Printing Apparatus Sensor Positioning to Prevent Ink Staining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses face challenges in detecting the state of a medium, such as paper jam or thickness, without staining the medium with ink and while ensuring uninterrupted printing.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus is designed with a sensor positioned between two head units, featuring a projecting member that detects the contact state with the medium without making contact with the ink, allowing for timely detection of jams or medium state without interfering with the printing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the sensor is arranged at positions on the downstream side with respect to the nozzle group areas of the first heads, then the sensor can detect the medium state, but the projecting member contacts the ink discharged from the first heads, causing the sheet to be dirtied or stained
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is repositioned from the downstream side to the upstream side of the first heads in the conveyance direction, changing the spatial dimension of sensor arrangement. This dimensional shift allows the projecting member to contact the medium before ink discharge occurs, avoiding ink contamination while maintaining detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The projecting member acts as an intermediary between the sensor and the medium, enabling contact-based detection without direct sensor-medium contact that would cause contamination. The projecting member is positioned to contact the medium upstream of ink discharge, serving as a mediator that transfers detection function while preventing harmful ink contact
2Measurement precision
If the sensor is positioned to contact the medium for detection, then the medium state can be detected, but the sensor may interfere with the printing process or cause paper jams
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor with the projecting member performs detection action before the printing process completes. By detecting medium state upstream of the first heads, the system can identify potential issues before they affect printing stability, allowing preventive measures to be taken
Solution Approach 2:
The detection function is segmented from the printing process by positioning the sensor separately from the head units. The projecting member contacts the medium at a different location and time than the ink discharge, separating the detection action from the printing action to avoid interference
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a printing apparatus including: a head unit including two first heads and a second head; a support unit arranged to face the head unit and has a support surface; and a sensor arranged between a first virtual line extending in a conveyance direction so as to pass an end of a nozzle group area, of one of the two first heads, defined on a side of other of the two first heads and a second virtual line extending in the conveyance direction so as to pass an end of a nozzle group area, of the other of the two heads, defined on a side of the one of the two first heads, and arranged, in the conveyance direction, upstream of a nozzle group of the second head, the sensor including a projecting member which projects toward the supporting surface with respect to a nozzle surface.