Liquid Ejecting Apparatus Droplet Position Correction

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing liquid ejecting apparatuses, such as ink-jet printers, face challenges in accurately correcting droplet landing position deviations due to manufacturing errors or mount issues, as current methods cannot distinguish between common and unique nozzle errors, leading to increased processing complexity and inefficiency.

Innovation Solution

A liquid ejecting apparatus with a first acquisition unit for tracking droplet positions and a second acquisition unit for calculating deviations from at least two nozzles, allowing for the identification of common and individual errors, enabling targeted adjustments to the liquid ejecting head's mount state and droplet ejection timing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If complex processing such as controlling ejection from each nozzle individually is performed to correct landing position deviation, then correction accuracy may be improved, but processing load increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelanding position correction accuracyVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the correction process into two distinct types: common deviation affecting multiple nozzles and individual nozzle-specific deviation. By categorizing deviations in this manner, the system applies different correction strategies to each type, avoiding the need for complex individual control of every nozzle while maintaining correction accuracy. Common deviations are corrected through mount state adjustment, while individual deviations are handled through selective nozzle control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different correction approaches based on the local characteristics of the deviation. For common deviations affecting multiple nozzles, a global mount state adjustment is applied. For individual nozzle deviations, localized control of specific nozzles is implemented. This localized quality approach ensures that correction efforts are tailored to the specific nature of each deviation type, reducing overall processing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Measurement precision

If individual nozzle control is implemented to correct common deviations, then correction accuracy is maintained, but processing efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelanding position correction accuracyVSAvoidprocessing efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the correction process into two distinct types: common deviation affecting multiple nozzles and individual nozzle-specific deviation. By categorizing deviations in this manner, the system applies different correction strategies to each type, avoiding the need for complex individual control of every nozzle while maintaining correction accuracy. Common deviations are corrected through mount state adjustment, while individual deviations are handled through selective nozzle control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the correction parameter based on the deviation type. For common deviations, the mount state parameters (position, angle) are adjusted to correct the deviation for multiple nozzles simultaneously. For individual nozzle deviations, the control parameters for specific nozzles are modified. This parameter change strategy improves processing efficiency by avoiding unnecessary individual nozzle control for common deviations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If simple mount state adjustment is used to correct common deviations, then processing load is reduced, but the ability to correct unique nozzle errors is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing complexityVSAvoidcorrection completeness

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the correction process into two distinct types: common deviation affecting multiple nozzles and individual nozzle-specific deviation. By categorizing deviations in this manner, the system applies different correction strategies to each type, avoiding the need for complex individual control of every nozzle while maintaining correction accuracy. Common deviations are corrected through mount state adjustment, while individual deviations are handled through selective nozzle control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism that analyzes the measured deviations to determine whether they are common to multiple nozzles or unique to individual nozzles. Based on this feedback, the system automatically selects the appropriate correction strategy: mount state adjustment for common deviations or individual nozzle control for unique deviations. This feedback-driven approach ensures complete correction reliability while maintaining processing simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11878509B2Liquid ejecting apparatus, inspection method, and storage medium

Publication Date: 2024.01.23 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

The position information includes first position information about a position, at a first timing, of a droplet ejected from a first nozzle, which is one of the plurality of nozzles, and traveling in air, and second position information about a position, at the first timing, of a droplet ejected from a second nozzle, which is one of the plurality of nozzles N and is different from the first nozzle, and traveling in air.