Printing Head Stop Time Control for Airflow Attenuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing printing apparatuses face challenges in maintaining printing quality when the interval between the platen and the head portion increases, as it leads to airflow interference affecting droplet placement, resulting in double-printed lines, especially when the head portion reciprocates at higher velocities.
Innovation Solution
The printing apparatus incorporates an interval adjusting mechanism and a controller that sets a longer movement stop time for the head portion when reversing direction, ensuring sufficient attenuation of airflow, regardless of the interval or velocity, to prevent airflow interference and maintain printing quality. This is achieved through multiple printing modes that adjust the interval and movement stop time based on the distance between the head and the medium, and the velocity of the head portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the interval between the platen and the head portion is increased to accommodate various printing media, then adaptability to different media types is improved, but airflow interference affects droplet placement precision causing double-printed lines
Solution Approach 1:
The printing apparatus dynamically adjusts the movement stop time of the head portion based on the interval distance. When the interval is large, the head portion stops for a longer duration after reversing direction to allow airflow to subside, preventing droplet placement errors while maintaining adaptability to various media types.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the movement stop time parameter according to the interval distance. By adjusting this temporal parameter based on the spatial parameter (interval), the system optimizes droplet placement precision for each specific printing configuration without compromising media versatility.
2Productivity
If the head portion reciprocates at higher velocities to improve productivity, then printing speed is improved, but airflow interference increases causing droplet placement errors
Solution Approach 1:
The movement stop time is dynamically adjusted based on the reciprocation velocity. When the head portion moves at higher velocities, the system increases the stop time after direction reversal to allow airflow generated by high-speed movement to attenuate, thereby maintaining droplet placement precision despite increased printing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces periodic stopping phases in the head portion's reciprocation cycle. These periodic stops at strategic moments (after direction reversal) allow airflow to subside before droplet ejection, enabling high-velocity operation while maintaining precision through rhythmic interruption of the motion cycle.
3Manufacturing precision
If the movement stop time is extended to allow airflow attenuation, then droplet placement precision is improved, but printing productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system optimizes the movement stop time parameter to achieve the minimum necessary duration for airflow attenuation. By precisely controlling this parameter rather than using excessively long stop times, the system maintains droplet placement precision while minimizing the impact on printing productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The head portion rushes through the printing operation with minimal necessary stops. Rather than frequent or prolonged interruptions, the system uses brief, strategically timed stop phases only when needed for airflow attenuation, thereby maintaining precision while maximizing overall printing efficiency by skipping unnecessary delays.
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 the influence of airflow on ejected droplets, improving printing quality by ensuring consistent droplet placement, even with varying media thicknesses and velocities, thereby preventing double-printed lines and maintaining high printing accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
airflow between the head portion and the platen is not completely attenuated immediately after movement is stopped during the reverse motion of the head portion
Data Source
AI summary
A printing apparatus includes: a head portion that discharges droplets toward a printing medium while reciprocating on the printing medium; and a controller that controls movement of the head portion during a printing operation such that a movement stop time of the head portion when a movement direction of the head portion is reversed at an endmost portion of a range in which the head portion moves is longer than the movement stop time of the head portion when the movement direction of the head portion is reversed on the printing medium.