Nozzle Line Group Selection for Inkjet Head Failure Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In liquid ejecting apparatuses like inkjet printers, widespread nozzle ejection failures require the replacement of the recording head, disrupting printing and degrading reproducibility, as existing techniques fail to effectively manage failures across multiple nozzles.
Innovation Solution
A liquid ejecting apparatus with N nozzle line groups in a first direction, featuring a selection mechanism to choose consecutively adjacent M nozzle line groups (2≤M<N) for continued printing, allowing for uninterrupted operation by selecting a set of use nozzle lines for forming dots on the medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the recording head is replaced when ejection failure occurs in a large number of nozzles, then the printing reliability is improved, but the productivity is degraded due to interruption of printing operations
Solution Approach 1:
The recording head is divided into multiple nozzle line groups (first direction) with each group containing multiple nozzle lines (second direction). When ejection failure is detected in certain nozzles, the system segments the functional operation by selecting and using only the unaffected nozzle line groups and/or nozzle lines, allowing continued printing without replacing the entire recording head.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of replacing the entire recording head when failures occur, the system performs partial action by utilizing only the necessary subset of functional nozzles (M out of N nozzle line groups). This partial utilization approach maintains productivity while ensuring reliable printing through the remaining functional components.
2Productivity
If all nozzle line groups are used for printing, then the productivity is maximized, but the reliability is degraded when ejection failures occur in multiple nozzles
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts which nozzle line groups and/or nozzle lines are activated for printing based on real-time detection of ejection failures. The selection section determines the appropriate subset of functional nozzles and the ejection controller adjusts the liquid ejection commands accordingly, enabling adaptive operation that maintains both productivity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection section continuously monitors ejection status of nozzles and provides feedback to the selection section. Based on this feedback about which nozzles are functioning properly, the system dynamically selects the appropriate subset of nozzle line groups to use, ensuring reliable printing while maximizing productivity through optimal resource utilization.
3Productivity
If the selection section chooses non-consecutive nozzle line groups, then the productivity is maintained, but the device complexity increases due to complicated transport control
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by selecting consecutive nozzle line groups (e.g., groups 1-3 or 2-4) rather than arbitrary non-consecutive combinations. This localized selection approach maintains relatively simple transport control patterns while still achieving high productivity by utilizing the maximum number of functional nozzles in consecutive groups.
Data Source
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AI summary
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head having N nozzle line groups (N is an integer equal to or larger than 3) arranged in a first direction, a main scanning section configured to move the liquid ejecting head in a second direction which intersects with the first direction for scanning, a selection section configured to select a set of use nozzle lines to be used for formation of dots on the medium from among the N nozzle line groups, and an ejection controller configured to form the dots by causing the nozzles included in the set of use nozzle lines selected by the selection section to eject the liquid. The selection section selects M of the N nozzle line groups (2≤M<N) which are consecutively adjacent to each other in the first direction as the set of use nozzle lines.