Liquid Discharge Head Nozzle Segmentation for Airflow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The interference of airflows between adjacent heads in a liquid discharge apparatus causes deviation in the landing positions of liquid droplets, leading to image quality issues such as white or black streaks, especially at high conveyance speeds.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves controlling the discharge of liquid droplets by setting specific nozzle arrays as non-discharge nozzles in overlapping regions of adjacent heads, using a dot-data generation mask to alternately discharge droplets from these heads, thereby reducing the influence of mutual interference airflows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple heads are used to increase conveyance speed and productivity, then productivity is improved, but airflow interference between adjacent heads causes landing position deviation and image quality deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the nozzle arrays into discharge nozzle arrays and non-discharge nozzle arrays based on their positional relationships. By dividing the functional responsibility of adjacent heads, the system reduces airflow interference while maintaining productivity. Specifically, nozzles in overlapping regions are designated as non-discharge nozzles to prevent harmful interactions between airflows from multiple heads.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different discharge characteristics to different regions of the heads. In overlapping regions between adjacent heads, nozzles are configured as non-discharge nozzles, while nozzles in non-overlapping regions continue to discharge liquid. This local differentiation optimizes the balance between productivity and landing position precision by treating different spatial locations differently.
2Productivity
If all nozzle arrays discharge liquid droplets, then productivity is maximized, but mutual interference airflows cause density unevenness and streaks in the discharged pattern
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic nozzles from the discharge function by designating them as non-discharge nozzle arrays. These nozzles are removed from the active discharge role in overlapping regions, eliminating the source of harmful airflow interference while preserving the discharge function in non-overlapping regions. This extraction resolves the contradiction between maximizing throughput and ensuring pattern uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of having multiple heads discharging simultaneously into a benefit by strategically designating overlapping region nozzles as non-discharge nozzles. This prevents harmful airflow interference while still allowing multiple heads to operate in parallel, thereby maintaining high productivity without the negative effects of mutual interference.
3Speed
If high conveyance speed is used, then productivity increases, but airflow interference causes greater landing position deviation and image quality issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent takes preliminary action by pre-configuring non-discharge nozzle arrays in overlapping regions before the conveyance process begins. This preliminary configuration prevents airflow interference from occurring in the first place, allowing the system to operate at high conveyance speeds without experiencing the usual landing position deviations that would otherwise occur during operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid discharge head includes multiple heads and circuitry. The multiple heads discharge liquid droplets. The multiple heads include at least a first head and a second head. The first head has first nozzle arrays each having first nozzles. The second head is disposed upstream from the first head. The second head has second nozzle arrays each having second nozzles. The second nozzle arrays have second overlapping region overlapped with first overlapping region of the first nozzle arrays. The circuitry causes the first head not to discharge the liquid droplets from the first nozzles of one or more of the first nozzle arrays from an upstream end of the first head in the first overlapping region and causes the second head not to discharge the liquid droplets from the second nozzles of one or more of the second nozzle arrays from a downstream end in the second overlapping region.