Inkjet Printer Platen Nozzle Area Control for Marginless Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers performing marginless printing face issues with ink deposits accumulating on ink absorbing members, leading to sheet contamination due to unabsorbed ink solidifying and accumulating, which necessitates a solution to prevent medium contamination from growing ink deposits.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus with a platen featuring contact and non-contact portions, where the control unit adjusts nozzle areas based on deposit information to manage ink distribution, ensuring ink is directed away from contact areas, thereby preventing ink accumulation and contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If marginless printing is performed to maximize printing area utilization, then productivity is improved, but ink deposits accumulate on the ink absorbing member causing sheet contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The platen surface is segmented into multiple non-contact portions (first, second, third non-contact portions) along the transport direction, each serving as a separate ink absorption zone. This segmentation allows ink to be distributed across multiple locations rather than accumulating at a single point, preventing sheet contamination while maintaining marginless printing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The ink absorbing member is pre-positioned at multiple non-contact portions of the platen before printing begins. By having multiple pre-positioned absorption points, the system proactively manages ink overflow before it can accumulate and contaminate the printing medium, enabling continuous marginless printing
2Productivity
If ink is discharged to the end portion of the sheet for marginless printing, then printing efficiency is improved, but ink is not fully absorbed and accumulates on the ink absorbing member
Solution Approach 1:
The ink absorption function is segmented across multiple non-contact portions along the transport direction. Each portion handles ink absorption from different discharge locations, ensuring complete ink uptake and preventing accumulation that would lead to contamination
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a single-point ink absorption approach to a multi-point distribution approach along the transport direction. By adding the dimension of multiple positions along the transport path, the system effectively manages ink absorption across the entire printing area
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 suppresses ink deposit growth on non-contact portions, prolonging the service life of the printer by maintaining ink away from the printing medium, especially effective with pigment inks which tend to gelatinize and remain on absorbing bodies.
Implementation Method 1
an ink absorbing member or the like is disposed at a long groove formed at a transport path for the sheet to achieve a scheme in which the discarded ink is absorbed by the ink absorbing member
Implementation Method 2
the discarded ink is absorbed by the ink absorbing member
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a printing apparatus in which: a platen includes a plurality of contact portions configured to be brought into contact with a printing medium to support the printing medium, and a plurality of non-contact portions configured not to be brought into contact with the printing medium; the plurality of contact portions are disposed at positions differing from each other in a transport direction, and are each provided between the non-contact portions; and when performing marginless printing for discharging ink to an end portion, in the transport direction, of the printing medium, a control unit changes an area of a nozzle used in the marginless printing to any of a plurality of nozzle areas corresponding respectively to the plurality of non-contact portions in the transport direction, in accordance with deposit information indicating the amount of deposits of the ink at the non-contact portions.