Movable Holder Liquid Discharge Apparatus with Internal Heater
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet recording apparatuses face challenges in maintaining print quality on fabrics, particularly in the Direct to Garment (DTG) field, where image quality equivalent to conventional analog printing is required, and there is a need to prevent deterioration in print quality and reduce the risk of user safety hazards from heaters.
Innovation Solution
A liquid discharge apparatus with a movable holder having a flat surface for medium placement, integrated heater positioned within the apparatus to heat the medium, and liquid discharge heads, which allows for efficient inkjet printing while minimizing heat exposure to users and reducing ink hardening and nozzle clogging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the heater is disposed outside the housing for heating the medium, then the heating function is provided, but the user safety risk increases due to heat exposure and the apparatus size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is disposed inside the housing, specifically within the movable region of the holder, nesting the heating function within the existing structure. This eliminates external heater components that would expose users to heat while maintaining the heating capability for the medium.
Solution Approach 2:
The heater is positioned in a spatial arrangement where it overlaps with the movable region of the holder in the horizontal direction when viewed from the vertical direction. This three-dimensional positioning allows the heater to be integrated within the housing volume without interfering with the holder's movement paths.
2Temperature
If the heater is disposed outside the housing, then the heating function is provided, but the apparatus size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is merged with the housing structure, utilizing the existing internal space of the housing for the heating function. This integration eliminates the need for separate external heater components, thereby reducing apparatus size and complexity while maintaining heating capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The heater is nested within the housing and specifically within the movable region of the holder, utilizing the existing structural volume. This nesting approach allows the heating function to be incorporated without increasing the overall apparatus footprint.
3Ease of operation
If the holder is movable in horizontal and vertical directions, then the liquid discharge head can discharge liquid onto the medium, but the heater positioning becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is positioned specifically within the movable region of the holder, creating a localized heating zone that corresponds to the operational area. This localized positioning ensures the heater is present where needed during holder movement without requiring complex positioning mechanisms throughout the entire apparatus.
Solution Approach 2:
The heater positioning is defined in three-dimensional space, overlapping with the holder's movable region when viewed from the vertical direction. This spatial definition allows the heater to remain stationary while the holder moves through its range, simplifying the heater positioning relative to the dynamic holder.
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
The solution ensures high-quality image printing on fabrics by maintaining print quality, reducing user safety risks, and minimizing apparatus size and cost, while effectively preventing ink deterioration and nozzle clogging.
Implementation Method 1
a heater configured to heat the medium held by the holder
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid discharge apparatus includes a housing, a holder configured to hold a medium, a heater configured to heat the medium held by the holder, and a liquid discharge head configured to discharge a liquid onto the medium held by the holder. The holder has a flat holding surface on which the medium is placed flat, the holder is movable in the housing in a direction parallel to the flat holding surface and in a vertical direction, and the heater is disposed inside the housing within a movable region of the holder in which the holder is movable in the direction parallel to the flat holding surface in a view from the vertical direction.