Printer Head Unit With Tilted Outlet Rows For High Resolution Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers face complexity in achieving high-resolution printing due to the need for intricate ejection control and high-level position adjustments of multiple heads, making it difficult to fabricate and maintain head units for color printing at resolutions like 720 dpi without causing variations in mixed colors.
Innovation Solution
The printer design incorporates a head unit with first and second ejection modules, each comprising outlet groups tilted at a minute angle, allowing for simultaneous ejection control across all outlets to achieve high-resolution printing without complex ejection control, and a method for easily fabricating the head unit by attaching modules with tilted outlet groups on holders, ensuring continuous ink deposition and preventing color variation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple heads are arranged with high-level position adjustments to achieve high-resolution printing (720 dpi), then printing resolution is improved, but device complexity and fabrication difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The head unit is divided into multiple heads, each head containing multiple outlet groups with outlets arranged in tilted rows. This segmentation allows each head to contribute to high-resolution printing through its own tilted outlet arrangement, eliminating the need for complex high-level position adjustments of entire heads while achieving 720 dpi resolution through the coordinated operation of multiple tilted outlet rows across segmented heads
Solution Approach 2:
The outlets within each outlet group are arranged in asymmetric tilted rows rather than straight orthogonal rows. The tilt angle creates an asymmetric pattern that, when combined with the segmented head structure, enables high-resolution printing without requiring complex positioning mechanisms. The asymmetric tilt allows ink droplets to be deposited at precise positions through the natural trajectory created by the tilt
2Measurement precision
If ejection control is performed for each outlet to achieve high-resolution printing, then printing resolution is improved, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Ejection control is merged at the outlet group level rather than requiring individual control of each outlet. Multiple outlets within a tilted row are controlled together as a group, and the tilted arrangement ensures that simultaneous ejection from multiple outlets in a group produces precisely positioned droplet patterns. This merging of control levels simplifies the control system while maintaining high-resolution output through the geometric arrangement of tilted outlet rows
3Reliability
If multiple heads are arranged in complex configurations to prevent color variations, then color consistency is improved, but fabrication ease deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Each outlet group is designed with local quality through its specific tilted row arrangement, where outlets are positioned at precise tilt angles to ensure proper ink deposition. This local quality control at the outlet group level, rather than requiring complex global positioning of multiple heads, ensures color consistency by maintaining proper spacing and alignment of outlets within each group. The tilted row configuration provides inherent geometric control that prevents color variations without complex fabrication procedures
Data Source
AI summary
In a head unit of a printer, a head (5A) has outlet rows (611, 612, 621 and 622) arranged along a first tilt direction and a gap between outlets in the outlet rows (611 and 612) is interpolated with a outlet in the outlet rows (621 and 622) by a slight tilt. A head (5C) adjacent to the head (5A) is tilted in a second tilt direction opposite to the first tilt direction. In the printer, a plurality of dots are formed, being aligned on a piece of printing paper in the first tilt direction by performing an ejection control simultaneously for all outlets in each outlet row of the head (5A) and subsequently a plurality of dots are formed, being aligned on the piece of printing paper in the second tilt direction by performing an ejection control simultaneously for all the outlets in each outlet row of the head (5C), to make both rows of dots continuous. Through this operation, the printer can easily perform high-resolution printing without such a complicate ejection control as to control ejection of ink for each outlet (7).