single job without the need for additional data processing or steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If data inversion technique is used to uniformize the overcoat layer, then the luster uniformity is improved, but the processing time and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing correction data in a lookup table that maps original CMYK values to corrected values. This pre-computed correction data is directly applied during printing without real-time inversion processing, thus achieving uniform luster while maintaining high processing speed and productivity.
2Manufacturing precision
If two or more processing steps are used to form matte layer and overcoat layer, then the luster uniformity is improved, but the number of processing steps increases and productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the matte layer formation and overcoat layer formation into a single printing step. By using corrected CMYK values that incorporate the inversion correction, the system achieves uniform luster in the overcoat layer without requiring separate matte layer printing, thus reducing the number of processing steps while maintaining luster uniformity.
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 approach enables the formation of an overcoat layer with uniform luster without reducing productivity, as it simplifies the process by integrating light emission control to adjust the clear ink discharge patterns, ensuring consistent glossiness across the printed image.
Implementation Method 1
an active energy ray-curing type inkjet printer forming an image by discharging ink curable by an active energy ray and emitting active energy ray to the ink
Data Source
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AI summary
A liquid discharge apparatus (10) includes a head unit having a plurality of nozzles aligned in a sub scan direction, a light emitting module (400) coupled to the head unit and having a plurality of light emitting elements configured to emit light to the liquid, a scan unit (19) configured to perform a main scan movement and a sub scan movement, a light-emission control unit configured to control on-and-off states of at least one of the light emitting elements independently, wherein a time interval between a discharge and a start of irradiation of the liquid discharged by the nozzle located relatively close to a rear end of the head unit is longer than a time interval between a discharge and a start of irradiation of the liquid discharged by the nozzle located relatively close to a front end of the head unit.