Platen Segmentation for Marginless Printing Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inkjet printing apparatuses face challenges in performing marginless printing, particularly at the leading end of sheets, where the sheet has not yet reached the sucking unit, leading to ink smearing and reduced image quality due to floating sheets and ink mist adherence.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus with a platen featuring multiple supporting portions and negative pressure chambers, along with an ink receiver system, ensures secure marginless printing by preventing sheet floating and effectively managing ink ejection and absorption across various sheet sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single sucking unit is used at the trailing end of the sheet, then the sheet can be securely sucked during printing, but the leading end of the sheet cannot be suppressed when performing marginless printing, causing floating and ink smearing
Solution Approach 1:
The platen is divided into multiple suction units arranged along the sheet conveyance direction, with each unit having independent suction capability. This segmentation allows different portions of the sheet to be suctioned at different times, enabling both trailing end suction for stability and leading end suction for marginless printing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The leading end suction unit is activated before the leading end of the sheet reaches the printing position, preliminarily suppressing the leading end to prevent floating. This preliminary action ensures that when ink is ejected at the leading end, the sheet is already in a stable position
2Productivity
If the sheet is sucked to a single sucking unit, then printing can be performed, but ink ejected outside the sheet may float as atomized ink mist and adhere to the reverse of the sheet
Solution Approach 1:
An ink receiver is positioned to intercept ink droplets ejected outside the sheet boundaries. This intermediary component captures the ink mist before it can float and adhere to the reverse side of the sheet, while maintaining the printing efficiency of the original system
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful ink mist is extracted from the system by the ink receiver, which captures and removes ink droplets that would otherwise float and adhere to the sheet. This separates the harmful byproduct from the main printing process
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple supporting portions with independent negative pressure chambers are used, then sheet stability is improved for marginless printing, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The platen is segmented into multiple supporting portions with independent negative pressure chambers, allowing each section to independently control sheet suction. This segmentation enables marginless printing capability while managing complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
Each supporting portion with its negative pressure chamber is designed to perform multiple functions: supporting the sheet, suppressing floating, and enabling marginless printing. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, managing overall device complexity
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 enables reliable marginless printing on sheets of different sizes by maintaining sheet stability and preventing ink smearing, ensuring high-quality images and efficient ink management.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of negative pressure chambers, disposed under the supporting portions and arranged in the second direction, each configured to supply a negative pressure to each of the supporting portions
Data Source
AI summary
A platen includes a plurality of supporting portions capable of supporting a sheet; negative pressure chambers, to which a negative pressure is supplied, so as to suck a sheet facing the supporting portions to the supporting portions; and an ink receiver that receives ink ejected from a printhead to the outside of the sheet supported by the supporting portions. The plurality of supporting portions are arranged in a sheet width direction transverse a sheet conveyance direction. The plurality of negative pressure chambers are disposed in a manner corresponding to the plurality of supporting portions, respectively.