Printing Apparatus Nozzle Ink Discharge Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses for manufacturing display devices, such as organic light emitting diode displays, face challenges in achieving uniform ink distribution and preventing ink from being recognized as stains, particularly where multiple heads overlap during printing.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus is designed with multiple heads, including a first head with 1-1 and 1-2 nozzles, and a second head with 2-1 and 2-2 nozzles, where the nozzles are configured to gradually decrease ink discharge amounts as they approach adjacent nozzles, ensuring even ink distribution and minimizing stain recognition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple heads are used for printing, then productivity is improved, but ink distribution uniformity deteriorates causing stains in overlapping areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the ink discharge amounts of nozzles based on their spatial positions. Specifically, nozzles are divided into groups (1-1, 1-2, 2-1, 2-2) with different discharge characteristics, where nozzles in overlapping regions discharge less ink than those in non-overlapping regions. This localized adjustment of nozzle properties ensures uniform ink distribution while maintaining high-speed multi-head printing.
2Ease of manufacture
If nozzles discharge equal ink amounts, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but print quality deteriorates due to visible stains in overlap regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of ink discharge amount based on nozzle position and overlap characteristics. Nozzles are assigned different discharge amounts (first discharge amount for non-overlapping regions, second discharge amount for overlapping regions) to prevent stain formation. This parameter differentiation resolves the contradiction by maintaining simple nozzle structure while achieving high print quality through controlled ink discharge variation.
Data Source
AI summary
A printing apparatus includes a stage including a plane extending in a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction, a first head including first nozzles facing the stage along the first direction, and a second head spaced apart from the first head and including second nozzles facing the stage along the first direction.