Nozzle Plate Preheating for Ink Viscosity Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet printers face issues with color changes in fixed ink due to temperature fluctuations, leading to inconsistent ink viscosity and print quality, as existing correction methods are inadequate.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus and method that includes a heat platen for heating the nozzle plate, a temperature acquisition unit, and a determination portion to set the nozzle plate temperature based on acquired data, ensuring constant ink viscosity before printing by performing preheating operations, either through main scanning or stopping over the heat platen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a heating mechanism is used to dry the printing medium, then printing speed is improved, but temperature fluctuation causes ink viscosity changes and color inconsistency
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preheating of the nozzle plate before actual printing begins. The control unit activates the heating mechanism to warm the nozzle plate to a predetermined temperature, and only after the temperature is confirmed stable does it start printing. This preliminary heating action prevents temperature-induced viscosity fluctuations during the printing process, thereby maintaining consistent ink flow and color quality while enabling faster printing.
2Reliability
If temperature correction is performed after printing initiation, then temperature changes are addressed, but color consistency is already compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors the nozzle plate temperature continuously and performs preheating before printing starts. The control unit ensures the nozzle plate reaches the target temperature and stabilizes before initiating ink discharge. This preliminary temperature stabilization prevents color inconsistency from the outset, making post-printing temperature corrections unnecessary for maintaining color quality.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the nozzle plate is heated continuously, then ink viscosity is maintained, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating mechanism operates periodically rather than continuously. The control unit activates heating during preheating phases and when temperature drops below the target range, then deactivates it when the target temperature is reached and stable. This periodic operation maintains ink viscosity stability while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous heating.
4Manufacturing precision
If preheating is performed before printing, then color consistency is improved, but printing preparation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs rapid periodic heating cycles during preheating to quickly bring the nozzle plate to the target temperature. The control unit monitors temperature continuously and activates heating only when needed, creating efficient heating cycles that minimize preparation time while ensuring the nozzle plate reaches and maintains the required temperature for consistent ink viscosity and color quality.
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 effectively reduces color changes in fixed ink after printing initiation by maintaining consistent ink viscosity, thereby enhancing print quality and stability.
Implementation Method 1
since the heat of the heat platen is transmitted to the nozzle plate and it is possible to set a liquid (an ink) inside the nozzle plate to a desired temperature
Data Source
AI summary
An ink jet printer according to an aspect of the invention includes a heat platen that is capable of heating in a state of supporting recording sheets, a head that discharges ink onto the recording sheets from a nozzle plate in which nozzles are provided, a temperature sensor that acquires temperature information of the nozzle plate, a main scanning portion that performs a main scanning operation that relatively moves the head in a main scanning direction with respect to the recording sheets, a sub-scanning portion that performs a sub-scan operation that relatively moves the recording sheets in a sub-scanning direction, which intersects the main scanning direction, with respect to the head, and a determination portion that determines the necessity of a heating operation, in which the heat platen heats the nozzle plate, on the basis of the temperature information before printing.