Printing Apparatus Leading End Ink Margin for Jam Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet printers face issues with nozzle clogging due to ink evaporation and thickening, leading to unstable ink ejection and potential paper jams, especially when the printing medium is slanted or wrinkled, and ink droplets adhere to the medium, causing it to jam in the transport path.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus with a control unit that executes flushing operations by providing a margin where ink does not land at the leading end of the printing medium, ensuring it does not enter gaps between transport units, and includes a mechanism to prevent ink from landing on both ends of the medium, even when it is slanted or meandering, thereby avoiding jams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flushing operation is executed to prevent nozzle clogging, then ink ejection stability is improved, but printing medium may jam in transport path due to ink adhesion at leading end
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of different regions on the printing medium. Specifically, the leading end region is excluded from flushing ink ejection to prevent jamming, while other regions continue to receive flushing treatment. This is achieved by setting a margin distance from the leading end where nozzles do not eject ink during flushing operations, thereby locally modifying the ink application pattern to prevent harmful adhesion at critical locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-calculating and setting a margin distance from the leading end of the printing medium before executing the flushing operation. The control unit determines this margin based on the position of the leading end and prevents ink ejection in this predetermined safe zone. This preliminary preparation ensures that when flushing is performed, the leading end is already protected from ink adhesion that could cause jamming in the transport path.
2Reliability
If ink is ejected onto leading end of printing medium, then flushing effectiveness is improved, but separation between transport units is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of different regions on the printing medium. Specifically, the leading end region is excluded from flushing ink ejection to prevent jamming, while other regions continue to receive flushing treatment. This is achieved by setting a margin distance from the leading end where nozzles do not eject ink during flushing operations, thereby locally modifying the ink application pattern to prevent harmful adhesion at critical locations.
3Productivity
If printing medium is transported through gaps between transport units, then printing continuity is improved, but jam risk increases when medium is slanted or wrinkled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-calculating and setting a margin distance from the leading end of the printing medium before executing the flushing operation. The control unit determines this margin based on the position of the leading end and prevents ink ejection in this predetermined safe zone. This preliminary preparation ensures that when flushing is performed, the leading end is already protected from ink adhesion that could cause jamming in the transport path.
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 prevents paper jams by maintaining a clear transport path and ensuring the printing medium separates easily from transport units, even during slanted or wrinkled conditions, thereby stabilizing ink ejection and preventing nozzle clogging.
Implementation Method 1
a line head, having a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged in a direction that intersects with the transport direction, that ejects the liquid from the nozzles onto the printing medium transported by the first transport unit
Implementation Method 2
if no ink is ejected from the nozzles for an extended period of time, the water content of the ink may evaporate through the nozzle openings, causing the ink to thicken
Implementation Method 3
there are also cases where ink droplets ejected onto the printing medium (dots) cause jams. In other words, depending on how dots adhere to the printing medium, there is a risk that the printing medium will not easily separate from a surface in the transport path
Data Source
AI summary
A printing apparatus comprising: a first transport unit that transports a printing medium; a line head, having a nozzle row in which the plurality of nozzles are arranged, that ejects the liquid from the nozzles onto the printing medium; a second transport unit, disposed at a distance from the first transport unit downstream from the first transport unit, that further transports the printing medium transported by the first transport unit; and a control unit that causes the line head to execute a flushing operation for ejecting the liquid from the nozzles at a predetermined frequency, wherein when causing the line head to execute the flushing operation, the control unit provides a margin, where the liquid does not land, in a region corresponding to a predetermined distance from a leading end of the printing medium that is an end of the printing medium located toward the second transport unit.