Liquid Discharge Apparatus Preheating Control

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing liquid discharge apparatuses face challenges in controlling preheating temperatures to prevent damage to recording media during the printing process, as they often require high temperatures that can cause deformation or melting.

Innovation Solution

A liquid discharge apparatus with a heater, temperature detector, and conveyor system that initiates preheating with a lower temperature output, gradually increasing to a predetermined threshold, then switches to a higher output for printing, ensuring the recording medium is not damaged and the preheating operation is completed before starting the print job.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If the heater operates at high temperature to complete preheating quickly, then the preheating efficiency is improved, but the recording medium may be damaged due to excessive heat

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheater temperatureVSAvoiddamage to recording medium

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs a preheating operation before the main printing operation to warm up the heater to a predetermined temperature. This preliminary action ensures that when printing starts, the heater is already at the optimal temperature, preventing temperature fluctuations that could damage the recording medium while maintaining high printing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The heater output is dynamically adjusted between two states: a first output during preheating and a second output during printing. The system switches between these output levels based on the operational phase, allowing efficient preheating followed by stable printing temperature maintenance, thus preventing medium damage while ensuring print quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Manufacturing precision

If the heater temperature is increased to ensure print quality, then the printing quality is improved, but the risk of medium deformation or melting increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting qualityVSAvoidintegrity of recording medium

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs a preheating operation before the main printing operation to warm up the heater to a predetermined temperature. This preliminary action ensures that when printing starts, the heater is already at the optimal temperature, preventing temperature fluctuations that could damage the recording medium while maintaining high printing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The temperature detector monitors the heater temperature and provides feedback to the controller. Based on this feedback, the controller adjusts the heater output to maintain the temperature within a predetermined range, ensuring both high printing quality and prevention of medium damage through continuous temperature regulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of time

If the preheating temperature is raised to reduce preheating time, then the operational efficiency is improved, but the recording medium may be damaged

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepreheating timeVSAvoiddamage to recording medium

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs a preheating operation before the main printing operation to warm up the heater to a predetermined temperature. This preliminary action ensures that when printing starts, the heater is already at the optimal temperature, preventing temperature fluctuations that could damage the recording medium while maintaining high printing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the heater output parameter between two distinct levels: a first output during preheating and a second output during printing. This parameter change allows the system to optimize preheating speed while preventing excessive temperature that could damage the medium, achieving both efficiency and safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 prevents damage to the recording medium by controlling preheating temperatures effectively, ensuring high-quality prints while maintaining the integrity of the medium, and allows for efficient transition from preheating to printing operations.

Implementation Method 1

a heater (17-1, 17-2, 17-3, 17-4) to heat the recording medium (150)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 2

a temperature detector (17-1a, 17-2a, 17-3a, 17-4c, 17-4b) to detect a temperature

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTemperature detection: Thermocouple

Data Source

PatentUS11383528B2Liquid discharge apparatus

Publication Date: 2022.07.12 RICOH CO LTD

AI summary

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a heater configured to heat a medium, a detector configured to detect a temperature of the heater, a conveyor configured to convey the medium during a printing operation, and circuitry configured to control the heater to heat the medium with a first output during a preheating operation before the printing operation, control the heater to heat the medium with a second output that is equal to or higher than the first output when the temperature of the heater reaches a predetermined threshold value to complete the preheating operation, and control the conveyor to start conveying the medium to start the printing operation.