Metallic Ink Curing via Scanning Direction Inversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming technologies face challenges in achieving high glossiness and productivity when using metallic inks, as immediate irradiation can result in uneven curing and reduced gloss, and existing methods lack efficient methods to prolong the time between ink discharge and curing.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a metallic ink discharge head, a color ink discharge head, and an irradiation unit mounted on a carriage that alternates between main scanning and sub-scanning movements, allowing the metallic ink to be discharged in one direction and cured in another, enabling a longer time for wetting and spreading before curing, while the color ink is discharged and cured in the same direction as the irradiation, improving glossiness and productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If immediate irradiation is applied to metallic ink after discharge, then curing is achieved quickly, but glossiness is reduced and curing becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The metallic ink is discharged and allowed to wet and spread on the recording medium before irradiation. This preliminary action of delaying irradiation until after the ink has properly settled ensures uniform curing and high glossiness, resolving the contradiction between curing speed and image quality
2Manufacturing precision
If the time between metallic ink discharge and irradiation is prolonged, then glossiness is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a temporal dimension to the curing process by separating ink discharge and irradiation into different time points. The metallic ink is discharged in one main scanning movement and irradiated in a subsequent main scanning movement, optimizing both glossiness and productivity through time-based separation
3Device complexity
If metallic ink and color ink are discharged in the same direction, then processing is simplified, but metallic ink curing becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by discharging metallic ink and color ink in opposite directions. The metallic ink discharge head and color ink discharge head are positioned to discharge inks in reverse directions, allowing the metallic ink to be properly irradiated and cured while maintaining color accuracy and curing 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 secures a longer time for metallic ink curing, enhancing the glossiness of images and allowing for high-gloss, metallic color images to be formed efficiently, while maintaining high productivity by optimizing the sequence of ink discharge and irradiation.
Implementation Method 1
The irradiation unit irradiates the metallic ink on the recording medium with light
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a metallic ink discharge head, a color ink discharge head, an irradiation unit, a carriage, and a moving unit. The metallic ink discharge head discharges a metallic ink onto a recording medium. The color ink discharge head discharges a color ink onto the recording medium. The irradiation unit irradiates the metallic ink with light. The metallic ink discharge head, the color ink discharge head, and the irradiation unit are mounted on the carriage. The moving unit alternately perform a main scanning movement and a sub-scanning movement. The metallic ink discharge head discharges the metallic ink in a region of the recording medium in a former main scanning movement. The irradiation unit irradiates the region with the light in a latter main scanning movement. The color ink discharge head discharges the color ink in the region irradiated with the light by the irradiation unit.