Convex-Concave Printing Platform for Inkjet Media Swelling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink-jet printing on water-absorbing media like paper causes swelling and deformation, leading to irregular arching and bulging, which can scratch the printing head and affect picture quality, especially in large-scale production where precision and stability are critical.
Innovation Solution
A printing platform with alternately arranged convex and concave planes and air suction holes, where the height difference between convex and concave planes is optimized to absorb medium swelling, ensuring uniform absorption and preventing bulging, thereby maintaining printing head integrity and improving picture quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional smooth printing platforms are used, then printing precision is maintained, but medium swelling and deformation cause ballooning and potential damage to printing heads
Solution Approach 1:
The printing platform surface is segmented into alternating convex planes and concave planes. The concave planes create localized depression areas that accommodate and absorb the swelling of water-absorbing media during inkjet printing, preventing uniform ballooning across the entire platform surface while maintaining printing precision in the convex areas.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the platform surface are given different geometric qualities - convex planes provide stable printing surfaces while concave planes provide swelling absorption zones. This local differentiation allows the platform to simultaneously maintain printing precision in convex areas and absorb medium deformation in concave areas, resolving the contradiction between precision and ballooning prevention.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If air suction structures are added to control medium swelling, then ballooning is reduced, but platform complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding complex air suction mechanisms, the invention uses simple geometric curvature - alternating convex and concave planes - to passively absorb medium swelling. The concave planes naturally accommodate deformation through their depressed geometry, eliminating the need for active air suction systems while maintaining structural simplicity.
3Manufacturing precision
If the distance between printing head and platform is reduced, then printing precision is improved, but risk of head scratching from bulging increases
Solution Approach 1:
The concave planes are pre-formed on the platform surface to anticipate and accommodate medium swelling before printing occurs. By having the swelling absorption zones prepared in advance, the medium is guided into the concave areas during the printing process, preventing unexpected bulging that could scratch the printing head and allowing the use of smaller head-to-platform distances for improved precision.
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 eliminates medium bulging, preventing printing head scratches and enhancing printing precision and quality by uniformly distributing convex and concave planes to manage ink absorption and deformation, ensuring stable operation of ink-jet printing equipment.
Implementation Method 1
low pressure adsorption is generated by a fan below the platform
Implementation Method 2
the base material swells and deforms by absorbing ink
Implementation Method 3
control diffusion of ink droplets
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to the field of printers, and particularly relates to a printing platform. The printing platform is located between a paper feeding platform and a paper outlet platform, a plurality of convex planes and concave planes is arranged on one side, in contact with a printing medium, of the printing platform, the convex planes and the concave planes are provided alternately along the X direction of the printing platform, and stretch across the Y direction of the printing platform; and the paper delivery ends of the concave planes are provided in an opened manner. The printing platform disclosed by the present invention well solves the problem of bulging of the ink-jet printing medium, which troubles the industry for a long time, especially large-ink-quantity wide format printing equipment. By the ground-breaking non-planar concave-convex design of the platform, the printing platform is skillfully based on ballooning and deformation of the medium absorption on site. While for the problem that the printing effect is affected because the platform is uneven, which is worried by the industry originally, because the ink droplets fly downwards vertically, in a certain stroke, tiny height difference may be neglected. Actual test also proves that the printing effect is better than that of the original design.