Liquid Discharge Apparatus Nozzle Gap and Heater Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers face challenges in achieving high image quality on diverse materials like coated paper, plastic films, and fabrics, particularly with bleeding and nozzle clogging issues due to the use of pretreatment liquids, which require effective drying to prevent image defects but can lead to clogging and reduced discharge reliability.
Innovation Solution
A liquid discharge apparatus with a head configuration that discharges pretreatment liquids with a nozzle gap of 4.0 mm or more from the nozzle surface to the holder, along with a heater to control medium heating, preventing vaporized solvents from affecting nozzles and maintaining discharge reliability while minimizing bleeding on various media types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the nozzle gap is reduced to improve discharge precision, then manufacturing precision is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to nozzle clogging from vaporized solvents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heating device as an intermediary component between the nozzle and the medium. This heater processes the pretreatment liquid by controlling evaporation of solvents before the liquid reaches the medium, thereby preventing nozzle clogging while maintaining discharge precision. The heater acts as a mediator that resolves the conflict between close nozzle spacing and clogging prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary heating action to the pretreatment liquid before discharge. By heating the liquid in advance through the heating device, solvents evaporate before the liquid contacts the medium, preventing subsequent nozzle clogging. This preliminary processing ensures reliable discharge while maintaining precise nozzle positioning.
2Reliability
If the nozzle gap is increased to prevent clogging, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to reduced discharge accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The heating device serves as an intermediary that enables the system to maintain small nozzle gaps for precision while preventing clogging. By processing the pretreatment liquid through controlled heating, the system achieves both close nozzle spacing and reliable operation without needing to increase the gap.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the pretreatment liquid through the heating device. By controlling the temperature, the system manages solvent evaporation to prevent clogging, allowing maintainment of small nozzle gaps for high discharge precision while ensuring reliable operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If heating is applied to prevent bleeding, then image quality is improved, but harmful factors increase due to vaporized solvents affecting nozzles
Solution Approach 1:
The heating device acts as an intermediary that controls the heating process to achieve beneficial effects (preventing bleeding) while avoiding harmful effects (nozzle clogging). By positioning the heater appropriately and controlling its operation, the system processes the pretreatment liquid to prevent both bleeding and clogging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful vaporized solvents into a beneficial effect by controlling their evaporation through the heating device. The controlled heating causes solvents to evaporate in a manner that prevents bleeding on the medium while the heating device's design prevents these vapors from causing nozzle clogging, thus converting a harmful factor into a beneficial one.
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 enhances discharge reliability and prevents bleeding on coated paper, plastic films, and fabrics by maintaining a sufficient gap between the nozzle and the medium, reducing nozzle clogging, and ensuring consistent image quality across different materials.
Implementation Method 1
a heater configured to heat the medium held by the holder
Implementation Method 2
preventing vaporized solvents from affecting nozzles
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid discharge apparatus includes a head configured to discharge a pretreatment liquid from nozzles formed on a nozzle surface of the head onto a medium, a holder configured to hold the medium with a gap between the nozzle surface of the head and the holder, and a heater configured to heat the medium held by the holder. The head discharges the pretreatment liquid onto the medium held by the holder with the gap of 4.0 mm or more.