Multi-Head Printing Process Ribbon Sector Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing devices with multiple heads face inefficiencies due to long ribbon advancement times between printing sectors, leading to increased dead time and reduced performance, as the ribbon must move in equal steps to avoid overprinting, which limits the speed and effectiveness of the printing process.
Innovation Solution
A printing process where multiple print heads, spaced equidistantly, descend and move over the ribbon in a coordinated manner, printing in segments of reduced length, allowing the ribbon to advance by a fixed distance plus one, ensuring all sectors are printed efficiently without long, unequal advances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ribbon is moved in equal steps equal to the printing sector length, then overprinting is prevented, but long advancement times occur between printing sectors, increasing dead time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the ribbon advancement distance variable rather than fixed. The advancement distance is dynamically adjusted based on the position of print heads and the length of already printed sectors. When print heads are positioned to print on intermediate unprinted sectors, the ribbon advances by a shorter distance (d+1) instead of the full printing sector length, thereby reducing dead time while preventing overprinting through coordinated control of advancement and printing operations.
2Productivity
If multiple print heads are spaced equidistantly, then printing speed is increased, but the marks obtained are spaced apart, requiring additional ribbon displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the ribbon into multiple printing sectors and assigning different print heads to different sectors. The print heads work simultaneously on different segments of the ribbon, and the ribbon is advanced by a optimized distance (d+1) that allows continuous printing on intermediate unprinted sectors without requiring full repositioning, thereby reducing the time lost to ribbon displacement while maintaining high printing speed.
3Manufacturing precision
If the ribbon advances by the full length of printing sector plus distance between heads, then all sectors are covered, but the printing process is delayed by long advancement movements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by strategically positioning print heads to print on intermediate unprinted sectors before the ribbon requires a full advancement. The system anticipates the need for ribbon movement and coordinates printing operations to utilize all available printing sectors, including intermediate ones, thereby ensuring complete sector coverage while minimizing the frequency and length of ribbon advancement movements, thus maintaining high printing throughput.
Data Source
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AI summary
A printing device with n print heads (A, B, C, D, etc) which move together and are arranged equidistantly with a separation (d) between their centres which print on an inked printing ribbon (X) which advances when the heads (A, B, C, D, etc) are stopped and which stops when the print heads (A, B, C, D, etc) print on the same and where the printing ribbon X is divided into S sectors of I length. The printing by the heads (A, B, C, D, etc) is accompanied by the displacement of the ribbon for a d +I distance to optimise the operation times while using all the sectors S of the ribbon X in the printing process.