Printing Head Temperature Difference Compensation for Ink Landing Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses face issues with image quality due to temperature differences within the recording head, causing deviations in the landing position of ink on the print medium, which cannot be effectively corrected.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus equipped with a head having nozzles aligned in a specific direction, a manifold, and a temperature sensor to detect temperature differences, with a controller that adjusts the discharge timing of ink based on temperature differences to correct the landing position and maintain image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pressure generating mechanism is driven to form an image, then the liquid is discharged from the recording head onto the recording medium, but the liquid temperature increases due to heat generation, causing viscosity decrease and landing position deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary temperature measurement of the liquid in the recording head before discharge, and pre-calculates the compensation amount for landing position deviation. This allows the discharge timing to be adjusted in advance based on the measured temperature, preventing the deviation rather than correcting it after occurrence.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the temperature of the liquid is continuously monitored, and the discharge timing is dynamically adjusted based on the measured temperature. The controller modifies the discharge timing according to the relationship between temperature and landing position, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains precision despite temperature variations.
2Speed
If the liquid temperature in the recording head increases, then the viscosity of the liquid decreases and discharge velocity increases, but the landing position on the recording medium shifts or deviates
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the discharge timing parameter based on the liquid temperature. When temperature increases causing higher discharge velocity, the system compensates by adjusting the timing of discharge to account for the increased speed, thereby maintaining accurate landing position despite the velocity change.
3Reliability
If conventional temperature correction based on environmental temperature is applied, then general temperature compensation is achieved, but deviation due to temperature difference within the recording head cannot be corrected
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single environmental temperature measurement, the system implements local temperature measurement directly at the liquid reservoir within the recording head. This localized measurement captures the actual temperature of the liquid being discharged, enabling precise correction of the specific temperature-induced deviation that affects landing position.
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 reduces image quality degradation by compensating for temperature-induced deviations in ink landing positions, ensuring consistent and accurate ink placement on the print medium.
Implementation Method 1
a first temperature sensor configured to detect, in the manifold, a temperature difference between a temperature of the ink at upstream in the first direction and a temperature of the ink at a downstream in the first direction
Implementation Method 2
a driving element configured to apply a discharging pressure to an ink
Implementation Method 3
causing of the head to perform printing of discharging the ink from the plurality of nozzles onto a print medium
Implementation Method 4
accompanying with the driving of the pressure generating mechanism in a case of forming the image, the liquid in the recording head is heated by the heat generated by the pressure generating mechanism
Implementation Method 5
As the temperature of the liquid is higher, the viscosity of the liquid becomes smaller
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a printing apparatus including: a head having nozzles aligned in a first direction, a manifold, and a driving element; a first temperature sensor configured to detect, in the manifold, a temperature difference between a temperature of the ink at an upstream in the first direction and a temperature of the ink at a downstream in the first direction; and a controller. The nozzles have a first nozzle and a second nozzle. The controller is configured to execute: causing of the head to perform printing, and performing of position correction of correcting a discharge timing of the ink from the nozzles based on the temperature difference so that a distance between a landing position of the ink discharged from the first nozzle and a landing position of the ink discharged from the second nozzle becomes short in a second direction crossing the first direction.