Modular Inkjet Printhead Layout for Flexible Wide-Area Printing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing printing devices for web-shaped or sheet-shaped materials, particularly for cardboard or corrugated board, are limited by the high cost and design constraints of using printheads with small print widths, which restrict the variability and redundancy of printed images.

Innovation Solution

A printing device with multiple small-width printheads arranged side by side, allowing independent positioning perpendicular to the material flow, and equipped with a feed device and secondary reservoirs for buffer capacity, enabling flexible image design and redundancy through overlapping print areas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a printhead with small print width is used to reduce cost, then the cost decreases, but the design possibilities of the printed image are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecostVSAvoiddesign possibilities

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The printing system is divided into multiple independent printing units, each with its own printhead. These units can be individually positioned along the linear guide to create different printing configurations. This segmentation allows the system to maintain low-cost small-width printheads while achieving versatile printing capabilities through combinatorial arrangements of multiple units.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The printing units are equipped with feed devices that enable dynamic positioning along the linear guide perpendicular to the material flow direction. This dynamic positioning capability allows the system to adapt the printing configuration for different design requirements, resolving the contradiction between using fixed small-width printheads and achieving design versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of manufacture

If a printhead with small print width is used to reduce cost, then the cost decreases, but the maximum printable width in a single pass is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecostVSAvoidmaximum printable width

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of increasing the print width of a single printhead (one dimension), the system uses multiple printing units that can be positioned along the linear guide (second dimension). This dimensional approach allows the system to achieve greater effective printable width by combining multiple small-width printheads in series along the material flow direction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple printing units are used to expand design possibilities, then the design flexibility increases, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign flexibilityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple printing units share common infrastructure including the linear guide, feed device mechanism, and control system. Each printing unit is essentially a standardized module that can be independently positioned but relies on shared resources. This universal design reduces the overall complexity increase that would otherwise result from having completely independent printing systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Adaptability or versatility

If printheads are positioned freely perpendicular to material flow, then the printable area position can be adjusted, but the positioning precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprintable area position adjustmentVSAvoidpositioning precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The overlapping print areas of adjacent printheads create a self-compensating mechanism. If positioning varies within the overlap region, the redundant coverage ensures that the entire target area remains covered. This self-service approach to tolerancing reduces the stringent positioning precision requirements that would otherwise be necessary for edge-to-edge printing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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

Enhances design flexibility and redundancy while maintaining a cost-effective solution by allowing wide-ranging printable strip positions and minimizing defects through overlapping print areas.

Implementation Method 1

a pump (25) for supplying the pressurized fluid

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure gradient: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP4463321B1Printing device for individually printing webs or sheets of printing substrates

Publication Date: 2025.11.12 KOLBUS GMBH & CO KG

Figure 1~2
Figure 3

AI summary

A printing device for individually printing webs or sheets of printing substrates according to the ink jet principle comprises a plurality of identical printing units (2, 2.1, 2.2) that can be individually positioned transversely, every printing unit comprising two print heads (23, 24) and being suitable to form a separate printing region or, together with one or more neighboring printing units, to form a common, continuous printing region without ink voids.