Printer Heating Element Grouping for Power and Density Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printers face challenges in reducing power consumption while maintaining print quality, particularly when printing images with many print dots on a single line, as temperature variations among heating elements lead to image density variations and deteriorated print quality.
Innovation Solution
A printer system that determines control modes for heating elements based on the number of print dots on each line, dividing them into groups to generate heat at different timings, thereby optimizing power usage and minimizing temperature variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If heating elements generate heat at the same timing to print pictorial figures with many print dots, then print quality is maintained, but power consumption becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides heating elements into multiple groups (first groups with adjacent elements, second groups with spaced elements) and controls different groups to generate heat at different timings. This segmentation allows reduction of peak power consumption while maintaining print quality through coordinated heating sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically selects control modes (first control mode for adjacent groups, second control mode for spaced groups, third control mode for simultaneous heating) based on the number of print dots and image content. This dynamic adaptation optimizes the balance between power consumption and print quality for different printing scenarios.
2Use of energy by moving object
If heating elements generate heat at different timings to suppress power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but temperature variation occurs among heating elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different control modes to different heating elements based on their positions and the local printing requirements. Adjacent heating elements are controlled as one group while spaced elements are controlled as another group, allowing localized temperature management that reduces overall temperature variation while suppressing power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the timing parameter of heat generation for different groups of heating elements. By controlling adjacent elements to heat simultaneously and spaced elements to heat at different times, the system optimizes temperature distribution and reduces temperature variation among heating elements.
3Use of energy by moving object
If heating elements generate heat at different timings, then power consumption is suppressed, but image density variation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments heating elements into first groups (adjacent elements) and second groups (spaced elements) with different heating timings. This segmentation strategy suppresses power consumption while maintaining image density uniformity by coordinating the heating sequences of different segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically determines the control mode based on the number of print dots and image characteristics. For images with many print dots, the system selects control modes that maintain image density while reducing power consumption, adapting the heating timing strategy to the specific printing requirements.
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 effectively reduces power consumption and prevents print quality deterioration by applying appropriate control modes to edge and non-edge lines, ensuring consistent image density and reduced step appearance.
Implementation Method 1
cause each heating element to generate heat independently by applying voltage separately to each heating element
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A printer printing an image on a print medium based on print data including print dot data for each of print lines. The printer includes a print head including heating elements arranged along a direction of the print lines, and a controller finding the number of print dots on each print line and determining a first or second control mode as a control mode of the heating elements for printing each print line based on the found number of print dots. In the first control mode, the heating elements are divided into first groups including two or more adjacent heating elements and are heated at a different timing. In the second control mode, the heating elements are divided into second groups including two or more heating elements with at least two thereof spaced apart and are heated at a different timing.