Printer Thermal Head Temperature Deviation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Printers struggle to accurately determine and set appropriate printing speeds for print-receiving media due to temperature variations, as existing technologies do not effectively consider the temperature of the media, leading to inconsistent printing quality and synchronization issues.
Innovation Solution
A printer system that includes a thermal head with a temperature detecting device and a controller to perform non-energization feeding, allowing the thermal head to equilibrate with the print-receiving medium's temperature, and then calculates the printing speed based on the temperature deviation, ensuring synchronization between feeding and printing speeds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the printing speed is set based on ambient temperature or thermal head temperature only, then the control system remains simple, but the printing speed cannot be accurately determined due to inability to detect print-receiving medium temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal head serves dual purposes: as the printing device and as the temperature detection device. By utilizing the thermal head's own temperature sensor to detect both its operating temperature and the print-receiving medium temperature through contact, the system achieves accurate temperature measurement without adding separate detection devices, thus resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal head is designed to perform multiple functions: it acts as both the printing element (heating element) and the temperature detection device. This multi-functionality allows the system to obtain accurate print-receiving medium temperature data through the thermal head's contact with the medium, eliminating the need for additional temperature sensors and reducing system complexity while improving measurement accuracy
2Productivity
If the printing speed is increased for high temperature media, then productivity improves, but printing quality deteriorates due to desynchronization between feeding and print formation
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback control by continuously monitoring the print-receiving medium temperature through the thermal head's temperature sensor and dynamically adjusting the printing speed accordingly. The controller receives temperature information and automatically sets the printing speed to match the feeding speed, ensuring synchronization is maintained while optimizing productivity for different temperature conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The printing speed is made dynamic rather than fixed, allowing it to change based on the detected print-receiving medium temperature. The system automatically adjusts the printing speed in real-time to match the feeding speed at each temperature condition, ensuring continuous synchronization between feeding and print formation while maximizing productivity across varying temperature environments
3Manufacturing precision
If the printing speed is decreased for low temperature media, then printing quality is maintained, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback control mechanism continuously monitors the print-receiving medium temperature and automatically adjusts the printing speed to the optimal value for each temperature condition. This ensures that printing quality is maintained at low temperatures through appropriate speed reduction, while avoiding unnecessary speed reductions at higher temperatures, thus optimizing productivity across all temperature ranges
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the printing speed parameter dynamically based on the detected temperature of the print-receiving medium. By establishing corresponding relationships between temperature ranges and optimal printing speeds, the system automatically selects the appropriate printing speed parameter for each temperature condition, maintaining printing quality while maximizing productivity
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 allows for precise determination of printing speed based on the print-receiving medium's temperature, improving printing quality and maintaining synchronization, even in varying temperature environments, while minimizing additional costs by using a single temperature detecting device.
Implementation Method 1
In this non-energization feeding, the thermal head is in contact with the print-receiving medium, and due to heat conduction, the temperature of the thermal head (head temperature) will approach, with time, the temperature of the print-receiving medium
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure discloses a printer includes a controller. The controller performs a first feed control process, a temperature-difference calculation process, and a first printing speed determination process. In the first feed control process, in a state where an energizing device does not perform energization to the heating element, the driving device is controlled to perform non-energization feeding while causing a thermal head to contact a print-receiving medium. In the temperature-difference calculation process, during execution of the non-energization feeding, a first deviation between two of the head temperatures which are respectively detected by the first temperature detecting device at different timings is calculated. In the first printing speed determination process, the printing speed is determined on the basis of the first deviation.