Printing Apparatus Area Switching for Gloss Irregularities

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing printing technologies face issues with gloss irregularities and image quality due to ink discharge thinning, leading to spot defects and unsatisfactory tone representation in band printing.

Innovation Solution

A printing apparatus and method that divides the printing region into multiple areas, alternately switching the formation of line images between these areas while moving the printing medium, allowing for controlled ink discharge and curing to suppress gloss irregularities and maintain high image quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If ink discharge is randomly thinned to suppress gloss irregularities in band printing, then gloss irregularities are suppressed, but image quality is lowered and spot defects occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegloss irregularitiesVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The printing region is divided into multiple areas in the transport direction, and line images are formed by alternately switching between these areas. This segmentation approach allows different regions to be processed at different times, dispersing curing timing differences and suppressing gloss irregularities without requiring ink discharge thinning, thereby maintaining image quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The head alternates between forming line images on different areas in a periodic manner during the transport process. This periodic switching of printing areas creates a rhythm in the printing process that distributes curing timing variations across different spatial locations, effectively suppressing gloss irregularities while maintaining consistent ink discharge rates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

2Productivity

If band printing is performed with intermittent transport, then productivity is improved, but gloss irregularities occur between bands

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting efficiencyVSAvoidgloss irregularities between bands

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of addressing gloss irregularities within a single band, the invention introduces a new dimension of area switching across multiple bands. By alternately forming line images on different areas during the intermittent transport process, the solution extends the problem-solving approach from one-dimensional band processing to multi-dimensional area management, suppressing gloss irregularities between bands while maintaining productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary area switching and line image formation during the intermittent transport phases, before the next band is fully processed. This preliminary action ensures that gloss irregularities are suppressed through alternating area usage while maintaining the intermittent transport schedule, thus preserving productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 effectively reduces gloss irregularities by dispersing curing timing differences across the printing region, resulting in improved image quality without lowering the quality of the printed image.

Implementation Method 1

a head that discharges ink to the printing region, and cures ink dots formed on the printing region to form a line image

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInk discharge:

Implementation Method 2

a movement section that causes the printing medium to move relative to the head in a second direction intersecting the first direction

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRelative movement:

Implementation Method 3

cures ink dots formed on the printing region to form a line image

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCuring:

Data Source

PatentUS9446614B2Printing apparatus and printing method

Publication Date: 2016.09.20 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

A printing apparatus includes a head that discharges ink to a printing region, and causes ink dots formed on the printing region to be cured to form a line image in a first direction, and a movement section that that causes the printing medium to move relative to the head in a second direction intersecting the first direction, in which the printing region is divided into a plurality of areas in the second direction, and the movement section alternately switches the area in which the line image is formed by the head between the plurality of areas while causing the printing medium to relatively move.