Printing Apparatus Speed Control via Region Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing printing technologies face issues with maintaining printing quality while varying printing speed, leading to potential printing failures such as irregular images or character blur, and configurations that decelerate near printing areas can cause additional failures.

Innovation Solution

A printing apparatus and method that includes a region detection system to identify non-printing regions, allowing for controlled acceleration and deceleration during these areas and constant speed control in printing regions, thereby optimizing printing speed without compromising quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the printing speed is increased to shorten printing time, then productivity is improved, but printing quality deteriorates due to irregular images or character blur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting timeVSAvoidprinting quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The printing area is segmented into printing regions and non-printing regions. The control portion detects non-printing regions and applies different speed control strategies: constant speed during printing regions to ensure quality, and accelerated speed during non-printing regions to reduce overall printing time. This segmentation allows simultaneous optimization of both productivity and printing quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The printing speed is made dynamic rather than constant. The control portion adjusts the printing speed in real-time based on the detected region type (printing or non-printing). This dynamic speed adjustment enables the system to maintain high speed during non-printing regions while ensuring stable quality during printing regions, resolving the contradiction between speed and quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If the printing speed is varied frequently to optimize printing time, then productivity is improved, but stability of printing speed deteriorates causing printing failures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting timeVSAvoidprinting speed stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The printing process is divided into distinct segments (printing regions and non-printing regions). Within each segment, a consistent speed control strategy is applied: constant speed during printing regions and accelerated speed during non-printing regions. This segmentation approach allows speed variation between regions while maintaining stability within each region, preventing printing failures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The control portion performs preliminary detection of non-printing regions before printing occurs. Based on this advance detection, the system pre-plans speed adjustments, accelerating only during confirmed non-printing regions. This preliminary action ensures that speed variations are intentional and controlled, maintaining stability during actual printing operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Manufacturing precision

If the printing speed is reduced near printing areas to ensure quality, then printing quality is maintained, but productivity deteriorates due to increased printing time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting qualityVSAvoidprinting time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The printing area is segmented into printing regions requiring constant speed for quality and non-printing regions allowing accelerated speed for productivity. By detecting and distinguishing these regions, the system maintains quality during printing while recovering time during non-printing regions, offsetting the time loss from speed reduction near printing areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different speed control qualities are applied to different parts of the printing area. Printing regions receive constant speed control for high quality, while non-printing regions receive accelerated speed control for efficiency. This local differentiation allows the system to prioritize quality where needed and productivity where possible, resolving the overall contradiction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS10328727B2Printing apparatus, printing speed control method of printing apparatus, printed product of printing apparatus, and printed product generating method of printed product

Publication Date: 2019.06.25 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

There is provided a printing apparatus of the present invention including: a printing portion which performs printing by a line type printing head; a transport portion which transports a printing medium along a transport path that faces the printing head; a region detection portion which analyzes printing data and detects a non-printing region which is a region that does not become a target of a printing operation; and a transport control portion which controls a transport speed when the non-printing region passes through the printing head to be higher than a transport speed when the other printing region passes through the printing head, in which the transport control portion performs an acceleration control at least at a part while the non-printing region passes through the printing head and performs a constant speed control while the other printing region passes through the printing head.